Unsheathed

The man in ragged clothes who had been sleeping in the stone cave beside the mountain stream just then casually shook his sleeves, causing the stream water to surprisingly roll off and plop back into the stream like a string of snow-white beads. He smiled and asked, “Things have already come to this, so what do you say, Young Master?”

“I don’t have any money, so I won’t compete with you,” Chen Ping’an replied.

The man was overjoyed, and he said with a nod, “Then I’ll accept your goodwill.”

However, the old fox from West Mountain was unhappy with this result, and he forcefully slammed his wooden walking stick into the ground before raising two fingers and pointing at both Chen Ping’an and the man in ragged clothes, scolding, “I said just then, whichever one of you is richer is whichever one of you will become my son-in-law! There’s not a drop of goodwill to be had! Young man wearing the bamboo hat, you were very generous with your immortal coins just then, and when I purposely tested your character, you passed all of my examinations with no issues. The only thing that’s missing now is for you to do the deed with my daughter. You need to cherish this opportunity!

“If my daughter leaves with you, she’ll most likely not need to worry about food and shelter for the rest of her life. She’ll be able to wear extravagant clothes and jewelry, and perhaps she’ll become even more of a noble lady than those female officials serving Meticulous Skin City’s Fan Yunluo. As for that beggar, he’s already been drinking the chilly wind here for quite a few months. I’m acutely aware of just how miserable and pathetic he is, and there’s nothing more boastful in the world than his mouth. No, that won’t do. My daughter was born to enjoy a good life, and she won’t be able to endure any hardships. I definitely won’t allow my precious daughter to jump into a fire pit!”

This was quite an eye-opening experience for Chen Ping’an. He had traveled all over the world during the past few years, and he had witnessed a mountain god’s wedding ceremony, he had seen a fox spirit tricking a scholar, and had encountered a city god taking a mistress. However, he had never come across someone marrying off their daughter so carelessly.

The ordinary-looking man in ragged clothes appeared slightly exasperated as he said, “Father-in-law, I might not have any money on me — not even a single snowflake coin — and I won’t be dishonest about this as your son-in-law. However, I genuinely made a huge deal before coming to Malicious Ghost Valley, and I was left with no option but to sell my minimization treasure as well as all of the immortal coins and immortal tools inside for a discounted price. However, I’m truly not a poor person.”

The old fox was enraged, and he forcefully slammed his walking stick into the ground several times and yelled hysterically, “You’re trying to trick me again! Piss the fuck off! These basic eyes of mine only care about money!”

Chen Ping’an retrieved a handful of snowflake coins and said, “These are all the immortal coins I have left on me.”

The old fox appeared slightly sickly as he mumbled, “You always speak in a mysterious and roundabout manner, so I can’t gauge whether you’re telling the truth or not. However, this doesn’t matter, and you’re still a better choice than that beggar. It’s decided — you’re going to become my son-in-law! In the future, the bloodline of the fox tribe from West Mountain will be up to you to continue and spread. You need to put your waist into it while you’re still young and strong.

“Oh, that’s right. My daughter’s maiden name is Wei Taizhen, and she also has a good-for-nothing younger brother called Wei Gaowu. We’ll be one big family in the future, so remember to look after your brother-in-law in the future. When the three of you leave Malicious Ghost Valley together in the future, help him marry seventeen or eighteen celestial maidens if the opportunity arises…”

However, Chen Ping’an extended his hand toward the man in ragged clothes.

The man smiled knowingly and said, “You can lend these immortal coins to me, and it will naturally be even better if you can straight up give them to me. That way, I’ll be someone with money.”

The eyes of the old fox darted around. This young man wasn’t a helper called over by that beggar, was he? Were they working together to trick him and his daughter?

The young woman hiding behind the small emerald green umbrella asked in a timid voice, “Young Master, there’s only one matter that I want to ask about. Did you see a golden hairpin at the bottom of the stream?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied honestly, “No, I didn’t.”

The young woman sighed softly and slowly stood up, but much of her slender and elegant figure was still hidden behind the small green umbrella. The umbrella was just as exquisite and adorable as its master, yet the fresh hole torn into it by the rock slightly ruined the scenery. The young woman’s voice was surprisingly cold, yet it also carried with it the innate charm and seductiveness of foxian women. This was perhaps the innate mystical power of fox spirits in this world.

“Don’t take offense at my dad, Young Master. Just treat his words like a joke,” the young woman said.

She then tugged at the old fox’s sleeve and said in a gentle voice, “Let’s leave, Dad.”

The old fox shot an angry glare at the young man wearing a bamboo hat who was looking more and more like a scammer by the moment. He humphed coldly and said, “Marriage is an important matter that can’t be taken lightly, so we’ll discuss this again in the future.”

The old fox from West Mountain hurriedly left with his umbrella-carrying daughter.

Due to his chaotic gait, the lush green gourd tied to his walking stick violently swayed back and forth.

The mountain stream quickly regained its peace and quiet following the departure of the two fox spirits.

There were no singing birds, and the mountains and waters were tranquil and silent. There was a hint of lifelessness and deathly silence hidden behind this peaceful atmosphere.

Chen Ping’an put the handful of snowflake coins back inside his sleeves.

The man in ragged clothes smiled and said, “I, Yang Chongxuan, owe you half a favor for this.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “There’s no need to be so polite. I was simply thinking that it would be a better choice to avoid potential trouble.”

The man didn’t say anything else, potentially because he was so hungry that he didn’t have any energy left. He found a relatively even section of the stone cliff to lie down and zone out.

Chen Ping’an took off his bamboo hat and focused his gaze on the specks of light in the stream that were like the flickering glows of fireflies on a summer’s night.

Since he had come to Treasure Mirror Mountain, he was naturally going to aim for the fated opportunities and immortal treasures. Even though the chances were small, one’s efforts would ultimately be the deciding factor. There were indeed people in the world who could lie down and become rich from doing nothing, but this was only a miniscule number of people, after all. Many more people earned money like vagrant cultivators, taking things slowly and one step at a time.

Even if they were fortunate enough to come across fated cultivation opportunities, these opportunities would generally be accompanied by dangers. As such, people needed to be as cautious as they could be, and they might even need to put their lives on the line.

A good example of this was the Dao partners at the Lower Five Tiers who should have already returned to Helpless Pass by now. After scouring the surroundings and picking and choosing, going through many hardships and difficulties, they had failed to scrape together even a single snowflake coin’s worth of items until they reached Crow Peak.

If they had continued north to Green Cottage Town, there was every possibility that they would have both been killed, living up to their relationship as Dao partners and even going as far as to die together.

As for the name, Yang Chongxuan, Chen Ping’an went through this in his mind, but couldn’t recall anything. There was no record of this person in the Be At Ease Compilation. Chen Ping’an decided to remember this name for the moment.

He most likely wasn’t a heroic spirit city lord of Malicious Ghost Valley, beings who were like the deity of a region. Similarly, he most likely wasn’t a powerful yin spirit of White Cage City who listened to orders but still maintained his independence.

In other words, he was most likely a peculiar cultivator who had come here to train.

As for his cultivation base, this was something that couldn’t be underestimated.

This was because Chen Ping’an couldn’t gauge his cultivation base at all.

At the entrance archways of Malicious Ghost Valley, the elder in black robes had suppressed his aura and concealed his true spirit, yet Chen Ping’an had still managed to guess that he was at least a Golden Core Tier sword cultivator.

Of course, there was also a very big possibility that Yang Chongxuan was nothing more than a pseudonym.

Chen Ping’an’s feeling of apprehension toward White Cage City’s Pu Rang was largely because of his extremely high cultivation base.

For some reason, however, Chen Ping’an felt like Yang Chongxuan gave off an even more dangerous aura than Pu Rang.

This definitely wasn’t because Yang Chongxuan’s cultivation base was higher than Pu Rang, who was at the peak stage of the Nascent Tier.

Even though Chen Ping’an was unable to determine Yang Chongxuan’s cultivation base, he could still vaguely discern that it was slightly inferior to Pu Rang’s state of seeming unity with heaven and earth. On the path of cultivation, these small barriers oftentimes became insurmountable gulfs.

Lying beside the stream, Yang Chongxuan crossed his legs and chuckled, “If you’ve come here to seek the biggest fated opportunity of Treasure Mirror Mountain, then I suggest that you forget about it. I suggest that you also don’t observe the stream and search for treasures for too long, or else your soul will suddenly start to shiver and your body will lose control. Your mind will become unstable, and your soul will leave your body and funnel into the stream like flowing water. At that time, it will be extremely difficult to get your soul back. Moreover, those under the level of earth immortal won’t notice these anomalies at all. I’m telling you about the secret of Treasure Mirror Mountain silently devouring the souls of unsuspecting victims because I owed you half a favor for just then. Now, we’re even.”

It was said that this mountain stream was formed from a treasure mirror that had dropped to the ground, but this was nothing more than a story purposely fabricated by the Flax Robe Sect’s Be At Ease Compilation to frighten people. This wasn’t to say that the old fossils from back then who liked to interact with dead people and burial objects had been worried about outsiders snatching this fated opportunity from the Flax Robe Sect.

Rather, the treasure at the mountain stream was not only extremely difficult to find, but ordinary cultivators who ventured to this place would face a huge risk of suffering the same fate as those birds, beasts, and fellow cultivators at the bottom of the stream, transforming into the water fortune of the stream. In addition, earth immortal victims would have half their soul restrained by the water and unable to break free, with only the remaining half of their soul being allowed to enter reincarnation. As such, even if they managed to successfully reincarnate and become humans again, they would, as cultivators, suffer the huge taboo of having an incomplete soul.

“As for why I’m able to cultivate here, this is naturally because I came here well prepared.”

Yang Chongxuan only revealed half the full story, since revealing too much would probably raise suspicion instead. He swung a leg back and forth and continued lazily, “I’m a fairly whimsical person, and I like to learn a bit of everything. However, that makes me a jack of all trades and master of none.”

Chen Ping’an retracted his gaze upon hearing this, and he once again put on his bamboo hat.

He planned to leave Treasure Mirror Mountain straight away.

When it came to natural treasures that were born from the will and fortune of the world — for example, peculiar flowers and plants in immortal mystical realms — it was imperative that one obtained them in a proper and justified manner. Neither one could be missing, and it was also extremely important to take into account the opportune time, geographical advantage, and popular support.

This pertained to what specific person was at what specific place during what specific season and time, and what specific method they used and what specific secret treasure they brought as a vessel. Everything was linked together.

Simply possessing a high cultivation base was nowhere near enough to satisfy all of these requirements.

It was clearly recorded in the Be At Ease Compilation that the city lord of Immortal Temple City had been hellbent on obtaining the fated opportunity of Treasure Mirror Mountain, yet they had failed to make any progress even after struggling hard for one hundred entire years. Unwilling to give up, the city lord had mobilized a large number of subordinates, borrowing one thousand or so yin entities from three nearby friendly cities in addition to the ghosts from their own city.

Not only that, but the city lord had even borrowed a group of talisman warriors especially used for creating peaks and moving mountains. Indeed, the city lord’s plan was to directly upheave Treasure Mirror Mountain and carry it away, moving the entire mountain back to Immortal Temple City. After exhausting a huge amount of resources and ghostly power, however, the city lord had been left with absolutely nothing to show for it. The huge operation had ended in complete failure.

This was a clear reflection of just how difficult it was to obtain the fated opportunity at Treasure Mirror Mountain.

If one wanted to receive recognition and a pledge of allegiance from one of the female heavenly officials at Mural City, then one could perhaps only rely on fate.

If one wanted to obtain the treasure mirror at Treasure Mirror Mountain, however, it was a complete mystery what was required to do so. The Flax Robe Sect didn’t know, and Malicious Ghost Valley didn’t know either.

However, Chen Ping’an quickly changed his mind. Since he was here, he should at least give it a go.

There were some deep-rooted habits that he needed to change.

He shouldn’t always resign himself to the thought that he wouldn’t obtain any additional fated opportunities.

The old fox from West Mountain sighed again and again as he descended Treasure Mirror Mountain with one hand holding his walking stick and one hand stroking his beard.

Meanwhile, the young woman appeared slightly absent-minded.

“Taizhen, how about you just marry that ghost general from Three Battle City? That yin entity is the bravest general serving the city lord of Three Battle City, after all, and ordinary yin entities don’t even come close to comparing to him. Compared to the yin entities with huge and bloody maws or barely any flesh on their bones, this ghost general also has a relatively decent appearance. In fact, it won’t be an exaggeration to call him a handsome junior in this place.”

There was a sullen look on Wei Taizhen’s face.

“Yes, that traveling Daoist priest from back then did say that your ideal man had to be someone who could see the golden hairpin at the bottom of the deep stream when talking about your marriage back then, but how many years have already passed?” the old fox asked in exasperation. “Two hundred years? Or three hundred years? If this were in the world outside Malicious Ghost Valley, then your grandson’s grandson’s grandson would already be old enough to marry and have kids…”

The young woman was extremely bored, and she gently twirled the small green umbrella which was now decorated with an extra hole. She glanced back at the waist of Treasure Mirror Mountain and murmured in reply, “Don’t rush me, Dad, just wait for a little longer. Give me one hundred years at most. If I still don’t come across the right person, then I’ll relent and get married to someone else.”

The old fox sighed in grief and stressed, “When that time comes, you definitely have to marry a wealthy person, and it would be best if they’re not too ghostly. Also, they definitely need to be dutiful, and they need to treat their father-in-law well. Apart from abundant betrothal gifts, they also need to show me respect and offer me gifts from time to time. As for you, make sure not to forget about me after you get married. Whether or not your father can live a carefree and comfortable life in the future is completely up to you and your future husband.”

Wei Taizhen hesitated for a moment before suddenly asking, “Dad, was the ghost general of Three Battle City telling the truth? Will the city lord of Three Battle City truly build a shrine for Dad to become a water god and enjoy incense offerings if I get married to the ghost general?”

The old fox sniggered in ridicule and replied, “Even the promises of humans can’t be trusted, so how can the promises of ghosts be trusted? A mountain god or water god in Malicious Ghost Valley? Are you not aware of just how extraordinarily valuable these positions are? Out of all the city lords in the north and the south, just how many of them are mountain gods or water gods?

“With our background and status, we wouldn’t dare to dream about forming a godly body and becoming a mountain god. The rules of the Confucian sages are strict and inflexible, so who would dare to go against them? In saying that, there is a slim opportunity when it comes to becoming a water god. However, it’s a shame that I have some self-awareness and understand that I don’t have the fortune or ability to become a water god. I’m cultivating a minor water-element immortal technique from some damaged secret scripture, and using the most basic and stupid method to secretly drink the water fortune of Treasure Mirror Mountain and slowly raise my cultivation base is already my absolute limit.”

Wei Taizhen smiled sweetly and asked, “Dad, you’re afraid of the pain that comes from the process of becoming a deity, right? The pain of seemingly being shaved apart and having your soul burn in boiling oil.”

The old fox was quite a shameless being, and he replied, “Naturally. Regardless of whether it’s living beings, dead beings, or mountain spirits alike, everyone in the world wants to enjoy a good life. Why is it relatively easier for the heroic spirits of mortal empires to become deities? This is because they’re protected by their nation’s fortune and accompanied by merit and virtue.

“On the other hand, why is it so fatally dangerous for spirits and ghosts to become deities? This is naturally because they’re far removed from the mortal world and unable to accumulate enough hidden virtue to pay the heavens. Just how many living people have I seen in Malicious Ghost Valley in my entire life? I’ve got piss all hidden virtue.

“In any case, I trick to death all of the cultivators whom I come across, encouraging those Qi refiners to observe the mountain stream and thus lose their souls. For the past several hundred years, I’ve walked around Treasure Mirror Mountain once every Tomb Sweeping Festival, offering incense in the small censer mounds. Am I doing this for fun? No, of course not. I’m doing this because of the guilt in my heart.”

The old fox suddenly stomped his foot for some unknown reason, fuming, “My darling daughter is so beautiful, so how come those few city lords haven’t taken an interest in you? To say nothing of a sparrow becoming a phoenix and becoming the proper wife of a city lord, just becoming a favored mistress would already be enough for your father and your good-for-nothing little brother to enjoy a huge rise in status. At that time, would we still need to hole up at a shitty place like Treasure Mirror Mountain, staring at each other and waiting for death?

“Take that huge libertine from Pink Gentleman City, for example. He was still hollering about bringing you over on a lavish sedan chair carried by eight people and getting married to you in the past, yet how has he suddenly become so calm and free of desires these past few years? How is he not attracted to you anymore?”

There was an innocent look on Wei Taizhen’s face.

Could she force other people to like her or dislike her?

She had a pair of very beautiful eyes.

The old fox sighed with emotion. The fox tribe from West Mountain was growing fewer and fewer in number, and there were already very few of them left.

He had heard that there was a place in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent where the fox tribe was flourishing, but he was extremely confident that his darling daughter would definitely still be a top-notch beauty even if she went there.