Unsheathed

Chapter 474 (2): The Cultivation World Still Has Chen Ping’an

Song Yushao accompanied Song Fengshan to the Mountain and Water Pavilion where Wei Wei was still sitting and swinging her legs back and forth.

Song Fengshan hastily walked away.

Meanwhile, Song Yushao stepped into the pavilion.

Wei Wei turned around, putting on a pitiful expression as she said, “Please don’t retrieve an ancient almanac from your sleeves, Sword Saint.”

Song Yushao smiled and replied, “After not traveling around the cultivation world for many years, my old almanac has truly become an ancient almanac.”

Wei Wei sighed and revealed, “When you were still traveling around the cultivation world, troublemakers like me all hoped dearly that you would die as quickly as possible, lest we feel worried and fearful every single day that you would open your lunar almanac and see the words: today is a good day for feeding the sword. Looking back now, it wouldn’t have been all good if you had truly passed away early. For example, that mountain beast who became a mountain god wouldn’t have dared to act so wantonly and harm so many people if you were still roaming around the cultivation world. He wouldn’t have almost succeeded in kidnapping me to become his wife.”

Song Yushao was extremely frank and merciless, saying to Wei Wei’s face, “Lowly people and ghosts like you will only learn your lessons if you suffer at the hands of your ilk.”

Wei Wei was extremely amused by this, and she swayed back and forth as she laughed.

Song Yushao glanced at her and said, “Your coquettish aura is ruining the feng shui of my villa. Are you looking for a beating?”

Wei Wei hurriedly sat up straight and asked in a quiet voice, “Old Senior, can I please ask you a question?”

Song Yushao chuckled in ridicule and jeered, “Old Senior? Just how old are you, woman? Are you not aware of this?”

Wei Wei was truly frustrated and angry about how stubborn and pedantic this old geezer was. However, the Water Combing Nation was in a very peculiar state right now, and the Sword Water Villa was also strange in many different aspects. Liu Qian was also a heartless woman, not thinking about her old friend at all and instead thinking about the crappy villa that was soon going to become a mountain god temple. As for Song Fengshan, Wei Wei didn’t dare to tease him at all, as she would definitely incur a loss if she accidentally offended Liu Qian. As such, she could only try to get on the good side of Song Yushao.

Wei Wei mustered her courage and asked, “Can Han Yuanshan continue to disguise himself as Chu Hao and keep a firm grip on the imperial court of the Water Combing Nation?”

Song Yushao clicked his tongue in wonder and asked, “Aren’t you his lover? Why are you asking me instead of him? No wonder you were at the mercy of a mere pig spirit.”

Wei Wei smiled bitterly and said, “Old Senior is well aware of what kind of person Han Yuanshan is. He’s especially fond of going back on his word, so even if someone makes a good deal with him, it’s hard to say when they’ll be backstabbed and sold out by Han Yuanshan. Has there been any shortage of people being sold out by him in the past few years?

“I’m genuinely afraid of him now, so even though I’m leaving my mountain to try and become a small mountain god in the region, I still don’t dare to mention my plans to Han Yuanshan. I can only follow the rules obediently, giving him the promised money and women. However, I’m worried that after going through much difficulty to borrow the influence of that virtuous scholar from the academy to sever my relationship with Han Yuanshan, I might accidentally hand myself over on a silver platter in the future.

“After Han Yuanshan remembers my presence and clears out my wealth, perhaps the new mountain god in this area will target me to establish their dominance after they receive a promotion. After all, who won’t clap and cheer in joy at the news of my death, one of four evil spirits of the Water Combing Nation?”

“It appears that you’re not stupid,” Song Yushao said.

Wei Wei sighed in grief and said, “It was because I was stupid that I died the first time around. Now, however, I can’t be so stupid that I even fail to stay alive as a ghost, right?”

Song Yushao was seemingly prepared for this conversation, and he replied, “Regarding your intention to become a mountain god, I can ask Fengshan and Liu Qian to help you with this matter. In exchange, you need to help us keep an eye on this area in addition to giving us the rightful amount of immortal coins. We don’t trust the local mountain god, and if the mountains and waters in this area are ruined, we’ll still be affected even if we’ve already moved away.”

“Would you and the villa have taken the initiative to help me even if I didn’t ask?” Wei Wei asked in an uncertain voice.

Song Yushao chuckled coldly and replied, “Then pretend I didn’t say anything just then. Why don’t you sit around and wait for a while longer?”

Wei Wei’s expression became awkward, and she lightly slapped herself and said, “Ignore my dirty mouth. Old Senior is an admirable and gallant hero, and every word you say is a promise set in stone! Otherwise, why does Chen Ping’an respect Old Senior so much? You might not know this, Old Senior, but that young man only launched a single sword strike at the old temple to shatter the godly body of that despicable mountain god. “He was a legitimate mountain god appointed by the imperial court, yet he still suffered such a miserable death where not a single scrap of his corpse was left. Afterward, Chen Ping’an didn’t suffer any backlash from the mountains and rivers either. As young and impressive as that sword immortal is, doesn’t he still display deep respect toward Old Senior? At the end of the day, all of this is a reflection of Old Senior’s greatness.”

Song Yushao stroked his beard and said with a smile, “Even though these are merely perfunctory words and emotions to satisfy the current situation, they do indeed satisfy the current situation very well.”

Wei Wei smiled beautifully upon hearing this.

However, Song Yushao unexpectedly added, “Doing too much is sometimes detrimental, and it might end up repulsing other people instead.”

Wei Wei huffed in response.

After falling silent for a moment, she asked, “Old Senior, you’re not going to head over to observe the open and hidden arguments?”

Song Yushao offered a strange reply, saying, “Drinking tea is bland.”

Wei Wei went along with this and said with a smile, “Then I’ll visit again to drink with Old Senior afterward?”

Song Yushao replied with a single word, saying, “Scram.”

Things wouldn’t improve for Wei Wei even if she felt embarrassed and angry.

Over at the meeting hall…

There wasn’t actually any deep and intricate argument taking place.

This was because none of the three women could get a word in, not the Great General’s wife, Lady Chu, and nor Wang Shanhu or Han Yuanxue.

After entering the villa, an elderly carriage driver who was hunchbacked and murky-eyed suddenly wiped his face and stood up straight, instantly transforming into Chu Hao.

This was a huge surprise for everyone.

Lady Chu, whether she shared a bed or not with Han Yuanshan or not, was his wife, after all, yet even she hadn’t managed to recognize “Chu Hao.” As such, it went without saying that no one else in the convoy had managed to recognize him.

Compared to discussing matters with Song Fengshan who was fully focused on the Sword Dao, Han Yuanshan was clearly more solemn and serious as he discussed matters with Liu Qian.

Lady Chu felt the most aggrieved and indignant out of everyone. When Han Yuanshan had placed a lofty Dragon Gate Tier immortal in the convoy, Lady Chu had initially felt that the heartless man was finally showing some deep feelings for her in a rare sight. In the end, however, it turned out that Han Yuanshan had simply done this for the sake of his own safety. Lady Chu had been flattering herself for nothing.

For some reason, the baby-faced Han Yuanxue still felt uncomfortable every time she saw Great General “Chu Hao.”

As for Wang Shanhu, she was the most simple-minded in comparison to the two other women. She simply wanted to come here to take a glance at Song Fengshan — the handsome and talented swordsman whom she had once admired — and let him know that she was doing very well right now. She was now married to a man who was far better than any man from the cultivation world. He was a prefectural overseer and a future pillar official of the Water Combing Nation. On the other hand, Song Fengshan was about to be kicked out of his ancestral residence and be forced to drift around the cultivation world. How could he compare to her husband?

However, it was a pity that Song Fengshan remained polite to her, showing her no particular emotion but this.

This caused Wang Shanhu to feel slightly deflated.

Liu Qian was well aware of these matters, but she never dwelled on them, simply thinking that Wang Shanhu had never understood her husband properly. Even if she, Liu Qian, hadn’t entered Song Fengshan’s life, he still wouldn’t have fallen in love with Wang Shanhu. She was too proud and haughty. This wasn’t to say that women couldn’t be proud, but her habit of being haughty at every moment and her tendency to fight for victory over every small matter made her appear like a small porcupine. Perhaps there were men who liked this, but Song Zhengfeng definitely wasn’t one of these men.

There was no outsider in the meeting hall.

Even the two old immortals from the mountains weren’t invited into the meeting hall, and they could only shut their doors and cultivate in their own accommodation. When cultivators left the mountains to dip their toes in mortal affairs, it was even more important for them to remain calm and composed. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be tempering their hearts, and they would instead be grinding away their cultivation and wasting away their Dao Heart.

After Liu Qian discussed with Han Yuanshan some matters that could be discussed with the three other women around, she took the initiative to lead the three of them out of the meeting room, leaving only Song Fengshan and the most powerful official of the Water Combing Nation.

The four women went for a walk around the mountain villa, and Han Yuanxue still found everything very new and fresh even though this was already her second time in the villa. She was a naive and innocent person who spoke without restraint, and she was sighing in pity and saying that it would be a big shame to move away from a place as good as this. There was chatter and smiles as Liu Qian walked alongside the woman who remained innocent even after she married an official.

In contrast, Lady Chu felt extremely uncomfortable in the Sword Water Villa, the territory of her nemesis. However, her own husband wasn’t supporting her, and the Sword Water Villa was enjoying fortune thanks to misfortune. Not only had an outsider interfered in the matter and forcefully blocked Su Lang from challenging Song Yushao, but this outsider had further announced to the cultivation world of the Water Combing Nation that the Sword Water Villa also had friends from the mountains. In this way, it would be increasingly difficult for Lady Chu to target and suppress the Sword Water Villa and Song Yushao in the future.

Wang Shanhu appeared slightly absent-minded.

Even though she had married a refined scholar with a bright future in the officialdom and was good in all aspects, with the relationship between them also very cordial, she couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of disappointment in the depths of her heart as someone who had grown up in the cultivation world. Whenever it was late at night, whenever she was alone, or whenever she heard the trusted members of the Unruly Saber Villa casually mentioning gratitudes and grudges in the cultivation world, Wang Shanhu would involuntarily feel a ripple in her heart.

When Han Yuanxue mentioned the assassination attempt that they had faced on their way here as well as the young swordsman in azure who had suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, both Lady Chu and Wang Shanhu pricked their ears up at almost exactly the same time.

Liu Qian didn’t keep things a secret, and she revealed with a smile, “That person is my grandpa’s friend.”

After pausing for a moment, she suddenly gave away another clue, saying, “In fact, both Shanhu and Yuanxue are familiar with him.”

Han Yuanxue widened her watery eyes, pointing at herself and asking with incredulity, “I’m familiar with such an immortal? How come I’m not aware of this myself?”

Wang Shanhu also felt very puzzled, but she didn’t open her mouth to inquire about anything. It was as if she would be inferior to Liu Qian if she asked any questions.

Lady Chu was a quick-thinking person, and she asked with a smile, “It couldn’t be that young outsider who fought alongside Sword Saint Song back then, right?”

Liu Qian nodded and confirmed, “Yes, it was him.”

Wang Shanhu frowned, with her face becoming slightly pale.

Han Yuanxue faltered for a moment before rubbing salt in Wang Shanhu’s old wounds, remarking, “You mean the impoverished young boy who sparred with Big Sister Shanhu back then?”

Liu Qian felt slightly exasperated. It was thanks to Han Yuanxue’s good fortune that she could enjoy such a good life. Otherwise, how could such a naive and simple-minded woman survive in the outside world?

It wouldn’t be a good idea for Liu Qian to rub things in any further, so she smiled and replied, “That’s right. After visiting our villa and defeating Su Lang, he mentioned while drinking with Grandpa that the Unruly Saber Villa’s unique way of carrying their sabers is still fresh in his memory. He said that he’s never seen this anywhere else in the mountains or in the cultivation world. Grandpa also mentioned Villa Master Wang’s saber skills, saying that Villa Master Wang could be regarded as divinely skilled.”

Even though Wang Shanhu knew that Liu Qian was merely being polite, she still felt much better after hearing this. After all, her father, Wang Yiran, had always been a towering and indomitable presence in her heart.

However, Han Yuanxue rubbed another handful of salt into Wang Shanhu’s wounds, asking dazedly, “Big Sister Shanhu, didn’t you say that the young sword immortal wouldn’t be a match for Villa Master Wang a while back? But that person already managed to defeat the Green Bamboo Sword Immortal, so it seems like Villa Master Wang doesn’t have much chance at victory.”

Wang Shanhu ignored the naive woman and offered no response.

She was annoyed at Han Yuanxue’s big mouth and extremely resentful toward her nemesis from back then.

At the same time, she also felt a sense of fear and apprehension.

The young boy who had smelled of dirt and poverty back then was already a most carefree sword immortal from the mountains.

What could she do now?

No matter how unwilling she was to accept this, and regardless of how much she didn’t dare to believe this, she knew that this was the undeniable truth.

Her father had worked so hard to build the Unruly Saber Villa, yet would it be dragged down now because of her reckless behavior all those years ago? She had heard that cultivators from the mountains would all take revenge for grudges, with even grudges from one hundred years ago being no exception. These cultivators definitely wouldn’t follow the rules of the cultivation world, where both parties would look for a reputable peacemaker to mediate affairs, after which they would sit down and settle their differences with a drink and a smile.

“Don’t worry, Shanhu. That person is Grandpa’s friend, and he isn’t a typical cultivator like the others in the mountains. Instead, he appears more like a member of the cultivation world,” Liu Qian said softly in reassurance.

Wang Shanhu squeezed out a smile and nodded, expressing her thanks to Liu Qian. However, her expression became increasingly solemn and dark.

————

At the immortal ferry station located on Earth Dragon Mountain at the border of the Water Combing Nation and the Pine Stream Nation…

There was a young swordsman in azure wearing a bamboo hat and walking forward with his horse.

As he traveled, there were two pieces of news that spread throughout the Water Combing Nation like wildfire, with savvy storytellers already capitalizing on this news and starting to loudly announce it to everyone.

The Pine Stream Nation’s Green Bamboo Sword Immortal Su Lang had attempted to challenge Song Yushao’s swordsmanship, yet he had come across a lofty immortal from the mountains in the small town outside the Sword Water Villa. Two epic battles had followed, with the second being especially breathtaking. It was said that on that day, sword qi had soared into the heavens and blanketed the sky, causing the clouds and mists to swirl chaotically.

This battle could be viewed as the most paramount battle of the cultivation world in the past one hundred years, and it was a battle that perhaps couldn’t be topped even if the Colorful Garment Nation’s sword god came back to life and replaced Su Lang in battle. This was not to mention Sword Saint Song Yushao who had spectated the battle from the sidelines. Not a single person doubted anymore that Su Lang would become the number one martial artist in the cultivation world of the dozen or so nations for the next sixty years.

The other piece of news pertained to the group of gallant martial artists from the cultivation world led by Gallant Heroine Xiao. She had engaged in a bloody battle with the traitorous Chu Faction, suffering huge casualties in the process. However, they had remained hot-blooded and valiant, putting on full display the gallant nature of the Water Combing Nation. Perhaps her immortal aura was inferior to Su Lang’s, but her gallant nature was definitely no inferior to his.

Chen Ping’an didn’t challenge or dwell on these matters, and he especially paid a visit to the Green Beetle Shop. This was the immortal shop that he had visited with Xu Yuanxia and Zhang Shanfeng before bidding farewell to them.

After hitching his horse outside the Green Beetle Shop that was five storeys tall, he looked at the two couplets that were still the same as back then. “Young and old welcome, our prices are fair as fair can be; We serve you wholeheartedly, so you can buy from us without qualms.”

Chen Ping’an stepped inside, and it wasn’t long before a young woman came forward to welcome him, with her introduction also being the same as back then. Valuable tools were sold on the first floor, spirit tools were sold on the second floor, and immortal treasures were sold on the third floor.

Chen Ping’an inquired about whether a certain elder was still responsible for sales on the second floor, and the young woman nodded and replied that he was. Hearing this, Chen Ping’an politely turned down her offer to accompany him and made his way to the second floor.

After Chen Ping’an knocked on the door and entered, the elder was slightly puzzled upon seeing a customer with no companion from the Green Beetle Shop.

Chen Ping’an looked at the large table that was decorated the same way as before, with a small incense burner on the table that was releasing wisps of fragrant smoke, as well as a potted bonsai plant with a tastefully arched trunk and branches that extended outward far and wide. There was a row of tiny green-robed figures seated atop one of the branches, and as soon as Chen Ping’an entered the room, they immediately rose to their feet in unison and extended a collective bow as they said in a joyous voice, “Welcome, esteemed customers. We hope you find what you’re looking for!”

Chen Ping’an took off his bamboo hat and laughed heartily.

He was as happy as could be.