Unsheathed

The woman in the veiled hat heaved a faint sigh, then gestured to the eight immortals to stand down before offering, “How about this? I can tell the imperial preceptor that you don’t want to go to the Tug Rope Nation, and I’ll return his payment for capturing you. However, you have to come back with me to my sect. I can’t have come all this way for nothing. If I go back empty-handed, my master will not be happy with me.

“There’s a river near our sect that harbors a river god. You can go there and see what being a river god is all about, and if you change your mind someday and decide that being a river guardian wouldn’t be so bad, after all, I can take you to the imperial preceptor office. What do you think?”

The little girl nodded in response.

The woman in the veiled hat made a hand seal while chanting an incantation, and she demonstrated that she was also able to control spiritual energy as she removed the log above the little girl.

Having been freed from the oppressive log, the little girl jumped up and down on the spot a few times, following which her eyes began to dart around in a calculating manner.

“Don’t try to run away,” the woman in the veiled hat warned with a smile. “Otherwise, you could end up as braised fish or grilled fish if you’re not careful!”

The little girl’s expression instantly crumpled as she sniveled, “Just kill me then. I’d rather die than leave this place.”

The woman in the veiled hat was at a slight loss for what to do, while the eight immortals were all looking on in amusement.

All of a sudden, a streak of dazzling sword light appeared on the distant horizon, and it arrived on the scene in the blink of an eye.

A young swordsman in a light purple Dao robe was hovering above everyone atop a flying sword, and there was a golden hairpin in his hair that was intermittently flashing with arcs of lightning.

The young swordsman smiled as he praised, “This little demon has proven very difficult to capture, so you’ve accomplished an impressive feat here. I’ll take her. How much do you want for her?”

“You must be Young Master Jin of the Golden Crow Palace, right?” the woman in the veiled hat asked.

“That’s right,” the young swordsman replied with a smile.

“My apologies, but I can’t sell her to you, Young Master Jin,” the woman said with a shake of her head.

The young swordsman’s brows furrowed slightly as he insisted, “I’ll pay double the price that you were paid to capture her. My mistress just so happens to be missing a personal maidservant.”

The woman hesitated momentarily, then shook her head yet again as she said, “I’m afraid I can’t comply. My master already promised her to the imperial preceptor of the Tug Rope Nation, so I can’t make this decision.”

The mistress of the Golden Crow Palace was an extremely cruel woman, and her bonded item was a ghost-striking whip crafted from the green bamboo of Azure Divine Mountain. She had a penchant for whipping her maidservants to death, and all of her maidservants had perished with the exception of an old woman who had been with her ever since she was a child.

Furthermore, she would throw the bodies of her deceased maidservants into the lightning clouds above the Golden Crow Palace so that they could never enter the cycle of reincarnation. Having said that, the Golden Crow Palace wasn’t some evil sect. They put in just as much effort as anyone into slaying demons and eliminating fiends, and they were also picking out particularly formidable ghost kings and fierce demons as their targets.

The master of the Golden Crow Palace was a Golden Core Tier swordsman, yet he was renowned for being fearful of his wife, who was the daughter of the great mountain lord. Hence, none of the female cultivators and maidservants of the Golden Crow Palace dared to speak to the palace master at all unless it was absolutely necessary.

However, this seal wasn’t completely out of the question. Both the woman’s sect and the Tug Rope Nation imperial preceptor most likely wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of selling a favor to the almighty Golden Crow Palace.

The young swordsman raised an eyebrow as he harrumphed, “I tried to be civilized, but you won’t listen. Do I have to draw my sword to make you comply? You’re nothing more than a sixth tier martial artist from the Azure Stone Residence with a few talismans up your sleeve!

“If you cross me, I’ll slice your face into ribbons, then buy that little demon from you by force! Rest assured, I’ll still buy her from you, but from this day forth, I, Jin Yue, will remember your Azure Stone Residence.”

The woman in the veiled hat could only heave a resigned internal sigh. At this point, she had no choice but to hand over the little girl. Cultivators of the Golden Crow Palace had always been very unpredictable, and once they decided to be unreasonable, they could be very difficult to deal with, indeed, so the woman couldn’t allow her actions to endanger her entire sect.

She turned to look at the little girl, who had her face her hands, and right as she was about to relent and agree to hand her over to Jin Yue, Chen Ping’an slowly rose to his feet with a smile as he said, “If you were always going to resort to threats of violence, then what was the point of verbal negotiation to begin with? This was always going to be a contest of who had the harder fists anyway, so why bother to take off your pants before you fart?”

The little girl in black raised her head with a confused expression.

“Why do you have to take off your pants before you fart? Isn’t that redundant?”

“Precisely!” Chen Ping’an declared with a wide smile.

The little girl also began grinning from ear to ear as she sat in mid-air with her arms and legs crossed and remarked, “You scholars really are a funny bunch.”

However, she then thought of the scholar that had taken her bells and never fulfilled his promise to return them, and her expression instantly soured again.

They’re all liars! He’s just pretending to be nice!

The scholar that she had lent the bells to had proclaimed that his ultimate pursuit in life wasn’t to become a powerful official. Instead, it was to write a riveting monster novel. He had promised to dedicate an entire chapter to her, one that was extremely long and embellished.

He had even already thought of a name for the chapter: “The Great Water Monster of Mute Lake.” The little girl was virtually salivating at such an exciting prospect, and she requested him to make his depiction of her as menacing and powerful as possible, a request that the scholar had readily agreed to.

However, even the bells had returned, yet the chapter that she had been waiting for eagerly for over a century was still nowhere to be seen. At this point, she wouldn’t mind even if the chapter were a little shorter and painted her in a little less of a flattering light.

Jin Yue looked down at Chen Ping’an and sneered, “What are you two supposed to be, a duet? Putting on a little show, are we?”

Chen Ping’an cupped his fist in a salute as he implored, “Please spare her, Young Master Jin.”

Yet another streak of sword light raced onto the scene, then drew to a halt beside Jin Yue, and this flying sword was carrying a middle-aged female cultivator with an exquisite figure.

She took a glance at the unfolding scene on the lake, then smiled as she said, “I know you’re in a bad mood because we were unable to kill Patriarch Yellow Wind under the watch of our junior uncle, but don’t take your anger out on others. Junior Uncle is still waiting for you over there, and it would be rude to keep him waiting longer than necessary.”

Jin Yue nodded as he pointed a finger at the woman in the veiled hat and said, “The Azure Stone Residence, right? I’ll remember the name. Expect a visit from me soon.”

Chen Ping’an was putting on a show of discreetly wiping some sweat from his forehead, but he immediately stopped what he was doing as soon as Jin Yue turned his gaze back to him, and to make himself appear more composed, he opened his folding fan and began casually fanning himself.

“Don’t act all scared now, I know you’re also a cultivator,” Jin Yue chuckled. “The robe you’re wearing is a Dao robe, is it not? Tell me your name and your sect if you dare!”

“My name is Chen Haoren,” Chen Ping’an declared with a smile.[1]

Jin Yue’s expression instantly darkened as he said to the middle-aged woman beside him, “He’s asking for it, Senior Sister! Let me at him! I’ll be satisfied with just a single sword strike!”

“Our junior uncle may be watching us,” the middle-aged woman warned in a quiet voice.

Jin Yue turned his gaze back to Chen Ping’an, then harrumphed coldly, “You better go pray to Buddha that our paths never cross again!”

With that, the two Golden Crow Palace cultivators departed atop their flying swords, leaving two long trails of sword light behind them.

The eight Azure Stone Residence had already gathered around the woman in the veiled hat, and they heaved a collective sigh of relief as the two streaks of sword light vanished into the distance. However, they knew that the ordeal wasn’t over yet, given that Jin Yue had promised to give them a visit at some point in the near future.

In particular, the woman in the veiled hat was feeling particularly concerned. The nine of them then turned to Chen Ping’an with grateful looks on their faces. He had stepped forward to draw some of Jin Yue’s wrath to himself. Otherwise, the nine of them would’ve had to bear the full brunt of his fury, and a battle would’ve perhaps been unavoidable.

The Azure Stone Residence was inferior in power to the Golden Crow Palace, but not to such an extent that the cultivators of the Azure Stone Residence would have to kneel down and beg for mercy.

In any case, this had been quite an unfortunate outing.

The Azure Stone Residence was more than prepared for a visit from Jin Yue, but there was inevitably going to be some bad blood between the Azure Stone Residence and the Golden Crow Palace from here onward.

The woman in the veiled hat smiled as she cupped her fist in a salute and said, “Greetings, Young Master Chen, my name is Mao Qiulu, and I come from the Azure Stone Residence of the Peace Branch Nation, situated to the northeast of the Deity Visage Nation. Thank you for speaking up just now.”

“I didn’t speak up for your sake, I just wanted to purchase that Mute Lake water monster from you,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

The little girl immediately crossed her arms in displeasure and yelled, “That’s great water monster to you!”

“Why weren’t you referring to yourself as a great water monster in the presence of that Golden Crow Palace sword immortal?” Chen Ping’an asked with an amused smile.

“I… I had an itch in my throat just now, so I was unable to speak,” the little girl explained. “Get that trash Sword Immortal from Golden Crow Palace to come back again, and I’ll say it to his face…”

Before she had a chance to finish, a streak of golden light that stretched for over ten thousand feet in length appeared in the distant sky, hurtling toward somewhere deep within the Yellow Wind Valley.

Chen Ping’an took a glance at the streak of golden light through narrowed eyes before averting his gaze.

It was a Golden Core Tier swordsman.

It seemed that the junior uncle spoken of by the pair of Golden Crow Palace cultivators had gotten personally involved.

After that, the streak of swordlight slowly faded away, and the little girl hurriedly threw her arms over her own head in a fearful display as she yelled, “I’m just a tiny little water monster! No bigger than a grain of rice!”

The woman in the veiled hat turned to an old man beside her with a wry smile as she said, “We’ll be in trouble if he comes after us.”

The old man shook his head with a carefree smile as he said, “While that sword immortal can be rather cold and unapproachable, he’s not at all like Jin Yue. He never uses his power to show off and oppress others, and he only ever leaves his sect to slay demons and eliminate fiends as a means of cleansing his sword. I’m assuming he’s come to keep an eye on Jin Yue and his senior sister on this occasion.

“After all, Patriarch Yellow Wind is a seasoned Golden Core Tier cultivator who excels in movement techniques, and one could easily perish by his hands if they’re not careful. In the wake of that sword strike, I bet he wouldn’t dare to rear his ugly head and eat any more monks for at least the next few decades.”

Mao Qiulu turned to Chen Ping’an and shook her head as she said, “The imperial preceptor office has spent an exorbitant sum for the capture of this demon, and on top of that, Jin Yue of the Golden Crow Palace has also become involved in this matter, so it would be too dangerous for me to hand her off to you.

“Our Azure Stone Residence isn’t as powerful as the Golden Crow Palace, but we captured this Mute Lake water monster first, so at least we’re in the right, and we don’t have to be overly fearful of the Golden Crow Palace.”

Chen Ping’an closed his folding fan and tucked it under his belt, then smiled and said, “It’s fine. I’ve been saving up money for a long time so I could spend money to my heart’s content on this trip. Go ahead and state your price, Esteemed Immortal Mao.

“I am just a vagrant cultivator with no roots or ties to anyone or anyplace, so even if the Golden Crow Palace wants to come after me, they’ll have to find me first. As long as you’re willing to sell her to me, I’m happy to take her off your hands.”

“I don’t want to be sold to you!” the little girl protested in a furious manner. “You scholars are all rotten to the core! I would rather go to the Azure Stone Residence with Big Sister Mao here. I’ll get to be neighbors with a river god, and perhaps they’ll give me some good stuff to eat from time to time!”

“Are you not afraid of that sword immortal from the Golden Crow Palace anymore?” Chen Ping’an asked with an amused smile. “If he uncovers your whereabouts, you’ll have to live in constant fear of being captured by him. Is that something you can handle?”

The little girl’s brows furrowed tightly as she began to think long and hard about this problem. The degree to which her brows were furrowed was always a direct indication of how hard she was thinking about something.

“State your price,” Chen Ping’an repeated as he turned to the group of Azure Stone Residence cultivators.

Mao Qiulu turned to the old man with an inquisitive gaze, and the latter gave a slight nod.

However, she still asked in a careful manner, “Are you really not afraid of retaliation from the Golden Crow Palace, Young Master Chen?”

“I’ll just have to avoid them,” Chen Ping’an replied with a nod.

A slightly troubled look appeared on Mao Qiulu’s face as she said, “But the imperial preceptor office has offered an entire grain rain coin for her capture. Normally, it wouldn’t take so much, but the imperial preceptor wishes to instate her as a river guardian, so he’s spent a little extra on her.”

“What?! Only one grain rain coin?! Not a hundred?! How dare he!” the little girl raged. “You there, give her a hundred grain rain coins right this instant! If you hesitate for even a moment, you’re a weak-willed coward!”

Chen Ping’an paid no heed to the furious little water monster as he handed over a grain rain coin.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Young Master Chen?” Mao Qiulu asked in a concerned manner.

Right at this moment, an emaciated old monk drifted onto the scene, standing atop the summit of the hill, and he was followed by a group of around a dozen monks of different ages.

All of them were wearing prayer beads crafted from ordinary materials around their necks, but the beads were glowing with golden light, making them particularly eye-catching in the night.

“That Golden Crow Palace sword immortal has already departed,” the old monk declared.

“Patriarch Yellow Wind has sustained severe injuries, and he seems to have been driven into a frenzied state. Not only has he not gone into hiding to rest and recuperate, he’s come out to eat people instead.

“My uncle master is already facing off against him several kilometers away, but he won’t be able to contain him for long. All of you, come with us and leave this Yellow Wind Valley right away. Time is of the essence, so do not delay!”

Chen Ping’an tossed the grain rain coin at Mao Qiulu with a smile and said, “Now that the deal’s been done, we can all leave.”

Mao Qiulu caught the grain rain coin, then examined it momentarily to confirm that it was indeed an authentic grain rain coin.

“Don’t forget the bells!” the little water monster yelled in an urgent voice. “Buy those from her for a grain rain coin as well!”

Chen Ping’an continued to ignore her, leaving her to pout in displeasure.

1. Chen Haoren literally translates to Chen Good Person, and it’s clearly a false alias. ☜