Unsheathed

There were many handsome horses and large carriages on the official road, and also a fair number of strange people dressed in eye-catching garb. The young and inexperienced Pei Qian could only tell that they were rich, but Chen Ping’an, Zhu Lian, and Shi Rou possessed better observation skills than the incense provider from the river guardian temple. There was truly a huge number of Qi refiners traveling around the Azure Phoenix Nation and getting involved in the murky situation right now.

Meanwhile, Pei Qian was most likely still feeling heartache about the snowflake coins that had been spent to write on the wall in the river guardian temple. She was yet to recover her energy and spirits, and she appeared dejected and listless as she walked. Of course, it was also possible that she was feeling ashamed about having the worst writing out of the three people.

This time, however, Zhu Lian didn’t pick on Pei Qian.

As a result, things were relatively calm and peaceful as they traveled, causing Shi Rou to feel slightly strange due to the sudden change in atmosphere.

If they followed the normal route, they wouldn’t pass the Lion Garden where the fox demon was causing trouble. Upon arriving at a fork road, where one road would bring them past the Lion Garden, Chen Ping’an didn’t hesitate at all as he chose the other road, which would directly lead them to the capital. This allowed Shi Rou to breathe a long sigh of relief. She would have cried to death if her master were a willful person who liked to fight against all injustices in the world.

As the private residence of Assistant Minister Liu, the Lion Garden was a renowned garden slightly to the north of the southwestern region of the capital. The Liu Clan was a literary clan, one that produced officials from every generation of descendants. The Lion Garden had been continually expanded and refined by each generation of the clan, and it wasn’t the case that Assistant Minister Liu had quickly built the garden overnight after enjoying a successful career in the imperial court. Thus, the Liu Clan remained honest and uncorrupted, and no one could find anything to say otherwise.

Once upon a time, someone had especially collated all of the poems and essays describing the scenery of the Lion Garden written by literati over the generations. After sorting these poems and essays into a book, they had produced a high-quality engraving to print many copies of this book. It was said that the book had sold quite well in the bookstores of various regions.

After walking for ten or so kilometers, however, the incense provider from the river guardian temple suddenly ran over and gave them two items, saying that these were things from the temple attendant. There was a bamboo tube for holding incense sticks, and the exterior of the tube was decorated with exquisite engravings. There were many sticks of water incense inside the bamboo tube. As for the other item, it was none other than the book that contained poems and essays about the Lion Garden.

Chen Ping’an didn’t accept the gifts from the river guardian temple straight away, and he instead used his palm to gently caress the Sword Nurturing Gourd by his waist.

There was sincerity in the incense provider’s eyes as he said in a straightforward manner, “I understand that we’re being unreasonable, Young Master Chen, but I hope from the bottom of my heart that you can help the Lion Garden this one time if it’s possible. In any case, the fox demon doesn’t physically harm people, and none of the seven or eight groups of immortals who went over to subdue the fox demon faced life-threatening danger. Moreover, even if you are unwilling to help, you can simply go to the Lion Garden as a visitor to enjoy the fine scenery. At that time, you can assess the situation again and decide whether you want to help or not.”

Zhu Lian chuckled coldly and asked, “Oh? Is that so? Are you trying to guilt trip my young master?”

The incense provider smiled wryly and responded, “How could I dare to take things so far? I wouldn’t be willing to guilt-trip someone like this either. However, I was inadvertently reminded of that young scholar from the Liu Clan after interacting with Young Master Chen for a while, and I can’t help but feel like the two of you have very similar temperaments. This was a chance encounter, yet Young Master Chen remained amiable and easy to talk with.

“It was said that this commoner son of the Liu Clan especially embarked on a long journey to search for some so-called traveling esteemed immortals from Mount Longhu because of the phrase ‘Where there are demons and fiends causing trouble, there are definitely Heavenly Masters with peach wood swords.’ Unfortunately, he suffered great calamity after arriving at the Fortune Mountain Nation, and he was already crippled in one leg when he returned, ending his dreams of becoming an official.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly accepted the bamboo tube and book from the incense provider’s hands and said with a nod, “I’ll visit the Lion Garden to take a look, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll step forward to help.”

The incense provider cupped his fists in gratitude and replied with a smile, “This is the best course of action!”

Afterward, the incense provider returned to the river guardian temple the same way that he had come, not offering to take Chen Ping’an and his companions to the Lion Garden or anything else.

Zhu Lian snickered and said, “As a merchant who’s engaged in a business with trifling profits, instead of working hard to make money, he’s hellbent on acting like a gallant hero who stands up for justice. What a true dereliction of duty.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and remarked, “Anyone can stand up for justice.”

Shi Rou remained expressionless, yet she now detested the river guardian temple with all her heart.

Chen Ping’an and the others backtracked more than five hundred meters to arrive at the fork road again, and this time, they went down the road that led to the Lion Garden.

“Master, can I stick the talisman on my forehead after we arrive at the Lion Garden?” Pei Qian asked in a quiet voice.

Chen Ping’an nodded and said in reminder, “Of course you can. However, remember to use the Yang Energy Illumination Talisman, not the Treasure Pagoda Demon-Suppressing Talisman. Otherwise, your master will be forced to step forward and get involved whether I want to or not.”

Pei Qian loudly responded that she understood.

“If you’re so scared, then why aren’t you stopping me from visiting the Lion Garden?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Pei Qian faltered for a moment before replying with a dazzling smile, “This is a matter between adults, so little children like me naturally don’t have a say.”

Chen Ping’an laughed heartily as he patted her small head.

Zhu Lian clicked his tongue in wonder and remarked, “Not bad, Gallant Heroine Pei Qian, your skills in flattery are unparalleled now.”

Pei Qian humphed coldly and retorted, “What’s near cinnabar goes red, and what’s next to ink turns black. I obviously learned all of this from you. After all, Master definitely won’t teach me things like this![1]”

Zhu Lian chuckled and remarked, “Then you’ve already surpassed your teacher in this field.”

Pei Qian feigned maturity as she cupped her fists in respect and replied, “I wouldn’t dare to claim that I’m better than my teacher. This junior’s skills in flattery are still tens of thousands of miles behind Old Senior Zhu.”

Zhu Lian also cupped his fists in reply, saying in mock politeness, “No, no, you’re being too modest now. The younger generation like you will definitely surpass me in the years to come.”

With the old man and the little girl quipping at each other and changing the topic, their journey to the Lion Garden was especially relaxed and carefree.

After arriving near the Lion Garden, which was located in a mountain pass, it could be said that they were already surrounded by mountains on all sides. Of course, this was only if they ignored the small stream and the narrow mud path.

“I would have borrowed a Peace and Safety Tablet from Cui Dongshan if I had known about this earlier,” Chen Ping’an sighed and said with emotion.

Zhu Lian was slightly puzzled, and he asked, “Hasn’t the heavy cavalry of the Great Li Empire only just set up an encampment in the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent? In addition to this, there’s also Lake View Academy that the heavy cavalry has to face off against. I’s no certainty whether they can continue their expedition down south. Otherwise, the Great Li Empire wouldn’t have needed to waste so much time and effort plotting things in Old Dragon City, even going as far as to employ the help of the Parasol Leaf Sect’s Du Mao.

“The Song Clan’s actions were akin to ushering a wolf into their own home, and this could have ignited mass outrage throughout the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. Casting one’s gaze over the history of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, there are countless examples of people ultimately losing their control over important regions and forces for the sake of some short-term gains.”

“Truth be told, the situation here is slightly different from the situation in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land,” Chen Ping’an explained. “The Great Li Empire has done things in a steady and calculated manner, and it’s because of this that they’re enjoying such a good position right now… In fact, it won’t hurt for me to tell you something to allow you to better understand the comprehensive nature of the Great Li Empire’s plan. After Cui Dongshan left the Hundred Flower Garden, someone else arrived and paid me a visit. You should be aware of this, right?”

Zhu Lian nodded and replied, “I was afraid that it was some secret matter, so I decided to stay in my own room.”

Chen Ping’an patted Pei Qian’s head and chuckled, “Why don’t you tell Zhu Lian about the origin of the Peace and Safety Tablet first?”

Pei Qian had become extremely determined to obtain a Peace and Safety Tablet after learning of its abilities. She wanted to hurriedly buy one for herself after she worked hard to save enough money.

In the very beginning, Peace and Safety Tablets were nothing more than weapon talismans from True Martial Mountain and Wind Snow Temple, the two ancestral temples of the Militarian Sect. Back then, these weapon talismans were used to protect Militarian cultivators when they left the mountains to travel around the cultivation world and train. Cultivators from True Martial Mountain would often join the army, and the army of the Great Li Empire was naturally the optimal choice.

Meanwhile, Sage Ruan Qiong from Wind Snow Temple had entered the Jewel Small World and become a sage responsible for overlooking the small world. Afterward, he had directly founded a force in Dragon Spring Prefecture, an act that was definitely more than just an impulse decision. In other words, it was clear that the Great Li Empire and the Wind Snow Temple had been in contact with each other for a long time.

Due to these reasons and more, Peace and Safety Tablets had gradually become the most powerful life-saving talismans for Qi refiners in the Great Li Empire. Back when the Mohist cultivator Xu Ruo easily blocked the sword strike of Wind Snow Temple’s Sword Immortal Wei Jin, the former gave the little boy in azure and the little girl in pink each a Peace and Safety Tablet.

At the time, Chen Ping’an had only felt like these were very precious items. Looking back on it now, however, he realized that he had severely underestimated Xu Ruo’s generosity.

After listening to Pei Qian explain the origin of Peace and Safety Tablets, Zhu Lian smiled and said, “Young Master, you can now add the finishing touches now.”

Using the abilities of a pure martial artist and compressing his voice into a thread, Chen Ping’an secretly told Zhu Lian, “The man who visited me in the Hundred Flower Garden was a spy from the Great Li Empire. He had a second-rank Peace and Safety Tablet in his possession.”

Zhu Lian instantly figured things out and replied, “I understand.”

Even though the Azure Phoenix Nation was flourishing and relatively powerful, more powerful than the Fortune Mountain Nation and the Lofty Sky Nation, it was still nothing more than a tiny nation when casting one’s gaze over the entire Eastern Treasured Vial Continent.

The presence of the spy with a second-rank Peace and Safety Tablet signified that the Great Li Empire had set its sights on the Azure Phoenix Nation since a long time ago. Not only that, but the Great Li Empire also viewed this small nation with great importance, treating it as a territory that they definitely had to conquer.

Taking this into account, the officials, scholars, and wealthy clans that had been drawn away by the raging flames of war in the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent were simply being redirected away according to the plans of the Great Li Empire.

The Azure Phoenix Nation was definitely no paradise where one could seek refuge from war.

“Using the great trend of half the continent, the Great Li Empire has easily shooed the fish into the net where they can capture them all in one fell swoop. The Great Li Empire’s Embroidered Tiger is truly a masterful tactician. No wonder the haughty Lu Baixiang admires and yearns to meet this Go expert described in the Iridescent Cloud Go Manual.”

Chen Ping’an merely smiled in response.

Not long ago, the imperial preceptor of the Great Li Empire—half of Embroidered Tiger, to be exact—had been seemingly far away yet actually very close. However, of the four people from the picture scrolls, only Wei Xian had recognized the imperial preceptor after engaging in a deadly duel with him.

Walking amid the towering green mountains and the bubbling stream water, their field of view suddenly opened up.

The Lion Garden, with its white walls and black roof tiles, was located in the wide mountain pass.

It was like a wild orchid in the mountains; it was like an elegant beauty in the fields.

Zhu Lian laughed heartily and praised it, “The scenery here is stunningly beautiful. Even if this trip yields nothing more than a memory of this view that lives in my heart, it would have still been well worth our time to travel here.”

The hunchbacked old man was of the strange opinion that the beautiful scenes that entered his gaze would essentially become his beloved possession, whether they were beautiful natural sceneries or beautiful people. They would all become his possession.

Chen Ping’an had a nagging feeling that there was something wrong with this viewpoint. At the same time, however, he also felt it was quite good.

Chen Ping’an had never treated the four martial artists from the picture scrolls as his puppets, and this was in part due to his personality. However, was this not because of the differing strengths of the four people as well? Was it not because of this that Chen Ping’an couldn’t view them as simple inanimate objects?

Before arriving at the Lion Garden, one section of the road had only been wide enough to accommodate a single horse-drawn carriage. While walking along this section of the road that measured one to two kilometers in length, Chen Ping’an had been very curious about what would happen if two horse-drawn carriages encountered each other from opposite directions. What would they do then? Who would advance and who would retreat?

There was a towering ancient tree deeply entrenched beside the stream, and there were also the dazzling white ripples glistening on the surface of the stone cliff.

There was a small pavilion nearby, and an elegant-looking old man who was dressed like a steward walked out with a young girl of around thirteen or fourteen.

The two of them briskly walked toward Chen Ping’an and his companions, and the old man smiled and asked, “Are you esteemed immortals who have come here from afar after hearing about the Lion Garden’s reputation?”

Chen Ping’an felt a little awkward.

The old man helped Chen Ping’an break free from the awkward situation, saying, “Young Master, I presume that you are already aware of the trouble that’s plaguing the Lion Garden right now. The fox demon has been visiting on a very clear schedule recently, he comes to the Lion Garden once every ten days. It’s been five days since he last visited to cause trouble, so there’s more than enough time for you to enjoy the scenery if that’s what you’re here for. The debate between Buddhism and Daoism is also going to commence in the capital in three days’ time, so the Lion Garden doesn’t dare to delay your esteemed selves’ journeys either.”

Chen Ping’an did away with the fluff and cut straight to the chase, replying, “Then I’ll inconvenience you for a few days while I assess the situation first.”

The old steward had most likely welcomed all kinds of esteemed immortals recently, and it was very likely that he had welcomed a significant number of vagrant cultivators as well, a group of cultivators who seldom showed themselves in public. Thus, he didn’t beat around the bush as he led Chen Ping’an and the others to the Lion Garden, and he explained everything about the current situation to the visitors. This was the case even though Chen Ping’an had only revealed his name and not his background.

The fox demon referred to itself as Master Qing, and it possessed a lofty cultivation base and was also adept at a myriad of demonic techniques, making it very difficult to fight against. The roots of this unfortunate situation had taken hold in the marketplace last winter, where the fox demon had been amazed after coming across the young daughter of the assistant minister. It was determined to become immortal Dao partners with her, and it had initially visited with precious gifts and asked for her hand in marriage.

Back then, Assistant Minister Liu hadn’t seen through the handsome young man and his true identity as a fox demon, and he had simply treated this as a case of a talented young man being attracted to his refined daughter. Assistant Minister Liu hadn’t become angry, and he had dismissed this as the young man being impulsive and filled with youthful energy. In the end, he had politely declined the young man’s request, saying that his youngest daughter already had a marriage agreement.

Upon hearing this, the young man had smiled and left, causing the Lion Garden to believe that the matter was already over. Unexpectedly, however, the young man had visited again on New Year’s Eve, challenging Assistant Minister Liu to ten games of Go.

He proposed that if he won, then Assistant Minister Liu would need to agree to the marriage between him and his youngest daughter. At the same time, the fox demon also said that he could give the Liu Clan and the Lion Garden a divine fated opportunity, one that was grand enough to significantly elevate their status.

Even though Assistant Minister Liu was extremely skilled at Go, so much so that he could rival the Go officials of the Azure Phoenix Nation, he naturally wouldn’t gamble away something as important as his daughter’s marriage and future. Thus, he had rejected the fox demon’s proposal once again.

Afterward, the handsome young man would run over to cause trouble every two days. As time went on, the young lady gradually became skinnier and skinnier, also becoming so haggard that she could barely walk properly. Only at this time did Assistant Minister Liu notice that calamity had befallen his daughter, so he had immediately instructed someone to go to the capital to seek assistance.

However, that person had surprisingly been trapped and ended up walking in circles, failing to arrive at the capital and instead arriving back at the Lion Garden every single time. He hadn’t been able to leave along the small mountain path no matter what he tried. Fortunately, a guest elder in the Liu Clan had a crude grasp on some immortal matters, so after a long period of difficult planning, the Liu Clan had finally managed to spread the news of their situation and call for assistance.

1. The phrase “what’s near cinnabar goes red, and what’s next to ink turns black” means that one is marked by the company one keeps. ☜