Unsheathed

Pei Qian stared at the golden bridge as she continued to recite those sagely teachings. Meanwhile, Zhu Lian was thinking about some personal matters.

The long golden bridge that spanned across Burial River slowly vanished from sight. Pei Qian also became a little thirsty, so she was no longer in the mood to read. She wanted to learn some fist techniques and sword techniques, yet it was a shame that Chen Ping’an was unwilling to teach her anything. As for Zhu Lian and the others, Pei Qian wouldn’t be willing to learn from them even if they were willing to teach her.

Chen Ping’an was still in a mystical state of deep meditation. Even stranger than this was the fact that he discovered himself drifting away, with his soul leaving his body and hovering in midair. He looked down at his physical body that was sitting cross-legged on the riverbank, and he thought that this was truly very strange.

This was different from when he released his two souls and separated himself into three when battling against Ding Ying and Eunuch Li Li. This time, what left his body was similar to the genuine type of yin soul that Zhong Kui released in the inn that night.

However, Zhong Kui cultivated both his yin soul and his yang soul at once, while Chen Ping’an’s soul was currently swaying around in an unstable manner due to the spiritual energy and astral winds contained in Burial River. His soul was nowhere near as refined and stable as Zhong Kui’s yin soul and yang soul.

If Chen Ping’an’s soul was an infant barely learning to walk, then Zhong Kui’s two souls were strong young men who could easily traverse the mountains and cross rivers as if they were flat ground.

Pei Qian and Zhu Lian were completely oblivious to this mystical phenomenon.

A thought occurred to both Chen Ping’ans at almost exactly the same time. Chen Ping’an was unable to shake this thought away, so the hovering Chen Ping’an turned around to glance at the Chen Ping’an sitting next to Burial River.

The sitting Chen Ping’an opened his eyes and said in a soft voice, “I need to practice standing meditation here, and the situation tonight is slightly different from normal. I can’t explain it in detail right now, but the two of you might need to guard me for a few more hours.”

Zhu Lian nodded and said with a smile, “It’s my duty to look after you, Young Master.”

However, Pei Qian stomped her foot and bemoaned, “Why didn’t you tell us earlier? I would have bought some snacks here to enjoy.”

Chen Ping’an’s soul strode toward Burial River, instantly gliding more than thirty meters into the distance and directly arriving above the river. He appeared much like a plank of wood undulating in the water. Chen Ping’an stopped and familiarized himself with this strange feeling of walking through the air. He could glide an extremely long distance with a single tap of his foot, so he leaned forward and gently trod through the air, making him appear much like a flying immortal from the mountains or a far-roaming pure martial artist at the eighth tier.

His sleeves billowed in the air as he roamed far on the wind.

Chen Ping’an was naturally unaware at this moment that thanks to all kinds of fated opportunities coming together at once, his current state was actually the rudimentary form of a Qi refiner’s yin soul.

Being reborn anew, having one’s soul and Qi combine, and having a body outside a body—this was the yang soul. Such souls enjoyed light.

A clear mind, exiting seclusion and entering darkness, and free from any constraints—this was the yin soul. Such souls enjoyed nighttime.

Chen Ping’an was going to visit the water god temple at night.

He felt like it would be fine even if he could only take a single glance at the temple. He would take a quick look and come back straight away.

As for the Chen Ping’an sitting on the riverbank of Burial River, he closed his eyes and formed the Sword Furnace hand seals to practice standing meditation.

Even though one was sitting and one was wandering around as a soul, both entities of Chen Ping’an were connected as one at this moment.

Practicing standing meditation with his eyes closed, the Chen Ping’an sitting on the riverbank of Burial River was completely aware of what his yin soul was seeing and experiencing. It was as if he were present with his yin soul.

This was the profoundly mystical nature of the Great Dao.

At this moment, Chen Ping’an finally understood why so many Qi refiners chose to distance themselves from the mortal world, earnestly cultivate in seclusion, and ascend to great heights to gaze into the distance. By the looks of it, the sceneries pursued by these Qi refiners already existed beyond the mortal world.

The Chen Ping’an sitting beside the river looked like he was practicing standing meditation, yet in reality, he was actually continuing to visualize that long bridge in his mind.

The bridge in his mind was far stabler than the one that he had visualized in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land twice before. However, he still had an imperceptible feeling that he wasn’t able to walk along this bridge and cross it yet.

Even so, he was already able to step onto the bridge to observe the river. If Zhu Lian weren’t present, then Chen Ping’an would have walked onto the bridge to test this out.

He was visualizing this bridge tonight because he had considered the notion of a noble person not pointlessly risking their life to save other people, as well as the relationship between enlightening other people and enlightening oneself.

Bringing Pei Qian with him, Chen Ping’an only ever asked her to read and memorize the Confucian book that he had given her. He never explained to her any principle that he had come up with by himself. However, looking at Pei Qian’s speech and actions was like looking at a mirror. Chen Ping’an would involuntarily perform introspection to determine if he had done anything wrong.

There were many theories and principles in the books that Chen Ping’an wouldn’t gain a deep understanding of by himself. With Pei Qian by his side, however, Chen Ping’an would be pushed to contemplate them more. For example, noble people needed to examine themselves three times a day, they needed to show self-restraint and adhere to etiquette, they needed to preserve proper behavior even when alone, and so on…

Reading hundreds upon thousands of books would allow one to gain profound enlightenment.

This was mystical and wonderful.

Pei Qian had already memorized the first book, so once he returned from his night trip to the water god temple, he could probably give her the second book to start reading and memorizing.

When it came to reading, it wasn’t the number of books one read that mattered. Rather, it was how much knowledge one could gain from these books.

He could explain this principle—which wasn’t a principle per se—to Pei Qian. However, she would most likely treat it as wind passing by her ears.

It was said that there once was a monk who didn’t know many words, yet he became a Buddha after reading just a single Buddhist scripture.

————

Two blurry figures soared along the banks of Burial River, appearing like streaks of light as they disappeared in a flash and continued to shoot downstream.

They nodded lightly when they saw the three people beside the river, and this was their way of acknowledging Chen Ping’an and the others.

Zhu Lian only looked away when the two people vanished into the darkness of the night.

As it turned out, it was the guest elder master and disciple who had returned to the relay station just then. They had changed into their Daoist robes, and had informed Yao Zhen that they had some matters to attend to before leaving the relay station again. They said that they would return before morning.

Yao Zhen didn’t stop them. In reality, he didn’t have the ability to stop them either. After all, even as the clan leader of the Yao Clan, Yao Zhen was still in the dark about the true identity and background of these two guest elders whom the Imperial Liu Clan had stationed in the border regions.

In fact, Yao Zhen even had some suspicions that this Daoist master and disciple reported directly to the emperor. In this way, the emperor could protect him against assassination attempts from cultivators from Northern Jin Nation, thereby preventing the border army from descending into chaos.

At the same time, he could also monitor the movements of the Yao Clan’s border army the entire time. After all, the Yao Clan was related to the head minister of the Ministry of Personnel who had just resigned from his post.

With this in mind, Yao Zhen had even held a private conversation with Yao Jinzhi, asking her whether he should explicitly build a good relationship with the two guest elders. He wasn’t so wishful as to think that the two guest elders would look after the Yao Clan as they settled down and developed in Mirage City in the future. However, he could at least use this opportunity to build some goodwill with the two guest elders.

Yao Jinzhi disagreed, saying that the positions of the two guest elders were very sensitive. As such, the Yao Clan definitely shouldn’t act carelessly and try to forge a relationship with them. Officials existed to serve the ruler, so if the ruler was wise and the officials were intelligent, then the latter wouldn’t even dream about trying to guess the thoughts of the former. Overthinking things would have no benefit.

However, this only applied to local officials such as Yao Zhen. A different principle would apply to officials who worked closely with the emperor. Yao Zhen was slightly reluctant to accept this explanation. If it weren’t for Chen Ping’an’s help, the Yao Clan might have already been destroyed two times over. Once by the assassins, and once by the third prince. Not only that, but they might have even been labeled as traitors who were conspiring to usurp the throne.

That being the case, could they still remain neutral and uninvolved with other forces? They would no longer enjoy the protection of the Yao Clan’s border army once they arrived in Mirage City, so wouldn’t things become even more dangerous and unpredictable?

Yao Zhen was reminded of the prefectural overseer who had retired from the army and become an official, and he couldn’t help but feel very uncomfortable. Perhaps it was just like his granddaughter had said? Perhaps he had to interact with little bastards like this all the time in the future?

Yao Jinzhi smiled and said that it was quite the contrary. When her aunt married into the capital in the past, the Yao Clan was wrong to stubbornly abide by the ancestral clan rules and try to remain isolated from everything else. However, it would be correct for them to remain neutral and protect themselves before they arrived at Mirage City and before her grandpa was admitted into the imperial court.

If the Yao Clan tried to compete with the wealth and tactics of those powerful officials and clans in Mirage City, then the Yao Clan couldn’t even dream about settling down and steadying themselves in the capital. Of course, this didn’t imply that the Yao Clan should do nothing at all and let themselves be bullied by others.

In the end, Yao Jinzhi borrowed a famous phrase from the books: “Wander to where the water ends, and sit down to gaze upon the clouds[1]

Yao Zhen sighed with emotion.

Yao Jinzhi was young when her aunt’s husband, Li Xiling, kneeled outside the ancestral hall of the Yao Clan even though it was snowing heavily. However, she still raised an objection with her grandpa under the guise of her father’s name.

Her argument boiled down to the fact that the Yao Clan had already abided by the ancestral clan rules for several hundred years. Perhaps the Yao Clan would be aware that the ancestral clan rules were being broken for the sake of true love, but would outsiders care about this? Would Mirage City care about this? Would the emperor care about this? Since the ancestral clan rule prohibiting women of the Yao Clan from marrying into wealthy clans could be broken once, then could the Yao Clan’s loyalty toward the Imperial Liu Clan also be broken once?

Without a first, there naturally wouldn’t be a second. Once there was a first, however, then there would naturally come a second, third, and fourth. This was a very reasonable assumption.

Yao Jinzhi also said that if she were an outsider, then she would have also suspected whether the Yao Clan was unsatisfied with keeping watch over such a small and isolated area.

Old General Yao was infuriated upon hearing this, yet he had felt an even stronger sense of grief and indignation.

Yao Jinzhi had calmly handed her grandpa a cup of tea and said with a composed smile, “Drinking wine can help a general maintain their pride and heroic spirit. However, once you arrive at Mirage City and become an official, it’s better if you switch to tea instead.”

Yao Zhen huffed and accepted the cup of tea, downing it in a single gulp as if he were drinking wine.

Yao Jinzhi smiled as she looked at this.

————

Along the banks of Burial River, the figures of the two Daoist priests moved swiftly like two wisps of azure smoke, traveling much faster than sprinting horses.

The older Daoist priest, the master, was from a heretical Daoist force called the Golden Summit Daoist Temple. Even though this was a heretical force, it was still very impressive. After all, apart from sect-level Daoist abodes and factions, few Daoist forces even had the right to be regarded as heretical forces.

Daoist priests from the Golden Summit Daoist Temple liked to enter the mortal world to cultivate their minds. There were few people in this temple, not even one hundred. Moreover, these Daoist priests would often conceal their true identities after entering the mortal world because they didn’t like to rely on the temple or their elders.

The abbot of the Golden Summit Daoist Temple was already five hundred years old. He was a genuine Nascent Tier earth immortal, and he was extremely renowned in the northern regions of Parasol Leaf Continent.

As for the old Daoist traveling swiftly beside Burial River, his mortal name was Yin Miaofeng, and his Dao title was Preserving Innocence. This was derived from the Daoist saying: “To achieve understanding during one’s long life, to preserve one’s natural instincts and innocence.” He hailed from the Daoist branch under the abbot of the Golden Summit Daoist Temple.

His only direct disciple was called Shao Yuanran, and his master had coincidentally come across him after leaving the mountains and entering the mortal world. Moreover, he had spent an entire fourteen years debating with himself before finally deciding to take Shao Yuanran as his disciple. During these fourteen years, Daoist Preserving Innocence had set up three grand tests for his potential disciple. Shao Yuanran had passed all of them, proving that his character and talent were undoubtedly very impressive.

Afterward, Shao Yuanran had visited the Golden Summit Daoist Temple with his master. He had met the abbot and also paid his respects to the portrait of the founder in the ancestral hall. His name was recorded in the genealogical records of the temple, and he had thus become an official “Qian” generation disciple of the Golden Summit Daoist Temple.[2]

The handsome and elegant Shao Yuanran looked like he was only in his twenties, yet in reality, he was already in his forties.

Both Yin Miaofeng and Shao Yuanran were Qi refiners at the Dragon Gate Tier, yet Yin Miaofeng was already resigned to the fact that he would never advance to the Golden Core Tier in his life. Shao Yuanran’s cultivation talent was far superior to his, and he had already managed to break through the Sea Observation Tier and advance to the Dragon Gate Tier at such a young age. He was a genuine cultivation prodigy.

After hearing that Shao Yuanran had advanced to the Dragon Gate Tier in the border regions of the Great Quan Empire, the abbot of the Golden Summit Daoist Temple had specially instructed someone to leave the mountains to bestow an immortal tool to the young Daoist priest.

At the same time, the abbot also said that if Shao Yuanran managed to successfully advance to the Golden Core Tier, then he could return to the mountain to retrieve an incredibly valuable treasure that had protected the temple for more than one thousand years. This would be a celebratory gift.

Because of this, Yin Miaofeng hoped that he could make use of the Great Quan Empire’s rich resources to help Shao Yuanran take that next step and advance even further. Only those who formed a golden core could be regarded as genuine immortals.

Qi refiners beneath the Golden Core Tier could only be regarded as cultivators in cages.

Shao Yuanran had already suppressed his curiosity about Great General Yao’s transfer from the border regions to the capital for a long time, so he was finally unable to hold back any longer tonight, asking, “Master, is the Yao Clan truly going to overcome their calamity just like this?”

“What’s wrong? Are you disappointed?” Yin Miaofeng asked. “Are you disappointed that Yao Jinzhi will continue to enjoy a peaceful life now that the Yao Clan is safe from danger? Perhaps she’ll soon marry into some wealthy clan after arriving at Mirage City. At that time, with the gates of these wealthy clans as difficult to enter as the deep seas, you might never be able to see her again. Is this why you’re feeling upset?”

Shao Yuanran shook his head and replied with a chuckle, “Feeling disappointed is inevitable. However, cultivation also involves cultivating the mind and going with the flow of nature. If the Yao Clan were destroyed, then I would have naturally protected Yao Jinzhi and taken her under my wing. Now that the Yao Clan has overcome their calamity, however, this implies that the fate between Yao Jinzhi and I have yet to intertwine. There’s no need to force things, and I’ll let fate decide the outcome in the future.”

Yin Miaofeng smiled and remarked, “Trees millennia old are common in the forests, yet people one hundred years old are rare in the world. Yao Jinzhi isn’t a cultivator, but it’s only natural for you to be attracted to her current beauty. However, what if your fates only intertwine twenty years later when she’s already old and no longer beautiful? If you’re fortunate, you might already be a terrestrial immortal at that time, so will you still be attracted to a mortal woman who’s no longer young and beautiful?”

“Then I’ll reconsider things when that time comes,” Shao Yuanran replied with a faint smile.

He fell silent for a moment, and only the sound of wind rushed past his ears. “Master, why are we suddenly visiting the Green Roving Residence now? Is this related to the flying sword message that we received from the capital yesterday?” he asked.

“You just need to know that it’s not a small matter,” Yin Miaofeng replied with a calm smile.

A helpless smile appeared on Shao Yuanran’s face. Since his master was unwilling to say anything, he could only keep quiet and suppress the curiosity in his mind.

The Green Roving Residence was none other than the residence of Burial River’s water god, and it was similar to the residence of Jin Huang, the mountain god whom the third prince had captured.

However, Jin Huang’s residence had lost its owner, so it was very likely that it had already been overtaken by hordes of mountain spirits and mountain ghosts.

Northern Jin Nation’s fortunes of mountains and rivers were significantly damaged because of this, and it wasn’t long before Mountain God Jin Huang’s prison carriage was going to arrive in Mirage City. Of course, Pine Needle Lake’s water god who had targeted Mountain God Jin Huang for several hundred years had fallen even earlier, with only some weak remnants of his forces remaining. Northern Jin Nation could count itself lucky if these surviving forces of the water god temple didn’t wreak further chaos in the area.

Shao Yuanran suddenly recalled something, causing him to involuntarily chuckle in speechlessness. That woman had just married Jin Huang and moved into the mountain god’s residence, yet her husband had almost immediately been captured and turned into a prisoner. She was truly unfortunate. She had initially thought that the two of them could enjoy a peaceful and loving life for hundreds of years, far longer than ordinary lovers in the mortal world, yet how could she have envisioned such a disastrous outcome? The only uncertainty was how Mirage City would deal with her.

In any case, these trivial and nonsensical matters were nothing more than tidbits of amusement for those who walked the path of cultivation.

What Shao Yuanran looked at was the free and unfettered Great Dao of earth immortals, and what he contemplated was the attainment of longevity and being able to enjoy the same lifespan as heaven and earth.

Shao Yuanran was filled with pride and heroic spirit at this moment. With no one else on the banks of this section of the river, he laughed heartily and exclaimed, “Master, I’m going to cross the river like those great flood dragons!”

After saying this, the young Daoist priest from the Golden Summit Daoist Temple strode onto the river, with each step sending huge splashes of water into the air. However, his Daoist robes remained dry and clean.

Yin Miaofeng continued to travel along the riverbank. Looking at the elegant bearing of his prized disciple as he strode across the river, however, he chuckled softly and scolded, “Stinky brat. Just how incredible will you be once you become a terrestrial immortal?!”

1. An excerpt from Wang Wei’s poem, Mount Zhongnan Lodge. ☜

2. In China, specific characters are commonly used to distinguish between people of different generations. ☜