Unsheathed

A scholar with greying sideburns and an azure-robed young boy left the private school before arriving at the foot of the archway. Mr. Qi was looking a little weary as he pointed up at a plaque above his head. “Doing my part. What does that mean?”

Zhao Yao was both a student of his at the private school, as well as his scholarly attendant, and the boy also raised his head to look at the plaque as he replied without any hesitation, “According to the teachings of Confucius, scholars like ourselves should respect our teachers and uphold a stellar code of morals and ethics, but when it comes to our pursuit of the truth and what is right, we should be firm and resolute in our beliefs, even if means going against our teachers. This is what is expected of all of us, and in living by these doctrines, we are considered to be doing our part.”

“What impact will it have if we say that ‘we must’ be firm and resolute in our beliefs, rather than ‘we should’?” Mr. Qi asked.

In contrast with Song Jixin’s sharp and unyielding demeanor, Zhao Yao’s disposition was more gentle and restrained. He was like a hibiscus flower that was only just beginning to bloom, giving him a very refreshing and elegant appearance. It seemed that there was a hidden meaning to the question that was being raised by Mr. Qi, and Zhao Yao didn’t dare to answer it carelessly. In his eyes, his teacher was testing his knowledge, and he had to exercise the utmost caution and prudence in the consideration of his response.

An amused smile appeared on Mr. Qi’s face at the sight of Zhao Yao’s solemn and serious expression. He patted the young boy on the shoulder as he said, “Don’t be so nervous, that was just a question that I decided to ask you on a whim. It seems that I’ve been excessively suppressing your imagination and natural personality, to the extent that you’re resembling the rigid statues in those wenchang pavilions, constantly obsessing over rules and taking everything more seriously than you need to. That’s a very tiring way to live… but at the moment, that appears to be a good thing.”

Zhao Yao was a little perplexed, but before he had a chance to ask any questions, Mr. Qi had already led him to another side of the archway, where he raised his head to look up at the plaque once again. Mr. Qi was normally quite stern and strict in his demeanor, but for some reason, he was looking a lot more relaxed on this day, and began to tell many interesting stories to his student.

“At the time, the one who inscribed the idiom of ‘doing my part’ on this plaque was considered to be the number one calligrapher under the heavens, and he stirred up many debates, such as the fundamental conflict between structure and freedom of expression, as well as the merits of calligraphy from past and present eras. To this day, those debates still haven’t been settled. Spirit, method, meaning, form; those are the four fundamental elements of calligraphy.

“For many years, this man reigned supreme in all aspects of calligraphy, completely dominating all of the other calligraphy masters of his time. As for the idiom ‘comply with the natural order’, there’s an interesting story behind that as well. If you look closely, you’ll find that even though the technique, structure, and expression of the four characters are all very similar, in reality, each character was inscribed by a different Daoist master.

“At the time, there were two of them who were exchanging letters back and forth, arguing about which character would be assigned to them. Both of them wanted to inscribe the more profound of the two characters, while neither of them was willing to settle for the more mundane of the two.”

After that, Mr. Qi led Zhao Yao over to the plaque that bore the idiom of “refrain from looking outward”. Mr. Qi looked around with a solemn expression, then said, “The private school that you were studying at will soon be without a teacher, and it’ll either be closed down by the affluent families who funded it, or it’ll be demolished and have its place taken by a small daoist temple or a Buddha statue. Perhaps the place will be overseen by a Daoist priest or a monk for year after year until the cycle of 60 years comes to an end.

“During that time, perhaps the overseer will be replaced two or three times to avoid arousing suspicions from the town’s residents, but that’ll be nothing more than a crude cover-up to deceive everyone. Having said that, if anyone could unleash even the tiniest of mystical abilities here, in the outside world, that would be equivalent to an almighty feat capable of shaking the very heavens…”

At the end, Mr. Qi’s voice had become so quiet that Zhao Yao was unable to hear him clearly, even though they were standing right next to one another.

Mr. Qi sighed as he said in a slightly resigned and weary voice, “There were many secrets that couldn’t be revealed previously, but now, they’re becoming more and more insignificant. However, as scholars, we can’t just go back on our word so easily. Besides, if I, Qi Jingchun, were to be the first one to break the pre-established rules, then that would be no different from tarnishing something that I’m meant to be preserving, and that would be far too abhorrent a deed.”

Zhao Yao suddenly mustered up some courage as he said, “Sir, I know that you’re not an ordinary person, and this town isn’t an ordinary place, either.”

“Oh? Tell me why you think that,” Mr. Qi prompted with an intrigued smile.

Zhao Yao pointed at the imposing stone archway as he said, “There are a lot of really strange things here, like this place, the Iron Lock Well on Apricot Blossom Alley, the covered bridge, the old locust tree, the leaves of the peach trees on Peach Leaf Alley, and Guyu tags and Chongyang tags that are put up on Fortune Street every year.” [1]

“How are those things strange? You’ve grown up here your entire life and never left the town, could it be that you’ve seen what the world outside the town is like? Without any point of comparison, how do you know whether something is strange or not?” Mr. Qi asked.

Zhao Yao replied in a solemn voice, “I’ve already memorized the contents of all of the books you’ve given me. For a start, the peach blossoms on Peach Leaf Alley are completely different from the peach blossoms described by the poems in the books. Also, why is it that you’ve only taught us the three foundational books, Principles of Life for Children, Rites and Music, and An Anthology of Literary Essays?

“The main purpose of those books is to teach one to be literate, but what books should we read after those three? What is the purpose of reading books? What is the ‘imperial examination’ mentioned in those books? Why is it that doing well in this imperial examination can take one from an ordinary farmer straight to the emperor’s palace?

“Why is it that the emperor cherishes heroic generals, but only by reading books can we learn how to appease the emperor? The two kiln supervision officials that I’ve seen have never spoken to anyone about the imperial court, the capital, or the affairs of the world, but…”

“That’s enough, there’s no need to raise any more examples,” Qi Jingchun said with a pleased smile.

Zhao Yao immediately fell silent.

Qi Jingchun continued in a low voice, “Zhao Yao, from now on, you must be careful with what you say and do, and always remember that a loose tongue will spell no end to your troubles. This is why most virtuous figures who follow the teachings of Confucianism are extremely tight-lipped. The gentlemen above those virtuous figures exercise a policy of extreme prudence in everything that they say and do for fear of even the slightest imperfection.

“As for the sages above them, such as the mountain masters of the 72 academies, those figures are comparable to the enlightened saints of Daoism or the Arhats of Buddhism, and the words spoken by them are taken as law and doctrine. Those people, along with the leading figures of the Hundred Schools of Thought are colloquially known as terrestrial gods, and they’re considered to have one foot in the door to godhood.

“However, all of these figures are akin to dragons soaring in the heavens. Some of them are like deity statues that can only be worshipped in temples and monasteries, while others are extremely mysterious and enigmatic, completely out of reach to the likes of you and me.”

Zhao Yao was completely befuddled by what he was hearing, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Sir, why are you telling me all of this today?”

Qi Jingchun smiled as he replied, “You have me as a teacher, and I naturally have a teacher of my own. My teacher… Let’s not mention him for now. In any case, I had thought that I would have a few more decades in which I can cling to this existence, but I’ve suddenly discovered that some people behind the scenes aren’t even willing to wait that amount of time. Hence, I can’t leave the town with you.

“You’ll have to go out into the world on your own. There are some trivial truths that I must disclose to you, and you can treat them like fantastical myths and stories. However, there’s one thing that I want you to keep in mind at all times, and that’s the notion that no matter what heights you ascend to, there will always be someone above you. No matter how far you go, you must never become complacent and lazy.”

While Qi Jingchun was speaking, the water level in the well was falling, and locust leaves were falling off the branches, all of which were omens of what was about to come.

Qi Jingchun continued, “Do you still remember that locust leaf that I told you to keep?”

Zhao Yao nodded firmly in response. “I’ve put it in a safe place along with the seal that you gifted me.”

“How could there possibly be any leaves that could still remain so green and vibrant even after falling from the branches to which they were attached? There are thousands of people in this town, but very few of them have received such a blessing. I suggest you take out that locust leaf and inspect it often. Perhaps it’ll present you with a fated opportunity in the future.

“Aside from that, during these past years, I’ve always instructed you to do good deeds and accumulate good karma in the town, to treat everyone you meet with respect and courtesy. You’ll understand the reason for all of this someday. All of these seemingly trivial things will stack up over time, and ultimately, the reward that you reap may surprise you in its magnitude.”

Right at this moment, Zhao Yao noticed an oriole perched atop the stone archway, skipping around as it chirped incessantly.

Qi Jingchun clasped his hands behind his back as he looked up at the oriole with a grim expression, but Zhao Yao wasn’t able to spot anything amiss about it.

All of a sudden, Qi Jingchun cast his gaze toward Clay Vase Alley with tightly furrowed brows, and he sighed, “To think that a guest would be so insolent as to sneak around and engage in shady business right under the eyes of the host. Does he feel like he can get away with this? Does he really think that small bowl of water will allow him to do whatever he pleases here?”

“Sir?” Zhao Yao called out in a concerned manner.

Qi Jingchun made a reassuring gesture, indicating that what he spoke of had nothing to do with Zhao Yao, and he led the boy to the final plaque.

All of a sudden, Zhao Yao abruptly stopped cold in his tracks as if he had been struck by lightning, and a dazed look appeared in his eyes as he gawked directly forward.

Not far up ahead was a young woman dressed in black. She wore a veiled hat that concealed her facial features, and she had a moderate figure that wasn’t overly thin or excessively voluptuous. There was a longsword with a white scabbard and a saber in a green scabbard strapped to her waist. She was standing beneath the plaque that bore the idiom “unmatched aura”, looking up at it with her arms crossed over her chest.

Qi Jingchun was rather amused to see this, and he gently cleared his throat, but Zhao Yao continued to stare at the young woman in a dazed manner, completely oblivious to the fact that Qi Jingchun was issuing him a reminder that it was rude to stare.

An amused smile appeared on Qi Jingchun’s face, and he didn’t scold Zhao Yao, nor did he clear his throat again to try and draw the boy’s attention. Instead, he merely allowed him to continue staring at the young woman, and the woman didn’t appear to have sensed his gaze.

She seemed to be particularly appreciative of the idiom that was inscribed on this plaque. In contrast with the formal and rigid regular script of the idioms inscribed on the other plaques, this was the only idiom that had been written in an informal script, giving it a much more free-flowing and unbridled appearance compared to the other three, which was why she had taken a particular liking to it.

All of a sudden, Zhao Yao snapped back to his senses. As it turned out, Qi Jingchun had patted him on the shoulder, and he smiled as he said, “Zhao Yao, it’s time for us to take our things from the school and return home.”

Zhao Yao blushed slightly with embarrassment as he hung his head and returned to the school with his teacher, and only then did the young woman slowly release the hilt of her saber.

In the distance, Qi Jingchun teased, “I just saved your life back there.”

“What do you mean, Sir?” Zhao Yao asked with a stunned expression.

Qi Jingchun hesitated momentarily, then replied with a serious expression, “From now on, make sure to keep your distance if you see her.”

Zhao Yao was rather taken aback to hear this, and he was also feeling a little dejected, “Why, Sir?”

Qi Jingchun took a moment to ponder his response, then replied, “She is incredibly sharp, making her destined to be a sheathless sword.”

Zhao Yao wanted to say something, but decided against it.

Qi Jingchun smiled as he continued, “Of course, no one can stop you from having a crush on someone in secret, not even the Buddha himself. Even for followers of Confucianism like ourselves, who abide by a strict collection of rules that govern our actions, our great sage and teacher, Confucius, only mandated that it was rude to stare at, speak of, eavesdrop on, and touch someone; never did he say that it was rude to think of someone.”

In that instant, something inexplicable seemed to have come over Zhao Yao, and he loudly exclaimed, “She smells really good!”

In the instant that the words left his mouth, he was instantly rooted to the spot.

Qi Jingchun was slightly annoyed. He wasn’t angry, it was just that there was going to be some trouble afoot, and he instructed in a stern voice, “Turn around, Zhao Yao!”

Zhao Yao reflexively did as he was told, turning around so that his back was facing his teacher.

Meanwhile, the young woman under the archway turned around with unbridled killing intent rising up from her body.

She lowered her hands so that her thumbs came into contact with the hilts of her two blades, following which she began to take a series of small yet fast steps to build up some momentum.

After about four or five steps, she abruptly exerted force through both her hands and feet at once, drawing both her longsword and her sleek saber simultaneously. At the same time, she sprang up from the ground, quickly gripping onto her blades before slashing them down without any hesitation!

Her arms weren’t particularly bulky or strong, but as she swung her blades through the air, two dazzling crescent-shaped streaks of light illuminated the space between her and the teacher and student duo.

She wasn’t using any mystical abilities or magical techniques, her attack was simply incredibly fast!

Qi Jingchun wore a carefree expression, and he made no effort to take evasive measures. Instead, all he did was gently stomp a foot down onto the ground, sending a burst of ripples surging through the air.

In the next instant, the young woman’s body stiffened, and her killing intent became even more ferocious.

Not only had her all-out attack completely failed to strike its target, she had appeared back at the same spot where she had first drawn her blades.

Qi Jingchun smiled as he replied, “It’s commendable that you aren’t holding back at all. As the saying goes, even a lion hunting a rabbit must do so with all its might. Having said that, while it’s true that my disciple has caused some offense to you, surely his transgressions aren’t punishable by death!”

The young woman feigned a deep and mature voice as she slowly sheathed her sword, holding her saber in one hand with the tip pointed directly at Qi Jingchun as she said, “What you think doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is what I think! I’ll do whatever I want, and if you want to stop me, you’re free to try!”

As soon as her voice trailed off, she rushed forward rapidly once again, launching herself forward with such tremendous force that a pair of small potholes had instantly been stomped into the ground beneath her feet.

Qi Jingchun clasped one hand behind his back while holding his other hand in front of his own belly in the form of a loose fist, and he smiled as he said, “All martial arts techniques have their weaknesses, but speed alone is the be-all and end-all. Unfortunately for you, even though this world is on the verge of collapse, as long as it still hasn’t collapsed yet, even the combined power of the 10 terrestrial gods has no better chance of defying my will than an ant does at moving a tree.”

In the next instant, the young woman once again inexplicably appeared around a dozen meters to the left of her target.

After a brief moment of contemplation, she closed her eyes with a look of concentration on her face.

Qi Jingchun shook his head with a smile as he said, “Are you thinking to yourself that you’ve fallen under some type of illusion? This world is akin to the small thousandfold worlds of Buddhism. Here, I am… Oh?”

All of a sudden, a hint of surprise appeared on Qi Jingchun’s face, and his voice abruptly cut off as he instantly arrived by the young woman’s side before gently gripping the tip of her saber between two of his fingers.

He then asked, “Who taught you your sword and saber techniques?”

The young woman didn’t even flinch as she grabbed onto the hilt of her sword with her left hand, then drew it from its scabbard once again before slashing it at Qi Jingchun’s waist, all in one smooth motion.

Qi Jingchun maintained his grip on the tip of the saber as he yelled, “Get back!”

A burst of clattering rang out from the ground below, and dust and debris were sent flying in all directions. Moments later, the dust settled to reveal the young woman. Her feet were positioned one in front of the other, and a rift had appeared on the ground, starting from directly in front of Qi Jingchun and concluding directly beneath the young woman’s feet, as if a plow had just dug through the earth.

The young woman’s hands were injured and bleeding profusely.

Both her blades had been drawn, yet she had been disarmed in an instant.

Furthermore, she knew that even though her opponent was capable of controlling the world around them, he had suppressed his cultivation base this entire time to be on an identical level to hers.

As such, she hadn’t been defeated due to a disparity in their cultivation base. Instead, her opponent had simply displayed far superior technique to hers.

She was absolutely furious, and in her enraged state, she failed to notice that all of the rays of light around her were warping.

Thankfully for her, Qi Jingchun was a very reasonable and tolerant person, and not only did he not retaliate against the young woman, he offered her some advice instead. “I suggest you avoid comparing yourself to me for now as that could adversely impact your state of mind as a martial artist. In the pursuit of martial arts, patience and tenacity are of the utmost importance.”

At this moment, he was looking rather strange, pinching the tip of the saber between two of the fingers on one hand, while holding the blade of the sword in the palm of his other hand.

A smile suddenly appeared on his face as he imitated the young woman’s feigned demeanor of maturity and said, “Whether you listen to me or not is up to you, but what I say is up to me.”

The woman was silent for a moment before replying in a deep voice, “I humbly accept your teachings!”

Qi Jingchun smiled as he nodded in approval. Even though the young woman was a little impulsive and quick to anger, it was a very encouraging sign to see that she was willing to lay down her pride and take advice from others. He gently tossed the saber back to the young woman as he said, “Here’s your saber; I’ll be holding onto your sword for a little longer.”

He then lowered his gaze to look down at the longsword in his hand, which was trembling and ringing incessantly.

A wistful look appeared on Qi Jingchun’s face as he said, “This sword is forged from very fine materials, but it’s still quite some way away from being a top-tier sword, so at the very most, it’ll only be able to bear the weight of two characters, and even that is a bit of a stretch. Otherwise, with your aptitude, I can’t say for sure that you’ll be able to take all four characters, but you can definitely take three with ease.”

While he was lamenting the young woman’s misfortune, he casually raised a hand and ordered, “Come!”

Two balls of dazzling light instantly flew out of the “unmatched aura” plaque, and with two swipes of his sleeve in quick succession, the two balls of light were thrust into the sword.

On the plaque, two of the four characters that formed the idiom still remained, but the other two resembled a pair of old men on their deathbeds, finally completely losing their vitality after expending all of their life force.

With a casual flick of Qi Jingchun’s wrist, the longsword returned to its owner’s scabbard in the blink of an eye. Due to the fact that it had been sheathed, no one was able to see the two auras surging over the blade of the sword like a pair of flood dragons.

However, what happened next came as quite a shock, even to Qi Jingchun.

The young woman slowly removed her sword along with its scabbard, then casually tossed them away so that the scabbard plunged into the earth, standing upright on its own on a slight slant. There was a resolute look in her eyes as she declared, “This is not the path of the sword that I’m pursuing!”

Qi Jingchun took a glance at the sword that had been discarded by the young woman, and a heavy sensation that he hadn’t felt for a very long time welled up in his heart. He couldn’t help but ask a question that was rather unbefitting of someone of his status: “Do you know who I am?”

The young woman nodded, then shook her head. “I heard that once every 60 years, a different sage of the three teachings would be sent here to oversee the operation of the formation, and that this has been going on for thousands of years.

“I’ve also heard that the people who’ve occasionally emerged from this place have all either been in possession of powerful treasures or have made rapid progress in their cultivation base. Hence, I wanted to come here and take a look. As soon as I saw you, I immediately realized who you were. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lashed out so decisively.”

“In that case, do you know what you’ve passed up on just now?” Qi Jingchun asked.

The young woman offered no response.

Inside the scabbard on the ground, the longsword was trembling uncontrollably, like an abandoned lover who was desperately pleading with their better half to take them back.

At this point, Zhao Yao had already turned around and was carefully observing the young woman from afar.

Qi Jingchun certainly couldn’t be said to be lacking in knowledge or intelligence, but he was still completely perplexed by the young woman’s decision. He couldn’t just force the longsword onto the young woman, so in the end, he could offer her some words of caution. “I suggest you take that sword with you, young lady. This town is going to… undergo some turmoil soon, and it’s always a good thing to have something extra to defend yourself with.”

The young woman turned and departed without saying anything, refusing to take the sword with her.

Qi Jingchun could only heave a resigned sigh, then swept a sleeve through the air to send the sword plunging high up into one of the stone pillars of the archway. If anyone were to try and forcibly take the sword, he would be inevitably alerted, just as he had been aware of the sinister machinations that the old storyteller had been carrying out in secret.

After accompanying Zhao Yao all the way from the private school to the Zhao Manor on Fortune Street, Qi Jingchun slowly made his way forward, and with each step that he took, barely detectable streaks of light would flash through the air in some obscure spots on either side of him.

Qi Jingchun murmured to himself, “How strange. Where did that girl come from? Could it be that she’s from an immortal family outside of this continent?”

After returning to the school, he sat in front of his desk, upon which was placed a jade tablet. The tablet was around 1.2 feet in length, and there was a mountain engraved onto each of its four corners, alluding to safety on all fronts. Inscribed on the surface of the tablet was a tightly packed passage of tiny text, encompassing over 100 characters.

According to the teachings of Confucianism, only the ruler of a nation could be in possession of a regal tablet, so its existence was a testament to just how significant a place the town was.

On the backside of the jade tablet, there were only two characters, and they were inscribed in a script that was quite formal and rigid, yet also full of flair and elegance.

There was also a secret letter that had only recently arrived sitting on the desk.

Tears welled up in Qi Jingchun’s eyes as he murmured to himself, “My esteemed teacher, please forgive your useless student. You’ve been subjected to humiliation for so long, yet I’ve been powerless to do anything…”

Qi Jingchun cast his gaze out the window, and he didn’t look particularly sorrowful or pleased, only a little lonely and dejected. “I have failed you, my teacher. I have been clinging onto life here for over a century, and now, it’s time for me to give up the life that I owe to you.”

————

Song Jixin pulled out an item from his large red chest before placing it onto the table, and no matter how much Fu Nanhua tried to disguise it, he was unable to hide the elation on his face.

The object was a small and mundane-looking teapot with the word “mandrill” inscribed onto its underside.

Song Jixin placed his hands onto the table, then leaned forward slightly with an expectant smile as he asked, “How much is this teapot worth?”

Fu Nanhua reluctantly shifted his gaze away from the teapot as he raised his head and replied in a truthful manner, “If this was sold at a normal market, then it wouldn’t even be worth a single tael of silver, but if you entrust it to me, I can sell it for an entire city!”

“How many tens of thousands of people will that city be able to hold?” Song Jixin asked.

Fu Nanhua put up three fingers in response.

Song Jixin nodded as he mused, “300,000, eh? I see.”

Fu Nanhua faltered slightly upon hearing this before bursting into laughter. He had thought that Song Jixin would say 30,000.

————

Over on Apricot Blossom Alley, there was a prudent middle-aged man who was crouched down beside the Iron Lock Well, staring intently at the metal chain tied to the underside of the well winch, as if he were considering how to carry the chain away with him.

————

The young woman wearing the black veiled hat was wandering aimlessly around the town. At this moment, only the saber in the green scabbard was strapped to her waist, and her hands had only been very roughly bandaged.

She had only just made her way into a nameless alley when a certain object suddenly flew through the air, then stopped obediently behind her before ringing incessantly.

The young woman’s brows furrowed slightly, and she didn’t even turn her head as she spat through gritted teeth, “Piss off!”

The longsword had flown all the way here after emerging from its scabbard, and it was so frightened that it really did fly back into the scabbard again.

The prideful young woman and the obedient flying sword presented a rather odd pair.

1. Guyu is the 6th of 24 solar terms on the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, while Chongyang is the name of a festival taking place on the ninth day of the ninth month on the lunar calendar, also known as the Double Ninth Festival. ☜

Johnchen and Flying Dumpling’s Thoughts

Guys, this novel is really good. You have to be patient. It’ll get much more exciting before chapter 50. Don’t judge by the first few chapters! However, please keep in mind that the chapters are VERY LONG, so the novel will only be released once per day when it goes live this month.