Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an immediately used the tactic that he had just learned from Old General Lü, acting stupid and playing dumb as if he hadn’t heard the hint of ridicule in the old Daoist priest’s words. After Chen Ping’an took another swig of wine, the old Daoist priest had already vanished from the small courtyard without a trace.

The old Daoist priest was mysterious and elusive, and there was absolutely nothing that Chen Ping’an could do about this.

Dawn arrived, and the skinny little girl sleeping against the door of the firewood shed had already woken up. The wealthy person in white was walking around the courtyard with his eyes closed, as if he was blind. One hand was open in front of his abdomen and facing the sky, while one hand was clenched into a fist and resting in front of his chest. His steps were extremely small, and he was walking extremely slowly.

It was as if he were debating whether he should slam his fist into his palm. The skinny little girl waited in boredom, and she always had the nagging feeling that he would eventually strike his palm.

It would be great if this person were truly blind. If he slammed his fist down and accidentally destroyed his other hand with a crack, then that would be even better.

The skinny little girl chuckled. However, afraid that the person in white would see through her thoughts, she immediately wiped the smile from her face and put on a stern expression, purposely yawning as well to conceal her chuckle.

Chen Ping’an opened his eyes and exited the strange stance, one which he had learned from Ding Ying through the process of imitation. He was only assuming this stance because he felt like the lightning technique—which he had obtained from that blind old Daoist priest with two disciples after facing off against the female ghost in the wedding dress—required him to forcefully strike his acupoints with his fist.

This was slightly similar to Ding Ying’s situation.

Chen Ping’an didn’t look at the skinny little girl, nor did he stop walking forward. He continued to focus his fist intent on the Mountain Peak stance that Zhong Qiu had comprehended as he instructed, “Go and check Cao Qinglang’s private school to see if it’s reopened yet. If the teacher is still absent, then ask the nearby neighbors when the school is going to reopen.”

The skinny little girl haggled with Chen Ping’an, asking, “Can I go after breakfast? I’m hungry right now, so I won’t be able to walk.”

“You’ll get breakfast after you return and after you refill the water vat in the kitchen,” Chen Ping’an replied in a calm and indifferent voice.

The skinny little girl gazed at the side of Chen Ping’an’s face. He didn’t seem to be joking, so she nodded in understanding and purposely stumbled as she stood up. She stuck close to the wall as she walked around Chen Ping’an and left the courtyard. After exiting the alley, she squatted near the intersection for a long time before sprinting back to the courtyard, causing beads of sweat to form on her forehead.

She bent over and placed her hands on her hips, panting heavily as she said to that person who was still walking around the courtyard, “The school still hasn’t reopened yet. I asked an auntie, and she told me that the teacher was scared out of his wits by that battle from a few days ago. Because of this, the school won’t reopen anytime soon.”

Chen Ping’an remained silent as he pointed at the kitchen.

A sullen expression appeared on the skinny little girl’s face as she walked over and grabbed the smallest bucket. Fortunately, the water vat was still more than half full. If it were empty, it was guaranteed that she wouldn’t be willing to fill it up. She would throw the bucket away and run off after leaving the courtyard.

When she reached the courtyard door, she heard Cao Qinglang loudly reciting books. With her back facing the courtyard, she rolled her eyes and bared her teeth, an expression of utter disdain on her face.

Fetching water was truly as exhausting as could be.

When the skinny little girl returned to the courtyard with the small bucket, she once again stuck close to the wall and carefully made her way around Chen Ping’an. She then ran into the kitchen in a flash. She had only fetched enough water from the well to fill less than half of the small bucket, and she had even continued to pour water out along the way because she hadn’t wanted to tire herself with carrying it all. Thus, there was only a mere inch of water left in the bottom of the small bucket when she finally returned to the courtyard.

The skinny little girl furtively glanced around. She didn’t see that person in white, so she immediately lifted the small bucket and quietly scooped up half a bucket of water from the water vat. She then lifted the small bucket with much effort before emptying its contents back into the water vat with a loud splash.

Chen Ping’an silently observed all of this from a distance. However, he didn’t expose her right away.

She would rather wrack her brain and think of ways to slack off than to spend a little more effort and get things done properly?

After reciting several chapters from an elementary book, Cao Qinglang went over to the kitchen and started to cook breakfast. Chen Ping’an told Cao Qinglang that he would return very late tonight, to which the little boy nodded in acknowledgment.

Chen Ping’an left the small alley with no name. When he passed Champion Scholar Alley, he saw that the courtyard where the demonic force’s Ding Ying and Ya’er had stayed before was empty and lifeless. It was evidently abandoned. At the same time, the amount of incense being offered at Heart Manifestation Temple also dwindled by the day.

However, the morning exercise routine taking place in that martial arts school was livelier than ever. The pupils shouted loudly as they trained, and the master teaching them fist techniques spoke even louder. The huge battle from a few days ago struck terror into the hearts of ordinary citizens. They felt like chaos was slowly creeping into their peaceful world.

On the other hand, the huge battle inspired fascination and eagerness in the hearts of cultivation disciples. After all, could the cultivation world still be called the cultivation world if there wasn’t any howling wind or roaring waves?

Chen Ping’an still wasn’t wearing his Dao robe. Instead, he was now wearing a brand-new azure robe. Firstly, the little lotus spirit was yet to fully recover, so it needed the help of the Dao robe, which acted much like a small blessed land. Secondly, Chen Ping’an didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself. Thus, he even left his Sword Nurturing Gourd in the room, instructing First and Fifteenth to look after the recuperating lotus spirit.

However, he was now carrying Deep Infatuation and Halting Snow by his hips, making him appear like a traveler who liked to wield all kinds of weapons.

Right now, Chen Ping’an was heading over to visit Zhong Qiu. He had one more request for the imperial preceptor of Southern Garden Nation.

Even though the stack of books that the skinny little girl had stolen and sold were only ordinary books—Chen Ping’an had placed the two immortal books he purchased from Stalactite Mountain inside his pocket treasure—he wanted to get them back regardless.

This was because he had recorded in neat compact script on the title pages of the books the location and time that he had purchased each book. Indeed, these books that Chen Ping’an had collected from all around the world held a special significance to him.

This had nothing to do with the Confucian saying of books holding a house of gold and a beautiful wife within.[1]

Everyone knew that Zhong Qiu lived near the imperial palace. However, few people were aware of the exact location of his house. Fortunately, Chen Ping’an was just too famous in the capital of Southern Garden Nation right now, so much so that an elite recruited by the imperial court quickly appeared in front of him and respectfully led him to the residence of the imperial preceptor.

This residence enjoyed a sense of peace and serenity inside the Virtue Worship District, an extremely busy area. The Virtue Worship District was genuinely a district that existed right under the emperor’s nose, and the people who lived here were all officials or extremely wealthy individuals. There was lush greenery decorating the streets and alleys, and also an air of elegance and strictness mingling with the aura of peace and quiet. This was in stark contrast to the barking dogs and silvery laughter ringing through Champion Scholar Alley.

There was no plaque hanging in front of Zhong Qiu’s residence, nor could it be considered a large residence by the Virtue Worship District’s standards. It only had three courtyards.

Chen Ping’an thanked the elite who had led him here before walking into the residence by himself. After entering, he discovered that the residence wasn’t quiet and empty at all. Instead, many young faces were busily attending to various tasks. They were all dressed in official garb, yet judging by the embroidered picture on their clothes, they were all low-ranking officials who could just barely rank above petty officials.

The rooms were filled with people, filled with young men walking around with official documents in their hands, most of them striding very briskly. Some were walking in pairs or groups, and these people would all be discussing important affairs. When they saw Chen Ping’an who was carrying both a sword and a saber, they simply took one or two glances at him before turning their attention elsewhere.

Zhong Qiu was standing under the eaves of the main courtyard as he smiled and welcomed Chen Ping’an. A young official was standing beside Zhong Qiu and reporting official matters to him, and the imperial preceptor offered a rough answer and provided some suggestions as well. Afterward, there was a succinct session of question and answer between the two of them.

The young official was clearly a little interested in Chen Ping’an’s identity, yet he didn’t dare to overstep his authority and inquire about this since the imperial preceptor hadn’t chosen to introduce his guest. The young official bade farewell and took his leave.

Zhong Qiu brought Chen Ping’an to the back courtyard which was completely different from the lively and busy main courtyard. Only a single wall separated them, yet it was as if Chen Ping’an had stepped into a different world. A big bunch of bananas rested in the corner, and they were so fresh and green that it seemed as if water were about to drip from them.

An aged Go board and two Go boxes were sitting on the stone table, and most likely this courtyard was where the imperial preceptor lived. It wasn’t shabby, yet it wasn’t extravagant either. Instead, it was simple and elegant. Zhong Qiu and Chen Ping’an sat opposite each other at the stone table.

Zhong Qiu told Chen Ping’an that he had already asked officials from the Ministry of Works to gather and organize books related to building bridges. In terms of information pertaining to the impoverished scholar with the surname Jiang, he could most likely provide something to Chen Ping’an tonight along with the requested books.

Chen Ping’an felt a little embarrassed as he told Zhong Qiu about the stolen books that had been sold for an extremely low price. Zhong Qiu smiled and agreed to help Chen Ping’an locate the books.

Chen Ping’an apologized for troubling Zhong Qiu with so many trivial matters during such a difficult and tumultuous time for the capital, and offered to help with anything that the imperial preceptor needed.

Zhong Qiu didn’t hold back either, and asked Chen Ping’an to help provide some guidance to his two direct disciples.

He wasn’t taking advantage of Chen Ping’an’s help for personal benefit. Rather, what happened was that his two direct disciples would join the army after graduating from his tutelage. They would start as ordinary soldiers, and would stay in the army for at least ten years. Afterward, they could continue to progress in the army if they desired, or they could also choose to leave and journey through the cultivation world. Zhong Qiu wouldn’t restrict them anymore.

If they chose the latter option, however, they would be prohibited from announcing to the outside world that they were Zhong Qiu’s disciples. There was no room for discussion. If they broke this rule, Zhong Qiu could naturally take back what he had given them.

Both of Zhong Qiu’s direct disciples were fairly young. They were yet to graduate, and were both incredibly talented and ambitious. Their characters were naturally fine as well. However, they had never truly experienced the cultivation world before, so it was necessary for someone to keep their vigor and confidence in check.

Zhong Qiu had been under quite a lot of pressure during the past few years, and had especially needed to remain vigilant against Ding Ying and Yu Zhenyi due to the conclusion of the previous period of sixty years. As a result, he had found it extremely difficult to focus any effort on teaching his disciples martial arts. Because of this, Zhong Qiu was worried that his two disciples whom he had extremely high hopes for would ultimately end up as nothing more than just that, his disciples.

Chen Ping’an was naturally happy to help. However, he didn’t believe that he had the right to become a teacher and legitimately teach others.

In any case, Chen Ping’an didn’t expect that Zhong Qiu would personally lead him to his two disciples. He couldn’t help but ask, “Will this not delay your official duties?”

Zhong Qiu smiled and replied, “If my absence results in everything becoming a chaotic mess, then that will be a reflection of my failure to fulfill my duty as imperial preceptor of Southern Garden Nation for the past many years. It would mean that I failed to develop talent and only knew how to order others around.”

After saying this, Zhong Qiu led Chen Ping’an out of the back courtyard through a small door. As they continued to walk, he suddenly asked, “How should prime ministers or imperial preceptors respond if they come across arguments or scuffles on the street?”

Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment before replying, “They should step in and help if it doesn’t detrimentally affect their primary duties.”

“And then?” Zhong Qiu asked.

Chen Ping’an shook his head in response.

Zhong Qiu chuckled and explained, “Just like you said, these lofty officials can indeed step in and help resolve these extremely trivial matters as long as doing so doesn’t lead to detrimental results for their primary duties. However, the most important thing is to immediately self-reflect—why are there arguments and scuffles on the street in their jurisdiction?”

Chen Ping’an ruminated over this for a moment before nodding in earnest agreement.

Zhong Qiu and Chen Ping’an walked along the quiet street that was kept cool by the shade of many trees. It was the middle of summer, and many districts in the capital were scorching hot like a steamer. It was so hot that there was nowhere to hide and seek reprieve. In this district, however, people could enjoy cool and refreshing shade as they walked along the streets.

“This was originally a story from a sagely book. In the story, the prime minister told the people beside him that he shouldn’t interfere in the situation. He shouldn’t overstep his authority, and he should instead hold to account the official responsible for the relevant jurisdiction,” Zhong Qiu said with emotion.

“When I read this story for the first time during my youth, it was like a loud boom in my mind that allowed me to suddenly become enlightened. The more books I read and the more matters I experienced, however, the more I became puzzled and the more I was unable to answer the questions in my mind.”

Zhong Qiu stopped and didn’t continue.

Chen Ping’an also remained silent. If Mr. Qi or the Scholarly Sage were present, they could definitely solve this difficult problem for Zhong Qiu and clearly explain all of the underlying principles to him.

Zhou Fei laughed and pushed these heavy matters out of his mind. He no longer appeared anxious as he said, “Yu Zhenyi has already returned to his sect in Cloud Pine Nation. He brought Arm Sage Cheng Yuanshan with him. Apart from Zhou Fei, Ya’er, and Liu Zong who ascended back then, the rest of us who walked down the city wall all obtained some benefits.

“It appears that Yu Zhenyi obtained an imperial genealogy book, while Monk Yunni obtained a segment of white jade lotus root. The spies in the capital weren’t able to figure out what Tang Tieyi obtained. As for me, I obtained a Five Mountains Picture Album. It’s a book about immortal matters, and it describes how one should assign the Five Mountains and gather the spiritual energy of their nation’s mountains and rivers. However, I don’t practice immortal techniques, so this book is completely meaningless to me.”

Zhong Qiu sighed before continuing, “Arm Sage Cheng Yuanshan hid inside the capital the entire time, and it was because of this that he missed the final two drumbeats and wound up with nothing. His disciples have already been expelled from the nation as well. If he had waited a bit longer to flee, I would’ve dealt with him by now. After all, he’s a person who will seek revenge for the smallest of grievances. He’s suffered such a huge loss in the capital of Southern Garden Nation this time, so he’ll definitely encourage the horse riders of the grasslands to march south and plunder our cities.”

Not only that, but there was also another hidden danger regarding the Five Mountains Picture Album. Zhong Qiu was surprisingly unable to destroy it, so he could only carefully hide it away instead.

Yu Zhenyi would definitely covet this book once he learned of its existence.

Yu Zhenyi was a person who cared little about the mortal world, yet the existence of the Five Mountains Picture Album might make him consider creating a puppet emperor and fighting to conquer the world for the first time in his life. Yu Zhenyi would do this for the sake of assigning the Five Mountains as the proper and righteous ruler of this world. Afterward, he could gather the spiritual energy of the Five Mountains for his personal use and thus advance to become a genuine terrestrial immortal.

Zhong Qiu continued to tell Chen Ping’an about the great trend of the world, saying, “Huang Ting, the Daoist nun who fought Yu Zhenyi to a draw, has transferred her position as sect leader of Mirror Heart Hall to Her Majesty the Empress. Huang Ting has left the capital and her whereabouts are unknown. She simply said that she was looking for a good place to earnestly practice her sword techniques.

“Meanwhile, Empress Zhou Shuzhen will ‘pass away from sickness’ very soon. She’ll head over to guard Mirror Heart Pavilion afterward, and even the emperor won’t be able to do anything about this. A rebellion has appeared in Reverence Pagoda recently, and the rebels have chosen to join forces with the remnants of the three demonic factions. Zhou Shuzhen has completely lost control of Reverence Pagoda already.

“In addition, Reverence Pagoda has also made an announcement to the cultivation world, saying that they won’t rank the Upper Ten Elites in the world anymore. As for Dragon General Tang Tieyi from Northern Jin Nation, he’s still hesitant about whether he should defect to Southern Garden Nation.”

Chen Ping’an listened to this very carefully.

Zhong Qiu sighed with emotion and said, “How good it would have been if you were the one to stand in that position instead of Ding Ying, someone who was hellbent on challenging the Heavenly Dao.”

Chen Ping’an was puzzled by this remark.

“Don’t worry about it. I was praising you in any case, so you don’t need to dwell on it too much,” Zhong Qiu chuckled.

Chen Ping’an also started to chuckle.

He wasn’t chuckling in a polite and perfunctory manner as he had with Emperor Wei Liang in the restaurant that night. Rather, interacting with Zhong Qiu was like entering a room full of irises and orchids. [2]

Zhong Qiu’s two disciples lived three districts away from the Virtue Worship District. Their residence was very large, and also outwardly advertised as a martial arts school that wasn’t open to outsiders. Zhong Qiu’s first disciple was the one who had provided funds to set this up. This person had fought on horseback for twenty years and even became a general during this time. However, he had eventually retired from the army after suffering severe wounds on the battlefield.

Zhong Qiu’s first disciple never dared to bother his master when he entered the capital, and the two of them would often meet in this large residence instead. Zhong Qiu had disciples of all ages, with the eldest disciple already nearing fifty years old. Meanwhile, the two youngest disciples were a young boy and a young girl only fifteen or sixteen years old.

However, Zhong Qiu couldn’t help but chuckle when he arrived at the martial arts training ground with Chen Ping’an. Including his two direct disciples, there were a dozen or so people having a lively discussion over there. There was Old General Lü’s grandson and granddaughter, and also the good friends that his two disciples had made in the capital. These were children from wealthy families who were mellow and dreamed of entering the cultivation world.

In fact, several of them had already promised each other that they would travel through the cultivation world together with Zhong Qiu’s two disciples in the future. They would use the excuse of traveling around to seek knowledge.

Zhong Qiu didn’t interfere with these kinds of matters.

These were the beautiful dreams of youth, so even if they appeared childish, one shouldn’t insist on using their experience as an elder to discourage them. Such dreams should not be quashed casually.

Looking at these children, Zhong Qiu would sometimes become frustrated and angry at their mischievousness as well. More of the time, however, he would find them lively and adorable. During such times, he would feel as if this weren’t the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, and otherworldly immortals didn’t exist.

Chen Ping’an was slightly surprised to discover a familiar face among the group of youths.

It was none other than the young girl whom he had come across while wandering around the capital in the past. She had been rushing through the streets on horseback with her companions, and had tossed a bag of coins toward an elderly female shopkeeper in order to pay for the mistakes of her friend.

In the end, she had viciously crashed to the ground when trying to show off her riding skills. She had ached and groaned when jumping back onto her horse drenched in mud, yet had still raised her head high in a confident and high-spirited manner. At the time, Chen Ping’an had raised his thumb at her in praise. However, the young girl had completely ignored him, and had even rolled her eyes.

None of the children recognized Chen Ping’an.

After all, he wasn’t wearing his white robe, nor was he carrying his vermilion wine gourd.

1. This saying comes from Song Dynasty Emperor Zhenzong’s poem, “Exhortation to Learning.” This literally means study hard to become rich and get a beautiful wife. ☜

2. This references a saying by Confucius: interacting with noble people is akin to entering a room full of irises and orchids. As time goes on, one will naturally adopt the fragrance of these flowers. In other words, one will also develop noble qualities. ☜