Unsheathed

For the upcoming journey, Chen Ping’an was going to board the next southbound intercontinental ship from the Flax Robe Sect at the Ox Horn Mountain ferry station to travel to Old Dragon City. On this trip, he was going to meet with two groups of people, the first of which was the Flax Robe Sect and the Spring Dew Garden, with whom he was going to discuss the exact details of their three-party collaboration.

The second group consisted of those in the alliance formed around the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, including Jiang Shangzhen, as well as Fan Er and Sun Jiashu of Old Dragon City. Now that the Lotus Root Blessed Land had been elevated to a mid-grade blessed land, there were many things that had to be discussed.

It was still going to take some time for the Flax Robe Sect’s intercontinental ship to arrive at the Ox Horn Mountain ferry station. Once Wei Xian and Pei Qian returned to Downtrodden Mountain, Cui Dongshan would depart from the Dragon Spring Prefecture with Wei Xian, while Chen Ping’an was planning to travel to the Great Sui Nation’s Mountain Cliff Academy with Pei Qian on the newly acquired dragon boat.

This was a necessary journey because Chen Ping’an desperately wanted Li Baoping, Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, and Xie Xie to be present for the completion of the Downtrodden Mountain ancestral hall’s construction.

Chen Ping’an had once told Lu Tai that he wished the children he had accompanied all the way to Mountain Cliff Academy would someday be able to continue their studies on Downtrodden Mountain or one of its subsidiary mountains. They wouldn’t belong to Downtrodden Mountain, and their names wouldn’t be marked down on the genealogical records.

Instead, Downtrodden Mountain would just be a scenic place with many books for them to read, and it would provide a place for the five of them to stay close to the school in the small town, for however brief a period of time it may be. If they wanted to depart on long journeys, then they could do so whenever they pleased, hopefully with wonderful memories of the time they had spent on Downtrodden Mountain.

Chen Ping’an didn’t feel like he could do any more than that because everyone was growing up.

The little girl in the red coat who was constantly running around with a locust branch in her hand, the crybaby Li Huai who demanded a little bamboo bookcase for himself by sobbing and throwing a tantrum in the mud, the unapproachable yet kind-hearted Lin Shouyi, the prince of the fallen nation who always liked to take over from Chen Ping’an for night watchman duties in the second half of the night, and the perpetually cold and disdainful Xie Xie, who seemed to be full of fear toward the entire world…

All of them were growing up day after day.

One night, Chen Ping’an was resting his chin on the desk on the first floor of the bamboo building. He made a funny face, and the little lotus spirit, who was also resting on the desk, immediately burst into laughter.

***

Liu Chongrun hadn’t returned to Bamboo Scroll Lake. Instead, she was strolling on her own on the summit of Ao Back Ridge.

From the moment that she decided to refine the water palace on Ao Back Ridge, Bejeweled Hairpin Island was no longer her home.

Liu Chongrun returned to her residence, and spread out on the table was a map that she had personally drawn by hand, encompassing all sixty-two mountains of the Dragon Spring Prefecture, including Cloud Drape Mountain.

Divine Elegance Mountain, which served as the home of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect’s ancestral hall, stood in a triangular formation with Lamp Bearer Mountain and Gallant Spear Mountain. In addition, there were also the three mountains that had been rented from Downtrodden Mountain, namely Rainbow Cloud Mountain, Immortal Herb Mountain, and Treasured Scripture Mountain.

These six mountains, in addition to the many mountains that the Dragon Spring Sword Sect subsequently purchased, meant that they had roughly the same number of mountains as Downtrodden Mountain.

However, they were actually at an advantage when it came to overall territory, and that wasn’t even taking into account the rumor that the Great Li Empire intended to assign another massive piece of territory to the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, stretching all the way from the northern outskirts of the capital to the former Central Mountain.

Outside of Ruan Qiong’s Dragon Spring Sword Sect and Chen Ping’an’s Downtrodden Mountain, there weren’t any other significant powers in the area. Even if all of them were to join forces on a united front, they clearly wouldn’t be able to contend against those two massive entities.

Dragonspine Mountain, the Dry Spring Mountain Range, Incense Fire Prefecture, Distant Scene Mountain, True Earth Mountain…

Liu Chongrun’s gaze roamed over the mountains on the map one by one. Clearly, Ao Back Ridge belonged to a third party outside of the two aforementioned dominant powers. However, it was very apparent that everyone else already regarded Bejeweled Hairpin Island as a subsidiary entity of Downtrodden Mountain.

Prior to attending the ceremonial opening of the Downtrodden Mountain ancestral hall, Liu Chongrun had felt rather conflicted. She didn’t want her Bejeweled Hairpin Island to be reduced to a subsidiary entity to any mountain, but after returning from Downtrodden Mountain, she had felt rather resigned and dejected.

Unbeknownst to her, the young accountant on Cyan Gorge Island had already amassed such a tremendous amount of power back home.

What was most astonishing to her of all was that Northern Mountain God Wei Bo had never even bothered to hide his close association with Downtrodden Mountain. The three Night Travel Banquets had come in rapid succession, catching everyone completely off guard. During the banquets, everyone on Cloud Drape Mountain had worn bright and vibrant smiles, but internally, all of them had been suffering in silence.

Just the three batches of gifts that they had to offer up at the three banquets had been a significant expenditure, and for those who weren’t particularly wealthy, it was no exaggeration to say that this would’ve been a meaningful financial setback.

Additionally, Downtrodden Mountain also had an Unpolished Jade Tier vagrant cultivator as an official guest elder, something that was almost unheard of! At the moment, Downtrodden Mountain wasn’t even a top-tier immortal power. Were they not worried that this almighty guest elder of theirs would turn around and begin imposing his will on the mountain?

Then there were two Wood Garment Mountain ancestral hall direct disciples who were simultaneously serving as unofficial guest elders of Downtrodden Mountain. What was that all about?

On top of that, there was also Cui Dongshan, who, despite his erratic and lackadaisical demeanor, didn’t strike Liu Chongrun as any less of a threat than Zhou Fei.

At the time, Cui Dongshan had stood in the second row alongside Pei Qian, while the third row had been occupied by Zhu Lian, Lu Baixiang, Sui Youbian, and Wei Xian, all of whom were clearly very formidable in their own right. Liu Chongrun personally knew three of them as she had worked extensively with them during the recovery of the water palace and the dragon boat.

All of them possessed astonishing auras, and the woman standing alongside them wasn’t outshone by the trio in the slightest. The fact that she was able to stand with them at all clearly indicated that she was definitely no slouch in battle, and Liu Chongrun speculated that she had to have at least been a Vajra Body Tier martial artist.

Even on the entire Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, it was very difficult to find a formidable lineup.

However, what truly forced Liu Chongrun to accept her fate was the younger generation of the Downtrodden Mountain ancestral hall. There was Pei Qian, whom she regularly saw, as well as Cen Yuanji, Yuan Bao, Yuan Lai, and Cao Qinglang, who had suddenly come up seemingly out of nowhere.

These young second-generation disciples decided the future potential of Downtrodden Mountain, serving as the determining factor for what heights the mountain would eventually reach.

However, even that wasn’t what had stunned Liu Chongrun the most. Instead, it was two other things, the first of which was the three portraits hung up in the Downtrodden Mountain ancestral hall.

Those portraits depicted the origins of Downtrodden Mountain.

That day was the first time that Liu Chongrun had learned the significance and story behind Downtrodden Mountain’s name.

The second thing was something that she had noticed in the ancestral hall at the time.

As the mountain master, Chen Ping’an had been standing on his own at the front of the ancestral hall, while everyone behind him had stood in a solemn silence, irrespective of their cultivation base, background, personality, or whether they were direct disciples or guest elders.

In particular, while Chen Ping’an was announcing Zhou Mili’s status as the right-hand guardian of the mountain, Liu Chongrun had made sure to closely inspect everyone’s reactions to see if there was even the slightest change in anyone’s expression.

Her observations had given her a very definitive conclusion: no one had thought that their young mountain master was doing anything absurd or comical.

As soon as these thoughts arose in Liu Chongrun’s mind, she was immediately struck by a sense of asphyxiation, and she emerged from the room to take a stroll out in the yard.

As she did so, she raised her head and cast her gaze toward Downtrodden Mountain with a myriad of emotions swirling in her heart.

***

At Mountain Cliff Academy, Li Huai had only just returned to his dormitory from his lessons when he spotted his sister waiting for him by the entrance.

He had to admit that his sister was half-decent in the looks department.

“I ran into Lin Shouyi today. We were just talking about you, and here you are!” Li Huai grinned.

An affectionate smile appeared on Li Liu’s face at the sight of her brother, who had already grown a little taller than her, and she said, “You wrote in your letter that you were feeling really burdened by your studies. Mother was worried about you, so she told me to come and check on you.”

Li Huai opened the door of the dormitory, then poured Li Liu a cup of tea as he said in an exasperated manner, “I was just doing a bit of complaining. Mother always likes to fuss over every little thing. From the first day I started studying here, I’ve always been really busy with my studies, so it’s not like anything’s different.”

“The only difference is that you’ve grown up,” Li Liu said as she set her bag down on the table, then sat down beside it.

“I wish I didn’t have to grow up,” Li Huai scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “Why can’t I be like Pei Qian? She eats, but she never grows! I’m really not cut out for studying. All of my daily lessons feel like a slog. The only change of pace is when I go out traveling with the teachers.

“We go on journeys spanning thousands of kilometers, and by the end, our legs are exhausted, but my heart isn’t tired at all! In fact, it feels easier for me than having to study in a classroom. I’m clearly more suited to be a traveling hero. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to make much out of myself as a scholar.”

Li Liu patted her bag as she said, “Make sure to keep the things in this bag safe. If you ever run out of money, you can get Mountain Master Mao to help you sell the things in this bag for silver.”

“Are you crazy?” Li Huai exclaimed. “You want me to go find Mountain Master Mao? I’m constantly trying to avoid him as much as possible!”

Li Huai rested his chin on the table as he opened the bag, then began inspecting the items inside as he complained, “I knew you wouldn’t have been able to save up anything good as a maidservant of an old immortal on Lion Peak! Look at this stuff! Not a single one is a radiant immortal treasure! The stuff that Chen Ping’an gave me was way better.

“You have to work harder, sis. Try to at least get to the Abode Tier as soon as possible. Right now, Lin Shouyi is doing really well for himself. At the rate he’s going, all of the girls in the entire capital of the Great Sui Nation are going to fall for him!”

Li Liu merely smiled and didn’t say anything.

Of course, the items in the bag only appeared dull and ordinary because there were restrictions placed upon them. If they were revealed in their true forms, then even Mao Xiaodong would be stunned into silence.

Li Huai heaved a forlorn sigh as he shook his head and set down the items in his hands, then closed the bag again. He had done all he could to help Lin Shouyi.

As for why Lin Shouyi was so infatuated with his sister, that was something that Li Huai couldn’t understand for the life of him. It made sense that Dong Shuijing liked his sister. After all, he was running a wonton shop in the Dragon Spring Prefecture, so he and Li Liu were a good match.

However, Lin Shouyi was currently renowned across the entire Great Sui Nation as an exceptional cultivation prodigy who possessed aptitude and good looks in equal measure, so what exactly was it about Li Liu that had had him so infatuated for so many years?

Li Huai lifted the bag to discover that it was quite heavy.

He took a glance at his sister, who was sipping on her tea in an unhurried manner, and he couldn’t help but heave another forlorn sigh as he said, “You’re still not married yet, so I’m not going to say anything today, but make sure you don’t come giving me stuff like this once you’re married.

“Cultivation is not easy to begin with, and you were only able to make it onto Lion Peak at all thanks to a familial connection, so there’s definitely going to be people badmouthing you behind your back. Your top priority right now should be to accumulate some wealth for yourself. You can help out our parents’ shop financially here and there, but there’s no need to overdo it.

“It’s not like our parents expect you to financially support them anyway. If Mother complains, then just blame it on me. I don’t want to nag, but you’re really starting to get up there in age, so you should hurry up and find yourself a good husband. If you can prepare a good dowry for yourself, then you’ll have better chances of finding a good suitor willing to take you.”

“Looks like you really have grown up,” Li Liu said with a smile. “You’re beginning to think for your sister’s sake.”

Li Huai sat down on the bench with his legs crossed, then poured out some soybeans into a dish before pushing it toward his sister.

After tipping out a handful of soybeans for himself, he began munching on them as he grinned, “That’s a little heartless of you to say, sis. I’ve been looking out for you ever since I was small, constantly trying to find a good husband for you, like my good friend, A’Liang, or the man that I respect the most, Chen Ping’an. Unfortunately, you weren’t able to grasp either of those opportunities, so you can’t blame me.”

“How could you speak about your sister like that?” Li Liu complained as she tossed a soybean at him.

Li Huai caught the soybean, then combined it with the ones that were already in his hand before tossing all of them into his mouth at once.

“Seriously though, once you’re married, you can’t keep bringing stuff to our parents and me like this. Your husband is not going to be happy with you. Don’t worry about Mother’s nagging, I’m doing just fine for myself. I can’t just mooch off my sister and brother-in-law for the rest of my life!

“Not only would I feel embarrassed for myself, but my brother-in-law would also look down on me. Even if my future brother-in-law turns out to be a really easygoing and generous guy, you still shouldn’t keep doing this.”

“Why?” Li Liu asked with a smile.

“What do you mean why?” Li Huai grumbled. “Did you not hear everything I just told you? Just do as I say! Who’s the top dog in our family? It’s me! Mother listens to me, Father listens to Mother, and you listen to Father, so who’s the one calling the shots?”

An amused smile appeared on Li Liu’s face.

“Fine, I’ll admit that I only thought of all of this after speaking with Chen Ping’an,” Li Huai conceded. “We’ve barely gotten to see each other at all these past few years, so I’ve always wanted to tell you all of this, but never got the opportunity. However, Chen Ping’an never taught me what to say if you keep asking me questions, so if you want more answers, then I can ask Chen Ping’an for you.”

“How do you know Chen Ping’an is definitely right?” Li Liu asked.

“Is he wrong?” Li Huai asked.

“Well, no,” Li Liu conceded with a smile.

“Li Liu! I’m the type of guy who would gladly take a knife to the chest for my close friends, so don’t try to test me!” Li Huai declared in a proud manner as he stuck out his thumb and pointed at his own chest.

Li Liu smiled as she leaned forward and gently moved Li Huai’s thumb slightly away from where it was, then said, “If you’re going to take a knife to the chest, make sure you at least avoid your heart, even if it’s for the best of friends.”

“You’re just a clueless girl who knows nothing about brotherly bonds and the cultivation world!” Li Huai snapped with a disgruntled glare. “Don’t ever say something like that to me again! Otherwise, I’m going to get very angry with you!”

Li Liu smiled and fell silent.

She didn’t know anything about the cultivation world? That was certainly a very amusing accusation to make.

It was said that in the distant past, there was only one world under the heavens. There had once been a group of powerful female heavenly officials in this world, possessing even more jurisdictive power than all of the rain gods, river guardians, and dragon kings.

They were known as dragonslayer envoys, and they were responsible for overseeing all of the flood dragons in the world. These mighty dragonslayer envoys only answered to a single ancient deity, and that deity was colloquially known as the ruler of the cultivation world.

“How do you feel about these journeys that you’ve undertaken?” Li Liu suddenly asked.

Li Huai’s smile gradually faded at the question, and he replied in a quiet voice, “When I was small, all I did was make a bunch of noise with Li Baoping and the others by reading aloud, but I didn’t know what I was actually even reading.

“There were many passages in those books that I struggled to memorize in the past no matter how hard I tried, but now that I’ve traveled so much and seen so many people, I’ve suddenly come to realize that those same passages have become almost impossible to forget. Let’s not talk about this, sis.”

Li Liu nodded in response, then asked, “Should we talk about Li Baoping instead then?”

Li Huai immediately shook his head in dismay as he answered, “Just the mention of her is enough to give me a headache! Li Baoping has become really boring. All she does is read all day, saying that she’s going to read ten thousand books or something. She’s still really busy every day, but she’s not running around like she’s crazy anymore.

“Guess what? Seeing her nowadays is even rarer than seeing Lin Shouyi! Isn’t that strange? In the past, I already felt like Li Baoping was the most terrifying person alive, but right now, she’s even worse than she was back then! The next time Chen Ping’an comes to visit the academy, I’m going to report her to him, even if I have to put my life on the line!

“As her junior uncle, he’s probably the only one who can make her change her ways. Let’s not talk about her anymore. Now that I think about it, I barely ever see Yu Lu and Xie Xie nowadays, either. Having said that, we’re all still very close with one another. I can feel it when we occasionally run into each other.”

It was only after Li Liu had already left that Lin Shouyi finally arrived, and he was very disappointed to have missed her.

Li Huai didn’t know how to console him.

Even if he said the right things, there was no guarantee that Lin Shouyi would become his brother-in-law, and if he said the wrong things, then he ran the risk of rubbing salt into his good friend’s wounds.

Li Huai heaved a forlorn sigh following Lin Shouyi’s departure. Why did he have to fall in love so young? Why can’t he be uninterested in girls and carefree like me?

After returning to his dormitory, Li Huai set his little bamboo bookcase onto the table, then placed his sister’s bag inside before carefully wiping down the bookcase.

Following some contemplation, he decided it was time to pull out his trump card.

He poured out a bowl of tea, then dipped his finger into it and chanted a nonsensical incantation before writing down Chen Ping’an’s name.

After doing all that, he raised his hands, then lowered them to descend his qi back into his dantian, and gave a pleased nod as he inspected the characters on the table. It was some exceptional calligraphy, if he did say so himself, better than what even a hundred A’Liangs could manage.

Early winter, Chen Ping’an was at the Ox Horn Mountain ferry station, waiting for the dragon boat with Pei Qian so they could travel to Mountain Cliff Academy. Even though Zhou Mili had already handed over the two bamboo hiking poles, she was still carrying a gold shoulder pole on her shoulder.

Cui Dongshan and Wei Xian were also leaving the Dragon Spring Prefecture, but they were going to travel on another military ship of the Great Li Empire that was passing through.

Wei Xian was chatting with Pei Qian, while Cui Dongshan only had a brief parting message for Chen Ping’an.

“Teacher, you’ve worked so hard to earn all of these mountains over all these years, you can now begin to rely on them. The path ahead is going to be long and arduous, so please persevere.”