Unsheathed

Hence, Sun Jiashu quickly returned to the ancestral residence to take care of some daily duties. After sitting down at the table, he laid out some stacks of account books, and an antiquated abacus was placed in front of him. The abacus didn’t appear remarkable in any way, but what set it apart from the average abacus was the group of tiny golden people seated around it.

Just like bug silver, they were born from treasure vaults, and their bodies had a shimmering golden hue. Each of them had a pair of wings on their backs, and they liked to whiz around and play with one another. They were supposed to be harbingers of fortune.

As Sun Jiashu quickly read out the numbers on the account books in his mind, the tiny golden figures flew onto the abacus to push its beads and perform calculations.

The abacus had been passed down in the Sun Clan for generations, but aside from that and the tiny golden children, all of the other items in the study were very ordinary and mundane, including even the oil lamp sitting on the table, which Sun Jiashu occasionally had to add oil to.

The ancestral teachings of the Sun Clan mandated that money had to be used as sparingly as possible, and that even a single copper coin was a valuable piece in foundation of the clan. On the other hand, when time came to spend, even enormous investments were to be made without any hesitation.

Whenever he stood up to add oil to the lamp, Sun Jiashu would make his way over to the window and take a short break as he looked out at the river.

He was a fifth tier Qi refiner, and as he looked out the window once again, he suddenly began communicating to the guest elders outside the ancestral residence through mental transmission. “I propose a bet. Does anyone want to take me up on it?

“If I lose, I’ll pay one grain rain coin, but if the three of you lose, then you have to look after our Sun Clan’s ancestral residence for 100 more years. Of course, you’ll still be receiving the same compensation as usual.”

The logger smiled as he scoffed, “Who would take up such a ridiculous bet? It’s way too skewed in your favor!”

Sun Jiashu smiled as he replied, “I’m going to bet that once the sun rises, Chen Ping’an will be met with the same phenomenon as this morning. How does that sound?”

“Let’s do it!” the three guest elders replied in unison.

If he lost, he would only be losing three grain rain coins, but if he won, then the Sun Clan would be able to enjoy the services of three Golden Core Tier Qi refiners for another century. With some luck, at least one of them should be able to reach the Nascent Tier during that time.

The three guest elders were also aware of this, but they were convinced that Sun Jiashu wouldn’t win the bet. For them, a single grain rain coin was virtually negligible, but they wanted to secure the bragging rights of winning a bet over Sun Jiashu.

Sun Jiashu then smiled as he pulled three grain rain coins out of his sleeve before placing them onto the window sill, then said in a self-deprecating manner, “It seems like I’ve already lost the bet.”

The three guest elders didn’t hesitate to claim their winnings, and the three grain rain coins vanished into thin air.

The final one to claim his grain rain coin was actually the one with the most advanced cultivation base among the three, and he had the highest hopes of reaching the Nascent Tier.

A smile appeared on Sun Jiashu’s face as he continued to stand at the window, waiting for the moment that Chen Ping’an opened his eyes from his standing meditation. Meanwhile, the tiny golden children were all looking up at Sun Jiashu with curious looks on their faces, wondering why their owner suddenly didn’t seem interested in earning money anymore.

The sun slowly began to rise up in the sky, and before long, the entirety of Old Dragon City had already been basked in a warm red glow.

As the sun continued to rise, the cloud and mist faded, and no remarkable phenomena emerged.

Even though he had just lost three grain rain coins, Sun Jiashu was completely unbothered.

The three guest elders were naturally very pleased, and all of them were making fun of Sun Jiashu.

The patriarch of the Sun Clan arrived in the study, and as a Nascent Tier Qi refiner, he was able to temporarily cut off the study’s connection with the outside world with just a wave of his hand.

A smile then appeared on his face as he consoled, “Do you see now? Your grandfather told you long ago that the Sun Clan’s unorthodox luck has already been completely exhausted by that ability of yours, so you should just focus on sticking to the straight and narrow.”

Sun Jiashu heaved a forlorn sigh, and a thought suddenly occurred to him as he bade farewell to the Sun Clan patriarch, then made his way toward the door with a smile as he said, “I’m going to the kitchen to tell Old Man Song to make a more simple breakfast this morning instead of wasting all those good ingredients.

“It’s not like Chen Ping’an can tell what’s good or bad anyway, perhaps he prefers a meal of pickled vegetables and steamed buns. Instead of wasting money on someone who doesn’t appreciate it, I should save some money.”

The Sun Clan patriarch nodded in approval with a smile on his face, then turned to tiny golden children on the old abacus with a hint of pride on his face. The Fu Clan was indeed wealthier than the Sun Clan, but when it came to these golden wealth-bringing children of the highest caliber, the Fu Clan only had a single pair.

To be accurate, they had three, but only two of them were twins. In contrast, the Sun Clan had as many as four. As for the other four major clans of Old Dragon City, only the Fan Clan had managed to buy a single one from the emperor of a major empire right before it fell to its demise.

Sure enough, Chen Ping’an’s appetite was significantly improved by the familiar meal of rice congee, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables served up to him, and he was munching down food like a starving whirlwind.

Sun Jiashu was seated across from Chen Ping’an, eating more slowly while also displaying far better table manners, but his appetite was also better than it normally was. It seemed that one’s appetite inevitably improved in the presence of someone else displaying an exceptional appetite.

After that, Chen Ping’an returned to the river and began fishing in earnest, and he was quickly reeling in fish left, right, and center. Half of the fish basket was filled with a type of fish colloquially known as white strips in Old Dragon City, while the rest of the basket was filled with miscellaneous fish such as yellowhead catfish and dark sleepers.

After a lunch feast of fish, Sun Jiashu made Chen Ping’an put on a disguise to alter his appearance, following which the Nascent Tier Sun Clan patriarch led him to a pond outside the ancestral residence. As the Sun Clan patriarch swept a sleeve over the mirror-like surface of the pond, an image of a building appeared, and the old man assured Chen Ping’an that he could step into the pond to reach his destination right away.

Chen Ping’an had packed away his Sword Nurturing Gourd, so the only thing that he was carrying was the sword case on his back, and he did as he was told, stepping into the pond without any hesitation. Instead of plunging into the water, he set foot onto the surface of the pond, and a series of ripples spread over the water beneath his feet.

After he had taken a few more steps forward, he abruptly vanished from the spot, as if he had walked into the mirror surface.

In the next instant, Chen Ping’an emerged in front of a building, and he looked around to find that this was the exact same scene that had been depicted on the surface of the pond.

Over at the Sun Clan’s ancestral residence, the old man was watching the rippling surface of the pond as he turned to Sun Jiashu and remarked, “That boy has an incredibly stable soul and a remarkable backbone. No wonder Liu Baqiao sees him as a friend.”

“That’s not the reason why he sees Chen Ping’an as a friend,” Sun Jiashu replied with a smile and a shake of his head.

“What about you? Do you see him as a friend?” the old man asked.

Sun Jiashu thought about the question for a moment, then replied, “We didn’t meet during times of crisis, so my bond with him cannot compare with that between him and Liu Baqiao.”

Meanwhile, there was already someone waiting for Chen Ping’an in the inner city of Old Dragon City. It was none other than the Golden Core Tier immortal of the Sun Clan, and he led Chen Ping’an into a spacious courtyard, where they emerged from a secretive side exit before getting onto a horse-drawn carriage already waiting for them.

The Golden Core Tier immortal’s aura was restrained, and he served as Chen Ping’an’s coach driver. In the end, the carriage stopped at the entrance of an alley, where there was a young locust tree nearby, beneath the shade of which was a man eating sunflower seeds while reading a book.

Chen Ping’an got out of the carriage, and the two of them looked at each other.

The man picked up his stool in silence, then made his way into the alley, while the old man from the Sun Clan stopped the carriage by the side of the street, then closed his eyes to rest instead of accompanying Chen Ping’an any further.

Upon reaching the medicinal shop, Zheng Dafeng set the stool down at the entrance, then asked Chen Ping’an to take a seat before grabbing another stool for himself. All of the female employees in the shop immediately gathered around to see who this new visitor was, but the disguise that Chen Ping’an had adopted was very unremarkable in appearance, so they quickly lost interest and dispersed again.

Zheng Dafeng smiled as he asked, “Why have you taken the risk to come here when you’ve already undone the True Qi Eight Tael Talismans on your own? I I recall correctly, you have a vendetta against Young City Lord Fu Nanhua, don’t you? Aren’t you afraid of being discovered and captured? If you’re thinking that the Sun Clan would step in to save you, then I must tell you that you’re being far too naive.”

Chen Ping’an paid no heed to Zheng Dafeng’s questions as he posed a string of questions of his own. “Who told you about my father and my bonded porcelain? Who killed my father? And does Old Man Yang have anything to do with this?”

Zheng Dafeng wore a calm smile as he chuckled, “Do you think I would tell you even if that old geezer had something to do with this?”

Chen Ping’an offered no response.

Zheng Dafeng used the book in his hand to fan himself as he said, “I don’t care if you believe me or not, I can assure you that he played no part in all of this. However, what I can also tell you is that he definitely saw what was happening at a very early stage, but he most likely didn’t think there was any point in stepping in, so he didn’t intervene. If you resent him for his inaction, then that’s up to you, and I won’t try to stop you.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head with a wry smile as he said, “Why would I resent him for that? I know Old Man Yang’s personality very well. He never owes anyone anything, nor does he allow others to owe him anything. Everything that he does is an even and balanced transaction.”

Zheng Dafeng nodded in response. “That’s the correct mindset to have. Looks like I won’t have to bash your head in, after all. I was dreading having to do so as the old geezer would definitely not have been happy with me.”

Chen Ping’an’s expression remained unchanged, and it seemed that he had already anticipated that Zheng Dafeng would have such a fiery personality.

Zheng Dafeng continued to fan himself as he said, “Among all of the children from back then, if we set aside their respective heritages and backers, the ones that I thought had the most potential were Ma Kuxuan of Apricot Blossom Alley, Zhao Yao of Fortune Street, and Song Jixin of Clay Vase Alley.

“In contrast, my senior brother, Li Er, who you know as the father of Li Liu and Li Huai, held you in the highest regard, and I thought he was an idiot for that. After that, you encountered all types of phenomenal opportunities after leaving Jewel Small World, and only then did I come to realize that I had misjudged your potential, and that I was also wrong about my senior brother. In the past, I thought both of you were idiots, but the joke is on me now.”

What Zheng Dafeng actually wanted to say was that both Li Er and Chen Ping’an were incredibly intelligent people.

“I didn’t dare to raise those questions to Old Man Yang, and I knew that I wouldn’t be receiving any answers, anyway, but I felt like I could raise those questions to you,” Chen Ping’an said.

Zheng Dafeng smiled as he asked, “Do you think you’re safe just because you have a Golden Core Tier Qi refiner protecting you?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head as he replied, “If I raise any questions that concern sensitive information to Old Man Yang, he’d kill me without any hesitation. However, I didn’t think you would dare to do that. Even if my guess proved to be incorrect, I may still be able to survive, and you’ll have to pay a heavy price for killing me.”

What Chen Ping’an actually wanted to say was that even though Zheng Dafeng was also a businessman, he could tell that Zheng Dafeng’s status and cultivation base were far inferior to Old Man Yang’s.

However, as Chen Ping’an articulated those questions, which had been weighing on him for an entire decade, he still felt a strong sense of unease. Thankfully, after reaching the fourth tier, he was able to control his own mental state and put on a calm and relaxed facade. Furthermore, as soon as he entered the alley with Zheng Dafeng, he had already pulled out his Sword Nurturing Gourd to begin drinking.

With First, Fifteenth, and that Golden Core Tier Qi refiner from the Sun Clan on his side, he was confident in his chances of survival, even if things were to go awry.

It was time for some old wounds to be split open and examined for what they were.

Looking at the serious expression on Chen Ping’an’s face, Zheng Dafeng heaved a faint sigh, then rolled up the book in his hand before using it to gently drum on his own knee as he said in a lazy voice, “You’ve become even more annoying than before. You can pretend to be calm and relaxed all you want, but I can tell that you’re tense as a bowstring on the inside.

“There’s no need to be so tense, I’m getting tired just from looking at you! Rest assured, I won’t kill you. Old Man Yang holds you in very high regard at the moment, and even if that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t kill you just because you asked me a few questions. No matter how petty I am, I wouldn’t resort to such extreme measures over something so trivial. However, I’m not going to answer your first two questions. You’ll just have to find out those answers on your own.”

A smile suddenly appeared on Zheng Dafeng’s face as he continued, “Why aren’t you directly asking Qi Jingchun?”

Chen Ping’an was significantly more at ease upon hearing this, and gently leaned back against his sword case, which was resting against the wall. He then took a swig of wine before giving a perplexing response. “I’m worried that Mr. Qi will be disappointed in me.”

All of a sudden, Zheng Dafeng turned around and yelled, “Mei’er, bring out some sunflower seeds for our guest!”

A voluptuous woman soon emerged from the shop, holding two dishes of snacks with a smile on her face. As she bent down to hand the dishes to Zheng Dafeng, he feigned a startled expression as he exclaimed, “My goodness! I thought there was a pair of mountains crashing down upon me!”

The woman thrust the pair of dishes into Zheng Dafeng’s hands, then hurriedly stood up straight again as she stomped on his foot and complained with a seductive smile, “Stop being so corny!”

Zheng Dafeng handed one of the dishes to Chen Ping’an, then began to eat sunflower seeds himself.

Chen Ping’an seemed to have already anticipated that he wouldn’t be receiving any answers from Zheng Dafeng, and he wasn’t disheartened in the slightest as he asked, “Do you have any good swordsmanship manuals that you can sell me?”

“Do you want immortal swordsmanship manuals used by Qi refiners, or ones used by martial artists?” Zheng Dafeng asked.

“I’m sure you can tell that my bridge of immortality has been severed, so if I want to practice swordsmanship, then my only option is to do so as a pure martial artist,” Chen Ping’an replied.

“I can find you even the best swordsmanship manuals under the heavens, then sell them to you at an astronomical price, but there’s no fun in that,” Zheng Dafeng said. “I advise you not to go around searching for any such scriptures on your own.

“I am a martial artist myself, and I know all of the pitfalls involved in these matters. Seeing as you’ve already made some decent progress in your fist techniques, you should just stick to that instead of wasting your time with other futile pursuits.”

Chen Ping’an chewed on a peanut for a moment with a thoughtful expression, then said in an earnest manner, “Thank you. For that piece of advice alone, I can waive the five copper coins that you owe me.”

Zheng Dafeng’s eyelids twitched slightly upon hearing this.

All of a sudden, he found Chen Ping’an to be far more likable than just a moment ago!

He stretched lazily as he sat on his stool, then said in an exasperated manner, “Can you take off that shit on your face? You were never that handsome to begin with, and you look even more terrible with that disguise on.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head in response. “You already mentioned that I have a vendetta against Fu Nanhua, so I have to be careful under these circumstances. Who’s to say that the Fu Clan doesn’t have any way to observe the entire city?

“If I were to show my true appearance, that would be equivalent to me standing on their doorstep and yelling for them to come and kill me! As soon as I step out onto the street, I’m going to be mobbed and beaten to death!”