Unsheathed

As if everyone had made an agreement with each other, Downtrodden Mountain saw a stream of visitors over the next few days.

They were all cultivators from the nearby mountains and immortal forces, and they were either staying in their mountains to cultivate or staying in this region to facilitate easier communication with the Great Li Empire. Most of these cultivators were Golden Core Tier earth immortals, and even the weakest cultivators were still at the Dragon Gate Tier.

Chen Ping’an didn’t dare to say that he was flawless when hosting guests and discussing matters with them, but he was at least able to avoid making any big mistakes.

Afterward, however, there arrived two groups of visitors that Chen Ping’an hadn’t expected at all. They were familiar faces, and they could be regarded as friends of Chen Ping’an.

The two groups of visitors had come from the north and the south.

One group came from the capital of the Great Li Empire, and the group consisted of a master and his two disciples.

They found the pastry shop, and it was coincidentally being managed by Shi Rou when they arrived. Both sides were alert and on guard against each other, and after feeling each other out, Shi Rou returned to Downtrodden Mountain to inform Chen Ping’an of the situation.

Chen Ping’an immediately went to the small town with Shi Rou, and they were, of course, followed by Pei Qian.

After they arrived at the pastry shop on Dragon Riding Alley, the master and his two disciples were almost unable to recognize Chen Ping’an.

In contrast, Chen Ping’an was able to recognize them at a single glance. Just like before, the blind old Daoist priest was still carrying on his back the peach wood sword that he had crafted himself and wearing on his waist a string of silver bells. His Daoist robes were aged, and he was still walking around in straw sandals. With this kind of appearance, it was obviously very difficult for the blind old Daoist priest to get any business.

The blind old Daoist priest’s Dao title was Xuan Guzi, and he was familiar with some lightning-element techniques. He was traveling around the world with two disciples that he had “picked up,” and during his first encounter with Chen Ping’an, he had failed to obtain any benefits from the female ghost in the wedding dress and almost died by her hands instead. It could be said that Xuan Guzi and his two disciples had once overcome adversity with Chen Ping’an. When bidding farewell to each other back then, Xuan Guzi had given Chen Ping’an the Mountain Scouring Album that had been passed down by his seniors, and Chen Ping’an had given the lame young boy carrying the banner a snake gall pebble.

The round-faced little girl with the nickname Jiu’er was special in the sense that her blood could be used as talisman spring water, something extremely rare in the talismanic branch. However, this also meant that her face was always slightly pale.

The “little lame lad” had already grown up to become a sturdy young man, while Little Jiu’er had also grown quite a bit taller. Her round face had also become slightly sharper and a healthier shade of pink, and she was already a lithe young girl.

The last time Chen Ping’an visited Li Baoping at Mountain Cliff Academy, the young girl had mentioned Jiu’er and said that she missed her a lot. Back then, the little girl wearing the bright red jacket had gotten along very well with Little Jiu’er.

The lame young man and Jiu’er didn’t dare to greet Chen Ping’an — they weren’t sure if this was actually him.

One reason was because their previous encounter had been approximately seven years ago, and Chen Ping’an had transformed from a young boy wearing straw sandals and clearing the path with a machete to a young man dressed in azure robes and carrying a sword on his back. Another reason was that Chen Ping’an still appeared slightly emaciated even though he was able to rest well and keep healthy at Downtrodden Mountain. However, his cheeks were no longer as terrifyingly sunken as they had been at Bamboo Scroll Lake, or else Xuan Guzi’s two disciples would have been even more reluctant to greet him as Chen Ping’an.

In any case, they eventually managed to confirm that he was indeed Chen Ping’an.

Xuan Guzi was extremely delighted, and Chen Ping’an smiled and asked them whether they had eaten yet. Hearing that they hadn’t, Chen Ping’an immediately brought them to one of the busiest restaurants in the small town.

After sitting down, the old Daoist priest took a sip of wine before stroking his beard and asking with a smile, “Young Master Chen, why isn’t Miss Ruan looking after the store anymore?”

When parting ways back then, Chen Ping’an had told them that they could look for Ruan Xiu in Dragon Riding Alley when they visited the small town. However, Xuan Guzi hadn’t entertained the thought of settling down in the small town back then, so he had eventually left for the capital of the Great Li Empire, hoping to take a gamble and achieve big success and obtain immense wealth there.

However, the measly cultivation bases of the Daoist priest and his two disciples paled significantly in comparison to the talented individuals residing in the capital. Xuan Guzi hadn’t been willing to reveal Jiu’er’s talent and background either, so this had further sealed their fate and left them with little success in the capital. They had only earned a few thousand taels of mortal gold and silver after toiling away for the past few years. This was naturally a huge amount of wealth compared to ordinary families in the capital, but it was nothing more than a measly few snowflake coins in the eyes of cultivators. And what could a few snowflake coins do? This had truly been a deflating experience.

Afterward, Xuan Guzi heard some scattered pieces of news about Dragon Spring Prefecture. Of course, he hadn’t obtained these pieces of news via immortal inns or immortal reports — he couldn’t afford to live in such inns or buy such reports. Rather, he had caught a whiff of these small and scattered rumors that he didn’t need to pay a single copper coin for.

In the end, Xuan Guzi had pieced together the truth that had astounded both him and his two disciples. It was extremely likely that Ruan Xiu, the young girl looking after the shop and greeting guests back then, was actually the only daughter of Sage Ruan Qiong!

The old Daoist priest had initially been too embarrassed to return to the small town, and he hadn’t exactly dared to either. After all, the lame young man had come from a questionable background. As such, he had wasted several more years in the capital.

However, he was genuinely unable to toil away in the capital any longer, so he finally decided to return to Dragon Spring Prefecture to try his luck. His luck was quite good as it turned out, and he was actually able to come across Chen Ping’an again, the real owner of Downtrodden Mountain.

However, the human heart was fluid like water, and this was nothing more than a lucky chance encounter. Xuan Guzi was also unable to say for sure whether staying in the completely transformed small town would truly bring him a bright and prosperous future. Many years had passed, after all, so who knew what kind of changes Chen Ping’an’s temperament might have undergone?

Thus, even though the blind old Daoist priest looked like he was drinking happily as he recounted the calamity from back then as an interesting story, he was actually feeling very worried on the inside. He continued to pray in his mind, thinking to himself, Chen Ping’an, please hurry up and invite me to stay. It doesn’t matter even if you’re only asking out of politeness, and I’ll definitely take the olive branch and make the most out of it. As a young man who was able to develop a good relationship with Sage Ruan Qiong’s only daughter, I doubt that you’ll be too stingy to spare a few immortal coins. After all, are you truly willing to damage your image in front of the unreachably lofty Miss Ruan?

However, it was a shame that Chen Ping’an didn’t make any offer for the Daoist priest and his two disciples to stay at Dragon Spring Prefecture from the beginning to the end. He simply drank and reminisced about the past with them.

Pei Qian sat on the same bench as Chen Ping’an and barely said a word.

Chen Ping’an introduced Pei Qian as his disciple, and Pei Qian almost couldn’t stop herself from chiming in and adding that she was the opening disciple.

Shi Rou didn’t go to the restaurant with them.

Due to Chen Ping’an’s apparent inability to judge the situation and Xuan Guzi’s unwillingness to embarrass himself and ask to stay, they surprisingly ate and drank their fill and reached the end of the meal without any mention of this matter. Xuan Guzi had no option but to accept this fate and bid farewell.

While standing on the street outside the restaurant, Chen Ping’an finally said, “I live in Downtrodden Mountain now, and this mountain can be regarded as my own. The next time you pass Dragon Spring Prefecture, you can feel free to visit the mountain. I might not be present, but someone will definitely receive you as long as you say my name.

“Oh, that’s right, Miss Ruan resides in Divine Elegance Mountain now because that’s where her father’s Dragon Spring Sword Sect and its ancestral hall are located. I only just returned home from a distant journey not too long ago, but Miss Ruan also mentioned you when I was chatting with her. She hasn’t forgotten about you, so you can also visit Divine Elegance Mountain to look for her in the future.”

A smile spread across Xuan Guzi’s face as he said that he would definitely visit these two places in the future.

Chen Ping’an had developed a very good impression of the lame young man and Jiu’er back then, so he smiled faintly and said to them, “Take care during your travels. I hope it won’t be so long before we meet each other again.”

The lame young man carrying the large banner nodded in response.

Jiu’er also smiled faintly and nodded in reply.

Pei Qian cupped her fists, feigning an air of maturity as she said, “Green mountains unchanged and flowing rivers never dry, we’ll meet again in the future!”

They bid farewell to each other, and Xuan Guzi left the small town with his two disciples, slowly making their way to Red Candle Town.

Chen Ping’an remained standing in the same spot.

“Master?” Pei Qian asked in a quiet voice.

Chen Ping’an patted her head and said, “I’m naturally willing to let the three of them stay, but the toils of life aren’t so simple, and people often fail to cherish what’s given to them too easily. Since the old Daoist priest wasn’t able to bring himself to ask me about staying here, it signifies that he doesn’t truly need to stay at Dragon Spring Prefecture to make a living.

“Moreover, them staying here would be a long-term matter where we’ll end up interacting with each other all the time. As such, it will be increasingly difficult for us to keep things secret from each other. Rather than having this detrimentally affect our relationship, we’re better off being realistic with each other right from the very beginning. Otherwise, what I view as a kind gesture might not be viewed the same way by them. Both sides will have their own perspectives and reasons at that time, so how can we still part ways in an amicable fashion?”

Chen Ping’an sighed and continued, “Of course, it’s also possible that my assumption is incorrect. As such, I’ll ask Wei Bo to keep an eye on the situation to see whether they truly have some unspeakable pains or are truly facing some insurmountable challenges, yet are unwilling to ask me for help because they don’t want to cause trouble for me. If that’s the case, then I’ll ask you to invite them back to Dragon Spring Prefecture.”

Pei Qian nodded in response. Whether or not she understood her master’s explanation wasn’t very important, as her master would always be right anyway. However, she still felt slightly puzzled, so she asked, “Why did Master purposely mention Big Sister Xiuxiu to them?”

Chen Ping’an smiled faintly and replied, “Because your master hoped that they would stay.”

Pei Qian was at a complete loss, and she was unable to untangle the complicated web of matters no matter how hard she wracked her brain. In the end, she sighed in grief and gave up on trying to understand the situation. The lunar almanac said that today was a bad day for thinking.

Pei Qian suddenly lowered her voice and said, “It seems that the old Daoist priest’s eyes were blinded by an arc of lightning that’s chaotically flashing around in his belly.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and explained, “Lightning techniques are regarded as the mightiest of all techniques, but apart from the Divine Edict Sect and a few other large immortal forces, all of the so-called Five Lightning Righteous Techniques passed down by the other forces in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent are nothing more than fragmented and unorthodox techniques. As a result, cultivating these techniques will lead to detrimental side effects and backlashes.

“As time goes on, this will either drain one’s lifespan, fracture one’s Great Dao, or force one to take countermeasures and sacrifice one acupoint. For example, one can choose to go blind, have one’s intestines destroyed, have one’s bonded item be corroded, and so on and so forth. Many people cultivating unorthodox lightning element techniques suffer miserable fates because of this.”

Pei Qian was astonished upon hearing this.

“Cultivation isn’t all about enjoying a life of good fortune,” Chen Ping’an said.

Pei Qian nodded earnestly and said, “And that’s why I don’t cultivate and only practice martial arts!”

Chen Ping’an immediately grabbed her by the ear.

“Master, I’ll definitely work even harder to perform walking meditation, and I’ll definitely endure more hardships!” Pei Qian howled in grief.

Afterward, Chen Ping’an went to the old private school with Pei Qian.

Chen Ping’an stood outside the window, and Pei Qian stood on her tippytoes and rested her chin on the windowsill as she looked inside.

“Have you thought about it yet? Do you want to go to the private school run by the Dragon Tail Creek Chen Clan?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Pei Qian remained unmoving as she replied in a gloomy voice, “I’ll go if Master wants me to go, I guess. In any case, no one will gang up to bully me, no one will abuse me for being dark-skinned, and no one will laugh at me for being short…”

Chen Ping’an didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry, and he said in a gentle voice, “If you truly don’t want to go, then you can read and study with Zhu Lian in the mountains in the future, or you can even do so with Zheng Dafeng. In fact, Zheng Dafeng is also a very knowledgeable person. However, I suggest that you attend the private school for a period of time regardless of whether you like it or not. Perhaps you’ll enjoy it so much that I won’t even be able to drag you away in the future. If you truly find it unsuitable after a while, then you can choose to return to Downtrodden Mountain at that time.”

“Can I still wear my sword and saber on one hip when I go to the private school?” Pei Qian asked.

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “No, you need to have the correct attitude and mindset when you study.”

This was non-negotiable.

No matter how much Chen Ping’an pampered his disciple, Pei Qian, he definitely wouldn’t be lenient when it came to enforcing the necessary rules.

No matter how much seniors and guardians liked the innocence and liveliness of children, they shouldn’t allow these children to be unrestrained during the age when they most needed to learn about rules and boundaries.

Pei Qian didn’t say anything.

“This matter isn’t urgent, so you have until I leave to make up your mind,” Chen Ping’an said.

Pei Qian still remained unmoving as she asked, “Can Master not leave if I attend the private school?”

Chen Ping’an reached over and placed a hand on her head, falling silent as he gazed at the old private school.

The sadness of children was often like ever-changing wind and mist.

When Chen Ping’an brought Pei Qian a stick of tanghulu and the two of them walked back to Downtrodden Mountain, Pei Qian was already smiling happily as she asked about all kinds of things.

Elsewhere, Xuan Guzi was in a brilliant mood as he privately told the lame young man and Jiu’er that they could return to Dragon Spring Prefecture to make a name for themselves after wandering around in the outside world for a few months to a year.

Soon after the blind old Daoist priest and his two disciples left Dragon Spring Prefecture, a man and a woman arrived at Downtrodden Mountain.

They had traveled for approximately five to six years, either walking on foot as they traversed famous mountains and lands or traveling by intercontinental ships as they crossed large stretches of land. After all this time, they finally made it from the Azure Phoenix Nation in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent’s southeast to the Great Li Empire in the continent’s northernmost region.

The man was Scholar Liu Qingshan from the Azure Phoenix Nation’s Lion Garden.

The woman was Daoist Nun Liu Boqi from Stalactite Mountain’s Daoist Saber Room.

The Dao saber that Liu Boqi carried around was called Jing God, and it was ranked seventeenth in Stalactite Mountain’s Daoist Saber Room. Meanwhile, her bonded item was also a saber, one by the name of Jiazuo.

It was through conflict that Chen Ping’an had become acquainted with Liu Boqi, and the relationship between them naturally wasn’t the best. They couldn’t be regarded as friends.

On the other hand, he naturally enjoyed a hearty conversation with Liu Qingshan.

Compared to how haughty and domineering Liu Boqi had been at Lion Garden, she was much more restrained now that she was at Downtrodden Mountain.

Firstly, Chen Ping’an appeared increasingly strange. Secondly, the hunchbacked old man Zhu Lian was even more difficult to deal with. Thirdly, and most importantly, that bamboo building was not only exuding an extraordinary immortal aura, but there was an even more astonishing aura radiating from the second floor.

There was one good thing about Liu Boqi, in that she wasn’t hesitant or indecisive. If she were more powerful than someone, then she wouldn’t hold back or go easy on them. If the opposite were true, however, then she would acknowledge the fact and wouldn’t get bothered at all.

Chen Ping’an took them on a tour around Downtrodden Mountain, eventually arriving at the temple on the mountain peak.

Liu Qingfeng said that apart from visiting Chen Ping’an, they had also come here to get a more favorable position to watch the large-scale Deity Night Travel Banquet. Of course, they definitely needed to visit Forest Deer Academy as well.

Chen Ping’an naturally agreed to their request, saying that he could organize two good seats for them in the areas assigned to Cloud Drape Mountain and Forest Deer Academy.

Compared to back then in Lion Garden’s scripture library, Liu Qingfeng was now more scholarly and refined and also a bit more outstanding. This was a good thing.

One day later, Chen Ping’an realized that something was not quite right. Liu Boqi was surprisingly referring to Zhu Lian as Mr. Zhu whenever she saw him. Not only that, but she was doing so in an extremely sincere manner.

Chen Ping’an didn’t ask Wei Bo, and he instead asked Cheng Shuidong, the old flood dragon from the Yellow Court Nation, whether Liu Qingfeng could stay at Forest Deer Academy. After dealing with this matter, Chen Ping’an asked Zhu Lian about Liu Boqi’s strange behavior as they made their way back to Downtrodden Mountain.

Zhu Lian chuckled and replied, “This old servant simply quoted something from the books, and Liu Boqi appreciated what I said.”

Chen Ping’an’s interest was piqued, and he asked, “What did you say to her?”

Zhu Lian casually pointed at a lush mountain in the distance and said, “Charming the green mountains appear in my eyes; likewise, the green mountains also see me so.”[1]

Chen Ping’an faltered for a moment before feeling deeply impressed by Zhu Liuan.

Wasn’t that woman, Liu Boqi, most susceptible to these kinds of principles?

Chen Ping’an patted Zhu Lian’s shoulder and remarked, “What a sly old fox from the cultivation world!”

Zhu Lian put on a serious expression and said, “You flatter me. I’m simply learning from my seniors and doing a little better.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly sighed with emotion. After leaving Downtrodden Mountain, and especially after he traveled to the Northern Complete Reed Continent, he would most likely go several years without hearing these words of flattery anymore.

————

It was late one night that Chen Ping’an secretly went to the immortal ferry station located on Ox Horn Mountain.

Pei Qian was actually aware of this, but she pretended that she didn’t know. Moreover, compared to the confusion and sense of loss she had felt following her first extended period separated from Chen Ping’an, she felt like things were relatively okay this time around. However, she still felt empty on the inside following the departure of her master.

She genuinely flipped through the lunar almanac for the first time, and she discovered that the day her master left Downtrodden Mountain was a day suitable for distant travels.

Liu Qingfeng and Liu Boqi were temporarily staying at Forest Deer Academy.

The Night Travel Banquet was about to commence.

Meanwhile, another reunion took place at Red Candle Town.

Li Baoping and Jiu’er came across each other again.

As it turned out, the Great Sui Nation’s Mountain Cliff Academy had organized an excursion for its pupils, and they were taking this opportunity to spectate the Night Travel Banquet hosted by the Great Li Empire’s Northern Mountain as well. Mao Xiaodong was the leader of the group of pupils, which also included Li Baoping, Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, and Xie Xie.

Xuan Guzi didn’t dare to take advantage of the situation and rely on his disciple’s friendship with Li Baoping to return to Dragon Spring Prefecture with the group of disciples.

After all, the status of Sage Mao from Mountain Cliff Academy was far too terrifying.

Atop the peak of Go Table Mountain…

A slender young girl in red was standing there in a daze.

She was no longer a little girl.

Her demeanor had completely transformed over the past few years, and Little Baoping who had always been busily running around the academy had suddenly calmed down and become quieter. She became more and more knowledgeable, but she also spoke less and less at the same time. Of course, she was also becoming more and more beautiful.

A bird soared past overhead, and the young girl gazed up at the sky.

What did the books say again?

Call of the flying bird like an invitation to the guest, an immortal calling me to soar through the clouds.

————

There were strong winds and a light downpour.

In the Colorful Garment Nation located in the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, there was a young traveler dressed in azure, wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a sword on his back as he traveled south through a mountain pass near the Blusher Prefecture.

1. An extract from Xin Qiji’s work《贺新郎·甚矣吾衰矣》. Xin Qiji was a Chinese poet, calligrapher, and military general during the Southern Song dynasty. Green mountains symbolize a noble character, so this quote refers to a person having the pure and noble determination of preferring loneliness over becoming complicit with immoral people. ☜