Unsheathed

The bright moon went into hiding, and the radiant sun rose as normal.

It was a new day again.

It was rare for Ning Yao to enjoy such a good sleep, and she wiped her mouth after she woke up. She stood up and stretched lazily, after which she directly jumped on her sword and flew down the great wall, heading back to the city in the north in a carefree manner.

Even though Chen Ping’an had seen many immortals flying through the sky in a dashing manner before — Ning Yao in the very beginning, Wind Snow Temple’s Wei Jin afterward, Liu Baqiao, and many more immortals on the kun ship — he still felt like Ning Yao’s figure was extremely refreshing when she flew on her sword, no matter how many times he looked at her. Of course, he felt envious of her as well.

Chen Ping’an returned to the small thatched cottage and ate some breakfast. Afterward, he walked along the northern parapet from left to right, practicing walking meditation and fist techniques as he did so. He was very adept at this already, and he could complete this training with his eyes closed the entire time.

Before leaving, Ning Yao had told him that she might not have the time to visit him on the city wall today. Thus, Chen Ping’an brought some food with him and planned to walk further down the wall this time.

Perhaps because he had been too close to the old sword immortal’s cultivation space before, there had been very few sword cultivators in the area. While training near the thatched cottage, Chen Ping’an had only come across the old sword immortal with the surname Qi and Lord Hidden Official, the little girl who had killed the most Middle Five Tier demons on the Sword Qi Great Wall.

After walking down the right side of the great wall for an entire day, Chen Ping’an came across many more sword cultivators, old and young, male and female. Some were youths coming to the great wall to absorb sword intent and temper their Sword Dao, and these individuals would often practice sword techniques by themselves or silently comprehend Dao. There were also some sword cultivators who patrolled the great wall in groups.

However, without exception, not a single person greeted Chen Ping’an when they saw the young boy with a sword case on his back practicing fist techniques. There was only indifference in their eyes.

Only after experiencing this did Chen Ping’an finally understand the old sword immortal’s words somewhat. Here on the great wall, it was best not to cause trouble for others or oneself.

Noon arrived, and Chen Ping’an sat on the parapet and ate the dried meat and desserts that Ning Yao had given him. He chewed slowly, and he saw a group of twenty or so young boys and young girls walking over from the distance. Their sword strikes were intense and orderly, and their movements agile and energetic. Their sword techniques were artful yet simple, and their sword intent leaned toward deadly and dark.

There was a middle-aged sword cultivator with a single arm nimbly walking behind the formation of youths and providing them with guidance. They were most likely young descendants from the same clan cultivating and training together.

Chen Ping’an didn’t dare to look at them for too long, lest he be accused of trying to steal some other clan’s secret sword techniques passed down by their ancestors.

The middle-aged sword cultivator with a single arm glanced at Chen Ping’an and pondered for a brief moment. He then gestured with his hand, causing the group of young sword cultivators to cheer with joy as they rapidly stopped their cultivation. They broke up into smaller groups of two or three and sat down on the city wall.

Another group of people who had been following the young sword cultivators from a distance immediately removed the bags from their backs and brought lunch over for the young boys and young girls. They were extremely respectful, and everything seemed natural and justified.

Ning Yao had told him that there was a very strict hierarchy at the Sword Qi Great Wall. People placed heavy emphasis on clan lineage and meritorious service.

An example of this was Lord Hidden Official. “Hidden Official” was obviously not a surname; instead, it was a strange official position with an ancient history that no one really knew about. In any case, the title of “Hidden Official” was hereditary, and those with the title were responsible for supervising the army, convicting criminals, rendering punishment, and so on.

However, many clan leaders in the past had been weak and incompetent, becoming nothing more than a long shadow dragging over the north of the Sword Qi Great Wall. Very often, these clan leaders would be reduced to yes-men for the large clans in the city. However, the current Lord Hidden Official was very different.

She was publicly recognized as the fourth-in-command in the Sword Qi Great Wall.

During the thirteen battles with the demon tribe, this short-tempered “little girl” had participated in the first battle and caused her opponent, a powerful great demon with extraordinary combat power, to directly surrender and leave the battlefield. Enraged by this result, the little girl had chaotically smashed and pummeled the battlefield for fifteen minutes. However, the Sword Qi Great Wall and the demon tribe had done nothing as they watched her vent her anger. Both sides were already accustomed to her antics.

After Ning Yao told him a few things about the events of the thirteen battles, Chen Ping’an committed all of the powerful cultivators from both sides to memory. The Naturalist cultivator from the Lu Clan stood out from the rest, with the Naturalist teaching described as one that influenced half the results.

Both sides had only found out their opponent’s order of cultivators at the very last moment. However, another silent yet turbulent battle had most likely been taking place the entire time beforehand.

Lord Hidden Official had made a good start for the human tribe. However, the Sword Qi Great Wall had fallen apart during the battles in the middle stages, almost collapsing once and for all. Fortunately, A’Liang had swooped in and saved the day, bringing the battles to a victorious end.

After eating lunch, Chen Ping’an stood up and continued to walk forward as he practiced his fist techniques. During this time, he saw the old man with the surname Qi again. However, there was a handsome middle-aged man beside the old sword immortal, and the latter’s aura was concealed while the former’s aura was flourishing. On the surface, it looked as if the middle-aged man were superior to the old sword immortal.

Chen Ping’an didn’t walk over to speak with them. Instead, he simply stopped his walking meditation before slightly bowing his head and cupping his fists in greeting.

The old sword immortal smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. However, he didn’t engage in idle chatter with the young boy from outside of town either.

Afterward, Chen Ping’an came across two young and strong sword cultivators who were drinking on the parapet, as well as a single-armed young girl standing on the parapet with an extremely large sword in hand. She was standing there unmoving.

Chen Ping’an silently jumped down the parapet when he saw them, taking a detour along the carriageway. When he walked far away enough, he jumped back onto the parapet and continued to walk forward while practicing walking meditation.

When dusk fell, Chen Ping’an saw several sword cultivators flying up from the southern side of the great wall. They soared over the carriageway and flew on their swords toward the north.

Chen Ping’an glanced at the sky and had a quick dinner. He then turned around to return to the thatched hut.

When he arrived, it was already deep into the night. However, after opening the hut door, what he saw was the moonlight shining upon that little girl, Lord Hidden Official. She was currently feasting on his food. Chen Ping’an stood there unmoving, and the little girl with twin braids turned around with her cheeks absolutely stuffed.

However, she didn’t react like a thief caught in action, and she instead flipped the script and looked at Chen Ping’an with an expression of disapproval and vigilance. It was as if she were interrogating him and asking him why he was at her home.

She wasn’t a thief sneaking into someone’s house. Rather, she was a bandit trying to occupy his place!

Chen Ping’an could only retreat out of the small thatched cottage in silence, lightly closing the door behind him.

He was afraid that he would be minced into a pulp by the powerful and eccentric Lord Hidden Official if they had a disagreement.

Chen Ping’an went to the northern parapet behind the small thatched cottage, sitting there and drinking wine.

After a while, he suddenly heard someone clapping behind him. Turning around, he saw the little girl put her hands down before pointing at the small thatched cottage. She then turned around and left.

She’s telling me that I can return to clean up the mess?

Chen Ping’an felt a slight headache forming. Out of an abundance of caution, he remained seated on the parapet until the little girl with large sleeves walked far away. Only then did he return to the small thatched cottage to survey the situation. Barely anything was left of the food that Ning Yao had brought him.

Chen Ping’an sighed and started to clean up the hut that had been completely trashed by the little girl. When he finished, he returned to the parapet and started to practice the ‘Proper Sword Scripture’ that Zheng Dafeng had given him.

Same as always, he visualized holding a sword in his hand. He didn’t hold a real sword, and his main focus was on practicing the Avalanche Technique and the Deity Suppression Technique.

Ning Yao didn’t come to the city wall to visit Chen Ping’an today.

Thus, Chen Ping’an returned to the small thatched cottage during the latter half of the night, lying down and enjoying a peaceful sleep.

The next morning, Chen Ping’an saw Lord Hidden Official not long after waking up and walking out of the small thatched cottage. There were several young boys and young girls walking behind her as she strode over and entered the thatched cottage.

However, the little girl with twin braids quickly walked out with a fuming expression. Her eyes were wide open as she tried her best to glare at Chen Ping’an in a fierce and intimidating manner. She was most likely questioning him about why there were no snacks to steal in the thatched cottage today.

The youths behind her — each with an extraordinary aura — all seemed to be feeling a slight sense of schadenfreude.

There was an awkward expression on Chen Ping’an’s face, and he was left with no option but to play dumb.

If it weren’t for Lord Hidden Official’s title and status, Chen Ping’an truly wanted to walk over and pinch her cheeks.

The little girl with twin braids was genuinely a little angry this time. The Sword Qi Great Wall shuddered loudly under her feet, after which she took to the air in her loose black robe, disappearing in a flash.

Ning Yao came to the Sword Qi Great Wall in the afternoon. After Chen Ping’an told her about his encounters, Ning Yao laughed and said that he had nothing to worry about. This was how Lord Hidden Official’s temper was. Countless sword cultivators had suffered at her hands, yet it was actually very easy to deal with her eccentricities.

She liked to hear praise, and she liked to receive beautiful-looking presents. She would accept everything that came her way. However, she would at most offer a smile after enjoying a meal or accepting a present. She would never remember these acts of goodwill.

If one managed to offend Lord Hidden Official, there was also a way to deal with her imminent fury. When it came to those unfortunate people in the Sword Qi Great Wall, they could simply play dead before Lord Hidden Official had the chance to lash out in anger.

Upon seeing this, the little girl would feel like killing these kinds of trash would soil her hands. Thus, she would often let the perpetrators off the hook. Moreover, she wasn’t the type of person to hold grudges. Or perhaps she couldn’t remember these people at all.

Ning Yao remembered something, and she said that her friend had once mentioned that Lord Hidden Official had a fairly decent relationship with the previous occupant of the small thatched cottage. It was a very rare case of her having a good impression of someone. In fact, people had once seen Cao Ci placing Lord Hidden Official on his shoulders and practicing fist techniques as he walked along the parapet. The passers-by had all been scared to death.

Chen Ping’an sighed with emotion and remarked that Cao Ci was truly very impressive.

Ning Yao smiled and said, “I wasn’t familiar with Cao Ci before, but I asked around a bit more about him recently. I came to the conclusion that pure martial artists walking the same path as Cao Ci are actually quite pitiable, especially those so-called martial arts prodigies.”

Ning Yao borrowed Chen Ping’an’s wine gourd and took a sip. Her face became a healthy shade of red, and she continued, “When it comes to Qi refiners, it’s very hard for someone to be publicly recognized as number one. This is especially the case if we cast our gazes over the entire world instead of just a continent.

“This is because external items such as bonded flying swords, immortal treasures, and celestial tools can’t actually be regarded as external items. In many life-and-death battles, it’s specifically these things that can give one a critical edge. As a result, chance encounters and fated opportunities can change many established preconceptions.

“However, things are different for martial artists. Martial artists seldom rely on external items, and many even detest such external items. It’s because of this that people talk about ‘no second in fist techniques.’ Victory and defeat are often very easy to guess.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in agreement. He had once come across Song Changjing in Clay Vase Alley, and he had trained with Cui Chan’s grandfather in the bamboo building afterward. There was also Zheng Dafeng striving for the heavens after breaking through to the next tier with much difficulty. From these powerful cultivators, he could clearly feel how martial artists were starkly different from immortals from the mountains. Their ambitious and domineering auras as grandmasters were especially evident.

Ning Yao returned the wine gourd to Chen Ping’an and said, “In fact, that’s only half of my conclusion. You might feel like Cao Ci is very impressive, but I feel like you’re even more impressive.”

A silly smile spread across Chen Ping’an’s face. The girl he loved was calling him impressive, so was this not impressive in and of itself?

“This is because few martial artists in the same generation can rival Cao Ci. This is a certainty,” Ning Yao revealed in a serious tone. “No one has truly experienced Cao Ci’s aura of so-called invincibility before. However, not only did you fight with him, but you fought three battles in a row. Even though you lost all three battles, it was truly a feat for you to remain undefeated in the battle of mental states.”

Ning Yao coughed and sat up straight, patting Chen Ping’an’s shoulder and praising, “This is a very difficult feat. You need to maintain this mentality and continue to strive forward.”

Seeing Ning Yao speak in such a solemn manner, Chen Ping’an had initially been treating this with relative seriousness. However, he suddenly discovered the look of mischief in her eyes, and he realized that she was imitating Cao Ci and purposely messing around with him. A wide smile spread across Chen Ping’an’s face, and he didn’t even bother to drink wine anymore. “You don’t sound like him at all.”

“And you can act like him if you try?” Ning Yao rolled her eyes and asked.

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “I won’t act like him, and I don’t need to act like him either.”

Ning Yao clicked her tongue in wonder. It was hard to say whether she was doing so in admiration or amusement.

Chen Ping’an chuckled coldly in reply.

However, just how smart was Ning Yao? She immediately knew that Chen Ping’an was imitating her response back in Stork Inn. She directly punched him in the shoulder and scolded, “Drink your wine!”

Sure enough, Chen Ping’an drank a mouthful of wine before exclaiming, “Wow, the wine today tastes especially good.”

Ning Yao glanced at the Sword Nurturing Gourd in Chen Ping’an’s hand, and her face immediately flushed red. She punched Chen Ping’an again and fumed, “Men are all good-for-nothings!”

Chen Ping’an held his wine gourd in confusion.

Ning Yao stood up and flew away on her sword. While doing so, she didn’t forget to turn around to shoot a vicious glare at him.

Chen Ping’an blinked with an innocent expression.

He then scratched his head and continued to drink wine. He mulled over this matter, yet he didn’t understand why he was a good-for-nothing no matter how he thought about it.

However, Chen Ping’an could tell that Ning Yao wasn’t truly angry.

She was just a little… embarrassed.

Chen Ping’an felt like the feeling lingering in his heart was quite good. In fact, it was even more beautiful than fine wine.

A handsome middle-aged man walking on the wind high above the Sword Qi Great Wall — the person who had been standing beside the old sword immortal just then — coincidentally witnessed this sight. He chuckled and remarked, “So, it turns out that he’s a silly and oblivious young boy.”

After drinking some wine, Chen Ping’an retied the Sword Nurturing Gourd to his waist and stood up to practice standing meditation.

The moonlight entered his embrace, and its radiance shone upon his shoulders. It was another peaceful night.

Sunlight peeked over the horizon, and Chen Ping’an suddenly opened his eyes. He discovered that he had actually stood there unmoving and performed standing meditation for half a night.

Chen Ping’an felt a sense of lingering apprehension. What if he had accidentally fallen off the parapet? Lord Hidden Official could get off unscathed, but he would have definitely turned into human paste at the bottom of the wall.

Chen Ping’an stretched his body and jumped down the parapet. After returning to the small thatched cottage, he ate the breakfast that Ning Yao had prepared for him last night before continuing to practice the dull and monotonous walking meditation. He walked from left to right along the parapet of the great wall.

On his way, Chen Ping’an came across a young smiling fatty who was radiating with killing intent. Same as always, he jumped down the parapet and took a detour before leaping back onto the parapet. He also came across a handsome young man who seemed slightly effeminate.

Afterward, it was a tanned young boy whose face was riddled with scars. Finally, it was a single-armed young girl with a gigantic sword on her back. However, there were several young girls beside her today, and it was as if they were treating the wide parapet as a scenic spot. They were sitting around a satin cloth filled with exquisite snacks and desserts.

When Chen Ping’an jumped down the parapet onto the carriageway again, the group of young girls all turned around to look at him.

Even when Chen Ping’an walked past them from far away, they still pointed at him and made remarks.

Chen Ping’an could feel his head becoming slightly numb.

In fact, he was well aware that all of these youths were definitely the friends that Ning Yao had described to him. Moreover, they were friends with whom she had fought side-by-side.

This was the second time that Chen Ping’an wanted to complain a little about the pair of straw sandals on his feet.

The first time was in the capital of Great Sui Nation. He had been afraid of causing embarrassment for Li Baoping, Li Huai, and the others, so he had especially gone and bought himself a new pair of boots. However, because he hadn’t entered Mountain Cliff Academy in the East Mountain, instead leaving the capital with the young Cui Chan, he had taken his boots off after wearing them for only a short while. He had changed back into his pair of comfortable straw sandals.

Chen Ping’an hoped that he could be more presentable in the future. Even if his clothes didn’t perfectly complement him and make him appear ethereal like Cao Ci and Cui Chan, he still needed his clothes to be clean and tidy at a minimum, similar to Lin Shouyi. It would be even better if he gave off a slightly bookish aura, even if it was only temporary. He would also put a jade hairpin in his hair, and the Sword Nurturing Gourd by his waist could remain where it was. The sword case on his back could remain as well…

Chen Ping’an continued to walk forward, sighing in his mind and feeling a slight sense of regret.

However, he suddenly started to chuckle after walking for a while, and he lifted a foot and lowered his head to glance at the straw sandal. “Old friend, I don’t dislike you, and I’m extremely grateful for your hard work all these years. If you look at your companions who sacrificed themselves during my long journeys, you can see that I’ve kept all of them and treated them well. I didn’t throw a single pair away. They’re all enjoying retirement in Fifteenth’s belly. Mhm, the books call this living easy in old age. Haha, it will be slightly challenging if you want to play with grandchildren though…”

As he talked to himself, Chen Ping’an didn’t realize that the group of youths who had gathered here to observe him were all panicking and actively dropping off the parapet like a pack of dumplings. As it turned out, Ning Yao had flown to the city wall on her sword.

The chubby young boy, Charcoal Dong, and the handsome young boy all started to flee. Meanwhile, the group of young girls suppressed their smiles as they roughly packed up their food and left the parapet on their swords.

Chen Ping’an turned around and saw Ning Yao arriving on her sword, suddenly coming to a stop just beyond the parapet. She then slowly continued forward, matching the pace of Chen Ping’an’s walking meditation.

“Don’t mind them,” Ning Yao said in exasperation.

Chen Ping’an nodded with a smile.

Ning Yao controlled her sword and carved a beautiful arc in the air, saying, “I still have matters to attend to, so I’ll visit you again tomorrow.”

Just like yesterday, Chen Ping’an only arrived back at the thatched cottages late into the night. This time, however, the old sword immortal was standing on the northern parapet for some unknown reason. It was as if he were gazing at the city without a city wall in the distance.

Chen Ping’an briskly walked over and greeted Grandpa Chen. The old man looked away and nodded in acknowledgment before pointing toward the north and saying, “There are only this many people, and perhaps the size of this city is even inferior to a state city in Majestic World. Yet, it’s kept the demon tribe out of the Sword Qi Great Wall for so many years. Even I find this a little strange.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t know how to reply, so he decided to remain silent.

The old sword immortal turned around and looked at the young boy with a smile, asking, “Chen Ping’an, the two of us get along quite well, don’t we?”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response.

The old sword immortal smiled and asked, “But what if I tell you that I get along better with Cao Ci and have higher hopes for him?”

Chen Ping’an still didn’t know how to reply.

The old sword immortal wasn’t in a hurry to receive an answer from the young boy. Instead, he simply looked at Chen Ping’an’s eyes. Through this, he was more importantly looking at the mind’s realm of the young boy.

The old sword immortal sighed with slight emotion.

This time, the old man whom A’Liang referred to as the old great sword immortal even went as far as to use his sword technique mystical powers. The was a mystical power that could see into one’s mind and peek into the depths of one’s soul.

So this is how it is.

He was quite a good cultivation talent before, so it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to become an earth immortal in Majestic World on the side of Stalactite Mountain if everything had gone smoothly and his fortune had been good. However, it’s a shame that his potential was completely pulverized by someone very early on. It’s like pieces of shattered porcelain. He suffered an even greater calamity long before his bridge of immortality was severed.

Mind’s realm, mind’s mirror.[1]

The mirror shards came in varying sizes of large and small, and the old sword immortal saw all kinds of different scenes on the few largest shards.

If Confucian sages with profound cultivation bases witnessed the scenes in his mind’s realm, they would perhaps see more things and naturally find them more bizarre as well.

Thus, the old sword immortal discovered many more clues.

To put things bluntly, this was a process similar to raising poisonous insects[2] Not only did the weak have to revere and submit to the strong, but they would even have to sacrifice themselves to the strong and disappear once and for all.

Chen Ping’an had most likely been exerting all of his effort to piece these shards of shattered porcelain back together all these years. However, he was unaware of his own actions.

To put things more nicely, this process was quite a lofty and wondrous one. The young boy’s actions could be considered striving for betterment and continuous self-improvement. He was aiming to become a powerful individual who sought to grow more powerful. In the end, one or two shards would grow more and more dazzling, becoming like the sun and moon in the sky that suppressed the radiance of the stars.

When it came to battles between mental states, one’s cultivation base didn’t play a major role. Thus, these battles were incredibly vicious and dangerous. Qi refiners had many theories and secret techniques — examining one’s conscience, testing one’s heart, performing three self-reflections a day, defeating the demon in one’s mind, and so on.

Because of this, there were also many heretical teachings and demonic branches. These groups of people took advantage of all kinds of low-level cultivation techniques to take shortcuts. In the eyes of sect-level immortal forces, these people were heretical cultivators who had strayed from orthodoxy. In any case, there was profound knowledge behind all of this, and the theories involved were incredibly complicated just like the undulating mountain ranges that contained peaks of all heights.

Among all of the teachings, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism were the three largest teachings. They were the largest mountains with the most profound founders.

The School of Military Thought was a mountain that had lost its head. It was only a step away from succeeding.

Once regarded as a member of the four great teachings, the Mohist Sect was also in a similar situation to the School of Military Thought.

It was like a large river that ultimately couldn’t flow into the sea regardless of how wide it was. It was only a step away from becoming a large river that connected to the sea.

Chen Ping’an was still unable to give an answer.

However, the old sword immortal had already received an answer.

He smiled faintly and said, “I accidentally heard everything when you and Ning Yao were chatting about reason just then. Do you want to hear some ramblings from a person who has experienced many things?”

Chen Ping’an resolutely nodded in response.

The old sword immortal smiled and offered, “I can tell you a secret that’s both reasonable and can allow you to lead a decent life. You definitely won’t stifle yourself to death in the future.”

Chen Ping’an’s eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, “Please tell me, Old Senior.”

The old sword immortal chuckled softly and said, “Okay, listen carefully. When you encounter situations like this, you should tell yourself…”

The old sword immortal paused for a moment before continuing, “I, blah blah blah… Mhm, for example, I, Chen Qingdu — you can say, I, Chen Ping’an…”

After saying this, the old man started to chuckle to himself.

Chen Ping’an also started to chuckle.

In the end, the old sword immortal clasped his hands behind his back, slightly hunched as he gazed at the peaceful city with a calm expression. “I’ve spoken reason everywhere, and I’ve spoken reason regarding all matters. I’ve already spoken enough reason in my life. I have a clear conscience. However, you people are still so pathetic. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to speak reason with you people this time.”

Chen Ping’an quietly listened to the old sword immortal’s words.

The old sword immortal squinted his eyes and said in reminder, “Of course, you can’t do this too many times. However, it’s definitely okay to do this once or twice every hundred years. For example, like this.”

The old sword immortal slowly extended a hand toward the north. It was only a casual motion, yet it was as if the colossal night sky above the Sword Qi Great Wall were being torn apart. A brilliant radiance instantly erupted, and then shrunk to the size of an extremely thin ray.

This ray of light was incredibly bright, and it descended from the sky and smashed into someplace in the city, causing countless rays of golden light to explode from the earth. From a distance, it was as if the golden body of an Upper Five Tier sword immortal was crumbling at this moment.

Chen Ping’an’s jaw dropped when he saw this.

The old sword immortal chuckled and said, “Drink some wine to calm down.”

Chen Ping’an dazedly grabbed his wine gourd and offered it to the old sword immortal.

Chen Qingdu was only teasing the young boy beside him, so he didn’t reach over to grab the Sword Nurturing Gourd. He turned around and bobbed his head as he slowly walked forward. He then lightly jumped down the parapet and murmured to himself, “A silly girl has found herself a silly boy… What a perfect match.”

1. Mind’s realm (心境) and mind’s mirror (心鏡) are homonyms in Chinese. ☜

2. Refers to 养蛊, a practice where poisonous insects such as centipedes scorpions, spiders, etc. are placed together without food and forced to kill and eat each other. The last insect standing is the 蛊, the most poisonous insect. This insect can then be used to harm others. ☜