Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an arrived at the entrance of the villa and took off his bamboo hat.

Senior Song was still wearing a black robe, but he was no longer carrying a sword and he appeared much older than before.

There was a look of disbelief on the face of the Water Combing Nation’s sword saint, and he asked with a thick accent, “Little boy?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t know whether to nod or to shake his head, but he ultimately decided to nod anyway.

Song Yushao laughed heartily and forcefully slapped Chen Ping’an’s shoulder, saying, “Not bad, you’ve grown up so quickly that I almost didn’t recognize you. Why aren’t you wearing straw sandals and carrying a bamboo bookcase anymore? That way, I might have recognized you at a single glance.”

“Care for some hotpot?” Chen Ping’an asked with a smile.

Song Yushao didn’t respond to the question, and he instead asked, “What happened at the small town? Why did Su Lang’s sword qi suddenly stop? Did that have anything to do with you?”

Chen Ping’an nodded and replied, “I blocked Su Lang’s sword qi and sent him flying back to the small town. He most likely won’t come here to trouble Senior Song anymore.”

He didn’t make up a random reason, since Senior Song was a senior member of the cultivation world whom he respected and admired greatly. Moreover, it was extremely difficult to fool Senior Song.

However, it was oftentimes the case that the truth would sound very fake, while lies would sound very true.

For example, the old steward, Song Yushao’s grandson Song Fengshan, and his grandson’s wife Liu Qian all doubted Chen Ping’an’s words.

Only Song Yushao believed Chen Ping’an straight away, and he grabbed the young man’s arm and said, “Since the matter is resolved, let’s go inside and take a seat. There’s no hurry about the hotpot. After you treat me to some hotpot and clear your debt, you might pat your backside and leave straight away. At that time, will I still be able to ask you to stay? And it’s not like I’m able to forcefully stop you from leaving anyway.”

Song Fengshan and Liu Qian exchanged a befuddled glance with each other.

The old steward secretly gulped in astonishment.

Chen Ping’an stopped just as he was about to walk past the old steward, taking a step back before smiling and saying, “See, what did I tell you? I told you that I was very familiar with your old villa master, didn’t I? Remember not to stop me from entering next time, okay? Otherwise, I’ll directly jump over the wall.”

The old steward didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry, and he could only cup his fists and offer an apology, saying, “Young Master Chen, forgive my poor observation skills just then, and apologies for offending you.”

Chen Ping’an made a gesture of tilting his head back and drinking.

The old steward understood this and raised a thumb at Chen Ping’an.

Song Yushao dragged Chen Ping’an along with him.

Song Fengshan didn’t follow them straight away, and he asked in a quiet voice, “What’s going on, Old Qi?”

The old steward recounted his humorous interaction with Chen Ping’an to Song Fengshao, appearing very jolly as he described his embarrassing actions.

Song Fengshan raised his hand and massaged his glabella.

Liu Qian smiled and said, “Isn’t this fairly good? If word of this gets out, it will become another story praised and talked about by everyone in the cultivation world.”

The old steward chuckled in a very unreserved manner.

They sat down in the hall of the mountain villa, and Liu Qian personally poured tea for everyone.

Chen Ping’an took a sip of tea and asked in curiosity, “Chu Hao didn’t die back then?”

Song Fengshan shook his head and replied, “He’s as dead as can be, but Han Yuanshan has taken his identity now. Han Yuanshan has always been very good at disguise.”

Chen Ping’an finally understood the situation.

There had been four evil spirits in the Water Combing Nation back then: The female ghost Wei Wei in the old temple, Han Yuanshan, the member of the demonic sect who was killed by Virtuous Scholar Zhou Ju at the Sword Water Villa, and finally the person who was seemingly distant but actually right in front of him. This final person was none other than Liu Qian, Song Fengshan’s wife.

Liu Qian’s ambition was to help her husband, Song Fengshan, and to help push the fame and reputation of the Sword Water Villa to a greater height.

As for Han Yuanshan, the young master from Mount Xiaochong’s Han Clan, he was a shrewd and calculating person with wild ambitions. His methods were also outstanding, and he wanted to put pressure on a force in the cultivation world in order to obtain a position in the heart of the imperial court. It was difficult to fathom what Han Yuanshan aimed to achieve afterward.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t surprised that Han Yuanshan could achieve such a great feat, using Chu Hao’s appearance and identity to gain unrivaled power in the imperial court and cultivation world of the Water Combing Nation. However, with Song Fengshan and his wife Liu Qian holding such a critical piece of evidence regarding “Chu Hao’s” true identity as Han Yuanshan, why were they still so defenseless against the aggressiveness that Han Yuanshan was displaying toward the Sword Water Villa? Was Han Yuanshan not afraid of the Sword Water Villa doing away with all pretenses of geniality and exposing his true identity?

Song Fengshan seemingly saw through Chen Ping’an’s puzzlement, and he smiled and explained, “We’re simply putting on a show for people. This is a transaction between the two parties, and ‘Chu Hao’ is relying on this transaction to help the Unruly Saber Villa, which has pledged its alliance to him, pave a path to become the ruler of the cultivation world. Han Yuanshan knew that the Sword Water Villa wouldn’t become a lackey of the imperial court, so he started to pour all of his effort into supporting the Unruly Saber Villa’s Wang Yiran.

“We have no objections to this. Wang Yiran might care about becoming the number one force in the cultivation world, but we don’t care about this at all. We want to seize this opportunity to find a place with green mountains and limpid waters that’s far removed from the distractions of the mortal world.

“In exchange for our cooperation, Han Yuanshan will, in the name of the imperial court of the Water Combing Nation, grant us a piece of land in the mountains to build our new villa. Grandpa has already had his eyes on that piece of treasured land for a long time. In addition, Han Yuanshan will also strive to give my wife the position of a river god. Meanwhile, I’ll push aside all engagements and sever all relationships with the cultivation world so that I can practice swordsmanship in peace.”

Liu Qian wasn’t an ordinary woman, both in terms of her status and her intelligence.

There was always hope as long as one stayed alive.

“Mhm, taking a step back will ease the situation and provide much more freedom,” Chen Ping’an concurred.

“Brother Song can focus on swordsmanship, while Miss Liu can also work to secure a long-term future. In addition to this, having a mountain god temple being constructed at your old ancestral ground can also be regarded as a significant act of virtue, one that will provide ancestral blessings to your descendants. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that Senior Song and Big Brother Song should occasionally check on the situation over here in the future. If the incense offerings for the new mountain god are impure, then you should sever your relationship with them as soon as possible. Of course, this is the worst-case scenario.”

Song Yushao and Song Fengshan exchanged a smile.

Chen Ping’an immediately understood that his warning wasn’t needed. Indeed, Senior Song and Song Fengshan were both relatively familiar with the matters in the mountains, and this was especially the case since Senior Song always liked to travel around the cultivation world with his sword. Otherwise, he couldn’t have purchased a sword for Song Fengshan at the immortal ferry station of Earth Dragon Mountain.

Chen Ping’an silently told himself that there was no need to rush. He still needed to stay at the mountain villa for a few more days.

These were the private family matters of the Song Clan, after all, so it naturally wasn’t Chen Ping’an’s place as a newly arrived outsider to offer too many opinions.

In Chen Ping’an’s mind, it didn’t matter how other people ventured through the cultivation world. What mattered was that in his cultivation world, he wouldn’t simply defeat Su Lang with a single punch today, treat Song Yushao to some hotpot tomorrow, and then fly south on his sword the day after that, not thinking about anything else in the meantime. He wouldn’t simply yearn to throw the quickest punch, travel on the quickest sword, enjoy the most delightful drink, and eat the most satisfying hotpot. It wasn’t the case that life should become so simple and carefree after he learned some fist techniques and sword techniques and became moderately successful.

This wasn’t right.

Perhaps things would be different when he arrived at the unfamiliar Northern Complete Reed Continent, and perhaps he wouldn’t have so many things to worry about there.

It was with these things in mind that Chen Ping’an could only ask more about other matters to deduce the current state of the Song Clan.

However, there was one thing that Chen Ping’an was very clear about. To abandon their ancestral base here was a reflection of their courage. This was a very big deal.

Not only that, Senior Song definitely didn’t feel relaxed when he nodded and agreed to this matter.

To those in the older generation of the cultivation world, their face was more important than anything else. Senior Song belonged to this generation, and Wang Yiran could be regarded as a member of this generation too. However, the Pine Stream Nation’s Green Bamboo Sword Immortal Su Lang couldn’t necessarily be viewed as someone from this generation.

Disregarding everything else, Su Lang’s appearance this time and his decision to draw his blade in the small town were very much against the rules.

This was because according to the rules of the cultivation world that had been passed down through generation, the Water Combing Nation’s Sword Saint Song was essentially relinquishing his title as the number one swordsman in the cultivation world by publicly turning down Su Lang’s challenge without any reason and without any intention to reschedule the battle to a later date. This was similar to a Go player placing two stones in the lower right corner of the board to concede the game. The only thing that was missing was the verbal admission of defeat.

To Sword Saint Song Yushao, someone from the older generation of the cultivation world, what he had handed over with both hands was more than just his title. He had also given up the fame and reputation that he had built up over a lifetime. It could be said that he had handed over half of his life.

Song Yushao simply smiled and looked at Chen Ping’an. The young boy from back then was doing very well now! However, could he hold his alcohol any better now? And was he able to eat spicy food now? Did he still believe that drinking wine could numb the pain caused by spiciness? The old man was especially curious about whether Chen Ping’an’s proposal to the girl whom he had been thinking of day and night back then had been successful. Or had he jinxed the proposal, and the young boy had been rejected with the explanation that he was a good person?

Chen Ping’an felt slightly puzzled once again after listening to Song Fengshan’s relatively reasonable explanation, and he couldn’t help but ask, “So, what’s going on with Su Lang? Judging by his aura at the small town when he was about to launch his sword strike, there was no doubt that he wanted to engage in a life-and-death battle with Senior Song. He didn’t merely want to see who had superior swordsmanship.”

It was Song Yushao who personally addressed Chen Ping’an’s puzzlement this time, explaining, “I’m afraid that the sword god from the Colorful Garment Nation whom I respected the most back then was only at the same level that Su Lang is at now. Su Lang possesses exceptional talent, and he wants to find a whetstone to help him stabilize his cultivation base after breaking through. After casting his gaze over a dozen or so nations, he’s decided that I’m also a swordsman, and my reputation is also good enough. At the same time, I’m only one cultivation base weaker than him… Even if I’m only half a cultivation base weaker, I’m still a perfect whetstone for him to take advantage of.”

Song Yushao actually had little interest in drinking tea, but he was seldom able to drink wine anymore, only being able to do so during the New Year or other festivals. His grandson and granddaughter-in-law were extremely strict, and it was almost as if they were guarding against a thief. He had no way around this, so he could only pretend in his mind that he was drinking the blandest wine in the world. Something was better than nothing, after all.

“However, Su Lang’s insistence to fight me caused two issues,” the old man continued. “Firstly, it wouldn’t matter much if I agreed to the battle, even if I lost and even if I died. However, the battle would detrimentally affect the transaction between us and Han Yuanshan.”

Song Yushao drank a sip of tea after saying this, and Liu Qian hurriedly stood up to refill his cup.

“It won’t taste like wine regardless of how many liters of tea I drink. Now that Chen Ping’an is here, it’s not very hospitable to welcome our guest with tea, is it?” Song Yushao grumbled.

Liu Qian was just about to sit down, but she continued to stand since her grandfather-in-law was asking her a question. She smiled faintly and replied, “Grandpa, we’ll listen to Fengshan regarding this matter.”

Song Fengshan put on a stern expression and said, “During the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, Grandpa already drank enough wine to cover the Winter Commencement and the Little New Year.”[1]

Song Yushao sighed and didn’t persist.

Chen Ping’an was quite happy seeing this, as he could tell that the relationship between Song Yushao and his grandson was much more harmonious now. It was no longer like before when there was an unopenable knot in both of their hearts.

Song Yushao continued to explain the situation to Chen Ping’an, with a look of self-ridicule in his eyes as he continued, “If I lost the battle, then judging by the character of those in the cultivation world of the Water Combing Nation nowadays, countless people would definitely kicked me while I was down, not relenting even after we relocated our mountain villa afterward. Everyone would want to stomp on us or at least spit some phlegm at us.

“If I died in battle, then Han Yuanshan might even go back on his word and allow Wang Yiran to directly engulf the Sword Water Villa. Sword saint of the Water Combing Nation? This title isn’t even worth half a copper coin anymore. Anyhow, it’s a shame that with Su Lang’s intensity and vigor, he wanted to obtain something tangible after already obtaining the intangible. This is human nature, but it somewhat goes against the rules of the cultivation world adhered to by the older generation. But is there any point in talking about these old rules anymore? They’re nothing more than a joke now.”

Song Fengshan wanted to say something, but he couldn’t help but hesitate.

Song Yushao waved his hand and said with a chuckle, “There’s no need to overthink these matters; I’m just voicing some grievances in front of Chen Ping’an. Are you not familiar with your grandpa’s temper? If I were truly unable to let these trivial matters go, then I wouldn’t have agreed to Han Yuanshan’s proposal in the first place. At the end of the day, all of this is due to me being weaker than the others. I’ve been unable to overcome that barrier this entire time, and it’s because of this that Su Lang was given an opportunity to overtake me. Which swordsman doesn’t want to stand at the pinnacle, unrivaled by anyone else?”

After voluntarily speaking from the perspective of Su Lang, Song Yushao said some things to the cultivation world which he was currently residing in. However, it was a shame that there was already no one who would listen to his words.

“In the cultivation world encompassing a dozen or so nations in the past, the Colorful Garment Nation’s sword god was the most renowned and reputable of us all. Even though the Ancient Elm Nation’s Lin Gushan didn’t know how to behave, even though I was unworthy of my position and liked to travel around, and even though Su Lang was incisive and ambitious, the cultivation world was still filled with energy and vigor no matter what. There were paths for people to take no matter who they wanted to emulate.

“Now, however, the old sword god is dead and Lin Gushan is also dead. I can be regarded as half-dead, so there’s only Su Lang left. If Su Lang wants to occupy that pinnacle position, no one will stop him as long as his swordsmanship has reached the corresponding height. However, I’m afraid of Su Lang setting a bad example, causing the young sword cultivators in the cultivation world to lack that sense of respect and righteousness in the future, thinking that rules can be trampled on and that they can kill whoever they want as long as they’re strong enough.

“This would be like… you, Chen Ping’an, or Song Fengshan being the wealthiest person in the region. If you want to, you can naturally spend a fortune in the brothel to embrace the most beautiful and expensive courtesan. However, this doesn’t then imply that you can take advantage of your wealth and influence to wantonly humiliate ordinary maidens on the street.”

“I’ve never been to a brothel before,” Chen Ping’an interjected in exasperation.

Upon catching sight of the pseudo smile playing on Liu Qian’s lips as she lowered her head to drink tea, Song Fengshan hurriedly concurred, “I’ve never visited one either! Never in my life!”

People became wiser with age, after all, and Song Yushao dug a hole for his grandson without any warning in advance. He smiled at Liu Qian and informed, “If a man has genuinely never visited a brothel before, or if he doesn’t have any intentions of visiting one, then he won’t refute the accusation so staunchly. He’ll simply dismiss the suggestion with a nonchalant smile.”

Liu Qian nodded lightly and said in a soft voice, “That does seem to be the case.”

Chen Ping’an and Song Fengshan exchanged a glance, and there was seemingly blame in Song Fengshan’s eyes in addition to grief and vexation. It was all Chen Ping’an’s fault for interjecting first!

You have the face to blame me? How many years have you been in the cultivation world, Song Fengshan? And how many years have I been in the cultivation world?

Chen Ping’an winked and said, “In any case, I’ve genuinely never visited one before.”

Song Fengshan was stupefied upon hearing this.

This person was absolutely devilish!

Liu Qian covered her mouth and giggled.

Song Yushao roared with laughter and remarked, “By the looks of it, you haven’t wasted your time in the cultivation world over the past few years.”

Song Fengshan shook his head upon hearing this, and he turned to his wife and said, “Actually, let’s bring some wine over. Otherwise, I’ll feel unhappy and uncomfortable.”

Liu Qian stood up and walked away to grab some wine. Song Yushao was able to benefit from this, and even his voice became louder as he talked.

1. The Little New Year, also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God, is a festival in the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. It honors the Kitchen God and takes place roughly a week before the Chinese New Year. ☜