Unsheathed

While the courtyard was filled with joy and harmony…

In the jurisdiction of a small mountain god shrine located approximately fifty kilometers away from Riding Crane City, there was the residence of the mountain god which couldn’t be regarded as an official residence. This was because the mountain god shrine received far too few offerings each year. Even so, the mountain god’s residence was constructed like an immortal abode.

There was an endless stream of esteemed customers these past two days, and the extremely honored mountain god personally acted as their attendant, helping them boil water and brew tea and serving them to the best of his ability.

The first guest to arrive was a genuine immortal from the mountains, and he was accompanied by two young and breathtakingly beautiful female cultivators.

This person was Du Hanling, the temple master of the Golden Summit Daoist Temple and an extremely renowned Nascent Tier earth immortal. The Golden Summit Daoist Temple was located in a beautiful place in the northern regions of Parasol Leaf Continent.

To say nothing of a measly mountain god shrine, even the emperor of the Great Quan Empire might not be able to invite such a paramount esteemed immortal to his imperial palace, especially with how powerful and influential this earth immortal was.

In the beginning, the mountain god had been so terrified that even his gold-gilded clay statue in the shrine had started to become unstable. However, Du Hanling had personally promised that he was only borrowing this place to host his friends. Moreover, he would definitely offer a thank-you gift afterward. The mountain god had immediately felt reassured. After all, there was no need for Esteemed Immortal Du to play mind games with a measly mountain god like himself. He wasn’t worthy of this.

Afterward, a well-dressed official arrived at the mountain god shrine with a few subordinates, all of who were impressive Qi refiners.

Following him, a young and handsome Daoist priest quietly ascended the mountain, accompanied by a master and their disciple. The master was an old man with a middling cultivation base and suffering severe wounds at this moment. His disciple was a tall and sturdy young boy with a simple and honest appearance.

Finally, the superior of the minor mountain god also arrived late at night, and he was none other than the city god of the provincial city. His position was similar to that of a governor, and he was responsible for overseeing all of the prefectural city god pavilions as well as the minor gods in the province. As for the Wenchang pavilions and the martial sage temples, these were exceptions and were directly managed by the Ministry of Rites.

The Wenchang pavilions and the martial sage temples never interfered with the city god pavilions, and the reverse was also true. Regarding who enjoyed a higher rank, who wielded greater power, and who would take command when there was an urgent matter, this would differ based on the specific situation of each region.

There was Temple Master Du Hanling from the Golden Summit Daoist Temple, Duke Gao Shizhen from the Great Quan Empire, and the city god of Riding Crane City.

In addition to them, there was also Shao Yuanran, who was both a disciple of the Golden Summit Daoist Temple and a guest elder of the Great Quan Empire.

The winter sun was warm and gentle, and the scenery surrounding the mountain god shrine was also pleasant and relaxing. The four esteemed guests were gathered in a pavilion on the mountain peak that offered the best scenic view of the surroundings.

The mountain god stood far away, awaiting orders and ready to serve at any moment.

The esteemed guests were enjoying a hearty conversation in the pavilion.

When Duke Gao Shizhen left the mountain and returned to Mirage City, the capital of the Great Quan Empire, he no longer appeared as gloomy and somber as he had before his trip to the mountain god shrine.

The city god of Riding Crane City quietly returned to the city god pavilion in the provincial city. His eyes were ice-cold as he closely monitored the relay station, and there was also a faint smile of disdain and ridicule tugging at the corners of his lips.

Du Hanling stayed in the mountain for one additional day.

Before leaving, he once again summoned his disciple, Daoist Preserving Innocence Yin Miaofeng, and his grand-disciple, Shao Yuanran. Both of them were at the Dragon Gate Tier, but Yin Miaofeng no longer had the opportunity to advance to the Golden Core Tier in his lifetime. Thus, they hadn’t been able to stay in the capital to serve as high-ranking guest elders, and they had instead been dispatched to the border region to monitor the Yao Clan for the Imperial Liu Clan.

Du Hanling bestowed a precious treasure of the Daoist temple to Shao Yuanran, and this could be regarded as an early congratulatory gift for when Shao Yuanran advanced to the Golden Core Tier in the future.

In addition to this, Du Hanling also told his disciple and grand-disciple a secret.

The mature and composed Shao Yuanran couldn’t conceal his immense delight, and Yin Miaofeng was beaming with an ecstatic smile that couldn’t be wiped from his face. Yin Miaofeng stood up and thanked his teacher for Shao Yuanran.

After praising Shao Yuanran and giving him a few words of encouragement, Du Hanling rode the wind north and returned to the Golden Summit Daoist Temple. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to reward the mountain god with a high-grade spirit tool.

The mountain god was naturally very grateful, and he surprisingly fell to his knees and kowtowed toward the distance after Temple Master Du Hanling flew away on the clouds and mist.

In reality, one couldn’t blame the mountain god for being graceless even though his arguably obsequious actions appeared completely over the top. Being able to obtain the high-grade spirit tool wasn’t the most important matter. Instead, becoming acquainted with the Golden Summit Daoist Temple and the elusive Nascent Tier earth immortal was the greatest fortune enjoyed by the minor mountain god and his measly shrine.

To say nothing else, could he possibly be considered poor by the esteemed city god of Riding Crane City from here on out?

The master and disciple whom Shao Yuanran had brought to the mountain god shrine stayed in the mountain to recuperate.

Spiritual Master Yin Miaofeng and Shao Yuanran didn’t return to the city together, but rather one after another.

Inside a serene courtyard atop the mountain, the tall and sturdy young boy who had barged into the martial sage temple to borrow a saber was sitting on an embroidered chair beside the sick bed with a complicated expression. His hands were clenched into fists, and it was as if he were mulling over an incomprehensible matter.

Meanwhile, his master was lying on the sick bed and recuperating. Even though his master’s wounds were severe, rendering him incapable of fighting against others and slaying demons at this moment, it was already no issue for him to stand up and walk around.

The old man’s face was slightly pale, yet he was full of spirit and vigor, with his eyes also shining brightly. He turned around to look at his only disciple, saying, “Finding a good disciple is the first challenge, and allowing one’s disciple to have a smooth cultivation journey is the second challenge. This is no easier than raising one’s own children. I don’t have any children, and I only have you as my only disciple. I won’t be able to forgive myself if I don’t plan out a good future for you.”

The old man smiled and continued, “I already explained the reasons and process to you just then, so don’t ask any questions about why I’m acquainted with the Golden Summit Daoist Temple and why you coincidentally came across Young Spiritual Master Shao this time. From today onward, you should focus your full attention on cultivation. Old Immortal Du personally shattered your cultivation barrier for you, allowing you to advance to the Middle Five Tiers. You need to remember his kindness.

“To put things bluntly, just how large and powerful is the Golden Summit Daoist Temple? Even if you sincerely want to repay their kindness, will your benefactor truly need your help? But even so, you still need to feel gratitude and aspire to repay their kindness. Otherwise, you won’t even have the right to become a dog for the Golden Summit Daoist Temple.”

Tears welled up in the tall and sturdy young boy’s eyes as he lowered his head and said, “I was too weak and unable to help. I’m sorry for making you go through so much pain, Master.”

The old man sighed and pointed at the blockheaded young boy, lamenting, “You don’t understand the situation at all. So be it. If this weren’t the case, then I wouldn’t have especially chosen you to be my disciple. Truth be told, even if I came across someone as supremely talented as Young Spiritual Master Shao earlier, I wouldn’t necessarily have dared to take them as my disciple. After all, how could I, a Sea Observation Tier cultivator, deal with the troubles that they might come across?”

The tall and sturdy young boy was at a competitive age right now, so he immediately exclaimed, “Master, I also have a chance to advance to the Dragon Gate Tier at a young age.”

The old man chuckled and scolded him, “Ah, what a naive young boy! Now head outside to cultivate. Your master is still recuperating, so I don’t want to talk to a brick wall!”

“Oh, okay then,” the tall and sturdy young boy replied. He stood up and took his leave.

When he arrived at the door, the old cultivator sighed and comforted, “It’s inevitable for one to go through some pain and grief on the path of cultivation. However, the most frightening thing is if one faces nothing but pain and grief. So, you definitely have to surpass your master and venture higher and farther. That way, you can reduce the amount of pain and suffering that you need to go through. The mountain god shrine and sightseeing pavilion here can’t be regarded as tall and lofty. The path from Parasol Leaf Continent to the Great Quan Empire can’t be regarded as far either. The immortals and profound individuals in the world exist in a far loftier place.”

The tall and sturdy young boy turned around and nodded in understanding, replying, “I’ll keep this in mind.”

The old immortal smiled and said, “If you genuinely advance to such a high cultivation base that you’re able to view powerful individuals like Old Immortal Du as an equal in the future, then remember to treat mortals outside the mountains a little bit better at that time.”

The tall and sturdy young boy had been in low spirits the entire time, yet a dazzling smile immediately spread across his face at this moment. This resonated with his true self, so he earnestly nodded in response.

The old immortal chuckled and remarked, “My disciple is truly naive!”

————

The day before the convoy of the Yao Clan set off for Mirage City, someone came to the relay station to pay a visit to Chen Ping’an.

The visitor was a young Daoist priest dressed in Daoist robes and wearing a hibiscus hat. He appeared travel-worn, and he drank a cup of refreshing tea in Chen Ping’an’s room before explaining how he was fortunate enough to receive a mission from his old ancestor because he was located closest to Riding Crane City. He was tasked with delivering an item to Chen Ping’an.

The young Daoist priest from Peace and Tranquility Mountain carefully retrieved a jade tablet.

After placing the jade tablet on the table, the young Daoist priest started to explain the situation to Chen Ping’an, saying in a frank manner, “The old ancestor told me to be straightforward with you, Young Master Chen, and reassure you that there’s no need to worry about Peace and Tranquility Mountain tampering with the jade tablet. It won’t reveal your whereabouts to our sect. The old ancestor has removed our sect restrictions from the jade tablet, so you can simply treat it as a piece of decent-quality jade.

“Of course, being in possession of the jade tablet also has great significance, especially to other people. That being the case, we want to trouble Young Master Chen slightly and ask that you hang the jade tablet by your waist every day until you leave Parasol Leaf Continent.”

Chen Ping’an stood up and thanked the young Daoist priest from Peace and Tranquility Mountain. The young Daoist priest hurriedly stood up and said that he didn’t dare to accept Chen Ping’an’s gratitude.

Chen Ping’an accepted the jade tablet and immediately tied it to his waist. He now had the Sword Nurturing Gourd on one hip and the jade tablet on the opposite hip.

He then accompanied the young Daoist priest to the entrance of the relay station before seeing him off.

This was an act of goodwill by Peace and Tranquility Mountain.

The jade tablet hanging by Chen Ping’an’s waist was normally intended for direct disciples of Peace and Tranquility Mountain’s ancestral hall, and there were characters engraved on both sides of the jade tablet. On the front was “The True Self is Cultivated on Peace and Tranquility Mountain,” and on the back was “Passing Down the Teachings of the Ancestral Hall.”

Even Golden Core Tier and Nascent Tier earth immortals from Peace and Tranquility Mountain might not have the right to possess such kind of jade tablet.

This was because it had nothing to do with cultivation base or age.

Casting one’s gaze over the entire Peace and Tranquility Mountain, one could only see a measly five or six people wearing such a jade tablet by their waist. The oldest of this prestigious group was already three hundred, currently managing the Daoist scripture library in Peace and Tranquility Mountain. Moreover, they were only at the Dragon Gate Tier. The youngest of this group was a prodigious little child only seven or eight years old.

As for the most renowned member, that was definitely Daoist Nun Huang Ting, someone who had left the mountains to travel around the world with her blade.

In other words, from this moment onward, the entire Peace and Tranquility Mountain was a shield for Chen Ping’an while he traveled around Parasol Leaf Continent.

Moreover, the old heavenly lord from Peace and Tranquility Mountain had just displayed his astonishing mystical abilities as an immortal, summoning his Golden Dao Manifestation, wielding the Radiant Moon Mirror, and controlling the ancient immortal swords as he pursued his enemy for thousands of kilometers.

Who dared to provoke the formidable Peace and Tranquility Mountain at this moment?

Chen Ping’an sighed with emotion as he walked back to his courtyard.

He was dressed in white robes; there was a jade hairpin in his hair and a jade tablet hanging from his waist.

The petty officials from the relay station all regarded Chen Ping’an as a young scholar when they came across him on the path.

————

The convoy of the Yao Clan set off for Mirage City early in the morning.

The closer they drew to that famous ferry station near Mirage City, the closer Chen Ping’an and his subordinates would be to bidding farewell to the convoy of the Yao Clan.

Dusk arrived, and the convoy of the Yao Clan settled down in the last relay station for their journey to the north. The relay station was simple and unadorned, so much so that it even seemed a little crude. Compared to the relay station in Riding Crane City which also had a large and beautiful garden, it could be said that one was heaven and one was earth.

If one followed the official road outside the relay station and walked for five or so kilometers, one would come across Screen Illuminating Peak, a peak that wasn’t especially tall but appeared as sharp as a sword being drawn from its scabbard. This peak was perfect for observing the sunrise and sunset, and it was a renowned landmark among those in the capital city.

Officials, nobles, and descendants of privileged individuals would often climb to the peak of Screen Illuminating Peak to stay the night in the inns located there. That way, they could enjoy the breathtakingly beautiful sight of the sun rising from the east and casting its first rays of light on Screen Illuminating Peak.

Yao Zhen insisted on dragging Chen Ping’an to Screen Illuminating Peak with him. Moreover, apart from his three grandchildren, he didn’t invite anyone else to go with them.

In the end, only Old General Yao, Yao Jinzhi, Yao Lingzhi, Yao Xianzhi, Chen Ping’an, and Pei Qian went to Screen Illuminating Peak together. They climbed to the peak of the mountain to stay the night in one of the inns located there.

Behind the inn was an observation deck on a cliff that faced toward the east. It provided the best view out of the six observation decks on Screen Illuminating Peak.

The six of them ordered some wine and snacks from the inn, placing them on the table as they sat down to enjoy the radiant moon. They would gaze upon the beautiful moon tonight before enjoying the breathtaking sunrise tomorrow.

Yao Xianzhi accompanied Pei Qian, who was messing around with her hiking pole, and the two of them were busy “sparring” with each other on the observation deck.

Meanwhile, Yao Lingzhi walked to the railing surrounding the observation deck on the cliff by herself, gazing into the distant south with a seemingly melancholic expression.

Old General Yao confidently claimed that he would pull an all-nighter and watch the sun rise. However, after drinking two pots of wine, he failed to get Chen Ping’an drunk and instead became drunk himself. Yao Jinzhi and Yao Lingzhi had no option but to help their grandpa back to his room in the inn.

Pei Qian and Yao Xianzhi were still brimming with energy and vigor, so they could definitely stay awake until sunrise tomorrow morning.

Chen Ping’an sat at the table by himself and picked up the hiking pole that Pei Qian had tossed aside, twirling it around and drawing circles on the dirt ground beside him in boredom.

There was a small circle, a bigger circle, an even bigger circle, and yet an even bigger circle.

Layer after layer, each subsequent circle contained the previous circles.

Chen Ping’an was completely immersed in this process.

Yao Jinzhi had already returned and walked over to stand behind Chen Ping’an, and after observing this for a long time, she asked, “Why did you stop?”

Chen Ping’an rested the hiking pole against the stone table and chuckled, “This is the limit of what I can draw.”

Yao Jinzhi sat down and poured herself a cup of wine. After entering the inn, she had removed her veiled hat, allowing Chen Ping’an to see the frown on her face when she drank. By the looks of it, Yao Jinzhi found it very difficult to drink wine. After taking a sip, she stole a glance at the ground before remarking, “It is indeed very difficult to continue. I surmise that even noble scholars won’t be able to draw any additional circles.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and didn’t say anything. He simply looked toward the railing where Yao Xianzhi and Pei Qian were acting furtively as if they were discussing some secret topic.

Yao Jinzhi smiled and asked, “You’re not going to ask me whether I genuinely understand what you drew or whether I’m just pretending to understand?”

“Miss Yao, I believe you understand,” Chen Ping’an replied in a soft voice.

Yao Jinzhi hesitated for a moment before pouring herself another cup of wine. She downed the wine in a single gulp, causing her face to flush red and further highlighting her beauty. “Between you and me, between different sects, between different nations, between different continents, between different scholarly lineages, between the three teachings, between the hundred schools of thought, between the different worlds, and between the human tribe and the demon tribe!” Yao Jinzhi said slowly.

“You, Chen Ping’an, are thinking about the reasons and principles that you’ve understood. You want to understand how many of these circles your reasons and principles can encapsulate. Afterward, you’ll linger on the perimeter of the outermost circle until you can confidently confirm the border of the next circle. Only then will you stride over and continue to venture forward! This way, you can keep a clear conscience with each step that you take.

“Even though this will make it extremely difficult for you to deal with other people and other matters, it won’t cause your mind to become tired because you can feel guiltless and unrestrained when you throw your fists and unsheathe your sword. Only you, Chen Ping’an, had the right to utter those words to a noble scholar from a Confucian academy in the border inn: Ask your own conscience!”

Chen Ping’an turned around to look at Yao Jinzhi, nodding and replying, “Miss Yao, you’re one of the smartest people that I’ve come across.”

This was the truth.

If he left out “one of the,” however, then he would be going against his conscience to flatter her.

After all, disregarding everyone else, just his so-called disciple, Cui Dongshan, was already far smarter than her.

Perhaps due to the two cups of wine that Yao Jinzhi had drank and her inability to hold her liquor, her expression and demeanor were slightly different from normal as she spoke. She fixed her gaze on Chen Ping’an and asked in a gentle voice, “Young Master Chen, in your eyes, is Yao Jinzhi nothing more than smart?”

Chen Ping’an faltered for a moment before scratching his head and replying, “Miss Yao, I have someone I like.”

Yao Jinzhi covered her mouth and giggled, surprisingly not becoming angry as she countered, “Is she very beautiful?”

Chen Ping’an immediately became filled with spirit and enthusiasm as he replied without hesitation, “She’s more beautiful than all of the majestic mountains and splendid rivers in Majestic World combined!”

Yao Jinzhi didn’t appear to be irritated as she smiled and drank a sip of wine. After accompanying Chen Ping’an for fifteen minutes and chatting about the people and customs of Mirage City, she finally stood up to take her leave.

After turning around, there was a dark and cloudy look in the breathtakingly beautiful young woman’s eyes as she walked back to the inn.

Chen Ping’an didn’t turn around to look at her, and his arms remained resting on the table as he smiled and gazed up at the bright moon in the sky.

His expression was gentle, as if he were gazing at a certain girl. No matter how many beauties there were in this world, in his heart, there was room for none.

He liked just that one girl—she was the unforgettable jewel in his mind, the bright moon in the sky.