Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an stood in the cool and refreshing shade under the ancestor osmanthus island on the mountain summit on Osmanthus Island, and he couldn’t help but think of the old locust tree from back home. However, the old locust tree no longer existed, while this tree was still thriving.

A tinge of melancholy welled up in Chen Ping’an’s heart at this thought, but a faint smile then appeared on his face as he recalled the memory of Li Baoping running around with those locust branches on her shoulder. She was so adorable and energetic, and she feared nothing.

In a way, she was very similar to Fan Er, who had no worries and could live every day to the fullest. Chen Ping’an was very envious of them, and he hoped to become like them someday.

Aside from Chen Ping’an, there were also some other passengers gathered at the foot of the old osmanthus, and all of them had been drawn here by the tree’s resounding reputation. Some of them were pointing at and commenting on the old tree, and there were also some women posing beside the tree while several Osmanthus Island artists drew commemorative paintings for them.

There was even a family of three that had requested one of the artists to draw a family portrait for them.

Back on the horse-drawn carriage, Fan Er had told Chen Ping’an that there was a diverse range of cultivation bases among the businessmen traveling from Old Dragon City to Stalactite Mountain for business, and they also came from all types of different backgrounds. However, one common trait among them was that they were all very cunning and calculating, and all of them had at least one or two powerful backers, so they were not to be messed with.

The Fan Clan only had a few designated storage warehouses on Osmanthus Island, while the rest were rented out to wealthy businessmen who wanted to transport their wares to Stalactite Mountain. These people had plenty of money and power, and some were even wealthier than the Fan Clan. For them, the only things that they were missing were a ship fit for intercontinental travel and a safe route.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t the type who liked to start trouble for no reason anyway, so these words of caution from Fan Er were appreciated, but largely redundant.

At this moment, Chen Ping’an was standing silently under the tree. When a middle-aged artist declared that he was finished with his painting, Chen Ping’an approached him. He passed by the woman who was excitedly holding the finished painting in her hands, and as he did so, he took a glance at the painting to find that it was extremely vibrant and lifelike, far more so than the lifeless and rigid door gods that he had seen on the doors back in the small town.

The woman’s hair and clothes were depicted to be gently flapping in the wind, and even in the still image, it almost looked as if the locust leaves above her was rippling in the breeze. However, Chen Ping’an noticed that the woman’s true appearance was slightly different from the depiction on the painting, and it seemed that the artist had made some embellishments in that area. Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but be stunned by the painter’s exceptional skill.

The middle-aged artist spotted Chen Ping’an, then made a beckoning motion, and an osmanthus girl immediately approached him from behind while carrying a small platter with the four treasures of the study.

The artist then smiled as he asked, “Would you like a commemorative painting as well, Young Master? On the way to Stalactite Mountain, we will be encountering ten notable pieces of scenery, each of which are spectacular in their own way, and one of those pieces of scenery is this ancestor osmanthus tree.

“Under the shade of the ancestor osmanthus tree, our paintings will be infused with a faint fragrance, and they won’t fade for at least a century. On top of that, they’ll be impervious to damage from termites and the likes, so you definitely won’t be disappointed.”

Prior to setting off from where he was standing at the foot of the osmanthus tree, Chen Ping’an had already put away his osmanthus guest wooden badge, and he nodded with a smile as he declared, “I want three of the same paintings. How much will it be?”

The middle-aged artist was rather taken aback, and he couldn’t tell if Chen Ping’an was a descendant of an affluent clan dressed in modest clothing, or was simply severely underestimating how much it cost to purchase a painting.

Normally, one would only ask for a single painting, and he had never been asked to make three at once, but having said that, he certainly wasn’t going to turn money away, so he smiled as he replied, “One painting costs 10 snowflake coins, but for three, I can give you a slight discount and make it 25 snowflake coins total.”

The osmanthus girl beside the artist was far inferior to Jin Su in the looks department, but even so, she was still quite pleasant on the eyes as she added in a gentle voice, “If you have a special Osmanthus Island wooden badge in your possession, then you can receive a further discount.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head in response. “I’m just a normal passenger.”

Chen Ping’an pulled out 25 snowflake coins, then placed it onto the platter as opposed to giving it directly to the artist, as requested by the osmanthus girl. After that, the artist told Chen Ping’an to stand at the foot of the osmanthus tree, following which he was asked to change positions a few times until the spot with the best scenery was determined.

Standing alone under the tree and under the artist’s scrutiny, Chen Ping’an was clearly feeling a little nervous, and only after a few benevolent comforting words from the artist did he relax a little. His limbs weren’t as stiff as before, but his expression was still a little rigid.

The artist didn’t dare to issue any further instructions, and decided that he was just going to have put a bit more thought into embellishing Chen Ping’an’s expression as he painted.

The osmanthus girl was struggling to contain her amusement. Osmanthus Island was filled with immortals, and such a timid and shy passenger was a very rare sight. Some of the more bold passengers had even asked the artist if they could stand atop the ancestor osmanthus tree for their painting, while others had asked if they could snap a branch from the tree to hold as they posed. Of course, such requests were denied.

The artist picked up his brush, then pulled back his sleeve a little, and a sheet of precious Xuan paper from Azure Phoenix Nation slid down from the small platter and slowly drifted through the air until it drew to a halt in front of him. Even though it was hovering in mid-air, it looked exactly as if it had been laid out flat on a table.

Instead of immediately putting brush to paper, the artist began to work up some emotions. It was said that calligraphers left a part of themselves in every stroke that they made, and the same applied to artists.

The artist had one hand clasped behind his back while he held his brush with his other hand. Meanwhile, Chen Ping’an was standing with his sword case on his back and his hands clenched into tight fists that were hanging by his side. His eyes were bright, his complexion was slightly dark, and he was wearing a pair of straw sandals.

Overall, his attire was rather crude, but it was very clean and well-maintained. Compared with the strong and imposing men of the south, Chen Ping’an was only slightly shorter, but he was also quite thin and lanky, indicating that he was yet to fill out his frame.

To the surprise of the artist, he was unable to capture the young boy’s energy, essence, and spirit. It wasn’t that the boy didn’t have these things, it was just that no matter how the artist approached the painting, he was somehow struggling to capture Chen Ping’an’s visage.

He didn’t want to make himself appear unprofessional in case Chen Ping’an had second thoughts, so he could only put on a strong and confident front as he began to paint.

Out of the 25 snowflake coins, he would receive a commission of five, and that was not a small sum.

For the first painting, it could only be described as true to life on a surface level. Even a normal imperial artist from a mortal empire would be able to create a painting of this level, let alone a Qi refiner like himself, so he was very unhappy with his work, but he could only trudge onward and persevere.

After finishing the first painting, the artist took a short break, and Chen Ping’an also took this opportunity to remove the gourd from his waist and take a sip of wine. After having some wine, he began to relax, and he cast his gaze toward the north as a faint smile appeared on his face, perhaps because some happy memories had surfaced in his mind.

As he turned back to face the artist, Chen Ping’an crossed his arms and stood up straight with a radiant smile on his face.

In that instant, the artist was struck by a flash of inspiration.

Hence, the second painting was clearly more soulful than the first one, and it perfectly encapsulated the complex emotions that Chen Ping’an felt on his long journey so far away from home.

During the break between the second and third paintings, Chen Ping’an drank some more wine, following which the smile on his face faded, and he was no longer crossing his arms. Furthermore, he had hung his gourd from his belt behind him, seemingly trying to conceal it so that it wouldn’t appear in the third painting.

At the same time, his disposition also appeared more mature, and it felt like no matter how far away he was from home, he was a responsible young adult who would be able to look after himself.

The artist was quite happy with his third painting as well.

The osmanthus girl inserted a pair of white jade rods into either side of each painting to convert them into scrolls, and Chen Ping’an rushed over to her before examining the three paintings. He seemed to be very pleased with them, and he raised no criticisms, so the osmanthus girl handed the paintings to him.

The artist was actually feeling rather uneasy as he knew this perhaps wasn’t his best work, and he said, “I hope my paintings are satisfactory to you, Young Master.”

Chen Ping’an held onto the three scrolls with both hands and replied with a bright smile, “They’re great! Thank you!”

The artist was very relieved to hear this, and he smiled as he said, “If you wish to have any more paintings made, then you make an appointment with me. I’ll be making more paintings as we arrive at the nine scenic landmarks over the course of the journey, and you can have a 90% discount on all of your future paintings from me. My name is Su Yuting, just mention my name to any of the osmanthus girls on the ship, and they’ll be able to send you my way.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response before taking his leave.

What Chen Ping’an refrained from mentioning was that the chances of him having additional paintings made were very slim. Given how much pleasure Zheng Dafeng derived from his suffering and his own capacity for punishment, it was unlikely that he would be leaving the Guimai courtyard at all over the rest of the journey.

Upon returning to his room in the Guimai courtyard, Chen Ping’an began to write a letter, and he did so in painstaking fashion, making sure to be extremely meticulous with every single brush stroke.

Back in the Dust Medicinal Shop, Chen Ping’an had intended to send a letter each to Mountain Cliff Academy and his hometown in Dragon Spring Prefecture. However, he didn’t dare to do so as Old Dragon City was firmly under the Fu Clan’s control.

However, after learning that there were mail services by flying sword available on Osmanthus Island, he decided that he was going to send those letters after boarding the ship.

He had chosen to have three paintings made as he was going to send one to Li Baoping along with a letter, and a second one back to Dragon Spring Prefecture so the little boy in azure and the little girl in pink could burn it at the grave of his parents to show them that he was living a very good life.

This was why he had concealed his Sword Nurturing Gourd for the third painting. He couldn’t let his parents know that he had turned into a little drunkard! As for the second painting, that was going to be a keepsake for himself.

After finishing the two letters, Chen Ping’an left the courtyard once again with two of the paintings, then traveled to the immortal relay station on the ship.

On the way there, he ran into Jin Su, and even though Chen Ping’an insisted that he could go to the relay station on his own, Jin Su was just as insistent about accompanying him there, telling him that even though she was no longer staying in the Guimai courtyard, she was still the courtyard’s designated maidservant, so if she were to allow Chen Ping’an to go off on his own over such a trivial matter, then she would surely be punished by Aunt Gui and the Fan Clan.

Hence, Chen Ping’an had no choice but to allow her to accompany him. Thankfully, once they arrived at the relay station, Jin Su merely remained silent and didn’t interfere with what he was doing at all, refraining from saying anything even as Chen Ping’an chose to pay as a normal passenger rather than displaying his osmanthus guest wooden badge.

After accompanying Chen Ping’an back to the entrance of the courtyard, Jin Su took her leave, then returned to her residence, which was a peaceful courtyard that she shared with Aunt Gui.

Even the old coach driver was unaware that Jin Su was Aunt Gui’s only disciple.

Jin Su sat down across from Aunt Gui, and the latter smiled as she asked, “Is there something on your mind? Does it have something to do with that boy?”

Jin Su was naturally rather distant and aloof, and even in the presence of her mistress, there still wasn’t much of a smile on her face as she replied, “He’s a little strange.”

Aunt Gui smiled as she said, “You’ve spent your entire life on Osmanthus Island, traveling back and forth between Old Dragon City and Stalactite Mountain, so you haven’t had many opportunities to interact with others. Hence, it’s quite normal that you find that boy to be strange.”

A rare display of childish displeasure appeared on Jin Su’s face as she pouted, “That’s not true! I’ve left the ship to visit the inner city a few times, and I’ve seen many of the handsome young masters of Old Dragon City!”

Aunt Gui immediately burst into laughter. “Then you fell in love at first sight with Sun Jiashu, right? You were so smitten with him that you outright rejected Fu Nanhua’s advances without any regard for his feelings! You know, the Fan Clan actually wants you to be a little closer with Fu Nanhua.

“It’s a good thing that even though the Fan Clan is a clan of businessmen, they’re all quite lenient and benevolent. You were really immature and almost caused a lot of trouble for the clan, yet they still didn’t try to force you to do anything against your will. If you did the same thing while serving any of Old Dragon City’s other major clans, you would be in for a great deal of hardship!”

A cold look appeared in Jin Su’s eyes as she said, “The Fan Clan has treated me very well, and I’ll be sure to repay them in the future, but if they dare to push me too far on these matters, then I…”

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, Aunt Gui leaned forward and flicked her on the forehead as she scolded, “Don’t be so arrogant! You’ve only just barely managed to stumble your way to the Cave Abode Tier, do you really think of yourself as some type of cultivation prodigy? In terms of aptitude, you’re roughly on the same level as Fan Er.

“Both of you are considered outstanding prodigies in Old Dragon City, but that’s certainly not the case in the context of the entire Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and if we expand the scope even further to encompass Majestic World…”

Aunt Gui’s voice trailed off here as she heaved a faint sigh, but the implications were already very apparent. Finding a disciple that was to one’s liking was already a very difficult task, and it was even more difficult to nurture that disciple to the mountain summit.

Hence, the immortals on the mountain summit were always extremely prudent and selective when choosing their disciples. In fact, this was something that they viewed as secondary in importance only to their own pursuit of the Great Dao.

Aunt Gui knew two 10th tier earth immortals and an Unpolished Jade Tier cultivator, and in order to test their future disciples, they had conducted examinations ranging from at least a decade to over a century, and only after those prospective disciples had overcome all of the trials and tribulations thrown their way were they finally accepted.

Jin Su was a very proud young woman, and there wasn’t anyone else present, so she stood up from her chair, then sat down beside Aunt Gui and latched onto her arm like a spoiled child as she countered, “But I have a really good mistress!”

Aunt Gui prodded Jin Su’s forehead firmly with her finger as she jibed, “You do indeed have a good mistress, but unfortunately for me, I have a disciple who’s constantly causing trouble for me!”

Jin Su leaned her head against Aunt Gui’s shoulder as she sighed, “Do you think Sun Jiashu likes me?”

Instead of answering the question, Aunt Gui chuckled, “Spring has already passed us by, but it seems like cherry blossoms are still blooming in your heart.”

“Mistress!” Jin Su whined with an embarrassed expression.

Aunt Gui turned to look at her disciple with a benevolent smile as she chuckled, “How could any man not like a girl as beautiful as you?”

Jin Su was very pleased to hear this.

However, Aunt Gui then heaved a forlorn sigh as she continued, “But have you considered that not only is Sun Jiashu an exceptional man, he’s also the head of Old Dragon City’s Sun Clan?

“He harbors lofty ambitions to elevate the Sun Clan to unprecedented heights, and he’s also viewed as the future hope of Commercialism. Even if you two can somehow overcome all of the obstacles in your way to be together, if you become the wife of a businessman, your cultivation path from there onward will become very arduous.”

A dejected look appeared on Jin Su’s face upon hearing this.

Aunt Gui stroked Jin Su’s hair as she continued, “The scenery along the Great Dao is as glamorous as it is plentiful, but it is not a path that can be easily pursued. Sacrifices and decisions are also a part of cultivation. In fact, simply living is a form of cultivation in itself.”

Aunt Gui suddenly smiled as she chuckled, “What I don’t understand is why you can’t seem to develop any feelings for Fan Er. He’s such a good boy! If you can fall in love with him, even if I have to cast aside my honor and turn on the Fan Clan, I’ll make sure that you two come together in holy matrimony!”

Jin Su immediately sat up straight with a disgruntled expression as she complained, “Quit spouting nonsense, Mistress! Fan Er’s an idiot who has no heroic spirit or lofty ambitions! All he does is waste his time with pointless endeavors! If you ask me, only a fool would fall in love with an immature little kid like him!”

Aunt Gui shook her head with an amused smile, while Jin Su continued, “Just look at how boring that friend of Fan Er’s is. Even a wooden stump has more emotion than him! No matter how prodigious or wealthy he is, there’s no way he’s going to make it very far at all!”

A contemplative look appeared on Aunt Gui’s face, and she didn’t agree or disagree with this notion.

————

After returning to the Guimai courtyard, Chen Ping’an began to practice his walking meditation, having already completed his earlier errand.

Ma Zhi could observe his walking meditation even without leaving his room, but he still emerged from his room and made his presence known to Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an paid no heed to this and continued his fist technique practice in silence.

Prior to boarding the ship from Water Combing Nation, Chen Ping’an had performed his walking meditation very slowly. Over the course of the journey through the dragon channel and the subsequent journey on the Mutton Fat Hall ship, Chen Ping’an had already had one foot in the fourth tier.

Hence, he was able to perform his walking meditation much faster, and 300,000 repetitions were completed in what felt like the blink of an eye.

Now that he had reached the fourth tier, Chen Ping’an slowed down his walking meditation once again.

When it came to the Three Qi Tempering Tiers for pure martial artists, exceptional emphasis had to be placed on honing the soul, the spirit, and the gall.

Back in the bamboo building on Downtrodden Mountain, Cui Chan’s grandfather had once told Chen Ping’an that he was the strongest third tier martial artist under the heavens

When it came to the consolidation of his fourth tier cultivation base, Chen Ping’an felt as if he were lacking in stability, unlike back at the third tier, where every step that he took was extremely solid and grounded.

Hence, Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but wonder if this was because his foundation as a fourth tier martial artist still wasn’t sufficiently stable.

Cui Chan’s grandfather had told him that for martial artists of the fourth, fifth, and sixth tiers, ancient battlefields were the best places to explore for opportunities for further progression.

There were all types of Yin winds and astral winds, as well as different chaotic auras present on those battlefields, all of which were great for honing a martial artist’s soul, spirit, and gall. Ultimately, it just came down to enduring more hardship.

In those cases, one was fighting against heaven and earth.

The second-best option was to experience large-scale battles, and the more perilous the battle was, the more one would be able to understand the concept that there were enemies at every turn.

After that came one-on-one battles against more powerful opponents, using master martial artists and Qi refiners of the Middle Five Tiers as whetstones to hone one’s powers and battle instincts.

The Sword Qi Great Wall was a place that was rife with sword intent, and it inherently rejected all Qi refiners outside of swordsmen, let alone pure martial artists.

Countless martial artists had perished on the Sword Qi Great Wall, either because they didn’t know their own limits, or because their Dao guardians didn’t possess sufficient power to protect them. This was why Cui Chan’s grandfather had mandated that Chen Ping’an had to reach the fourth tier before setting off for Stalactite Mountain.

Only then would he have the best chance of making it up to the top of the Sword Qi Great Wall and leaving alive.

As for how long Chen Ping’an had to last on the Great Wall, how he should determine the limits of his own tolerance, and how many times he should strive to scale the great wall, Cui Chan’s grandfather hadn’t offered him any counsel on these subjects as he felt like it was a waste of time.

Having already reached the pinnacle of the 10th tier a century ago, Cui Chan’s grandfather had witnessed the scenery at the very pinnacle of Majestic World. Given everything that he had seen and experienced, many things that were deemed important by others simply didn’t matter in the slightest to him.

This was why many pieces of advice that were considered to be crucial among martial artists had been completely withheld from Chen Ping’an.

For example, Cui Chan’s grandfather hadn’t mentioned the golden flood dragon phenomenon that a martial artist could experience after reaching the fourth and seventh tiers, nor had he told Chen Ping’an what it entailed to be the strongest martial artist at each tier.

The less he taught Chen Ping’an, the more it reflected his lofty expectations of him.

What was the point in teaching Chen Ping’an how to do every little thing? Such a teaching style would only limit him.

In the eyes of Cui Chan’s grandfather, Chen Ping’an had to pursue the legendary Martial God Tier, he had to reach such lofty heights that even a martial artist at the pinnacle of the 10th tier like himself could only look up to him in awe and veneration!

What was quite strange was that the less Cui Chan’s grandfather said, the more Chen Ping’an learned.

When it came to the two golden flood dragon phenomena that had descended back at the Sun Clan’s ancestral residence, Chen Ping’an had been completely oblivious on the first occasion. The only thing that he had felt at the time was that he had to throw that punch in order to release the energy that was building up in his body.

After that, he learned that he had missed out on a precious opportunity, and he went back to fish night after night. Finally, the opportunity presented itself once again, but in that instant, Chen Ping’an was struck by the irrepressible urge to lash out once again!

After that, he had forced back the golden flood dragons a second time without any hesitation.

As expected of the disciple of Cui Chan’s grandfather, both of them were just as unreasonable.

Initially, Ma Zhi didn’t think much as he observed Chen Ping’an’s walking meditation, but after observing for a while longer, he finally noticed that something wasn’t quite right.

He shook his head with a wry smile, feeling as if he had seen a ghost.

The foundation of his soul, spirit, and gall were already there, and all that was left was for those three things to be honed. This meant that he could progress from the fourth tier to the sixth tier at an extraordinary speed, and if his objective were to progress up the tiers as quickly as possible, then he would be at the sixth tier in virtually no time!

If it weren’t for the fact that he had been informed that Chen Ping’an had only just reached the fourth tier, he wouldn’t have been so astonished, but Zheng Dafeng had clearly told him that Chen Ping’an was indeed only at the fourth tier.

How could there possibly be such an unreasonably formidable fourth tier martial artist under the heavens?

All of a sudden, Ma Zhi could feel the bonded flying sword in his acupoint itching to come out, and he was struck by the urge to challenge Chen Ping’an to a spar.

He was a Golden Core Tier swordsman, yet at this moment, he was seriously considering challenging a fourth tier martial artist!

A sense of sorrow welled up in his heart, and he felt as if he really had become an old man.

However, the sorrow was fleeing and quickly faded. The world was extremely vast. He was nothing more than a frog stuck at the bottom of the well that was Old Dragon City, so there were countless things in this world that he had yet to witness, and Chen Ping’an was but one of them.

All of a sudden, a thought sprang into his mind, and he smiled as he asked, “Chen Ping’an, you’re not aiming to become the strongest fourth tier martial artist under the heavens, are you?”

Chen Ping’an had just completed one repetition of his six-step walking meditation, and began another repetition as he replied, “I won’t settle for anything less.”

Ma Zhi didn’t think much of this response. In his eyes, Chen Ping’an had to be from a top-tier cultivating sect on Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and he certainly wasn’t the first young prodigy to have set such lofty aspirations for himself. While this declaration sounded a little arrogant, Ma Zhi didn’t find it to be conceited.

Unbeknownst to him, just this simple six-step walking meditation was something that Chen Ping’an had already performed hundreds of thousands of times.