Unsheathed

The old scholar handed the travel documents back to the young man called Chen Ping’an.

The old scholar from the academy had a very good impression of the young man.

He took another glance at Chen Ping’an, and he indeed liked the look of the bamboo bookcase and the long sword on Chen Ping’an’s back.

Traveling tens of thousands of kilometers to seek knowledge while carrying books and wielding a sword was something that all scholars should do. Indeed, this was something that scholars did best.

“Excuse me, do you know a young girl called Li Baoping?” Chen Ping’an asked. “She likes to wear a bright red jacket or a long red skirt.”

The old scholar laughed heartily and replied, “Everyone in the academy knows this young girl. To say nothing of the academy, the young girl has most likely explored the entire capital of the Great Sui Nation as well. She’s filled with energy and spirit every day, and old bones like us who can barely walk anymore are all extremely envious of her. In fact, she’s skipped class and snuck out of the academy again today. You might have run across Little Baoping if you had come here one hour earlier.”

“She left the academy by herself?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“That’s the case every single time,” the old scholar replied with a nod.

Seeing Chen Ping’an’s worried expression, the old scholar smiled and reassured, “Please don’t worry, Little Baoping has never encountered any trouble after sneaking into the capital so many times. In any case, the capital of the Great Sui Nation has always been a peaceful place, and the residents of the capital have always been honest people. Moreover, the Ministry of Rites’ head minister is also the mountain master of the academy, so he frequently visits East Mountain to drink tea and chat with the other deputy mountain masters. Little Baoping won’t run into any issues.”

Chen Ping’an felt slightly more at ease after hearing this.

“Are you visiting Mountain Cliff Academy to look for Little Baoping?” the old scholar asked. “Looking at your passport, you’re also from the Great Li Empire’s Dragon Spring Prefecture. Perhaps you’re not only from the same place as Little Baoping, but you’re also her relative?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “No, we’re not relatives, but we are indeed from the same place. I came to the capital of the Great Sui Nation with Little Baoping and the others a few years ago, but I didn’t climb the mountain and enter the academy with them at that time.”

The old scholar couldn’t help but find this a little strange. Back when these children from the Dragon Spring Prefecture had first entered Mountain Cliff Academy, the imperial court had first deployed elite cavalry to the border to welcome and receive them. Afterward, the emperor had personally visited the academy and hosted a grand welcoming ceremony. Not only that, but the emperor had also been extremely pleased and bestowed treasures to each of the children. That being the case, the old scholar should have theoretically caught one or two glances of Chen Ping’an even if he didn’t enter the academy.

“Do you want to wait here until Li Baoping returns?” the old scholar asked.

Chen Ping’an nodded in response.

After arriving at Mountain Cliff Academy, the first person whom he wanted to see was naturally Little Baoping.

Chen Ping’an would naturally visit Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, and Xie Xie as well, especially Li Huai, the youngest of the group.

However, none of them could compare to the young girl who wore a bright red jacket in autumn, winter, and spring, and only wore a long red skirt in summer. Chen Ping’an never denied his favoritism, and it was the undeniable truth that he had the closest relationship with Little Baoping. This had been the case when journeying to the Great Sui Nation, and this had also been the case when sending letters to Little Baoping after traveling to Stalactite Mountain by himself.

He had asked the young girl to help him, her junior uncle, share the letters with the others. After having his portrait painted atop Osmanthus Island, Chen Ping’an had again only sent a painting to Little Baoping. Li Huai and the others hadn’t received anything.

Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, and Xie Xie were definitely well aware of this favoritism. It was just that they didn’t necessarily mind this difference in treatment. Lin Shouyi was a cultivation prodigy, while Yu Lu and Xie Xie were once important members of the Lu Empire.

As for Li Huai who only dared to act aggressively at home, he most likely believed that Chen Ping’an and A’Liang both had the closest relationship with him. This was the case in the past, and this was most likely still the case right now.

The old scholar smiled and waved his hand, saying, “I suggest you and your companions enter the academy to put down your belongings first.”

Chen Ping’an thought about this for a moment before turning around to look at Pei Qian and the others. If he were by himself, he wouldn’t mind standing at the entrance of the academy to wait for Li Baoping.

He turned around and glanced at the end of the street.

Meanwhile, Zhu Lian was observing the buildings of the academy that were constructed in the mountain. Even though they were new constructions by the Great Sui Nation’s Ministry of Works, they were built with care and radiated with a simple yet elegant aura.

Before being relocated from the Great Li Empire to the capital of the Great Sui Nation, Mountain Cliff Academy had previously been one of the seventy-two Confucian academies in the Majestic World.

This was Zhu Lian’s first time visiting a Confucian academy after leaving the Lotus Flower Blessed Land.

The sound of scholars loudly reciting scriptures could be heard in places where Confucian sages taught. These locations would also be renowned throughout the world.

During the foundational years of the Great Li Empire’s Mountain Cliff Academy, the first mountain master had expounded certain principles that outlined the focus of the academy. He advocated for scholars to not only study, ask questions, contemplate, and discern, but to put the principles and theories into action as well.

While Zhu Lian was gazing up and observing the academy, Shi Rou was standing beside him in apprehension, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Even though Shi Rou was living in an immortal body, allowing her to resist the intangible aura of righteousness, her instinct as a yin entity still caused her to feel an innate sense of terror.

Pei Qian remained silent the entire time, and it was as if she were even more tense and nervous than Shi Rou.

When disembarking the ship at Old Dragon City, Pei Qian had announced in her mind that she would definitely meet Li Baoping one day. After arriving at the city gate leading to the capital of the Great Sui Nation, however, she had immediately started to feel anxious.

She started to feel even more apprehensive after arriving at the front gate of Mountain Cliff Academy.

Chen Ping’an smiled and asked, “If I may ask, after we enter the academy and settle down in the guest rooms, what should we do if we want to visit Mountain Master Mao? Do we need to inform someone first and have them notify the mountain master? And do we then need to wait for the mountain master’s response?”

The old scholar smiled and replied, “There’s not much point in notifying the mountain master, as the main sticking point is that Mountain Master Mao isn’t especially fond of hosting guests. Over the past few years, Mountain Master Mao has turned down almost all requests and invitations, and even the head minister of the nation might not be able to gain an audience with him.

“However, Young Master Chen has traveled here from far away, and you’re also someone who hails from the Great Li Empire’s Dragon Spring Prefecture. With this in mind, a quick heads-up to the mountain master should suffice. Even though Mountain Master Mao is extremely rigorous when it comes to academic pursuits, he’s actually a very amiable and easygoing person. It’s because the renowned scholars in the Great Sui Nation are historically fond of mystical studies that Mountain Master Mao isn’t fond of speaking with them.”

Chen Ping’an still didn’t enter the academy, and he asked, “If I remember correctly, the infantry commander’s office is the one responsible for the safety of the capital?”

The old scholar immediately understood the situation. By the looks of it, this young man was still worried about Li Baoping’s safety. He smiled and replied, “That’s correct. Moreover, the young child of the commander is also studying at Mountain Cliff Academy right now.”

Chen Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief.

Afterward, he asked some trivial questions about Li Baoping’s current situation. Only after doing this did he bid farewell to the old scholar and enter the academy.

Pei Qian’s footsteps were heavy, and this was especially the case after she entered Mountain Cliff Academy. They were walking along a slightly inclined mountain path, yet it was as if she were wading through a river or pushing through snow.

The academy had guest rooms for visiting parents of the students, and Li Huai’s parents and older sister had stayed in one such room when visiting him back then.

The academy only took payment in a symbolic manner, reflected by the fact that each room only cost a measly ten copper coins per day. After learning that there were many vacant guest rooms in the academy right now, Chen Ping’an immediately asked the old scholar for four neighboring rooms.

After putting down their luggage, Pei Qian immediately ran over to Chen Ping’an’s room to transcribe texts.

Chen Ping’an took off his bamboo bookcase and even untied his Sword Nurturing Gourd and removed the pseudo-celestial tool, Sword Immortal, from his back.

Zhu Lian asked whether they wanted to explore the academy with him, yet Chen Ping’an responded no while Pei Qian was too busy transcribing texts to pay any attention to him.

Zhu Lian then walked over to knock on Shi Rou’s door. Shi Rou was feeling uncomfortable and in a poor mood, and this was only made worse by Zhu Lian standing outside her room and uttering strange and vulgar words in a seemingly sophisticated manner. In the end, Shi Rou responded by telling him to piss off.

And thus, Zhu Lian had no option but to explore the academy by himself.

————

It was entirely possible that Li Baoping was already more familiar with the capital than the residents who had grown up here and lived here their entire lives.

She had been to the Heaven Longevity Gate, a gate located in the south that the residents referred to as the Grain Gate. After food and grain arrived here along the transport river, everything would be examined and verified by officials from the Ministry of Revenue before being moved into the granaries. The Heaven Longevity Gate was the gathering point of all grains.

Li Baoping would often squat near the shipping dock for several hours at a time and gaze at the busily working officials and petty officials. Of course, there were also the sweating physical laborers who carried things back and forth.

The young girl was also aware of the existence of a popular fox immortal shrine near the same area. This wasn’t an official shrine recognized by the imperial court of the government, nor was it an illegal temple targeted by the government. Its origin and background were strange, and there was a lush and seemingly fresh fox tail enshrined in the immortal shrine.

There was a slightly crazy and mysterious old lady who sold charmed water, and an old man who claimed to be a bone-appraising master from someplace to the west of the Great Sui Nation. The old man and the old lady often argued with each other.

Li Baoping had also visited the bustling temple fair hosted by the Lasting Fortune Temple, and she was extremely interested in a pipe snake made from bull horns. Many wealthy people attended the temple fair, and they brought with them servants who appeared even more arrogant and haughty than ordinary young masters. These people liked to wear leather jackets and mink fur coats.

She had also explored the perimeters of the imperial palace, and she had squatted there for many afternoons before realizing that many carriage bearers, embroiderers, and other people — people who weren’t members of the palace — could enter the palace as well. They simply needed to carry a certain pendant on their waist. Inside the palace was a place called the Wenhua Hall where people recorded and compiled the history of the previous dynasties, and this hall had recruited many calligraphers and paper-makers who were also allowed to enter the palace.

Walking around the perimeter of the imperial palace and arriving at the back entrance in the north, one would find themselves at the Long Earth Gate, a place that Li Baoping visited more frequently because of its bustling nature. One time, she had witnessed a noisy incident at a silver shop, with soldiers rushing in and aggressively apprehending some thieves.

Li Baoping had asked a nearby shopkeeper about this incident afterward, and only then did she learn that the silver shop had been doing dirty business and making a huge fortune as a result. The silver shop was a meeting point to sell stolen goods, with most of these goods being imperial wares and perfumes that were stolen from the palace of the Great Sui Nation. In fact, even some tiles used for repairing a palace building had been stolen and sold.

At the same time, scrap materials from ongoing repairs in the palace were also coveted by many illegal merchants. In the same vein, lost materials and damaged materials reported by the construction office would become huge money-makers for the illegal merchants, especially if they were works of gold or jade. It was very easy to smuggle these materials out of the imperial palace and sell them for gold and silver.

Li Baoping had been quite puzzled at the time. How did people dare to steal from the imperial palace right under the emperor’s nose? The shopkeeper with whom she had become familiar had smiled and replied, “This is only normal. People will engage in trades that lead to beheadings, but people won’t engage in trades that lead to losses.”

Li Baoping had also visited the Embroidered Garment Bridge which wasn’t far away from the Long Earth Gate. There was a large lake over there, yet the lake was completely surrounded and blocked off by the courtyard walls that belonged to the numerous nobles, ministers, and officials.

The infantry commander’s office was located near the lake in a place called Mink Hat Alley, and Li Baoping had walked past it several times when enjoying some desserts. This was because a classmate whom she didn’t really like always bragged about his father being the highest-ranking official in the infantry commander’s office. Not only that, but thanks to his father’s position, no one would stop him even if he rode on the stone lions outside and pissed on their bodies.

In addition, Li Baoping had also been to Eunuch Alley located in the southern region of the capital. This was a place where many elderly eunuchs and court ladies went to enjoy their old age after leaving the imperial palace. There were many Buddhist temples and Daoist temples in the area, yet they were all relatively small in size. The elderly eunuchs and court ladies were the main worshippers, and a significant number of them were extremely devout and generous with their donations.

Because of this, Li Baoping could often see hunchbacked elders being assisted by servants or walking alone with canes as they visited the temples to offer incense.

After visiting Eunuch Alley numerous times, Li Baoping learned that the most experienced court ladies would be referred to as Inner Court Grandmas. These were elderly court ladies who served the emperor and empress, and among them would be a few who helped the emperor brush his hair every morning. These individuals would enjoy the greatest honor, with some of them even being bestowed the title of Madam.

In the east of the capital was the largest market of the capital. There were countless shops and stalls, and endless lines of people and carriages would bring with them an endless flow of money. In this market were many bookshops that Li Baoping liked to visit and wander around the most, and some daring owners of these bookshops would secretly sell books that were banned from export by the imperial court of the nation. Even so, envoys from vassal states would often send their servants to these places to secretly purchase the books banned from export. If they were unlucky, they might come across patrol squads and be thrown into prison to face punishment.

During the past three years…

Regardless of whether it was a jacket or a long skirt, there would always be a young girl dressed in bright red assisting the old and slow worshippers to the temples and helping the children who were bawling under the trees to retrieve their paper kites from the tall branches.

When ox-drawn carts filled with firewood became stuck on the snowy roads, she would also stand beside the poorly-dressed old cart drivers and push the carts with them. She had watched elderly people playing Go at the corners of streets and alleys, and had stood on her tippy-toes in an antique shop and inquired about the prices of those ornaments and curios for the study. She had sat on the steps under a bridge to listen to the storytellers tell their tales, and she had brushed past countless peddlers while walking along the streets and alleys. She had even pulled some fighting children aside and helped them to settle their differences…

The young girl had listened to the squawking pigeons flying above the capital, and had looked at the beautiful paper kites hovering in the sky. She had eaten what she thought was the most delicious wonton in the world, and had sheltered from the rain under some eaves. She had escaped the scorching sunlight by hiding in the tree shade, and had breathed into her hands to warm herself when walking through wind and snow…

Today, Li Baoping had run off to wander around the bookshops again. While heading over, she had eaten lunch at a small restaurant that sold cheap but delicious food. While returning, she had gone to a noodle shop in some alley.

The elderly shopkeeper and his wife were both very familiar with Little Baoping, so they often offered discounts or even offered free food altogether. However, Li Baoping never agreed to this, only saying that she might accept their offer next time. However, time and time again, the young girl never accepted the noodle shop’s discounts.

After a while, the shopkeeper simply regarded this as the young girl being polite and not willing to see their small business lose a few copper coins. However, both he and his wife actually wanted to laugh. Little Baoping was such an adorable and understanding customer, so they definitely wouldn’t be annoyed at losing a few copper coins regardless of how difficult it was to earn money.

Evening arrived, and Li Baoping’s sprinting figure raced down the streets and alleys and appeared on the street outside Mountain Cliff Academy.

People often said that time traveled quickly, yet the young girl felt like this saying wasn’t exactly correct. Why did she feel like time was passing super slowly, so much so that she was feeling increasingly impatient?

A young girl wearing a long red skirt seemed to only have the distance in her eyes as she sprinted into the academy after quickly greeting the old scholar guarding the academy gate.

The napping old scholar suddenly remembered something, and he shouted at the disappearing figure of the young girl, “Come back here, Little Baoping!”

Li Baoping didn’t stop moving, and she waved her arms around and ran on the spot for a moment before turning around to look at the old scholar as she started to run in reverse. Even though she was running backward, she was surprisingly still very quick…

After running back to the entrance and standing still, Li Baoping asked, “Is something the matter, Mr. Liang?”

“You didn’t come across an old friend on the way back?” the old scholar asked in curiosity.

Li Baoping widened her eyes and shook her head, replying, “No, I didn’t.”

The old scholar smiled and asked, “Did you not return from Cogon Grass Street today?”

Li Baoping nodded and replied, “That’s correct. Is something wrong?”

Mr. Liang smiled with squinted eyes and said, “Baoping, before I answer your question, let me ask you a question first. Do you feel like I’m very knowledgeable?”

Little Baoping pondered for a moment before replying, “Slightly less knowledgeable than Mountain Master Mao.”

The old scholar almost choked upon hearing this honest reply from the young girl.

Thinking about this reply from another angle, however, Little Baoping was comparing him to the Confucian sage of an academy. That being the case, these could be regarded as words of praise, no?

Thus, Mr. Liang was in a fairly good mood as he told Li Baoping that a young man had come to the academy to look for her. He had stood at the entrance for quite a long time before, following which he went to a guest room to put down his luggage. He had then come to the entrance two more times, the last of which was around one hour ago. He stood at the entrance and didn’t return inside the academy.

He smiled and continued, “I told the young man that there was no need to be impatient, seeing that Little Baoping is so familiar with the capital that roaming around the city is like roaming around at home. I told him that you definitely wouldn’t get lost. Even so, he still insisted on pacing back and forth along this street, so much so that even I started to become anxious for him.

“I told him that you often return from Cogon Grass Street, so it’s very likely that he’s waiting there for you right now. Since he didn’t see you, it’s possible that he’s ventured further forward in the hopes of coming across you earlier. Because of this, the two of you have coincidentally missed each other. However, this doesn’t matter. Just wait here for a moment, and it’s guaranteed that he’ll return very soon.”

Li Baoping immediately turned around and was just about to sprint off.

However, Mr. Liang hurriedly exclaimed, “Little Baoping, are you heading to Cogon Grass Street to look for him? What if he’s already left Cogon Grass Street and started to look for you elsewhere? And what if he returns along a different path? If that happens, then the two of you might miss each other again! Perhaps the two of you plan to play hide-and-seek?”

Li Baoping was like a frantic ant on a griddle as she paced around in impatience.

This was something that the teachers in the academy had never seen before.

Little Baoping was on the verge of tears as she suddenly shouted, “Junior Uncle!”

The old scholar’s heart jolted, and he narrowed his eyes as he looked toward the end of the street, with his aura undergoing a complete transformation at the same time.

A flash of white turned into his vision from Cogon Grass Street, appearing like a streak of light as he rushed over in an instant.

When the young man stopped and stood still in an elegant manner, his large white sleeves were still billowing in the air, making him appear much like an ethereal immortal.

He stood in front of the young girl in red, a dazzling smile on his face as he said in a soft voice, “Your junior uncle is here.”