Unsheathed

An uneventful night passed by after the Observing Mystical Heavenly Lord and Zhong Kui left.

Chen Ping’an helped the exhausted Pei Qian through her window, telling her to go to sleep.

Afterward, he remained in the courtyard by himself. He didn’t practice walking meditation or sword techniques, and instead sat by the stone table and thought about his plans for the future.

He would become absent-minded from time to time, and he would look up and gaze at the night sky. He had heard Zhong Kui explain that apart from a few sages who went to expand existing territories and search for new blessed lands, the remaining sages who were worshiped in the Confucian temples alongside the Paramount Sage would largely be residing in the skies above the continents and seas of Majestic World.

These sages would peer down at the mortal world, and in their eyes, both cultivators from the mountains and from outside the mountains would appear much like the fluttering fireflies that mortal humans saw during summer nights. The brightness of each individual would depend on the height of their cultivation base.

Thus, when the Observing Mystical Heavenly Lord and Bai Yuan had unleashed their full power and aura when fighting against each other earlier, it was as if two orbs of brilliant light had suddenly appeared in the world in the eyes of the sage residing above Parasol Leaf Continent.

It was because of this that the sage had descended to Peace and Tranquility Mountain, preventing the two profoundly powerful cultivators from acting unreasonably or fighting due to personal grudges. Most importantly, he was preventing them from becoming so unbridled that they ended up shattering mountains and rivers and killing countless innocent mortals.

More of the time, Chen Ping’an would be resting his mind with his eyes closed, quietly reciting the immortal mantra inscribed upon the jade slip that he had obtained from Green Roving Residence.

The meaning of a book would become clear if one read it many times. The same principle applied to all things in the world.

Dawn arrived, and Chen Ping’an opened his eyes when he heard Old General Yao’s footsteps traveling over from outside the courtyard. Yao Zhen stopped at the courtyard door, and he was seemingly hesitating about whether he should knock.

Chen Ping’an walked over to open the door.

Yao Zhen smiled and remarked, “As expected of a martial arts grandmaster. You can identify people simply from the sound of their footsteps.”

“Let’s take a stroll in the relay station’s garden to relax our minds?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Yao Zhen walked next to Chen Ping’an and said slowly, “I didn’t travel with you guys yesterday and visit that small mountain where the ancient immortal rode a crane and ascended because I received news in the morning that a secret messenger from Mirage City was going to arrive at the relay station. I had no option but to wait for him. However, after waiting for an entire day, this esteemed guest only arrived after nine o’clock. Guess who it was?”

Since he was asking Chen Ping’an, this secret messenger was definitely a person from Mirage City with whom he was familiar. A thought suddenly occurred to Chen Ping’an, and he replied, “Duke Gao Shizhen.”

Yao Zhen raised a thumb and confirmed with a nod, “That’s right, it was none other than this duke.”

Those who harbored ill intentions visited, while those who harbored good intentions didn’t visit.

Since the emperor had sent Duke Gao Shizen as a secret messenger and instructed him to rush over to Riding Crane City to deliver a decree before the Yao Clan’s convoy entered Mirage City, it was clear that the emperor valued the duke more than he valued Yao Zhen, the future head minister of war.

In terms of whether the emperor had summoned the duke and personally given him warnings or instructions or even tried to stir the pot, Chen Ping’an couldn’t speculate on this since he had never met the emperor before. In any case, instructing Duke Gao Shizhen to secretly visit the relay station in Riding Crane City was undoubtedly a huge show of strength to Old General Yao.

Life in the capital would be quite difficult.

This would be the case even though he was Yao Zhen, the future head minister of war. He would still be regarded as nothing more than an outsider from the border regions.

Chen Ping’an had reaped huge benefits when accompanying the old Daoist priest in the East Sea for a “distant” journey through the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, traveling across space and time to observe Dao together. Perhaps it was only when Chen Ping’an left the Lotus Flower Blessed Land that the young country bumpkin from Clay Vase Alley had shaken the last clump of dirt from his trousers.

“There used to be a total of ten county kings and dukes without the surname Liu in the Great Quan Empire,” Yao Zhen explained slowly. “The Imperial Liu Clan has experienced many ups and downs during their two-hundred-year rule, and up until today, only a single duke remains from the original group of ten county kings and dukes.

“The previous duke had an extremely good reputation and was widely regarded as a fair and just person. He twice risked his position as duke to help other people, helping a group of righteous officials keep their positions and also standing up for a general from the border regions. As a result, everyone in the imperial court remembers his goodwill, regardless of whether they’re scholarly officials or martial officials.

“The current duke, Gao Shizhen, is keeping a low profile and biding his time. He doesn’t like to draw attention to himself. However, he had already developed a close relationship with the current emperor when he was only a young boy. Looking back at this, it’s quite clear that Duke Gao Shizhen isn’t a simple person either. Moreover, it was because of this that Gao Shuyi had the ability to act so wantonly in Mirage City…”

Chen Ping’an suddenly interjected and said, “Perhaps the duke was purposely damaging his own reputation by allowing Gao Shuyi to act wantonly and infuriate the other nobles and officials. Relying on their abilities, the previous duke and the current duke have managed to enjoy a myriad of benefits that other officials don’t even dare to dream of. If Gao Shuyi didn’t do something, then perhaps the duke and his clan would have faced a fate not too dissimilar to what the Yao Clan faced in the border region.”

A strange expression spread across Yao Zhen’s face as he raised his thumb at Chen Ping’an again. “You came from a different angle, but your argument is almost identical to what my granddaughter, Yao Jinzhi, said.”

Yao Zhen patted Chen Ping’an’s shoulder and continued, “However, Jinzhi gave this analysis when she was only fourteen years old.”

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but chuckle in his mind. Why was Old General Yao trying to compete with him? However, he still went along with the old general and replied, “Miss Jinzhi is not only pure and elegant, but she’s also knowledgeable in all kinds of different fields. I’m naturally far inferior to her.”

There was a beaming smile on Yao Zhen’s aged face, and the gloomy clouds in his mind were instantly wiped away.

In terms of what Duke Gao Shizhen had said after arriving at the relay station, Yao Zhen naturally wouldn’t reveal this sensitive information as a subordinate of the Imperial Liu Clan.

If the imperial court and Duke Gao Shizhen wanted to harm his young benefactor, however, then Yao Zhen wouldn’t mind fighting with his life on the line again. In any case, him sacrificing his life for Chen Ping’an was still a worthy exchange for the Yao Clan. After all, the Yao Clan had already weathered the storm and escaped from danger. After farewelling Gao Shizhen late last night, this was the conclusion that his granddaughter, Yao Jinzhi, had drawn during their conversation in the candlelit room in the relay station.

When Yao Zhen entered Mirage City, tens of thousands of people would flood the streets and alleys to give him a grand welcome. With the help of officials from all levels, the renown of the Yao Clan’s mounted troops would also reverberate through the imperial court.

The garden in the relay station was incredibly famous. Thanks to the fervent promotion by many scholars, literati, and banished officials, the garden was surprisingly described as such: “The beauty of the mountains and ponds and the elegance of the pavilions and terraces are unmatched by even the gardens of the county kings in the capital.”

There were lush green trees, and there were small bridges over flowing streams. The two of them walked onto a wooden arch bridge. Right now, Chen Ping’an’s familiarity with the structural composition of these bridges was perhaps no inferior to that of officials in the Ministry of Works already. Chen Ping’an’s footsteps were sometimes heavy and sometimes light as he walked across the bridge, and he would occasionally extend his hand to lightly tap the railings on the sides. Yao Zhen didn’t ask any questions, and he simply treated this as a hobby of the young boy.

The Yao Clan was going to set off the day after tomorrow. There was a banquet hosted by the governor tonight, and the prefectural overseer was going to invite Old General Yao Zhen to a private meal tomorrow. Thus, they could travel around Riding Crane City for two more days.

Chen Ping’an stayed in his courtyard to cultivate in seclusion.

The speed of his martial arts cultivation was already far exceeding the expectations that he had set when leaving Stalactite Mountain. There was no need to rush, and there was no way to rush.

However, reconstructing his bridge of immortality was starting to become a matter of urgency.

He had performed visualizations two times, once in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land and once next to Burial River. The long golden bridge had successfully projected into the world and spanned across the river already, and it was becoming increasingly stable with each subsequent time that he visualized it. This was especially the case during the second time next to Burial River, and Chen Ping’an had already felt confident that he could step onto the bridge.

However, Chen Ping’an would get a headache every time he thought of the fact that he still needed to refine the immortal treasures of the Five Elements after reconstructing his bridge of immortality. These immortal treasures would become so-called small worlds that protected his body and bridge of immortality.

After receiving the jade slip and immortal mantra from the water goddess of the Burial River, it was necessary for Chen Ping’an to start making preparations now. This signified that Chen Ping’an had to refine five bonded items. Otherwise, his bridge of immortality would lead to a dead end even if he managed to reconstruct it, and the consequences would be unimaginable if spiritual energy started to flood into him like sea water once his bridge of immortality was complete. Of course, this was unless he abandoned his martial arts cultivation base.

After refining five immortal treasures of the Five Elements and creating five lakes and immortal abodes in his acupoints, however, Chen Ping’an could start to accumulate the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. At the same time, this wouldn’t be hugely detrimental to his breath of True Qi traveling around his acupoints. The two different forces could largely avoid conflict with each other.

This was a profoundly mystical state. It was as if one Chen Ping’an were relying on his fists to travel around the world, while one Chen Ping’an was refusing to meet guests in a dense mountain forest and quietly cultivating in seclusion.

While practicing walking meditation, Chen Ping’an thought to himself, I definitely have to refine the water seal that Mr. Qi gave me into a bonded item. That way, the water seal will become linked to my life. Even if it’s shattered like the mountain seal, it can still appear as a vague projection in my acupoints as long as I’m still alive. Even if it loses its power, it can still at least provide me with some sentimental value. I can look at it whenever I want to. Moreover, the immortal mantra that Miss Water Goddess gave me talks about refining water-element immortal treasures the most.

In terms of the ancient jade slip that can nurture one’s physique and soul, it’s most likely related to the water element as well. However, I’m still unclear about its origin and quality. I need to ask Wei Bo about it first.

It’s a shame that Golden Sweet Wine doesn’t correspond to one of the five elements. Otherwise, it satisfies the quality requirements and it’s also suitable for refinement. If I refine it, then I won’t need to wear it all the time. That way, Nascent Tier earth immortals won’t be able to see through me straight away. Ah… What a shame.

Regarding the golden scholarly core of City God Shen Wen from Colorful Garment Nation… A thought occurred to me when I was explaining the theory of sequential order in Green Roving Residence, and it appears like I can refine the scholarly core as an immortal treasure corresponding to the metal element. In any case, studying and reading books is fundamentally the same as practicing fist techniques and sword techniques. All of these are lifelong projects.

As for the earth element, the old Daoist priest asked that young Daoist priest to tell me about the five-colored soil from the Five Mountains of the Great Li Empire. War is raging now that the armored cavalry of the Great Li Empire has marched south, so perhaps the Imperial Song Clan will truly be able to conquer at least half of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent? If that’s the case, then the five-colored soil from the Five Mountains of the Great Li Empire will indeed become very valuable. By the looks of it, I need to trouble Wei Bo with answering this question as well the next time I return to Dragon Spring Prefecture. After all, he’s already the formal god of the Northern Mountain.

Dressed in white robes, Chen Ping’an lost his sense of self as he practiced fist techniques, with his movements especially smooth and flowing like water.

He was no longer an apprentice in the dragon kilns. He was no longer stubborn and rigid like characters written in regular script. Rather, he was already carefree and graceful like semi-cursive script.[1]

The essence of his development was being able to endure pain and grab fated opportunities with both hands.

————

The four martial artists from the picture scrolls were each strange in their own way.

Wei Xian had recently taken a liking to eating snacks. There were two small pouches hanging by his waist, one on each side, and these pouches were filled with all kinds of snacks from the various food stalls.

Lu Baixiang liked everything that appeared elegant, and he was now fond of holding a few Go pieces in his hands. He would massage them in his palms while he strolled around, causing the Go pieces to release a faint squeaking sound.

Zhu Lian didn’t like to be restrained. For example, he felt like it was very troublesome to wear socks if he was already wearing boots. He bought himself a pair of straw sandals from somewhere in Riding Crane City, and he also changed into light yellow coarse clothes. In addition to this, Zhu Lian would also purchase a few fantasy novels about demons and gods and a few romance novels about breathtaking beauties no matter which city or town they traveled to. He would retrieve these books and start to read whenever he had free time.

Apart from comprehending sword techniques every day, Sui Youbian didn’t seem to have any other hobbies. This was very strange in and of itself.

Chen Ping’an returned to his room after he finished practicing his fist techniques.

Zhu Lian was enjoying the warm sunshine of early winter in the courtyard, and he was reading an especially juicy romance story as he sat there.

Yao Xianzhi came over to visit, and he asked Wei Xian for guidance regarding fist techniques.

Lu Baixiang was playing a game of Go with Yao Jinzhi who had also come over to visit.

Sui Youbian’s aura had transformed slightly after her visit to the small mountain in the center of the provincial city. She started to cultivate in seclusion again, with her sword resting horizontally across her knees. She would frequently push her sword an inch out of its scabbard before pushing it back in, repeating this action again and again.

Pei Qian wasn’t someone to settle down and remain quiet for too long. She became bored after watching the game of Go between Lu Baixiang and Yao Jinzhi for a while, so she returned to her room to grab her hiking pole, using it to unleash her signature wild staff technique next to Wei Xian and Yao Xianzhi.

Wei Xian instructed Yao Xianzhi to practice a certain fist stance first, and he was speechless for a long while after observing Pei Qian’s performance. Pei Qian’s movements were chaotic and unstructured, and she would occasionally hit herself by accident. This was truly a domineering technique that risked severe injuries to defeat the opponent.

Yao Xianzhi, who was practicing standing meditation, rolled his eyes when he saw this.

However, Wei Xian surprisingly didn’t seem to find the tanned little girl’s antics childish.

Pei Qian was huffing and puffing in exhaustion as she bent down and rested her hands on her hiking pole. “Old Man Wei, how is my martial arts talent? Am I a one-in-ten-thousand talent?” she asked. “Can I become a peerless grandmaster like my dad tomorrow…? Actually, let’s make that next year. Can I rival ten of you with a single hand?”

Wei Xian sidestepped the question, replying, “There’s a saying in the cultivation world: the sword takes a year, the saber takes a month, and the spear takes forever. I have two suggestions for you if you genuinely want to make rapid progress with your staff technique. First, use your staff to strike like a dragon in the rapeseed fields. If you persist, you’ll eventually develop a peerless aura. Second, go and poke a hornet’s nest. You’ll develop another type of fearless aura when facing life-threatening danger.”

Looking at Wei Xian’s sincere expression as he spoke, Pei Qian thought about this for a moment before asking in slight doubt, “You’re not lying to me?”

“You can run along if you don’t believe me,” Wei Xian replied with indifference.

Lu Baixiang, whose back was facing Pei Qian and Wei Xian, smiled faintly when he heard this.

The hunchbacked Zhu Lian was sitting in the courtyard and reading as always, and he had just licked his finger and flipped to the next page. However, the romantic love-making described on the previous page was far too juicy and stirring, so he couldn’t help but flip back to that page to enjoy the steamy action again.

Pei Qian suddenly shook her head and sighed, an expression of sympathy in her eyes as she remarked, “Old Man Wei, couldn’t you tell? I wasn’t practicing staff techniques at all! Rather, I was practicing sword techniques!”

Wei Xian feigned an expression of realization. However, it was clear that he was being insincere.

Pei Qian became angry upon seeing this, and she scolded, “Old Man Wei, our friendship that’s founded upon the two skewers of tanghulu will fracture if you continue to be so stubborn and challenging!”

The corners of Wei Xian’s mouth curled up into a faint smile as he took pleasure in the little girl’s misfortune.

Pei Qian immediately tossed her hiking pole aside and hurriedly covered her mouth.

Sure enough, Chen Ping’an’s voice traveled over and instructed, “Return to your room to write five hundred characters.”

Apart from reading and memorizing books, Chen Ping’an also required Pei Qian to copy books now.

Every time Pei Qian gritted her teeth and copied the characters from the books, she would feel a strong urge to give herself two solid slaps. After all, who had told her to ask the female ghost, Big Sister Xuanhua, for a calligraphy brush and paper? Chen Ping’an had said that since she had her own calligraphy brush now, it was a good time for her to start practicing handwriting every single day.

Chen Ping’an didn’t ask for much, and he only needed her to write five hundred characters a day. However, any character that was written too carelessly or wonky wouldn’t be counted toward the five hundred characters. She would need to rewrite these characters. Pei Qian truly wanted to neck herself. Just how many days had she been able to relax and enjoy like a true immortal? Yet, it had all come to an end now.

Pei Qian puffed her cheeks until they looked like two large buns. She picked her hiking pole up from the ground and obediently returned to her room to write the five hundred characters.

1. The regular script is the newest of the major Chinese script styles, emerging during the Three Kingdoms period and stylistically mature by the 7th century. It is the most common style used in modern text, and it can be viewed as relatively rigid and proper compared to other scripts. Semi-cursive script, also known as running script, is a style of Chinese calligraphy that emerged during the Han dynasty. Semi-cursive style included the linking of strokes, simplification and merging of strokes, adjustments to stroke order, and so on, making it appear much less rigid than regular script. ☜