Unsheathed

The Major Cold solar term arrived, and the entirety of Bamboo Scroll Lake had well and truly been caught in the clutches of winter.

Gu Can was unconscious for three days and three nights, and Chen Ping’an would sit at his bedside for some time each day, inhaling the strong medicinal aroma in the air.

It was just like when Gu Can and Tan Xue previously went to visit him and sunbathe outside his room at the entrance of the island.

During his visits, he would occasionally reach out to check Gu Can’s pulse. As the saying went, a chronic patient could count as half a doctor, and due to his own ailments, Chen Ping’an had become decently proficient at examining the condition of others, particularly when it came to injuries.

The vial of pills that Liu Zhimao had instructed Tian Hujun to bring to the Spring Courtyard Mansion had worked exceptionally well, and there was a very good chance that they had been refined by a pill refinement master of a similar caliber to Lu Yong of the Azure Tiger Palace.

On this day, Gu Can finally woke up, and he immediately cracked a grin at the sight of Chen Ping’an seated on the chair by his bedside. Content in the knowledge that Chen Ping’an had stayed, he quickly fell asleep again, and his breathing was far steadier than before.

Following Chen Ping’an’s departure from the Spring Courtyard Mansion, Gu Can’s mother hesitated momentarily, then instructed a Dragon Gate Tier steward of the mansion to go to Liu Zhimao and inform him that she had something she wished to discuss with him.

She sat down at Gu Can’s beside, gently holding onto his hand, which was still quite hot, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

After a long, dazed silence, she heaved a faint sigh.

Thankfully, the worst was already behind Gu Can. It was just a pity that he had missed three days of the meticulously crafted immortal meals of the Spring Courtyard Mansion.

There were many nuances that had to be considered in the food that cultivators consumed, and the Medicinists were the main contributors to this field of theory. Food was integral to the average person, just as it could be used as a tool to advance a Qi refiner’s cultivation.

Using the twenty-four solar terms of a year as a rough schedule, there was an extremely comprehensive plan on what things were to be eaten at what time of year in order to maximally nurture a cultivator’s body and soul.

Of course, in order to fully enjoy the benefits of such a diet regimen, one would have to eat like this day after day, year after year, and that was a lifestyle that required a great deal of wealth to support.

With that in mind, a determined look quickly appeared in the woman’s eyes.

She possessed the resilience of a woman who had endured immense adversity, the determination of a mother who had to look out for the future of her son, and the resourcefulness of a widow who had no choice but to be extremely meticulous with every single copper coin that she spent.

All of these qualities were like building materials that had been assembled to create that ancestral residence on Clay Vase Alley, sheltering her and her son from the hardships of life.

She strode over the doorstep as gently and quietly as possible, and an open collar lady outside reached out to close the door for her, only to receive a stern glare for her troubles. The open collar lady hurriedly withdrew her hand, following which Gu Can’s mother gently closed the door herself.

Waiting for her in an opulent guest hall of the Spring Courtyard Mansion was the current ruler of the cultivation world of Bamboo Scroll Lake, Liu Zhimao.

Back when they had first met, Gu Can’s mother had been a seductive beauty in an impoverished setting, much like a bright jewel that had fallen into the dirt. Over the three years since then, she had evolved into the female owner of the Spring Courtyard Mansion, and not only had her beauty not waned in the slightest, there was now an air of nobility about her.

Her skin had become as delicate as that of a young woman several decades her junior, and Liu Zhimao had heard that her favorite piece of praise that she liked to hear from the maidservants of the mansion was that she was even nobler in appearance than the honorary mistress of the Stone Brush Nation.

Liu Zhimao accepted a cup of hot tea that was carefully offered to him by the steward of the mansion, and as he blew into the cup to cool down the tea inside, he was struck by a pang of regret. If he had forced himself upon her back when she had first moved to Bamboo Scroll Lake, then he wouldn’t have to be so wary of Gu Can.

If she were to be subdued by Liu Zhimao, then she would have countless reasons and excuses with which she would be able to completely convince herself, and through her, he would be able to better exert control over Gu Can.

As long as he could provide her with a constant stream of wealth, she would accept his offerings and hold onto them with everything that she had with the intention of leaving everything to her son in the future.

Only then would she be an ideal ally to Cyan Gorge Island.

Instead, given how things turned out, her greed was growing by the day with no end in sight. Her Spring Courtyard Mansion was already comparable with the manors of wealthy, high-ranking officials, yet she still wasn’t satisfied and was beginning to covet Liu Zhimao’s Hengbo Residence. In the past, she had been very kind and accommodating even to the likes of Tian Hujun.

In the present, she was still just as benevolent and easygoing on the surface, but there was now an overbearing and domineering air about her. On top of that, she had begun reading books and was even dabbling in music, Go, calligraphy, and painting. Additionally, she had also begun learning etiquette from the open collar ladies of the Spring Courtyard Mansion that had come from privileged backgrounds, much to Liu Zhimao’s intrigue and amusement.

The pang of regret in Liu Zhimao’s heart went just as quickly as it came, and he smiled as he asked, “You wanted to speak to me about something, Mistress?”

Gu Can’s mother nodded in response.

“I would like to confirm something with you. What exactly is Chen Ping’an’s objective for coming to our Cyan Gorge Island? Is he really not here to take the little catfish back from Cancan? Also, the little catfish told me that Chen Ping’an gave you a jade tablet earlier. What was that all about?”

Liu Zhimao set his teacup aside as he smiled and said, “So this is what you wanted to speak to me about. I thought you were going to blame me for not standing up to Liu Laocheng to protect my disciple.”

“I have no intention of playing the blame game,” Gu Can’s mother said. “I trust that you have your reasons for not coming to Cancan’s aid, and I won’t hold anything against you. In fact, I can even assure you that I’ll put in a good word for you with Cancan. Otherwise, if a wedge is driven between the two of you, then that’ll only benefit the scoundrels rooting for the downfall of our Cyan Gorge Island.”

A pleased smile appeared on Liu Zhimao’s face upon hearing this, and he explained, “That jade tablet is an object of the utmost importance. I’m afraid that I cannot reveal to you any more details about it than that. As for Chen Ping’an’s objective for coming to Bamboo Scroll Lake, that’s very difficult to say.

“In all honesty, it’s a question that I’ve been struggling to answer myself, and I’ve only become more and more perplexed as time has gone on. However, I’m confident that he doesn’t harbor any ill intent toward Gu Can.”

Gu Can’s mother felt this to be a rather strange answer. For some reason, it felt to her like Liu Zhimao was being far more timid than usual. Whenever she had spoken to Liu Zhimao in the past, he had never been this coy and ambiguous.

Could it be that he had been so terrified by Liu Laocheng’s visit to the island that he had completely lost his wits and no longer knew how to handle himself? Wasn’t he supposed to be a dominant force in Bamboo Scroll Lake? Could it be that internally, he was actually even more fragile than a woman like herself?

Liu Zhimao’s eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled and said, “You know Chen Ping’an better than I do. He’s a very nostalgic person who cherishes his bonds with others. In particular, he watched Gu Can grow up, so he’s even more devoted to him and wants nothing more than to give Gu Can all of the good things that he has to offer.

“However, with the passage of time, people are bound to change, particularly after leaving the feces-ridden Clay Vase Alley. Chen Ping’an has most likely turned to Confucianism, and that’s why he’s developed a habit of preaching. However, his principles do not necessarily suit our Bamboo Scroll Lake, and that’s why he slapped Gu Can in Pond Water City.

“If you ask me, he only did that because he truly cares for Gu Can and wants what’s best for him. Otherwise, if anyone else had been in his place, they would’ve only been ecstatic to see that Gu Can had accumulated so much power and wealth, and they wouldn’t have cared about anything else.

“As an example, if Lü Caisang were in Chen Ping’an’s place, then he would only be happy to see that Gu Can had become rich and feared by everyone in Bamboo Scroll Lake.”

Gu Can’s mother pursed her lips slightly upon hearing this.

Liu Zhimao sighed as he continued, “There’s nothing wrong with Chen Ping’an’s intentions, it’s just that he doesn’t know much about our Bamboo Scroll Lake and isn’t aware of just how perilous and unforgiving a place this is. Now that he’s been here for some time, it appears that he’s learned some of the rules of Bamboo Scroll Lake, and that’s why he is no longer trying to change Gu Can and tell him what to do.

“Hence, given that we can see that Chen Ping’an still clearly cares for Gu Can, it stands to reason that the best way to get through to him would be to appeal to his emotional side. We must adapt our methods depending on the person and the circumstances.”

A contemplative look appeared on the woman’s face, and she felt like only now was Liu Zhimao finally contributing something of value to the conversation, while prior to this, he had been entirely genuine with her.

As expected of the woman who had never lost an argument back in the small town, it only took a little bit of guidance for her to understand the nature of the situation, and she was left feeling a little frustrated at herself.

If Liu Zhimao was right, then she certainly could’ve done much better that night throughout the duration of time from the moment that Chen Ping’an returned to the Spring Courtyard Mansion with Gu Can on his back to his eventual departure.

If she had heard what Liu Zhimao had to say earlier, then she definitely wouldn’t have said and done everything wrong as she did that night.

During these past two years, whenever she had some spare time, she would get some maidservants to massage her shoulders and fan her during the hotter months, or stoke the furnace during the colder months. At the same time, she would get the maideservant who was said to have been the daughter of a former minister of rites to read all manners of books to her.

She had heard a great deal of principles championed by scholars and literati, but she wasn’t a huge fan of them. However, there were often some allusions that provided her with sparks of inspiration. For example, there was a story of a man who was informed that his house had caught on fire, and as opposed to raising any concerns about property damage, he immediately asked if anyone had been injured in the fire.

As a result, he earned himself the resounding reputation of a kind and virtuous individual. Gu Can’s mother felt like this was a story with great potential for practical application, and she committed it to memory, thinking that she could follow this example if the opportunity arose as a means of winning over the hearts of others.

There was also a story of a historically renowned general, who, despite his lofty status, had been willing to suck the pus out of a soldier’s wound to save their life. From that point onward, all of his subordinates pledged their absolute loyalty to him and were willing to lay down their lives for him at a moment’s notice, and this was another story that Gu Can’s mother felt like she could replicate in principle.

With that in mind, Gu Can’s mother was struck by the urge to slap herself across the face. What Liu Zhimao had just said perfectly reflected the principles that she had read from those books. She had clearly already taken all of those principles to heart, yet why was it that when it was time to put those principles into practice, she had made such a royal mess of things?

Liu Zhimao could sense her internal turmoil, and he asked, “What’s wrong, Mistress?”

The woman forced a smile onto her face as she replied, “Nothing. How should we speak and act from here onward, True Lord? Will Liu Laocheng return to threaten our Cyan Gorge Island again?”

“Liu Laocheng is the most respected figure in the entire history of our Bamboo Scroll Lake, and even his enemies can’t help but admire him,” Liu Zhimao said. “He’s extremely decisive and unshakeable in his resolve, and that’s why no one could stop him from killing Gu Can. However, now that he’s decided to spare Gu Can, that is also a decision that no one will be able to sway him from.

“There’s no way that he would return to Cyan Gorge Island just to kill Gu Can, so I can assure you that your son and the Spring Courtyard Mansion are now safe. In fact, I would even dare say that Gu Can is now also safe from everyone else in Bamboo Scroll Lake because no one would dare to kill someone that even Liu Laocheng has spared!”

Gu Can’s mother was rather skeptical to hear this, and Liu Zhimao spoke no further on the subject.

He was only going to say things halfway and leave her to ponder the rest. Regardless of whether he told her the truth or not, she would automatically turn to skepticism if he spoke in absolute terms.

Gu Can’s mother turned to pick up her teacup, then took a sip of tea in a refined and elegant manner, displaying not even the faintest shadow of the unpolished woman from that impoverished alley that she once was.

Liu Zhimao suddenly lowered his voice as he asked, “Mistress, why are you so… wary of Chen Ping’an?”

“Just as you said earlier, people inevitably change with the passage of time,” Gu Can’s mother replied in an ambiguous manner.

Liu Zhimao stroked his beard with a smile.

“True Lord, do you think I would be considered a bad person in Bamboo Scroll Lake?” Gu Can’s mother asked.

“Of course not,” Liu Zhimao replied with a shake of his head. “In fact, I’d say you’re a good person. You’re fair in your rewards and punishments, and you’re not cruel to your servants.”

“Even bad people occasionally have flashes of kindness,” Gu Can’s mother sighed. “All I did for Chen Ping’an was spare him a bowl of rice all those years ago. Is that so strange? Right now, I’m wary of Chen Ping’an because I’m concerned that he’ll spoil Cancan’s future cultivation, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to plot against him. Is that so difficult to understand?”

“Now that you put it that way, it all makes perfect sense to me,” Liu Zhimao replied with an enlightened expression.

A faint smile appeared on the woman’s face, and her eyes were swimming with seduction as she asked, “Is the tea of our Spring Courtyard Mansion not to your liking, True Lord? You haven’t even taken a single sip. If I recall correctly, these are tea leaves from Rainbow Drink Island that were personally delivered by Tian Hujun. Could it be that you’re hiding some better tea leaves in your manor?”

Liu Zhimao burst into laughter upon hearing this.

“That’s a rather scathing accusation, Mistress. Even if I have to spend money and send out people to search far and wide, I’m going to bring some tea leaves to your Spring Courtyard Mansion that are better than the ones from Rainbow Drink Island.”

After that, he promptly took his leave and departed, and as he did so, he told Gu Can’s mother to remain seated, and that there was no need to accompany him to the door.

Gu Can’s mother rose to her feet, then sat back down. After a brief moment of contemplation, she stood up once again before also departing.

In the wake of her departure, the old steward standing at the entrance of the manor hurriedly made his way into the guest hall. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve instructed the maidservants of the mansion to clean everything up, but given that the island master had paid the mansion a personal visit, he felt it only appropriate that he cleaned up himself.

As he picked up Liu Zhimao’s teacup, he noticed that the cup was completely empty with the exception of a few tea leaves laying at the bottom.

Upon making this discovery, he couldn’t help but think to himself that the island master clearly had a great deal of trust in the Spring Courtyard Mansion and its female owner.

————

After departing from the Spring Courtyard Mansion, Liu Zhimao returned directly to his own manor, then instructed someone to go to the capital city of the Luminous Vermilion Empire and purchase several kilograms of the most expensive tea leaves that they could find there.

He then sat down onto a priceless cushion in his secret chamber before spreading his hand open to reveal a small and translucent ball of water. After that, he pulled a white bowl out of his sleeve before placing the ball of water into it.

He remained seated until it was deep into the night, and only then did he unleash a mystical ability of his, upon which he instantly appeared outside the room at the entrance of the island before knocking on the door.

Upon entering the room, Chen Ping’an had already stepped out from around his desk, and he sat down beside the table before gesturing for Liu Zhimao to take a seat as well.

Chen Ping’an hadn’t erupted into a furious tirade at his expense, and that was both a good thing and a bad thing.

Liu Zhimao sat down across from Chen Ping’an, then smiled as he said, “I wanted to treat you to some hospitality as the island master and as your host, but you told me not to disturb you without our permission, so I had to set those plans aside. Now that you’ve asked to see me, I naturally didn’t dare to make you come and visit me, so I’ve come to you. Please forgive me for not giving you any advance notice before I came.”

He was a Nascent Tier cultivator, and Cyan Gorge Island was his territory, so this was already a display of immense respect from him.

Chen Ping’an extended a hand forward in an expressionless manner, and Liu Zhimao hurriedly flipped a hand over to reveal a translucent jade tablet hovering above the palm of his hand.

He didn’t even dare to make physical contact with the jade tablet as he gently pushed it toward Chen Ping’an, who accepted it before stowing it away.

Liu Zhimao then pulled out a bowl of water before also pushing it toward Chen Ping’an, only stopping once it reached the center of the table, and he smiled as he said, “Gu Can’s mother asked to speak to me earlier, and there are some things that were said between us that I would like you to hear. I understand that this is rather unscrupulous of me, but I believe this also counts as a gesture of sincerity from me.”

The surface of the water in the bowl rippled slightly, and the voices of Liu Zhimao and Gu Can’s mother quickly rang out in the room.

However, to Liu Zhimao’s surprise, Chen Ping’an clasped a hand over the bowl to scatter the ripples, and the sounds of the conversation ringing out from within it immediately faded away.

His other hand was the one that he had used to wield Sword Immortal the night before. Even though Chen Ping’an had applied the flesh-regenerating ointment given to him by Lu Tai onto that hand following his battle against Liu Laocheng, the injuries that he had sustained were still quite horrific to behold.

A look of genuine admiration appeared on Liu Zhimao’s face as he praised, “You are a gentleman of true nobility, Mr. Chen. Forgive me for trying to drag you down to my unscrupulous ways.”

Chen Ping’an withdrew his hand before clasping them together in their opposite sleeves as he said, “I know what kind of person she is, and I know what she thinks of me. Perhaps the words that she used were more scathing than I imagined, but from the instant that I moved out of the Spring Courtyard Mansion, her words and actions no longer had anything to do with me.”

Liu Zhimao nodded in understanding.

“Back on Clay Vase Alley, you did some very unscrupulous things in order to help Gu Can keep the little catfish. Not only did you use a secret technique to confound Cai Jinjian of Dawn Cloud Mountain, you also employed a sinister mystical ability to secretly engrave the words ‘seek death with resolve’ onto my heart, thereby influencing me to go after Cai Jinjian and Fu Nanhua so that I would be killed by them and be gone for good,” Chen Ping’an said.

“I won’t deny any of that,” Liu Zhimao said. “You have a pseudo-celestial weapon, do you not, Mr. Chen? You can pierce it into my heart or my head once, and I promise you that I won’t retaliate, but from that point onward, neither of us will owe the other anything! If you continue to hold those past events against me even after that and try to extort me, then I’ll be forced to stand up for myself.”

“Once again, I’ve been given a lesson on how things are done here in Bamboo Scroll Lake. What an interesting place this is, you truly see something new here every day,” Chen Ping’an remarked with a smile, while Liu Zhimao remained silent with a stern look on his face.

With the exceptions of Gu Can and his mother, everyone in Bamboo Scroll Lake had the impression that Liu Zhimao was a man of very few words, but he always put on a smile for everyone. In particular, in the eyes of his closest subordinates, such as Tian Hujun and Yu Gui, Liu Zhimao was an extremely cruel and pretentious man, and they felt as if they were constantly having to tread on eggshells in his presence.

People who spoke very rarely were either shy and not good with their words, or extremely conniving and constantly plotting something.

That was why the former master of Heavenly Governess Island, the poor wretch that had already met their demise, had once given Liu Zhimao the scathing appraisal of “A phony of a True Lord, a smiling Buddha with a blade of slaughter concealed up his sleeve.”

Chen Ping’an reached his bandaged hand out of his sleeve, and Liu Zhimao’s eyelids twitched slightly at the sight of this gesture. He removed the Sword Nurturing Gourd that was strapped to his waist, then filled the white bowl on the table most of the way with crow caw wine before pushing it back toward Liu Zhimao.

After that, he set the Sword Nurturing Gourd down by the table, then smiled as he said, “What would be the point of piercing you with my sword? I may not even be able to truly wound you, and even if I could, it would still be largely inconsequential, given the multitude of substitution techniques available to cultivators to avoid death.”

Liu Zhimao picked up the bowl before finishing all of the wine in it in one go, then said, “Mr. Chen, you are a man of immense wisdom, and you are also blessed with tremendous fortune. I was wrong to have done what I did to you all those years ago, and for that, I accept my punishment. What are your conditions?”

“If I told you that I’m willing to let bygones be bygones, you wouldn’t believe me, and I wouldn’t even believe that myself,” Chen Ping’an said.

Liu Zhimao burst into laughter upon hearing this, and he pushed the bowl across the table again as he said, “For how candid and straightforward you’re being with me, I’m going to request from you another bowl of wine.”

Chen Ping’an really did oblige to the request, filling Liu Zhimao’s bowl to roughly the halfway mark, and once again, Liu Zhimao finished the wine in one go.

If the cultivators of Cyan Gorge Island had been present to witness this scene, then they would’ve most likely seen it as a peaceful resolution between host and guest.

“Before I state my conditions, I have some questions that I would like to ask you, True Lord,” Chen Ping’an said.

“Go ahead,” Liu Zhimao prompted with a nod.

“What is your foundational pursuit when it comes to the cultivation of the heart?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“A Daoist naturally pursues the truth in their cultivation,” Liu Zhimao replied without any hesitation.

“Could you elaborate a little on that and specifically speak about yourself?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Liu Zhimao was a little hesitant to oblige with this request, but he ultimately still acquiesced as he began, “The seven emotions and six desires present in all of us resemble a tangled mess of threads, so one must untangle and categorize everything…”

He pointed at the row of shelves behind Chen Ping’an’s desk as he concluded, “Just like all of those files that you’ve categorized and stored away.”

He then continued, “From this point onward, cultivators who choose to go down this unorthodox path of mine will have to make their own choices, and each of them will go down their own divergent path. They could shrink to the size of mustard seeds and be set aside, or expand to the size of mountains and be constantly fortified over time, and all of them are ways of cultivation.

“As for how many mustard seeds will be manifested or how many mountains will arise, that depends on each person’s aptitude and innate qualities. There are many obstacles and perils that one will encounter along the way, and there are also many things that were created to help one negotiate those obstacles and hazards.

“For example, when it comes to dealing with those mustard seeds, there is the technique to sever the Three Corpses that was passed down from ancient times. As for how to build up those mountains, one can consume pills or absorb the essence of the celestial bodies. The rate at which one can progress in their cultivation and the height of their bottlenecks will depend upon the caliber of the cultivation manuals passed down to them.

“This is as far as I can elaborate on this subject. If I speak any further, I’ll be revealing matters that concern the foundation of my Great Dao, and I would truly be courting death then. I would rather let you pierce me a few more times with your sword instead.”

Liu Zhimao paused here momentarily, then said, “I know that you already have a set of conditions in mind. Would you be able to state them now and put me out of my misery?”

“There’s no hurry,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile. “I have another question: Liu Laocheng has completely destroyed the reputation that Cyan Gorge Island has built up in Bamboo Scroll Lake over the course of the past few centuries and sent it tumbling to the bottom of the lake along with the little catfish.

“Under these circumstances, will you still be able to hold onto your title as ruler of the cultivation world? Are you going to relinquish the title to Liu Laocheng and be content to serve as a subordinate of his, or are you planning to fight? Liu Laocheng may seem like an insurmountable adversary, but perhaps you have the Great Li Empire on your side.”

A pitiable look appeared on Liu Zhimao’s as he sighed in a resigned manner, “What I’m afraid of is that the Great Li Empire has perhaps already decided to abandon me in support of Liu Laocheng instead. Without the backing of the Great Li Empire, our Cyan Gorge Island would be completely at Liu Laocheng’s mercy.

“In fact, in his eyes, I wouldn’t be any better than the open collar ladies on the island. Forget stripping off a few layers of clothes, he could easily strip all of the skin and flesh from my body if he so pleased.”

Chen Ping’an smiled as he said, “I hear that you’re very proficient when it comes to brewing tea, and that you can also tolerate drinking cheap wine. I wish I could do the same. Despite my best efforts, I just can’t get used to drinking tea.”

“I will be sure to commit your teachings firmly to memory, Mr. Chen,” Liu Zhimao said in a sheepish manner.