Unsheathed

Chapter 510 (3): I’ll Let You Have Three Punches at Me

Wei Zhen reached out to rest a hand on the railing as he sighed, “I heard that Sect Leader He from the north recently made a journey down south. She is truly an incredible woman. She was able to reach the Upper Five Tiers at such a young age, and it seems like the heavens are determined to bestow upon her one blessing after another.

“Even though she’s come from the tiny Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, she was able to find a small world on our Northern Complete Reed Continent before taming many great demons and spirits. In such a short time, she’s been able to establish an almighty sect and establish a firm foothold on our continent.

“I’ve heard that she was even able to ward off two Unpolished Jade Tier cultivators using her mountain-protection formation and her small world. These are feats that I wouldn’t even dare to dream of! If I ever travel to the north, I have to go and see her. Even if I can only catch a glimpse of her from afar, that will be a lifelong wish fulfilled.”

A hint of dejection welled up in the young woman’s heart upon hearing this, but it quickly vanished. Both she and Wei Bai were aware that He Xiaoliang was far out of his reach, and that the most he could ever hope for would be to see her from afar.

Wei Bai leaned in close to the young woman, then whispered into her ear, “The moon is good to look at from time to time, but it’s far off in the heavens and completely unattainable. I know better than to take the person by my side for granted and go chasing after some unreachable pipe dream.”

A wide smile instantly appeared on the young woman’s face.

Meanwhile, the dirty little thing on the first floor of the ship was still racing joyfully back and forth along the railing.

As for the young scholar, he continued to accompany her in a lazy manner, fanning himself as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

All of a sudden, a faint smile appeared on Wei Bai’s face.

Someone on the second floor had finally decided to lash out at the pair of eyesores.

A burst of spiritual energy was sent flying through the air like an arrow, hurtling directly toward the little girl’s leg. It was meant to shatter her kneecap, sending her flying off the ship. From an outside perspective, it would simply appear as if she had slipped and fallen, and she would only have herself to blame. The ship wouldn’t be held culpable as she was the one who had chosen to walk along the railing, so she could only blame herself for falling to her demise.

However, the spiritual energy arrow was kept at bay by Chen Ping’an using his fan, but it seemed that it was not without some strain. He stumbled back with his fan held aloft, pushed back by the force of the arrow, and only after crashing into the railing behind him did he finally manage to steady himself.

Wei Bai shook his head in a disappointed manner.

So he really is useless, after all. It’s a good thing I turned down Ding Tong’s offer to test him. Otherwise, if word were to spread that our Iron Warship Residence was picking on some mediocre fifth tier martial artist, that would be an embarrassment for all of us.

An enraged look on Chen Ping’an’s face as he yelled, “Are all of the workers on this ship blind? We’ve just been attacked by someone from the second floor!”

The little girl hurriedly stopped in her tracks, then hopped down from the railing, hiding behind him in a fearful manner as she asked through her mind’s lake, “Are we dealing with someone even more powerful than Patriarch Yellow Wind?”

“Yes, someone much more powerful,” Chen Ping’an replied in a grim voice.

“Then we have to run!” the little girl exclaimed in an urgent voice.

Chen Ping’an closed his folding fan, then gently placed a hand onto the top of her head as he smiled and said, “But if we run away now, those people will be free to pick on others in the future. The world is like a pot of congee.

“If we spot some flies in the congee, we should scoop them up and toss them out, rather than leave them inside. Remember those people that we encountered earlier? Do you still remember what I said after the encounter?”

The little girl nodded as she replied, “You said that when a calamity truly arrives, it seems like everyone is weak, but prior to that, it seems like everyone is strong because there always exists even weaker weaklings.”

Chen Ping’an was referring to an earlier escapade of theirs. They were traveling through a certain area when they heard from the locals that some strange things had been happening on a nearby mountain of late, so they decided to scale the mountain and take a look.

On the way up, they encountered a group of traveling heroes on horseback, loudly declaring that they were going to slay the monster to make a name for themselves.

For some reason, Chen Ping’an didn’t move out of the way, and he was sent flying by a galloping horse. All of the riders erupted into laughter, then galloped away on horseback without so much as a single backward glance.

At the time, the little girl wasn’t concerned for his safety.

This was a sword immortal that had slain Patriarch Yellow Wind, and he hadn’t even bothered to release flying swords in his wine gourd during the battle.

However, she felt very angry on his behalf, but before she had a chance to yell after the group of horseback ruffians, Chen Ping’an gently placed a hand onto her head with a smile and told her that it was fine.

After that, they spotted the group of martial artists, who had been confronted by a monstrous being that stood at over twenty feet tall. At the time, it had been holding the mangled corpse of a man and chewing on one of the man’s arms like a snack.

Its victim was none other than the rider of the horse that had sent Chen Ping’an flying earlier.

Chen Ping’an pointed his closed folding fan at the man-eating monster, then smiled as he said, “I’ll allow you to enjoy this final meal before I put an end to your life.”

The man-eating monster immediately tossed away the corpse in its hand to turn and flee, while the warriors that had sneered upon Chen Ping’an just a moment ago began kneeling and kowtowing to him, desperately imploring him to save them.

The entire sequence of events had left a very sour taste in the little girl’s mouth.

The people on the ship’s second-floor observation deck quickly lost interest after witnessing Chen Ping’an ward off the sneak attack, deciding that the duo had been taught their lesson.

As for Chen Ping’an, he didn’t seem to have the guts to go after the perpetrator, merely swallowing the bitter pill and pretending as if nothing had happened.

A group of people on the observation deck erupted into laughter, making no secret of the fact that they were the ones responsible for the sneak attack.

A worker on the ship strode over to Chen Ping’an with an annoyed expression. He wasn’t concerned for Chen Ping’an’s safety. Instead, he was worried that Chen Ping’an would kick up a fuss and bother the esteemed passengers on the second floor. If that were to happen, then he surely wouldn’t receive any tips from those wealthy passengers.

“The hell are you yelling about? Who attacked you? Are you stupid or delusional?!” the worker sneered with a cold expression.

Chen Ping’an turned to the little girl and asked, “Was he the one who sold you the newspapers?”

The little girl shook her head. It was an older individual that had sold her the newspapers.

Chen Ping’an tapped his folding fan against his own heart as he murmured to himself, “Cultivators need to prioritize cultivation of the heart over cultivating power. Otherwise, you won’t be able to go very far at all.”

The little girl tugged on her sleeve, then cupped a hand over her own lips as she raised her head and said in a quiet voice, “Don’t get mad! If you get mad, then I’ll get mad at you, and you don’t want that!”

“I won’t get mad, I’ll just do a bit of preaching. I didn’t preach enough last time at Verdant Bamboo Lake,” Chen Ping’an said as he looked up at the second floor.

“Shut your mouth and go back to your room! You’re an eyesore for everyone!” the ship worker snapped as he reached out to push Chen Ping’an, only for a stunned look to suddenly appear on his face.

His hand had drawn to a shuddering halt an inch away from Chen Ping’an’s chest, unable to advance any further.

Chen Ping’an didn’t even bother to look at him as he said, “Did you really say I was just a fourth tier martial artist?”

The young worker’s attitude immediately took a drastic turn as he put on a fawning smile and cupped his fist in a salute as he said, “Please pardon my intrusion, esteemed passenger. I’ll leave you to appreciate the scenery.”

He then immediately turned to flee, and Chen Ping’an allowed him to scurry away.

While fleeing for his life, the worker snuck a glance back at Chen Ping’an, only to discover that he was nowhere to be seen, leaving the little girl in black all on her own.

On the observation deck not far away from Wei Bai and his entourage, a group of seven or eight cultivators who were traveling together collectively rushed back in retreat.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Ping’an had appeared before them, standing on the railing as he looked down at them with one hand clasped behind his back.

One of the cultivators tried to speak, but his spiritual energy circulation abruptly became completely stagnant, and he felt as if there were a mountain weighing down upon him, robbing him of the ability to speak.

“When I’m talking, all of you should learn to keep your mouths shut and listen,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile, then snapped his folding fan shut before flicking it upward slightly.

The Qi refiner that had unleashed the sneak attack earlier was hoisted up into the air, following which Chen Ping’an grabbed him by the head and casually tossed him off the ship.

With another flick of his folding fan, another cultivator in the group was lifted up into the air before being slapped off the ship with a sweep of his sleeve.

In the blink of an eye, the entire group of cultivators had been thrown off the ship like a platter of dumplings into a pot of boiling water.

Chen Ping’an then leaned back and plummeted off the ship after them, vanishing into the clouds below in the blink of an eye.

Moments later, he returned to the ship, then silently looked up at the observation deck of the heaven-grade room with a smile on his face.

“Master Liao, I believe a reevaluation is necessary,” Wei Bai said in a grim manner.

The old man with the Liao surname had already risen to his feet and arrived by Wei Bai’s side, and he was looking just as grim as he said, “I’m afraid I’m no longer able to gauge his cultivation base.”

Wei Bai took a glance at the brawny man who had offered to challenge Chen Ping’an earlier. The latter was looking deathly pale.

Wei Bai turned his gaze back to the old man, then remarked with a wry smile, “It appears we’re in a bit of trouble.”

The old woman was also standing beside Wei Bai, and she scoffed, “What’s the trouble? Just get Little Liao to play around with him a little, and we’ll know exactly what he’s made of.”

Wei Bai didn’t rush to make any decisions. The guest elders of his clan were still people, and in his eyes, a seventh tier martial artist like Master Liao was very much worthy of his respect. Hence, he said, “It’s fine, Master Liao. There’s no need to force yourself.”

The old man clenched his fists, and all of the joints in his body cracked and popped as he sneered, “The old softie in the south can barely put up a fight, while Old Man Peng’s swordsman is under the protection of that prime minister, so I’ve been dying for an opponent. Regardless of whether he’s a cultivator or a martial artist, I’m not going to pass up this opportunity!”

As opposed to releasing his aura in full force and going directly after Chen Ping’an, the old man gently drifted down onto the first-floor deck of the ship, then grinned, “Care to have a spar with me, kid? Rest assured, there’s no bad blood between us, so I won’t kill you.”

Chen Ping’an tucked the tip of his folding fan under his chin, as if he were contemplating the proposal, then also drifted down onto the deck as he said, “Seeing as you’ve made such a kind offer, it would be rude of me to fight you on even terms, so I’ll let you have three punches at me to start!”

He clasped a hand behind his back, then pointed at his own forehead with his folding fan as he continued, “You can have three punches at me first, and we’ll spar on equal terms after that. If I die, then the fault lies solely with me. What do you say?”

The two of them were standing around twenty meters apart from one another, and all of the passengers on the ship were chatting among themselves in hushed tones.

Wei Bai was astonished by Chen Ping’an’s bold offer.

There was one particular passenger on the first floor who was traveling from somewhere south of the Deity Visage Nation to seek refuge in the Spring Dew Garden, and his complexion was deathly pale, while his lips were quivering uncontrollably.

Somehow, he had once again encountered this unpredictable and almighty young sword immortal.

I came all the way to get away from you, esteemed young sword immortal! Please spare me! It was never my intention to travel on the same ship as you!

“Are you sure you want to do that, kid?” the old man scoffed.

“Will three punches not be enough?” Chen Ping’an asked with a surprised expression. “How about four then? If you’re still not confident in your own chances, you can have five punches, but no more than that. Otherwise, all of the spectators are going to get bored.”

“Three punches will suffice. I’ll try to leave your body intact,” the old man chuckled, following which he immediately adopted his fist stance, and ferocious fist intent came surging out of his body.

Everyone on the ship felt as if there were a stiff gale blowing directly into their faces, and some of the lesser Qi refiners and martial artists among them were barely even able to keep their eyes open.

All of a sudden, a resounding boom rang out, and in the blink of an eye, the old man was standing where Chen Ping’an had been standing just a moment ago.

As for Chen Ping’an himself, he was standing at the head of the ship with his white robe flapping and billowing around him.

Many of the passengers on the ship were already prepared to cheer for Chen Ping’an’s demise, but they were forced to stifle their cheers.

Chen Ping’an appeared as casual and relaxed as ever, but his Adam’s apple was moving ever-so-slightly, indicating that he was swallowing down some blood.

Despite this, a faint smile remained on his face as he said, “That punch only packed enough power to kill a sixth tier martial artist at most. I must thank you for holding back, Senior.”

The old man’s gaze fell upon Chen Ping’an’s white robe, and he discovered that even though it was billowing incessantly, it remained completely unscathed.

“So you’re wearing a powerful Dao robe. No wonder you had the confidence to allow me three punches. How conniving of you!”

Chen Ping’an slowly strode forward as he said, “I had to sell off all of my belongings to scrounge together enough money to buy this Dao robe, yet you’re calling me conniving? That hurts my feelings a little. Fine, I won’t use the power of Dao robe to withstand your punches anymore. You still have two more.”

The old man stomped a foot down onto the ground, and the entire ship dropped down over ten feet in altitude.

Using the force of the stomp, the old man launched himself forward like a bolt of lightning, and his fist intent swelled to an unprecedented peak.

In the face of such an almighty blow, surely there was no way Chen Ping’an would be able to survive.

However, things did not turn out the way everyone anticipated.

Not only did Chen Ping’an not perish, he wasn’t even moved a single inch. He was still holding his folding fan in one hand, and the only difference was that he had raised the hand that was originally clasped behind his back.

This time, it was the old man’s turn to be sent sliding back, and Wei Bai’s expression instantly darkened upon seeing this.

Chen Ping’an remained still for a moment, then suddenly yelped as he pretended to sway unsteadily, and he exclaimed, “Your fist techniques are truly incredible, Senior! Thank heavens you only have one punch left. I’m extremely thankful now that you didn’t agree to my offer having five punches at me. Otherwise, I would surely be dead by the end!”

All of the passengers on the ship were looking on in silent exasperation.

They had never seen such a half-hearted piece of acting for as long as they had been alive!

The old man smiled as he declared, “Here comes the final punch!”

He took a deep breath, and his robe began to ripple from his fierce fist intent.

He launched himself at Chen Ping’an once again, but along the way, he suddenly veered off to the side, targeting the little girl in black instead. She was having a very hard time containing her amusement at Chen Ping’an’s terrible acting, and she was silently clapping her hands together to cheer her on, making sure to stop just short of her palms coming into contact with each other to avoid making any sound.

In this instant, it was as if the flow of time had fallen completely still.

Chen Ping’an had suddenly appeared beside the little girl, and the fingers of his left hand were digging deep into the old man’s throat, making it impossible for him to advance even another inch forward. Blood began gushing out of the five holes that had been pierced into his throat by Chen Ping’an’s fingers, and this entire time, he was still holding his folding fan with one hand.

He gently extricated his fingers from the old man’s throat, then gave him a gentle shove on the forehead, and he was sent crashing through the railing of the ship with an almighty commotion before plummeting out of the ship altogether.

Chen Ping’an turned his gaze to the second floor, then gently wiped his bloodstained left hand against the railing as he smiled and asked, “What now?”

Both Wei Bai and the old woman remained silent.

Moments later, everyone heard a thunderous commotion ring out in the distance.

A streak of golden sword light raced onto the scene at an incredible speed, catching up to the ship in the blink of an eye, and standing atop the flying sword was a young man with a golden hairpin in his hair. He cast his gaze toward the railing, then asked, “Are you the one who sliced through the lightning cloud of my Golden Crow Palace?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Chen Ping’an said with a dumbfounded expression.

“I’ll invite you to have some tea with me once you reach the Spring Dew Garden,” the young sword immortal said with a resigned smile, then sped away just as quickly as he had come.

This was a riveting story that was very much worthy of going into the future book about her, but for some reason, the little girl couldn’t bring herself to be happy. She made her way to Chen Ping’an’s side with her head lowered, then gently tugged on his sleeve as she said, “I’m sorry.”

Chen Ping’an crouched down and pinched her cheeks before gently pulling them apart, then made a funny face at her as he said with a gentle smile, “You have nothing to apologize for.”