Unsheathed

Nalan Yexing was finally unable to remain silent any longer as he said, “As a pure martial artist, Golden Sweet Wine is something that would only be detrimental to you under most circumstances, so I can understand why you decided to offer it up as a marriage gift, but why are you also offering up a celestial sword when you promised Young Mistress Ning that you would become a sword immortal?

“Are you thinking that what’s hers will be yours anyway after you two get married, so the sword will simply end up back in your possession? If that’s the case, then I have some bad news for you. The Ning Clan may be willing to accept such an arrangement, but the same cannot be guaranteed for the Yao Clan. If you hand over this sword now, the next time you see it, it may be in the possession of one of the Yao Clan’s young prodigies.”

“Shut your mouth, you old dog!” Bai Lianshuang snapped. “No wonder you’re normally so quiet when you spout nonsense like this whenever you open your mouth!”

However, Nalan Yexing didn’t back down on this occasion, and a cold sneer appeared on his face as he said, “This is a very important matter, and I have the right to speak! Back when Master Ning was just a child, I was already protecting him and the Dragon Slaying Cliff, and after Master Ning’s passing, I’ve pledged myself to defending Young Mistress Ning and the Dragon Slaying Cliff.

“You can call me shameless for saying this, but I count myself as half a senior of Young Mistress Ning’s, so I’m perfectly qualified to speak on this matter! If you want to stop me from talking with your fists, then I’ll just have to dodge your punches as I speak!”

The old woman was furious, and her hands had already balled up into tight fists.

Chen Ping’an hurriedly mediated. “Let Grandpa Nalan speak, Granny Bai. Even if he makes some scathing remarks, as long as his advice is constructive, it’ll be of benefit to me.”

The old woman turned to Nalan Yexing, then threatened coldly, “Tread very carefully, Nalan Yexing. For each word that you utter from here, you’re going to have to take a punch from me. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

Nalan Yexing took a sip of his tea.

“Giving the best things that I have to offer to the person I love the most is something that makes all the sense in the world to me,” Chen Ping’an said. “For example, I had to pay a hefty price to elevate this Golden Sweet Wine robe into a celestial robe, but I paid the price without any hesitation, and I don’t regret it in the slightest. I will feel much more at ease if Ning Yao can wear it into future battles. That’s my only consideration.

“As for Sword Immortal, it’s been with me for many years, so I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t attached to it, and it would be disingenuous for me to say that I don’t know the value of a celestial sword, or that it doesn’t matter to me. However, the value of these two things is completely incomparable to how important Ning Yao is to me.

“My decision to offer up Sword Immortal as a marriage gift wasn’t made on the spur of the moment without any practical considerations. If it were better off in my hands, and I could wield it to protect Ning Yao in the next battle, then I would keep it. I wouldn’t offer up something so precious just to prove that someone who came from as impoverished a background as I did won’t lose to the prominent clans when it comes to the value of the marriage gifts that I can offer.

“That would be a vain and foolish endeavor. I grew up as a child all on my own, and after that, I journeyed for many years alone. I know when it’s appropriate to dish out large sums of wealth, just as I know when I have to be miserly and frugal. I know when I can allow my emotions to influence my decisions, and when I have to be careful and objective.

“I’ve considered everything extensively, and my conclusion is that as long as what I intend to do can benefit both Ning Yao and me without compromising the stability of our future together, then I should go ahead and do it. It’s not important what others say and think. These are not decisions made out of ignorance and naivete.

“Instead, I can confidently say that I’ve made these decisions after considering everything that needs to be pondered, so at the very least, I can justify them to myself. Even if I am made to pay for them in the future, I will have no regrets. If I had said these things ten years ago, then they would’ve been nothing more than the ignorant ramblings of a conceited fool. Only a naïve young boy who hasn’t experienced the hardships of life will innocently believe that throwing all caution to the wind and blindly devoting himself to someone is true love.

“Over these past ten years, I’ve worked diligently in both mental and physical cultivation while traveling across three continents. Even though I have no seniors to educate me and teach me the principles of life, I have grown up and learned those principles on my own. I’ve proven to myself that I am capable of looking after myself, so I can begin to try and look after the woman that I love.

“Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been prone to overthinking. I would often hide somewhere on my own to weigh up certain choices and observe other people. However, from the moment I first met Ning Yao, I never did any overthinking, and I should thank the heavens that I didn’t because if I had paused even for just a moment to consider the circumstances, I would’ve been completely discouraged.

“Back then, I had nothing and was struggling just to survive. What gives me the right to harbor romantic feelings for someone so far above me in every regard? How did I have the courage to come to Stalactite Mountain to find her under the guise of gifting her a sword? How was I able to come to the Ning Manor on this occasion and face her without feeling any sense of inferiority?”

“I’ve heard enough,” Bai Lianshuang interrupted with a pleased nod. “Clearly, there’s no need for a useless old woman like me to speak any further on this matter.”

She then turned her gaze to Nalan Yexing, who was fully content to remain silent, but it was clear from the look on Bai Lianshuang’s face that she wanted him to say something.

Thus, after some contemplation, he warned, “You’ve said all the right things, but Bai Lianshuang and I will be watching closely to make sure that your actions align with your words. We can’t afford any harm to befall Young Mistress Ning.”

“I welcome your supervision on important matters, but I implore that you give us some space when we’re just doing normal, trivial things like taking a stroll together in the manor,” Chen Ping’an said with a wry smile.

“The problem is that this crippled old dog has nothing better to do than spy on you and Young Mistress Ning all day,” Bai Lianshuang scoffed as she pointed at Nalan Yexing.

Nalan Yexing hurriedly cleared his throat, then picked up his already-empty teacup before pretending to take a sip, following which he stood up and said, “I won’t interrupt your cultivation any longer, then, Young Master Chen.”

“May I ask who you have in mind as your official matchmaker, Young Master Chen?” the old woman suddenly asked.

“That would be the old great sword immortal,” Chen Ping’an replied. “Having said that, I’m not very confident in my choice, and I don’t know if he’ll be willing.”

Nalan Yexing was stunned by this answer.

Chen Ping’an had chosen just about the most ambitious option possible.

From the very first day that the Sword Qi Great Wall was erected, the old great sword immortal had constantly remained atop the city walls, not leaving even once for any occasion, even the marriages of his own Chen Clan’s top prodigies or the funerals held for the Chen Clan’s fallen sword immortals. Not a single exception had been made over the past tens of thousands of years, much to the disappointment and exasperation of even his own descendants.

“If you can pull this off, then it would truly be an almighty honor,” Bai Lianshuang said with a chuckle.

“All I can do is shamelessly beg the old great sword immortal, but even then, I have zero confidence that it’ll actually work,” Chen Ping’an said with a wry smile. “I can only implore the two of you not to have any high hopes. If I’m unable to convince the old great sword immortal, then please forget I ever said anything about this at all!”

Nalan Yexing chuckled. “The fact that you have such lofty aspirations at all already sets you apart from everyone else your age!”

“So the old dog can give compliments after all,” Bai Lianshuang said with a sneer.

Nalan Yexing grinned. “Of course! I’m a very kind and benevolent senior.”

“Are you hearing this nonsense, Young Master Chen?” Bai Lianshuang scoffed. “There’s no need for you to show any respect to a shameless old fart like him! Now that he’s a useless old cripple, the only thing that he’s still half-decent at is concealment. You could do him a favor by giving him the honor of teaching you what little skills he has left!”

“Just keep yapping away, Bai Lianshuang!” Nalan Yexing scoffed in exasperation. “No matter how inept you make me sound, I’m still an Unpolished Jade Tier sword immortal!”

The two seniors stood up to depart, and Chen Ping’an accompanied them to the entrance of the small residence.

Following their departure, Chen Ping’an didn’t return to the residence. Instead, he remained at the entrance and turned in a certain direction.

After waiting for some time, someone finally appeared in that direction, and Chen Ping’an approached them with a smile as he remarked, “What a coincidence that you just happened to stroll your way here as soon as I came out!”

“Indeed,” Ning Yao replied with a nod, feigning ignorance of his insinuations.

“Now that you’re here, why don’t you help me out and see if there are any holes poked into the window paper of my room by thieves,” Chen Ping’an jibed.

“What are you talking about?” Ning Yao asked with an innocent expression. “How could there possibly be any thieves in the Ning Manor? You must be seeing things. Having said that, you have to pay if anything gets stolen.”

“I’ve never met a thief before that only steals my heart and nothing else,” Chen Ping’an jibed with an affectionate smile.

“Chen Ping’an! I’m going to have to beat some sense into you if you keep this up!” Ning Yao snapped with a combination of embarrassment and indignation on her face.

“You are my whole world,” Chen Ping’an said in a quiet voice as he gently wound his arms around her.

Ning Yao was just about to struggle free from his embrace, only for him to release her and take a step back before she had a chance to do so, leaving her even more frustrated.

“Your friends are here again,” Chen Ping’an explained in a quiet voice. “This time, they’re intentionally sneaking around so you wouldn’t notice them.”

Ning Yao took a moment to compose herself, and she immediately detected their presence.

“Come out!” she yelled.

Fatty Yan appeared by the feng shui rock, squatting in a completely still manner with a talisman in his hands. Fanning out behind him like the petals of a flower were the heads of Dong Huafu, Die Zhang, and Chen Sanqiu.

Ning Yao had a stern look on her face, while Chen Ping’an remained relaxed and composed, and the group made their way to the Dragon Slaying Cliff, but chose not to go and sit in the pergola.

Dong Huafu and Die Zhang had arranged a sparring match here.

Yan Zhuo told Chen Ping’an that bloodshed was a common sight during their sparring matches, and he urged Chen Ping’an not to be afraid.

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded in response, telling Yan Zhuo that he would pretend not to be afraid even if he was, much to Yan Zhuo’s amusement.

Ning Yao glowered at Chen Ping’an in disapproval as he swindled Yan Zhuo, but as soon as he turned to meet her gaze, she immediately looked away.

Chen Sanqiu had no interest in watching Dong Huafu and Die Zhang’s sparring match. Instead, he had snuck his way onto the Dragon Slaying Cliff, where he began discreetly sharpening Scripture and Cloud Pattern, holding one sword in each hand.

He had to take full advantage of this trip. Otherwise, why else did all of them insist on carrying their swords whenever they came to visit the Ning Manor? It certainly wasn’t to show off their swords to Nalan Yexing!

“Can’t you two eat a bit more? Don’t be so shy!” Chen Sanqiu encouraged with a sullen expression as he sharpened his two swords.

Meanwhile, Dong Huafu and Die Zhang had already stepped onto the sparring platform, and Ning Yao raised a hand to activate a mountain and water formation. This place was where her parents had once trained, so Dong Huafu and Die Zhang could safely go all-out here without having to worry about any of their sword qi spilling out of the formation.

Chen Ping’an was watching the pair of combatants from afar. Dong Huafu and Die Zhang’s bonded flying swords were Elaborate Makeup and Mountain Suppressing, respectively, and the sizes of the two swords varied drastically, as did the battle styles of their wielders.

Dong Huafu’s flying sword placed heavy emphasis on speed, while Die Zhang’s flying sword was all about stability. Dong Huafu was able to wield the light and nimble Elaborate Makeup like a tree branch, while Die Zhang had to lug around the massive Mountain Suppressing with her single arm.

Whenever Die Zhang’s sword struck the ground, a flurry of sparks would be raised, whereas Dong Huafu’s flying sword was much more understated and lacking in spectacle.

Chen Ping’an asked Yan Zhuo how hard the two of them were fighting, in response to which Yan Zhuo estimated that the two combatants were unleashing about 70% to 80% of their full power. Otherwise, according to him, Die Zhang would’ve undoubtedly already suffered some blood injuries at this point. However, she didn’t shy away from such injuries. Instead, they only seemed to embolden her.

The sparring matches often followed a certain script, which was that in the first half of the battle, Dong Huafu would be well and truly on top, inflicting a multitude of injuries upon Die Zhang. However, all it would take was a light blow from Mountain Suppressing to land, and Dong Huafu would be sent flying with blood gushing out of his mouth, instantly ending the battle.

Sure enough, this battle seemed to be no exception to this norm. Die Zhang’s sword-wielding arm had just been pierced through by Dong Huafu’s bonded flying sword, but that instantly brought about a shift in her aura, and up to that point, Chen Ping’an had already seen enough. Thus, he turned his attention away from the battle and made his way over to Chen Sanqiu.

If he had to face either Dong Huafu or Die Zhang in battle, he knew what strategies he would have to employ in order to defeat them, whether it be in a battle of life and death or just a sparring match.

Hence, there was no point in continuing to spectate the battle. Sure, he could humor Yan Zhuo by pretending to be terrified, feigning a pale complexion as his lips quivered in fear, all the while pretending that he was doing his best to put on a composed facade. If it were someone else in Yan Zhuo’s shoes, perhaps Chen Ping’an would’ve done just that.

However, these people were all Ning Yao’s closest friends and comrades who had been through life and death together, so he pledged to treat them with sincerity and integrity, rather than to fool them for his amusement.

Chen Sanqiu was still sharpening his swords, swiping Scripture and Cloud Pattern against the Dragon Slaying Cliff in an alternating fashion, and it was clear from his well-rehearsed movements that he had done this many times before.

“Don’t mind me, Young Master Chen,” Chen Sanqiu said with a smile.

“I don’t mind at all, Young Master Chen,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile of his own as he tucked his hands up their opposite sleeves, then crouched down to closely observe the pair of swords scraping against the Dragon Slaying Cliff. “In fact, I can even help you sharpen your swords if you’d like.”

“I’m afraid I can’t take you up on that offer,” Chen Sanqiu refused with a shake of his head. “A’Liang once told me that a swordsman’s bonded flying swords are their lifeblood, so they can’t just be casually handed over to someone else.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded in response as he continued to observe the two swords slowly eating into the Dragon Slaying Cliff, making such minute incisions that they were virtually negligible.

“It feels so strange hearing both of them refer to each other as Young Master Chen,” Yan Zhuo remarked.

Ning Yao didn’t say anything.

“What exactly is Chen Ping’an’s cultivation base?” Yan Zhuo asked. “Don’t tell me he’s actually a Lower Five Tiers cultivator! If that’s the case, then what tier is he as a martial artist? Is he really at the Vajra Body Tier? Normally, I don’t have much respect for pure martial artists, but thanks to our Yan Clan’s ties to Stalactite Mountain, we’ve dealt with some Far Roaming Tier and even Mountain Summit Tier martial artists in the past.

“From what I’ve heard, there are no slouches among martial artists who are able to reach the Three Mind Tempering Tiers, and it’s certainly not every day that you see a Vajra Body Tier martial artist as young as Chen Ping’an. Honestly, I’m really itching to have a go at him. What do you say, Ning Yao? Do I have your approval to challenge him?”

As a swordsman, Yan Zhuo was undoubtedly worthy of the prodigy title, but there was still a significant gap between him and Ning Yao, and even when it came to the other three members of their friendship group, Yan Zhuo’s record against them in sparring matches was less than stellar.

Hence, it was no wonder that he was itching at the prospect of being able to pick on a martial artist who was yet to reach the Far Roaming Tier. There were two sparring platforms in the Ning Manor, one large and one small. The small one was currently occupied by Dong Huafu and Die Zhang, while the large one was further away and renowned for its enormous area.

In fact, it was known far and wide on the Sword Qi Great Wall as a Minute Small World. From the outside, it didn’t appear all that large, but as soon as one set foot on the platform, they would come to realize that there was much more to it than met the eye.

If he were to face Chen Ping’an there, he would have a significant advantage as a swordsman. He would be able to take to the skies and freely harass Chen Ping’an with his flying sword while the latter was relegated to the ground. Just the mere thought had Yan Zhuo eagerly rubbing his hands together in gleeful anticipation.

“If you want to spar with him, then go ask him,” Ning Yao said. “If he agrees, then I won’t get in your way. If he refuses, then I can’t convince him otherwise.”

Yan Zhuo was still a little hesitant.

“Granny Bai is the only martial arts master around these parts. If Granny Bai fights Chen Ping’an on equal footing, restricting her own cultivation base to the Vajra Body Tier to match his, how many punches would he be able to withstand from her? Three? Five? Ten?” Yan Zhuo asked.

An amused smile was threatening to spread across Ning Yao’s face, but she quickly suppressed it in order to avoid blowing her cover as she feigned a nonchalant expression and replied, “He actually fought Granny Bai in a sparring match earlier, but it ended very quickly.

“I wasn’t there at the time, and I only heard about it in passing from Grandpa Nalan after the event, so I don’t know the exact details, but from what I heard, the two of them only exchanged a few blows before ending the sparring match.”

“He was able to exchange a few blows with Granny Bai? That’s very impressive, even if she restricted her cultivation base to the Vajra Body Tier!” Yan Zhuo remarked as he began rubbing his hands together again. “It sounds like he’ll be a worthy opponent.”

“Like I said, as long as Chen Ping’an agrees, you can spar with him however you like,” Ning Yao shrugged.

“What if I accidentally injure him with my flying sword?” Yan Zhuo asked in a careful manner. “You’re not going to seek retribution against me for him, are you? Rest assured, I can promise you that I definitely won’t direct my sword at Chen Ping’an’s face. If I do, then it’s automatically my loss!”

Ning Yao offered no response, eager to see Yan Zhuo shoot himself in the foot.

Whenever Dong Huafu or Die Zhang made a false move in their sparring matches, Ning Yao would immediately point out their mistakes without mincing her words, and they would commit her teachings to memory.

Ning Yao had always had a habit of instructing others in their swordsmanship, even back when they had first met, but at the time, Yan Zhuo and the others felt like her advice was terrible, and that following the advice only compounded their mistakes.

Later, A’Liang explained to them that this was because Ning Yao’s advice was too advanced and beyond what they could comprehend at their current cultivation bases and levels of experience. He told them that the value of her advice would become apparent once they reached a sufficient cultivation base to truly understand.

As it turned out, A’Liang was right.

In private, Chen Sanqiu had admitted that the reason he worked so hard in his cultivation and training was that he was determined not to allow the gap in cultivation base between himself and Ning Yao to stretch beyond two tiers.

Battles between swordsmen were often relatively brief affairs, especially in sparring matches, where both sides were holding back somewhat. If it weren’t for the fact that Dong Huafu and Die Zhang had intentionally dragged things out a bit for more sparring practice, the match would’ve already been over in just a few minutes.