Unsheathed

Prior to accompanying Mao Xiaodong to the Confucian temple in the capital to “try his luck,” Chen Ping’an made some arrangements to ensure that Li Baoping and the others would be safe during his absence.

He instructed Pei Qian to move out of the guest room to stay in the courtyard that Xie Xie was looking after, and she would be accompanied during her stay by Shi Rou, who Chen Ping’an had given his golden demon-binding chain to.

Lin Shouyi would always cultivate in the courtyard under Cui Dongshan’s name in the mornings, and “Du Mao” was now also staying there. After a conversation with Chen Ping’an, Lin Shouyi decided to move into the courtyard.

On top of that, Chen Ping’an instructed Zhu Lian and Yu Lu to look after Li Baoping and Li Huai in secret.

One of them was a hunch-backed old man who would grin at every woman that he saw, while the other was an innocuous-looking young man with a perpetual smile on his face, and to the untrained eye, it was difficult to imagine that these two could be a pair of Vajra Body Tier pure martial artists.

At night, Li Baoping and Pei Qian would stay in the main room in Cui Dongshan’s courtyard, and Chen Ping’an was confident that Cui Dongshan wouldn’t dare to raise any objections to this arrangement.

Xie Xie was staying in one of the side rooms, while Li Huai and Lin Shouyi occupied the other side room together. Shi Rou was a yin entity, so she was assigned with nightly lookout duties.

Zhu Lian didn’t have to stay in the courtyard, so he stayed in the guest room vacated by Chen Ping’an instead.

However, Yu Lu had to carry out nightly lookout duties together with Shi Rou.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t confident in Shi Rou’s ability to deal with unforeseen mishaps, but he had a lot of trust in Yu Lu.

At the same time, there were also teachers in the academy that carried out nightly patrol duties. For example, one of those teachers was Dong Jing, the old Golden Core Tier cultivator who was very fond of Lin Shouyi and excelled in lightning techniques. There was also a relatively unknown Nascent Tier earth immortal who had also come from the Great Li Empire just like Mao Xiaodong.

He was the old man with the Liang surname that served as the academy’s gatekeeper, and he could fill in for Mao Xiaodong as mountain master when required.

Prior to his departure, Chen Ping’an had called Li Baoping to his side and given her the two things that he had received from Li Baozhen, namely the Dragon Palace jade pendant and the Day and Night Wandering Deity True Body Talisman.

Li Baoping was rather perplexed by this, and Chen Ping’an kept no secrets from her, revealing to her his run with Li Baozhen in the Azure Phoenix Nation.

After giving her a brief recount of their conflict, he patted her on the head as he reassured, “I won’t go actively seeking out your brother. In fact, I’ll do my best to avoid him, but if he’s still not content, or he feels like he’s suffering great humiliation in the Lion Garden, and another conflict arises between us, then I won’t hold back. Of course, that has nothing to do with you.”

Li Baoping was a little dejected to hear this, but her eyes remained bright as she said, “Do what you need to do, Junior Uncle. There’s no need to give him preferential treatment just because he’s my brother. Also, can I write a letter to Xisheng and ask him to try and persuade Baozhen to give up on his plans?”

Chen Ping’an thought about this for a moment, then nodded in response.

Li Baoping decided that she was going to give her jade pendant and talisman to Chen Ping’an.

Prior to his departure, he had told her about the current set of circumstances that they were in, and she wanted him to take those two things as a form of added security.

However, before she had a chance to bring up the matter, Chen Ping’an smiled as he said, “Back in the Lion Garden, I worked together with a very powerful Daoist nun to capture an extremely rare demon that was essentially a living gold mine. The Daoist nun took the demon for herself, and as compensation, she gave me sixty-two grain rain coins. Hence, I want to borrow that Day and Night Wandering Deity True Body Talisman from you.

“Note that I’m borrowing it from you, not purchasing it. It’ll be a bit like what happens in a pawn shop, except in reverse. You give the talisman to me, and I’ll give you my grain rain coins. This is a talisman of an extremely high caliber, and it’s not a one-time disposable talisman, so it can be used repeatedly. As long as it can receive sufficient support in the form of immortal currency, those two day and night wandering deities can be present in this world indefinitely.

“Even if their spiritual energy true bodies are destroyed, one can still resurrect them by repairing the talismanic core. Sixty-two grain rain coins is a huge sum of money, but it’s still not enough to purchase such a priceless talisman from you, and that’s why I’m not buying it from you.”

A serious look appeared on Li Baoping’s face as he said, “Junior Uncle, I’m very sad that you’re being so formal and calculating with me. It almost feels like you regard me as a stranger.”

“You and your eldest brother are both part of my innermost circle, but I must remain formal and methodical when it comes to dealing with your Li Clan at large. You can ask Mountain Master Mao to help you send this sum of grain rain coins back to the Dragon Spring Prefecture. Back home, your grandfather is a native Nascent Tier immortal, so he’s most likely not short on treasures, but he’ll definitely be happy to have more immortal currency.

“The treasures of your clan can be sold for money, and there’ll definitely be no lack of suitors willing to take those treasures off his hands, but ultimately, that should only serve as a last resort once all other options have been exhausted,” Chen Ping’an explained.

A wide smile immediately appeared on Li Baoping’s face upon hearing this.

“So you were thinking for my sake! I misconstrued your intentions, Junior Uncle. Please accept this apology from me.”

She then began to extend a formal bow of apology toward Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an reached out to pinch her cheeks as he smiled and jibed, “I have to pinch these little cheeks of yours as much as possible while you’re still my Little Baoping.”

Li Baoping remained still on the spot, allowing Chen Ping’an to squeeze her cheeks with a joyful smile on her face.

After that, Li Baoping rushed away in her usual speedy fashion, while Chen Ping’an made his way to the entrance of the academy, where Mao Xiaodong was already waiting for him.

The two of them left the academy, then made their way onto Cogon Grass Street, and only then did Chen Ping’an discreetly hand over the talisman to Mao Xiaodong.

Mao Xiaodong took a glance at the talisman, then tucked it up his sleeve before asking through voice transmission, “I’ve never seen a talisman like this before, and the material used is also rather strange. Is there something special about it?”

Chen Ping’an compressed his voice into a thread as he replied, “It’s an ancient talisman from the Authentic Death-Avoiding Book, and it’s called the Day and Night Wandering Deity True Body Talisman.

“According to the book, what’s special about the talisman is that it can be used to summon the true bodies of the deities, in contrast with the average Daoist deity summoning talisman, which involves using the power of the talismanic core to create dao manifestations of deities, which only resemble those deities in form.

“Apparently, this talisman can truly capture the souls of the deities that are summoned, and the summoned deities will even possess some degree of sentience.”

After that, Chen Ping’an gave Mao Xiaodong a detailed explanation of how the talisman was to be used and certain things that had to be kept in mind during its usage.

After hearing what Chen Ping’an had to say, Mao Xiaodong exclaimed, “Where did you get such a precious talisman from?”

Chen Ping’an refrained from disclosing his personal differences with Li Baozhen, only informing Mao Xiaodong that it was a talisman that someone wanted to pass onto Li Baoping through him.

“You’re giving this to me just like that?” Mao Xiaodong asked with a smile.

“You can make far better use of this talisman than I can. I’m a martial artist, and I haven’t learned the proper way to use the talisman laid out in the Authentic Death-Avoiding Book, so if I were to use it, then there’s a very good chance that I’ll harm the foundation of its talismanic core. Hence, it would be a massive waste for me to hold onto the talisman,” Chen Ping’an replied.

“I see. He certainly wasn’t kidding,” Mao Xiaodong mused to himself in an inexplicable manner.

Chen Ping’an was rather perplexed to hear this, and Mao Xiaodong offered no explanation.

Cui Dongshan had once referred to Chen Ping’an as a walking charity, and it seemed like this was no exaggeration.

As the two of them walked along Cogon Grass Street, Chen Ping’an asked, “Mountain Master Mao, are you not concerned that Little Baoping will get left too far behind in her studies from flunking so many of her lessons for me?”

“Honestly, Li Baoping has the most correct attitude to learning out of anyone in our academy,” Mao Xiaodong replied. “When it come to learning resources, there are countless sagely scriptures from the Hundred Schools of Thought in the Mountain Cliff Academy scripture library, but reading those scriptures is a very interesting endeavor in that if you do not do so with an earnest heart, then the words in the books will be reluctant to cooperate.

“Those words won’t just naturally grow feet and move from the pages into the minds of the reader. However, when it comes to Li Baoping, not only do all of the principles in the books that she reads grow feet and move into her mind, some even take root in her heart.

“These teachings then grow wings and fly back into the world onto the body of the elderly woman that she helped across the street, onto the go boards where she observes games in silence, onto the naughty children that she splits up during fights… These all seem like completely trivial matters, but in reality, it’s remarkable that she’s able to accomplish this at such a young age.

“Isn’t this what our Confucian predecessors have always been pursuing? People often obsess over the words, accolades, and virtues of our predecessors, but in the process, they fail to realize that what is actually of the utmost importance is how one establishes and upholds their teachings.”

Mao Xiaodong clasped his hands behind his back as he looked up at the sky and continued, “You’ve missed many beautiful sights, Chen Ping’an. Every time Little Baoping sneaks out of the academy, I always follow her in secret. Ever since she arrived in the capital, it’s as if the entire city has suddenly… sprung to life.”

This was a rather romanticized sentiment from Mao Xiaodong, but Chen Ping’an was still very happy to hear this, pleased by the fact that Li Baoping was doing well in the academy.

All of a sudden, Mao Xiaodong said, “At the moment, you’re reading books from the teachings of both Confucianism and Legalism, so there are some things that I must caution you about. If you study Confucianism in only a broad and general sense without delving into sufficient depth, then you can easily confuse yourself.

“It could seem as if you can find any principles that you want from Confucian texts, and that can be confounding to some. In particular, when faced with problems concerning major moral dilemmas, one can feel lost and unsure of what to think. However, at the same time, there’s something that you have to keep in mind.

“Why is it that throughout all of history, there hasn’t been a single ruler of a nation that’s been willing to publicly advocate for and solely champion the teachings of Legalism?”

Before Chen Ping’an had a chance to reply, Mao Xiaodong raised a hand to stop him before asking another question, “Do you know how sages assess the breadth and depth of a school of thought?”

“I do not,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile as he reflexively removed his Sword Nurturing Gourd from his waist.

Mao Xiaodong’s lectures were always very good to drink to, and his words were often just as worthy of savoring as the wine.

Mao Xiaodong casually pointed a few times at the throngs of people on the bustling streets, and he smiled as he said, “A basic example of the difference between Confucianism and Legalism is that the former brings people together, while the latter puts distance between people.”

A contemplative look appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face upon hearing this.

“In any case, that’s just my opinion on the matter, and it may not be correct,” Mao Xiaodong continued. “If you think that my opinion is worth listening to, then mull it over as you sip on your wine, but if you think that what I’m saying is wrong or useless to you, then just ignore me.

“There are so many sagely teachings in the books that we hold dear, but very few people truly cherish and understand those teachings. In comparison, my half-arsed base of knowledge is really nothing to be impressed about.”

Chen Ping’an continued to sip on his wine in silence.

Mao Xiaodong also fell silent, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. However, after a while, he still hadn’t received a response from Chen Ping’an, and he turned to Chen Ping’an with a surprised expression as he asked, “At a time like this, shouldn’t you be saying something like ‘don’t be so self-deprecating, Mountain Master Mao. You’re a very knowledgeable and brilliant man!’”

Chen Ping’an was rendered speechless upon hearing this, and he couldn’t help but be stunned by the vast disparities in personalities between the disciples of the Scholarly Sage.

However, it then occurred to him that the same also applied to his disciples, namely Cui Dongshan and Pei Qian.

If it were possible, he would like to add Cao Qinglang of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land to that list as well, and Cao Qinglang was also very different from his two existing disciples.

Chen Ping’an recalled hearing a quote, which was that a garden was only at its most vibrant when a diverse range of flowers were in full bloom, so perhaps this diversity was something to be appreciated and cherished.

————

Even as dusk arrived, Chen Ping’an and Mao Xiaodong were still yet to return to the academy.

For the first time, Cui Dongshan’s courtyard was completely packed.

All of a sudden, it had an extensive list of residents, namely Li Baoping, Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, Xie Xie, Pei Qian, and Shi Rou.

Lin Shouyi and Xie Xie were meditating as they sat at either end of the corridor paved with bamboo from the Green Cloud Ferry Station.

Shi Rou was constantly in a state of unease, feeling like there was no place for her in the academy, and that sense of unease was only exacerbated in this courtyard.

Chen Ping’an had made some brief mentions to her of the backgrounds and cultivation bases of Li Huai and the others.

Shi Rou had met Li Baoping’s brother, Li Baozhen, before, and she knew that he was a very shrewd and ruthless man.

Li Huai’s father was apparently a tenth tier martial artist who had once almost beaten Song Changjing to death, and he had even demolished the Parasol Leaf Sect’s ancestral hall with his bare fists.

Chen Ping’an hadn’t revealed Yu Lu’s former noble status to her, but Shi Rou knew that he was an eighth tier pure martial artist.

As for Xie Xie, at the moment, she was serving as Cui Dongshan’s maidservant, but Shi Rou knew that she had once been a vastly renowned cultivation prodigy from a major empire.

At this moment, Shi Rou was standing near the entrance of the courtyard, reflexively keeping her distance from everyone else.

Shi Rou knew that during their journey to Mountain Cliff Academy, Chen Ping’an had been the spiritual leader of the group, yet she had gathered from snippets of casual conversations between Chen Ping’an, Pei Qian, and Zhu Lian that he had only been a third tier martial artist at the time.

Every single one of them would be considered bright prodigies in any major empire, so why was it that they were so willing to follow Chen Ping’an’s instructions, as if it were the most natural thing in the world?

Li Baoping was making transcriptions in Cui Dongshan’s little study.

Pei Qian and Li Huai were sitting on the floor at the entrance of the main room, and they had brought out Cui Dongshan’s cherished go board to play a game of connect five, using the same set of rules with which Cui Dongshan had previously screwed Pei Qian over.

Yu Lu was seated with his legs crossed between the two of them, and Pei Qian and Li Huai had already agreed that each of them would have three chances to have Yu Lu help them make a move.

Hence, Yu Lu was acting as an advisor for both sides, and he was even more focused on the game than Pei Qian and Li Huai were.

Shi Rou felt like a complete outsider.

However, at the same time, she was the owner of an immortal body, and there was a good chance that she would eventually reach higher heights than everyone in this courtyard.

Any major sect on the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent would’ve gladly worshiped her as a living deity, yet here in this courtyard, everyone was very polite to her, but also very cold and aloof toward her, and she couldn’t understand why they were treating her this way.