Unsheathed

Lu Tai fell onto his bum. Fortunately, he didn’t drop the meat bun in his hand.

After kicking him for no reason, Chen Ping’an was actually still smiling?

He claimed that he was afraid of death, so why was he completely unafraid of death when it came to him, Esteemed Lu?

Did Chen Ping’an genuinely think that Needle Tip and Wheat Awn were as useless as his abandoned boxes of makeup?

Lu Tai suddenly felt a little gloomy. This was because he just remembered that Chen Ping’an was completely unaware of the existence of his two bonded flying swords.

Lu Tai stood up and viciously chomped down on the meat bun. After finishing it, he warned, “That punch in the Treasure Swallowing Whale and that kick just now, it’s already been two times!”

“The same mistake can’t be made three times,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

“If you dare to repeat the same mistake three times, then I’ll either bash you to death or I’ll change back into female clothes and disgust you to death!” Lu Tai said in a scathing voice.

Chen Ping’an immediately raised his arms and put his hands together, pretending to make a vow to the heavens. However, what he said was, “If there’s a third time, then please choose the first option and bash me to death.”

Lu Tai suddenly smiled.

Seeing that Lu Tai had no intention of dwelling on this matter, Chen Ping’an looked up and gazed at a tall and majestic mountain in the distance. A sea of clouds obstructed his view starting from the waist of the mountain. This prevented people from seeing the scenery atop the mountain. It was said that there were only a few times each year when one could witness the full appearance of the mountain. During these times, one could lay their eyes upon the vast expanse of temples, halls, and pagodas that rested at the peak of the majestic mountain.

There was a description of Planchette Writing Sect in the Mountain and Sea Chronicle, amid which there were two points that left a very deep impression on Chen Ping’an. Just like Mount Longhu’s Heavenly Master Residence, Planchette Writing Sect didn’t belong to any of the three branches of Daoism. It specialized in “immortals asking questions, true immortals bestowing knowledge.”

To put it simply, Planchette Writing Sect was similar to Eastern Treasured Vial Continent’s Wind Snow Temple and True Martial Mountain in the sense that disciples could summon higher powers to help them. The only difference was whether one was summoning deities or true immortals.

In addition, Planchette Writing Sect raised many spirits and ghosts in its territory. It was unrivaled in Parasol Leaf Continent, and there was a Sky Calling Street at the waist of the mountain that contained all kinds of peculiar and bizarre matters.

Chen Ping’an had always been very interested in those lively and adorable little spirits. Thus, he planned to broaden his horizons in Planchette Writing Sect. If this were in the past, he would have only thought about this but not acted upon it. Now, however, he was genuinely willing to act upon his desire.

Moreover, carrying the sword, Lasting Qi, on his back, there would be wisps of slightly shuddering sword qi whenever Chen Ping’an traveled north. This would shake Chen Ping’an’s soul. However, the sword qi would remain still if Chen Ping’an traveled south.

This caused Chen Ping’an to breathe a sigh of relief. After all, traveling north would at least bring him closer and closer to Eastern Treasured Vial Continent.

Lu Tai raised both hands in approval regarding Chen Ping’an’s desire to visit Sky Calling Street. He commented that the small trinkets there were not only precious and rare, but they were also very fair in terms of price. This was a place that Qi refiners definitely needed to visit when they traveled to Parasol Leaf Continent.

Walking toward a distant mountain could tire one to death. The majestic mountain looked quite close, yet there was actually a huge distance to cover if one wanted to travel toward it on foot. However, Chen Ping’an was no longer an amateur who had just set foot into the cultivation world.

He occasionally glanced at the towering mountain shrouded in clouds and mists as he walked forward, and was keenly aware of just how powerful Planchette Writing Sect was. If it were placed in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, it would only be slightly weaker than Divine Edict Sect.

Located in the central region of Parasol Leaf Continent, Planchette Writing Sect was a sect-level force, signifying that it had at least one cultivator at the Unpolished Jade Tier. Moreover, compared to the smallest Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, the immortal forces in Parasol Leaf Continent possessed greater influence and stronger foundations.

There was also Parasol Leaf Sect and Jade Tablet Sect to the south and north, respectively, occupying the two ends of the continent. It was as if they each possessed half of Parasol Leaf Continent’s fortune. Thus, sects that were still able to rise to the top and make a name for themself in Parasol Leaf Continent were often powerful forces that had left a trail of blood and destruction in their wake.

Bored and with nothing better to do, Lu Tai started to tell Chen Ping’an about the differences between Parasol Leaf Continent and Eastern Treasured Vial Continent’s cultures and customs. Eastern Treasured Vial Continent was a small place, so if it wasn’t for Divine Edict Sect’s Qi Zhen advancing to the 12th tier, the Immortal Tier, and being bestowed the title of Heavenly Lord by their superior sect in Middle Earth Divine Continent, there wouldn’t have been a single Immortal Tier cultivator in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent — at least not on the surface.

A while ago, Chen Ping’an had seen a bounty for the Great Li Empire’s Song Changjing on that wall in Stalactite Mountain’s Daoist Saber Room. The reason given was because Eastern Treasured Vial Continent wasn’t worthy of having an 11th tier martial artist. In fact, this reason was both funny and not funny at the same time.

Looking at Parasol Leaf Continent, on the other hand, the most powerful cultivators in Parasol Leaf Sect and Jade Tablet Sect were all old geezers who had advanced to the Immortal Tier hundreds of years ago.

Planchette Writing Sect also had two cultivators at the Unpolished Jade Tier, one male and one female. They were Dao partners, and they were truly the envy of everyone.

It was said that the bustling Sky Calling Street only existed in the Planchette Writing Sect because that female cultivator at the Unpolished Jade Tier was fond of raising spirits. Even after becoming an earth immortal back then, she was still willing to frequent the markets and show her face in front of other people. She would especially leave the mountain to purchase all kinds of spirits.

Since this was the case, the sect leader of Planchette Writing Sect had decided to wave his hand and spend all of his personal wealth to build the Sky Calling Street, for no other reason than to please his Dao partner. This way, she wouldn’t need to travel too far away.

There was a look of intoxication and yearning on Lu Tai’s face as he talked about the romance between the two powerful cultivators. Chen Ping’an’s hairs stood on end. This was because he didn’t know whether Lu Tai was imagining himself as the sect leader of Planchette Writing Sect or as the sect leader’s female Dao partner.

Afterward, most likely because he was feeling sentimental, Lu Tai started to tirelessly explain those feminine matters to Chen Ping’an even though he was still dressed as a wealthy young master. He talked about plum blossom makeup, forehead decorations, blusher, the different types of powder in terms of their color and how they should be applied, the clothing preferences of celestial maidens in Middle Earth Divine Continent compared to other continents, the pros and cons of heavy makeup versus light makeup, and so on and so forth…

After enduring this for a long time, Chen Ping’an finally couldn’t listen to Lu Tai’s seemingly endless barrage of feminine talk anymore. He turned to the handsome young man and said with a serious expression, “Lu Tai, I’m begging you, I don’t want to listen to you talking about these things. In any case, listening to these things isn’t useful at all.”

Chen Ping’an had only said something similar to this one time before, and that was to Ma Kuxuan before their big battle in the street. Back then, Ma Kuxuan had been spouting a heap of nonsense without any signs of stopping.

However, his feelings toward Ma Kuxuan were that of disgust and loathing. It was incredibly rare for Chen Ping’an to detest someone so much. Zhu Lu, the young girl who had attempted to assassinate him, could be counted as one. The female ghost in the bright red wedding dress who had wantonly killed people could be counted as another. The elderly golden flood dragon in the Flood Dragon Trench could also be counted among this group.

Meanwhile, his feelings toward Lu Tai were rather those of exasperation and helplessness.

Lu Tai raised an eyebrow before saying in a heartbroken voice, “Not useful? Isn’t there a girl whom you like? In the one-in-10,000 chance there is, then don’t you want to see her become even more beautiful? In the 9,999-in-10,000 chance there isn’t, then you can at least use this information as a topic of conversation with other girls. Do you genuinely think that celestial maidens don’t have mortal desires and don’t care about beauty at all? You deserve to be single!”

Chen Ping’an suddenly attained enlightenment, and his voice was firm as he replied, “There is a girl! I do want her to become even more beautiful!”

There was naturally a girl whom he liked, and he naturally wanted her to become even more beautiful… Hmm? No, no, Ning Yao was already the most beautiful!

Lu Tai shook his head upon seeing this. “What a stupid boy! I surmise that you won’t be able to maintain your relationship even if you do have one.”

After saying this, Lu Tai was still unwilling to let the matter go. He summoned his bamboo folding fan from thin air and clicked his tongue in wonder, remarking, “You won’t be able to maintain it, won’t be able to maintain it.”

Chen Ping’an chuckled coldly in reply.

Detecting signs that Chen Ping’an was about to get physical again, Lu Tai shot a sideways glance at the young boy and warned, “Don’t you dare to get physical, okay? You’re reading books every day, so even if you’re not a noble scholar, you’re still at least half a scholar. Just how far have we walked? Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t make the same mistake three times?”

The ferry station they had arrived at was also part of Planchette Writing Sect’s territory. As they walked toward the mountain where the main structures of the sect were located, they came across many interesting and strange sights along the way.

There were a dozen or so people riding a large purple python that slithered as quickly as wind and lightning. However, its passengers were still able to enjoy a smooth and stable ride. Meanwhile, bursts of light that were filled with sword qi continued to frequently whiz past above their heads, coming and going in a flash.

After traveling to Old Dragon City and Stalactite Mountain, Chen Ping’an was already unsurprised by these incredible scenes.

Lu Tai explained that Parasol Leaf Continent was very different from Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, which had countless small forces. There weren’t many forces in the mountains here, yet most of the ones that existed were supremely powerful behemoths. In this continent, one couldn’t call oneself the king of the mountain simply by stabbing a tattered flag on its peak. One shouldn’t underestimate the cultivation forces and mortal empires in Parasol Leaf Continent.

Of course, nothing was absolute. Parasol Leaf Continent was truly too large, after all, so there definitely existed small and weak immortal forces as well. In any case, which piece of land didn’t have nests of rats?

In Eastern Treasured Vial Continent that lay to the south of Lake View Academy, almost every empire and nation was brimming with a large number of immortal forces. This was most definitely not the case in Parasol Leaf Continent.

The two of them walked side-by-side on one side of the wide street. In fact, they were especially eye-catching, so many females passing by in carriages would look at them with expressions of curiosity, regardless of whether they were immortals or wealthy mortals. There was slight amazement on their faces, and this was mostly thanks to the graceful Lu Tai. His immortal aura and bookish appearance were truly very rare and outstanding. Meanwhile, Chen Ping’an was like an ordinary leaf highlighting the beauty of the blossoming flower.

Lu Tai couldn’t help but sigh with emotion and say, “There’s no need to say too much about Southern Whirl Continent. It’s extremely powerful, its scholarly culture is flourishing, and there are also boundless cultivators. This is especially the case since they have Chen Chun’an from the Pure Confucian Chen Clan guarding the continent.

“Parasol Leaf Continent where we are right now prefers peace and quiet. It’s like a virtuous female who stands aloof from worldly affairs. At the same time, this continent has a geographical advantage in the sense that it’s very difficult to reach. Few intercontinental ships come and go from this continent. Because of this, Parasol Leaf Continent tends to be resistant to outside influence. In fact, Parasol Leaf Continent can be regarded as a very large paradise away from the world.

“In comparison, Circling Ascension Continent to the southwest is much more lively. There’s no clear line between the mountains and the ordinary cultivation world, and people are fighting and killing each other all the time. Even Qi refiners possess a strong aura that’s usually unique to those in the cultivation world.”

“Lu Tai, what’s your cultivation base? Can you say?” Chen Ping’an suddenly asked in a quiet voice.

Lu Tai gently rocked his folding fan, causing his hair to flow in the wind as he replied with a faint smile, “Descendents of the Lu Clan don’t care too much about their cultivation base. They only care about how far their ‘river observation’ eye can see.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Then it’s not very high.”

Lu Tai pursed his lips and replied, “Compared to the cultivation prodigies in Middle Earth Divine Continent, my cultivation base is naturally not very high. Compared to you, however, it’s more than high enough.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and revealed, “I’m acquainted with someone who’s slightly older than me, and he’s a seventh tier martial artist. Back in my hometown, I came across a sword cultivator from Southern Whirl Continent who looked like a fox. I think he was at the ninth tier. There are also two little children staying at my home, with one of them being a fire python and one of them being a water snake. I presume they’re almost about to reach the sixth or seventh tier. So, what about you? What’s your cultivation base?”

Even after hearing this, Lu Tai was still unwilling to disclose his cultivation base to Chen Ping’an. Instead, he put on a smug expression and gloated, “I have two masters, one who taught me knowledge and one who taught me Dao. They’re both at the Upper Five Tiers.”

“I see,” Chen Ping’an replied.

Lu Tai shot a glance at Chen Ping’an and asked, “What do you mean you see? Are you unwilling to concede? Or perhaps that’s still too weak for you?”

“I concede,” Chen Ping’an answered with a nod.

Lu Tai smiled with squinted eyes and said, “Chen Ping’an, what’s with your perfunctory response? You’re clearly not conceding at all. Perhaps you want to be laid down and honored with a few cups of wine?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chen Ping’an asked with a perplexed expression.

Lu Tai closed his folding fan with a snap and explained, “After a person dies, people will naturally go to their grave and honor them with wine.”

“Such a twisted mind,” Chen Ping’an said with a huff.

Lu Tai laughed delightfully and opened his folding fan again, sending gusts of refreshing breeze toward his handsome face. What a beautiful day this was.

The two of them walked for half a day, and they only arrived at the foot of the mountain when twilight set in. This mountain owned by Planchette Writing Sect was called Hanging Garment Mountain, and according to Lu Tai’s explanation, this symbolized a ruler maintaining order with their hands cupped and their sleeves hanging[1].

However, why was the name of this mountain inspired by a Confucian notion? Lu Tai was unable to offer any explanation. Another two hours passed, and it was already dusk when Chen Ping’an and Lu Tai finally saw Sky Calling Street in the distance. The street was brightly lit, making it seem as if it were day. Even though it was already night, there were still streams of visitors bustling around.

After walking onto the large street teeming with people, Lu Tai and Chen Ping’an were able to witness what it meant to spend money like pouring water, spend a fortune with a single wave of a hand, whoever blinked first becoming the loser, and so on…

Sure enough, Sky Calling Street was brimming with peculiar and wonderful things.

Chen Ping’an found this to be a very eye-opening experience.

1. The saying “hands cupped and sleeves hanging” (垂袖而治) comes from the Classic of History (尚书), one of the Five Classics of ancient Chinese literature. The imagery of a person with their hands cupped together means that there is nothing to do, and is thus used to refer to a ruler governing without needing to do anything. This is because they are governing through the rule of virtue. ☜