Unsheathed

There were many things that Li Baoping wanted to say, but after seeing Chen Ping’an, the myriad of words that were at the tip of her tongue all fell back into her tummy.

Chen Ping’an motioned at Li Baoping’s forehead and remarked, “You’ve grown a lot taller.”

Li Baoping jumped up and said with a glum expression, “Junior Uncle, how are you growing taller even quicker than me? I can’t catch up to you anymore.”

Chen Ping’an helped Li Baoping wipe the tears from her face, yet the young girl suddenly stepped forward and embraced him. Chen Ping’an was caught by surprise, and he had no option but to lightly embrace Li Baoping as well, smiling knowingly as he did so. By the looks of it, she had grown up quite a bit.

Upon seeing this, Mr. Liang felt… How should one put it? It was as if he were appreciating the most refreshing and warming picture scroll in the world. It was like a gentle spring breeze brushing past the willow trees, and it was like the lush green mountains standing beside the limpid blue water.

There was a line from a certain poem that described this scene perfectly: A reunion in the autumn breeze and white dew, a meeting that surpasses countless in the mortal world.[1]

Thus, the old scholar was also fairly happy at this moment.

After bidding farewell to Mr. Liang, Chen Ping’an and Li Baoping entered the academy together.

Li Baoping was like an oriole chirping nonstop as she introduced the academy to Chen Ping’an.

When the two of them arrived near the guest rooms, Chen Ping’an saw a tall and sturdy old man sitting there with Pei Qian. Pei Qian looked over and silently mouthed “Mao” to Chen Ping’an.

Having traveled in the cultivation world for a long time, Chen Ping’an instinctively raised his hands and was just about to cup his fists in greeting. However, he hurriedly stopped himself and bowed respectfully to the deputy mountain master of Mountain Cliff Academy like an ordinary Confucian disciple.

Mao Xiaodong nodded in acknowledgment, stepping forward and saying, “Chen Ping’an, let’s have a chat.”

They left the twelve-year-old Li Baoping and the eleven-year-old Pei Qian in front of the guest rooms.

One was dressed in a long red skirt, while one was still a tanned young girl.

Li Baoping looked at Pei Qian, and the latter didn’t know where to place her hands and feet. She lowered her head, not daring to catch Li Baoping’s gaze.

Li Baoping walked around Pei Qian before returning to her original spot and asking, “So you’re Pei Qian? Junior Uncle told me that you’re his opening disciple and that the two of you have traveled a very long distance together?”

Pei Qian nodded and hung her head.

“Junior Uncle also said that you’re very smart and very talented at martial arts. You’re also able to endure hardships just like I was back in the day, and your biggest dream is to travel around the cultivation world on a small donkey in the future?” Little Baoping asked.

Pei Qian raised her head and glanced at Li Baoping before once again lowering her head and nodding in response.

Li Baoping pondered for a moment before saying, “Alright, then let me give you two meeting gifts. Come with me.”

Pei Qian gulped in apprehension, not daring to move at all. Even though Pei Qian knew that this big sister who liked to wear red definitely wasn’t a bad person, she was still afraid of following her into a dark alley and being bundled into a sack. Afterward, Li Baoping might toss her into some corner of the capital outside the academy.

Li Baoping had already turned around and run several steps away, yet upon turning around and seeing Pei Qian standing there like a wooden puppet, she said in an understanding voice, “Junior Uncle told me quite a bit about you, including that you’re easily scared. Alright, you can stick the yellow paper talisman on your forehead before coming with me.”

Pei Qian hurriedly retrieved a Treasure Pagoda Demon-Suppressing Talisman and slapped it on her forehead, and only then could she muster enough courage to slowly trundle forward.

Li Baoping’s footsteps were extremely quick, yet in order to accommodate Pei Qian’s slower speed, she could only take very small strides while swinging her arms in an exaggerated motion. She ran backward to Pei Qian’s side and said, “Pei Qian, you’re Junior Uncle’s opening disciple! So, even if this place is unfamiliar and you’re afraid of encountering unfamiliar people, you still have to pretend that you’re very brave and unworried. In any case, no one will dare to bully you with me around. You can rest assured about this.”

Pei Qian squeezed out a smile and retrieved a Yang Energy Illumination Talisman, handing it to Li Baoping. This was as expected of someone with flimsy convictions and swaying loyalty. She wanted to ingratiate herself with Li Baoping before considering anything else. As for her bold claims about challenging Li Baoping from before? She had forgotten all about these things already.

However, Pei Qian immediately felt slightly regretful after doing this, afraid that she would be looked down on by Li Baoping. To her surprise, Li Baoping accepted the talisman and put some saliva on the edges before loudly slapping it on her forehead and roaring with hearty laughter.

Pei Qian also laughed along with her.

Pei Qian had even managed to see through the concealment ability used by the old ancestor of Peace and Tranquility Mountain back then, so it was only natural that she could see through the fluctuations of a person’s heart. Some people’s hearts were pitch black like a ball of ink, while some people’s hearts were mushy and without any firm convictions.

For example, Shi Rou’s heart was like lashing wind and rain, and it was extremely difficult for people to notice that small golden seed that was just starting to sprout with a tiny hint of green. As for Zhu Lian, his heart was particularly terrifying, being a mix of sanguinary wind and rain along with booming thunder and flashing lightning. However, she could vaguely see a beautiful pagoda that radiated with extravagance.

On the other hand, some people’s hearts were… as clear as limpid water. For example, this big sister who was wearing a long red skirt. Thus, Pei Qian felt particularly embarrassed and ashamed when interacting with her.

Seeing that Pei Qian wasn’t walking very quickly, Li Baoping abandoned her plan to sprint back to the dorms. Instead, she matched Pei Qian’s snail-like pace and casually asked, “I heard Junior Uncle mention that you guys came across Cui Dongshan? Did he bully you?”

Pei Qian didn’t dare to tell the truth, replying that everything went okay.

Li Baoping pretended to grab something and breathe over it, saying, “This person isn’t punished enough. Don’t worry, I’ll give him a good beating for you when he returns to the academy.”

Pei Qian turned around and stole a glance at Li Baoping. She felt immense admiration for this big sister.

Apart from her master, who wasn’t afraid of Cui Dongshan? From Old Man Wei to Little Bai, the four martial artists from the Lotus Flower Blessed Land were all afraid of him. Big Sister Shi Rou was afraid of him as well, and even that earth bull was no exception. As for Pei Qian, she was even more afraid of him.

It was as if there were a dark and gigantic pool of immense depth in Cui Dongshan’s heart. However, this wasn’t a pool of stagnant and lifeless water, and there was instead the vague shadow of a flood dragon, a creature that Pei Qian had read about in the books and seen on the painting scrolls.

The shadow was swimming around slowly, and each time the flood dragon approached the surface of the water, it would give rise to ripples that sent cold chills through one’s body. Fortunately, there were stacks of gold and silver books resting beside the deep pool, making the entire scene appear less eerie and petrifying. Otherwise, Pei Qian wouldn’t have dared to interact with Cui Dongshan.

————

The tall and sturdy old man had a teacher’s ruler hanging by his waist, and he was none other than Mao Xiaodong, the legitimate backbone of Mountain Cliff Academy.

Mao Xiaodong led Chen Ping’an to his study, making almost no small talk with the young man as they walked.

After the two of them sat down, the stern expression on Mao Xiaodong’s face was suddenly replaced with a wide smile. He then stood up and surprisingly bowed in respect to Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an hurriedly stood up and stepped to the side, thinking that he most definitely didn’t deserve this unexpected expression of respect.

Mao Xiaodong smiled and said, “If it weren’t for you acting as a Dao guardian back then, the scholarly lineage of Mountain Cliff Academy would have taken a huge hit.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t know how to respond.

“There were too many people around just then, so it wasn’t a suitable place to discuss these sensitive matters,” Mao Xiaodong explained. “Junior Brother, I’ve been waiting for you for a very long time.”

Chen Ping’an smiled wryly and was just about to say something.

However, Mao Xiaodong waved his hand and said, “There’s no need to say anything, it’s fine as long as we both understand.”

Chen Ping’an felt slightly helpless as he sat down.

Mao Xiaodong smiled faintly as he looked Chen Ping’an up and down, and he extended a hand and said, “Junior Brother, let me see your travel documents so I can broaden my horizons.”

Chen Ping’an stood up and handed his travel documents to Mao Xiaodong with both hands.

After accepting the document, Mao Xiaodong smiled and said, “I still need to thank Junior Brother for subduing that little bastard in Cui Dongshan. If he weren’t worried about you suddenly visiting the academy one day, it was entirely possible that he could have turned East Mountain and the capital of the Great Sui Nation on their heads.”

“In reality, Cui Dongshan is still apprehensive of the Scholarly Sage; his worries have little to do with me,” Chen Ping’an replied.

Mao Xiaodong pointed at Chen Ping’an and remarked, “Junior Brother, your response is almost identical to what our teacher was like back then. The greater his feat, the more modest he would act in front of us, his disciples. Oh, it wasn’t anything impressive, it was just a minor matter. I didn’t do anything much at all, and I simply said a few words. You guys should stop flattering me as if I’ve done something major to benefit the entire world.

“It’s not like your teacher has won a debate against the Dao Ancestor or Buddha, so why are you guys acting so emotional and overjoyed? What, perhaps you didn’t think that I would win? And that’s why you’re so pleasantly surprised now? Mao Xiaodong, you’re smiling the most, so get out of here and face your punishment with Zuo You. Both of you can stand in the courtyard and recite some texts.

“Mhm, when Zuo You secretly climbs over the wall to sneak away, remember to remind him that he should also bring some midnight snacks back for Little Qi, seeing that Little Qi is growing up right now. Tell him that the snack shouldn’t be too greasy, or else the smell will keep us all awake at night…”

Mao Xiaodong laughed heartily as he recounted this interaction with his teacher back then.

Chen Ping’an could feel a headache forming.

Why was it that speaking with Mao Xiaodong appeared even more difficult than speaking with Cui Dongshan?

“Just then, I heard Mr. Liang say that Lin Shouyi is very outstanding and that there’s nothing to worry about. However, Li Huai has been performing quite badly in his studies. Does Li Huai get tired from studying too much?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Mao Xiaodong smiled faintly and replied, “With Li Huai’s incredible sense of optimism, he’ll continue to lie on the ground and play with his painted wooden puppet and clay statues even if the sky starts to collapse. In fact, he might even feel happy about the fact that he won’t need to go to class and listen to the rambling of the teachers anymore.

“You don’t need to worry about Li Huai. He’s at the bottom of the class each time, but he never eats less or drinks less because of this. His parents and older sister also visited the academy some time ago, and they left him some silver coins that he hasn’t spent flagrantly. However, there was one time when a teacher on night patrol duty caught him and his two roommates drinking water as a replacement for wine and chowing down on large drumsticks.

“Little Huai was still burping when they were forced to stand as punishment and be slapped on the palms with rulers, and the teacher asked him whether the drumstick tasted better or the ruler tasted better. Guess what Li Huai said?”

Chen Ping’an suppressed his smile and replied, “If facing the ruler means being able to eat drumsticks, then the ruler also tastes very good. However, I presume that Li Huai was able to eat rulers until he was full after saying that.”

Mao Xiaodong raised a thumb and said, “As expected of Junior Brother who accompanied them here from the Great Li Empire. Sure enough, you’re the one who understands Li Huai best.”

He then smiled and continued, “Even though Li Huai is slow to pick up new knowledge, this isn’t an indication of him being stupid. Many children his age only know how to memorize books, whereas Li Huai is genuinely able to transform the knowledge into his own after he understands it. Because of this, the teachers actually have a very good impression of Li Huai. Even though his results are always bottom of the class, the teachers never scold him too much regarding this fact.”

“Even so, we should still encourage Li Huai to study diligently and not slack off,” Chen Ping’an said in an uncertain voice.

There was a look of approval and encouragement in Mao Xiaodong’s eyes as he replied, “That’s indeed the case. Li Er had only just rampaged through the imperial palace at that time, causing everyone to be scared out of their wits. The teachers are indeed fond of Li Huai to begin with, but it’s also true that they’re afraid of Li Er being too protective of his son. As a result, there was a period of time when they didn’t dare to scold him at all.

“However, I gave those teachers a good lecture, and everything was able to return to normal after that. They scold Li Huai when they need to, and they also give him physical punishment when it’s called for. This should be the normal relationship between teachers and students.”

“Did Li Huai and the others suffer any detrimental after-effects that they weren’t able to detect themselves after that commotion?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Mao Xiaodong smiled and replied, “There’s me looking after the academy, and at worst, there’s still Cui Dongshan who’s filled with evil schemes overlooking the academy, so those people weren’t able to cause any trouble. In any case, these things are unavoidable, and they can also be regarded as part of seeking knowledge, understanding etiquette, and obtaining knowledge from the books. There’s no need to be overly worried about it.”

“Mhm, adjusting to all kinds of situations and not going to the extremes. However, this will make things more tiring for Mountain Master Mao,” Chen Ping’an said.

There was a look of slight displeasure on Mao Xiaodong’s face as he grumbled, “Is it really that difficult to call me Senior Brother Mao? What’s wrong? Perhaps you feel like I’m far inferior to Qi Jingchun and Zuo You, and I might even be inferior to Cui Dongshan? Is that why you’re unwilling to call me Senior Brother Mao?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “No, that’s not the case. Please forgive me, Mountain Master Mao.”

This pertained to their scholarly lineage, so it wasn’t an area where Chen Ping’an could relent and be polite.

Mao Xiaodong appeared displeased on the surface, yet he was actually nodding in his mind.

If Chen Ping’an were a young man who would sway left and right at the behest of him, the so-called sage of Mountain Cliff Academy…

…Then he would most definitely still have the right to refer to him as Senior Brother Mao. However, he wouldn’t necessarily have the right to be the Scholarly Sage’s closing disciple and Qi Jingchun and Zuo You’s junior brother.

This seemingly trivial exchange revealed much about Chen Ping’an’s personality.

Mao Xiaodong was astute enough to assess these matters.

Of the Scholarly Sage’s four direct disciples back then, his opening disciple Cui Chan had been the most knowledgeable and talented across a broad spectrum of topics. Qi Jingchun had possessed the most profound knowledge, while Zuo You who advocated for walking along the path of the Great Dao alone had been a late bloomer who possessed the highest cultivation base. Apart from them, there had also been someone who had appeared clumsy and slow on the surface, yet was the Scholarly Sage’s favorite disciple apart from Qi Jingchun.

Following the conclusion of the battle between the third and fourth sages, however, the once soaring scholarly lineage of the Scholarly Sage had gradually started to wane. At that time, only the seemingly clumsy disciple had accompanied the Scholarly Sage the entire time, accompanying him all the way until he imprisoned himself in the Forest of Virtue.

Meanwhile, Mao Xiaodong couldn’t be regarded as outstanding even among the unofficial disciples of the Scholarly Sage.

From this, it was abundantly clear just how lofty and dazzling the scholarly lineage of the Scholarly Sage was back then.

Mao Xiaodong felt a slight sense of melancholy. Greatness was always prone to dissipating in the wind and rain.

When Qi Jingchun had left the Middle Earth Divine Continent and traveled to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent to found Mountain Cliff Academy, many outsiders had speculated that Qi Jingchun was trying to suppress and deter Cui Chan, his former senior brother who had betrayed the Scholarly Sage. However, Mao Xiaodong knew that this wasn’t the case.

Zuo You had been even more resolute, and he had directly distanced himself from the mortal world and set off to sea alone to look for immortals.

The seemingly stupid disciple who rumors claimed to be the only person who could rival A’Liang had also fallen silent for one hundred or so years.

Mao Xiaodong pushed these complicated thoughts aside and eventually turned his gaze to Chen Ping’an.

Now, their master had taken a closing disciple who would inherit the knowledge of the scholarly lineage.

In the three years after Chen Ping’an had passed the Great Sui Nation’s Mountain Cliff Academy but not entered, Mao Xiaodong had felt both curious and anxious about this final disciple of his master. Just what kind of scholarly talent was he? Would this young man from the Jewel Small World disappoint them and fail to live up to Qi Jingchun’s high hopes?

However, when Mao Xiaodong had used the sagely mystical powers unique to the mountain master to observe Chen Ping’an’s speech and actions from a distance…

…He had seen nothing breathtaking and nothing disappointing either.

He had simply felt like Chen Ping’an, someone from an impoverished background, was indeed the type of disciple whom his teacher would take. He was indeed a junior brother whom Qi Jingchun would be willing to take as a disciple on behalf of the Scholarly Sage.

Afterward, Chen Ping’an carefully asked about Lin Shouyi’s cultivation and studies and whether the two things would clash with each other.

He also asked about the friendship between Gao Xuan and Yu Lu, voicing his worries about the friendship not being pure and sincere enough.

With Xie Xie having become Cui Dongshan’s maidservant, Chen Ping’an also asked whether her mental state would be detrimentally affected.

Mao Xiaodong answered all of Chen Ping’an’s questions, not forgetting to flip through his travel documents from time to time.

Chen Ping’an finally breathed a sigh of relief after roughly learning about the situation. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

In the end, Mao Xiaodong smiled and asked, “You need to think so much about both yourself and other people, so do you not find this tiring?”

“Not at all,” Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied honestly.

Mao Xiaodong nodded and said in a soft voice, “The same principles apply regardless of whether one is studying, practicing martial arts, or practicing sword techniques. It’s important to gather momentum for all of these tasks. Noble people will be able to achieve great success if they come across good opportunities, yet they’ll have to hide themselves like dragons and snakes if no good opportunity presents itself. Thus, some peculiar ideas and fantastical thoughts will be like dazzling literary works from another world, never seen and never obtained by the world before.”

Chen Ping’an felt like this was a very bold statement, so he couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

Mao Xiaodong suddenly lowered his voice and asked, “Did Master ever mention me?”

Chen Ping’an wanted to respond, yet he couldn’t help but hesitate. In the end, he replied honestly, “I… don’t think he ever mentioned you.”

Mao Xiaodong slapped his knee and huffed, “How can there be such a partial master in the world?!”

He wasn’t willing to give up, and he asked, “Think carefully again. Perhaps you missed something?”

Chen Ping’an resolutely shook his head.

Mao Xiaodong stroked his beard and smiled, saying with absolute confidence, “Master is thinking about me in his mind, so he naturally doesn’t need to mention me all the time.”

Chen Ping’an felt much more reassured after hearing this.

Mountain Master Mao was definitely a disciple taught by the Scholarly Sage.

1. This is a line from Qin Guan’s poem, Immortal at Magpie Bridge (鹊桥仙·纤云弄巧). Qin Guan was a Chinese poet of the Song Dynasty. ☜