Unsheathed

The young boy wanted to speak up for Chen Ping’an, but his grandfather grabbed onto his arm before giving him a vicious glare.

The boy shuddered in fear, having never seen such a cruel expression from his grandfather before.

The old man with the Sui surname then hurriedly turned his gaze to Chen Ping’an. To his relief, Chen Ping’an displayed no intention of borrowing money from him. Otherwise, he would have to loudly denounce Chen Ping’an in order to make it clear that there were no ties between them. That would be rather unbecoming of a scholar like him, and it would also tarnish the kind and benevolent image that his two grandchildren had of him.

Yang Yuan waved a hand as he chuckled, “Let him go. We’ve had our fun. He has a bit of backbone about him, unlike some scholars who are desperately trying to remain uninvolved out of self-interest. I thought scholars were supposed to be righteous and noble people, but I daresay that if he had a sword and his grandchildren weren’t with him, he would kill the young scholar himself just to prove that there’s no association between them.”

The man who had bumped into Chen Ping’an initially was rather disappointed by this outcome, and he lifted a foot, preparing to deliver a kick, but Chen Ping’an hurriedly scrambled to his feet and fled for his life before the kick could land, sending mud splattering all directions.

The old man with the Sui surname remained completely unfazed, but his grandson was blushing out of shame, understanding the implied insult from Yang Yuan.

The woman in the veiled hat noticed that Chen Ping’an had stopped in his tracks at the end of the small path. Surely her eyes were playing tricks on her because she could swear that he flashed her a smile before calmly departing.

Over at the entrance of the pergola, Yang Yuan pointed at the young man with the sword on his back, then turned to the woman in the veiled hat as he said, “This is my disciple, and he’s still yet to marry. You’ve concealed your appearance under a veiled hat, but it’s fine. My disciple is not so shallow as to judge a book by its cover. Seeing as fate has brought us all here, why don’t we all bear witness to a marriage between you two?

“That’s your father over there, right? Rest assured, old man, I may just be a wandering martial artist, but I’ve accumulated quite a bit of wealth over the years, so you can expect a handsome betrothal gift from me. If you don’t believe me, then ask that personal guard of yours. I’m sure he’s already recognized me.”

A furious look appeared on the old man’s face.

An awkward look appeared on Hu Xinfeng’s face, and he said to the old man, “This is Senior Yang Yuan, known as the Turbid River Flood Dragon in the martial arts world. He’s a renowned martial arts master of the Golden Gate Nation.”

“Turbid River Flood Dragon Yang Yuan? Wasn’t he killed by Magnificent Sect Leader Lin Shu?” the young boy asked in a quiet voice.

The boy thought that he was speaking in a sufficiently quiet voice for only Hu Xinfeng to hear, but for a martial artist of Yang Yuan’s caliber, his voice was clearly audible.

Hu Xinfeng spun around in a rage as he snapped, “Shut your mouth, Sui Wenfa! Hurry up and apologize to Senior Yang!”

The young boy bowed and apologized for the second time that day.

Yang Yuan extended an inviting hand as he smiled and said, “Come in. Let’s sit down and have a chat. I’m sure that’s not too much to ask, is it, Assistant Minister Sui?”

The old man with the Sui surname heaved a faint sigh of relief. He considered it a good outcome as long as there was no immediate physical conflict. He had read many horrific battles in books, but he had never personally witnessed any bloodshed.

Furthermore, Yang Yuan had identified him as a former assistant minister of the Five Mountain Nation, so perhaps the situation would improve from here.

The two parties sat down on the benches in the pergola. Out of the group of martial artists, Yang Yuan and his sword-bearing disciples were the only ones sitting, while the rest remained standing.

Yang Yuan leaned forward slightly with a benevolent smile on his face, and he glanced at the woman in the veiled hat and the young girl beside her, then proposed, “If you’re not opposed to the idea, we could arrange two marriages here today, Assistant Minister Sui. I have a grandson who’s just turned sixteen. Unlike me, he’s a fine scholar.

“In fact, he finished among the top fifty in the Orchid Residence Nation’s imperial examination this year. Perhaps you may have even heard of him, his name is Yang Rui.”

Yang Yuan then turned to his disciple with a smile as he asked, “Fu Zhen, which one of these two do you think Rui’er will choose? It could be a little troublesome if both of you end up choosing the same one.”

“Yang Rui can have them both,” Fu Zhen hurriedly replied. “The older one can be his wife, while the younger one can be his concubine.”

“That goes against etiquette, does it not?” Yang Yuan asked as his brows furrowed slightly.

“There’s no need to be so dogmatic in such matters,” Fu Zhen replied with a smile. “These two are immensely fortunate to be able to marry someone as handsome and talented as him. If it isn’t for the fact that the Orchid Residence Nation doesn’t have any maiden princesses of an appropriate age, Yang Rui would already have become the emperor’s son-in-law.

“Surely these two women would be willing to go against etiquette for the privilege of being able to marry Yang Rui.”

Hu Xinfeng had to stifle his fury as he warned in a solemn voice, “Don’t forget that you’re in our Five Mountain Nation right now, Senior Yang!”

“If the number one martial artist of the Five Mountain Nation, Wang Dun, were present, then I wouldn’t even have entered this pergola,” Yang Yuan chuckled. “Come to think of it, Wang Dun must be in the capital of the Great Seal Script Empire right now.

“Of course, if we really do kill someone here, those experienced constables of the Five Mountain Nation will be sure to find some leads tracing back to us. Having said that, that’s not a concern, seeing as Assistant Minister Sui here will be sure to cover our tracks. Scholars value their reputation above all else, and he would do everything in his power to keep such a domestic scandal from being made public.”

Hu Xinfeng heaved a resigned sigh, then turned to the old man as he asked, “What do you say, Brother Sui.”

The old man cast his gaze toward Yang Yuan as he sneered, “I’m not convinced that you can do whatever you please in our Five Mountain Nation and truly expect to get away with it.”

Yang Yuan merely smiled and offered no response, then turned to Hu Xinfeng as he asked, “What do you say, Hero Hu? Are you going to sacrifice yourself and leave behind your sect and family just to get in the way of this marriage, or are you going to be a little smarter and do what’s best for everyone?

“If you stand aside now, I’ll invite you to the wedding as an esteemed guest, and I’ll personally see to it that you receive a handsome gift for your shrewdness.”

“Women become much more obedient once you’ve planted a seed in them,” Fu Zhen chuckled.

“That’s a rather crude way of putting it, but it’s not untrue,” Yang Yuan agreed with a smile and a nod.

“Hero Hu, you can’t abandon us at a time like this!” the old man with the Sui surname wailed.

A conflicted look appeared on Hu Xinfeng’s face.

“It’s a pity that the young scholar isn’t here. Otherwise, he’d be sure to denounce you while citing the teachings that you scholars abide by,” Yang Yuan chuckled. “Having said that, he’s lucky he’s not here. Otherwise, I’d have him executed on the spot for daring to insult the grandfather of my future granddaughter-in-law.

“I must admit that I’ve really mellowed out over the years. In particular, I’ve developed a newfound respect for scholars after Rui’er was born.”

“I can stay, but you have to let them go,” the woman in the veiled hat suddenly said. “I’ll go with you to the Orchid Residence Nation right away. Even if someone reports you to the authorities, they won’t be able to do anything once we’ve crossed the border to enter the Golden Gate Nation.”

“You see, that’s where the trouble lies,” Yang Yuan sighed with a shake of his head. “I have some important business to attend to in the Five Mountain Nation, and I’m only playing matchmaker here for Rui’er on a whim. Hence, Hero Hu’s decision is of the utmost importance.”

“Even if I agree to leave, would you really let me go?” Hu Xinfeng asked.

“Of course not,” Yang Yuan replied with a smile.

Hu Xinfeng took a deep breath to steel himself, knowing what had to be done. In the next instant, he swiveled around and threw a punch at the head of the old man with the Sui surname.

Even the average martial arts master wouldn’t be able to survive an all-out punch to the head from Hu Xinfeng, let alone a frail old man.

However, in the next instant, a streak of sword light appeared in the path of Hu Xinfeng’s fist, and he hurriedly pulled back.

A sword had appeared before the old man with the Sui surname, and it was none other than Fu Zhen that had intervened.

He was holding his sword in one hand while his other hand was clasped behind his back as he remarked, “The so-called martial arts masters of the Five Mountain Nation are truly disappointing.

“Wang Dun is the only one who stands out, claiming a spot on the new list of top ten martial artists released by the Great Seal Script Empire. Even though he’s ranked at the very bottom, he’s still far superior to all of the other martial artists of the Five Mountain Nation.”

“Cut the chit-chat!” Yang Yuan snapped in disapproval.

Fu Zhen knew that he had spoken out of turn, and a murderous look appeared in his eyes as he strode forward and lashed out with his sword. Much of the heat in the air had already abated in the wake of the passing storm, and the wind generated by Fu Zhen’s sweeping sword cooled the air even further.

Hu Xinfeng rushed back in retreat as he yelled, “Why are you doing this, Senior Yang?!”

The fact that he was still able to speak while dealing with Fu Zhen’s attacks indicated that he was clearly the superior combatant.

Fu Zhen had just lost out on the woman in the veiled hat. Just hearing her voice along had been enough to light a flame in his lower abdomen, and even if her features weren’t as alluring as her figure, her voice clearly indicated that she was still a stunning beauty. Furthermore, she had come from an affluent clan, further lending her a unique sense of appeal over the average woman.

The fact that he was forced to concede her to Yang Rui already filled him with indignant rage, and his fury was fueled even further by Hu Xinfeng, who dared to look down on him by speaking during their battle. With that in mind, he immediately began striking with even more venom and ferocity.

Sui Wenfa was pressed against his grandfather, while his sister, Sui Wenyi, had her face buried in her aunt’s chest as she trembled in fear.

“It’s alright, don’t be scared,” the woman consoled in a gentle voice.

Yang Yuan sprang forward like an agile ape, timing his jump to perfection so that he was able to strike Hu Xinfeng with a punch to the chest right after he evaded a sword strike from Fu Zhen. Hu Xinfeng was sent flying out of the pergola before crashing to the ground, throwing up blood incessantly.

Yang Yuan looked on with a cold sneer. The world was still just the same as it had been twenty years ago. These so-called righteous martial artists were still as pretentious as ever, acting as if they were the living embodiments of justice, but in reality, they were no lows that they weren’t willing to stoop to for self-interest.

While Yang Yuan had been an accomplished martial artist from a young age, he had been far too foolish in his youth, and that was why he had been driven out of the Golden Gate Nation. However, that turned out to be a blessing, a turning point in his life.

From there, he was able to found his own sect on the border between two nations, and he now had connections in the officialdom of the Orchid Residence Nation and the cultivation world of the Green Shrine Nation, establishing ties with two truly lofty figures.

Fu Zhen was just about to pounce on the injured Hu Xinfeng to deliver a killing blow when he was stopped in his tracks by Yang Yuan.

As Hu Xinfeng raised a hand to wipe the blood from his mouth, his lips moved a little as if he were communicating something through voice transmission, and Yang Yuan responded in kind.

Right at this moment, a pair of figures on horseback arrived on the scene, displaying no intention of stopping or even slowing despite the fact that they had clearly just stumbled upon some type of altercation.

The two figures on horseback consisted of a black-robed old man with a saber strapped to his waist and a young man who appeared to have been around thirty years of age.

As the pair of horses trotted past the pergola, the old man didn’t even bother to spare a glance at the unfolding scene.

“Help!” the old man with the Sui surname yelled. “I am Sui Xinyu, a former assistant minister of the Five Mountain Nation’s Ministry of Works! These people are trying to kill us!”

The younger of the two men immediately tugged on the reins of his horse before turning around with a bewildered expression as he exclaimed, “Uncle Sui?!”

Sui Xinyu faltered slightly at the young man’s bewildered expression, then hurriedly nodded in response.

“You’re really not afraid to get innocent people killed, are you, Assistant Minister Sui?” Yang Yuan chuckled. “I’m beginning to regret our marriagement arrangement now. If you have no qualms having innocent people die for you, I’m worried that you could just as easily sell me out someday!”

The man hurriedly jumped down from his horse, then extended a deep bow toward Sui Xinyu as he sobbed, “It’s me, Uncle Sui! Cao Fu! I had to flee the Five Mountain Nation all those years ago after what happened to my clan, and I’ve always felt racked with guilt for leaving Ms. Sui behind!”

The expressions on the faces of everyone in Yang Yuan’s group instantly changed drastically upon hearing this.

Cao Fu was a vastly renowned figure in both the Orchid Residence Nation and the Green Shrine Nation. He had once been a mediocre martial artist that had fled to the Orchid Residence Nation, but somehow, he had become the disciple of an old immortal in the Green Shrine Nation.

Cultivators weren’t particularly feared in the cluster of a dozen or so nations that included the Orchid Residence Nation and the Green Shrine Nation, but all of the martial artists worth their salt were aware that all of the cultivators who were able to survive in these nations, particularly those with immortal abodes and ancestral halls, were extremely troublesome to deal with.

During the past dozen or so years, Cao Fu had gone out to travel the world on multiple occasions, and it was said that he was always accompanied by his Dao guardian. He barely ever fought in battles, but he was a household name across the Orchid Residence and Green Shrine Nations. Apparently, the stunning empress of the Orchid Residence Nation was his senior sister.

Out of the top ten martial artists and top four beauties selected by the Great Seal Script Empire, two of them had ties with Cao Fu. One of them was his senior sister, the Elegant Orchid Beauty of the top four beauties, and the other one was Xiao Shuy, who ranked above Wang Dun on the list of top ten martial artists.

It was said that he had reached the Spirit Refining Tiers, and he had also learned a set of powerful demon-slaying lightning techniques from Cao Fu’s master. Additionally, his saber by the name of Misty Heavens was an immortal saber that was peerlessly sharp and capable of subjugating ghosts and spirits.