Unsheathed

There was also a reunion between old friends at Dragon Riding Alley’s pastry shop.

There were Dong Shuijing and Lin Shouyi.

There was also the young woman who had once been afraid of her nickname, Little Rock, being spread around. After moving with her family to the capital of the Great Li Empire, she had already gotten married.

She was Shi Chunjia, Li Baoping’s best friend in the past.

Dragon Riding Alley’s pastry shop and Burclover shop had both been owned by Shi Chunjia’s clan in the past.

Meanwhile, Shi Chunjia was also a distant relative of Peach Leaf Alley’s Shi Lingshan, with Shi Chunjia being of a slightly higher seniority. Thus, Shi Lingshan would need to refer to her as ”Aunt” if they ever met.

Worldly matters were difficult to predict, and after parting ways in the small town, the children who had once been classmates all had completely different statuses after more than a dozen years.

Shi Chunjia was happy to support her husband and teach her children. Her husband was called Bian Wenmao, and he was a descendant of a wealthy clan. Despite sharing the same surname, the Bian Clan had no blood relationship with Bian Ye, the masterful artist whose works were displayed in the imperial study.

The Bian Clan had resided in the capital of the Great Li Empire for several hundred years, with their ancestors hailing from a prominent clan in the Lu Empire. They enjoyed long-lasting ancestral blessings, and their relocations in the past had given the clan renewed vitality, so descendants of the Bian Clan were largely able to enjoy noble standing despite having no outstanding presence in the imperial court. The clan had many retainers and aides, all of whom were moderately renowned scholars in the scholarly world of the Great Li Empire.

The clan’s immortal guest elders were even more impressive, including an elder from the ancestral hall of the Palace of Eternal Spring. Another had suffered great misfortune, somehow getting into a conflict with Sage Ruan Qiong in the past while flying across the Jewel Small World with several of his immortal friends.

Things had ended badly, but he had at least kept his life, which was already much more fortunate than one of his friends who had directly perished during the conflict.

This reunion was organized because Dong Shuijing had gone to visit Shi Chunjia when doing business in the capital of the Great Li Empire one time. Shi Chunjia wanted to find a time for the old classmates to have a reunion in their hometown.

However, Li Baoping would miss this reunion because she had coincidentally decided to travel south.

As a result, Shi Chunjia was spiritedly grumbling and griping about Baoping right now.

The old classmates reminisced in the backyard of the pastry shop, with Shopkeeper Shi Rou quickly taking her leave after shuffling some tables and chairs and bringing over tea and desserts.

Listening to Shi Chunjia’s rambling, Dong Shuijing smiled and said, ”It’s indeed bad form from Baoping to slight you like this.”

Lin Shouyi nodded and concurred, ”I’ll tell Li Huai to scold her afterward.”

Shi Chunjia rolled her eyes and retorted, ”Li Huai? You must be dreaming, right? He has the courage of a fly, so will he dare to say a single word in front of Baoping?”

Suddenly remembering that her husband was sitting beside her, Shi Chunjia immediately sat up straight and put on a proper expression.

Bian Wenmao was a handsome and elegant scholar, with his name also having a very positive meaning. He was responsible for compiling history books in the Imperial Hanlin Academy right now, and he was a locally born formal official of the Great Li Empire.

He wasn’t necessarily outstanding, but he was already able to gain a stable footing in the literary world of the capital at such a young age, and he was able to work in the Imperial Hanlin Academy, which was often regarded as a training ground for prime ministers. As such, he would definitely enjoy a promotion if he were dispatched outside the capital in the future.[1]

It was only here at the Locust Yellow County, a place hotly contested by the Cao Clan and the Yuan Clan, that he wasn’t treated as an esteemed guest. Indeed, Bian Wenmao would be treated as a very esteemed guest at most other places.

Bian Wenmao didn’t have a great impression of the two young men. He regarded one as very ordinary, and he regarded the other as so-so.

The very ordinary one was Dong Shuijing, who was now working as a merchant.

The so-so one was Lin Shouyi, who was still studying at the Great Sui Nation’s Mountain Cliff Academy.

Shi Chunjia had roughly mentioned their backgrounds to Bian Wenmao before, but only in passing. Dong Shuijing didn’t come from a wealthy background, but he had managed to establish himself very early on. Even so, it was difficult to say whether he would get married and start a family in the future.

Lin Shouyi’s father had worked under three kiln supervision officials, and it was rumored that he was currently working in the capital of the Great Li Empire as well. However, he didn’t have any relationships with the Shi Clan, and Bian Wenmao didn’t feel like a relationship with the Lin Clan was worth nurturing either. In any case, Lin Shouyi would most likely do quite well in the imperial court of the Great Li Empire in the future, seeing that he was able to study at Mountain Cliff Academy.

Li Huai ran into the backyard and exclaimed, ”So that’s how it’s going to be, huh? Pigtail Little Stone, we haven’t seen each other for many years, yet you’re going to talk bad about me straight away?”

Shi Chunjia looked over and faltered for a long time. How had the simple-minded Li Huai suddenly grown into a tall and strong young man?

Lin Shouyi hadn’t changed much, looking the same as always. Meanwhile, Dong Shuijing hadn’t changed much either. However, Li Huai looked completely different from before, having changed significantly since childhood.

For example, Li Huai had rolled on the ground and wailed loudly after Li Baoping threw his underpants onto a tree, all for the sake of summoning Mr. Qi over to help him.

Shi Chunjia stood up and commented in amusement, ”You clearly haven’t skipped a meal these past few years, Li Huai.”

Bian Wenmao slowly stood up, not saying anything and simply smiling in acknowledgment.

Li Huai was one of the classmates whom his wife mentioned the most, and she never held back when talking about his bad habits and terrible deeds.

As such, Bian Wenmao was least interested in this young man, who was clearly a blockhead and not cut out for scholarly pursuits. He had only entered Mountain Cliff Academy thanks to his ancestral blessings, and he wouldn’t be able to establish a stable foothold for himself even if he were given significant help. He would ultimately waver and slide back down to a lowly position.

In contrast, Dong Shuijing was at least skilled in one area, and there were also rumors floating around claiming that he had forged relationships with Kiln Supervision Official Cao and Prefectural Overseer Yuan. If this were true, then his business was most likely quite big.

Li Huai walked over and greeted Bian Wenmao. Shi Chunjia’s husband clearly wasn’t very fond of him, replying in a polite but distant manner. However, Li Huai kept the smile on his face, knowing that he couldn’t make things difficult for his close childhood friend.

He then sat down opposite Shi Chunjia and grabbed a dessert, saying in a muffled voice, ”Baoping told me before leaving that she would visit the capital to look for you before returning to the academy.”

”At least she has some conscience,” Shi Chunjia replied with a smile.

Lin Shouyi and Dong Shuijing were sitting opposite each other. Their relationship had always been quite good, but they liked to nitpick and argue with each other, something that Shi Chunjia found very amusing. The reason for this was very simple: they both liked Li Huai’s older sister.

Shi Chunjia didn’t feel like Li Liu would definitely like Lin Shouyi simply because he had a better background and was also a scholar.

In fact, Shi Chunjia had always felt like Li Liu, who often went to the private school to pick up her little brother, was quite strange. However, she could never put a finger on what exactly made her feel this way. Theoretically speaking, Li Liu had already been a young girl back then, yet she had always appeared gentle and delicate in front of others.

Li Liu was beautiful just like Clay Vase Alley’s Maidservant Zhi Gui, who served Song Jixin, but the two of them had completely different personalities. If she had to choose, however, Shi Chunjia surprisingly felt like it would be easier to interact with Maidservant Zhi Gui than Li Liu, despite the former never smiling at anyone.

Bian Wenmao still had an appointment with friends over at the provincial city, but it was a rare occasion for his wife to leave the capital and return to her hometown, and it was rarer still for her to catch up with her childhood friends. Thus, the third-rank champion scholar patiently sat there, not displaying any negative emotions.

Shi Chunjia was very kind and understanding, so she stood up and took her leave from the pastry shop after approximately one hour. It was time to leave for the provincial city, and there was a horse-drawn carriage owned by her husband’s friend waiting for them in Dragon Riding Alley.

Li Huai and the others saw her off at the shop entrance. Yu Lu and Xie Xie also arrived at the pastry shop after leaving Forest Deer Academy. They all planned to visit Downtrodden Mountain together.

Li Huai had visited Downtrodden Mountain by himself before, and after returning to the academy in Cloud Drape Mountain, he had continued to mumble about suffering a close loss.

Bian Wenmao didn’t pay much heed to their discussions, and he politely bid farewell to everyone before helping his wife onto the horse-drawn carriage. He then bowed in respect before leaving.

Everyone returned to the backyard and continued to chat after seeing the horse-drawn carriage disappear into the distance. Li Huai placed his hands behind his head and commented, ”That Bian Wenmao was quite egotistical in his own mind.”

”Shi Chunjia was looking for a husband, so everything is good as long as Bian Wenmao sincerely likes her,” Lin Shouyi said calmly. ”Shi Chunjia wasn’t looking for a companion for us to chat with.”

Dong Shuijing nodded in agreement.

Li Huai pursed his lips and said, ”I feel like Shi Chunjia could have found herself a better husband.”

Lin Shouyi shook his head and remarked, ”You’re impervious to reason.”

Li Huai suddenly became racked with worry as he asked, ”Is it truly fine for Baoping to travel around the martial world by herself? She isn’t a cultivator, after all.”

Lin Shouyi thought for a moment before deciding against revealing the secret to Li Huai.

Yu Lu and Xie Xie had very similar attitudes.

The only person kept in the dark was Li Huai, whose fortune would depend on whether or not he stepped in dog shit when he left home.[2]

Lin Shouyi asked Li Huai and the others to wait for a moment before going to Downtrodden Mountain. The young scholar returned to his ancestral residence and cleaned the courtyard and ancestral hall, after which he stood by himself and quietly recited the clan teachings in his mind.

In the end, he offered three sticks of incense and murmured, ”I respectfully thank my virtuous ancestors.”

Li Huai was an impatient person, so he said he would wait for the others at True Jewel Mountain.

Pei Qian and Zhou Mili were already waiting for him when he arrived at the small mountain located not far away from his ancestral residence.

”Greetings, defeated opponent!” Pei Qian said in greeting.

”I upheld my dignity despite my defeat, but I dare not talk about my past glories!” Li Huai hurriedly responded.

Pei Qian nodded in satisfaction, happy with his cooperation.

”Where are the two subordinates of our division?” Pei Qian asked.

”Their essays were below the required standard, and they were severely scolded by our teacher. They’re probably racking their brains and chewing on their calligraphy brushes right now,” Li Huai replied in a guilty voice.

Pei Qian shook her head before pointing at Little Mili and saying, ”Zhou Mili will be deputy division leader in the future.”

Zhou Mili faltered upon hearing this. Joy was raining down from the heavens! She had so many official positions now!

Li Huai was also overjoyed.

Their division only had three people to begin with, and it was finally gaining members and strength now.

Afterward, the group of friends made their way to Downtrodden Mountain.

Yu Lu stopped at the entrance of the mountain, saying that he would enter later. He then walked over to chat with Yuan Lai, who was guarding the gate and reading at the same time.

Xie Xie also left to wander around by herself, coming across Cen Yuanji practicing walking meditation near the mountain shrine at the peak of Downtrodden Mountain, as well as Yuan Bao, who was practicing standing meditation beside her.

Xie Xie felt slightly adrift.

It was as if she were looking at her past self, someone cultivating without worries in the mountains.

Following this, Pei Qian brought Little Mili to the Lotus Root Blessed Land with permission from the old cook and Wei Bo, with the two of them traversing mountains and crossing rivers as they retraced their steps from before, eventually making their way to the capital of the Southern Garden Nation.

They passed Champion Scholar Alley, and they offered incense at the temple before Pei Qian sat in the corridor and spaced out.

Zhou Mili was simply accompanying Pei Qian, and she would speak more when Pei Qian was happy, and she would also fall silent when Pei Qian wasn’t happy.

In the end, Pei Qian went to a private residence that she had secretly bought. The old cook was actually aware of this, but he turned a blind eye and didn’t intervene.

This was the tranquil residence where Old Demon Ding Ying had stayed with Ya’er and the Spring Tide Palace’s Zhou Shi in the past.

Pei Qian sat cross-legged and rolled up her sleeves like her master, after which she closed her eyes and rested her mind, starting to nurture her fist intent.

She had come here to overcome her barrier in martial arts.

Pei Qian needed to rely on her own abilities to regather the martial fortune of the Lotus Root Blessed Land.

Moreover, Wei Bo would open the gates of the blessed land in the future, so Pei Qian would emulate her master and shatter the martial fortune she had gained from the Majestic World, feeding it to the Lotus Root Blessed Land.

Grandpa Cui had left for good, and there was no way for him to come back to life.

That being the case, Pei Qian would gather the martial fortune Grandpa Cui had left here and bring it back to Downtrodden Mountain.

————

Work had already begun to dig a grand and historic river leading into the sea in the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. This colossal project would directly involve more than a dozen rivers and tens of mountains with mountain god temples and mountain lord shrines.

Even the officials and nobles from the fallen empires sighed with emotion when they saw this outrageously ambitious project. Those barbarians from the Great Li Empire truly dared to think the unthinkable and do the impossible.

The imperial court of the Great Li Empire was burning money and subjecting its citizens to grueling labor, with the young emperor yearning to achieve great things and complete grand projects. However, was he truly not afraid of the empire collapsing just as quickly as it had risen? At that time, wouldn’t the residents of the empire bear the brunt of the suffering again?

Yet, it was rumored that Lake View Academy, the new and extremely reputable Central Mountain, and the Cloud Forest Jiang Clan with its long and colorful history would all be involved in this grand project. This made people develop even more complicated feelings.

Perhaps the entire Eastern Treasured Vial Continent needed to adopt the surname Song in the future? Perhaps this continent would become the territory of a single clan and a single surname?

The imperial court of the Great Li Empire appointed three people to oversee the construction of the grand river. They were Guan Yiran, the great-great-grandson of the Pillar Guan Clan, Liu Xunmei, a descendant of a general’s clan in Chi’er Street, and Liu Qingfeng, a scholarly official from the Azure Phoenix Nation.

Apart from the last person being completely unfamiliar, those in the imperial court of the Great Li Empire were all familiar with Guan Yiran and Liu Xunmei, two young talents. Firstly, both were from renowned clans, and secondly, they were both outstanding talents among the younger generation.

This was especially the case for Guan Yiran, who had joined the border army very early on as an accompanying cultivator, experiencing endless conflict and death as he made his way up the ranks. Liu Xunmei wasn’t far behind, having fought hard to reach his position during the southward expedition.

The Guan Clan had managed the Great Li Empire’s Ministry of Personnel for many years, so much so that the head minister was regarded as an indomitable mountain, while the assistant ministers and palace ministers were regarded as flowing water.

Generally speaking, assistant ministers being dispatched to local areas as governors and overseers would be viewed as a form of demotion, even if their official ranks remained the same. This was especially the case for left assistant ministers.

As a result, there were many jokes about the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel. It was said that one time, two neighboring overseers had both been banished from the capital, with both having held the position of the Ministry of Personnel’s left assistant minister before their banishment. As such, they would both smile knowingly when they came across one another.

Meanwhile, the imperial court of the Great Li Empire was extremely unfamiliar with Liu Qingfeng. In reality, even Old Man Guan’s Ministry of Personnel knew little about Liu Qingfeng, with the records having scant information about him.

The Ministry of Personnel assessed the process of the Azure Phoenix Nation reopening its transportation waterways as ordinary, but Liu Qingfeng should at least be given some credit for hard work if not merit. It was because of this that he was able to manage a region, with the imperial court relocating him to a border prefecture to assume the role of prefectural overseer.

Before Liu Qingfeng could even warm his seat, however, he was immediately ordered to travel north to interact with a large group of lofty deities and immortals. At the same time, he was promoted from the fourth rank to the third rank, and the imperial court bestowed upon him the position of river supervision official.

Guan Yiran and Liu Xunmei’s official ranks remained unchanged, so it ended up looking like they were reduced to deputies of a scholarly official from a vassal state.

However, Liu Qingfeng wasn’t the first to be promoted from an official of a vassal to an official of the Great Li Empire. Prefectural Overseer Wei Li from the Yellow Court Nation, a vassal state of the Great Sui Nation, had jumped several ranks, with the Great Li Empire making an exception and appointing him as governor of Dragon Province.

Among the deities of the mountains and rivers, a mountain lord from the intersection of three rivers at Red Candle Town had been promoted to the position of city god in a provincial city. All of these were strange tales in the imperial court.

It was said that there were also signs of the Azure Phoenix Nation’s Chief Military Governor Wei Liang being promoted soon, and there were already whispers coming from the Great Li Empire’s Ministry of Personnel.

Lying in the southeastern region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, the Azure Phoenix Nation had mysteriously gone from a remote nation to one brimming with fortune for those in the officialdom.

There were often distinctions made between officials, and the greatest distinction in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent right now was whether an official was born in the Great Li Empire.

However, these changes in the imperial court were nothing compared to Go Table Mountain’s Wei Bo, a remnant evil from the destroyed Divine Water Nation, being promoted to the position of Cloud Drape Mountain’s mountain god, following which he naturally became the mountain god of the Northern Mountain. As such, there was no need to be astonished by these changes in the imperial court.

The Great Li Empire’s heavy cavalry had traveled south and fought for many years, allowing many young faces to climb to the position of general. Many were from clans with rich military backgrounds, but there were also many from impoverished streets and alleys in the mortal world.

Those in the border army of the Great Li Empire died quickly and were promoted quickly, and the residents of the empire had already grown accustomed to this after more than one hundred years. It was only because promotions in the imperial court and among deities had historically been much stricter that people were surprised by the sudden promotion of an unfamiliar face.

Today was the first time that the three officials in charge of the grand construction project were coming together. There was no welcome ceremony or banquet, and the three of them simply met on the bank of a large river.

Liu Qingfeng was accompanied by his subordinate, Wang Yifu.

Guan Yiran was extremely confused, with the descendant of the Pillar Guan Clan having no clue why he had been appointed to this position. According to his great-grandfather, he should have assumed responsibility for an immortal route for intercontinental ships, one that stretched from the north to the south. In fact, his great-grandfather had even organized some friends to support him. Yet, Guan Yiran had ended up running over here? He was naturally rewarded with a severe scolding.

Liu Xunmei had two guards, Cao Jun and Wei Xian.

Wei Xian was faring quite well as he accompanied Sword Prodigy Cao Jun, whose ancestral residence was in Clay Vase Alley, and Liu Xunmei, who didn’t appear like the descendant of an esteemed clan at all.

Relying on his status as an accompanying cultivator and his healthy military merit, Wei Xian had become a martial official with tangible influence and power. Along with Cao Jun, he was a powerful subordinate of Liu Xunmei.

According to rumors, Wei Xian had even made an impression on Cao Ping, the second military governor of the Great Li Empire.

As for Cao Jun, he enjoyed even greater renown in the army of the Great Li Empire.

The three officials introduced themselves to each other.

In reality, Guan Yiran and Liu Xunmei were very good friends.

Thus, the only person they needed to acquaint themselves with was Liu Qingfeng, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Afterward, a young boy in white traveled over from the distance, waving a stick around and shouting, ” Giddy up!” as he sat on a little child’s back.

As he approached the group of officials and their subordinates, the young boy laughed heartily and exclaimed, ”I have a little donkey that never complains about being hungry!”

————

It was nighttime, and a young lady in red walked out of Light Breeze City with her horse and made her way to a mountain pass fifteen kilometers away.

It was mid-winter, yet the road was surprisingly decorated with blooming peach blossoms on both sides.

Li Baoping walked slowly with her horse, looking around at the pleasant scenery.

She was surrounded by green mountains, from which white mist and clouds continued to rise.

Not far ahead was the destination of her trip to Light Breeze City, a thatched cottage where flowing water met a simple wooden door.

Li Baoping glanced up at the sky, where the large jade platter hung high and bright. That was the biggest mooncake in the world.

She suddenly smiled upon thinking of this.

It was as if she had transformed into the little girl again, the one having all kinds of bizarre and interesting thoughts as she followed her junior uncle through the green mountains and limpid waters.

Back then, however, she had carried a small bamboo bookcase and worn a pair of small straw sandals.

The little girl wearing a red jacket had liked to run around her junior uncle, seemingly unafraid no matter how tall the mountains were and how distant their destination was.

Li Baoping glanced down at the snow-white saber hanging by her waist, as well as the Sword Nurturing Gourd.

She stopped and stood still.

A young lady facing the peach blossoms, standing under the bright moon.

1. Wenmao (文茂) literally means scholar/literary (文) and luxuriant (茂). ☜

2. Dumb luck is literally written as ”dog shit luck” in Chinese. ☜