Unsheathed

The messenger who had caused a scene outside the Ministry of Revenue gulped following the departure of the head minister and the assistant minister. He was a smart individual who had managed to obtain silver from the Ministry of Revenue, after all, so he copied the elderly head minister’s shamelessness and said, “Esteemed Imperial Preceptor, you definitely can’t execute me! I was simply fulfilling my duty.”

Cui Chan nodded and replied, “Not only did you not do wrong, but you in fact did very well. I’ll remember your name, so make sure to keep up the good work. Perhaps you’ll become quite successful in the future, and you at least won’t have to grit your teeth and buy a new set of clothes for the sake of one trip and for the sake of not embarrassing the army.

“After you leave, go to the Ministry of Revenue to ask for the cost of the clothes back. This wasn’t money that you needed to spend, and it’s something that the scholarly officials of the imperial court owe you. In terms of the military funds that you obtained from Song Yan, you can bring all of it with you when you leave the capital, apart from the silver that was initially set aside for the teachers and scholars.”

There was incredulity on the messenger’s face as he asked, “Esteemed Imperial Preceptor, is this truly all?”

As for why the powerful imperial preceptor of the nation was aware of a matter as trifling as him buying new clothes, the messenger was so astounded that he no longer had the time to think about this.

Cui Chan smiled and said, “Of course this isn’t all. This matter caused me to become distracted, and it further caused me to feel slightly displeased. Since I can’t blame you, a messenger, and with Head Minister Han being such a slippery person who doesn’t give me any chance to punish the Ministry of Revenue, I can only target the general who you serve.

“During the southward expedition, he’s been involved in some matters that can be punished or ignored. I plan to hold Su Gaoshan to account for the matters. When you get back, tell him that the imperial court will rescind his merit for destroying the Night Wandering Nation, so even though he was almost certain to become a military governor before, that’s looking a little shaky now.

“Su Gaoshan and Cao Ping will need to launch a united attack on the Luminous Vermilion Empire soon, so remember to tell Su Gaoshan to put in more effort. If he can breach the defenses and lead his army into the capital of the Luminous Vermilion Empire first, this will count as a huge contribution. He started off as a woodcutter, and he’s fond of chopping the thrones of emperors into firewood, isn’t he?

“I can promise Su Gaoshan one thing today. If he manages to reach the walls of the capital before Cao Ping, then that most valuable throne in the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent will become his firewood. After swallowing that throne in flames, the fire python that he’s raising will have an opportunity to advance to the Golden Core Tier.”

The messenger’s expression instantly fell when he heard this.

Cui Chan was very clearly forcing General Su to risk death and charge forward at all costs.

Cui Chan set down his teacup and said, “I still have matters to attend to, as do you, so I won’t invite you to drink tea with me. In any case, one or two cups of tea won’t be enough to extinguish your burning sense of urgency.”

The messenger wanted to say something, but he couldn’t help but hesitate. In the end, he decided to abandon his thought of further discussing things with the imperial preceptor. It was due to the circumstances that he had dared to cause a scene at the Ministry of Revenue, and he had been left with no option but to clutch at straws in desperation. However, such behavior would be futile in front of the imperial preceptor.

Before leaving, the messenger mustered up his courage and asked, “Esteemed Imperial Preceptor, can I please delay you for a moment to say one more thing? Just a single sentence.”

“That’s already two sentences,” Cui Chan said with a smile.

The messenger laughed heartily and said, “In the past, I always heard that the powerful figures in the imperial preceptor like to speak in a mysterious and nonsensical manner, forcing others to guess their meaning — the words of Esteemed Imperial Preceptor are also abstract, but not to a big degree; I know the matters today have displeased Esteemed Imperial Preceptor, but truth be told, I still feel quite satisfied.”

Cui Chan waved a hand and replied, “You can brag to others in the future, but remember not to take things too far. Don’t say that we had a hearty conversation and treated each other as brothers or whatnot.”

The messenger was sincerely impressed by Cui Chan, and he cupped his fists and remarked, “Esteemed Imperial Preceptor is truly a mighty immortal.”

Worldly matters were unpredictable and difficult to imagine.

A messenger had visited the Ministry of Revenue to ask for silver at the end of last year, and this was a minor matter that initially had nothing to do with Bamboo Scroll Lake. Yet in the end, it was going to directly affect the fate of tens of thousands of vagrant cultivators belonging to Bamboo Scroll Lake.

Su Gaoshan, a general of the Great Li Empire commanding an army of heavy cavalry, had felt one thing for the entire year: I have no money, and I’m in desperate need of money.

This feeling was further exacerbated after Su Gaoshan marched forward and reached the central region of the Stone Brush Nation, a vassal state of the Luminous Vermilion Empire. Conquering the Stone Brush Nation would be no challenge at all, but after considering the number of troops under Cao Ping’s command, Su Gaoshan couldn’t help but feel worried. That pretty boy had a better chance at capturing the capital of the Luminous Vermilion Empire first no matter how he looked at the situation.

A living person couldn’t hold their piss in and bust to death, after all, and this was especially the case for a high-ranking general such as Su Gaoshan. Thus, he would do everything within the rules to obtain more silver and more immortal coins.

Because of this, he set his eyes on Bamboo Scroll Lake which was located to the south of the Stone Brush Nation.

He personally sent someone to Pond Water City to have a meeting with Millet Grain Island’s Tan Yuanyi.

Su Gaoshan didn’t care about who the alliance leader of Bamboo Scroll Lake was, whether that be Liu Zhimao, Ma Zhimao, or some other Zhimao. All he cared about was money, since a sufficient amount of silver would allow him to hasten his southward march. If those vagrant cultivators who were like rats scampering across the streets refused to yield, then that would be absolutely perfect for Su Gaoshan. During his southward expedition, he had annihilated forty or so large mountains belonging to official immortals, to say nothing of vagrant cultivators.

Ignoring the martial secretaries deployed by the Great Li Empire, Su Gaoshan had further recruited more than two hundred cultivators during his expedition. Moreover, these were the cultivators who satisfied his standards. Otherwise, he could have recruited more than a thousand cultivators already.

If Su Gaoshan decided to engage in a large-scale battle with cultivators from the mountains, he could also recruit helpers from the nations he had destroyed or nations that had become vassal states of the Great Li Empire. There were many immortal forces and official immortals stationed behind Su Gaoshan’s army, and Su Gaoshan could easily summon at least three hundred to four hundred of these subservient individuals. Once Su Gaoshan issued a command, they would have to obediently jump on their clouds and giddily rush to Bamboo Scroll Lake to assist him.

Not only that, but the army was specially equipped with several colossal sword boats that could specifically target cultivators from the mountains. The Mohist Mechanists had constructed these sword boats, and once they rose into the air and were activated in unison, they could unleash a downpour containing thousands of flying swords.

The only downside was the huge amounts of money the sword boats would burn through, with Su Gaoshan feeling stabbing pain in his heart every time he used them and tossed away exorbitant amounts of immortal coins. It was as if he were cutting flesh from his own heart.

Every time Su Gaoshan heard his scholarly aids calculating away, flicking their abacus beads up and down and concluding that the usage of the sword boats was not worth the money, with however many lesser heat coins wasted each time, Su Gaoshan would feel an irresistible urge to have the destroyed immortal forces further scrape for money.

The immortal forces might have already ripped down their ancestral halls and sold the valuable beams, but Su Gaoshan still felt the urge to send them back to dig three feet deep and have another look. After all, what if they found a secret treasure chamber or something? If that were the case, Su Gaoshan might be able to break even and perhaps even come out on top.

During his southward expedition, something like this had truly happened before, and more than just once. Those old bastard immortals from the mountains were truly like fucking rats who dug an extensive network of burrows, with each hiding their treasures deeper than the other.

Whenever Su Gaoshan thought about the money and treasures that the vagrant cultivators in Bamboo Scroll Lake had accumulated and saved up over hundreds of years, he would want to shamelessly ask that pretty boy Cao Ping for a few more sword boats.

With the might of the Great Li Empire behind him, and as a great general who wielded significant military power, it was often the case that simple was better when dealing with matters.

To Millet Grain Island’s Tan Yuanyi, a high-ranking spy who liked to deal with life and death, he was both happy and given a headache to come across Su Gaoshan right now. Su Gaoshan was a legitimately powerful figure, ranking in the top ten most powerful and influential figures in the military of the Great Li Empire and destined to become a military governor in the future.

Compared to the rapidly growing amount of funds needed by the heavy cavalry under Su Gaoshan’s command, the profits made by Millet Grain Island these past few years as well as the small amount of immortal coins it had earned from Azure Mound Island and Heavenly Governess Island not long ago was but a drop in the ocean.

Su Gaoshan was no longer able to fund his army with the resources they obtained from the conquered lands. After all, the thunderous hooves of the heavy cavalry weren’t the only thing that marched south. Along with them was a group of scholarly officials from the Great Li Empire who were responsible for supervising the army and dealing with the mess following the battles. These scholarly officials would do their best to prevent the army from excessively pillaging the lands they had conquered.

Regarding these matters, Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan had already established a set of detailed and complicated rules. It didn’t matter whether the generals liked to read these rules and whether they understood them or not, especially since they would have advisors to help work through these issues. Of course, the generals would need to pay a price for breaking the rules, and they could sacrifice their military contributions to pay for their mistakes.

If a general had sufficient military contributions, and if they came across a stubborn city that caused them to suffer heavy losses through many drawn-out battles, then the general could go as far as to massacre the city once they breached its defenses. To say nothing of massacring people, they could even slaughter all of the pets and livestock.

Such actions of frustration were against the rules laid out for the southward expedition, but the military supervisors and the accompanying scholarly officials would at most make some suggestions. They wouldn’t protest at the cost of their own lives, nor would they bring a charge against the general. This was because the massacre of cities was also included in the rules established by Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan.

All Cui Chan needed to do was open his book and look over the contributions of the general who had dared to massacre a city. If their contributions outweighed the negative effects of massacring the city, then a corresponding amount of their contributions would be erased to make up for the massacre. Thus, a general was free to massacre cities as long as they had enough military contributions and were willing to forsake the opportunity to become a military governor in the future. The Great Li Empire definitely wouldn’t punish them in the future.

If a general’s military contributions were insufficient, however, yet they still dared to wantonly massacre a city or kill surrendered troops, then the solution was even simpler — execution. The military supervisors could directly command all of the martial secretaries in the army, even those who were trusted subordinates of the general. All of them had to obey the supervision badge handed down by Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan.

Following the execution of a general, the general’s head would be taken around and shown to all of the different fronts of the army. Not only that, but the general’s clan would also need to pay for their mistake, all the way until it was completely paid off. If executing the entire clan was still insufficient, then so be it. Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan had said that this could be viewed as the Great Li Empire showing leniency in light of the generals’ contributions to the Great Li Empire over so many years.

However, Liu Laocheng’s appearance had thrown a spanner in the works.

Otherwise, a deal could have been made to benefit all four parties in Tan Yuanyi, Liu Zhimao, Su Gaoshan, and the Great Li Empire.

Yet, Liu Laocheng had jumped out of the woodworks after not showing himself at Palace Willow Island for more than two hundred years.

To put it simply, the arrival of the troublemaker, Liu Laocheng, had caused Liu Zhimao to immediately lose his control over Bamboo Scroll Lake. Tan Yuanyi isn’t faring much better than Cyan Gorge Island’s Gu Can and his beast, and he’s also facing calamity from out of nowhere.

Right now, Liu Zhimao was looking down and keeping quiet like a mediating old monk.

Chen Ping’an raised his hands slightly and rubbed them together, continuing, “Island Master Tan, how is your relationship with General Su Gaoshan of the Great Li Empire, the one who’s attacking the Stone Brush Nation?”

Tan Yuanyi replied frankly, saying, “Our relationship is so-so. What Su Gaoshan is interested in is the money from the thousand or so islands in Bamboo Scroll Lake, whether that be money to express loyalty or money to buy a lifeline. If an island doesn’t offer enough money, then Su Gaoshan might turn on them at any moment. I’m half an ally with him, yet even I’m no exception.

“Even though military generals are definitely unable to interfere in the affairs of the Green Ripple Pavilion, there are a dozen or so spies with the same status as me in the Green Ripple Pavilion. This is not to mention the Cattle and Horse Pen and the Copper Person Dew-Holding Platform that are no inferior to the Green Ripple Pavilion.

Chen Ping’an smiled and added, “What makes matters even worse is the fact that the Green Ripple Pavilion was personally established by that imperial concubine. Even though the imperial preceptor has taken control of it, it’s not an entity that was personally created by him, after all. Worse of all, Li Baozhen, another spy who’s reached the same height as Island Master Tan in the Green Ripple Pavilion, is destined to enjoy a smoother path forward. On the other hand, an experienced and long-serving spy like you is going to suffer some hardships.”

Tan Yuanyi chuckled and replied, “The imperial preceptor won’t show any favoritism between the Cattle and Horse Pen and the Green Ripple Pavilion.”

Chen Ping’an cut straight to the core of the issue, explaining, “The imperial preceptor naturally won’t discriminate between the Cattle and Horse Pen and the Green Ripple Pavilion. However, what about the experienced spies and officials who were personally recruited and promoted by that imperial concubine? Perhaps the imperial preceptor is magnanimous enough to refrain from discrimination, or perhaps the opposite is true. Perhaps he’ll make use of all talents during these chaotic times, but perhaps he’ll change his tune once peace and prosperity return. Perhaps one will display one’s loyalty and draw a clear line between themself and that imperial concubine today, yet they’ll suddenly face calamity and be implicated by some fool tomorrow. Everything is seemingly possible.”

Tan Yuanyi sighed and didn’t argue against Chen Ping’an’s views.

Liu Zhimao continued to remain silent, acting as if this had nothing to do with him.

Chen Ping’an also sighed in his mind.

Whether or not he untied the knot pertaining to Tan Yuanyi was meaningful, but not to any great degree.

They were yet to begin the negotiations for tonight, but Chen Ping’an was already aware that the results would be disappointing. Even so, the talks tonight were still a necessary step that Chen Ping’an needed to engage in.

Through the minor truths that Tan Yuanyi revealed when discussing the finer details, Chen Ping’an needed to clear up the many uncertainties in his mind. He then needed to summarize the facts and identify which sequence of events appeared fuzzy, but was actually traceable.

Chen Ping’an smiled and added, “The current situation is indeed bad, but it’s through hardships that strong relationships are forged. Island Master Tan, Island Master Liu, why don’t we become sincerely cooperating allies for a moment? Why don’t we discuss the next steps in more detail so the three of us can refine it together?”

Tan Yuanyi sat up slightly straighter, saying in a solemn voice, “If Mr. Chen is willing to help, then I’ll definitely repay the favor in the future!”

Liu Zhimao directly smiled and said, “This sounds like a brilliant idea!”

————

It was already very late at night.

Chen Ping’an left the Hengbo Residence by himself, returning to the entrance of Cyan Gorge Island and putting down the charcoal basket that had already extinguished a long time ago. He then hung up his Sword Nurturing Gourd and changed into his Dao robe, Golden Sweet Wine, after which he wore another thick azure cotton robe on the outside. After pulling Sword Immortal from the door and returning it to the sheathe on his back, Chen Ping’an directly walked to the dock and untied the mooring rope of the small boat, stepping on board and rowing it to Palace Willow Island.

This was a long trip.

However, Chen Ping’an was in no rush as he rowed the boat, causing it to shoot through the water like an arrow.

Bamboo Scroll Lake was incredibly vast, so Chen Ping’an was still yet to see the silhouette of Palace Willow Island in the morning even though the boat was slicing through the lake so quickly.

So heavy was the snow that there were no birds soaring through the sky.

Chen Ping’an rested for a moment, stopping the boat at someplace in the lake. He grabbed a pair of chopsticks and placed a white bowl on the floor, lightly tapping the bowl and causing it to emit a crisp ringing sound.

He cocked his head and listened carefully.

He looked like a beggar asking for food on the side of the street, yet he also looked like a young immortal who had retreated into the mountain forest amid lone clouds and wild cranes.

Just like that, Chen Ping’an indulged himself for fifteen minutes before placing the bowl and chopsticks back into his minimization treasure.

Chen Ping’an rubbed his cheeks and took a deep breath.

Ah, he was full with cold wind!