Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an started to mull over his northward journey in Parasol Leaf Continent. The immortal ferry station that had an intercontinental ship to Eastern Treasured Vial Continent’s Old Dragon City was located in the northern region of the Great Quan Empire, after all, so he would have to travel an extra one or two thousand kilometers if he decided to take a detour.

He had offended the third prince of the Great Quan Empire already, and the hostility between them was so severe that it would potentially lead to death for one party. If Chen Ping’an were the third prince, he wouldn’t allow himself to directly swagger north either.

The third prince had indeed suffered a great loss at the hands of Chen Ping’an and Noble Scholar Zhong Kui from the Great Subduing Academy. However, he was someone who could lead an army on a long trek into the heart of enemy territory and capture a commandery governor and destroy a water god temple, so he would most likely cause many troubles for Chen Ping’an even if he didn’t go as far as to fight him to the death.

If the situation truly called for it, then Chen Ping’an would have no option but to take a detour.

Ignoring Pei Qian who was “in seclusion” on the same floor, there was also Wei Xian currently sitting in his room and flicking through a random book that he had purchased from Fox Town. The founding emperor of Southern Garden Nation didn’t mistreat himself, and both meat and wine were sitting on the table in front of him.

There was also the Militarian armor pellet. Wei Xian had carefully examined it for half a day after his battle with the Qi refiners. He couldn’t help but sigh in admiration at the divine skills of the Qi refiners in Majestic World, and at the same time, he was also astonished by the natural treasures that existed in this world. It was simply unfathomable.

Further down the hallway, Martial Arts Maniac Zhu Lian had his hands clasped behind his hunched back as he strolled in circles around the table in his room.

Next door, Lu Baixiang was standing in front of the window and gazing into the distance. Halting Snow, which Chen Ping’an had temporarily left with him, was hanging by his waist. It was said that this was an immortal relic left behind by a Nascent Tier earth immortal. Indeed, this wasn’t something that the so-called divine weapons in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land could compare to.

Sui Youbian was sitting cross-legged on her bed, practicing a breathing technique. Meanwhile, Deep Infatuation was resting on the table nearby.

Chen Ping’an took out one of the now-blank picture scrolls, and was reminded of the fleeting killing intent that he had sensed that night. A bitter smile involuntarily spread across his face.

One should never intend to do harm to others, but one should always remain guarded against the ill intentions of others.

Night arrived, and Chen Ping’an walked downstairs to eat dinner. Of the four people from the picture scrolls, only Zhu Lian came down at the same time to sit together with Chen Ping’an. Lu Baixiang and the others didn’t leave their rooms. As for Pei Qian, she also remained inside her room the entire time, not making a single peep. After having dinner, Chen Ping’an went outside by himself and slowly walked along the official road that led to Fox Town.

After walking along the uneven dirt road filled with potholes for a while, Chen Ping’an turned his head to glance at the west. He then turned around and walked back to the inn.

He arrived at the inn at almost the exact same time as another group of people. To his surprise, it was the wounded clan leader of the Yao Clan, Great General Yao Zhen, as well as the young boy who had accompanied him in the deadly battle against the assassins. In addition, there was also Yao Lingzhi, the young martial arts prodigy who had personally experienced the intense battle in the inn. Beside them was another young girl wearing a veiled hat.

Apart from the four of them, there were also another five or six cavalrymen that stood behind them. However, these people didn’t belong to the Yao Clan’s border army, and were instead accompanying cultivators who didn’t need to explicitly wear armor. Back in the Great Li Empire, cultivators from the mountains who decided to join the army would be referred to as martial secretaries.

Upon seeing Chen Ping’an dressed in azure robes today, the listless old general who had insisted on personally coming to the inn immediately dismounted his horse and briskly walked over to the young boy. He cupped his fists in gratitude and said, “Thank you for saving the Yao Clan twice, we’re forever grateful to you! We’ve especially come to visit our benefactor today, so please accept a bow from me!”

The old man was just about to bow deeply to Chen Ping’an, so Chen Ping’an had no option but to grab Yao Zhen’s arms, preventing him from bowing in utmost respect.

However, Chen Ping’an could only stop Yao Zhen, but he couldn’t stop the other members of the Yao Clan as well as the accompanying Qi refiners from bowing to him in unison.

Old General Yao was especially pale, yet he possessed a frankness that had been cut out and tempered by his many years on the battlefield. He asked in a straightforward manner, “How should my Yao Clan repay you?”

Seeing Chen Ping’an remain silent, the old man smiled and added, “We’re not devaluing your sense of chivalry and righteousness. Rather, the Yao Clan’s border army won’t have the face to display the character ‘Yao’ on our military banners anymore if we simply ignore such a huge debt of gratitude.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t hold back anymore, and he asked, “Old General Yao, do you have any way of allowing me to escape the sights of the imperial court and travel to Heavenly Palace Peak in the north?”

“How many companions are traveling with you, Benefactor?” Yao Zhen asked.

Chen Ping’an initially wanted to reply “six,” yet he immediately caught himself and said, “Five.”

Yao Zhen pondered for a moment before nodding and replying, “Leave it to me! If you trust the Yao Clan, then please wait here for a few days. We’ll definitely help you and your five companions reach Heavenly Palace Peak safe and sound.”

“Will this cause any trouble for you and the Yao Clan?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Yao Zhen laughed heartily and replied, “We’ve already survived the most catastrophic trouble, so nothing can be regarded as troublesome anymore.”

The old general was extremely relaxed as he spoke these words. Even though his wounds were quite serious, and they had been further worsened due to the bumpy ride to the inn, there was a strong sense of relief in his words.

However, everyone standing behind Yao Zhen was feeling extremely solemn, with strong expressions of unwillingness on their faces.

Yao Zhen appeared reluctant to enter the inn, so he suggested that Chen Ping’an accompany him along the official road for a while. Chen Ping’an naturally had no qualms with this, and the two of them walked a dozen or so paces in front of everyone else as Yao Zhen revealed a secret, explaining, “I don’t dare to deceive you, Benefactor. I’ve fought on the battlefield for many years, so the emperor has bestowed a favor on me and allowed me to enter the capital to enjoy my old age. He’s bestowed me with the position of head minister of the Ministry of War.

“I can bring one hundredfamily members and subordinates with me, so you and your companions can naturally follow me as part of this group. I need to spend a few days with the military to organize a suitable identity for you and your companions. Truth be told, the imperial court will definitely examine the identities of these hundred people very carefully. They’ll interrogate everyone one by one. Since this is the case, you and your companions will have to tolerate this for a bit, Benefactor.”

Old General Yao felt slightly guilty and apologetic.

After contemplating this for a while, Chen Ping’an nodded and agreed to Yao Zhen’s plan.

Being able to accompany Old General Yao to the capital would also allow Chen Ping’an to rest easier.

In reality, the old general’s first two sentences hadn’t complied with the unspoken rules of the imperial court. Entering the capital to assume the position of head minister of the Ministry of War was a straight transfer. In fact, it definitely couldn’t be regarded as a demotion.

The head minister of the Ministry of War was an integral and dignified position in the Great Quan Empire, and a position that many great generals dreamed of obtaining. To Yao Zhen, however, the day that he dismounted his horse and shed his armor was the day that he would start to enjoy old age.

Moreover, leaving the southern region where the Yao Clan had lived for generations and traveling to the capital to serve could also be viewed as uprooting and leaving his ancestral home. With Yao Zhen’s old age and his status as the backbone of the southern region of the Great Quan Empire, Emperor Liu Zhen’s decision to transfer him to the capital was something that was worth pause and rumination for those in the imperial court.

However, one thing was clear—the imperial court was prepared to protect the Yao Clan. More precisely, the emperor had already made up his mind and decided to drag the Yao Clan out from the whirlpool of chaos. He had bestowed Yao Zhen an opportunity to steer clear of the situation and enjoy his old age. This was quite a good outcome.

Even though the conflict and competition between the three princes was fiercer than normal in this generation of the Imperial Liu Clan, all three princes were individuals who cared greatly about their reputation in the imperial court. This was the case even for the eldest prince, someone who had left the capital and gone to guard the north since a young age.

To put things bluntly, no one would be surprised if Yao Zhen died of old age in the southern border regions, died on the battlefield, or died of mysterious reasons. However, he definitely couldn’t die in the capital right under the emperor’s nose.

This was due to a rumor, a rumor that a highly qualified noble scholar from Great Subduing Academy had taught in the capital for many years after leaving the academy.

Yao Zhen didn’t want Chen Ping’an to misunderstand his intentions, thinking that he was being asked to protect the Yao Clan as they traveled north to the capital. Thus, he explained the current state of the Great Quan Empire’s imperial court to Chen Ping’an, and he also explained the current situation of the Yao Clan in great detail, telling the young boy why they were already out of danger. This was partly thanks to the noble scholar in the capital, and it was largely thanks to the young scholar’s formless might in the inn.

Chen Ping’an barely spoke, and instead spent most of his time listening to Old General Yao explain the situation.

He only asked a single question regarding the prisoners being transported by the third prince.

Yao Zhen was an incredibly stubborn person, and was even more strict about the hierarchical relationships between rulers and officials and fathers and sons than pedantic Confucian scholars.

However, the recent disaster had left him completely heartbroken, also changing his temperament greatly in the process. There were many secrets of the Great Quan Empire that he wouldn’t have revealed in the past, even if he were beaten to death. Now, however, he revealed them all in a calm and relaxed manner.

Apart from deep sadness, it was very likely that Old General Yao felt a slight sense of relief as well. He was going to relax and enjoy his old age.

Commandery Governor Jin Huang and Pine Needle Lake’s water god had both suffered a huge loss and severely damaged the fortune of Northern Jin Nation. Of the dozen or so prisoner carriages back then, one had housed a formal mountain god from one of Northern Jin Nation’s Five Mountains. The third prince had plotted in secret for seven or eight years to achieve this feat, and he had also made use of a large number of secret forces from the Great Quan Empire.

If he succeeded in transporting the mountain god, that commandery governor, to the capital of the Great Quan Empire, then that would definitely be viewed as a peerless achievement and contribution in the eyes of those in the capital. This was comparable to a general conquering five hundred kilometers of territory.

However, he had fallen just short of success, and the hurdle that had tripped him over was none other than the small inn near the border. Eunuch Li Li had been killed, and Little Duke Gao Shuyi, the duke’s only son, had also been killed. He had worked hard for ten years, yet he had ended up gaining face but seriously wounding his core.

It was nighttime, and two people were walking along the official road. Yao Zhen was speaking very casually and treating Chen Ping’an as his benefactor. He didn’t find this awkward because of Chen Ping’an’s young age.

While Chen Ping’an and Old General Yao were chatting, the atmosphere inside the inn was extremely strange.

Jiu Niang was leaning against the doorframe, the hunchbacked Third Grandpa was sipping wine in a rare display, and Zhong Kui was sitting on the door threshold and gazing up at the side of Jiu Niang’s face.

There was only a single table of customers in the inn: the stunning beauty carrying the sword on her back, the dignified and mighty-looking man with a saber, and the short and skinny man who claimed that he could drink a massive amount. They didn’t order wine, and only ordered three normal dishes.

The lame young boy was also starving, so when he saw an empty spot on the table, he decided to sit down and eat with the three people. He didn’t eat anything from the three dishes, and instead focused on the rice in his bowl.

From time to time, the lame young boy would secretly glance at the beautiful woman sitting opposite him.

She was truly far more beautiful than the innkeeper. How could such a beautiful woman exist in the world?

Moreover, she was carrying a sword on her back, so she was a gallant swordswoman from the cultivation world, wasn’t she?

Would she pass by and visit the inn again in the future? At that time, he might already be the head chef of the inn. He would no longer need to sweep the floor, wipe the tables, and serve customers tea and wine.

As he daydreamed about this, the lame young boy felt like the plain rice in his bowl was no less delicious than the exotic delicacies that the scholar with the surname Zhong had mentioned.

The inn had already closed up for the day when Chen Ping’an finally returned. Only Zhong Kui remained on the first floor, waiting to lock the door.

After locking the door, Zhong Kui invited Chen Ping’an for a drink. However, they didn’t speak much, and mostly kept to themselves as they drank. After finishing their drinks, Zhong Kui bunked down on the floor behind the counter for the night. Meanwhile, Chen Ping’an returned to his room on the second floor to rest.

Before finishing their drinks, Zhong Kui had chuckled and said that the wine money would simply be added to Chen Ping’an’s bill. Chen Ping’an had felt slightly helpless, not understanding why this profoundly powerful noble scholar was insisting on such a pitiful lifestyle where he needed to depend on the whims and goodwill of other people.

Chen Ping’an had come across many so-called mighty figures during his journeys, yet not a single one of them had been so casual and unrefined. There was Lady Gui who had concealed her true strength, the sword-hugging man guarding the entrance at Stalactite Mountain, the elderly Golden Core Tier sword cultivator who had acted as a carriage driver for him and Fan Er back then, and so on. In reality, none of them could be regarded as especially amiable and approachable.

However, Zhong Kui had surprisingly left Chen Ping’an with this final remark: “Traveling through the cultivation world, money is difficult to earn and shit is disgusting to eat. A good day will be a day where I don’t need to spend my own money to buy shit to eat.”

On the official road, the members of the Yao Clan drew further and further away from the small inn.

The young woman wearing a veiled hat was riding directly beside Yao Zhen. The veil was pulled up at this moment, revealing the woman’s naturally charming and stunningly beautiful appearance. She was most likely the beautiful woman that Zhong Kui had spoken of. Even though she looked enchanting, her aura was relatively cold and aloof. Regardless, her peach blossom eyes were filled with an innate liveliness all year round.

Yao Zhen was still injured, so he didn’t get his horse to gallop very fast. He had fought on horseback his entire life, yet he was gradually coming around to accept his old age and declining health.

“Grandpa, why didn’t you enter the inn to visit Ninth Aunt?” the young woman asked. “So many years have already passed, and you even have to go to the capital this time. Are you not going to visit her even once?”

“Forget about it,” Yao Zhen replied with a shake of his head.

The young woman turned her head to glance at the saber-carrying young girl and the silent young boy, saying, “Lingzhi and Xianzhi are both feeling quite upset at the moment.”

Yao Zhen smiled and replied, “This will save them from thinking that they’re the strongest prodigies in the world all the time. This is a good thing. They’ll become even more deflated when they arrive at the capital, Mirage City.”

The young woman wanted to say something, yet she couldn’t help but hesitate.

Yao Zhen fell silent for a moment before continuing, “This outcome is already quite good.”

However, the young woman couldn’t help but ask, “Grandpa, you don’t blame Ninth Aunt and her husband at all?”

The old man didn’t reply.

Riding through the night, Yao Zhen suddenly chuckled and asked, “I heard you mention something once before, saying that there are people who are composed and ambitious, people who are intelligent and shrewd, and people who are honest and upright. How were these qualities ranked again?”[1]

The young woman was slightly puzzled, unsure of why her grandpa was suddenly mentioning this matter. However, she still replied, “They’re ranked first, third, and second, respectively.”

“Then how would you rank our benefactor?” Yao Zhen asked with a smile.

The young woman shook her head and replied, “I don’t dare to rashly judge our benefactor.”

Old General Yao nodded in response before turning his head and saying, “Jinzhi, you shouldn’t follow me to Mirage City. Are you not going to reconsider this? It’s not too late to turn back now.”

Yao Jinzhi smiled and replied, “Since the fortune teller said…”

Before she could finish speaking, however, Yao Zhen shot a glare at her and exclaimed, “Don’t say it! You can’t reveal the fortune teller’s divination. When we arrive in the capital, it’s even more important that you don’t reveal the fortune teller’s words!”

Yao Jinzhi smiled innocently as she pulled the thin veil back over her face, hiding her breathtaking beauty.

Two days peacefully passed by in the inn and Fox Town.

Pei Qian seldom left her room, and she would purposely avoid Chen Ping’an when she came out to forage for food.

During this time, Chen Ping’an would often sit on the door threshold and drink with Zhong Kui. The noble scholar said that he needed to keep an eye on Fox Town. However, this wasn’t the most important thing. Rather, the most important thing was his ability to see Jiu Niang every day.

Chen Ping’an asked him why he liked Jiu Niang so much. Zhong Kui mulled over this for a long time, yet he could only conclude that he was inexplicably attracted to her.

Chen Ping’an jokingly asked Zhong Kui how much he liked Jiu Niang, to which Zhong Kui sighed and replied that he only liked her a moderate amount. He wasn’t head over heels for her. Because of this, he always felt a nagging sense of guilt toward Jiu Niang.

Chen Ping’an was rendered speechless.

This noble scholar was a strange person.

Before the Yao Clan’s convoy arrived at the inn and asked Chen Ping’an and his companions to set off for the capital together, Sui Youbian knocked on Chen Ping’an’s door and said that someone had asked her to deliver a message to him.

The two of them sat opposite each other, and Sui Youbian slowly said, “After reconstructing your bridge of immortality, you’ll need to refine five immortal treasures if you want to advance to the Upper Five Tiers. These immortal treasures need to correspond to the five elements and replenish each of them to a satisfactory degree. The higher grade the immortal treasures that you refine are, the higher your cultivation potential will naturally become.”

“For example?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Sui Youbian had seemingly anticipated this question. More accurately, the person who had asked her to deliver this message to Chen Ping’an had considered everything and covered all bases. Sui Youbian essentially repeated that person’s explanation word for word as she replied, “For example, the metal element can come from a bag of gold essence copper coins or a golden scholarly core; the wood element can come from Jewel Small World’s locust wood or Azure Divine Mountain’s divine bamboo; the water element can come from a water seal; the earth element can come from a Dragon Slaying Platform or soil from the Great Li Empire’s Five Mountains; and the fire element can come from some certain snake gall pebbles or even a fire dragon bracelet.”

In the end, Sui Youbian added, “These are only examples. In terms of what you actually refine, how you refine them, and when you refine them, that’s entirely up to Young Master to decide.”

After Sui Youbian left, Chen Ping’an closed the door and started to practice standing meditation.

On this night, Chen Ping’an used Eternity, the sleeping meditation technique, to fall deep asleep. He had a strange dream, and in his dream, a bloodied person with dismembered arms blocked his path. The person was bent over with his back facing Chen Ping’an, and he was holding the hilt of his saber in his mouth in an inconceivable saber stance.

When Chen Ping’an woke up and opened his eyes, he tried his best to recall the details of this strange dream. However, he could only muster some vague recollections of that fuzzy back.

Chen Ping’an was feeling a little puzzled as he lay in bed, and it was also at this moment that an adult and a little child were building a small dirt mound far away from the inn. They were none other than Zhong Kui and Pei Qian. The former was squatting there and watching on, while the latter was filling in a pit before adding more soil on top. She built a small dirt mound that looked much like a tomb, and she even found a thin slab of stone to stick in front of the “tomb.”

After successfully completing this huge job, the skinny little girl turned her muddied face to Zhong Kui and said in a solemn voice, “This is Chen Ping’an’s tomb. From today onward, both of us will need to come here every year to pay our respects!”

“What’s this all about?” Zhong Kui asked in bewilderment.

Pei Qian plonked down on the ground and crossed her arms in front of her chest before gritting her teeth and replying, “Chen Ping’an is dead to me!”

“Oh, so that’s how it is. In that case, this small tomb can be regarded as a cenotaph,” Zhong Kui remarked.[2]

“What does that mean?” asked Pei Qian with a frown.

Zhong Kui rested his chin on his arms as he dazedly stared at the mini tombstone in front of the small tomb. In reality, however, he was observing Pei Qian’s bright eyes out of the corner of his eyes.

The noble scholar was contemplating something, as if he had come to some sort of realization.

1. These categorizations were made by Lü Kun, an official and philosopher from the Ming Dynasty. ☜

2. A cenotaph is a placeholder tomb, i.e. the person is not actually buried there. ☜