Unsheathed

A man who had disappeared from the small town for several years finally returned again. He was none other than Gatekeeper Zheng Dafeng, and apart from becoming hunchbacked, he didn’t return with a wife or any additional riches. Even though Zheng Dafeng wasn’t an attendant in the medicine shop, he frequently sat on a stool at the entrance of the store, not getting in anyone’s way and simply watching on for fun. He was still as carefree and unserious as always, with his lecherous eyes blatantly staring at the chests and bottoms of the passing ladies. This further damaged his reputation among the women in the small town.

Apart from watching the trivial conflict after returning to the small town, Zheng Dafeng also saw the behavior of many people who had suddenly gained immense wealth overnight. Many of them gathered people together to gamble day and night, with some of them visiting the newly established brothels and striding in with heads raised and their chests puffed but walking out with their legs like jelly.

There were some people with too much silver to count, and this caused their spines to become even stiffer than the old locust tree from back then. In the past, these men and old bachelors didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly when they walked along Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Alley, yet they were now brave enough to drink and discuss matters with the stewards in these areas. They asked whether or not it was possible to buy one or two decent-looking maidservants, ideally someone who was literate. It would be even better if they could read, and it would be best if they were young and beautiful.

A few years ago, these men hadn’t even dared to dream about lying in bed with a well-read woman, but right now, they felt like it was necessary to do so if they wanted to have no regrets in life! In the past, having a pouch full of copper coins would make them a respected and revered individual, yet even silver coins were nothing more than an abundant resource now. Money? That wasn’t an issue at all!

Money flowed like water, quickly moving around and changing hands.

The human heart also flowed like water.

After entering autumn, Zheng Dafeng started to feel a little troubled.

Basking in the warm autumn sun and glancing down at his crotch, Zheng Dafeng couldn’t help but feel even more troubled. He always felt like he was letting down his little brother. Was he truly going to transform from a young and handsome bachelor into an old bachelor?

He involuntarily recalled the woman who had stood outside the Dust Medicinal Shop and said that her surname was Jiang. She most likely weighed two times as much as him, and the thought of this immediately caused Zheng Dafeng to shudder. She was a good-natured young woman, but there were some matters that couldn’t be ignored simply by turning the lights off. Regardless of how good-natured and friendly such a big girl was, Zheng Dafeng couldn’t mistreat himself even if he mistreated his little brother!

While Zheng Dafeng was feeling extremely guilty and apologetic toward Miss Jiang because of his distasteful thoughts, Ruan Qiong suddenly paid a visit to the backyard of the medicine shop. Old Man Yang surprisingly wasn’t smoking today, and he was instead basking in the sun and taking a nap. He opened his eyes, glancing at Ruan Qiong and remarking, “What a rare guest.”

Ruan Qiong had come with two pots of wine, and he raised a hand to offer one to Old Man Yao.

“I’m not into drinking,” Old Man Yang shook his head and replied with a smile.

Ruan Qiong carried over a chair and sat opposite the main building, with the skywell in the roof separating him and Old Man Yang.

“It’s rare for Sage Ruan to be feeling uneasy. What’s wrong? Are you worried about Ruan Xiu?” Old Man Yang asked.

Ruan Qiong nodded in response.

Old Man Yang made a rare joke, saying, “Is it truly that difficult to accept Chen Ping’an as your son-in-law?”

Ruan Qiong took a swig of wine and replied, “Chen Ping’an isn’t a bad person, and even though I’m unwilling to take him as a disciple, I don’t have any issues with his character. If Ruan Xiu weren’t Ruan Xiu, and if she were just an ordinary young woman, then I would have allowed her to do as she pleased. Perhaps… I would have frequently enjoyed a drink with my son-in-law as well. This sounds quite nice and relaxing. Moreover, I wouldn’t need to worry about my daughter being wronged either, and I would instead need to be worried about my daughter being too unreasonable and scaring away my son-in-law. Alas, my daughter is Xiuxiu.”

Old Man Yang nodded and said, “Things can also be troublesome when they’re going too well. I understand.”

Ruan Qiong took another swig of wine to wash away his worries, wiping his mouth and saying glumly, “You mentioned these matters to me before Divine Lord, so I was also able to roughly guess some of Cui Chan’s plans this time. However, I don’t know the specific details regarding the ill intentions of various parties, the immaculate links between the different events, and the meticulous scheme that ties everything together. This isn’t my strength to begin with, so I can’t be bothered even thinking about it. However, being hesitant and indecisive is a huge taboo when it comes to cultivation, and my Xiuxiu will eventually suffer detrimental consequences if she strays further and further down this path. Thus, I instructed Xiuxiu to go to Bamboo Scroll Lake.”

“Since you’re willing to invest, someone as smart as Cui Chan will definitely give you a reward. Rest assured, things will proceed smoothly and seamlessly. At the very least, the outcome won’t be the opposite of what we desired,” Old Man Yang said in reassurance.

He paused for a moment before smiling faintly as if recalling something, and he continued, “To offer peaches and receive pears in return, and to sacrifice the peach tree for the pear tree… Mhm, this is something to ruminate on. As for whether one tastes goldthread or sweet soup, that’s entirely up to the individual themself.[1]”

Ruan Qiong didn’t waste his time contemplating these riddles. To say nothing of him, perhaps all of the lofty figures from the Three Teachings who had overlooked the Jewel Small World couldn’t guess this divine lord’s true thoughts and desires. Of course, this was with the exception of Qi Jingchun.

Ruan Qiong never wasted his time on pointless struggles like this, especially since he was already busy enough forging iron and making swords. If he had so much time, then he still needed to worry about Xiuxiu’s future. As such, he didn’t have the time or effort to speak in riddles with other people.

Old Man Yang had only made those remarks in an off-hand manner anyway, so he quickly returned to the topic at hand and said, “You want to borrow Clay Vase Alley’s Gu Can to bring a clean break to this relationship, then you want to borrow Embroidered Tiger’s secret plan to drive a wedge between Ruan Xiu and Chen Ping’an. The more limpid their minds are, the more they’ll like to act stubbornly and split hairs, and an imperfection that’s as small as a sesame seed might become even larger than the heavens in their eyes. Because of this, I didn’t stop Ruan Xiu from leaving the Dragon Spring Prefecture. It’s also natural for you, a father, to feel like this.”

Ruan Qiong couldn’t help but sigh with emotion and say, “This Cui Chan is genuinely very capable.”

Sage Ruan Qiong hoped that his daughter, Ruan Xiu, would no longer waste her time on romantic matters and instead focus her attention on cultivation. At the very least, she should aim to advance to the Upper Five Tiers as soon as possible so she could protect herself.

It was as if someone were handing him a pillow just as he wanted to sleep.

Ruan Qiong had never interacted with Cui Chan before, and Cui Chan hadn’t given Ruan Qiong any secret signals either.

Ruan Qiong had willingly entered a Go board and become a piece for Cui Chan along with his daughter, Ruan Xiu.

This was all as a result of Cui Chan’s precise calculations and correct predictions. This was the strength of a masterful Go player.

Old Man Yang smiled and explained, “Don’t underestimate the former first disciple of the Scholarly Sage. Half of the rules pertaining to the battle between third and fourth that decided the scholarly direction of the entire Majestic World were essentially established by Cui Chan. That being the case, how can he not be regarded as capable?

“However, Cui Chan was already like an easily startled bird at the time, and he was also feeling a little guilty. He ran around to hide everywhere, and he didn’t dare to show himself no matter what. It was a very difficult time for him, and his decision meant that he lost the final opportunity to make amends with his master.

“Of course, this can also be viewed as a form of intangible protection offered to Cui Chan by the Scholarly Sage. His first disciple had betrayed him and ended up like a stray dog who was faring even worse than the Paramount Sage during his earlier days, so were the disciples of the Second Sage truly going to act so shamelessly as to continually target him? Didn’t the disciples of the Second Sage always preach about compassion? Since that was the case, then they should release Cui Chan like they were releasing a fart. Thanks to this, Cui Chan was able to escape to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent without a hitch.

“Ruan Qiong, don’t look at me with that kind of expression. The Scholarly Sage is indeed capable of doing such shameless things. In fact, it’s because of this that I find him slightly likable compared to the rest of the sages accompanying the Paramount Sage in the Confucian temples.”

Ruan Qiong pursed his lips and commented, “The schemes of scholars probably have more twists and turns than all of the mountain ranges in the Majestic World combined.”

Old Man Yang chuckled and concurred, “This remains true even if we add the Daoist Sect’s Heavenly World, the Buddhist Sect’s Lotus Flower World, and the demon tribe’s Savage World.”

For the first time, Ruan Qiong felt like drinking and chatting with the divine lord was much more pleasant than he had imagined. Perhaps he should visit more often in the future? His daughter would eventually marry someone and leave, but even if she stayed by his side, she most likely wouldn’t care too much about him. Every time Ruan Qiong thought about this, he would feel a strong urge to open his own wine shop in the small town. That way, he wouldn’t need to be teased by the woman at the wine shop every time he went to buy wine.

Zheng Dafeng entered the backyard following Ruan Qiong’s departure.

As a disciple, the first thing that Zheng Dafeng had done after returning to the small town was to visit his master.

It was during that visit that Zheng Dafeng had finally dared to look Old Man Yang in the eyes for the first time, calmly saying some extremely outrageous things. For example, even if he failed to achieve anything in his lifetime, he could still work at the relay stations to put food on the table. Otherwise, he could go to Chen Ping’an’s Downtrodden Mountain and continue to work as a gatekeeper. Moreover, Zheng Dafeng didn’t feel like this was embarrassing at all. On the contrary, he felt like it would be quite good to live a relaxed and peaceful life.

Old Man Yang had continued to puff at his smoking pipe, not saying anything in approval nor scolding his disciple.

Zheng Dafeng had left the backyard of the medicine shop after speaking his mind, and he had felt more relaxed than ever before even though he did indeed feel a little guilty.

However, he had immediately found the entire situation quite laughable. He had been an eighth tier martial artist back then, yet he had never dared to speak to his master like that. Every time they spoke with each other, his master would never say more than ten words at a time.

Zheng Dafeng had initially been afraid that his master would mistake his words as that of resignation and thus look down on him even more. After mulling over it again and again, however, he felt like that would also be an okay outcome. He could stay in the small town and visit the old man in the medicine shop from time to time. He didn’t need to care about whether the old man welcomed him or not.

Zheng Dafeng entered the backyard of the medicine shop and sat down on a chair, not saying anything and simply planning to accompany his master for a while before leaving.

Even though there were many things that he wanted to say, Zheng Dafeng was well aware of his master’s temperament. Once Old Man Yang made a decision, not a single person in the world could change his mind, not him, not Li Er, and not anyone else.

Old Man Yang took another puff from his smoking pipe, exhaling a smoke ring as he said slowly, “Didn’t you bring a smoking pipe with you when you returned home? Why did you throw it away? Were you too embarrassed?”

Zheng Dafeng was completely stunned, and it was as if he had been charred black and blue by a bolt of lightning from the heavens. He immediately counted on his fingers, exclaiming in delight, “Master, you spoke twenty-two words to me in a single breath!”

“If a disciple doesn’t even dare to look his master in the eyes, then is he worthy of any additional words from his master? Were you worthy back then?” Old Man Yang asked.

Zheng Dafeng sat upright and replied, “This disciple has disappointed his master.”

Old Man Yang’s reply was as harsh and vitriolic as always as he said, “With no expectations, how could I be disappointed?”

Eight words.

This was the most typical kind of exchange that Zheng Dafeng had with his master before he left his hometown.

Zheng Dafeng didn’t feel aggrieved, and he instead felt quite happy at this moment. Adding these eight words, his master had already spoken thirty words to him today. He definitely needed to brag about this when he saw Li Er in the future!

Old Man Yang raised a hand and tossed over the smoking pipe that Zheng Dafeng had secretly thrown away outside the small town. Zheng Dafeng caught the smoking pipe, and he was surprised to discover that it was already filled with tobacco.

“Let me ask you a single question. Is anyone else worthy of being schemed against by Cui Chan?” Old Man Yang asked.

Zheng Dafeng sighed and rubbed his fingers together, lighting the tobacco in his smoking pipe. He was at least still capable of doing this.

“If Chen Ping’an’s bonded porcelain hadn’t been shattered, then he would have initially been talented enough to become an earth immortal,” Old Man Yang said. “Not too good and not too bad, and definitely not outstanding. Now, however, things are a little different. Even if Chen Ping’an’s true nature is shattered and his path as a Qi refiner is severed, he can still walk the path of martial arts. If worse comes to worst and he completely loses all hope, he can still be a despondent yet wealthy individual in Downtrodden Mountain. Is there anything bad about this?”

The master and disciple were both huffing at their smoking pipes, and Zheng Dafeng suddenly replied, “This isn’t good.”

Old Man Yang chuckled in ridicule and responded, “Oh? Is that so?”

Zheng Dafeng raised his head, summoning his courage and exclaiming, “He’s Chen Ping’an!”

Old Man Yang tapped his smoking pipe on the stairs and casually explained, “The true reason why that being chose Chen Ping’an was because of a remark made by Qi Jingchun. That being chose to take a gamble on the incredibly slim chance. Otherwise, do you genuinely believe that Chen Ping’an was chosen because of his aptitude, talent, disposition, and circumstance?”

Zheng Dafeng didn’t back down, retorting, “Then would Qi Jingchun have chosen Ma Kuxuan or Long Eyebrows from the Xie Clan to persuade that being? If you ask me, I’d say that Qi Jingchun would be too embarrassed to even mention it! So, according to Chen Ping’an’s philosophy, we need to retrace the steps if we want to figure out the reasons behind an outcome.

“Qi Jingchun’s remark was naturally of critical importance, but can we truly ignore Chen Ping’an’s aptitude, talent, disposition, and circumstance? After leaving the small town and traveling around the world, I was made increasingly aware of the fact that those in the outside world take things one step further than the residents of the small town.

“They believe that as long as someone is rewarded for their pain and hard work, then their pain and hard work can no longer be considered as such. As it turns out, the grueling pain that people need to endure and the unpredictable nature of the human heart that they need to overcome are all inferior to a single cultivation tier, a single immortal treasure, a single flying sword, or a single fated opportunity.”

Old Man Yang chuckled as he listened, with his eyes ice-cold as he replied, “Are these utter fools worthy of being discussed by us? They’re nothing more than ants fighting for scraps of food, so how do you want to talk to them? Perhaps you want to get down on the ground to talk to them? By the looks of it, your trip through the outside world has made you even dumber.”

Zheng Dafeng chuckled sheepishly and hurriedly changed the topic, asking, “Master has placed a decent bet on Chen Ping’an, so is Master not afraid of losing everything?”

Old Man Yang shook his head and replied, “If my foresight is bad and causes me to lose my investment, then I have no one to blame but myself.”

Zheng Dafeng sighed in response.

He had already done everything he could to help Chen Ping’an. If he said any more about Chen Ping’an, then he would most likely be making things worse instead of better.

1. Chinese goldthread is a type of plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. ☜