Unsheathed

Zhu Lian’s courtyard was lively today in a rare turn of events. Wei Bo didn’t leave Downtrodden Mountain, and he instead visited Zhu Lian to play Go with him.

There were two exquisite Go stone containers on the table, and these containers were imperial wares that Chen Ping’an had purchased during his distant journey. He hadn’t necessarily purchased these containers for a bargain price, but he had taken a fancy to them, so he decided to buy them anyway. Afterward, he gave them to Zhu Lian as a present after returning to Downtrodden Mountain.

Wei Bo was extremely skilled at Go, so he often visited Zhu Lian to play Go with him. Zhu Lian had liked to watch Sui Youbian and Lu Baixiang playing Go with each other back then, pretending that he was semi-terrible at Go. In reality, however, his Go skills were quite extraordinary. This wasn’t a case of Zhu Lian hiding his skills, but rather that he had never viewed Sui Youbian and Lu Baixiang as like-minded individuals walking the same path. Of course, it was very likely that they viewed Zhu Lian the same way.

Even though Zheng Dafeng had suffered severe wounds to his physique and foundations at Old Dragon City, severing his path of Martial Dao, his observation skills and instincts still remained. He surmised that this commotion was most likely caused by Chen Ping’an, so he giddily ran over from the foot of the mountain.

The little boy in azure and the little girl in pink stood to the side and spectated the game of Go, with the former giving random and haphazard suggestions to the old cook. Zhu Lian didn’t care about victory or defeat at all, so he genuinely listened to these suggestions and placed his Go stones accordingly.

This being the case, he naturally fell from a neutral position to a disadvantage, with the disadvantage quickly becoming a losing position. The little girl in pink adhered to the principle of remaining silent like a courteous person when watching games of Go, and she couldn’t help but feel flustered at this moment. She prohibited the little boy in azure from spewing any more nonsense.

As a fire python formed from scholarly fortune in the scripture library of the Zhilan Cao Clan, she had been stuck with nothing to do after first gaining sentience. As such, she could only read to relieve her boredom. She didn’t dare to call herself a Go official or whatnot, but she was at least able to clearly identify and understand the rough situation on a Go board.

While Cen Yuanji was resting after practicing the fist stance, she also walked over to participate in the lively affair. She had a very good impression of Mr. Wei, someone who possessed the demeanor of a godly person. This couldn’t be helped, as Mr. Wei was truly far too handsome. Of course, Cen Yuanji’s feeling of closeness with Wei Bo wasn’t in a romantic sense. Rather, Cen Yuanji felt like she was gaining something every time she looked at him, even if it was just a fleeting glance. She treated this as feasting her eyes and admiring some beautiful scenery.

The young girl most likely wasn’t aware that apart from the relatively strange and scary owner of Downtrodden Mountain, Old Immortal Zhu whom she trusted the most wasn’t some kind of sixth tier martial artist at all. Rather, he was a genuine Far Roaming Tier cultivator.

Meanwhile, Brother Dafeng who was even more hunchbacked than Old Immortal Zhu was once a martial artist at the peak stage of the Mountain Summit Tier. As for the barefoot old man in the bamboo building, he was even more impressive, being a martial artist at the legendary End Tier. There was someone from the eighth tier, ninth tier, and even tenth tier gathered on Downtrodden Mountain.

Thanks to the little boy in azure’s counterproductive help, Zhu Lian quickly lost the game of Go just as expected. The little girl in pink couldn’t help but grumble in complaint. The little boy in azure glanced at the scene of the overwhelming loss before clicking his tongue in wonder and remarking, “Old Cook Zhu, you’ve only lost by a single move, so you can feel proud despite the loss.”

Zhu Lian nodded and raised an arm, replying, “That’s indeed the case. We brothers need to continue working hard next time and aim to overcome our formidable foes together.”

The little boy in azure was beaming with joy, and he hurriedly massaged Zhu Lian’s arm and said, “You might not be aware, Old Cook, but my hands possess immortal aura! Isn’t that right, Wei Bo?”

Thinking back to all those years ago, he had patted Branch Master Lu Chen’s shoulders with his two hands. If news of this spread to the White Jade Capital, which immortal and heavenly lord would dare to not raise their thumbs and praise him as heroic?!

Wei Bo smiled and asked, “Is your skin feeling itchy again?”

The little boy in azure rolled his eyes in response.

The formal god of the Great Li Empire’s Northern Mountain didn’t show any loyalty at all, so the little boy in azure didn’t try to disguise his resentment toward him. He had tried to obtain a Peace and Safety Tablet from the imperial court of the Great Li Empire for his river god brother of the Yellow Court Nation’s Imperial River back then, yet he had faced obstacles everywhere and was especially disappointed by Wei Bo. Thus, the little boy in azure would stand on Zhu Lian’s side and cheer for him every time Zhu Lian played Go against Wei Bo.

Otherwise, he would act obsequiously and massage Zhu Lian’s shoulders, wanting him to give one-hundred-and-twenty percent effort to give Wei Bo a crushing defeat. That way, Wei Bo would be forced to kneel down and beg for forgiveness, losing so badly that he would never be willing to touch a Go board again in his life.

To put things simply, there would be no sense of leisure or relaxation when the little boy in azure was present during games of Go between Zhu Lian and Wei Bo.

“Have the two of you truly made up your minds?” Zhu Lian suddenly asked.

The little boy in azure turned his nose up and humphed coldly, replying, “We’ll suffer a tragic fate at the hands of Chen Ping’an if we don’t move quickly!”

The little girl in pink nodded lightly in agreement.

As it turned out, both of them had their own names now. These weren’t kindred names, but according to what Chen Ping’an had said before, they needed their own names so that they could be recorded in the ancestral hall’s genealogical records in the future.

The little boy in azure had named himself Chen Lingjun, while the little girl in pink had named herself Chen Ruchu.

“Chen Lingjun? Just what kind of name is that?! If you ask me, I’d say that Little Azure would suffice. It rolls right off the tongue,” Zheng Dafeng teased.

The little boy in azure didn’t hold back against Zheng Dafeng either, retorting, “You don’t understand shit, Brother Dafeng.”

Zheng Dafeng chuckled and replied, “Oh, I understand you, alright.”

“Enough with the nonsense! If you’re so capable, then let’s have a duel on the Go board!” Chen Lingjun exclaimed in anger.

“You’re begging for humiliation,” Wei Bo jeered.

Zheng Dafeng was itching to have a go, rubbing his hands together as he said, “Then let’s make some small bets for entertainment? Of course, your Go skills are superior to mine, so just letting me go first isn’t enough. You also need to take a handicap of two Go stones. Otherwise, I’m not going to play with you and make any bets.”

Chen Lingjun was slightly skeptical, and he furrowed his brows and asked, “Take a handicap of two stones? That would be looking down on you, Brother Dafeng. How about I take a handicap of one stone?”

Wei Bo roared with laughter.

Zhu Lian slapped his forehead. Zheng Dafeng was digging such a clear hole, yet Chen Lingjun was sprinting forward and jumping right into it.

Zheng Dafeng held back a laugh, not planning to bully the rash and muddleheaded little boy anymore. He waved his hand and said, “Forget about it, we’ll talk about this later.”

How were Zheng Dafeng’s Go skills? The answer to this was very simple. When Zhu Lian and Wei Bo played against each other, whoever Zheng Dafeng helped would definitely win.

Perhaps it couldn’t be said that Zheng Dafeng possessed immense wisdom under a humble facade. However, when talking about the smartest people who had lived in the Jewel Small World back then, Zheng Dafeng would definitely have the right to occupy a spot.

Chen Lingjun glanced at Chen Ruchu, and the little girl in pink lightly shook her head in response.

Only at this moment did he finally come to a realization. This fucking Zheng Dafeng was far too sneaky! He had almost ruined his glorious reputation!

Cen Yuanji silently walked away, continuing to practice her fist techniques.

When it was morning, she would choose to practice the six-step walking meditation by herself on the green slopes and near the flowing streams of Downtrodden Mountain.

When it was night, she would stay in her courtyard or at least closer to Old Immortal Zhu’s residence. That way, she wouldn’t need to worry about being alone and helpless if she were targeted by other people.

Chen Lingjun glanced at the sky and decided that it was time to head to the pastry shop in the small town to play with Pei Qian. Chen Ruchu curtsied and said goodbye to Zhu Lian and the others, and she told Chen Lingjun to wait for her first. There weren’t enough roasted seeds left in her pockets.

After Cen Yuanji and the two children left, Zheng Dafeng said, “He’s advanced to the next cultivation tier, so it’s time for him to leave the mountains again, huh? Being young is truly very nice. He doesn’t feel tired even though he’s so busy.”

Zhu Lian smiled and commented, “Brother Dafeng is also young and handsome. All you’re missing is a wife.”

Zheng Dafeng waved his hand and replied, “Please don’t utter such blatantly truthful words, Brother Zhu. It’s easy to invite bitterness and resentment.”

“If you ask me, I’d say that the two of you have played no small part in causing Chen Ping’an to be in such a hurry to set off on another distant journey.”

Wei Bo smiled and stood up, continuing, “I need to leave and busy myself with preparing that night travel banquet now. Things are going to be loud and lively in ten days time. It’s going to be extremely troublesome.”

The small courtyard became peaceful and quiet again.

Zheng Dafeng started to clean up the Go board, and Zheng Dafeng sat down in Wei Bo’s original seat and helped place the Go stones into the Go containers.

“Have a guess, will my young master seek you out for a chat now that he’s advanced to the next tier? And if he does, how will he begin the conversation?” Zhu Lian asked.

“He’ll most likely look for me at the foot of the mountain to make me feel less awkward and more at ease,” Zheng Dafeng replied. “However, he probably won’t say too much, and I presume he’ll just accompany me for some drinks. Truth be told, I hope that the young lad doesn’t look for me at all. Just how many people are in Downtrodden Mountain right now? There are very few of us, yet he’s already running around and tiring himself out both mentally and physically. If more people arrive in the future, and if this place becomes an immortal force, will he be able to oversee every little thing? Will he still need to cultivate? Brother Zhu, you’re the best at persuading other people, so you should find an opportunity to have an open and honest chat with Chen Ping’an.”

Zhu Lian continued to clean up the Go board as he replied in melancholy, “That will be quite difficult.”

“Wei Bo always maintains good control and placement when he plays Go,” Zheng Dafeng suddenly said out of nowhere.

Zhu Lian nodded in response and didn’t say anything else.

“With Chen Ping’an advancing to the next tier, my proud and ambitious junior sister in the medicine shop will probably suffer again,” Zheng Dafeng said with a wide smile. He was taking great pleasure in her misfortune.

“Cen Yuanji won’t fare much better,” Zhu Lian smiled and said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Zheng Dafeng appeared furtive and devious as he said, “If Chen Ping’an had truly said this at Cloud Drape Mountain, then the Xie Clan’s Long Eyebrows would have felt the most dejected.”

Zhu Lian nodded and concurred, “Casting one’s gaze over the larger forces in the cultivation world of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, how many men weren’t heartbroken by their senior sisters and junior sisters when they were young? By the looks of it, the Majestic World is much the same in this regard.”

Zheng Dafeng was reminded of the Dust Medicinal Shop in Old Dragon City for some reason, and he recalled the days when he had leisurely sat in the sun to read or relax.

With his hands resting behind his head, Zheng Dafeng recalled that pure and innocent young woman. It was as if he had drunk an entire vat of bitter medicine, yet he couldn’t stop himself from drinking more.

In the end, his thoughts wandered around, and he remembered that young woman who would often walk around in front of him. Zheng Dafeng shuddered in fright, and he gulped as he brought his palms together in a prayer. It was as if he were apologizing to someone as he said silently, “You’re a good person, young lady, but I truly don’t have the fortune or ability to appreciate you.”

Zhu Lian looked toward the bamboo building.

“Do you want to make a bet?” Zheng Dafeng asked. “Do you think Chen Ping’an will leave the bamboo building standing up or lying on his side?”

Zhu Lian smiled faintly and replied, “Young Master is wise and valiant and possesses paramount martial prowess, so he’ll naturally leave the room… on his side.”

“It looks like we won’t be gambling shit,” Zheng Dafeng said in exasperation.