Unsheathed

Chapter 445 (2): Charcoal Basket Chilling People’s Heart

The snow was yet to melt on many islands in Bamboo Scroll Lake when heavy snow started to fall again.

This was truly very strange.

What was going on this year? Not long had passed, yet Bamboo Scroll Lake had already experienced two consecutive bouts of heavy snowfall that were once-in-several-decade events.

However, no one was unhappy about this as it signified that Bamboo Scroll Lake, which was already brimming with spiritual energy, was able to capture even more spiritual energy. This was called being blessed with a meal by the heavens.

Everyone became abuzz over the past few days, with almost all of the cultivators talking about the bookkeeper from Cyan Gorge Island. Even Pond Water City, Cloud Pagoda City, and the two other large cities by the lakeside were no exception.

Yu Gui voluntarily visited the entrance of Cyan Gorge Island for the first time, going to Chen Ping’an’s residence for a while and completing a small transaction while he was at it. He sold Chen Ping’an a high-grade spirit tool for a low price, one that was only a smidge away from becoming a legitimate immortal tool. The effects of this spirit tool were similar to that of the Hall of the Underworld, and it was a small pagoda crafted according to the design of White Emperor City’s Colored Glaze Pagoda.

Even though there were few rooms for ghosts and yin entities to stay in, with only twelve in total which was far fewer than the Hall of the Underworld from Cyan Gorge Island’s secret treasure chamber, the quality of each room was higher. The replica Colored Glaze Pagoda was more than enough to house and nurture ghosts and yin entities, and it wouldn’t have any issues even with the soul-summoning generals meticulously raised by the ghost cultivators in the Vermilion Chord Residence.

Chen Ping’an felt slightly exasperated. This was indeed a very impressive treasure, but his lack of money right now meant that he could only take out a loan and become indebted to Crescent Moon Island. Yu Gui was amused upon hearing this, and he joked that Mr. Chen was unjustly, going as far as to borrow money for something that he was selling for so cheap. Was Mr. Chen truly not embarrassed about this?

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied that he wasn’t embarrassed at all, and there was clearly no need to be overly polite with Island Master Yu. Yu Gui became even more amused, but having a good relationship was one matter, while engaging in transactions was another matter altogether.

He dragged Chen Ping’an along with him and asked Zhang Ye, the supervisor of the secret chamber, to place the debt under Cyan Gorge Island. Otherwise, he wouldn’t feel at ease. At the same time, he also asked Zhang Ye to keep an eye on Chen Ping’an, or else both he and the secret chamber would suffer together in the future.

Zhang Ye smiled and nodded in agreement, yet he wasn’t willing to lend money to Chen Ping’an to pay for the replica Colored Glaze Pagoda. After all, Chen Ping’an already owed Cyan Gorge Island a hefty sum of money. However, Zhang Ye was willing to write an IOU for Chen Ping’an, and only then did Yu Gui become satisfied, also taking this opportunity to extend an invitation to Zhang Ye, saying that he could visit Crescent Moon Island whenever he was free. Zhang Ye nodded and agreed to visit in the future, and he didn’t appear forced at all as he directly agreed on a time with Yu Gui.

In the end, Chen Ping’an appeared like an outsider listening to their conversation.

The island master of Purple Bamboo Island was filled with joy as he arrived on a spirit tool boat and offered Mr. Chen three large baskets of ancestor-grade purple bamboo, and he appeared more delighted to be giving rather than receiving. After he arrived at Chen Ping’an’s residence, he only stayed for a cup of hot water before taking his leave. Chen Ping’an saw him off all the way to the dock, cupping his fists in farewell.

As if in tacit understanding, many other island masters who had refused to allow Chen Ping’an onto their islands or had refused to grant him an audience all started to visit his residence on Cyan Gorge Island.

The heavy snow finally stopped.

When noon arrived, Liu Zhimao made his way to Chen Ping’an’s residence and knocked on the door.

There was a look of exhaustion on Chen Ping’an’s face as he walked out with his charcoal basket.

The two of them left for a walk.

Liu Zhimao appeared to be taking slight pleasure in Chen Ping’an’s misfortune as he asked, “Do you want me to step in and turn away all of your visitors? I can make up any excuse I want. For example, I can say that Cyan Gorge Island is temporarily closed.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “There’s no need. I’m finding joy in the suffering, and I’m finding pleasure in going through this process. Interacting with these island masters is actually able to teach me many things. However, it’s truly tiring, and making polite small talk with other people has always been the biggest weakness of mine. In this sense, I can work on my weaknesses and treat this as a way to cultivate my conduct in the world.”

“In reality, everyone needs to experience something like this one day,” Liu Zhimao chuckled. “When you have your own force in the future, you’ll need to expend even more mental and physical energy to look after all facets of the force, so familiarizing yourself with this earlier is indeed a good thing.”

Chen Ping’an and Liu Zhimao were already quite some distance from the island entrance when the latter glanced back and couldn’t help but chuckle, “Chen Ping’an, your aunty has left the Spring Courtyard Mansion is making her way over here to look for you. If I remember correctly, this is her first time visiting you after you moved out of the Spring Courtyard Mansion, so should we head back now?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “Let’s walk for a while longer.”

Liu Zhimao nodded and said, “If you were truly as cold-hearted as many of us cultivators, would there still be any need for you to consider all of these cunning schemes?”

Warming his hands with the charcoal basket, Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “I’ll strive to have things end on a good note. Even if the relationship between us has already dwindled and disappeared, I still hope that she can live a better life in the future.”

“Some people might want to do good in relation to some trivial matters, but regardless of whether it’s a house in an impoverished alley, an extravagant mansion, or a powerful force like Cyan Gorge Island, being a good person can sometimes be very difficult,” Liu Zhimao said.

“Let me say one more thing that might sound unpleasant to the ears. After a few years or a decade, that woman might still fail to understand the good intentions behind your actions. Instead, she’ll only remember the bad things about you, and this will be true regardless of whether she’s struggling or thriving at the time. In fact, she might somewhat remember a few good things about you if she’s struggling, whereas she’ll only feel deeper resentment toward you if she’s thriving.”

“Does this have anything to do with me?” Chen Ping’an asked with a calm and indifferent expression.

“You make a good point,” Liu Zhimao replied with hearty laughter.

An amused smile suddenly spread across Liu Zhimao’s face as he asked, “Take a guess, do you think Gu Can’s mother is bringing one or two maidservants with her this time?”

He quickly added, “I’m definitely not trying to fan the flames.”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment before replying, “Is it possible that she brought maidservants with her, yet she realized that it was inappropriate halfway and instructed them to return to the Spring Courtyard Mansion? This aunty of mine is very smart, or else she wouldn’t have been able to raise Gu Can in Clay Vase Alley. But… there is no but. She already did the best she could in Clay Vase Alley.”

Liu Zhimao clicked his tongue in wonder and exclaimed, “Impressive!”

“Did I truly guess right?” Chen Ping’an asked with a smile.

Liu Zhimao nodded and replied, “She brought two of the most clever maidservants with her when she left the Spring Courtyard Mansion, but after walking for a short while, she thought things through and realized that this wasn’t the correct attitude for someone who was pretending to be pitiful and asking for help. She immediately instructed the maidservants to return, and she also asked them to bring back her valuable fox fur coat.

“So, if we continue to stroll around, she’ll definitely be shivering outside your door with her lips pale from the cold when we eventually return. When we go inside, she’ll most likely struggle to speak properly as well. What do you say? Should we immediately turn around and head back to deprive her of this opportunity to act genuinely pitiful?

“Let’s go back,” Chen Ping’an replied in helplessness.

Liu Zhimao smiled and said, “So you are more cold-hearted than I thought, huh?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “I’m fully aware of her thoughts already, so why insist on making her suffer? Being petty is completely pointless.”

“Should we return together like that time we visited the Spring Courtyard Mansion?” Liu Zhimao asked.

“There’s no need this time,” Chen Ping’an responded. “I’m nowhere near capable enough to have Island Master Liu run around at my beck and call, and that would be completely unfitting for a guest elder of Cyan Gorge Island.”

Liu Zhimao didn’t insist any further, disappearing with a flash as he said, “Rest assured, I won’t eavesdrop on your conversation. In any case, I can roughly guess what she’s going to say to you.”

When Chen Ping’an arrived at his residence, the woman was shivering like a small bird with her hands on her opposite shoulders. When she saw Chen Ping’an walking over from the distance, she hesitated for a moment before immediately putting her hands down.

She, an ordinary woman, could already see Chen Ping’an, so Chen Ping’an had naturally seen her a long time ago.

Sure enough…

Chen Ping’an picked up his pace when he approached his residence, and he handed the charcoal basket to Gu Can’s mother before opening the door and saying, “Aunty, what brings you here? I could have visited the Spring Courtyard Mansion if you sent someone over to notify me.”

Gu Can’s mother entered the room and sat down beside the table, placing her hands next to the charcoal basket as she put on a forced smile and replied, “Ping’an, your aunty doesn’t dare to say anything about the death of the small catfish, but the small catfish lived with Gu Can and I for so many years, after all. If it weren’t for the small catfish, we might have failed to obtain even a thatched cottage on Cyan Gorge Island to say nothing of the Spring Courtyard Mansion.

“So, can you please return the small catfish’s body to us so we can find a place to bury it? If this request is too much, then your aunty won’t say anything either, and she definitely won’t complain. Just like Gu Can has always said these past few years, me and you are the only people in the world who truly care about him.

“We only gave you a bowl of rice in Clay Vase Alley all those years ago, yet you’ve already provided Gu Can and me with so much help, both major and minor. You helped us in ways that we saw and also in ways that we weren’t able to see…”

The woman covered her face and started to shed tears after saying this, sobbing, “It’s fate that we’ve ended up in this bad situation. Your aunty doesn’t blame you, really…”

Chen Ping’an patiently listened to her, all the way until she broke down in tears and was no longer able to speak.

Chen Ping’an walked over to the study table and silently pulled out the large stove placed underneath it. He then opened the large bag placed in the corner of the room and retrieved a few pieces of charcoal to place inside the stove, following which he used a specially made flame stick to light the charcoal.[1] After doing this, he pushed the stove under the table between Gu Can’s mother and him, allowing her to warm her feet as well.

With this done, Chen Ping’an returned to his seat, not saying anything from the beginning to the end.

Gu Can’s mother hurriedly wiped away her tears, lightly raising her feet to place them on the stove under the table as she said with an aggrieved expression, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree. The small catfish was initially from the water anyway, so there’s no need to be so pedantic about burying it to allow it to rest in peace.”

Chen Ping’an appeared slightly adrift at this moment.

He could vaguely remember some events of the past.

Back then, he had protected Gu Can’s mother when she was arguing with some other barb-tongued women in the neighborhood. After she finished arguing and fighting, the two of them had sat on the stairs of the courtyard where she had silently shed tears. She had tightly gripped the hems of her clothes that had been mended many times, not saying a word until she saw her mischievous son swagger over from Clay Vase Alley. She had hurriedly turned around and wiped away her tears before straightening her clothes and fixing her hair.

Even now, Chen Ping’an still felt like the aunty from back then was the best mother that Gu Can could ask for.

“Ping’an, I heard that you visited Palace Willow Island and had a meeting with Liu Laocheng not long ago? Was it dangerous?” she asked in a quiet voice.

Chen Ping’an clenched his hands into fists and lightly placed them on his knees.

He no longer felt emotions of extreme sadness or anguish, and all that remained was exasperation and helplessness.

Being able to see fish in deep ponds was an inauspicious sign.[2]

Chen Ping’an took a deep breath and unclenched his fist, raising a finger and pointing at his eyes as he said, “Aunty, there’s actually no need to say too much between true family members. Everything is communicated through here. I saw with my own eyes when Aunty opened the courtyard door and gave me a bowl of rice all those years ago. After the arguments in the small alley, I saw with my own eyes when Aunty gestured to me to keep things a secret from Gu Can, preventing him from knowing about his mom’s troubles and not making him feel anxious or scared.”

Gu Can’s mother wanted to say something, but she couldn’t help but hesitate.

Under the table, her hands were tightly gripping the bamboo handles of the small charcoal basket.

There was something else that Chen Ping’an really wanted to tell her.

‘Aunty, you’re most likely unaware of this, but I already knew that you wanted to kill me for the sake of that small catfish when we were in Clay Vase Alley. You dearly hoped that Liu Zhimao’s schemes would leave me dead.

‘Aunty, you might not know, but that night you invited Liu Zhimao to the Spring Courtyard Mansion to ask about my abilities and secrets, Liu Zhimao didn’t actually drink the tea that you offered him. Instead, he used a secret water recording technique from the mountains to take away the tea water, and he placed the tea water on this exact table when he visited me afterward. However, I shattered the sound waves that recorded the conversation between the two of you.

‘Aunty, you also don’t know that I’m well aware of your thoughts and intentions. From taking off your fox fur coat and sending back your maidservants to immediately lowering your hands when you saw me and asking those questions after entering, I’m completely aware of what you’re trying to achieve.’

However, word by word, Chen Ping’an swallowed all of these thoughts. In the end, he simply said, “Aunty, Bamboo Scroll Lake might become very different in the future, and at that time, Aunty and Gu Can will no longer need to be so afraid about losing everything or being hunted down by an enemy assassin. Gu Can will no longer need to kill enemy after enemy. When that day truly arrives, I hope Aunty can do her best to stay at the Spring Courtyard Mansion.”

Gu Can’s mother nodded lightly in response.

Chen Ping’an looked at her and said slowly, “Bamboo Scroll Lake will become very different, and when that time truly comes, I hope Aunty can show an abundance of caution like she did when moving from Clay Vase Alley to Cyan Gorge Island. Aunty can observe more and see how she can help Gu Can grow the Spring Courtyard Mansion even more. Since everything is for the sake of Gu Can, and you’ve already endured so many hardships in Clay Vase Alley and during the first three years at Cyan Gorge Island, I’m sure Aunty can endure a bit more, right?

“There will eventually come a day when things change for the better. Just like how you raised Gu Can back then, what he ate and wore was never worse than any of the neighborhood children. And again, just like how you went from your ancestral residence in Clay Vase Alley to the Spring Courtyard Mansion, perhaps you might even obtain an entire island for yourself in the future, not just a larger residence like the Hengbo Residence.”

Gu Can’s mother nodded earnestly, with her tear-filled eyes slightly red and puffy.

Chen Ping’an didn’t say anything else.

Gu Can’s mother stayed for a while longer before bidding farewell. Chen Ping’an saw her off to the door, and she was unwilling to take away the charcoal basket no matter what, saying that this bit of cold and wind was nothing. She had endured all kinds of hardships in Clay Vase Alley before, so she had already become accustomed to these kinds of things long ago.

Chen Ping’an watched her disappear into the distance before returning inside.

Gu Can’s mother walked forward with difficulty, yet she didn’t utter a single word of complaint.

She immediately put on a stern expression when she neared the Spring Courtyard Mansion, but she soon started to smile when a maidservant quickly ran out.

Chen Ping’an was slightly dazed as he sat at the table, murmuring, “There’s no use, right, Chen Ping’an?”

He massaged his cheeks and said, “Then I should do something useful.”

1. Flame stick (火折子) is a type of ancient Chinese lighter. ☜

2. This is a Chinese proverb that refers to the fact that being able to use one’s smarts to dig into other peoples’ secrets will ultimately lead to negative consequences. ☜