Unsheathed

She reached out to pat her little head with a warm smile as she remarked, “You’re still so short, even though you’ve had several hundred years to grow. What a waste! But it’s alright, I won’t look down on you. I am my master’s first-ever disciple, and I’m not the type of person to judge a book by its cover!”

Zhou Mili had been learning the Great Li Empire’s official dialect the entire way here, and even though she still wasn’t a fluent speaker, she could understand everything.

“I’ll be leaving Zhou Mili in your care,” Zhu Lian said with a smile. “That’s the arrangement that Young Master Chen made. What do you think? If you don’t want her here, I can take her back to Downtrodden Mountain with me.”

“Of course I can’t go against my master’s orders!” Pei Qian said as she took a glance at Zhu Lian out of the corner of her eye. “Leave it to me to look after this little shortie from now on. I’ll make sure to feed her…”

“Anything but fish!” Zhou Mili yelled.

“Good girl,” Pei Qian said with a smile as she patted her on the head.

Zhu Lian departed, while Shi Rou was grinning with amusement.

From that day forth, there were two little girls in the shop on Dragon Riding Alley.

That dog would also often come to the shop, and each day, at around the time Pei Qian was expected to return home from school, Zhou Mili would squat at the entrance of the shop with the dog, awaiting Pei Qian’s return.

On this day, Pei Qian rushed back from school, and as soon as she caught sight of Zhou Mili and the dog, she immediately grabbed onto the maw of the latter before giving it a twist as she asked, “Did anyone pick on the little shortie today? Answer me!”

The dog had already attained intelligence, and it had half a mind to die.

How am I supposed to say anything?

Pei Qian twisted the dog’s maw even further as she yelled, “How dare you not answer me! Do you have a death wish?!”

“No one picked on me today, Sect Sister,” Zhou Mili said in a timid manner.

Pei Qian nodded in response, then released the dog’s maw before giving it a slap on the head.

“So much for the guardian of Dragon Riding Alley! You’re useless!”

Zhou Mili rose to her feet, clutching the hiking pole firmly in her hands, and the two girls rushed down the steps together, only for a white-robed figure to abruptly descend before them.

The figure’s robes were flapping audibly, and he landed on a single foot with one arm held horizontally before himself while he pointed up at the heavens with the joined index and middle fingers of his other hand.

“Through here you wish to stroll? You better pay the toll!”

The dog immediately fled for its life, while Zhou Mili tugged on Pei Qian’s sleeve in an anxious manner as she asked, “Who’s that, Senior Sister? I don’t like the look of him.”

She didn’t necessarily think that the white-robed figure was a bad person, but it was clear that there was something wrong with him, and he was much taller than the two of them, making him very threatening in her eyes.

There was a grim look on Pei Qian’s face as she replied, “He’s a notorious fiend around these parts, having claimed the lives of countless top-tier cultivators and martial artists! Even for me, dealing with him is a bit of a struggle, but don’t worry, you’ll be safe as long as you stand behind me. This entire Dragon Riding Alley is under my protection, and no one can wreak havoc here on my watch!”

Zhou Mili gave a firm nod, then took a step back as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

She then watched as Pei Qian jumped down with her hiking pole in hand, landing right beside the white-robed figure before sweeping her hiking pole horizontally toward him.

Zhou Mili looked on with her eyes wide with shock and confusion. Pei Qian’s sweeping strike was extremely slow, as if her hiking pole were moving through treacle.

The white-robed figure leaned back just as slowly, raising his sleeves like two slowly unfurling sheets of Xuan paper as he just barely evaded the sweeping strike.

They continued to exchange blows in an incredibly slow sequence, and Zhou Mili felt as if she could’ve already run the length of Dragon Riding Alley several times over during this time.

Zhou Mili was truly perplexed, and her face was scrunched up into her signature expression of befuddlement.

The white-robed figure was extremely handsome, it was just a pity that he was so mentally unwell!

In the end, both combatants disengaged in unison, signalling the conclusion of their showdown.

“A truly formidable opponent you are!” Pei Qian declared with a nod of approval. “The fact that you were able to withstand my six Deranged Demon Sword Techniques means that you could easily conquer an entire nation on your own!”

“Indeed,” the white-robed man replied with a nod.

Zhou Mili was left scratching her head in confusion.

The white-robed figure turned to her with a warm smile as he said, “You’re Zhou Mili, right? My name is Cui Dongshan, I’m your senior brother.”

Zhou Mili hurriedly stood up and ran down the steps, then craned her neck to look up at Cui Dongshan as she said, “Chen Ping’an says you like to pick on people, but it doesn’t look like it to me.”

Cui Dongshan raised sleeve over his own face, then peeked over it like a shy maiden as he complained, “My teacher is always making jokes at my expense.”

Zhou Mili was rendered speechless as she turned to Pei Qian, who kicked Cui Dongshan in the leg as she scolded, “Don’t act like an idiot! You’re embarrassing my master!”

Cui Dongshan cleared his throat, then crouched down with a smile as he said, “Stand right there.”

Zhou Mili turned back to him with a puzzled look, and he extended a finger before gently pressing it against her glabella.

As soon as he did this, Zhou Mili was struck by a sleepy sensation, as if she were on the verge of passing out.

After some time, she felt a sharp pain in her glabella, snapping her wide awake again.

At this point, Cui Dongshan had already stood back up, and he gave her a pat on the head as he smiled and said, “All done. Let’s go back to the shop together.”

“Are you sure? This is a task assigned to you by my master, so you better take it seriously!” Pei Qian warned in a serious manner.

“I know, I know. Let’s go,” Cui Dongshan said in an exasperated manner as he stood with one hand clasped behind his back, waiting for the two girls to lead the way.

The two girls swaggered onto Dragon Riding Alley in identical fashion, while Cui Dongshan trailed along behind them.

Pei Qian was already treating Zhou Mili like a sister, even bringing out one of her prized talismans and plastering it to Zhou Mili’s forehead, much to Cui Dongshan’s amusement.

As he walked along, Cui Dongshan raised a hand to reveal an inky-black soul remnant clasped between two of his fingers.

You would’ve managed to fool just about anyone else, but not me.

At the Spring Dew Garden ferry station.

After receiving Tang Qingqing’s letter by flying sword, all of the decision-makers in the Spring Dew Garden’s ancestral hall unanimously decided that Song Lanqiao would be temporarily exempted from his duties of overseeing his ship.

He would remain in the Spring Dew Garden for now, and he would personally welcome the young foreign sword immortal that had come from the Skeleton Shoal. This arrangement would last until at least the conclusion of the Spring Farewell Banquet, and it would naturally be even better if he were willing to stay in the Spring Dew Garden following the banquet’s conclusion.

Song Lanqiao had already been waiting at the ferry station for close to two hours, but he was still in a very good mood, and there was a genuine smile on his face as he greeted the familiar faces that passed him by.

All of the ship administrators under the heavens were rather pitiable figures in the cultivation world. They hadn’t been completely abandoned by their sects, but it certainly felt like it, and Song Lanqiao was no exception.

Outside of his master, the other seniors and guest elders of the ancestral hall all looked down on him, even the vast majority of them were not even superior to him in cultivation base. The annual revenue generated by the ship and the produce from the Fine Wood Mountain Range never actually went through his hands.

Instead, that was all taken care of by direct disciples of the ancestral hall, and all he received were some paltry dividends. Even though he was compensated very poorly for his work, whenever an accident took place on the ship, the blame would always fall upon him, and it was truly a terrible job.

A ship slowly sailed into the bustling Talisman Water Ferry Station of the Spring Dew Garden, and everyone at the ferry station quickly noticed a strange phenomenon.

Not a single one of the ship’s passengers dared to fly or jump off the ship. Instead, all of them disembarked from the ship in a tame and orderly fashion, and on top of that, all of them were looking as if they had just brushed shoulders with death.

Chen Ping’an made his way down from the ship, while Wei Bai, Tang Qingqing, and the others trailed along a respectful distance behind him.

After exchanging some greetings with Song Lanqiao, he was taken to a scenic location in the Fine Wood Mountain Range, where there was a series of elegant, antiquated abodes nestled within a bamboo forest. These abodes had all been constructed for the sole purpose of accommodating esteemed guests.

The two of them traveled to one of the abodes by flying boat, enjoying a pleasant journey through the bamboo forest, which was teeming with spiritual energy.

There was a complete set of teaware on the boat, and they were accompanied by a young woman, who was seated in a kneeling position at one end of the boat, brewing some tea in a masterful fashion.

Chen Ping’an and Song Lanqiao enjoyed some tea together while the latter introduced to the former some of the noteworthy shops, buildings, mountains, cave abodes, and scenic landmarks that they passed by.

The Fine Wood Mountain Range was a huge place, and only after sailing for about an hour did the boat finally enter the sea of bamboo, which was much more abundant with spiritual energy than elsewhere. After around fifteen more minutes, the boat arrived by a pergola in a bamboo forest on a mountain summit.

This time, Chen Ping’an wasn’t wearing his conical bamboo hat, nor was he carrying his bamboo bookcase. In fact, even his hiking pole and Sword Immortal had been stowed away, leaving only the Sword Nurturing Gourd strapped to his waist and the folding fan held in his hand.

The young woman was a cultivator, but her aptitude was nothing special. At the moment, she was standing beside the boat with a warm smile. On the way here, she hadn’t uttered a single word aside from asking Chen Ping’an and Song Lanqiao if they required refills of tea.

Chen Ping’an approached her and offered her a snowflake coin. The woman seemed to be rather taken aback, and after a brief hesitation, she hurriedly extended her hands, cupping them together. Chen Ping’an released the snowflake coin, allowing it to drop into her cupped hands before thanking her for her hospitality.

Song Lanqiao could see that the woman was feeling a little uneasy, so he smiled as he consoled, “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. The rules of the Spring Dew Garden don’t apply here.”

As Chen Ping’an made his way toward the abode with Song Lanqiao, he asked, “Have I broken the rules of the Spring Dew Garden, Senior Song?”

Song Lanqiao shook his head with a smile as he explained, “Boatmen are prohibited from accepting tips from guests elsewhere in the Fine Wood Mountain Range, but such rules don’t apply in the sea of bamboo, so she was free to accept any tip that you deemed fit.

“You could’ve even given her a lesser heat coin if you so wished. Furthermore, you can rest assured that the entire sum of money stays with her, and that the Spring Dew Garden won’t take even the slightest cut.”

“I’m far too poor to be handing out lesser heat coins,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

The Spring Farewell Banquet was scheduled to take place in three days, right before the summer solstice.

Furthermore, according to Song Lanqiao, a Deer Antler Banquet was going to be held during summer, but it was not as grand or auspicious an occasion as the previous gathering. Hence, there were more ships departing than arriving at the moment. After all, spring was always the most precious season for the Spring Dew Garden.

The two of them made their way through a small path in the bamboo forest, and before long, they arrived at a peaceful residence with a plaque hanging above the entrance, one that read “Jingzhe.”[1]

The six most prestigious residences of the Spring Dew Garden were named after the six solar terms of spring, and three of them were situated in this sea of bamboo. However, most guests were generally unwilling to stay in the Qingming Residence, given its rather unsavory association with the Qingming Festival. However, this was the most popular residence among eminent Daoists visiting the Spring Dew Garden.

During the Spring Farewell Banquet, the assignment of these six residences was always a matter of contention and vexation among the decision-makers of the Spring Dew Garden’s ancestral hall. Any careless decision made on their part would be sure to breed resentment among those who feel as if they had been slighted.

The most prestigious residence was the Beginning of Spring Residence, which had just been vacated by a Nascent Tier guest within the past couple of days. It was certainly very highly sought after, but it was not out of the question for it to be assigned to Chen Ping’an.

However, after some discussion, the ancestral hall decided that the residence was too close to the Luminous Jade Cliff, where the patriarch of the Golden Crow Palace often went to brew tea, and assigning the residence to Chen Ping’an could spark a conflict between the two sword immortals, resulting in catastrophic consequences for the Spring Dew Garden.

While discussing this matter, a bunch of arrogant seniors and guest elders that would’ve normally brushed Song Lanqiao aside were going out of their way to ask his opinion.

This was a very cathartic reversal of fortunes for Song Lanqiao, but as a seasoned Golden Core Tier cultivator, he naturally wasn’t going to let his satisfaction show. Instead, he behaved even more respectfully than normal, ensuring that none of the smugness that he felt was conveyed through his words or actions.

Everything in the cultivation world had to be done with an eye for sustainability, and there were far too many examples of people throughout history letting their smugness show, only to be immediately dealt a harsh reality check.

Song Lanqiao entered the Jingzhe residence with Chen Ping’an, but only stayed for a short while before departing.

There were two beautiful young female cultivators in the residence, one of which was a direct disciple to a Golden Core Tier cultivator of the Spring Dew Garden.

They were to serve as temporary maidservants to the guest staying in this residence.

Their presence made Chen Ping’an feel extremely awkward and self-conscious, and as Song Lanqiao stood up to depart, he asked him if the two women could be dismissed.

Song Lanqiao smiled as he replied, “You are an esteemed guest of our Spring Dew Garden, so of course you’re free to do as you see fit with those two, but if you dismiss them, they’ll surely be reprimanded for failing to take proper care of you.”

Chen Ping’an heaved a resigned sigh and didn’t speak any further on the matter.

“Our matriarch was going to welcome you in person, but some mishaps occurred during the preparation of the Spring Farewell Banquet, so she had to personally stay behind and oversee the proceedings,” Song Lanqiao said. “She has specifically requested me to apologize to you for her absence on her behalf.”

“There’s no need for an apology, Matriarch Tan is far too kind,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

Following Song Lanqiao’s departure, Chen Ping’an didn’t immediately return to the residence. Instead, he embarked on a stroll.

Upon his return to the residence, he spotted Liu Zhiqing of the Golden Crow Palace standing at the entrance, looking as handsome and dashing as ever.

The two young women were standing off to the side, gazing upon him with warm expressions. Their eyes were filled with not just admiration for a mighty sword immortal, but also the infatuation of a pair of young women gazing upon a handsome man.

Chen Ping’an smiled and didn’t say anything.

Comparison truly was the thief of joy.

If Cui Dongshan were standing here, then those two women most likely wouldn’t even spare a second glance at Liu Zhiqing.

1. Jingzhe is the first solar term of the year, and it translates literally to “Awakening of Insects.” ☜