Unsheathed

The man immediately reverted back to his furious facade as he scoffed, “Who are you trying to fool? A little runt like you knows Liu Baqiao of Wind Lightning Field? I know the sect master of Divine Edict Sect, but does he know me?”

“I don’t know if he knows you, but I’m certain that Liu Baqiao knows me,” Chen Ping’an replied.

“Piss off,” the man scoffed with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Quit standing here, spouting nonsense and hampering my business!”

“There are flying sword mail services at the ferry station, right?” Chen Ping’an asked. After thinking for a second, he continued, “Forget it, I’ll just look for one myself.”

At this point, the man was starting to feel a little fearful, and he intentionally ignored Chen Ping’an as he led the group of men and women to his shop.

After that, Chen Ping’an really did go to a flying sword mail service. It was situated in a relay station at the end of the street, and for the price of ten snowflake coins, he sent Liu Baqiao a letter, giving him a brief recount of what he had seen and heard here.

As for whether Liu Baqiao would toss the letter away after receiving it, or immediately spring into action and descend upon this place in a thunderous rage, that wasn’t something for him to worry about.

There were some things that he had to do, or it wouldn’t sit right with him.

Having said that, there were also some things that he wasn’t able to do anything about, no matter how much it pained him, such as the Kun ship crash.

After informing the people at the relay station of the receiver and the address that he was sending the letter to, everyone at the relay station immediately began to regard Chen Ping’an with rather strange expressions.

At the same time, they became much more respectful in the way that they spoke to and treated him, and someone was even sent to escort Chen Ping’an out of the relay station before asking him whether he needed a guide to the ferry station, to which Chen Ping’an gave a negative response before departing on his own.

Chen Ping’an felt better after leaving the relay station. Back in Jewel Small World, Liu Baqiao had carried himself in a rather lackadaisical fashion, and he had even joked around about the idea of becoming brothers with Chen Ping’an, but as it turned out, he was quite a formidable figure in the outside world, the point that even the flying sword mail service here had heard of him.

The ferry station where the Mutton Fat Hall’s ship was docked was hovering in mid-air on a tall mountain face, and a winding boardwalk had been chiseled into the mountain face, leading up to the ferry station. While walking up the boardwalk, Chen Ping’an spotted many ships that were already hovering in the air outside of the mountain face, and white clouds were drifting through the sky beneath them.

These ships were quite similar in style to the ships of Water Combing Nation, but they were somehow able to fly. Chen Ping’an was waiting to board the ship on the boardwalk beside the Mutton Fat Hall’s ferry station. A huge cave had been chiseled out here, with only a few merchant stalls set up inside. Chen Ping’an sat down by himself on a bench crafted out of an old tree root, having a meal of dry biscuit washed down with his newly purchased wine.

At noon sharp, a ship descended out of the clouds in a smooth and stable fashion before drawing to a halt at the ferry station.

Chen Ping’an boarded the ship with the rest of the passengers. This trip to Old Dragon City was only scheduled to take around twenty-five days to complete as the Mutton Fat Hall’s ship was capable of traveling far faster by air than the ships sailing through the dragon channel. On top of that, it didn’t need to make any stops along the way.

It was only a two-story ship, and Chen Ping’an was staying in a room on the first floor, which was slightly more spacious, but had no balcony. The ship began to ascend, passing through the sea of clouds, and Chen Ping’an opened the window to find a stunning view outside. Hanging above him was the bright sun, while a sea of clouds could be seen down below, resembling an undulating golden mountain range under the sun’s warm radiance.

Chen Ping’an inscribed a calming talisman and a cleansing talisman once again, then continued his fist technique practice.

Over the course of the journey, there were stormy nights, stunning sunrises, and days where there was no cloud in sight.

This time, Chen Ping’an was taking his walking meditation slower than before, and he would occasionally open the window to appreciate the scenery outside during his practice.

One day, when the journey was nearing its end, a sword immortal arrived atop his flying sword. At the time, the ship just so happened to have emerged from a cloud. The young sword immortal was trailing along directly behind it, traveling at such an astonishing speed that even some of the Qi refiners of the Middle Five Tiers on the ship were left in awe.

The sword immortal quickly caught up to the ship, carving a wide path through the cloud behind him.

Right as he reached the front of the ship, he drew to an abrupt halt, then gently leaped down from his flying sword onto the deck of the ship. He slid his sword back into its scabbard in a graceful fashion, and someone from the Mutton Fat Hall immediately approached him with a warm greeting, making no mention of the fact that it was against the rules for someone to board the ship mid-journey.

As it turned out, this was a very wise decision on behalf of the old man; even though the young swordsman haad broken the rules, he wasn’t an unreasonable or aggressive individual. Instead, he had a warm smile as he declared his own identity, then produced of twenty snowflake coins without even being requested to do so.

The swordsman was none other than Liu Baqiao of Wind Lightning Field.

The old master of Wind Lightning Field, Li Tuanjing, had been renowned as the most formidable 10th tier cultivator, and had dominated Sun Scorch Mountain on his own for centuries.

Even though it was rumored that Li Tuanjing had already passed away at the end of the recent battle that had taken place between the two sects, he had shattered the formation of True Martial Mountain with a single swing of his sword, an absolutely astonishing feat of power.

On top of that, Li Tuanjing’s final disciple, Huang He, had burst onto the scene in stunning fashion, displaying an aptitude that wasn’t inferior in the slightest to a young Li Tuanjing. Su Jia of Sun Scorch Mountain had been no match for him, and the scene where Huang He had trodden upon her Sword Nurturing Gourd while she lay unconscious at his feet was one that had been deeply imprinted into the memories of everyone present at the time.

After Huang He took over as the master of Wind Lightning Field, Liu Baqiao was also able to easily make a breakthrough. In fact, it was said that his progress was so rapid that he had almost broken through two tiers in succession.

After informing the old man that he was here to find someone, Liu Baqiao made his way to Room 11 on the first floor and knocked on the door.

Chen Ping’an was still focused on his fist technique practice, and even though he had sensed the aura fluctuations in the cloud behind the ship, he still continued with his practice without pause. It was a common occurrence for immortals to fly past the ship atop their flying swords, so Chen Ping’an hadn’t thought much of it.

Hence, he was very much taken aback to see the familiar grinning face of Liu Baqiao upon opening his door.

Liu Baqiao entered the room, then sat down onto the bed after Chen Ping’an closed the door. He noticed the pair of talismans that Chen Ping’an had inscribed, and he jibed, “You’re a rich man now, Chen Ping’an.”

It was only because it was Liu Baqiao that Chen Ping’an hadn’t stowed the talismans away before inviting the visitor inside.

Chen Ping’an smiled and offered no response to Liu Baqiao’s jibes, and he leaned against the windowsill, leaving the whole bed for Liu Baqiao.

Liu Baqiao got into a more comfortable sitting position as he said, “Man oh man, was it exhausting chasing after this ship. I set off for the ferry station as soon as I received that letter that you sent to me from the Virtuous Maiden Ferry Station…”

“You didn’t kill anyone, did you?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“I didn’t get a chance to do so,” Liu Baqiao scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “As soon as that bastard heard that I’m Liu Baqiao, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed to me. On the way there, I was planning to give him a good beating, but I didn’t even get to do that.

“In the end, I bought the screen from the neighboring shop and put it away in my pocket treasure. After that, I asked around everywhere before I finally found out that you were traveling on this ship, and here I am now.”

“What do you need from me?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“Why are you sure that I need something from you? Can’t I just pay you a visit for old time’s sake?” Liu Baqiao asked.

“In that case, why would you chase me all this way?” Chen Ping’an countered.

A sheepish look appeared on Liu Baqiao’s face as he sighed, “You’re so boring. You haven’t changed at all since back when you were in Jewel Small World.”

Chen Ping’an thought about it for a moment, then decided against asking Liu Baqiao about Su Jia. He presumed that Liu Baqiao had been present during the three battles on True Martial Mountain, and it definitely wouldn’t have felt good for him to see Su Jia suffer such a cruel fate, so Chen Ping’an didn’t want to open an old wound.

He also considered asking Liu Baqiao whether he had managed to successfully acquire that talismanic sword from the capital city of the Great Li Empire, but he then realized that this was a confidential matter that concerned Liu Baqiao’s pursuit of the Great Dao, so he refrained from asking that question as well.

In the end, he could only ask the most bland question on his mind. “Do you really not need anything from me?”

“I’m just here to pay you a visit,” Liu Baqiao re-emphasized in an exasperated manner. “After I came back from the capital city of the Great Li Empire and returned to Jewel Small World, I discovered that you weren’t there anymore. I heard that you set off on a journey to Great Sui Nation, and after that, our Wind Lightning Field and the Sun Scorch Mountain…

“Anyway, I was busy the entire time after that. You may think that I’m just a lazy guy who does nothing all day, but I actually only recently came out of seclusion. After consolidating my cultivation base, I was really bored, and I just so happened to receive your letter by flying sword, so I decided to meet up with you and confirm our brotherhood…”

Liu Baqiao’s excessively friendliness was something that Chen Ping’an struggled to cope with, so he didn’t respond.

A resentful look appeared in Liu Baqiao’s eye as he put on an effeminate demeanor, pointing a finger at Chen Ping’an as he said in a high-pitched voice, “How could you be so cold and heartless, Young Master? Back in your hometown, we reveled in each other’s company, yet now, you cast me aside like an old rag…”

Chen Ping’an crossed his arms in an expressionless manner as he sat down onto the window sill.

Liu Baqiao could try and disgust him all he wanted, but he wasn’t going to budge. In the end, this was going to be a battle of attrition.

Liu Baqiao was the first to admit defeat, heaving a faint sigh as he said, “I knew you wouldn’t have changed one bit since we last met. Right now, all of the swordsmen across Eastern Treasured Vial Continent are astonished by my aptitude, and I’ve already been singled out as someone who will be sure to reach the Upper Five Tiers in the future. Are you not aware of this?”

“I was only recently made aware of that,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile. “As soon as the people at the relay station heard that I was writing a letter to you, they immediately became much more polite and respectful, and they even sent someone to escort me to the door as I left.

“Even after I left, they asked whether I needed a guide, and they were extremely hospitable to me, as if I were some type of important figure. That was the first time I’d ever been treated like that, haha!”

Liu Baqiao was rather perplexed by Chen Ping’an’s reaction to this.

What’s he so happy about? Is he this cheerful just because he had received some special treatment for knowing me?

However, it didn’t take long for Liu Baqiao to figure out why Chen Ping’an was so happy.

He was happy just because his friend was doing well.

This was a very simple reason, but the world was often too complex a place for such simple reasoning. There were far too many clever people, or people who thought themselves to be clever, and in particular, after interacting with too many scheming cultivators, one often became unable to wrap their head around the simple things.

Even after almost consecutively progressing up two tiers, Liu Baqiao hadn’t been all that elated, but at this moment, he couldn’t help but be put in a good mood, infected by Chen Ping’an’s simple and pure joy.

Liu Baqiao couldn’t help but wonder how he would feel in the same situation.

If he had a friend who was doing better than he was, so much better, in fact, that he would never be able to catch up to them in this lifetime, would he be able to feel the same sense of joy for them?

Liu Baqiao was very pleased with his own answer to this question, and he became even more convinced that he and Chen Ping’an were meant to be brothers.

After that, Liu Baqiao didn’t stick around for much longer. After he came out of seclusion, Huang He, the newly instated Wind Lightning Field Master, had forcibly assigned him with an official post, so he still had many duties left to take care of. Having said that, all he really had to do was pass on these duties to the old men who were far better at taking care of these tasks than he was.

With that in mind, he rose to his feet with a smile, then asked, “Are you short on money at all? I have a few dozen lesser heat coins with me, I can lend them to you if you need.”

Only a wealthy and prodigious swordsman like him would be able to throw around the notion of lending out a few dozen lesser heat coins as if they were only a few dozen taels of silver.

Chen Ping’an jumped down from the window sill as he replied with a shake of his head, “There’s no need for that.”

A serious look appeared on Liu Baqiao’s face as he said, “Alright, then I’m going now. Next time you return to Jewel Small World, make sure to remember to come visit me at Wind Lightning Field. Otherwise I’ll…”

He adopted the same effeminate demeanor from before as he concluded, “Be so heartbroken that I’ll drop dead!”

“If you keep talking like that, then I’d rather die before I go to visit you in Wind Lightning Field,” Chen Ping’an replied.

Liu Baqiao burst into laughter, but there was still a hint of weariness and frailty in his eyes, clearly indicating that he was yet to recover from seeing what had become of Su Jia.

He turned to depart, but right as he arrived at the door, he suddenly recalled something and turned around again as he said, “By the way, I have a really good friend over at Old Dragon City. He’s a trustworthy guy, so if you need any help, but the flying sword mail service isn’t going to be fast enough, then you can go to him. His name is Sun Jiashu, and he’s the second-richest guy in Old Dragon City. I once mentioned you in a letter that I sent to him, so all you have to do is declare your name, and he’ll definitely be willing to meet you. On top of that, I’m certain that you two will get along.”

“Sounds good,” Chen Ping’an replied.

“There’s no need to escort me to the door. If you’re too hospitable, it’ll make us seem distant. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet again in the future anyway,” Liu Baqiao said, and to his shock, Chen Ping’an really did remain at the window sill, displaying no intention of escorting him to the door.

He couldn’t help but shake his head with a resigned smile upon seeing this, and after closing the door, he didn’t immediately fly away atop his flying sword. Instead, he made his way over to the elderly Qi refiner of the Mutton Fat Hall who was supervising this ship, and only after chatting with the old man for a while did he finally depart.

On the day before the ship arrived at Old Dragon City, the passengers were treated to an extremely rare sight of flying fish leaping out of the sea and soaring into the sky. Millions of flying fish with vibrant and colorful wings were flying through the air, and the ship drew to a halt for an hour to allow the passengers to take in this marvelous spectacle.

Furthermore, an explanation for this spectacle was provided. As it turned out, these flying fish were called Rainbow Phoenix Fish, and they were holding this ceremony to celebrate one of their brethren successfully developing a pair of true Rainbow Phoenix Wings, an extremely rare and momentous occasion.

However, the people of the Mutton Fat Hall also warned everyone not to try and capture that flying fish that had just attained its Rainbow Phoenix Wings. Otherwise, they ran the risk of provoking the entire school of fish, and that would almost certainly lead to the ship’s demise. Unless a Golden Core Tier or Nascent Tier immortal could swoop in to protect the ship, then it would undoubtedly be torn apart by the scorned flying fish.

Everyone was then reassured that Rainbow Phoenix Fish had very kind and gentle natures, and that they didn’t fear humans. Instead, whenever they sprang out of the sea to soar through the heavens, they often liked to approach humans, so the passengers had nothing to fear, even though the entire ship had been surrounded by these flying fish.

Furthermore, they could even take this opportunity to try and capture a few of these flying fish as pets, and that would serve as an unexpected bonus for the passengers of the ship.

Even Chen Ping’an had emerged from his room for this rare spectacle, and he couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the stunningly beautiful sight of the countless Rainbow Phoenix Fish soaring freely through the heavens.

He leaned on the railing of the ship as he took sips of wine out of his gourd, and sure enough, the school of Rainbow Phoenix Fish began to slowly approach the ship. As they did so, all of them slowed down in unison, and some of the more curious and adventurous ones among them were voluntarily flying closer to the passengers on the ship.

If someone were to reach out with their hand, most of the fish would immediately fly away, but there were also some that chose to draw even closer instead, and some would even land on the outstretched hands extended toward them.

Chen Ping’an had actually already heard of these fish as it was said that the revered rainbow robe of the Spiritual Horn Force, the largest cultivating sect in Colorful Garment Nation, had been woven using the wings that a Rainbow Phoenix Fish had managed to attain.

The wearer of the rainbow robe was granted protection to all mystical abilities, and what was most incredible about this robe was that all flying swords belonging to swordsmen of the Middle Five Tiers would retreat on their own upon drawing close to the wearer of the robe.

Chen Ping’an also reached out with one hand like many others on the ship, but not a single one of the flying fish was willing to approach him.

Thus, he could only sheepishly withdraw his hand and drown his sorrows with more wine.

Before long, the ship resumed its southbound journey, and as it docked itself at the Old Dragon City ferry station, Chen Ping’an had finally completed the journey from the northernmost point of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent to its southernmost point.