Unsheathed

Ning Yao displayed no reaction to this, but Lu Chen couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

He then immediately realized that the atmosphere in the room was a little off, and he hurriedly changed the subject. “The leaves of the tamarisk tree were picked at the wrong time, missing the ideal window of harvest by seven days.

“Also, this bag of dragonsoar weed here, they did way too sloppy a job in the grinding process. Look at how coarse this is! It’s supposed to be fine powder! And don’t even get me started on these papercrease flowers. How could the Yang Family’s medicine shop do this to its customers? I asked for 150 grams of this, but there’s clearly not enough here!”

The young Daoist priest picked out a bunch of problems with the ingredients that Chen Ping’an had brought back for him, and he was dissatisfied with almost every single ingredient. It felt as if he had some type of personal vendetta against the Yang Family’s medicine shop.

However, in the end, he took a 180-degree turn as he concluded, “I can only imagine that the shopkeeper’s conscience has been eaten by dogs, but having said that, these ingredients will suffice. Of course, Ning Yao’s recovery is primarily attributable to her own remarkable physical constitution. Even if we’re being extremely lenient here, it has to be said that the Yang Family’s medicine shop played next to no part in her recovery.”

The Daoist priest laid out a sheet of paper, then picked up his brush and began writing on it as he continued, “I’ll write out the method for you to brew the medicine. This is a very important task, and great care must be taken, so make sure to proceed with caution. This medicine is designed for both recovery and for bolstering one’s physical constitution. It ensures that Ning Yao will not only make a full recovery, she’ll emerge on the other side in even better physical condition than before.

“On top of that, this medicine is very gentle and nurturing, and it won’t leave any undesirable side effects. Given the slower-acting nature of the medicine, it’ll take a little longer for Ning Yao to make a full recovery, so more medicinal ingredients will have to be purchased than otherwise, but that’s just a matter of money. I’ve written down when the medicine needs to be brought up to a boil over a high flame, and when it needs to be brought down to a simmer over a low flame, as well as when the medicine needs to be brewed and consumed.

“For the next 10 days or so, you’ll have your work cut out for you, but a young man like yourself should rise to the occasion and thrive under the extra responsibility. Otherwise, you’ll be looked down on by our fair maiden here.”

The list of ingredients had only taken up half a sheet of paper, but two whole sheets of paper had been required to record the brewing method. The script used was a very commonplace compact script, and the Daoist priest’s handwriting was very neat and orderly.

Chen Ping’an was caught completely off guard by this, and he hurriedly asked, “Are you not going to oversee her recovery? This is a matter of life and death, so wouldn’t it be a much better idea for you to look after her in person?”

“I’m about to leave this town soon. There’s a sect that follows the teachings of my branch of Daoism in the Southern Stream Nation, and they’re holding a ceremony that I want to see in person,” the Daoist priest said with a resigned expression.

“How am I supposed to follow the medicine brewing method you gave me? I’m illiterate!” Chen Ping’an exclaimed.

The Daoist priest was momentarily stumped upon hearing this, but a smile then appeared on his face as he said, “It’s alright, Ning Yao knows how to read. If you have any questions, you can just ask her.”

Ning Yao nodded in agreement, indicating that she was up to the task.

Chen Ping’an was just about to say something else when a thought suddenly occurred to the young Daoist priest, and he pulled a small azure jade seal out of his sleeve. He blew gently onto the face of the seal for a moment, then pressed it firmly down onto the sheet of paper that contained the list of medicinal ingredients he had requested.

After that, he lifted the seal, and he seemed to be quite pleased with his handiwork, stowing the seal back up his sleeve before handing that sheet of paper to Chen Ping’an along with the other two. “Make sure you keep these safe and don’t lose them. Most of the books in the town are part of private collections, so it won’t be easy for you to purchase any. If you really want to learn to read, then you can start by using everything I’ve written down for you as learning material.”

The Daoist priest then turned to Ning Yao with a smile as he said, “The world is vast, but it can also be incredibly small at times, so I’m sure we’ll meet again someday, but for now, this is farewell.”

Ning Yao replied with a serious expression, “Words cannot express my gratitude for what you’ve done for me, Daoist Lu. If you require my help in the future, just send a message attached to a flying sword to Stalactite Mountain, but make sure you don’t forget to sign off as Lu Chen. Otherwise, the flying sword may not be permitted to enter the mountain.”

The Daoist priest was clearly rather taken aback to hear that Ning Yao was from Stalactite Mountain, and he instinctively wanted to ask her about it, but Ning Yao shook her head ever so slightly, and he immediately understood her intentions, ultimately deciding against raising any questions. When it came to Chen Ping’an, some things were simply better left unknown to him.

After that, the Daoist priest left the room while gesturing for Chen Ping’an to accompany him. “Come with me, Chen Ping’an. I have some parting words for you.”

Chen Ping’an set the pouch down on the bed first, telling Ning Yao that it contained the new clothes that he had bought.

After the two of them had emerged into the courtyard, the Daoist priest said in a low voice, “Given your exceptional memory, I’m sure you can already recognize all of the characters on the list of medicinal ingredients that I gave you. On top of that, you have a renowned bookworm living in the house right next to yours, so it’s clear that your lack of literacy is not the true reason why you’re asking me to stay.”

“With your abilities, I’m sure you already know the true reason,” Chen Ping’an replied.

“You’re thinking that your death is sealed, and you’re worried that after you die, there will be no one left to look after Ning Yao, right?” the Daoist priest asked.

Chen Ping’an nodded in response. “I took her in, so I have to take responsibility for her to the very end.”

The Daoist priest stood beside his cart, joining his index and middle fingers before extending them together and gently stroking the white scabbard of Ning Yao’s flying sword, and the sword flew stealthily into the room. It appeared that Ning Yao didn’t want to startle Chen Ping’an, so she didn’t kick up a fuss and silently accepted the presence of the flying sword. The Daoist priest fell into deep thought for a moment, habitually tapping the lotus flower hat on his head as he did so.

After taking some time to arrange his words, he said, “Prior to coming here, I heard from my senior disciple brother that we have to be reasonable in the way that we do things, and that it’s important to cater to the feelings of others. Hence, I can’t be too harsh and dogmatic with my words here. While it’s true that everyone has their own fate, the fundamental doctrine of the sect that I belong to is different from the doctrines of more orthodox sects.

“Every meeting has some element of karma attached to it, and I would say that there has been some good karma established between the two of us. Hence, I’m inclined to bestow a gift upon you before I leave. I can’t give you that bamboo tube and the 108 sticks as the causality would be too chaotic, and they would be more trouble than they’re worth in your hands. As for my private seal, that’s a bit too hefty a gift to give.

“If the formation is removed, the entire town would be completely exposed, and I would be doing you a massive disservice rather than helping you. Will I have to resort to giving you money as a parting gift? That would be way too vulgar and tacky; I simply wouldn’t be able to live with myself…”

Chen Ping’an immediately interjected, “It’s not vulgar or tacky at all if you give me money, Daoist Lu. I’d be more than happy with that!”

An amused smile appeared on the Daoist priest’s face as he said, “I know you didn’t understand what I was saying about the other two items, but I’m sure you could tell that they were extremely important. Why aren’t you asking for those things?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “I’ve seen and heard about a lot of strange things today. A bowl that seems to be able to hold infinite water, a Daoist priest that can write up paper talismans to be burned to bless those in the afterlife, the strange injuries sustained by Ning Yao, and that pouch filled with 20 copper coins that are actually made from gold.

“In the past, Old Man Yao was always talking about how this is a very strange place, but now, I’ve seen it for myself. If I hadn’t met that man and woman from out of town, I would’ve definitely avoided all of you, and I wouldn’t have opened the gate to let you in.”

The Daoist leaned against his cart as he said in a grim voice, “By tapping your glabella with her finger, that woman was forcibly opening your acupoint. In martial arts jargon, that’s an act known as pointing the way. There are different levels of technical proficiency with which one can perform this procedure, and it can be done with both positive and negative intentions. As an analogy, we can look at the gate of your yard, which is not very sturdy.

“If she takes a hammer to the gate, she’ll be able to force her way into your yard, but the gate will be permanently broken. Without the gate in place, you’ll be vulnerable to all of the elements all year round, including rain, hail, sleet, and snow, while she can simply leave after condemning you to that miserable fate.”

Chen Ping’an hesitated momentarily, then said, “It’s fine, I’m used to enduring hardships.”

The Daoist priest could tell that Chen Ping’an wasn’t joking, and he couldn’t help but feel frustrated by how willing Chen Ping’an was to accept his fate. “That’s only the first thing that she did to you. For someone with a strong physical constitution like yourself, it won’t be a stretch for you to live until 30 to 40 years of age. However, the palm strike that she dealt to your chest was the true finishing blow.

“Not only did it destroy the vitality of your body, it also robbed you of any slim chance you had of stepping onto the path to attaining immortality. Given the enormous fortune in this place, there was a chance that you would’ve been able to embark on the path of cultivation. Think about it this way: this place is like a river that’s filled with countless flood dragons, fish, and prawns.

“Those who are fortunate will naturally be able to reap greater rewards from the river, yet even those who aren’t as fortunate to capture the flood dragons present in the river would’ve at least been able to catch some fish and prawns.”

Chen Ping’an wasn’t stunned or horrified by this revelation at all. Instead, he merely stood on the spot with a tranquil expression, and it didn’t seem like he was putting on a facade of calmness.

The young Daoist priest heaved a faint sigh upon seeing this. “Chen Ping’an, it’s not necessarily a good thing to think of yourself as someone with nothing to lose at such a young age. You must be thinking that it would be best if you could survive, but if the will of the heavens left no alternative for you but to meet a premature demise, then that’s not anything worthy of fear, right? In your mind, death is just a way for you to reunite with your parents, is that correct?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t deny this.

The Daoist priest suddenly became a little worked up as he continued, “In that case, have you considered how your parents would feel seeing you like this if you’re fortunate enough to meet them in the afterlife?”

The Daoist priest became more and more incensed as he spoke, and he stuck out a finger before giving Chen Ping’an’s head a firm poke, as if he were trying to poke some sense and reason into the boy. “The stories of the afterlife tell of the White Reaper of Impermanence, a deity who wears a tall white hat, and whenever he comes to this world to detain the souls of the dead, the deceased will clearly be able to see the words ‘your time has come’ inscribed upon his hat.

“Let me ask you this, Chen Ping’an: do you think your parents would be glad to see you in the afterlife and be content to pass on to their next life? How many people do you think exist in this world who are actually fortunate enough to be parent and child or husband and wife for lifetime after lifetime? I can’t tell you right now that you should banish such a preposterous idea from your mind!

“Even the most powerful beings in this world don’t have any way to manipulate the designation for their next life, let alone someone like you, a pathetic little beggar who can’t even afford to have three meals a day!”

In the end, the tone of the Daoist priest’s voice had become extremely serious and scathing, and Chen Ping’an was left at a complete loss for what to do.

He was so frightened by what he had heard that his hands and feet had turned as cold as ice, and it was the first time in his life that he had ever felt such an overwhelming degree of fear.

He sank down to his haunches with his hands clasped over his own head.

The Daoist priest looked down at him for a moment, then said, “I owe you a favor for saving Ning Yao, and I was hoping that I would be able to avoid repaying you, or at least delay part of the repayment until your next life, but now, I’ve decided to repay you in full at once so neither of us will owe the other anything. I’m going to tell you three things that you must make sure to remember. The first thing is that once Ning Yao is in better condition, take her to the creek south of the town and look for a father and daughter with the Ruan surname.

“Make sure to take Ning Yao with you. Otherwise, if you go on your own, you can visit them 100 times, and they still won’t agree to meet you. After you get there, no matter what you have to do, whether that be beg and grovel, or just be shameless and refuse to leave, you have to convince them to accept you as an apprentice or a manual laborer. Regardless of whether you’ll be assigned to digging wells or forging swords, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you get them to take you under their wing.

“After that, Ning Yao will have repaid her debt to you as well, so don’t feel like you’re taking advantage of her. The second thing is that after the fifth day of the fifth month, you must make frequent visits to the creek under the covered bridge. It doesn’t matter what you do there, whether it be collecting rocks or catching fish, the key is to visit the creek often. It’s even more important that you visit the creek when you’re in a bad mood or you sense something a little different from usual.

“As for what rewards you’ll reap from those visits, given your terrible luck, I wouldn’t be too optimistic, but you can only hope that your diligence can make up for your other shortcomings. If you still don’t reap any rewards even after visiting the creek as much as possible, then you’ll just have to accept your fate.”

After that, the Daoist began to wheel his cart away, but Chen Ping’an was still rooted to the spot, seemingly waiting for something.

“Come and help me.”

Chen Ping’an rose up from his haunches to help the Daoist priest push the cart, and at the same time, he asked with a curious expression, “Didn’t you say there were three things that you were going to tell me?”

“I already told you what the third thing is, think about it yourself,” the Daoist priest replied with a cold harrumph.

Chen Ping’an was completely stumped.

The Daoist priest continued, “Those copper coins are quite precious, so make sure to keep them safe. Avoid going out as much as possible in the near future. Also, smile more. You’re already not that handsome to begin with, how are you going to attract any good fortune if you always look so glum?”

The Daoist priest was rambling as if he were an older family member of Chen Ping’an’s.

After the cart was moved out of the yard, Chen Ping’an offered to help the Daoist priest push it out of Clay Vase Alley, and the Daoist priest didn’t refuse.

The two of them made their way down the alley, one in front of the other, and the Daoist priest said, “There’s something that I was a little hesitant to tell you, but I’ve decided to tell you now. According to my reading of your fortune, the early passing of your parents was due to no fault of yours.”

The Daoist priest fell silent after that, but right as the cart was about to be pushed out of Clay Vase Alley, he concluded, “Not only that, but your parents are partially to blame for how difficult your life has been.”

Chen Ping’an offered no response to this.

The Daoist priest insisted that Chen Ping’an didn’t accompany him any further, and he pushed the cart away toward the eastern town gate on his

Along the way, he turned back to find that Chen Ping’an was still standing at the entrance to the alley, waving vigorously at him with a bright smile, looking completely unlike someone with not long left to live.