Unsheathed

In the past, the western mountains were mostly deserted, only visited by lumberjacks and kiln workers who were burning charcoal and digging up soil. In contrast, the mountains were currently filled with immortal manors, as well as the immortal ferry station on Ox Horn Mountain.

Chen Ping’an had seen on more than one occasion the local children of the small town squatting to the walls, looking up at the sky as they waited for an intercontinental ship to fly past, and whenever they caught sight of one, they would immediately erupt into raucous celebration.

On the way back to Downtrodden Mountain, Chen Ping’an and Pei Qian encountered an immortal convoy traveling to the Robe Sash Peak.

One of the downsides to establishing abodes here was that they were rather inconvenient to access as Ruan Qiong had stipulated that cultivators were not to travel through this place by flight. However, as time passed and he founded the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, he was no longer just the sage overseeing this area.

Instead, he had become a sect leader that had to establish a network of connections, and he began to loosen up a little on his rules. He assigned Dong Gu with the task of setting out several flight routes, and those routes would be accessible to those who were able to receive passage tokens from the Dragon Spring Sword Sect in the form of miniature iron swords.

However, up to this point, barely any of the dozen or so immortal powers in the Dragon Spring Prefecture had received these swords, not because the Dragon Spring Sword Sect was being particularly selective with whom these swords were being given to. Instead, it was because the forger of these swords wasn’t Ruan Qiong, nor was it any of his direct disciples.

Instead, it was his only daughter, and the rate at which she produced these swords was agonizingly slow, barely able to churn out a single one in a year, but no one felt it appropriate to visit the sect and implore her to speed up her progress. Even if someone were shameless enough to do so, they may not possess the courage.

At the moment, there was a rumor circulating that a palace minister of the Ministry of Rites had led a group of elite sticky rod officials of the Great Li Empire on a southbound journey to “reason with” Bamboo Scroll Lake, and it was said that Ruan Xiu had settled everything through her own power.

The ancestral hall of the immortal sect that had purchased the Robe Sash Peak was situated in the Blissful Dream Nation, which was also home to Dawn Cloud Mountain.

The sect was ranked near the bottom among second-rate immortal powers of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and during that period of time where things had begun to look back for the Great Li Empire, the sect had also wanted to move out of the empire, but at that point, an abode had already been constructed on the mountain, and they couldn’t bear to let the money it had taken to construct the abode go to waste.

On top of that, an ancestor of the ancestral hall, also the only remaining Golden Core Tier earth immortal of the sect, had already moved to the Robe Sash Peak and was cultivating there, accompanied by only his disciples, grand-disciples, and some servants.

The old earth immortal was not on good terms with the sect leader, and one of the main reasons why the sect had purchased the mountain was so that it could evict this stubborn ancestor on amicable terms. Otherwise, with him constantly exerting his authority upon everyone in the ancestral hall, everyone was forced to follow his bidding.

Chen Ping’an was walking along a leisurely pace, but the convoy seemed to have been traveling in a much more urgent manner, so Chen Ping’an brought Pei Qian to the side of the road to let the convoy through, only for it to also stop in its tracks.

The convoy consisted of two horse-drawn carriages and over twenty people, only three of whom were official immortals of the Robe Sash Peak, while the rest were all servants.

A young cultivator and two beautiful female cultivators emerged from one of the carriages, and one of the two women was holding an adolescent white fox, which was curled up into a lazy ball in her arms.

The young man was one of the direct disciples of the Robe Sash Peak’s founder, and he approached Chen Ping’an with a smile as he said, “Greetings, Mountain Master Chen, I am Song Yuan of the Robe Sash Peak. My master and I previously paid a visit to Downtrodden Mountain, but I was standing near the back, so you may not remember me.”

Chen Ping’an actually had recognized Song Yuan. He had a good memory, and he had never been the type to overlook others out of arrogance. He still remembered even the likes of Cui Ying from the Green Beetle Shop, let alone the direct disciple of a Golden Core Tier earth immortal from a neighboring mountain.

On the day that the earth immortal of the Robe Sash Peak visited Downtrodden Mountain, Song Yuan hadn’t been standing near the back at all, as he proclaimed. Instead, his senior brothers and sisters had been standing in the back, while Song Yuan had been standing right beside his master. He was his master’s youngest disciple, so he was naturally favored, much like the youngest child in a family.

“Have you returned from a journey, Junior Immortal Song?” Chen Ping’an asked with a smile as he cupped his fist to return the salute.

Song He was rather taken aback to hear this. He had a senior uncle on the Robe Sash Peak that also had the Song surname, so the fact that Chen Ping’an was referring to him as Junior Immortal Song was very fitting and revealed his familiarity with the personnel on the Robe Sash Peak.

Song Yuan nodded as he replied, “I just returned from Dawn Cloud Mountain with Junior Sister Liu. My friend also just so happened to have been spectating the ceremony there, and she had always wanted to visit our Dragon Spring Prefecture as she had heard that our Jewel Small World was home to much beautiful scenery, so she came back with me and Junior Sister Liu.”

Song Yuan took a subtle step backward, then gestured to the two young female cultivators as he said, “This is Junior Sister Liu, my master’s most beloved granddaughter. You can simply call her Runyun. This is Celestial Maiden Zhou from the Greengage Temple of the Southern Pond Lake, Junior Sister Liu’s best friend.

“We just came back from the Chen Clan’s school, and we’re planning to pay a visit to Forest Deer Academy on Cloud Drape Mountain before returning to the Robe Sash Peak.”

Chen Ping’an greeted the two women, then smiled as he said, “I won’t keep you any longer then, Junior Immortal Song.”

Song Yuan also smiled and nodded in response, making no effort to prolong the conversation. While he would certainly like to establish closer ties with Chen Ping’an, such a thing could not be forced.

Most cultivators of the Middle Five Tiers liked to keep to themselves and avoid karmic ties with others as much as possible. Seeing as Chen Ping’an hadn’t invited him to Downtrodden Mountain, Song Yuan didn’t bring up the matter, even though he was aware that Celestial Maiden Zhou of the Greengage Temple had been shooting him subtle glances, encouraging him to take the initiative.

Celestial Maiden Zhou had created a sizable revenue stream for the Greengage Temple through enchanted picture scrolls, and she was extremely stubborn, unwilling to pass up any opportunities for networking and sightseeing. Whenever they reached any immortal abode or scenic location, she would use a secret technique of the Greengage Temple to “capture” a series of images of said locations.

She would then “embed” herself into these images, which would then be sent to some wealthy, regular viewers of hers that had tipped her handsomely in the past. Song Yuan found this to be utterly exasperating, but he couldn’t say anything as Junior Sister Liu was very close with Celestial Maiden Zhou, and the former was also hoping that the Robe Sash Peak would lift its restrictions on enchanted picture scrolls so that she could follow in Celestial Maiden Zhou’s footsteps.

Song Yuan’s master adored this granddaughter of his greatly, but this was the only request of hers that he refused to satisfy. In his mind, it was downright degrading for a woman to dress up and pose seductively for a bunch of thirsty men all day long. It wasn’t like the Robe Sash Peak was strapped for money, and he was unshakably firm in his stance.

Chen Ping’an was already turning to depart, but Celestial Maiden Zhou wasn’t willing to let him go just yet as she tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, then adopted a seductive gaze as she said, “I’ve heard many stories about you from Senior Brother Song, Mountain Master Chen.

“Senior Brother Song admires you greatly, and he tells me that you’re currently one of the wealthiest landowners of the Jewel Small World. Would Runyun and I be welcome to pay a visit to Downtrodden Mountain together?”

A wry smile appeared on Song Yuan’s face as he shook his head in dismay.

He had repeatedly told Celestial Maiden Zhou that the Jewel Small World was unlike other places as it was rife with powerful immortals from far and wide, making for a very complex ecosystem in which one had to be particularly careful with their words and actions.

Clearly, Celestial Maiden Zhou had either not taken his warnings to heart at all, or perhaps she had taken it as a challenge, further emboldening her to try and charm her way into new connections. Unbeknownst to her, her reckless actions could easily place both herself and the Robe Sash Peak in great peril.

Chen Ping’an gave Song Yuan a faint smile as a gesture of reassurance, then turned to Celestial Maiden Zhou as he replied, “Unfortunately, I’ll be leaving the mountain soon, so I’ll have to turn you down this time, Celestial Maiden Zhou. I’ll be sure to invite you and Ms. Liu for a visit the next time I return to Downtrodden Mountain.”

Liu Runyun was just about to say something when Song Yuan gently tugged on her sleeve in a surreptitious manner.

Celestial Maiden bit down onto her lower lip, then said, “I see. When will you be returning to Downtrodden Mountain, Mountain Master Chen? My name is Zhou Qionglin, by the way.”

“It’s hard to say,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

Zhou Qionglin extended an elegant curtsey, then said in a gentle and seductive voice, “It’s a pleasure to have made your acquaintance, Mountain Master Chen. You’re welcome to visit our Greengage Temple in the Southern Pond Lake at any time, and I’ll be happy to serve as your guide. Our Greengage Temple is very much renowned for its stunning scenery, and you definitely won’t be disappointed.”

“Alright, I’ll be sure to visit if the opportunity arises,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

Zhou Qionglin then caught sight of Pei Qian, and she smiled as she greeted, “How are you, little girl?”

“Not great,” Pei Qian replied in a dumb manner while pointing at her own swollen face.

Zhou Qiongling was about to try and make more of a move on Pei Qian, even though she didn’t really like the look of her, but Chen Ping’an had already bade them farewell and departed with Pei Qian in tow.

Liu Runyun seemed rather disgruntled at Chen Ping’an’s cold treatment of her, but before she could speak up, Song Yuan grabbed onto her wrist with enough force to cause her slight pain, and only then did she resist the urge to speak.

She had grown up her entire life under the protection of her grandfather without any worries to speak of, so she had a rather naive view of the world. However, she was still an official immortal, and even though she was yet to reach the Abode Tier, she was certainly not stupid.

The convoy slowly trundled away, and only after it had traveled quite some distance did the coach driver dare to speed up.

Zhou Qionglin flipped open the curtain of the carriage to look out at Chen Ping’an and Pei Qian, only to find that the two of them were walking along while looking straight ahead, sparing no glances at the carriage that she was in, and that left her feeling a little frustrated. She had always regarded herself as an outstanding seductress, yet she had met her match on this day.

Meanwhile, Song Yuan heaved an internal sigh.

Clearly, Zhou Qionglin was going to be quite the troublemaker if left unchecked. Once they returned to the Robe Sash Peak, he was going to speak to his master in private to prevent Zhou Qionglin from exerting a negative influence on Liu Runyun.

As she walked along the mountain path with Chen Ping’an, Pei Qian showed off her Deranged Demon Sword Techniques, then turned to him with a smile as she asked, “Master, guess who I like the most out of those three?”

“Liu Runyun?” Chen Ping’an guessed

“No, I’ll give you two more chances,” Pei Qian said with a shake of her head.

“Then it must be Song Yuan,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

To his surprise, Pei Qian continued to shake her head vigorously as she said, “Guess again!”

“Why is it Zhou Qionglin?” Chen Ping’an asked in a perplexed manner.

Zhou Qionglin was clearly a very opportunistic woman, and Chen Ping’an didn’t exactly detest her, but his first impression of her was far from positive.

The main problem with her was that her way of making connections was far too inappropriate, and she could easily cause trouble for Song Yuan. If she were to draw the ire of others, she could simply return to the Greengage Temple and completely escape the consequences.

However, Song Yuan was half a friend of hers, and he couldn’t simply leave, nor could the Robe Sash Peak. That was the key reason why Chen Ping’an had given Zhou Qionglin the cold shoulder.

Pei Qian extended a hand, then made a beckoning motion to Chen Ping’an, indicating that she wanted to whisper into his ear.

Chen Ping’an bent down with a smile, and Pei Qian cupped a hand to her own mouth as she whispered into his ear, “That Celestial Maiden Zhou may seem like a seductress, and of course, she’s nowhere near as Big Sister Daoist Nun and Big Sister Yao Jinzhi, but I saw many, many poor little people residing in her heart.

“They were just as thin as I was, on the verge of starving to death, and she was very saddened by the sight of them, facing an empty rice bowl on her own, not daring to look at them.”

Chen Ping’an was very surprised to hear this, and he turned to look at the convoy, only to find that it was already far away.

A contemplative look appeared on his face as he continued down the mountain path, while Pei Qian walked along beside him and raised her head to look up at him in a perplexed manner as she asked, “What’s wrong, Master? Did I say something wrong to make you upset?”

She then quickly thought of a way to rectify the situation, opening her mouth up wide as she shook her head from side to side as if she were guzzling down a massive feast, following which she declared, “I’ve already eaten my words, Master, so hurry up and cheer up!”

A vibrant smile appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face as he gently pressed a hand down onto Pei Qian’s face and shook her slightly from side to side as he said, “Go to the Robe Sash Peak after I leave Downtrodden Mountain to invite Big Sister Zhou to come and visit.

“If she asks you to take her to places like the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, then turn her down and tell her that you’re just a child and can’t go to those places unsupervised, but you can take her to any of our mountains. If you can’t make a decision on something, then just go and ask Zhu Lian for a second opinion.”

“You can count on me, Master!” Pei Qian declared. “I’ve become very good at attending to people. Just this month alone, the pastry shop has earned close to twenty more taels of silver than usual! Well, to be more accurate, it’s fourteen and a third taels of silver, but still! How many basketfuls of fresh steamed buns would that be able to buy in the Southern Garden Nation?

“I was worried that Big Sister Shi Rou would get funny ideas after seeing the shop earn so much money, so I approached her and proposed to split the money with her in secret. No one else would know about this, and it would just become our private stashes. However, she told me that she would have to consider it carefully, and she didn’t get back to me until just a few days before your return, and I was getting really, really impatient!

“Thankfully, she refused in the end. Otherwise, she would’ve been treated to my Deranged Demon Sword Techniques! Seeing as she had proven herself to be trustworthy and morally upright, I bought her a copper mirror with my own money. My hope is that she’ll be able to see herself in the mirror every day so that she never forgets her roots.

“Ha! Just think about it, Master, whenever she looks into the mirror, it’ll be an ugly old man looking back at her!”

With that, Pei Qian continued to circle around Chen Ping’an while chirping incessantly like an indefatigable little sparrow, while Chen Ping’an could only bear the barrage of nonsensical chatter in silence.

“Why don’t you personally invite Zhou Qionglin to our mountain, Master? Actually forget it, I’m sure she’ll feel just honored to have your first-ever disciple invite her to our mountain!”

“I’m only inviting her at all because I approve of the acts of kindness that she committed in secret, but I cannot personally invite her because I do not approve of her reckless approach when it comes to making connections. Otherwise, if she receives false positive reinforcement, thinking that the social networking tactics that work in the Greengage Temple will also work in our Dragon Spring Prefecture, then she’s eventually going to shoot herself in the foot.

“The immortals who possess the power and wealth to purchase mountains here wouldn’t have any qualms about making an enemy of the Greengage Temple, so if we were to lure her into a false sense of complacency through our actions, then we could be indirectly bringing about her future downfall.”

“What you just said is so complicated, and as you know, I’m really studious and like to think meticulously about things, and my head is hurting from all this thinking!”

“In that case, just listen and don’t think.”

“But it’s not good to just listen and not think. Zhu Lian always says that I’m not that bright, and that I don’t grow in either stature or brains! Don’t believe his lies, Master!”

“Don’t talk about others behind their backs.”

“Alright.”

“It’s not that you can’t say anything about anyone behind their backs, you just have to make sure that it’s not with malice. It may feel like I’m being overly strict about this, but that’s only because I’m worried that you’ll build a bad habit from a young age, one that you won’t be able to reverse when you grow up.”

“But what if I spoke with no malicious intent, but it turned out that my words were malicious? What if I end up doing the wrong thing or something bad?”

“That’s why you have me.”

————

Upon their return to Downtrodden Mountain, Zheng Dafeng was still busy overseeing the construction work, and he didn’t even bother to spare a glance at Chen Ping’an.

The walls of Zhu Lian’s residence were covered in artworks, all of which were portraits of beautiful women.

They were all female deities within the Northern Mountain’s territory, and they had all been illustrated in an extremely lifelike manner, with over ten types of hairstyles depicted.

Chen Ping’an was momentarily stunned into silence upon seeing this, then asked, “Cen Yuanji didn’t denounce you as a pervert for this?”

“No, all she did was praise my fine artistry,” Zhu Lian replied with a smile.

Chen Ping’an was rendered speechless.

The three of them made their way to the bamboo building together.

“You’re leaving again so soon, Young Master?” Zhu Lian asked.

Chen Ping’an nodded as he replied, “The intercontinental ship will be arriving on Ox Horn Mountain in the next few days.”

Zhu Lian fell silent as he stroked his own chin with a smile on his face.

“If you have something to say, then say it,” Chen Ping’an prompted.

Zhu Lian scratched his head as he replied, “It’s nothing. I just suddenly thought of the partridge calls that I occasionally hear on this mountain of ours, and it’s made me feel a little emotional over our imminent separation.”

Chen Ping’an had no clue what he was talking about.

Zhu Lian promptly departed, declaring that he was going to check on Cen Yuanji’s training.

Upon arriving at the bamboo building, Chen Ping’an didn’t immediately go up the second floor. Instead, he sat down at the stone table on the cliff, and Pei Qian quickly came rushing back with the little girl in pink, who had been named Chen Ruchu.

Chen Ping’an extended a hand, and sure enough, he was given a handful of sunflower seeds.

Chen Ruchu had read many books during all of those years that she was trapped in the scripture library, and in light of that, Chen Ping’an asked, “Is there any literary importance to partridges in poems and texts?”

Chen Ruchu immediately sat down and rattled off a long list of poems pertaining to partridges, and Pei Qian quickly began to nod off to sleep, forcing her to munch vigorously on sunflower seeds in order to keep herself awake.

None of the poems mentioned by Chen Ruchu provided an explanation for why Zhu Lian had brought up partridges earlier, but Chen Ping’an couldn’t be bothered to try and get to the bottom of the matter anymore. He was going to have to go upstairs soon, so his time would be better spent worrying about himself.

All of a sudden, Chen Ruchu smiled as she added, “There’s one more: ‘The streams run fast and the mountains are steep, the journey is not to be taken lightly, Brother!’” [1]

Pei Qian’s eyes instantly lit up as she declared, “He must be talking about Big Sister Xiuxiu!”

Chen Ping’an set down the sunflower seeds in his hands to go upstairs. All of a sudden, being beaten to a pulp by Cui Cheng didn’t sound so bad.

1. Apparently, the multi-syllable call of Chinese partridges sounds like the phrase “The journey is not to be taken lightly, Brother” in Chinese, hence inspiring this poem. ☜