Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an was finally able to leave the seemingly endless Lotus Flower Blessed Land. After the old Daoist priest disappeared, the first thing Chen Ping’an did was ask around for the current year in Northern Jin Nation. He was truly afraid that as the books said, sixty years in the mountains would be equivalent to one thousand years in the mortal world.

If he were screwed over by the old Daoist priest and trapped in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land for ten years or a few dozen years, then it would be very likely that he couldn’t even find his enemies to exact revenge on. Not only that, but he had also lost Lasting Qi.

Fortunately, he was able to breathe a sigh of relief after enquiring a merchant on the official road outside Northern Jin Nation about this. It had only gone from the sixth year of Guangxi to the seventh.[1] It was also autumn in Parasol Leaf Continent right now, and the solar term was also similar to that of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. It was nearing the middle of autumn.

Chen Ping’an now had some mental trauma about Northern Jin Nation, so he didn’t dare to stay here for much longer. He continued to travel north.

He had initially wanted to see Peace and Tranquility Mountain from a distance, especially since he had heard much about its reputation since a long time ago. However, he definitely didn’t desire to do this anymore.

In addition, he didn’t exactly have a good relationship with Spring Tide Palace’s Zhou Fei, Bird’s Eye View Peak’s Lu Fang, the wandering swordsman Feng Qingbai, and the other otherworldly immortals. Thus, all Chen Ping’an wanted to do was find an immortal ferry station and travel back to Eastern Treasured Vial Continent straight away.

Even though Old Man Yang had warned him not to return to the small town within five years after leaving, that specifically referred to his hometown only. There were still many other places that he could go.

For example, he could go to Old Dragon City where Fan Er was living, Azure Phoenix Nation where Zhang Shanfeng and Xu Yuanxia had traveled, Water Combing Nation where Sword Saint Song Yushao was, Bamboo Scroll Lake where Gu Can’s master had taken him, the academy in Great Sui Nation where Li Baoping and the others were studying, and so on.

There were many places he could go. In any case, it was best that he left Parasol Leaf Continent as soon as possible.

Chen Ping’an put away the oil-paper umbrella that had remained in his hand even after he left the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. As they walked along the official road, the skinny little girl continued to look around in curiosity as she asked, “Where is this? It’s not Southern Garden Nation, right?”

She hadn’t understood a single word when Chen Ping’an had asked that merchant for the year number just then.

Chen Ping’an nodded in reply. This little deadweight following him around was another reason that he wanted to leave Parasol Leaf Continent as soon as possible. Bringing her around was completely different than traveling together with Lu Tai. Indeed, things would become very troublesome if they encountered vagrant cultivators who were acting as bandits. However, the gloom in Chen Ping’an’s mind became even worse when he thought of Lu Tai as well as that man who had sold tanghulus in the small town.

Qi refiners from the mountains could often observe the world through their palms, especially after they became earth immortals. Even though they wouldn’t be as all-knowing and omnipresent as the old Daoist priest was in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, they could still see enough and know enough to make one feel uncomfortable. He definitely needed to ask Cui Chan’s grandfather or Wei Bo about this mystical ability when he returned home in the future. He needed to understand the process and details, and he also needed to understand the taboos and restrictions.

“Is this your hometown? Is this where immortals live?” Pei Qian asked.

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but chuckle in speechlessness. He then shook his head and replied, “This isn’t my hometown, and it isn’t an immortal abode either.”

Seeing that Chen Ping’an wasn’t willing to say anything else, Pei Qian didn’t dwell on this topic and pose any further questions.

She raised her hands and rubbed her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Pei Qian looked up with a dazzling smile and replied, “I feel very strange, but I can’t remember anything at all. I was sweeping the courtyard in Cao Qinglang’s house just then, but I felt the wind blow and I suddenly found myself here.”

Chen Ping’an shot a glance at her.

“Actually, I finished sweeping the courtyard and I was sitting on my stool eating roasted sunflower seeds,” Pei Qian immediately corrected.

The two of them walked for just ten kilometers or so, and Pei Qian was already exhausted and panting like an old cow. Her face was scrunched up in a pitiful manner, and she said that the soles of her feet were already filled with blisters.

Chen Ping’an hired a horse-drawn carriage from beside a relay station. After negotiating the price and receiving a satisfactory offer, he paid the money and started to travel north on the carriage. He agreed to stop the carriage at a prefectural city located on the border of Northern Jin Nation, two days away.

Parasol Leaf Continent’s Northern Jin Nation was completely different from the Lotus Flower Blessed Land’s Northern Jin Nation. It had enjoyed peace for many years, and everyone was very relaxed and lenient regardless of whether it was officials from the relay stations or officials checking one’s passports. In fact, they could stay in relay stations even if they weren’t officials, as long as they had enough silver in their pockets.

This was Pei Qian’s first time traveling in a horse-drawn carriage, and the skinny little girl found this an extremely novel and exciting experience. She felt very relaxed and satisfied as the carriage rocked side to side, and she would occasionally pull back the curtains to peer at the scenery outside.

Following the arrival of autumn, one could often see large expanses of dazzling golden persimmon plantations not far from the official road. Pei Qian couldn’t help but drool, and she felt a strong urge to have Chen Ping’an ask the carriage driver to stop so that she could run over and grab a bucketful of persimmons.

While Pei Qian was peering out the window, Chen Ping’an seized the opportunity to take out the four picture scrolls and examine them. The scroll spindles were all different, with one made from insect-proof red sandalwood, one made from white jade, and two made from unknown materials. The four people in the picture scrolls also appeared vivid and lifelike.

Wei Xian, the founding emperor of Southern Garden Nation, was sitting in a manner typical of emperors when they had their portraits painted. He was wearing a golden dragon robe, yet he didn’t appear especially tall or sturdy. Rather, he seemed a little short and skinny. Add to that the loose-fitting his dragon robe, and he ended up appearing slightly awkward.

Sui Youbian, the female sword immortal who had failed to ascend with her physical body, had a sword on her back and looked dashing and gallant. She was looking into the eyes of the person looking at the picture scroll.

Lu Baixiang, the founder of the demonic force, was dressed in a suit of bright red armor. His hands were resting on the hilt of his saber whose tip was digging into the ground, and he appeared more like a mortal emperor than Wei Xian.

Zhu Lian, the martial arts maniac who had died at Ding Ying’s hands, was hunch-backed, with his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes were squinted, and he appeared much like an old man from the marketplace.

These four picture scrolls only ate grain rain coins? The problem was, how many grain rain coins did he need to feed each scroll to have the relevant person walk out and come to life? Moreover, the claim that they would be unquestioningly loyal to him was something that remained to be seen. Taking ten thousand steps back, Chen Ping’an was a pure martial artist who viewed even Golden Sweet Wine, Deep Infatuation, and Halting Snow as external matters.

Fortunately, the old Daoist priest had taken him on a journey through time and space in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, allowing him to better understand the world and many mortal matters. The change was subtle and intangible, but Chen Ping’an was now starting to use a different lens to observe the great trend of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent as well as the situation and status of Jewel Small World in relation to the Great Li Empire. His views were no longer so extreme. Otherwise, with his past temperament, Chen Ping’an might have even sold these four picture scrolls for an astronomical price.

Pei Qian leaned over and craned her neck to look at Sui Youbian’s picture scroll. “This big sister is so pretty,” she commented in a soft voice.

Chen Ping’an ignored her and carefully rolled the four picture scrolls up. He didn’t place the picture scrolls inside his pocket treasure in front of Pei Qian, and he instead rested them beside his feet. He couldn’t help but sigh with emotion in his mind. These four ancestors were far too difficult to raise.

How could they compare to First and Fifteenth, especially since the two flying swords were able to stay inside his Sword Nurturing Gourd? To say nothing of grain rain coins, First and Fifteenth hadn’t even required him to spend a single snowflake coin after experiencing so many battles and living together for so long. Chen Ping’an didn’t need to worry about refining them or nurturing them either.

In reality, Chen Ping’an possessed a Dragon Slaying Platform, the best kind of whetstone in the world when it came to refining and nurturing flying swords. However, Chen Ping’an naturally wasn’t willing to damage the Dragon Slaying Platform inscribed with the characters “Innocent” and “Ning Yao” a single bit.

Fortunately, First and Fifteenth had never thrown a tantrum regarding this matter. Even so, Chen Ping’an still planned to buy a small Dragon Slaying Platform from Sage Ruan Qiong when he returned to Dragon Spring Prefecture in the future. He couldn’t treat his two flying swords too shabbily, after all.

Chen Ping’an wouldn’t skimp on this purchase even if it meant potentially using gold essence copper coins instead of grain rain coins.

He looked at the little girl.

Pei Qian also looked at him, with worry gripping at her heart. She was afraid that he would boot her off the carriage with a single kick. She was unfamiliar with this world and the people here, so wouldn’t she be bullied to death?

Back in the capital of Southern Garden Nation, she was at least familiar with the streets and keenly aware of whom she could steal from, which children she could mug, who she couldn’t provoke, whom she needed to ingratiate herself with, and so on. There was a small notebook in her mind, one that helped her navigate the world.

However, winter was about to arrive, so she would freeze to death even if she didn’t starve to death once heavy snow started to sprinkle down and bury the ground. She had seen many old beggars and young beggars freeze to death after failing to endure through those snowstorms. Their corpses looked very ugly.

Pei Qian was aware that Chen Ping’an didn’t like her.

…Just like she was aware that Chen Ping’an liked Cao Qinglang very much.

She didn’t try to make Chen Ping’an like her either. She would be happy as long as she had enough to eat and drink. In fact, it would be best if he could give her a large pile of silver. As for whether he liked her or not… how much silver was that worth?

The carriage driver was an old man familiar with this section of the official road. Chen Ping’an and Pei Qian stayed in a relay station for the night, while the old carriage driver chose to cope inside his carriage. Chen Ping’an asked for two of the cheapest rooms, with one neighboring the other.

Chen Ping’an then purchased some food from the relay station and placed it inside his luggage, putting some ordinary books inside as well. This would allow him to carry something on his back. Otherwise, he would appear far too eye-catching if he traveled around completely empty-handed.

After giving Pei Qian some food, Chen Ping’an returned to his room and placed his saber and sword on the table. He lit the oil lamp and retrieved his carving knife as well as a small emerald-green bamboo slip, starting to inscribe tiny characters to record his experiences in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land.

Someone knocked on his door, and Chen Ping’an walked over to answer, only to see Pei Qian standing there and saying in a timid voice, “It’s completely pitch-black… I’m a bit scared…”

Chen Ping’an found this slightly humorous. She was courageous enough to climb onto the stone lions of a wealthy family and sleep there for a night, yet surprisingly afraid of sleeping in a dark room?

However, Chen Ping’an still allowed her to enter. Pei Qian obediently closed the door behind her, and Chen Ping’an gestured for her to sit down opposite him before saying slowly, “This place is called Parasol Leaf Continent, and it’s a very big continent. Our destination is Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and my hometown is located in the north of this continent. Starting from tomorrow, you’ll need to learn the official dialect of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent as well as the dialect of my home nation, the Great Li Empire.”

There was a beaming smile on Pei Qian’s face as she nodded earnestly and replied, “Okey-dokey!”

It wasn’t the case that she wanted to learn some bullshit official dialect or whatnot. Rather, this person was implying that he was going to bring her to his hometown. What did this signify? This signified free food, free drink, and free shelter, no?

However, what Chen Ping’an said next was like a bucket of cold water being poured over her head. There was a cloudy expression on the skinny little girl’s face as she grumbled and complained in her mind.

As Chen Ping’an deftly moved his carving knife and continued to inscribe characters on the bamboo slips from Azure Divine Mountain that Wei Bo had given him, his head lowered and his movements meticulous, he said to Pei Qian, “Apart from teaching you the two official dialects, I’ll also teach you how to read starting from tomorrow. If you study hard and do well, then you’ll be able to fill your stomach every meal. If you don’t study hard and don’t do well, however, then you’ll naturally have less to eat.”

Pei Qian grimaced and said in a pitiful voice, “I’m very dumb.”

“Oh, then it looks like I can save some money,” Chen Ping’an remarked.

Pei Qian secretly stole a glance at Chen Ping’an. He didn’t look like he was joking, so she immediately smiled and added, “I’ll still do my best though.”

After saying this, she lay down on the table and asked in a quiet voice, “Can you buy me some new clothes?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t so much as raise his head as he replied, “I’ll buy you some thicker clothes when the weather becomes colder.”

“But it’s already autumn, and the weather is already very cold,” Pei Qian mumbled. “Also, just look at this, there’s already a hole in my shoe. Really, I’m not lying to you. If I get sick, you’ll even have to look after me. Just how troublesome would that be…?”

She raised her foot as she said this, and sure enough, her shoe was indeed broken. Her tanned toes were already poking out from the front.

Chen Ping’an put his carving knife down and used his fingers to gently brush away the bamboo scraps that were so fine that they were barely visible. “Go back to your room and sleep. We still need to wake up early to continue our journey tomorrow.”

Pei Qian didn’t say anything else, and silently stood up and left, returning to her room next door. A wide smile immediately spread across her face when she closed the door, yet she immediately wiped this smile from her face and put on a stern expression instead. She didn’t allow herself to laugh out loud.

She then jumped onto the bed and happily rolled around. In the end, she gazed up at the ceiling and kicked her shoes off. Upon thinking of Chen Ping’an’s expression just then, she copied his actions and bluntly said, “Return to your room and sleep.”

She didn’t dare to speak out loud, but she quickly made a face after saying this.

Before going to sleep, she jumped off the bed and walked over to light the oil lamp. Only then did she snuggle into bed and sleep until the next morning.

It would be a waste if she didn’t light the oil lamp.

This was how wealthy people should act.

1. “Guangxi” here refers to the reign title of the emperor. It changes with each emperor, and it is used to record the year number based on how long the emperor has ruled for. ☜