Unsheathed

Night arrived, and Wei Jin stood beside Zuo You atop the city wall, drinking a pot of Azure Divine Mountain Wine that had been quite difficult to purchase. The wine shop only sold a single pot of this wine each day, meaning that no other sword cultivator was able to enjoy it today.

Wei Jin smiled and asked, “Did Chen Ping’an mention me screwing him over before practicing sword techniques with you?”

Zuo You shook his head and replied, “That would be asking for a beating. My junior brother wouldn’t do something like that.”

“He’s that clever?” Wei Jin asked in helplessness.

Zuo You smiled and said, “Master once told me that one of your sword strikes, as well as my sword strike at the Flood Dragon Trench, both had a significant impact on Chen Ping’an.”

Wei Jin faltered for a moment before nodding and saying, “Some years ago, I acted according to my agreement with Senior A’Liang at the residence of a wedding dress female ghost, with my sword greeting the young Chen Ping’an before I did.”

Zuo You fell momentarily silent before asking, “Do you feel like you’re trapped by romantic feelings and bogged down in mud, making it difficult for your sword intent to become pure and holding you back from ascending any higher?”

“I’m indeed a bit anxious, and this is indeed the truth,” Wei Jin replied with a nod.

“Then you’re wrong. As wrong as can be,” Zuo You remarked with a smile.

Wei Jin put away his wine and sat up straight, saying, “I’m willing to accept your guidance, Senior Zuo.”

“What’s the most important thing for sword cultivators practicing sword techniques?” Zuo You asked.

“There are many answers in my mind, but they’re definitely not the answers you want to hear,” Wei Jin replied with a shake of his head.

Zuo You raised a hand and feigned holding a sword, saying, “It’s people holding swords, so the loftiness of sword techniques and the profundity of Sword Dao are both small matters for sword cultivators. Even if you’re holding one of the five legendary immortal swords, you’re ultimately the wielder of the sword regardless of your current cultivation base, and regardless of whether you’re a sword immortal.”

Zuo You put his hand down and turned around to face Wei Jin, continuing, “If you can’t unleash your sword because you like a woman, then just what kind of sword immortal are you? You, Wei Jin, have only advanced to the Unpolished Jade Tier because of your strong aptitude for learning sword techniques, but you won’t be able to rely on your aptitude and talent alone to ascend to greater heights. I dare say that your achievements will ultimately be very mediocre if you fail to overcome this mental hurdle. If that’s the case, you’ll do well to speak less with me in the future.”

Wei Jin took a large swig of wine and murmured, “But I still feel like the lasting affection between lovers is greater than the lasting power of sword qi. I’m not willing to sever this part of me, much less throw it away. For me, thinking of a person and drinking wine in a confused state, like a person trapped in a maze, is better than forgetting about this person and drinking less wine, carrying a sword, and ascending to greater heights.”

“Then you can’t be saved,” Zuo You said with a shake of his head.

“Then, Senior, am I unable to chat casually with you in the future?” Wei Jin asked in an uncertain voice.

Zuo You smiled and replied, “Sword Immortal Wei Jin should piss off as soon as possible, but Alcoholic Wei Jin is welcome to visit often.”

Wei Jin laughed heartily and drank a large swig of wine, and he was just about to ask Zuo You a question regarding the four immortal swords of the four worlds. This was common knowledge, so why had Zuo You mentioned five immortal swords?

The Daoist second disciple from the Heavenly World, the Great Heavenly Master from the Middle Earth Divine Continent’s Mount Longhu, and the scholar regarded as the proudest in the world all possessed an immortal sword.

Apart from these three, it was said that the Sword Suppressing Pagoda, one of the nine Mighty Suppressing Pagodas in the Majestic World, was suppressing the last of the four immortal swords. The four worlds were boundlessly large, yet there still didn’t exist many celestial weapons. Of course, there wasn’t a small number either. However, over the past tens of thousands of years, only four swords had the right to be called immortal swords. There definitely wasn’t a fifth immortal sword.

Before Wei Jin could finish drinking and ask this question, however, he had already left the city wall.

This was because the old great sword immortal had arrived.

Wei Jin jumped off the parapet before paying his respects and taking his leave.

“Are you very surprised to have such a junior brother?” Chen Qingdu stood beside the parapet and asked.

Zuo You remained silent and nodded in response.

The ordinary young boy who had learned the Sword Qi Eighteen Stops Technique, Zhao Gaoshu…

This was what Chen Ping’an had told Zuo You inside the isolated small world formed by the latter’s sword qi.

In reality, Chen Ping’an had also used his mind’s lake to say another name, Zhao Shuxia.

He was still very young, yet he was already cautious to such a degree, so cautious that even Zuo You was slightly astonished.

Chen Qingdu didn’t pay any attention to Sword Immortal Zuo You’s potential act of disrespect, where he simply nodded and chose to remain silent. If he couldn’t even tolerate the pride and haughtiness of Zuo You, then just how many sword immortals on the city wall and in the city to the north could survive the fury of his sword?

Meanwhile, Zuo You wasn’t surprised by Chen Qingdu’s knowledge of this matter.

Chen Qingdu was essentially peerless on this city wall, and he was perhaps only slightly weaker than the Paramount Sage in the scholarly temple, the Dao Ancestor at the White Jade Capital, and Buddha on his lotus platform.

This was what caused Zuo You to feel the most exasperated.

At the same time, however, this was also what Zuo You admired most about the old man.

The Savage World had assaulted the Sword Qi Great Wall for ten thousand years, so how was the city wall still standing strong?

All of the great demons in the Savage World were keenly aware that as long as Chen Qingdu was still alive, then they wouldn’t be able to reach Stalactite Mountain or the Majestic World even if the entire Sword Qi Great Wall were destroyed.

Only Chen Qingdu was able to suppress the unruly sword cultivators to the north of the Sword Qi Great Wall for ten thousand years.

Only this old man could say to the Hidden Official, “I’m only tolerating you because of your young age.”

“When all of the big and small troubles in the city are resolved, tell Chen Ping’an to come here and settle down near the thatched cottage,” Chen Qingdu said. “One needs to be focused when practicing the sword, and whenever he becomes a legitimate sword cultivator is when I’ll leave the city wall to help him ask for marriage. Otherwise, I don’t have the face to make such a request. This is asking an old great sword immortal to make an exception, so all of the wine in a wine shop and a small private school won’t suffice as payment.”

“This is up to him. If you won’t go to the Yao Clan at that time, then I’ll go,” Zuo You said.

Chen Qingdu smiled and said, “That’s not very good. Neither your master nor your junior brother would say something like this if they were present.”

Zuo You frowned and asked, “You’re also keeping an eye on those children near the wine shop? There are so many things that Chen Qingdu doesn’t care about, but you actually care about this?”

“Otherwise?” Chen Qingdu asked in response. “My sword skills are superior to yours, my sword intent is loftier than yours, and my knowledge is also greater than yours. Even you’re able to care about them, so why can’t I take a few extra glances?”

“I’ve already put up with you two times,” Zuo You said without expression.

“Your greatest strength, your sword qi, is still inferior to others, so just obediently put up with things,” Chen Qingdu said with a faint smile.

“That’s the third time,” Zuo You said with a cold chuckle.

“Do you know why I’m willing to look at those children learning characters?” Chen Qingdu asked.

Zuo You appeared indifferent as he replied, “This pertains to one of the biggest problems of the Sword Qi Great Wall. The sword cultivators here have wielded their swords and slain enemies for ten thousand years, and an increasing number of people no longer understand the purpose of their lives and the reason for their deaths.”

Chen Qingdu nodded and looked toward the lights illuminating the city to the north. The lights at the wealthy clans were dazzling and as bright as day, while the lights at the impoverished alleys were extremely dim and sparse, with large swathes of the alleys being covered in darkness.

“It’s still relatively easy to explain the purpose and reason for life and death, especially given the selfish nature of people. It’s very difficult to have people truly think any deeper.”

Chen Qingdu’s expression was forlorn as he continued, “I always hoped that someone over there would act themself, think themself, and feel for themself. I hoped that they would understand the cause and the effects, all of the history, as well as the sacrifices made by those past and present. I hoped that despite this knowledge, they could still galvanize the sword cultivators and have them wield their swords and charge south, willing to lay down their lives even if they felt resentment, grief, and fury.”

The old man slowly raised a hand and said, “There was first a single speck of light in the human world. From one came two, from two came three, and from three came the dazzling expanse of stars.”

“It’s too late. It’s already a lost cause,” Zuo You said with a shake of his head.

Chen Qingdu smiled and said, “Zuo You, you can’t compare to your junior brother in this regard. He’s able to remain calm despite knowing that he can’t do much and will find it very difficult to change the established fate.”

Zuo You fell silent.

“That was the fourth time?” Chen Qingdu asked with a smile.

“No,” Zuo You replied.

“Then I won’t hit you anymore,” Chen Qingdu said with a nod. “I’ll let you keep some face, lest you feel uncomfortable when teaching your junior brother sword techniques in the future.”

“Now it’s four times,” Zuo You said.

Chen Qingdu clasped his hands behind his back and walked away, saying, “Compared to chatting with you, I still prefer listening to Chen Ping’an speak.”

————

Chen Ping’an took a stroll to the Dragon Slaying Platform at night, but he saw that Ning Yao was still cultivating. He then made his way to the training ground, deciding to walk around its perimeter. Just as he was about to finish the first lap, he changed direction slightly and walked in a bigger circle.

Ning Yao arrived beside him at some unknown time, and Chen Ping’an wasn’t surprised at all. She had already learned Nalan Yexing’s stealth abilities a long time ago.

Ning Yao hadn’t been refining her extremely high-grade innate bonded flying sword these past years, and she had instead been refining something else. Nonetheless, she was capable of easily killing Pang Yuanji, Qi Shou, and the others even if she only summoned her bonded flying sword.

This was what she had casually told Chen Ping’an when chatting with him before, her tone calm and natural. However, she had been looking at him intently.

Chen Ping’an had just been about to reach over and place his hand on top of hers at the time, but he had silently retracted it before chuckling and using his hand as a fan.

The two of them walked into the pavilion, and Chen Ping’an sat cross-legged beside Ning Yao.

She continued on the topic from earlier in the morning, saying, “In the very beginning, around ten prodigies were identified in Wang Zongping’s generation. Compared to us, however, they were far inferior in both number and cultivation aptitude. Among them, Mi Quan’s Great Dao should have been the most impressive, but it was a pity that he died in the first battle beyond the city wall that he participated in.

“Only three people remain from that generation, with one of them being Wang Zongping. However, he was caught up in an intense battle between two Immortal Tier cultivators, one friend and one foe, and this left him severely wounded and trapped at the barrier of the Nascent Tier, unable to make any progress for many years.

“Apart from him, there’s also Wang Wei and Su Yong. Su Yong’s innate aptitude was actually better than that of Wang Zongping’s, who lagged at the bottom of the group, but his sword heart wasn’t resolute and pure enough. He participated in a large-scale battle, yet he purposely held back and only engaged in small skirmishes, not daring to abandon his sense of self and fight with his life on the line. He always thought that cultivating in peace and quiet and living to one hundred years old would allow him to slowly but steadily advance to the Upper Five Tiers. At that time, he could then unleash his full strength in battle.

“However, breaking through the barrier of the Nascent Tier is one of the most dangerous battles at the Sword Qi Great Wall, and not only did Su Yong fail to advance to the Unpolished Jade Tier, but he was even rejected by the sword intent of heaven and earth, causing his cultivation base to fall instead. In the end, he was reduced to a Golden Core Tier sword cultivator with a mangled and leaky core abode.

“Su Yong kept a low profile for many years, wandering around the mortal streets and alleys and eventually became an alcoholic and a gambling addict, racking up countless debts and living a life even worse than that of rodents on the streets. When they were still young, Qi Shou and the others loved to invite Su Yong over for a drink, with the latter not caring about becoming the butt of jokes and ridicule as long as he could drink. He lived a very undignified life.

“As Qi Shou and the others gradually advanced and became stronger, they slowly grew bored of picking on Su Yong. Thus, Su Yong started to run errands between the city and Mirage Market, drinking wine if he earned a small sum of money and indulging in gambling if he earned a large sum of money.”

Ning Yao had done some last-minute cramming and learned this information from Grandma Bai.

“Will Su Yong harbor resentment toward the entire Sword Qi Great Wall?” Chen Ping’an asked bluntly.

Ning Yao thought for a moment before shaking her head and replying, “Most probably not. A few years before A’Liang left the Sword Qi Great Wall, Su Yong would often accompany him regardless of whether he was drinking wine or acting as the dealer of a gambling game.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Only Wang Wei has become a sword immortal, and he had already become a low-level guest elder of the Qi Clan when he was still a Golden Core Tier sword cultivator. He successfully advanced to the Upper Five Tiers twenty years ago, following which he established his own residence and became Dao partners with a woman from a large clan. It can be said that he’s living a happy and fulfilled life. Listening to the casual chatter at the wine shop, it seems like many people are surprised about Wang Wei overtaking the others and becoming a sword immortal.”

“Wang Wei was indeed very unassuming and unremarkable, and it’s naturally very rare for people in the Majestic World to advance to the Upper Five Tiers at ninety-odd years old,” Ning Yao said in agreement.

“However, as an Unpolished Jade Tier sword cultivator who was able to survive those large-scale battles, it was only natural that Wang Wei eventually became the leader of that generation. Because of this, it’s no surprise that Wang Wei is often compared to those from the previous generation, making him appear very mediocre as a result. If he’s compared to our generation, then not only do Pang Yuanji, Qi Shou, and Gao Yehou look down on Wang Wei, someone who likes to act obsequiously despite being a sword immortal, but even Sanqiu, Fatty Yan, and the others look down on him.”

Ning Yao’s voice was quiet as she continued, “In saying this, being able to survive as a sword cultivator at the Sword Qi Great Wall is already the greatest achievement, regardless of one’s cultivation base. Once someone dies, what does it matter whether they were a prodigy or a sword immortal? Young sword cultivators like us might be drinking and making jokes about the abject Su Yong and the obsequious Wang Wei today, but after the next large-scale battle, perhaps Wang Wei might drink with his friends and chat about some young sword cultivators who are no longer in the world.”

After arriving at the pavilion atop Dragon Slaying Cliff, Ning Yao suddenly stopped and said, “Give me a pot of wine.”