Unsheathed

As the clan leader of the Yao Clan, Yao Chongdao was immediately put into a difficult situation after the outsider sword immortal opened his mouth.

This was as expected of Zuo You; when he spoke and acted, he could very easily place others into awkward predicaments. Perhaps those innate sword talents of the Majestic World one hundred years ago, who had suffered crumbling sword hearts, could most empathise with Yao Chongdao’s current plight.

For example, the prodigious Cao Jun from the Southern Whirl Continent was able to freely swing his sword back then, with the environment in his sword heart being a pond of flourishing lotuses. However, his fate was extremely miserable, and only the withered and broken remains of lotuses were left in his sword heart as he plummeted from his lofty position and became the laughing stock of the entire continent. In the end, he could only quietly make his way to the distant Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. Even until now, after more than one hundred years, he was still unable to advance to the Unpolished Jade Tier. One had to realize that Cao Jun had once been widely regarded as a one-in-one-hundred-year prodigy in the Southern Whirl Continent.

Sword immortals in other areas had already detected the situation here, and smiles stretched across their faces as they got ready to enjoy a good show. Those who liked to drink had already cracked open their wine pots.

They weren’t ordinary spectators or sword cultivators like those on the streets, after all, and those guarding the city wall were all experienced sword immortals who had experienced more than one hundred battles. As such, they naturally wouldn’t shout or whistle as they watched on.

Of course, part of the reason was their fear that Zuo You would become displeased and drag them into the battle as well.

Zuo You’s sword skills were far too lofty, and his sword intent was far too overwhelming. At the same time, he was also relatively unreasonable and unafraid of challenging a group of people by himself.

There was a very dark expression on Yao Chongdao’s face.

As the clan leader of the Yao Clan, the frustration and displeasure in his heart had already been accumulating for many years.

Just as Yao Chongdao was about to challenge Zuo You to a battle to the southern side of the city wall, Chen Ping’an mustered his courage and started to play the peacemaker, gently putting Ning Yao down and calling Mr. Yao over, after which he asked Ning Yao to accompany Mr. Yao for a while. Meanwhile, he walked over to speak with Senior Zuo.

Ning Yao dragged her grandpa away for a stroll.

Chen Ping’an shot forward like an arrow, disappearing in a flash as he went to look for Zuo You.

Yao Chongdao’s expression relaxed significantly after that touchy, ill-disciplined young man left, leaving him and his granddaughter alone.

Perhaps the old man had complicated feelings about his daughter and his son-in-law, unable to properly untangle the emotions of sadness, sorrow, frustration, anger, and despondence… Toward his granddaughter, Ning Yao, however, the old man only felt pride and guilt.

On the opposite city wall, Chen Ping’an was no longer able to advance any closer after arriving within ten paces of a middle-aged sword immortal who was facing the other way. Almost all of the acupoints in the sword immortal’s body were brimming with abundant sword intent, making it appear as if he were treating the entire world as his opponent at every single moment.

Taking a look at ordinary sword cultivators or Qi refiners from the Three Teachings and Hundred Schools of Thought, it would already be quite an achievement for them to fill their critical acupoints, where they stored their bonded items, with abundant spiritual energy and manage to slowly expand these acupoints.

Chen Ping’an cupped his fists after seeing Zuo You, saying in greeting, “This junior pays his respects to you, Senior Zuo.”

Zuo You was unmoved by Chen Ping’an’s arrival.

Seeing this, Chen Ping’an quietly walked around and jumped onto the parapet, turning around and facing Zuo You before sitting down cross-legged.

Countless blades of sword qi criss-crossed through the air and sliced through the void, signifying that the sword intent contained by each wisp of sword qi had already reached a legendary and paramount state of purity.

Chen Ping’an could see that Zuo You wasn’t willing to speak, but he couldn’t leave just like that, could he? That would be far too disrespectful. Since Chen Ping’an had nothing better to do, he decided to calm his mind and focus his gaze on the movement of the sword qi, hoping to discover some so-called rules and principles.

Approximately seven minutes later, and after having developed sore eyes, Chen Ping’an’s mind fluctuated slightly before quickly becoming calm again.

A wisp of sword qi had been on the verge of being released just then, seemingly about to break free from Zuo You’s control. The sense of fear and trepidation Chen Ping’an felt at that instant was as if an immortal were wielding an entire mountain and about to smash it into his mind’s lake. Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Zuo You’s eyes remained closed, but he finally opened his mouth and asked, “Is something the matter?”

“Where is the Scholarly Sage right now?” Chen Ping’an asked. “How should I find him if I have the opportunity to travel to the Middle Earth Divine Continent in the future?”

Zuo You’s expression lightened a little as he replied in an indifferent voice, “Master has already left Tassel Mountain and gone to open up a primordial land that many generations of Confucian sages and nobles have failed to open up. A senior from the Middle Earth Divine Continent is responsible for clearing the path with his sword, while Master is responsible for stabilizing and consolidating the path. Both tasks are equally important.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Thank you for clearing things up, Senior Zuo.”

“How is your scholarly pursuit going?” Zuo You asked.

“I haven’t slacked off when it comes to reading, and I’m continuing to examine my heart at the same time,” Chen Ping’an answered.

“The results are quite mediocre,” Zuo You commented.

“Reading is a long-term pursuit, and I’m not talented enough to read quickly and read widely. Doing so will inevitably result in a shallow understanding. Given this, it’s better for me to read slowly and read carefully, seeking depth over shallowness,” Chen Ping’an explained.

Zuo You offered no response.

Standing on the opposite city wall, Yao Chongdao was feeling slightly jealous as he said in exasperation, “What’s so interesting to look at over there? The gulf between their cultivation bases is far too great, so they definitely won’t get into a fight.”

Ning Yao wanted to say something, but she couldn’t help but hesitate.

Very few people at the Sword Qi Great Wall knew about the relationship between Chen Ping’an and Zuo You, and Ning Yao hadn’t mentioned a single word about this even to Grandma Bai and Grandpa Nalan.

The most interesting thing was that with Zuo You’s temperament, he most likely wouldn’t have bothered to open his eyes, much less open his mouth to say anything, if he didn’t have some kind of relationship with Chen Ping’an.

With this in mind, Yao Chongdao was actually feeling very confused right now, not understanding why a strange sword cultivator like Zuo You, who cared about nothing but his sword, would oppose the Yao Clan and the Ning Clan for the sake of an outsider before. Was Zuo You not being too much of a busybody? Thus, if it weren’t for the young man with the surname Chen getting involved and acting as a peacemaker, Yao Chongdao would have already been standing on the vast battlefield to the south of the city wall and been personally judging the height of Zuo You’s sword skills.

Defeat or victory wouldn’t be important.

After all, defeat would have been the only possible outcome.

Even though Yao Chongdao was a great sword immortal at the Immortal Tier, he was already very old and had no chance of advancing any further. After battling without reprieve for several hundred years and accumulating more and more issues, even Yao Chongdao had to concede that he was increasingly failing to live up to his name as a great sword immortal. He would feel glad but also a sense of melancholy whenever he saw those young earth immortals and those spirited Unpolished Jade Tier juniors. Only when he looked at his granddaughter, who was the undisputed leader of the young prodigies, would a slight smile appear on the face of the old man, whom A’Liang had nicknamed Bitter Melon Face.[1]

One time, someone who had enjoyed one too many drinks said he would discover his conscience whenever he saw Old Man Yao’s bitter melon face, which seemed to be screaming, “Repay your debt.” He would immediately recall the wine money that he still owed the old man from many years ago.

Afterward, all of the restaurants and wine shops owned by the Yao Clan refused to sell this person wine, not even a single pot. He didn’t need to repay his debt either.

“By the looks of it, the two of them are already acquainted?” Yao Chongdao asked in a casual manner.

There was only one thing Ning Yao could reveal, and she replied, “The intercontinental ship that Chen Ping’an was on was obstructed above the Flood Dragon Trench when he traveled to the Sword Qi Great Wall for the first time, and it was Zuo You who unleashed a sword strike to open the path.”

News of this had spread to the Sword Qi Great Wall, but most of the information was incomplete. Firstly, this was a taboo subject for Stalactite Mountain, given that Zuo You had fought a hearty battle with the Great Heavenly Lord, a direct disciple of the Daoist second disciple, above the sea, following his actions at the Flood Dragon Trench. Moreover, Zuo You seemingly never needed a reason to strike with his sword.

In reality, Yao Chongdao and Ning Yao didn’t see each other much, and they chatted with each other even less.

Thus, the interaction between them wasn’t any better than the interaction between Zuo You and Chen Ping’an.

“For all these years, I’ve always remembered the life-saving help rendered by you, Senior Zuo, in slaying those flood dragons at the Flood Dragon Trench,” Chen Ping’an said.

“Getting to the root of the matter, this event had nothing to do with you,” Zuo You replied indifferently.

“I’m aware that you don’t view me as your junior,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

“There’s no need to overthink this. Only a minuscule number of people, matters, and scenery are worthy in my eyes,” Zuo You responded.

“I’ve never viewed it as necessary to acknowledge you as my senior brother either,” Chen Ping’an added.

Zuo You smiled and opened his eyes, gazing into the distance instead of looking at Chen Ping’an. “Oh?”

Chen Ping’an’s expression was calm as he shuffled around and faced the distance, still sitting cross-legged as he explained, “I’m not young and naive like before, and I’m instead young and full of vigor. These are just some words from my heart.”

Zuo You didn’t get angry, and he instead changed the topic completely by saying, “Living in this world, the most important thing apart from determining the vastness or smallness of the world is to prove the reality and authenticity of oneself.”

“Then I’ll say a few more things from the bottom of my heart,” Chen Ping’an said slowly. “Perhaps these things will be completely unreasonable, but it’s not possible for me not to say them. Senior Zuo, you have pursued both knowledge and sword skills during your life, with neither affecting the other. In the end, you soared to great heights after accumulating knowledge and power for a long time, with the many ups and downs being absolutely spectacular to witness.

“First, it was causing countless innate sword talents to bow their heads and yield, and after that was venturing across the seas to visit immortals, using your sword to challenge the Northern Complete Reed Continent. In the end, you even used your sword to challenge the Parasol Leaf Continent, slaying Du Mao in a powerful display and stopping him from ascending.

“After doing so many things, why are you avoiding a trip back to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent to take a look? What Mr. Qi was thinking was his personal matter, but as a senior brother, one should act as a senior brother should.”

Zuo You remained silent.

Chen Ping’an stood up and continued, “This is the only thing I wanted to say after arriving at the Sword Qi Great Wall and hearing that you were also here.”

Chen Ping’an was just about to bid farewell and leave when Zuo You said, “Don’t place yourself so high when speaking with a senior.”

Chen Ping’an could only swallow his words of farewell and obediently sit back down. Truth be told, he had already mentally prepared himself for a beating before making his way to the city wall. If worse came to worst, he could simply lie in bed at the Ning Residence for a month or so.

The two of them fell silent.

“Senior Zuo, you have something to say?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Zuo You shook his head and replied, “I can’t be bothered speaking reason. This isn’t my strong suit, so I’m hesitating about how powerful my sword strike should be. Your cultivation base is too low, and this actually makes things more troublesome.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t think that Zuo You was joking, so he asked, “The Scholarly Sage likes to drink wine and also likes to travel around the world, but he hasn’t visited the Sword Qi Great Wall before? The wine here is actually quite decent.”

Zuo You seemed a little aggrieved in an uncharacteristic display, and he exclaimed, “Piss off!”

Chen Ping’an heeded his senior’s instructions, immediately standing up and calling out to Ning Yao. He then summoned a talismanic boat and had it hover beyond the parapet.

Yao Chongdao nodded at Ning Yao, following which Ning Yao flew through the air and landed on the talismanic boat, returning to the city that was still brightly lit at night with Chen Ping’an, who was purposely acting calm and composed.

Zuo You glanced at the young man in azure on the talismanic boat, especially that extremely familiar white jade hairpin.

He then closed his eyes and continued to temper his sword intent.

When it came to snitching on others to their master, one of the disciples had been extremely skilled, always having evidence and reason on his side.

All of them had been young back then, and which of them had been most skilled at this?

Yao Chongdao arrived near Zuo You, gazing at the distant talismanic boat and city as he asked, “Zuo You, you hold this young man in very high regard?”

“I have a very ordinary impression of the Yao Clan, so don’t try to rely on your old age to speak nonsense to me,” Zuo You said in a calm and apathetic voice.

Yao Chongdao was on the verge of exploding in anger. Was Zuo You truly taking him for a mild-tempered clay Bodhisattva?

He would fight if that was what Zuo You wanted. Who was afraid of whom?

Could Zuo You truly beat him to death?

Just then, the old great sword immortal smiled and walked out of his thatched cottage, standing at the door and gazing up as he remarked in a soft voice, “What a rare guest.”

Chen Qingdu quickly returned to his thatched cottage. There was no need for him to worry, seeing that the visitor was a guest and not an enemy. Chen Qingdu simply stomped his foot, immediately summoning a restriction and forming a small barrier along the parapet of the Sword Qi Great Wall, lest the commotion here attract any unnecessary and prying gazes.

Apart from Chen Qingdu being the first to notice some traces, several sages and the Lord Hidden Official also detected that something was amiss.

No one was able to silently and directly pass through the restrictions in the skies of the two large worlds and arrive at the Sword Qi Great Wall without passing through the gates of Stalactite Mountain first.

The Daoist Great Heavenly Lord, who was responsible for guarding Stalactite Mountain, was unable to do this.

Perhaps even the accompanying sages in the Confucian temples who held jade tablets and were responsible for overseeing the continents of the Majestic World would be unable to do this.

Many sword immortals guarding the city wall were yet to realize that an uninvited guest had already snuck onto the city wall. Those outside the Sword Qi Great Wall were even more oblivious.

Wanting to investigate the situation after the unexpected barrier appeared around the parapet would be as difficult as trying to ascend to the heavens.

In any case, no one dared to move rashly, so many of the sword immortals continued to concentrate on their cultivation.

Zuo You faltered for a moment and was just about to stand up.

However, someone slapped him on the back of the head and exclaimed, “Is this how you speak to your elders? Where are your manners?”

Zuo You hesitated for a moment before ultimately deciding to stand up. His master had arrived, so it was only right that he should get up and pay his respects. However, he was struck by another smack to the back of his head, and his master exclaimed, “You don’t want to listen, huh? You want to talk back, huh? You really can’t go three days without a beating, huh?”

Zuo You could only stop in an awkward posture halfway between sitting and standing, following which he said to Yao Chongdao, “This junior was in the wrong, so please accept my apology, Senior Yao.”

Afterward, Yao Chongdao saw an old man, who looked like an impoverished Confucian scholar, reaching over with his hand and helping the slightly uneasy Zuo You up. At the same time, he cracked a dazzling smile at Yao Chongdao and said, “You’re Clan Leader Yao, Great Sword Immortal Yao, correct? It’s my pleasure to meet you. You gave birth to a great daughter, and you helped her find a great son-in-law. They then gave birth to an incredible granddaughter, and this granddaughter found herself the best grandson-in-law. You truly enjoy an amazing fortune, Great Sword Immortal Yao. I can’t help but feel very envious of you. However, those disciples of yours are quite ordinary.”

Zuo You was finally able to stand up and speak, and he took one step back before bowing and saying in greeting, “Master!”

The terrifying blades of sword qi surrounding Zuo You had no effect on the old scholar in azure, whose figure was wavering and insubstantial.

There was a look of disbelief on Yao Chongdao’s face as he asked in uncertainty, “Scholarly Sage?”

The old scholar appeared embarrassed as he replied, “Enough with the title of Scholarly Sage or whatnot. This title was stripped a long time ago. I’m still young, so I don’t deserve to be addressed as such by you, Clan Leader Yao. It’s only because of some good fortune that I was able to enjoy this measly honor in the past. There’s no point mentioning it anymore. In any case, I’m younger than you, Clan Leader Yao, so feel free to refer to me as Little Brother.”

Yao Chongdao was slightly dazed and dumbfounded.

He was a little unsure of how to interact with this extremely renowned Scholarly Sage.

The complex formalities and pedantic adherence to etiquette of the Confucian Sect was coincidentally what the Sword Qi Great Wall scoffed at the most.

The old scholar looked around and said in a frantic voice, “I came in a hurry, and I also need to leave soon. I can’t stay here for too long. Where is that old great sword immortal? Why don’t we have a quick chat?”

Sitting inside the thatched cottage, Chen Qingdu smiled and said with a nod, “Alright, then let’s have a quick chat.”

A Confucian sage who was responsible for overseeing the Sword Qi Great Wall actively made his way over and greeted with a bow, “My respects to Scholarly Sage.”

The sages from the Three Teachings would take turns to oversee the Sword Qi Great Wall, though there was no explicit rule regarding how long each cycle would last.

This Confucian sage had once been a talented Buddhist disciple who had been renowned throughout a great world, and after arriving at the Sword Qi Great Wall, he was now profoundly knowledgeable in both Buddhism and Confucianism, achieving mastery in the mystical abilities of both teachings. Even the Lord Hidden Official was quite unwilling to provoke or offend him.

The old scholar remarked with emotion, “You only lost the debate because your knowledge wasn’t deep and intricate enough, not because the teachings of Buddhism are inferior. I encouraged you not to act like this back then — was it really necessary to join the Confucian Sect? And what now? You’re suffering the consequences as well, aren’t you?

“Do you really think that one person can fully digest the fundamental knowledge of two teachings? If such a beneficial act is truly that easy, then what’s the point of arguing with each other? If that were the case, then perhaps the Dao Ancestor and Buddha aren’t skilled enough at stopping arguments? In any case, you’re only lacking in debates, whereas you’re still very good at fighting. Such a shame. Such a great shame.”

If these words landed in the ears of Confucian disciples from the scholarly temples and the Confucian schools, then they would very much be regarded as traitorous and in opposition to Dao. At the very least, they would be regarded as siding with another teaching.

The Confucian sage, who had defected to the Confucian Sect after losing a debate, smiled faintly and replied, “To transcend time is to discover freedom.”

This simple remark surprisingly caused heaven and earth to instantly change color at the Sword Qi Great Wall. However, a burst of sword qi from the city wall quickly pushed back this phenomenon.

The old scholar sighed and swayed his head back and forth, disappearing in a flash and arriving at the thatched cottage. Chen Qingdu gestured with his hand and said with a smile, “Please have a seat, Scholarly Sage.”

The old scholar put on a serious expression as he stated, “The scholarly temple needs to borrow three people from you.”

“Why did you come?” Chen Qingdu asked. “Why wasn’t it someone more appropriate, like the Etiquette Sage or the Second Sage? Or the assistant sect master of the Middle Earth Divine Continent’s scholarly temple?”

The Scholarly Sage chuckled and replied, “Because I’m shameless enough, of course. They would definitely be left dejected and depressed if they came.”

“No can do,” Chen Qingdu said with a shake of his head.

“That’s not very good,” the old scholar mumbled.

1. Bitter melon face means someone is pulling a long face or has a sour expression. ☜