Unsheathed

Chapter 470 (2): Haven’t You Seen a Pseudo-Celestial Weapon Before?

Chen Ping’an glanced at the sky and said to Zhao Shuxia with a smile, “Alright, let’s stop here. Remember not to neglect the six-step walking meditation, and also strive to reach five hundred thousand punches. Follow the method I taught you, and make sure to enter the fist stance before throwing a punch. You shouldn’t perform walking meditation and throw punches if anything feels off about your fist stance.

“When you become tired from practicing walking meditation, use the mantra I taught you to practice standing meditation while you rest. Both of us are slow and untalented, so we can only use the simplest methods to practice fist techniques. However, there will eventually come a day when you suddenly get hit by a stroke of enlightenment. Of course, you shouldn’t feel anxious even if this day takes a long time to arrive.”

Chen Ping’an rolled his sleeves down and lightly patted them straight. He then patted Zhao Shuxia’s shoulder and said, “Alright, that’s all I have to say.”

Zhao Shuxia wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Zhao Luan had already stood up.

“I need to discuss something with Mr. Wu before I leave,” Chen Ping’an said.

Chen Ping’an sighed softly when he found Wu Shuowen, who was currently practicing calligraphy in his room. He planned to speak the truth, but the speech that he had prepared in his mind earlier fell to pieces when it came time for him to use it.

“Mr. Wu, Luanluan is your disciple, so I technically shouldn’t be telling you what to do. However, Luanluan is at a critical point of her cultivation right now, and it’s incredibly beneficial for Qi refiners to reach the Abode Tier earlier even if it’s only by a single day. With this in mind, I’ve prepared a sum of immortal coins…”

Wu Shuowen smiled and didn’t say anything.

Chen Ping’an could only muster his courage and continue, “…As well as a few talismans, and I plan to offer these as a farewell gift. Of course, there’s also a hand copy of the Proper Sword Scripture and an immortal sword that I purchased from an immortal shop called Qu Huang. This is a replica sword, and its quality isn’t overly high. All of these things are for Shuxia to use as self-defence.

“My only request is that Mr. Wu help me keep an eye on Shuxia’s sword practice. When you feel like Shuxia has achieved initial mastery in swordsmanship, please hand the Proper Sword Scripture and Great Replica Qu Huang to him at that time. Truth be told, I would really like to take Shuxia as an unofficial disciple if Mr. Wu is willing to agree. If fate allows in the future, if Shuxia is willing, and if Mr. Wu doesn’t have any objections, then I would like to develop an official master and disciple relationship with him.”

Wu Shuowen extended a hand and gestured for Chen Ping’an to sit. Only after Chen Ping’an sat down did he smile faintly and say, “What’s wrong? Were you afraid that I was too proud to ask for help? If that’s the case, then you’re severely underestimating the position that Shuxia and Luanluan hold in my heart.”

Wu Shuowen sighed with emotion and continued, “Things are relatively okay with Shuxia, and there’s no need for me to do too much. So, it’s naturally a huge fortune for Shuxia if you’re willing to take him as an unofficial disciple and perhaps an official disciple in a few years. I have no qualms about this.

“To tell you the truth, however, I’m truly stretched thin when it comes to teaching Luanluan cultivation. Being short a single copper coin can stop a gallant hero in their tracks. I’m not asking you for praise or trying to vent my hardships, but I’ve already borrowed money from my friends in the mountains several times over the past few years for the sake of not delaying Luanluan’s cultivation.”

The old scholar was filled with emotion as he spoke, but he then chuckled and continued, “I’ve revealed my shortcomings and struggles by saying these things, so can you feel at ease and give this master and his two disciples some immortal coins now? You can feel free to give us more. My old bones are unable to fight others to the death anymore, but carrying some extra immortal coins isn’t too difficult.”

Chen Ping’an retrieved the hand copy of the Proper Sword Scripture from his minimization treasure as well as the Great Replica Qu Huang, three golden talismans, and a handful of immortal coins. He gently placed everything on the study table.

Wu Shuowen was stroking his beard and smiling in the beginning, but he fell silent for a long time after looking at the immortal coins carefully. In the end, he couldn’t help but ask, “Do you own a bank in the mountains? So be it if there are only lesser heat coins, but why are there three grain rain coins as well?!”

There was a look of astonishment on Chen Ping’an’s face as he exclaimed, “This is still too little for you? Do you truly want me to sell all of my possessions?”

Wu Shuowen didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. He hadn’t imagined that Chen Ping’an would pretend to be clueless like this, and he picked out the three grain rain coins and said firmly, “Take these back. I genuinely don’t need them, and I won’t stop you from giving me more when Luanluan advances to the Abode Tier in the future. However, I definitely won’t take them now.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t persist.

He put away the three grain rain coins that were the bulk of his wealth for this distant journey before cupping his fists and bidding farewell, saying, “There’s no need for Mr. Wu to see me off.”

Wu Shuowen stood up and replied, “Then I’ll just see you off at the entrance. I should do at least this much.”

After leaving the room and arriving at the courtyard, Chen Ping’an saw that Zhao Luan had already grabbed his bamboo hat for him.

Zhao Shuxia smiled and said, “Luanluan and I will accompany Mr. Chen to the city gates.”

Chen Ping’an accepted the bamboo hat and shook his head, saying, “There’s no need. I’m planning to travel very quickly.”

Zhao Shuxia scratched his head upon hearing this.

“Then we’ll see Mr. Chen off at the front door,” Zhao Luan said in a timid voice.

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded in response.

Wu Shuowen returned inside and looked at the various items and immortal coins on the table. He smiled and shook his head, finding this quite hard to believe. However, he quickly accepted the current situation after looking at the three golden talismans.

Chen Ping’an was still the same person as before. It was just that he had grown up from a young boy into a young man.

Wu Shuowen stroked his beard and smiled, saying, “Thanks to Luanluan, I was finally able to see more than one grain rain coin at once.”

Outside the residence…

Chen Ping’an put on his bamboo hat and got ready to fly away on his sword. His destination was the Water Combing Nation’s Sword Water Villa, and he still owed someone a hotpot meal over there.

Zhao Shuxia fared alright, and he didn’t show any obvious signs of sadness about this parting.

He continued to chat with Chen Ping’an.

On the other hand, the young girl remained silent the entire time.

As if suddenly thinking of something, Zhao Shuxia said that he would return first, and he told Luanluan to see Mr. Chen off by herself.

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but chuckle in speechlessness. Was this young boy using his smarts in the completely wrong place?

Zhao Luan lowered her head.

It was as if they wouldn’t need to part ways as long as she remained silent.

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment before eventually deciding to lightly pat the young girl’s head and call her name.

There was a slight blush on Zhao Luan’s cheeks as she looked up.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t stupid.

He could tell that the young girl was looking at him differently.

There were times when one’s romantic feelings for someone else didn’t need to be spoken. It would be clearly written in their eyes.

As such, Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment before saying softly, “Luanluan, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart. Just treat it as a small promise between us, okay?”

Zhao Luan felt slightly flustered, but she also felt a sense of anticipation.

Chen Ping’an smiled and asked, “You like me, right?”

Zhao Luan’s face instantly flushed bright red.

Chen Ping’an smiled faintly and continued, “I also like you, but not in the same sense. That’s because I already have a girl whom I like. However, you can continue to like me now, and I feel like this isn’t necessarily wrong. It’s okay for you to like the Chen Ping’an or Mr. Chen in your heart. But when you grow older in three years, five years, or even ten years, I hope that you might come across a young boy or young man who you think is very good. At that time, don’t be afraid and think things through carefully. If you realize that you truly like him, then make sure not to let the opportunity slip by, okay?”

Zhao Luan blinked upon hearing this.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll take your silence as a yes.”

He then adjusted his bamboo hat and said, “Alright, I’m off.”

Sword Immortal flew out of its scabbard, and Chen Ping’an jumped onto the sword and soared into the distance.

Zhao Luan looked up into the sky.

Someone’s head quietly poked out from behind the main gate.

However, the young boy wasn’t aware that there was someone else standing behind him as well. Moreover, this person was clearly much more experienced than he was. The old scholar quietly turned around to leave.

Zhao Luan turned around, coincidentally catching sight of her master’s back and Zhao Shuxia’s head.

She lowered her head and buried her face in her hands as she quickly ran back to the building.

Zhao Shuxia ran after Zhao Luan and promised, “Luanluan, I promise that I didn’t hear a single thing! Otherwise, I’ll take the same surname as you!”

Another voice traveled over from slightly further away, saying, “Your master genuinely didn’t see or hear anything. As a Confucian disciple, it’s only natural that I don’t look at that which is contrary to propriety and don’t listen to that which is contrary to propriety. As for Shuxia, however, that might not be the case. Your master personally saw him standing there with his bum raised and his ears pricked as he listened for half a day.”

Zhao Shuxia immediately ground to a halt and ran toward the front gates without any hesitation. Luanluan would pummel him with little control over her strength whenever her embarrassment turned into anger. Moreover, it wasn’t like he could fight back.

Above the sea of clouds, Chen Ping’an wiped away the sweat on his forehead, feeling like this way even more tiring than making two trips to Misty Mountain.

Zhu Lian truly deserved a beating — wearing the bamboo hat was absolutely useless!

After complaining, however, Chen Ping’an sat on Sword Immortal and smiled as he performed sitting meditation.

At the end of the day, he still viewed Luanluan as a little girl. Her liking other people was similar to a gluttonous child liking candied hawthorn, cakes, and so on. Her fondness was genuine, but it was more because of reliance and trust than because of actual romantic feelings. The grief and happiness from their chance encounter back then also played a huge role.

In any case, this kind of fondness was pure and innocent, so was there anything wrong with it?

Even if the young girl developed genuine feelings for someone else instead of him in the future, that would simply be another form of happiness.

“Let’s go! Let’s soar even higher!” Chen Ping’an said loudly.

However, Sword Immortal rapidly descended instead of rising up.