Unsheathed

On the second floor, Cui Cheng remained barefoot as usual, but on this day, he wasn’t seated with his legs crossed. Instead, his eyes were closed, and he had adopted an unfamiliar fist stance that Chen Ping’an had never seen before. One hand was spread out in a palm, while the other was clenched into a fist, and the former was elevated over the latter.

Chen Ping’an didn’t want to interrupt Cui Cheng’s standing meditation, and he removed his conical bamboo hat, then took off Sword Immortal as well after a brief hesitation before sitting down in silence.

Cui Cheng opened his eyes, but his posture remained unchanged as he said, “All fist techniques under the heavens can be categorized as hard or soft. My fist techniques can be said to be of ultimate hardness, but even though I’ve traveled far and wide and seen many soft fist techniques, never have I seen one worthy of the title of the ultimate softness.”

Chen Ping’an considered this momentarily, then said, “In addition to the fist technique used, one’s mental state is also very important. Compared with your fist techniques, discounting the caliber of the fist technique or the potency of one’s fist intent, it’s most likely more difficult to achieve ultimate softness than it is to reach ultimate hardness.

“Perhaps this would be easier to achieve for a Daoist cultivator who turns to fist techniques, but it’ll be extremely difficult for pure martial artists. One’s intent comes from within, and unless one can achieve the appropriate mental state, there will be no way for them to reach the pinnacle.”

Cui Cheng withdrew his fist stance as he nodded and said, “That wasn’t too bad. It seems like you’re finally gained a slightly better understanding of fist techniques and intent than the average infant.”

Chen Ping’an was already accustomed to this. The difficulty of securing a compliment from Cui Cheng was most likely roughly on par with that of Zheng Dafeng getting more than ten words out of Old Man Yang in a single conversation.

Cui Cheng sat down as he stared intently at Chen Ping’an.

Following his return from Bamboo Scroll Lake, he had endured a period of training under Cui Cheng, followed by a trip to the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and he was no longer looking as frail and emaciated as before.

However, his eyes, which were often referred to as windows to one’s soul, had become a little deeper, like a pair of old wells. Either the wells were completely dry and filled with nothing but darkness, or they were filled with water, making it more difficult to glean what laid at their bottoms.

“If I gave you a chance to go back in time in your current mental state, what would you do with Gu Can? Would you kill him or not?” Cui Cheng asked.

“I would still choose to spare him,” Chen Ping’an replied.

Cui Cheng’s brows furrowed slightly as he asked, “Why? You have every reason and justification to kill him. The pain of having to kill someone close to you may weigh on your heart, but that’s very likely to make your fists more powerful and your sword faster in the future. Only those with immense fury or grief in their hearts can harbor the strongest and most unshakeable aspirations and convictions.

“Not only is killing Gu Can the best way to make amends, it’ll also spare you more energy and effort in the future. You can simply continue to do what you had done in the past to make amends. Are you telling me Gu Can would be able to carry out the Heavenly Worship Ceremony and the Liberation Rite of Water and Land better than you?

“Why is it that other evil-doers deserve to perish under your fists and your sword, but Gu Can must be spared, just because of that bowl of rice and the Mountain Shaking Guide that his family bestowed upon you in the past?”

Cui Cheng’s tone and words were becoming more and more forceful as he spoke, and in the end, his aura was weighing down upon Chen Ping’an like a mountain. What was very peculiar was that there wasn’t any fist intent emanating from Cui Cheng’s body. He didn’t even seem like a martial artist at all, let alone a tenth tier one. Instead, he seemed more like an old teacher from a Confucian academy.

A hint of mockery was playing on Chen Ping’an’s lips as he asked, “Would it have been difficult for me to kill Gu Can in Bamboo Scroll Lake? Of course, but would it have been more arduous an ordeal than the three years that I spent there? No. Did my choice change Bamboo Scroll Lake for the better, even if only by the slightest of margins? It did.

“After Gu Can has made amends for his past mistakes, would he eventually go back to his old ways and continue committing evil deeds? Perhaps, but I’m always watching. Even if I were far away on the Northern Complete Reed Continent, not only would Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi be watching in my stead, so would Liu Zhimao of Cyan Gorge Island, Liu Laocheng of Palace Willow Island, and Guan Yiran of Pond Water City. ”

Cui Cheng clearly still wasn’t satisfied with this answer. Instead, it seemed that he had only become more enraged, and a furious look appeared in his eyes as he leaned forward slightly with his fists resting on his knees.

“The difficulty of your choice and how you see Gu Can are irrelevant. Right now, I’m raising a question directly to your heart! Do principles apply differently to people depending on their proximity to you? You chose not to kill Gu Can on this occasion, so what will happen if Pei Qian, Zhu Lian, Zheng Dafeng, Li Baoping, Li Huai, or I commit similar evil deeds in the future? What will you do then?”

“I’ll address the matter when such a day comes,” Chen Ping’an replied in a composed manner.

“So what is it that you’re confused about right now?” Cui Cheng asked.

“I now have one fewer question in my heart after speaking to Wei Bo,” Chen Ping’an. “Hence, right now, all I’m thinking about is how to become the most powerful martial artist and how to become a sword immortal.”

Cui Cheng shook his head in disapproval as he scoffed, “You’re like a small child carrying a large basket, you won’t amount to anything!”

Chen Ping’an smiled as he countered, “In that case, I implore you to live for another hundred years, another thousand years, and we’ll see who’s right when the time comes.”

Cui Cheng took a glance at the door of the room, which Chen Ping’an seemed to have intentionally left ajar, and he sneered, “Given how you left the door open, I didn’t think you’d have the courage to say something like this to me.”

Chen Ping’an patted himself on the belly as he replied, “Some things must be said. Otherwise, they’ll get stuck in here and cause me discomfort.”

“It sounds like you’re itching for a beating,” Cui Cheng replied with a nod.

“Do you think I’m a good person, Senior Cui?” Chen Ping’an suddenly asked.

“I do,” Cui Cheng replied with a nod.

“Do you feel like I resemble a virtuous sage?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“I do,” Cui Cheng repeated.

Chen Ping’an cast his gaze out of the room as he smiled and mused, “In that case, it seems like there really are too many smart people in this world.”

Cui Cheng burst into hearty laughter upon hearing this, as if he had been waiting for Chen Ping’an to say this.

“The theory of context was imparted to me by the old abbot the Observing Dao Temple. I also meticulously studied the Buddhist teaching of Hetuvidyā and the fundamental teachings of the main branches of Confucianism. Of course, in order to try and free myself from my predicament, I also considered Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan’s theory of practical ability.

“I daresay that I’ve derived some insights from my studies, but I can only say that I’ve only grasped the rudimentary basics of these theories and teachings. However, during this period of time, a very strange thought arose in my mind…”

Chen Ping’an paused here momentarily, then pulled a bamboo slip out of his minimization treasure at random before placing it onto the ground. He then extended a finger and gently swiped it down the middle of the bamboo slip as he continued, “If the entire world is a singularity, then we can set aside the notion of whether the world is good or evil to look at the good and evil of the living beings residing in the world.

“Acts of good and evil will each converge before engaging in tug of war against one another, and if one side completely defeats the other someday, then the entire world will undergo sweeping changes. Good and evil, rules and laws, values and morality… Everything will change, just like when the Divine Dao met its demise and the Heavenly Court collapsed, leading to the destruction of countless deities.

“It was only thanks to the rise of the Three Teachings and Hundred Schools of Thought that the world regained stability. However, once a cultivator attains immortality, they will have severed themselves from mortality, and they would no longer be human. They will have transcended beyond this world, and in that case, what impact would such changes in the world have on them?”

Cui Cheng pointed at the slender bamboo slip in front of Chen Ping’an, then asked, “Why ask others when the answer is already there?”

Chen Ping’an looked down at the bamboo slip to discover that it was etched with a quote that he had personally engraved upon it: “Might can be right on a temporary basis, but only reason can be eternally right.”

“But for a mortal or even a cultivator, how many people can get to witness the passage of so much time? Why is it that being a good person is so hard? Why is it that there must be a price to be paid for espousing reason and principles?

“Why is it that we have to suffer in this life, only to pin our hopes on being able to live a better next life? Why is it that even when armed with the correct principles, we still must possess wealth, power, status, cultivation base, fists, and swords?” Chen Ping’an murmured.

“You can’t think of the answer?” Cui Cheng asked with a smile.

Chen Ping’an offered no response.

Cui Cheng rose to his feet, then pointed a finger upward as he suggested, “If you can’t figure it out yourself, then go and ask someone who may have already figured it out. For example, you can learn from the old scholar, who was able to use his self-proclaimed out of fashion teachings to secure an audience with the Dao Ancestor and the Buddha. You have your fists and your sword, so why not give it a try?”

Chen Ping’an looked up upon hearing this.

Cui Cheng withdrew his hand as he chuckled, “You believe something like that?”

An amused smile appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face.

“If a scholar from times of peace were to denounce a martial artist who took countless lives in times of war, deriding the martial artist as a scoundrel for taking innocent lives, even though he had managed to conquer a nation, what do you think of that?” Cui Cheng asked.

“Setting aside the fundamental concepts of good and evil, I can only say that the scholar is both foolish and bad. The key is that he praised the martial artist for conquering a nation, but he doesn’t actually acknowledge the feat. Instead, he only mentioned the feat as a prelude to the insults that he was about to deliver,” Chen Ping’an replied.

Cui Cheng pointed outside the room as he said, “Based on that answer, a certain someone who’s come to Downtrodden Mountain and is on the fence about whether he wants to see you will most likely wish to meet you now. Having said that, as for whether you want to see him and how you wish to speak to him, that’s up to you. Make sure to close the door behind you as you leave.”

Chen Ping’an turned to discover an elderly scholar in a Confucian robe outside.

Chen Ping’an stood up and left the room, gently closing the door behind him. The elderly man was standing at the railing, peering toward the south. It was none other than the Embroidered Tiger of the Great Li Empire, and Chen Ping’an approached him to stand by his side.

Cui Chan made his way downstairs, followed by Chen Ping’an, and the two of them scaled the mountain to the mountain god temple on the summit.

Mountain God Song had already departed to grant them privacy.

After leaving the bamboo building, the two of them continued to walk along side by side.

The first thing that Cui Chan said was something that seemed completely irrelevant: “I told Wei Bo not to alert you to my visit, so don’t blame him for his failure to inform you.”

“Of course,” Chen Ping’an replied.

“How do you feel about your journey to Bamboo Scroll Lake?” Cui Chan asked.

“If I were only engaging in pleasantries, then I would say it wasn’t too bad. I did suffer immensely, but it was not without reward. In fact, perhaps I even have to thank you for putting me through that ordeal. If I were to do away with pleasantries and reveal what I’m truly thinking, then I would tell you that I will remember this, and I will make you pay in the future,” Chen Ping’an replied.

Cui Chan was entirely unconcerned to hear this, and he said, “The Circling Ascension Continent is beginning to experience a period of immense turmoil. On the contrary, in the wake of the premature unveiling of those great demons’ plans, things are beginning to stabilize on the Parasol Leaf Continent. As for the Southern Whirl Continent, I’m sure order will prevail there, given Chen Chun’an’s presence.

“An old ancestor of the Naturalist Lu Clan on the Middle Earth Divine Continent has sacrificed his entire cultivation base to finally give the Confucian temple a concrete outcome. If the Sword Qi Great Wall is breached, Stalactite Mountain will be returned to the Heavenly World by the Daoist second disciple, and the Southern Whirl Continent and the Circling Ascension Continent will most likely fall to the demon tribe.

“If that were to happen, then the demon tribe would seize the fortune of two continents, and that would be followed by a brief period of stability, following which an attack would be launched against the Middle Earth Divine Continent. Countless lives will be lost, and the entire continent will be ravaged by the flames of war. Countless Confucian sages and noble scholars will lose their lives, and the Hundred Schools of Thought will also be dealt severe blows.

“Thankfully, a scholar who isn’t aligned with any of the scholarly lineages of Confucianism will use his sword to slice open the walls of a certain secret area on an island outside the Lone Hanging Sea. That secret area will be able to harbor a huge number of refugees, and the disciples of the Confucian academies of those three continents have already begun making preparations for a future mass evacuation.”

Cui Chan paused here momentarily, then continued, “That’s only part of the truth. There are extremely complex plots involved that concern the demon tribe, countless powers within the Majestic World, as well as the Three Teachings and Hundred Schools of Thought, and it’s all one huge, chaotic mess.”

Chen Ping’an remained expressionless as he reflexively reached for his Sword Nurturing Gourd to take a sip of wine, but he quickly stopped.

“The silver lining to all of this is that we all still have time,” Cui Chan said. “I’m assuming Cui Dongshan didn’t tell you about this in his letter, right? He most likely wanted until you returned from the Northern Complete Reed Continent first. That way, you won’t be distracted in your training, and on top of that, he would be able to come and show off to you. I can even roughly guess what he would say to you then.

“It would be something like ‘Rest assured, Teacher, as long as I am here, the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent will prevail.’ Cui Dongshan will feel like that’s a very reassuring state of affairs for him. Right now, Cui Dongshan is willing to do things out of his own initiative, and that’s far better than me having to hatch plots to goad him into doing things, so I also have to thank you as well.”

Chen Ping’an remained silent.

Cui Chan took a glance at the jade hairpin in Chen Ping’an’s hair, then said, “Sometimes, I don’t know how to assess you, Chen Ping’an. When you’re smart and cautious, you are as shrewd and alert as anyone, but at other times, you can be as dense as a brick and completely blind to everyone and everything around you.

“Why did Zhu Lian bring up the sound of the patridge calls in the mountains to you? If you were as composed and settled as you normally were, why would you be afraid of bidding farewell to a friend? Also, you were attacked by the bonded Sword Devouring Ark of an Ascension Tier cultivator in Old Dragon City. Have you considered the implications of that?

“Even the minimization treasure jade tablet that she gifted you was destroyed, so what makes you think that an ordinary hairpin would’ve been able to survive that ordeal?”

Cui Chan clasped his hands behind his back, then raised his head as he concluded, “The devil is always in the details. If you always gaze up at the radiant sun, your heart will grow toward the light like flowers and trees, but should you not also turn around from time to time to look at your own shadow?”

Chen Ping’an reached up to touch the jade hairpin in his hair, then lowered his hand as he asked, “Why have you spoken so earnestly to me here, Imperial Preceptor?”

Cui Chan smiled as he replied, “Right now, your disciple is half of me, and my grandfather is living on your mountain, so why wouldn’t I speak with you earnestly and with sincerity?”

Chen Ping’an believed this explanation, but not fully.

Upon reaching the top of the steps, Cui Chan turned to cast his gaze into the distance.

Chen Ping’an removed his Sword Nurturing Gourd and raised it as a gesture to indicate that he was going to take a drink, then sat down onto the top step.

“Who do you think will be the new emperor of the Great Li Empire? Song Changjing, Song Jixin, or Song He?” Cui Chan asked.

Chen Ping’an shook his head in response.