Unsheathed

In no more than four hours, Li Baoping had led Pei Qian on a tour of the entire academy. If it wasn’t for the fact that she had to serve as a tour guide and tell Pei Qian about all of the places that they passed through, the tour would’ve been completed within half the time.

In the end, Li Baoping took Pei Qian to that enormous tree on the summit of the Eastern Splendor Mountain. The two of them climbed up the tree one after another, then stood on the same branch as they looked out into the distance.

From their vantage point, Li Baoping pointed out all of the noteworthy places in the capital city, such as which restaurants had the best food and which places were the most fun to visit, and she did so with such confidence and self-assurance that it was as if the entire capital city were her own backyard.

Pei Qian snuck a glance at Li Baoping, and she could imagine the latter standing here on her own, eagerly waiting for her junior uncle to visit.

The two of them sat down onto the branch, and Li Baoping pulled out a red handkerchief, which she unwrapped to reveal a pair of soft and delicate pastries, one each for the two of them.

Pei Qian told Li Baoping that she wanted to do some exploring on her own in the afternoon, and the latter nodded in agreement.

She told Pei Qian that an esteemed elderly scholar with a resounding reputation was going to be visiting the academy this afternoon to teach a lesson. Apparently, he was very renowned for his exegesis of a certain Confucian classic.

Seeing as Chen Ping’an was busy and couldn’t go with her on a tour of the capital, she decided that she was going to attend the lesson to see if this old scholar from the distant south was actually as knowledgeable as everyone proclaimed.

Pei Qian didn’t even know what exegesis meant, and she asked in a timid manner, “Will you be able to understand him, Big Sister Baoping?”

Li Baoping nodded in response, then shook her head as she replied, “Even though I’ve already made so many transcriptions, there are still many things that I don’t understand in the books that I’ve transcribed.

“The teachers of the academy have told me not to try and bite off more than I can chew, and that even if they answer my questions, I won’t be able to understand their answers anyway, but how will they know if I can understand their answers or not if they won’t even tell me their answers?

“They’re my teachers, so I can’t talk back to them, and I’ve been repressing these questions this entire time. There are also some teachers who do try to provide me with answers, but they constantly skirt around the question and provide answers to a bunch of things that I didn’t even ask!

“None of them are like Mr. Qi, who always provided direct answers to my questions, or like my junior uncle, who answers the questions that he can and candidly tells me when he doesn’t know the answer to a question. That’s why I always like to go out of the academy to explore.

“The earliest mountain master of this academy was Mr. Qi, who used to teach me, Li Huai, and Lin Shouyi, and he told us that all of the knowledge that we learn has to be put into practice for it to be useful. He encouraged us to see more of the world and use what we learn to help ourselves, others, and the entire world. I’m still too young right now, so all I can do is visit more places to see as much of the world as I can.”

Pei Qian discovered that a rare frown had appeared on Li Baoping’s face as she spoke about all of this, and she remarked in an earnest manner, “You think about so much, Big Sister Baoping.”

Li Baoping turned to Pei Qian, then smiled as she patted her on the shoulder and said, “My junior uncle thinks about far more than I do.”

She then began swinging her feet as she sat on the branch, and she continued with a serious expression, “Cui Dongshan once told me that someday, my junior uncle is going to meet the woman that he loves the most, and once that happens, I’ll only be ranked second in his heart.

“Perhaps someday, I’ll also meet someone that I like more than my junior uncle, and he’ll only be able to rank second in my heart as well. I think that’s a load of nonsense. I wouldn’t mind it if Junior Uncle found someone that he likes more than me, but there’s no way I could find someone that I like more than him, isn’t that right, Pei Qian?”

Pei Qian hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Li Baoping was very pleased with Pei Qian’s attitude, and she patted her on the shoulder as she said in a meaningful and heartfelt manner, “You have to learn to be more mature when you’re out traveling the world with Junior Uncle in the future. You can be a little naughty here and there, but don’t be naughty and cause trouble for him all the time. Someone as good as my junior uncle doesn’t just come falling out of the sky.

“He also has his own troubles and concerns, so you need to try and lift as much of the burden on his shoulders as possible. Can you do that? Back when I was with Junior Uncle, he never drank, yet he’s drinking now, so that must mean that you’re causing too much trouble for him, to the point that he has to drown his sorrows, isn’t that right?”

Pei Qian nodded earnestly in agreement once again.

Shortly thereafter, the two of them climbed down the tree together.

Li Baoping was going to attend the lesson taught by that foreign scholar, so she quickly rushed away. Li Baoping was undoubtedly the youngest one among all of the teachers and students in the academy, and she was constantly darting around like a bright red blur, so she attracted a great deal of attention wherever she went.

Meanwhile, Pei Qian made her way to Li Huai’s dormitory right as he and his two friends were returning from their lesson.

As usual, the three of them were together.

“Ma Lian, if someone in your family becomes an official and receives an imperial edict, are there really that many rules involved just in placing the imperial edict as Pei Qian proclaims?” Liu Guan asked.

Ma Lian nodded vigorously in response.

“She’s wrong about some minor details, but overall, it really is roughly as she described.”

“Also, is the alcove bed that Pei Qian claims to have slept on in the past really big enough to fit all of that stuff that she was talking about?”

Ma Lian nodded in response once again.

“My big sister has an alcove bed, and it really is that big!”

A resigned look appeared on Liu Guan’s face as he sighed, “That settles it then, she really is a princess! What formalities will we have to observe the next time we see her? Will it suffice just to bow down to her? Surely she can’t expect us to kneel and kowtow to her!”

“His Majesty and his daughter, Her Highness, once paid a visit to my home, but I was too young at the time, so I have no recollection of what formalities had to be observed!” Ma Lian said with a troubled expression.

In contrast, Li Huai was looking very cheerful as he said, “So what if she’s a princess? She’s still Chen Ping’an disciple, isn’t she? If we see her again, all of you just follow my lead and cup your fist in a salute to her as equals.”

“That’s a good idea,” Liu Guan agreed with a nod. “She told us last time that she was a member of the cultivation world, so let’s regard her as such.”

Shortly thereafter, the three of them ran into Pei Qian at the entrance of their dormitory, and as planned, they cupped their fists in a salute toward her.

Pei Qian raised an eyebrow as she returned to the salute.

After the four of them entered the dormitory, Pei Qian immediately began telling them a story of a past conflict.

At the time, a mob of bandits had come charging out of the thick undergrowth on either side of the road. It was a group of dozens of brawny men wielding all types of weapons, and their leader was wielding a massive ax, which he pointed at Chen Ping’an as he yelled in a thunderous voice, “I was the one who constructed this road, so if you want to be granted safe passage, then you’ll have to pay for it!”

Pei Qian asked Li Huai’s trio if they would be afraid in that situation, and Ma Lian nodded in response, while Liu Guan chuckled, “What’s there to be afraid of? There’s no way that a bunch of bandits would be a match for your master.”

Pei Qian crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at Liu Guan, then continued her story.

“My master asked him what was going to happen if he refused to pay. I can’t describe just how heroic my master appeared in that moment. Even though he was standing completely still on the spot, it felt like he could claim the head of the bandit leader at any instant that he pleased. Even in the face of all of those imposing bandits, his expression basically said to them: ‘lay down your weapons now, for my patience has its limits!’”

Pei Qian couldn’t help but be impressed with her own storytelling abilities. She had read several novels about wars and conflicts in the cultivation world, and that was really coming in useful in her own storytelling.

“We’ve already heard countless stories about how powerful your master is! We know that he’s both a master martial artist with unmatched fist technique and an almighty sword immortal, so just get to the point and tell us what happens next! Did he kill all of the bandits in an epic battle?” Liu Guan asked in an impatient manner.

Pei Qian glared at him as she scoffed, “The cultivation world isn’t just filled with barbaric neanderthals who only know how to fight and kill! Everyone in the cultivation world, regardless of their status or cultivation base, is a living, breathing person, and none of them are stupid!”

Liu Guan fell silent upon hearing this.

Pei Qian jumped down from her stool and walked over to the side as she continued, “The bandit leader was furious, and he lifted his giant ax, which was close to forty kilograms in weight, and he asked my master: ‘Do you have a death wish, kid?! If you don’t want to live anymore, then I’ll gladly send you on your way!’”

Pei Qian then rushed forward a few steps before turning around, simulating a conversation between two people as she continued, “In response, all my master said was a single word: ‘come.’ The entire mob of bandits was immediately stirred up into a bloodthirsty frenzy.”

Liu Guan and Ma Lian were completely absorbed by her story, while Li Huai was snacking on sunflower seeds in a nonchalant manner.

He had been through many hardships and perils with Chen Ping’an. Even that female ghost in the red wedding dress had been no match for him, so a mere mob of bandits posed no threat in Li Huai’s eyes.

Pei Qian rushed back her original spot, then turned around with a menacing expression as she continued, “The bandit leader yelled at my master: ‘Do you understand what you’re saying, kid?!’”

Pei Qian jogged over to the other spot again as she continued, “My master replied: ‘I do.’”

After that, Pei Qian raised a finger and swiped it through the air, writing out the character for “death” as she said, “This was the gesture that I made at the time. What do you think?”

Ma Lian was looking on with a dazed expression, while Liu Guan applauded and cheered for her bravery.

Pei Qian then strode over to the table before taking a sip from the cup of tea that Ma Lian had prepared for her, following which she continued, “The bandits were furious, and they began pounding their chests and stomping their feet like soldiers pounding war drums on the battlefield.

“Their leader let loose a thunderous roar, and his eyes were as wide as saucers as he yelled: ‘My brothers, raise your weapons and cut down these two arrogant bastards! Make sure to be particularly careful of that little girl with the sword and saber strapped to her waist. She may be young, but she’s wise beyond her years and possesses an unfathomable cultivation base, so she’s not to be looked down on…’”

All of a sudden, Pei Qian’s voice abruptly cut off as a large and warm hand pressed down onto the top of her head.

She turned around with a sheepish smile as she said, “Greetings, Master, I was just…”

She was going to come clean to Chen Ping’an and admit to him that she was spouting a tall tale for Li Huai and his friends, but Chen Ping’an smiled as he interjected, “Li Huai and his friends are still students of the academy, so don’t tell them too many stories about the cultivation world. In the future, when Li Huai, Liu Guan, and Ma Lian go out on educational excursions, you can go with them and tell them more of your stories then.”

Pei Qian immediately nodded eagerly in response.

Chen Ping’an told Li Huai and his friends to go and eat, and that they could come to visit him in his guest room later, while he took Pei Qian to go and find Li Baoping.

On the way, Chen Ping’an said, “If the opportunity arises, you can go on an educational excursion with Li Huai and his friends, but if such a day does come, you have to make sure to come clean to them about your true martial arts cultivation base and past experiences.

“Do not constantly brag about yourself and give them the false impression that the cultivation world is a place where they can do anything that they please. Otherwise, there’s a very good chance that something will go wrong, do you understand?”

“I do,” Pei Qian replied with a nod.

“Make sure to take this seriously,” Chen Ping’an urged with a serious expression.

“I’ll engrave everything that you just said onto a bamboo slip later!” Pei Qian replied with a grin.

The two of them were walking down a small and peaceful path in the academy, and all of a sudden, a series of emotions welled up in his heart as he said, “We explore the world not just to search for pieces of beautiful scenery, just like we practice martial arts for more than just the objective of becoming stronger.

“Instead, we have to also search for people who are better than ourselves, people like Zhang Shanfeng, who was starving on the Ceremony Mountain immortal ship, Xu Yuanxia, who heroically ventured into that ghostly manor, the old sword saint from the Water Combing Nation, the ghostly couple who appeared terrifying on the surface, but were actually a very respectable and loving couple, Fan Er of Old Dragon City, Liu Youzhou of the Ape Havoc Estate on Stalactite Mountain…

“When I see people like them, I’m struck by emotions like shame, admiration, and occasionally, even envy.”

“You feel those emotions too, Master?” Pei Qian asked with a surprised expression.

Chen Ping’an patted her on the head as he smiled and replied, “I’m just like everyone else. I have emotions and desires, and also a bunch of bad habits and traits. There are many people who dislike and look down on me.

“Having said that, you can’t go seeking out people better than yourself just for the sake of it. Instead, you have to use them as markers to aim for. Even if you cannot ultimately reach the heights upon which they stand, you have to at least strive for those heights…”

Pei Qian began to slow down in her footsteps upon hearing this, and eventually, she drew to a halt altogether.

After walking a few more steps, Chen Ping’an turned back to face Pei Qian, then asked with a smile, “What’s wrong?”

Pei Qian smiled as she replied, “Big Sister Baoping said to me that someone as good as you doesn’t just come falling out of the sky, but back when we first met, it really did feel to me as if you had suddenly fallen out of the sky.”

“You should go and tell Baoping that if you dare,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

“I wouldn’t do that! I’m not an idiot!” Pei Qian scoffed as she rushed over to Chen Ping’an.

She had felt a little sad as she gazed upon her master from behind.

Over the course of their long journey together, there was one occasion where they had encountered a blockage in the form of a large pile of fallen rocks on a muddy mountain path.

Pei Qian was content to simply go around the blockage, but Chen Ping’an stopped in his tracks and began moving the rocks off the path one by one, even though it had been raining heavily at the time.

On that day, he worked late into the night, braving the terrible conditions as he cleared the path for those to come after him.

There was also another occasion where they had arrived at a dilapidated wooden bridge, and after staring at the bridge for a while, Chen Ping’an had suddenly rushed into the forest on his own before returning with a large log on his shoulder. From there, he chopped the log up into wooden planks, then meticulously repaired the wooden bridge before crossing it.