Unsheathed

Prefectural Overseer Wu, who was Cui Chan’s disciple, Kiln Supervision Official Cao, County Magistrate Yuan, the Cool Wind Mountain God, and several of the wealthiest people in the Dragon Spring Prefectural City were all very familiar with Dong Shuijing.

Dong Shuijing accompanied Chen Ping’an to the street where Cen Yuanji’s family lived, and the two of them parted ways there. Dong Shuijing told Chen Ping’an his address and welcomed the latter to visit him if he had the time.

Chen Ping’an watched him depart under the light of the dying sun, full of vigor and exuberance.

According to Dong Shuijing, when it came to the residents of the Dragon Spring Prefectural City, the street or alley that they lived on was a very good indication of their status.

The street that Chen Ping’an was currently on was called Fine Luster Street, and it was most inhabited by people of the upper middle class of the Great Li Empire. The houses there weren’t cheap, nor were they very large, so the value for money was rather lackluster, and it felt like the people living on this street were mostly trying to pass off as wealthier than they were.

Dong Shuijing told Chen Ping’an that there were some even wealthier streets to the north of Fine Luster Street, and that the most auspicious landowner there was none other than Gu Can’s mother. She would purchase houses in blocks at a time, and it was clear that she was not lacking in money, but she had come too late.

All of the best plots of land in the prefectural city had already been occupied, and they were not up for sale. Apparently, she was currently trying to establish some ties with the prefectural overseer’s manor in the hope of being able to purchase another large house on Dong Shuijing’s street.

Gu Can’s mother had once visited Cool Wind Mountain with several maidservants to offer up incense to the mountain god’s temple, and she had passed by Dong Shuijing’s wonton shop at the time.

After learning that Dong Shuijing had gone to the school in the small town, she had chatted briefly with him, but displayed an infuriating degree of arrogance in the process. Dong Shuijing had seen all types of customers, so he paid it no mind, but the two employees in the shop were enraged on his behalf.

Dong Shuijing had allowed the woman to show off as she pleased, and in the end, she had asked if Dong Shuijing had a place to stay in the prefectural city. She told him that she was very close with the prefectural overseer’s manor, and that if he were having financial difficulties purchasing a house, then perhaps she could try and pull some strings for him.

Dong Shuijing told her that he already had a place to stay, and that he was the only one in his family, so it didn’t matter if the house was a little small. At the time, Gu Can’s mother had gazed upon him with a hint of sympathy in her eyes.

After that, an official from the prefectural overseer’s manor had personally paid Dong Shuijing a visit, asking if he would be willing to sell his vacant house. He told Dong Shuijing that there was a woman with the Gu surname who was extremely wealthy and profligate, and that she was interested in purchasing the house.

Dong Shuijing replied that a noble from the capital had already expressed interest in the house, and with that excuse, he tacitly turned the official away. He was on the fence about selling the house, so he had decided not to sell it.

Never had Gu Can’s mother anticipated that she would fail to purchase a vacant house, even after offering such a lofty price.

At the moment, Dong Shuijing’s foundation of wealth was only becoming more and more prosperous, and his network of connections was also becoming wider and wider, yet strangely enough, his reputation had become less and less resounding. Within just a year or two, there was barely anyone talking about the scandalously wealthy “Half City Dong” anymore.

This was actually an even clearer indication that Dong Shuijing was truly wealthy now.

Over at the small residence on Fine Luster Street, Chen Ping’an declared his arrival to the porter, informing him that he was Chen Ping’an from Downtrodden Mountain, and that he was here for Cen Yuanji.

The porter was rather skeptical, so Chen Ping’an could only display his passport. However, as opposed to handing the passport over to the porter, he had only opened it slightly to reveal his name and birthplace. Otherwise, the official seals that he had collected from all of those nations on the other two continents would’ve been enough to completely dumbfound the porter.

Only then did the porter rush into the residence to report Chen Ping’an’s arrival, and before long, he was met by a group of four people.

Upon catching sight of Chen Ping’an, they hurriedly stepped out of the residence.

It was a group of three men and one woman, consisting of a middle-aged man and his two sons and one daughter. The middle-aged man was quite handsome, as were the two brothers, who appeared to have been roughly five or six years apart in age. According to Zhu Lian, Cen Yuanji was only thirteen years of age, but she had already grown into an elegant young woman who could’ve easily passed for seventeen or eighteen.

She did indeed bear some resemblance to Sui Youbian, but her appearance wasn’t as cold and forbidding. Instead, there was a natural air of seduction about her, and it was no wonder that even at such a young age, her looks were enough to attract so much trouble that her family was forced to move out of the capital.

Chen Ping’an declared his own name again, using the official dialect of the Great Li Empire rather than the regional dialect of the Dragon Spring Prefecture.

The middle-aged man extended a respectful bow as he greeted, “Cen Zheng pays his respects to Esteemed Immortal Chen of Downtrodden Mountain.”

An apologetic look then appeared on his face as he said, “Due to the importance of this matter, I don’t dare to mention your name in front of other members of my family.”

“That’s fine,” Chen Ping’an reassured.

He then turned to Cen Yuanji as he asked, “Do you have anything to say to your family? Once you’re on Downtrodden Mountain, you won’t be able to leave as you please, and even when you send letters to your family, there are some rules that you must follow. If you have something to say now, I can wait for you.”

Chen Ping’an shook her head in response.

“Alright, then let’s go,” Chen Ping’an said as he turned around with his horse in tow.

He didn’t enter the residence for a cup of tea, nor did he say anything to reassure the men of the Cen Family before departing with Cen Yuanji.

After reaching another street, Chen Ping’an finally spoke for the first time, instructing Cen Yuanji to wait for him outside and look after his horse.

Cen Yuanji nodded silently in response as she stood outside the Gu Manor.

She had heard that the owner of the manor was an extremely wealthy woman, and that she had very powerful backers in the Great Li Empire.

As soon as the porter heard the name “Chen Ping’an,” he immediately led the young man into the manor without even reporting his arrival first.

Chen Ping’an met with Gu Can’s mother and had a cup of tea. Upon her insistence, he drank another cup, with his cup being refilled in between by a maidservant from the former Spring Courtyard Mansion, who had gazed upon him the entire time with awe and veneration in her eyes.

He spoke with Gu Can’s mother in great length about her son’s experiences in the mountains to the south of Bamboo Scroll Lake, and the woman felt very reassured upon hearing this story. Only after that did he stand up to depart, and Gu Can’s mother accompanied him personally to the entrance of the manor.

She even stepped out of the manor and accompanied him down the steps, and only upon his insistence that she had escorted him more than far enough did she finally stop in her tracks.

As Chen Ping’an departed with Cen Yuanji, Gu Can’s mother took a glance at the latter, then turned to look back at the beautiful maidservant that she had brought back from Cyan Gorge Island, who was standing at the entrance of the manor behind her.

She strode over to the maidservant, then gave her ear a twist as she chuckled, “Why did I even bring you back with me? You were completely outshone just now!”

The young maidservant didn’t actually lose out to Cen Yuanji in the looks department, and she was left feeling a little indignant.

Chen Ping’an led Cen Yuanji toward the mountains in the south, and neither of them spoke during the trip.

Cen Yuanji had been secretly observing Chen Ping’an this entire time, but no matter how she looked at him, she was unable to see anything special about him, and that left her feeling a little disappointed.

She had thought that the owner of Downtrodden Mountain would’ve either been an ethereal old immortal or an elegant and refined man, but never had she imagined that it would be a sickly-looking young man not much older than herself.

As Chen Ping’an walked along, he released Qu Huang’s reins and repeatedly thought through the contents of the letter for him by Cui Dongshan.

The letter mentioned some subjects of great importance, and he became so absorbed in his own thoughts that he completely forgot that Cen Yuanji was following along behind him, and that she was far less adept in traveling through the mountains than he was.

By the time he recalled her existence, they were already walking through the mountains, and he turned around to discover Cen Yuanji limping along with tightly furrowed brows, but she didn’t speak up the entire time.

“Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts,” Chen Ping’an said in an apologetic manner.

Cen Yuanji pursed her lips and remained in a stoic silence.

Internally, she was fuming, and she was certain that Chen Ping’an was definitely doing this to feign disinterest in her in order to show her that he was different from all those perverts who lusted after her.

With that in mind, she cautioned herself to be careful. Once she reached Downtrodden Mountain, she was going to spend as much time by Zhu Lian’s side as possible so that she didn’t fall into Chen Ping’an’s nefarious grasp!

In her mind, she would be safe as soon as she was with Zhu Lian.

Chen Ping’an raised an eyebrow at her stoic silence, then asked, “Do you know how to ride a horse?”

She shook her head in response.

Even if I did, I wouldn’t get on horseback for you!

In her mind, Chen Ping’an was just like those other scummy men who put on honest and sincere facades, and that he was only trying to catch her glimpse of her sensitive regions bouncing up and down while on horseback.

Immortals really are much more cunning and calculating than the simpleminded perverts of the capital! You have to be careful, Cen Yuanji!

Chen Ping’an was naturally oblivious to the strange avenues that Cen Yuanji’s thoughts had strayed down, and he said, “In that case, let’s go a little slower, and you can tell me if you want to take a break.”

He’s putting me in a compromising situation first before showing me kindness so I would let down my guard! There’s no end to his tricks!

Cen Yuanji was becoming more and more convinced that Chen Ping’an had nefarious intentions for her.

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but find the way that Cen Yuanji was looking at him a little strange.

He turned back around and continued walking with Qu Huang in tow as he rubbed his own face and wondered to himself if Zhu Lian was right. Perhaps he really was particularly attractive to women in his current state, and perhaps he really did need to be careful.

Chen Ping’an removed his Sword Nurturing Gourd from his waist before taking a sip of wine, and he was considering sending Cen Yuanji to Downtrodden Mountain on her own while he paid a trip to the medicine shop in the small town.

A sense of dread instantly began to well up in Cen Yuanji’s heart as she looked around at the deserted wilderness. Could it be that Chen Ping’an was planning to have a drink then have his way with her and blame it on the alcohol?

Chen Ping’an could sense that Cen Yuanji’s breathing and footsteps had become rather unsteady, and he turned around to discover that her complexion had turned deathly pale.

He strapped his Sword Nurturing Gourd back to his waist, and thinking that she was merely exhausted, he said, “Let’s take a short break here.”

With Chen Ping’an putting his wine gourd away, Cen Yuanji was convinced that he was about to make his move, and she burst into tears as she turned and rushed away in a blind panic, leaving Chen Ping’an to scratch his head in befuddlement as he wondered to himself, “Has she changed her mind?”

Chen Ping’an heaved a faint sigh, then strode along after her. He couldn’t just leave her in the mountains, so he was planning to take her to the official road outside the mountains so that she could return home on her own from there. Whenever she made up her mind, she could come to Downtrodden Mountain with her family to accompany her.

He was just about to call out to her and caution her to slow down when she tripped over and fell flat onto her face, following which began bawling her eyes and desperately screaming for Chen Ping’an not to come any closer. In the end, she sat on the ground and began pelting him with stones, loudly denouncing him for a pervert and a shameless scoundrel, and that if he were to have his way with her here, then she would never forgive him, even in the afterlife.

Chen Ping’an crouched down far away from her, rubbing his own forehead in exasperation.

He then rose to his feet and gently stomped a foot down onto the ground as he sighed, “Help me out, Wei Bo! I know you’re watching. Have you had enough fun at my expense yet?”

In an instant, Wei Bo appeared on the scene in a graceful manner, accompanied by a light breeze that caused his sleeves to ripple like water.

Chen Ping’an didn’t even spare Cen Yuanji another glance as he said to Wei Bo, “Please send her to Downtrodden Mountain, then send me to True Jewel Mountain. You can take Qu Huang back to Downtrodden Mountain as well while you’re at it.”

Wei Bo suppressed his amusement as he snapped his fingers twice, and Chen Ping’an was instantly transported to the summit of True Jewel Mountain, while Wei Bo accompanied the heartbroken Cen Yuanji to the foot of Downtrodden Mountain, where Qu Huang began trotting its way up the mountain.

Cen Yuanji was struck by a rush of dizziness, and she bent over involuntarily as she began dry retching.

Wei Bo cast his gaze toward the summit of Downtrodden Mountain as he chuckled, “You’re perhaps the only one under the heavens capable of mistaking Chen Ping’an for a pervert and a scoundrel.”

Cen Yuanji repeated a few steps, then asked in a cautious manner, “May I ask your name, kind sir?”

An ordinary person like her had no right to know the name of the Great Li Empire’s Northern Mountain God, so Wei Bo offered no response as he began scaling the mountain.

Cen Yuanji hesitated momentarily, then followed along behind Wei Bo at a distance.

After reaching Zhu Lian and Zheng Dafeng’s courtyard, Wei Bo gave the two of them a brief recount of what had happened with a look of immense schadenfreude on his face. Zheng Dafeng immediately burst into raucous laughter, while Zhu Lian was unable to bring himself to laugh, feeling as if he were about to face the wrath of Chen Ping’an soon.

Only after catching sight of Zhu Lian did Cen Yuanji finally feel at ease, but she didn’t know why these three immortals were all displaying such varying expressions.

Chen Ping’an made his way down True Jewel Mountain before visiting the small town, and this time, he was fortunately granted an audience with Old Man Yang as Shi Lingshan led him into the backyard.

Old Man Yang was seated on the steps, smoking his pipe as usual.

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but wonder how long the old man had been like this. A century? A millennium? Ten millennia?

Why had Old Man Yang displayed that expression at the mention of Old Man Yao back when he chose Downtrodden Mountain?

There were many questions that Chen Ping’an wanted to ask Old Man Yang because he knew that Old Man Yang definitely knew the answers to his questions, it was just a matter of whether he would be willing to reveal those answers.

However, in the end, Chen Ping’an merely asked, “What is going to become of Zheng Dafeng in the future?”

“Let’s wait and see,” Old Man Yang replied in an indifferent manner.

Chen Ping’an spoke no further as he sat in silence, and Old Man Yang didn’t dismiss him.

In the end, it began to rain, and the rain was quickly becoming heavier and heavier.

Chen Ping’an borrowed an umbrella from the reluctant Shi Lingshan.

Standing under the eaves at the entrance of the medicine shop, Chen Ping’an looked out in silence at the quiet streets for a long while before stepping out into the rain.