Unsheathed

Prior to reaching Old Dragon City, Green Goat Palace’s louchuan had to make three stops in between, the first of which was the Everspring Ferry Station outside Parasol Leaf Sect, which had spring-like conditions all year round.

The louchuan stopped at the three ferry stations for a total of close to ten days, but all Chen Ping’an wanted was to get to Old Dragon City safely, so he forbade Pei Qian from leaving the ship to go visit the shops in the ferry station.

Hence, she could only carry a stool onto the observation deck, then sat down on it as she watched the vibrant scenes of the three ferry stations with a look of yearning in her eyes. Occasionally, Wei Xian would join her for a brief chat.

Even though Chen Ping’an didn’t leave the louchuan, he requested the old Green Goat Palace administrator on the ship to help him buy many things, and Wei Xian and the others also each gave the administrator a shopping list.

Wei Xian requested some books detailing the customs and traditions of the different areas, Lu Baixiang purchased an imperial guqin that had come from a mortal empire, Sui Youbian made no requests, continuing to maintain the stance that all she needed was her sword, while Zhu Lian requested a long list of books.

However, his booklist was denied by Chen Ping’an before it could make it to the Green Goat Palace administrator, and told him that the books that he wanted weren’t sold in the ferry stations, so he would just have to look for them on his own once they reached Old Dragon City, much to Zhu Lian’s disappointment.

As it turned out, Zhu Lian had requested a bunch of novels, and just the names of these novels alone were enough to make Chen Ping’an’s skin crawl. There was no way that he would allow the booklist to make it into the hands of the administrator.

Aside from practicing his walking, standing, and sleeping meditation, Chen Ping’an had also been diligently practicing the sword techniques in the Proper Sword Scripture. On top of that, he was also studying that immortal mantra.

Even though the immortal mantra was extremely advanced, the main problem that people encountered in tool refinement was a lack of good materials, thereby rendering all of their skills useless.

First and Fifteenth weren’t bonded flying swords personally refined by Chen Ping’an, so all he had to do was nurture them, and all of that work was done for him by his Sword Nurturing Gourd. However, if he were to refine his own bonded item, then the cost of the materials he would require would quickly reach a staggering sum, and the higher the caliber of his bonded item, the more costly further refinement would be.

The phrase that the old Daoist priest from the Observing Dao Temple had passed onto Lu Baixiang, the one about “spending money like flowing water,” was of course a jibe, but it also reflected the unavoidable reality of tool refinement.

At this point, his bridge of immortality had been mostly reconstructed, and the gates were wide open to accept guests from all directions, so the more abundant the spiritual energy in the surrounding environment, the more danger he would be in.

That was why he had taken a fall on the stone arch bridge on Clear Realm Mountain. At the time, he was still unable to fully control his Golden Sweet Wine to ward off the influx of spiritual energy, and the spiritual energy had clashed with his True Qi, thereby resulting in a loss of balance.

Ultimately, there was an upper limit to the amount of spiritual energy that Golden Sweet Wine could absorb and convert at a time, and if it were to reach full saturation, then the excessive spiritual energy would be able to flood into all of Chen Ping’an’s acupoints, resulting in a fall in his martial arts cultivation base.

The current conundrum that Chen Ping’an was facing was deciding which treasure he was going to refine in his first acupoint. If he were to choose water out of the five elements, then the process would be relatively simpler as the example set by the Burial River Goddess was precisely one of refining water.

The rain praying tablet detailed the process involved, as well as the materials required for water refinement, and special emphasis was placed on a key item by the name of “water essence.” All treasures that were a culmination of the essence of the fortune of a body of water could be referred to as water essence, but different water essences could vary drastically in caliber.

The water essence of a small river overseen by a river guardian and the water essence of a river that was home to an ancient dragon palace could hardly even be compared to one another. It was no exaggeration to say that the caliber of the water essence used for refinement would directly determine the caliber of Chen Ping’an’s water-attribute bonded item.

The louchuan was docked at the Everspring Ferry Station, and Pei Qian was seated on her stool on the observation deck, looking out at the ferry station with a forlorn look of yearning in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Chen Ping’an was seated by the table, and he was also feeling a little forlorn as he looked at the adorable water seal on the table.

After gaining an in-depth understanding of the immortal mantra, it had occurred to him that if he were to refine the water seal as his bonded item, then there was a very good chance that everytime he used the seal to help a water god improve their waterway luck, his essential energy would be harmed.

However, the main benefit of refining the water seal as his bonded item was that the seal would no longer expend a part of its mystical power everytime that it was used, so there would no longer be any danger of the seal being reduced to just an ordinary seal that held no mystical power. Hence, Chen Ping’an had decided that this water seal was what he was going to refine as his water-attribute bonded item.

This was going to be a bonded item, so it was going to be different from the demon-binding chains refined using flood dragon golden whiskers. Due to the special nature of this refinement process, he was going to require a cauldron for tool refinement, and that was going to be a massive headache in itself.

He had to find an immortal seller willing to part with a good cauldron, and he had to purchase it. That task could be easy or it could be ridiculously difficult. It all depended on how much money he had in his pocket.

I don’t have any money now!

A grief-stricken look appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face as this thought occurred to him.

He didn’t have a single grain rain coin left, and now that Jewel Small World no longer existed, there would no longer be any new gold essence copper coins. In other words, they were now a finite resource, and he had just used up two of them during that battle on the mountain summit.

If it had been any of the three men as opposed to Sui Youbian who had thrown away their lives like this so recklessly, then Chen Ping’an would’ve really been tempted to give them a good beating.

Pei Qian carried her stool back into the room, then sat down beside Chen Ping’an with a concerned expression as she asked, “What’s wrong? Are we out of money?”

She had managed to strike the nail right on the head.

Chen Ping’an turned his gaze to Pei Qian with slightly furrowed brows, and he couldn’t help but wonder how she seemed to always be able to find the most hurtful things to say.

Pei Qian thought that Chen Ping’an was beginning to grow sick of having to cover her expenses, and her little face immediately puckered up as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Please don’t throw me off the ship. I won’t demand to eat fish and meat anymore. From now on, I can get by with just a bowl of meat and some pickled vegetables a day!”

Chen Ping’an smiled as he reassured, “It has nothing to do with how much you’re eating. You’re at an age where you’re still growing, so eat as much as you can. It’s not like a few extra bowls of rice costs that much anyway.”

A bright and vibrant smile instantly appeared on Pei Qian’s face as she asked, “Do we have a place to stay in Old Dragon City? If we do, then we’ll have someone to cover our costs!”

Chen Ping’an nodded as he replied, “We do. I have a friend over there who’s quite wealthy, but don’t take advantage of their generosity and make unreasonable demands, do you hear me?”

“I won’t,” Pei Qian replied in a sullen manner.

She had thought that they would be able to meet someone else like Yao Jinzhi, who gave her everything that she wanted and even begged her to accept her gifts. Most importantly, Chen Ping’an was unable to refuse her. If she had known that people like Yao Jinzhi were so few and far in between, then she wouldn’t have made fun of her that one time.

The two of them were chatting with each other when Yao Jinzhi removed her veiled hat to reveal her fair and delicate skin, which made Pei Qian feel very inferior and self-conscious in comparison.

She couldn’t remember what they had been talking about at the time, but in order to make herself feel better, Pei Qian had directed an insult at Yao Jinzhi under the veil of a tongue-in-cheek compliment: “Big Sister Yao, you’re so beautiful that it’s no wonder you’re a bit of a scatterbrain.”

Yao Jinzhi hadn’t gotten mad at her for that comment, merely poking her on the forehead instead like a doting big sister.

One day passed by after another, and before long, it was already the winter solstice. At this point, the ship had left Parasol Leaf Continent and was currently flying over the sea between the two continents. By the time it reached the ferry station on the island outside Old Dragon City, it was already late winter.

One day, during the course of the journey, Lu Baixiang was watching Chen Ping’an practice his monotonous walking meditation in his room, and he asked, “This fist stance looks very ordinary, why do you practice it so persistently?”

“Lofty heights can be reached even from lowly foundations,” Chen Ping’an replied, and Lu Baixiang fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

After Lu Baixiang left the room, Pei Qian quietly asked Chen Ping’an what the meaning of his response was, and Chen Ping’an had smiled and told her that he couldn’t think of a profound answer, so he had made one up on the spot.

In his experience, those who excelled in playing go often liked to overcomplicate things, so he was leaving the meaning up to Lu Baixiang’s own interpretation, and Pei Qian had found this explanation to be utterly hilarious.

On this day, Chen Ping’an was sitting in his study, raising his brush before putting it down over and over again. Pei Qian was seated across from him, making some transcriptions, and she was becoming more agitated by the second.

In the end, Chen Ping’an left the room to pay Zhu Lian a visit, but following his return, he became even more hesitant and indecisive before ultimately deciding to put away his brush and paper altogether.

Pei Qian was very perplexed to see this.

The two letters that he had sent to Great Subduing Academy and Peace and Tranquility Mountain by flying sword had both been written very quickly, so who could this letter possibly be addressed to?

Chen Ping’an arrived on the observation deck to practice his standing meditation.

Right at this moment, the sound of door-knocking rang out, and Pei Qian rushed over to open the door.

Upon catching sight of the visitor, she extended a respectful bow as she greeted, “Pei Qian pays her respects to Esteemed Immortal Lu of Green Goat Palace!”

The old man standing outside was none other than Lu Yong, and he smiled and nodded in response.

Chen Ping’an hurriedly entered the room to meet Lu Yong, and after the two of them had taken a seat, Pei Qian quickly poured three cups of tea, one for Chen Ping’an, one of Lu Yong, and of course, one for herself.

Instead of immediately revealing the purpose of his visit, Lu Yong spoke in a very roundabout manner, making small talk with Chen Ping’an for close to fifteen minutes. Chen Ping’an could only remain patient and play along, chatting with Lu Yong in an amicable fashion.

Earth immortals were not to be taken lightly.

Having traveled to so many places, Chen Ping’an was fully aware of what an earth immortal entailed, and he didn’t look down on Lu Yong just because he knew Zuo You and could speak on equal terms to Jiang Shangzhen. This was a Nascent Tier immortal who presided over an incredibly rich and abundant area, as well as an immortal ferry station.

To put it bluntly, if Lu Yong didn’t have to worry about Chen Ping’an’s backers and was determined to kill him, he could do it with the flick of a finger.

Chen Ping’an’s approachable and pleasant demeanor further improved the impression that Lu Yong had of him.

Of course, Lu Yong was only doing this out of fear of Jiang Shangzhen, as well as the supposed backers behind Chen Ping’an that made even Jiang Shangzhen wary of him.

Otherwise, even if Lu Yong couldn’t afford to make an enemy out of Chen Ping’an, he could simply ignore Chen Ping’an, and there would be no need for him to suck up to Chen Ping’an and come all the way here in person just to present a gift.

After taking a few sips of tea, Lu Yong finally declared the purpose of his visit.

“Our Green Goat Palace was truly blessed by your presence on the Heavenly Palace Peak that day, Young Master Chen. At the time, I just so happened to have been refining a cauldron of Seated Meditation Pills. These pills are very warm and mild in nature, and they’re best taken by cultivators during seated meditation.

“Not only can they calm the mind, most importantly, they can nurture the body, particularly the acupoints. As for why they’re called Seated Meditation Pills, there’s a rather crude, yet accurate explanation for this, which is that after taking one of these pills, just sitting down alone will already be a form of cultivation, and it won’t matter even if you don’t actively focus on cultivation.”

As soon as he began speaking about pill refinement, Lu Yong was immediately brimming with enthusiasm, and he looked like a completely different person compared with the timid and uneasy old man who had been standing before Jiang Shangzhen.

“The heart is the master of the body and the general of all emotions. However, the heart has always been a very difficult concept to pinpoint. In Buddhism, there is a notion that an unsteady heart leads to a wandering mind. Hence, a still and steady heart is key to cultivation.

“Seated Meditation Pills are extremely difficult to refine, and even if they’re successfully refined, ten pills’ worth of ingredients will only be able to yield three or four pills at most. In addition, there’s one thing that sets my Seated Meditation Pills apart from all others, and it’s an important reason they are so popular among all of the earth immortals of Parasol Leaf Continent.

“You see, consuming a Seated Meditation Pill refined by me can give rise to something similar to the door gods plastered to the doors of the mortal households, serving the purpose of guarding one’s heart.”

“That’s a fine testament to both your mystical powers and your pill refinement expertise,” Chen Ping’an praised him in an earnest fashion, and Lu Yong was very pleased with this compliment.

Of course, he didn’t actually “just so happen” to have been refining this batch of Seated Meditation Pills. In order to refine this pill, not only was a long list of natural treasures required, the timing had to be right, and some of the precious fortune of Clear Realm Mountain also had to be expended.

This was the reason why these pills were so highly sought after among the Golden Core and Nascent Tier earth immortals of Parasol Leaf Sect. As for why other pill refinements masters couldn’t refine Seated Meditation Pills of the same caliber, Lu Yong’s masterful pill refinement expertise was indeed a factor, but the fortune of Clear Realm Mountain played a far more important role.

This was why earth immortals were always extremely meticulous and careful when it came to the site selection of their sects and manors.

“You just mentioned that these pills are highly treasured even by the earth immortals of Parasol Leaf Continent. In that case, are they fit for consumption for pure martial artists of the sixth and seventh tiers as well?” Chen Ping’an suddenly asked.

Lu Yong faltered slightly upon hearing this, then nodded as he replied, “Of course, it’s just that it would be a massive waste to give these Seated Meditation Pills of mine to those uncouth ruffians. It would be like feeding peonies to a cow!”

Chen Ping’an smiled as he asked, “Have you mentioned these Seated Meditation Pills because you want to sell them to me at a discounted price in light of my ties with Jiang Shangzhen?”

Lu Yong was stunned to hear that Chen Ping’an dared to refer to Jiang Shangzhen directly by name, but his expression remained completely unchanged as he replied, “That was never my intention, Young Master Chen. You’re a cherished guest of our Green Goat Palace, I can’t demand any money from you in exchange for my pills.

“After you and Senior Jiang left left the Heavenly Palace Peak, it was as if I had been blessed by the heavens, and I was able to refine as many as six Seated Meditation Pills in a single batch, something that’s never happened before in all my past centuries of pill refinement!

“Such blessings only present themselves once or twice in one’s lifetime, perhaps not at all, so it was immediately clear to me that you most definitely have exceptional affinity with my Green Goat Palace and myself. It would be a blatant act of ingratitude if I were to keep these pills to myself, which is why I’ve brought the six Seated Meditation Pills to you today, Young Master Chen!”

Pei Qian was looking on with her mouth slightly gaped open.

Never did she think that she would encounter someone even more shameless and adept at lying than herself.

She suddenly felt like she had much to learn from this old immortal, at least in the art of sucking up to others.

Lu Yong seemed to have also realized that he had gone a little overboard and come across as overeager, so he put on a slightly forlorn facade as he continued, “Nevertheless, I must admit that it still pains me somewhat to have to part with these pills. In exchange, I hope that you can put in a good word with Senior Jiang for me and my Green Goat Palace.

“The Jiang Clan does business across the entire Parasol Leaf Continent, so if they decide to purchase some pills from my Green Goat Palace in the future, perhaps I’ll be able to make additional profits in excess of the value of these six Seated Meditation Pills, and that would be a win-win situation for everyone.

“Hence, you can accept these pills without any qualms, Young Master Chen. Even if my Green Goat Palace isn’t blessed with more business from the Jiang Clan, it’ll still be more than worth these six pills to befriend someone like yourself.”