Unsheathed

Approximately ten days passed, and it was nighttime when Chen Ping’an comprehensively stabilized his third tier cultivation base.

There was no soaring through the air on his sword, and no thunderous and astounding commotion.

A female cultivator carrying a sword by her waist silently appeared on the opposite bank of the lotus pond.

Qi Jinglong, who had remained sitting on the long bench for the past few days, opened his eyes. Meanwhile, Chen Ping’an put down his calligraphy brush and stopped transcribing texts, walking out of his room and entering the courtyard.

Qi Jinglong stood up and greeted with a faint smile, “My respects to Sword Immortal Li.”

Li Cai waved her hand and said, “Rong Chang has already sent me a messenger flying sword and roughly informed me of the situation. Where is the young lady called Sui Jingcheng? I’ll decide whether to thank you or punish you after I have a conversation with her first.”

Li Cai strode forward and brushed past Qi Jinglong and his long bench, saying, “You actually dared to scare me with the Great Emblem Sword Sect? Good one, Qi Jinglong.”

Qi Jinglong smiled and said, “Sword Immortal Li can follow the rules and challenge me to a sword duel when I advance to the Unpolished Jade Tier in the future.”

Li Cai smiled and replied, “Just you wait. However, you need to get a hurry on because I’m going to leave the Northern Complete Reed Continent very soon. I need to take on Li Yu’s share and kill more demons at the great wall.”

Qi Jinglong thought for a moment before replying, “There’ll be a chance.”

Li Cai turned around and clicked her tongue in wonder, remarking, “They all say that you talk like an old woman who has her foot bound. Are the rumors in the mountains this unreliable? With your cultivation base and temper, you could definitely compete to become the next sect leader if you were part of my Duckweed Sword Lake.”

Qi Jinglong glanced back at Chen Ping’an who was standing near one of the rooms.

Chen Ping’an nodded lightly in response.

Li Cai stopped and looked at the young man in azure who was standing nearby, asking, “You’re Chen Ping’an?”

“How does Senior Sword Immortal know my name?” Chen Ping’an asked in puzzlement.

Li Cai thought for a moment before giving an answer that went against her conscience, saying, “I guessed.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t probe any further as he stepped aside, giving the path to the female sword immortal.

Li Cai strode into the room with a single step. She flicked her sleeve and created a small world.

Sui Jingcheng was sleeping soundly.

Li Cai gently sat down on the bed and looked at the slightly unfamiliar appearance of the young woman.

She smiled and remarked with emotion, “You’ve become much more beautiful.”

She then sighed and continued, “But there’s still hardship awaiting you, young lady. As expected of your master’s favorite disciple — the two of you are very similar. Ah, both of us are suffering the same misfortune and sympathizing with each other.”

However, she appeared slightly angry after saying this, and she chided, “That shitty mouth of Jiang Shangzhen’s!”

Li Cai bent two fingers and lightly tapped Sui Jingcheng’s forehead, exclaiming, “You’re able to embarrass your master even when you’re cultivating in seclusion!”

Sui Jingcheng woke with a start, only to see a sword-bearing woman lighting a candle before sitting down on a chair and looking at her.

Sui Jingcheng sat on the edge of the bed and remained silent.

“There’s no need to be afraid,” Li Cai said in reassurance. “Just talk about what you saw and experienced at the Five Mountain Nation’s Sui Clan over the past few years.”

Around fifteen minutes later…

Li Cai walked out of the room with a muddleheaded Sui Jingcheng.

She looked at the young man in azure and said, “Chen Ping’an, Sui Jingcheng can continue to travel around the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent after this. However, there’s a bottom line that can’t be crossed. No matter whom she recognizes as master, whether that be you or someone else, she can only become an unofficial disciple and can’t be recorded in the genealogical records kept in the ancestral halls.

“Only when Sui Jingcheng truly awakens can she make a proper decision. When that day comes, she can decide whether she wants to record her name and offer incense in the ancestral hall of Duckweed Sword Lake or in the ancestral hall of some other immortal force. I won’t place any restrictions on her before that day arrives, and you’re not allowed to influence her mental state any further either. However, everyone else is allowed to do so. As for Rong Chang, he’ll act as her Dao guardian and follow her to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent.”

Chen Ping’an was just about to ask about how he should specifically record his so-called influence on Sui Jingcheng’s mental state.

However, Li Cai had already become slightly irritated, flicking her large sleeve and relenting, “Actually, forget about it. The two of you can do whatever you want as long as you don’t get in bed together.”

After saying this, Li Cai directly jumped on her sword and soared away, causing no small commotion as she did so. This was presumably due to her bad mood.

Sui Jingcheng flushed bright red, lowering her head and running back to her room.

Qi Jinglong suppressed a chuckle.

Chen Ping’an heaved a faint sigh.

Atop the courtyard wall, Rong Chang didn’t dare to remain standing due to the appearance of his master, choosing to squat down instead.

Gu Mo was squatting beside him, and she fanned the flames further by asking, “Sword Immortal Rong, what does getting in bed together mean?”

Rong Chang was in a fairly good mood, so he feigned seriousness and replied, “Oh, I’m not too sure.”

Gu Mo and Rong Chang left together.

Liu Jinglong left the lotus pond for the first time, entering a room to begin cultivation.

Chen Ping’an knocked on a door, and he was greeted by Sui Jingcheng. They each sat on their own chair in front of the lotus pond.

“At the end of the day, I’ve still caused trouble for Senior, haven’t I?” Sui Jingcheng asked in a soft voice.

Chen Ping’an shook his head and said, “I’ll tell you some of my honest thoughts?”

Sui Jingcheng nodded in response.

She turned around to look at him.

“If you like a person, then their cultivation base shouldn’t matter, nor should it matter if they’re only a mortal human,” Chen Ping’an said slowly. “However, if the person whom you like already likes another person, is this not a very depressing situation? You can say that everything is okay, claiming that your feelings for someone else are a personal matter. Even if your feelings aren’t reciprocated, you’ll still be content with looking at them from far away.

“In reality, I also thought the same way in the past, so I understand that these matters are seemingly unrelated to the notions of right and wrong, making it very difficult to speak reason. I’ve traveled far and wide, and I’m neither blind nor oblivious to the things happening under my nose. Even if it’s only some subtle buds or signs, I’m able to notice the romantic feelings pertaining to myself.

“From my perspective, saying that I won’t develop romantic feelings for you isn’t out of fear that I’ll be unable to control my urges if I don’t stress this point to myself. I most certainly am not doing this on purpose to make myself appear like an extremely loyal person. In reality, I feel most at ease when it comes to romantic feelings between men and women, as this isn’t something that I can only learn and master after practicing fist techniques and cultivating.

“Indeed, it was a long time ago that I already felt like romantic feelings were completely just and reasonable. You have to realize that I found many things reasonable in the past, yet I no longer feel the same way about these matters anymore. Before I knew it, things had already changed significantly. However, this matter pertaining to romantic relationships has never changed. If I like someone, then I’ll only ever like her. This is more than enough.”

Sui Jingcheng remained silent as she looked at Chen Ping’an.

“I’m sorry,” the young man in azure said in a soft voice.

Sui Jingcheng wiped away her tears and said with a smile, “It’s okay. Being able to like a senior who doesn’t like me is better than liking a senior who likes me but also likes someone else. This seems to make me a bit happier as well.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and didn’t say anything else.

Sui Jingcheng smiled and asked, “Senior is only a third tier Qi refiner?”

Chen Ping’an turned around and replied, “But I’m younger than you.”

Sui Jingcheng placed her hands on her chair and stretched her legs, swaying her head and saying with a wide grin, “I’m not going to get angry.”

Qi Jinglong had said that he was going to cultivate, and he was indeed cultivating inside his room. However, not a single word at the lotus pond escaped his ears.

This was the headache caused by having a high cultivation base.

Qi Jinglong thought for a moment, and he felt like he needed to ask Chen Ping’an for some guidance, even if this meant being encouraged to drink wine.

Sui Jingcheng sat in front of the lotus pond for a while before returning to her room to rest.

Chen Ping’an started to cultivate beside the lotus pond, and when morning arrived, he left the courtyard to look for Gu Mo. There were some matters that he could only ask about after the dust had settled first.

Gu Mo opened the door, and the two of them sat opposite each other on stone chairs in the courtyard.

Chen Ping’an didn’t beat around the bush, and he asked directly, “Zhang Shanfeng is a friend of mine. Is Celestial Maiden Gu familiar with him?”

Gu Mo nodded and replied, “Yes, I know him, but not very well. I’ve only seen him a few times, and according to our seniority, he can be regarded as my uncle master.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in understanding. In that case, the old Daoist priest who had appeared in the alley at the Azure Phoenix Nation was most likely Zhang Shanfeng’s master, Spiritual Master Fire Dragon.

The three people had three different seniorities, but all of them were wearing very similar Daoist robes.

Chen Ping’an didn’t say too much else, and after learning that neither Zhang Shanfeng nor Spiritual Master Fire Dragon were at Ground Lying Peak right now, he asked Gu Mo whether he could enter the mountain to visit if he passed by in the future.

Gu Mo smiled and replied, “Since you’re friends with that young uncle master, it’s naturally no issue for you to visit Ground Lying Peak.”

She then added, “However, don’t greet me when you visit the mountain. The two of us barely know each other.”

“I’ll see,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

Gu Mo shot a glare at him and said, “My senior sisters and junior sisters like to gossip, so if you greet me, they’ll be able to gossip non-stop for many years. Don’t screw me over like this!”

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded in understanding before taking his leave.

“If you’re friends with my uncle master, then why didn’t you say so earlier?” Gu Mo suddenly asked. “That might have prevented all the misunderstandings.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and didn’t explain anything.

Qi Jinglong was able to notice the problem regarding Gu Mo’s mental state, and Chen Ping’an was actually able to vaguely detect some issues as well.

It was better to go with the flow than to resist.

Chen Ping’an had a very deep understanding of this.

The Flax Robe Sect’s Zhu Quan had done this very well atop the sea of clouds back then.

After Chen Ping’an left, Gu Mo waited for a moment to confirm that he had truly walked far away.

Only then did she raise a hand and wipe her face.

That young uncle master called Zhang Shanfeng…

Gu Mo’s master had privately mentioned him to her in the past, saying that her grandmaster had revealed some small secrets about him one time.

Spiritual Master Fire Dragon had said to the Profound Dawn Primordial Lord, “If your master leaves this world one day, you and the others don’t need to worry about anything as long as your junior brother is still present. A casual stomp from your junior brother, and Ground Lying Peak will remain as Ground Lying Peak.”

————

Gatherings would naturally end in partings.

Chen Ping’an continued to travel north, following the flow of the large river and making his way upstream across the middle of the Northern Complete Reed Continent.

Qi Jinglong said that he wanted to visit the capital of the Great Seal Script Empire to take a look.

Gu Mo was teasing Sui Jingcheng at Dragon Head Ferry Station, encouraging her to take off her veiled hat. She was so beautiful, and there was Rong Chang to protect her, so wouldn’t it be a huge shame for her to cover up her beauty?

Sui Jingcheng naturally ignored her.

Rong Chang also activated an illusion technique, concealing his aura as a Nascent Tier sword cultivator and suppressing it to that of an ordinary Golden Core Tier cultivator.

If one weren’t a sword immortal, would one dare to openly reveal their cultivation base when one traveled outside the mountains of the Northern Complete Reed Continent? There were some bastard Unpolished Jade Tier sword immortals who liked to randomly wander around outside the mountains when they had nothing better to do, with their favorite pastime being hunting Nascent Tier cultivators and eighth or ninth tier martial artists.

Not only would they beat the cultivators black and blue, but they would even claim that they were helping these victims cultivate, so there was no need to thank them. If these cultivators truly wanted to thank them, then they could ask for a few extra sword strikes to block. Not only did these bastard sword immortals exist, but there was actually quite a large number of them as well.

In fact, one wouldn’t necessarily be free from this harassment even after one became a sword immortal.

Chen Ping’an and Qi Jinglong slowly strolled into the distance.

Sui Jingcheng hesitated for a moment before following them from far away.

Gu Mo wanted to follow her, but Rong Chang used his mind’s voice to stop her.

Chen Ping’an and Qi Jinglong walked side by side, and Chen Ping’an used his mind’s voice to ask in a casual manner, “Have you reached an agreement with Sword Immortal Li? After you advance to the Unpolished Jade Tier, will she be one of the three sword immortals whom you have a sword duel with?”

Qi Jinglong smiled and replied, “Rest assured, I wasn’t being rash. Rather, the sword intent of Duckweed Sword Lake is coincidentally very different from my sword intent, so using it to temper my blade will have remarkably good effects. As for dangers or whatnot, which newly advanced sword immortal in the Northern Complete Reed Continent will worry about this? Moreover, you might not be aware, but casting one’s gaze over history, many so-called sword duels actually contain a deeper intention of teaching Dao.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and chuckled, “I greatly admire the demeanor of the sword immortals here.”

Qi Jinglong smiled faintly and said, “Hopefully you can catch up to me one day. At that time, why don’t the two of us travel around the Middle Earth Divine Continent together?”

“That would be great,” Chen Ping’an replied.

Chen Ping’an stopped and said, “If — and I’m saying if — you come across an unreasonable person one day, but this person has a very high cultivation base and is very good at fighting, and you need a helper…”

He paused for a moment before continuing with a resolute expression, “Then you can count me in!”

Pausing once again, Chen Ping’an smiled brilliantly and said, “I’ll have them understand what the quickest sword in the world means.”

Qi Jinglong clicked his tongue in wonder and remarked, “You’re standing in front of a sword cultivator who’s about to advance to the Upper Five Tiers and talking about how quick your sword is?”

“How old are you? And how old am I?” Chen Ping’an replied with a chuckle.

“That sounds quite reasonable,” Qi Jinglong conceded begrudgingly.

Chen Ping’an patted Qi Jinglong’s shoulder and said, “Don’t take this to heart. I’m clearly feeling a bit arrogant after refining my second bonded item.”

Sui Jingcheng stopped and stood nearby. There were many words of farewell that she wanted to say, but at this moment, she felt like there was no need to say any of them.

Moreover, she thought to herself that even though Mr. Liu’s cultivation base was higher, he wasn’t as handsome as the senior sword immortal.

She turned around and left.

After Sui Jingcheng returned to Gu Mo’s side, Gu Mo gently nudged her with her shoulder and asked in a low voice, “Why do you like that person with the surname Chen? He’s clearly worse than Liu Jinglong in all areas. Disregarding everything else and only focusing on their looks, he still loses to Liu Jinglong, no?”

Sui Jingcheng simply glanced at Gu Mo, remaining silent but grumbling in her mind.

She was a fairly decent young lady, so why was she so blind?

In the distance…

Qi Jinglong extended a hand.

Chen Ping’an retrieved two pots of wine, one for each of them. They then faced the river flowing toward the sea and started to drink slowly.

“What makes a powerful person?” Chen Ping’an asked in a quiet voice. “I think it’s those who can realize the dreams buried deep in their hearts when they were children, and achieve the bold claims they made when they were youths. Moreover, they’re able to become more and more like those people whom they admired and idolized when they were young. What do you think, Qi Jinglong?”

“I have a similar view,” Qi Jinglong replied with a nod.

“Then all you’re missing now is a girl whom you like, as well as a fondness for drinking wine,” Chen Ping’an commented.

Qi Jinglong didn’t entertain this conversation at all, but he finally answered Chen Ping’an’s previous question, replying, “If there’s truly a powerful enemy whom I can’t deal with, then I’ll call you over to help. However, the condition is that you’re at least at the Nascent Tier or a ninth tier martial artist. Otherwise, don’t blame me for leaving you out.”

Chen Ping’an raised a hand and offered his palm, saying, “Promise?”

Qi Jinglong faltered for a moment because he had never experienced this before. Most cultivators in the mountains had few desires and didn’t understand the hardships and customs in the mortal world. Of course, these cultivators also had intimate friends whom they fought side by side with, but their feelings would often be conveyed in a silent and implicit manner.

As such, he had never encountered this kind of behavior which was more popular in the cultivation world outside the mountains.

Even so, Qi Jinglong still raised his hand and firmly high-fived Chen Ping’an, saying with a wide smile, “Promise!”

Standing on the bank of the immortal ferry station, the two people who liked to speak reason each held a pot of wine as they high-fived and made a promise.