Unsheathed

“There’s no need for you to do that,” Chen Ping’an said. “Can you tell me why you’ve come all this way to meet me at the Heavenly Palace Peak’s ferry station? Are you planning to capture me and take me back to Jade Tablet Sect?”

Jiang Shangzhen burst into laughter, then replied, “I did actually consider doing that on the way here. It was a real pain in the backside to find you, and I’d be lying if I said that I’m not feeling at least a little disgruntled. To tell you the truth, there are disciples of our Jade Tablet Sect cultivating over in Mirage City.

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to wait here for you at Green Goat Palace. I stayed for a day in Mirage City to find out what you had been up to there, and I also paid a visit to the newly promoted head minister of the Ministry of Personnel with the Yao surname.

“I only took a glance at him from afar, and I instructed that disciple at Mirage City to help out the Yao Clan where possible in the future. After that, I came all the way here to Green Goat Palace just to see you.”

Chen Ping’an stopped in his tracks upon hearing this.

Jiang Shangzhen continued to make his way up the staircase as he said, “I’ll reveal everything to you once we reach the top.”

Chen Ping’an followed Jiang Shangzhen into the sea of clouds around the Heavenly Palace Peak, and all of a sudden, the clouds faded away, revealing a majestic palace on the summit of the Heavenly Palace Peak.

As everyone made their way into the sea of clouds, Lu Yong tried to take the opportunity to take a better look at Pei Qian, but to his surprise, she was able to detect his gaze even with the dense cloud and mist in the area, and she looked away once again.

This sea of clouds wasn’t just a naturally forming cloud formation. Instead, it was the mountain-protection formation for Green Goat Palace, and any mortal who entered it would be rendered completely blind, unable to see anything around them.

Chen Ping’an drew to a halt, then smoothed down his robes before adjusting the white jade hairpin on his head.

Jiang Shangzhen continued onward in a graceful fashion, but after walking a few steps, he noticed that Chen Ping’an had remained still on the spot, and he turned around to discover a very peculiar look on Chen Ping’an’s face.

By the time Lu Yong, Pei Qian, and the others had all reached the mountain summit, Chen Ping’an was still standing completely still on the spot.

Pei Qian turned her gaze to the same direction as Chen Ping’an, and she discovered that there were many people gathered in front of Green Goat Palace, and all of them seemed to curious to see exactly who it was that was worthy of being personally received by both their palace leader and that powerful figure from Jade Tablet Sect.

Most of the people looking on from Green Goat Palace were Qi refiners quite young in age, and some of them were around the same age as Pei Qian.

“What are you looking at?” Pei Qian asked.

Chen Ping’an turned to Pei Qian and gently patted her head as he smiled and replied, “I used to be just like them, standing at the entrance, looking out at other people.”

After that, Chen Ping’an continued onward, following Jiang Shangzhen as they made their way toward the immortal ferry station.

Lu Yong took a glance at the disciples over at Green Goat Palace, all of whom were making fools out of themselves by gawking like idiots, and he scolded in a stern voice, “Go back and cultivate! You’re all embarrassments!”

After walking for about two kilometers, Chen Ping’an reached the Heavenly Palace Peak’s ferry station.

There was a giant louchuan docked at the ferry station, and there were countless azure birds circling around in the air beneath the louchuan, as if they were the ones keeping the louchuan aloft.

This louchuan should’ve set off the day before for Old Dragon City, but it had been intercepted by Jiang Shangzhen, and as usual, he had used his astonishing wealth to accomplish this feat.

Green Goat Palace didn’t dare to accept Jiang Shangzhen’s money, but all of the passengers on the ship had been issued sums of lesser heat coins equivalent to the fare that they had paid for this journey. Lu Yong had instructed one of Green Goat Palace’s elders to hand out the money, and of course, there were some disgruntled passengers who weren’t willing to accept the money or the delay.

Green Goat Palace didn’t dare to subdue those passengers by force, so it was left to Jiang Shangzhen to quell the dissenters. He flew onto the louchuan, then made an example out of a Golden Core Tier cultivator from the northern region of Parasol Leaf Continent, slapping him down from the louchuan into Clear Realm Mountain down below.

By the time Green Goat Palace’s cultivators dug him out of the mountain, he was only just barely clinging onto his life. However, after learning that it was Jiang Shangzhen who had done this to him, he trudged his way arduously back up the mountain without even tending to his own injuries first, then apologized to Jiang Shangzhen, even though he was the victim in this scenario.

Pei Qian was extremely excited to see the majestic immortal louchuan, and she was brimming with so much enthusiasm that she was almost unable to suppress the urge to unleash her self-created Deranged Demon Sword Techniques.

This was also the first time that Wei Xian and the others were witnessing such a marvelous spectacle, and even though their expressions remained largely unchanged, they were all quite amazed internally.

Jiang Shangzhen was standing by the ferry station as he smiled and said, “This is as far as I’ll escort you.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response.

Jiang Shangzhen hesitated momentarily, then asked, “Can I ask who your master is?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and remained silent.

“I don’t have any ill intentions, I’m just curious,” Jiang Shangzhen said.

Chen Ping’an shook his head as he replied, “I’m not trying to keep this a secret from you, it’s just that strictly speaking, I don’t really have a master.”

Old Man Yao was the one who had taught him how to fire pottery, A’Liang had taught him the Eighteen Stops Technique, Cui Chan’s grandfather had taught him his fist techniques, while Mr. Qi and the Scholarly Sage had imparted upon him a vast wealth of wisdom.

As for the ones who had taught him to be kind, that would be his parents.

“Alright, if you don’t want to tell me, then so be it,” Jiang Shangzhen sighed. “I came here to see you as I was requested by someone to pass on an item to you. I’ve placed the item in a container, and I suggest that you store it in a pocket treasure and refrain from bringing it out until you feel like you’ve reached a truly safe place.”

Over the course of his two journeys, Chen Ping’an had seen many incredible things, such as the time when those people had traveled a thousand li to offer up their heads back in the Flying Eagle Fortress.

However, there was undeniable bad blood between him and Jiang Shangzhen, and in his eyes, it was clearly impossible that Jiang Shangzhen would come all this way just to deliver something to him.

Jiang Shangzhen could see the wariness and skepticism in Chen Ping’an’s eyes, and he stomped a foot down onto the ground to isolate the area around them, transforming it into a independent space, then asked with a wry smile, “You’ve heard of what happened in Planchette Writing Sect, right?”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response.

Jiang Shangzhen pointed at himself, then continued, “Even after that great demon was wounded, it was still able to flee into the west sea thanks to its physical durability. I just so happened to be one of the three people sent to go after that great demon, and the other two were Sect Leader Song Mao of Peace and Tranquility Mountain and some old fart responsible for looking after the genealogical records of Parasol Leaf Sect.

“Given how severe the great demon’s injuries were, its fate was sealed, but that old fart from Parasol Leaf Sect and I were both reluctant to try and deliver the final blow for fear of a last-ditch act of desperate retaliation from the great demon. Hence, we decided to follow along after it at a leisurely pace and wear it down until it died. Along the way, we could do some sightseeing and have a nice chat with one another.”

Despite how casual and nonchalant Jiang Shangzhen sounded, Chen Ping’an knew that the hunt was definitely not as leisurely as he described it to be.

Jiang Shangzhen turned to the west as he continued, “After that, the three of us encountered a swordsman. He truly possessed tremendous sword qi and an exceptional heroic spirit in equal measure, and on top of that, he was also very kind and easygoing.

“Not only did he slay the great demon with just a single slash of his sword, he was also patient enough to bless us with an insightful lecture, and he was so unselfish that he didn’t claim even a single part of the great demon’s body…”

Jiang Shangzhen’s voice trailed off here, and he sighed, “Fine, I’ll admit that was all a lie, but it really is true that he did slay the great demon with just a single slash of his sword. He asked us if any of us knew you, and I told him the truth. He didn’t say much in response, but after he departed, he suddenly doubled back and declared that the demon core of the great demon was mine.

“That was all he said, and neither of my two companions dared to raise any objections, allowing me to harvest the precious demon core of that twelfth tier great demon. Even though that swordsman told me that I could have the demon core, I know that it’s not meant for me, and that’s why I came here to give the demon core to you.”

“I know him, his name is Zuo You,” Chen Ping’an replied.

I’ve never heard of that name before… Could it be that he really is a young sword immortal who only emerged in the past two hundred years?

Jiang Shangzhen stared into Chen Ping’an’s eyes, trying to see if he could glean any further information, but to no avail.

All of a sudden, a beautiful vase that was around the same height as half the length of a human arm appeared in his grasp, and he asked, “Do you know how precious this demon core is? Do you know how powerful a swordsman has to be in order to slay a twelfth tier great demon so easily?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, then nodded as he replied, “I don’t know how much this demon core is worth, but I do know about Zuo You’s swordsmanship. He told me in person that his sword intent is inferior to A’Liang’s, but his swordsmanship is superior to A’Liang’s, and I believe him.”

Jiang Shangzhen’s expression instantly stiffened upon hearing this, and he rubbed his hand over his own face in a defeated fashion.

How could he be speaking so casually about someone who claimed to possess superior swordsmanship to A’Liang?!

Chen Ping’an could sense Jiang Shangzhen’s apprehension, and he smiled as he reassured, “Rest assured, my quarrels with Zhou Shi and Ya’er don’t have much to do with you. Besides, even if I were to beg Zuo You to come after you, he wouldn’t agree anyway.”

It was only with extreme reluctance that Zuo You had accepted Chen Ping’an as his junior brother.

Despite Chen Ping’an’s reassurance, Jiang Shangzhen wasn’t feeling any better at all.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Chen Ping’an. Instead, the problem was that Zuo You wasn’t the type of person who needed a reason to go after someone! One day, he could simply decide to attack Jade Tablet Sect just because he was in a bad mood.

After just barely withstanding Zuo You’s first sword strike, that old fart from Parasol Leaf Sect was so desperate to avoid having to face a second one that he was willing to completely abandon his own dignity!

Jiang Shangzhen decided there and then that it was best to stay far away from Chen Ping’an from this point onward.

Chen Ping’an accepted the vase that contained the demon core from Jiang Shangzhen, then immediately stowed it away into his pocket treasure.

“That vase is also quite a nice treasure, you can have it as an apology gift from our Jiang Clan. As for whether you’ll encounter Zhou Shi again in the future and what happens if you do, we’ll just have to see when the time comes,” Jiang Shangzhen said.

Pei Qian took a glance at Chen Ping’an and Jiang Shangzhen, then turned her gaze elsewhere.

Pei Qian was able to see the two of them, but was suppressing the urge to look, while Lu Yong, Wei Xian and the others weren’t able to see them, so they didn’t bother to look.

Moments later, the two of them reappeared beside everyone, and Chen Ping’an made his way toward the louchuan, followed immediately by Pei Qian and his four servants.

After boarding the louchuan, Chen Ping’an turned to Jiang Shangzhen as he cupped his fist in a salute and said, “We’ve had our differences in the past, but I still have to thank you.”

Jiang Shangzhen nodded in response with a smile on his face, and it had been a very long time since he had felt this relieved.

An administrator from Green Goat Palace was already waiting for Chen Ping’an on the louchuan, and he carefully led them to the top floor.

Jiang Shangzhen continued to stare at the louchuan in silence, and Lu Yong could only stand beside him, feeling very tense and awkward.

Chen Ping’an’s group were the only ones that the louchuan was waiting for, so as soon as they boarded, the louchuan immediately rose up into the air and began traveling northward.

Jiang Shangzhen turned to Lu Yong as he asked, “It’s not everyday that such an esteemed guest comes around; is your Green Goat Palace not going to offer anything to Esteemed Immortal Chen as a gift?”

“Of course, a gift is very much in order,” Lu Yong hurriedly replied. “Would it be possible for you to enlighten me on what a suitable gift to give would be, Senior?”

“You’re a Nascent Tier cultivator; surely you don’t need me to teach you how to present gifts to someone,” Jiang Shangzhen sneered.

Lu Yong was silent for a moment, then asked in a timid fashion, “What should I do if Esteemed Immortal Chen refuses my gift?”

Jiang Shangzhen turned away with a cold expression as he replied, “Then cry, beg, threaten to hang yourself, do whatever it takes to convince him! How could he possibly not accept your gift? Trying to take money from someone is one of the most difficult things you can do, but giving out money should be a breeze! If you can’t even do that, then you may as well put an end to your own life.”

Lu Yong was sweating profusely as he said, “You’re right, Senior. I understand what I need to do.”

“Regardless of what you give to Chen Ping’an, inform me of the price, and I’ll compensate your Green Goat Palace double,” Jiang Shangzhen harrumphed coldly.

An idea immediately occurred to Lu Yong upon hearing this, but Jiang Shangzhen seemed to have gleaned his thoughts, and he warned in a cold voice, “Don’t try to get smart with me on matters like these. Report the exact value, and don’t try to give me any discount. You’re not worthy of having me owe you any favors.”

Lu Yong hurriedly nodded in response.

All of a sudden, a self-deprecating look appeared on Jiang Shangzhen’s face, and he patted Lu Yong on the shoulder as he said in an amicable manner, “I just came to a realization just now, so I’m planning to stay an extra day in your Green Goat Palace. Pick out a few disciples, and I’ll personally tell them about some matters related to cultivation.

“If there’s a truly exceptional cultivation prodigy among those disciples, then I can give your Green Goat Palace a spot to enter the Cloud Cave Blessed Land. Having said that, make sure that they’re all good-looking disciples. If you send a hideous disciple to me, I won’t want to grant them this opportunity no matter how much aptitude they possess. I don’t care how much aptitude someone possesses if I can’t even stand the sight of them.”

Lu Yong was ecstatic to hear this, and for the first time, he extended an earnest bow of gratitude as he replied, “Thank you, Senior! Your kindness won’t be forgotten!”

Opportunity and calamity always came hand in hand on the path of cultivation, and it was important to be able to both weather calamities and capitalize on opportunities.

Upon reaching the top floor of the louchuan, Chen Ping’an’s group of six were all assigned first class rooms, and in particular, Chen Ping’an’s room was ridiculously enormous.

After claiming their jade tablets and keys, Wei Xian and the others continued to follow Chen Ping’an.

Pei Qian tossed her hiking pole aside, then began running back and forth between the rooms in excitement. In the end, she made her way to the observation deck to look out at the sea of clouds, and there was a blissful look on her face as she stared blankly into the distance.

Wei Xian had also gone to the observation deck, so Chen Ping’an was only accompanied by three of his servants.

“Who was that young immortal just now, Master?” Lu Baixiang asked with a smile.

Zhu Lian rose to his feet before pouring a cup of tea for Chen Ping’an, and after accepting the cup of tea, Chen Ping’an replied, “That was Jiang Shangzhen, the leader of Jade Tablet Sect’s Jiang Clan. If I recall correctly, he seems to be an Unpolished Jade Tier cultivator, and he owns the Cloud Cave Blessed Land, an exceptional blessed land with a vast territory that’s abundant with natural treasures.”

“It’s a complete travesty to claim that you don’t have any connections in high places when you possess such powerful friends, Young Master,” Zhu Lian praised.

Sui Youbian took a glance at Chen Ping’an, then poured a cup of tea for herself.

“He’s no friend of mine,” Chen Ping’an replied with a shake of his head.

“So that was an immortal of the Upper Five Tiers,” Lu Baixiang sighed with a hint of longing in his eyes.

Chen Ping’an had already given them a brief rundown of the cultivation base hierarchies for both pure martial artists and Qi refiners.

For martial artists, there was the seventh tier, the Vajra Body Tier, the eighth tier, the Far Roaming Tier, and the ninth tier, the Mountain Summit Tier, which was considered to be the End Tier by most martial artists. However, there existed a tenth tier, and even then, Chen Ping’an was telling them that the tenth tier was not the summit.

For Qi refiners, the Middle Five Tiers consisted of the Cave Abode Tier, the Sea Observation Tier, the Dragon Gate Tier, the Golden Core Tier, and the Nascent Tier.

As for the Upper Five Tiers, the only known tiers were the Unpolished Jade Tier, the Immortal Tier, and the Ascension Tier, while the names of the other two tiers had been lost for a very long time.

Over on the observation deck, Pei Qian was beginning to grow a little bored of the spectacular scenery, and a forlorn look appeared on her face as she sighed, “Old Man Wei, I want to tell you something that’s been on my mind.”

Wei Xian was standing by the railing, and he nodded in encouragement. The observation deck should’ve been extremely windy, given the high altitudes that the louchuan was traveling at, but all they could feel was a light and comforting breeze, indicating that there was most likely an immortal formation protecting the louchuan.