Unsheathed

Meanwhile, Fu Nanhua of Old Dragon City was still seated across from Song Jixin, carefully holding the small teapot with the mandrill inscription on the bottom in both hands. At the moment, he was inspecting the inscription on the bottom of the teapot with great care and attention, as if he were appreciating the gorgeous body of a stunning beauty.

He had already been inspecting every single inch of the teapot for close to an hour, occasionally blowing on it and massaging it with his sleeve as he did so, and it seemed that he couldn’t even bear the mere thought of putting it down. There were always some people or things that made one fall in love at first sight, and this teapot was exactly one such item in Fu Nanhua’s eyes.

Even though this was only something that had slipped through the cracks, Fu Nanhua was convinced that he had stumbled upon a brilliant treasure. Out of the many sects in the southern region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, Old Dragon City was one that ranked near the top. Hence, Fu Nanhua was someone who had truly seen the very best of what the continent had to offer, and that was why Cai Jinjian had been willing to concede her inferiority to him at every turn earlier.

Song Jixin yawned lazily as he shifted to a more comfortable posture in his chair, then said, “Brother Fu, now that you’ve already confirmed the authenticity of the item, isn’t it time that we discussed the price?”

Very rarely did anyone refer to Fu Nanhua as “brother” under such an informal setting, so he was struck by a hint of vexation, but he patiently suppressed those feelings as he reluctantly set down the teapot, then smiled as he said, “I’m sure you can see my sincerity, Brother Song. I have been fully transparent from the very beginning, revealing to you the true value of this teapot, and I’ve also made no effort to disguise how fond of this teapot I am.

“I’ve done all of this to avoid a heated bartering process that would not only be a waste of time, but also harm the brotherly bond that we share. Brother Song, I already see you as a close confidant on my future cultivation journey. Right now, I’m content to do business with you, and if we take a solid first step together and further deepen our bond, I can see myself entrusting even my own life to you at some point in the future.”

In the face of Fu Nanhua’s sincerity, Song Jixin leaned back and shrugged with a smile as he said, “I’m a very vulgar and materialistic man, Brother Fu. Of course, I do cherish friendships, but if someone is talking to me about brotherly bonds while discussing business, I simply can’t help but doubt the sincerity of their words. Whenever they bring up our brotherly bond in the future, how do I know that they’re not thinking about swindling me out of my money?”

A cold look appeared on Fu Nanhua’s face upon hearing this, and he leaned against the back of his chair while gently tapping the table with a finger in silence.

Song Jixin seemed to have been completely oblivious to the change in Fu Nanhua’s attitude, and he continued, “The fact that I’m calling you Brother Fu and willing to bring out this teapot to show you should already be a sufficient display of my sincerity. Both of us want this deal to work out, so let’s not waste any more time going around in circles.

“Here’s what’ll happen: you give me a price, and I’ll nod or shake my head. I’ll give you two chances to state prices, and if I refuse both times, then I’m afraid that’ll be the end of the story. After that, no matter what you try to offer me, even mountains of silver or seas of gold, I won’t be selling.”

A sincere smile reappeared on Fu Nanhua’s face as he said, “The jade pendant that I gave you earlier is a first-time meeting gift from me to you. It’s called an Old Dragon Rainbringer, and it’s not a particularly powerful immortal treasure, only able to clear the mind, cleanse the organs, and cool down the wearer during hot weather. It’s particularly useful during meditation, and its effects will be greatly enhanced if used alongside a mantra of Daoist origins.”

Fu Nanhua then placed an embroidered pouch onto the table before pushing it toward Song Jixin as he continued with a serious expression, “This bag of copper coins is known as Offering Coins, one of the many types of items offered to deities and other objects of worship. They’re generally offered to City God Temples or statues of different deities to be held in the mouth, in the belly, or atop the palm, all for different purposes and effects.

“Most importantly, these coins may appear to have been minted using gold, but in reality, the material used is gold essence, which is far more precious than gold and is a material that’s considered to be exceedingly rare even by immortals. I can’t say that this bag of gold essence Offering Coins is more than enough value in exchange for this teapot, but at the very least, it’s definitely a fair price. This, in addition to that jade pendant, would undoubtedly make you the winner of this transaction, Brother Song.”

After introducing what he had to offer, Fu Nanhua fell silent, awaiting Song Jixin’s response.

Song Jixin was also silent for a moment, then blinked in an incredulous manner before asking, “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Fu Nanhua confirmed with a wry smile.

Song Jixin instantly flared up with rage upon hearing this, slamming a palm down onto the table as he launched into a furious tirade. “Do you take me for an idiot? Do I look like a stupid child that you can just swindle as you please? Before coming into the town, each of you had three pouches of copper coins, one of which is given to the gatekeeper, so it stands to reason that the other two pouches are to be exchanged for the two treasures that each of you is permitted to take from this place.

“Each pouch is supposed to contain no fewer than 20 copper coins, yet look at this flat pouch of yours! Are there even 12 copper coins in there? How dare you speak of sincerity when you’re clearly trying to commit daylight robbery!”

Fu Nanhua began to tap his finger more heavily against the table, and he was also doing so at a faster rhythm.

Song Jixin’s heart abruptly shuddered, and he was inexplicably struck by a sense of shortness of breath. His face quickly became flushed, and his eyes were becoming bloodshot. He hurriedly pressed a hand over his own heart to find that it was beating violently like a drum, almost as if it were threatening to punch its way out of his chest.

Fu Nanhua gradually slowed down the tapping of his finger, and only then did Song Jixin’s complexion begin to improve.

A faint smile appeared on Fu Nanhua’s face as he said, “Seeing as the first price has been rejected, I’ll just have to offer a second price. I’ll give you 24 gold essence Offering Coins for this mandrill teapot. What do you say?”

Song Jixin was sweating profusely as he pondered the offer. He could see that Fu Nanhua was growing impatient, and he was just about to say something to defuse the situation when Fu Nanhua began to increase the speed of his tapping once again, seemingly as a form of vengeance for Song Jixin’s earlier tirade.

Song Jixin clasped both hands over his chest, and his face was twisted in agony, but he was still glowering at Fu Nanhua with a defiant look in his eyes.

Fu Nanhua was almost unable to suppress the urge to put an end to Song Jixin’s life right there and then, but for the sake of the greater good and his own future in cultivation, he reined in his temper, stopping the tapping of his finger and sparing Song Jixin from a painful demise.

Song Jixin was panting heavily with a fervent look in his eyes, and he suddenly began to laugh in a hoarse voice.

Fu Nanhua was extremely perplexed by this, and he could see that there seemed to be no resentment in Song Jixin’s eyes. However, he didn’t find this to be particularly alarming. After all, the path of cultivation was laden with all types of strange and inexplicable things, and he had encountered more than his fair share of baffling individuals. Hence, he merely asked, “What are you laughing about?”

Song Jixin’s breathing gradually began to even out, and he sagged back in his chair as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, but his eyes were still as bright and piercing as ever as he replied, “I can’t help but be ecstatic whenever I think of the fact that I’m also going to develop the same powers as you and possess the ability to kill with the tap of a finger.”

Fu Nanhua smiled and offered no response, seemingly not all that surprised that Song Jixin would think this way.

In Fu Nanhua’s, eyes, people like Song Jixin were the easiest to deal with, so long as he stayed above them, but they could also be the most difficult type of people to deal with if they were to overtake him.

However, as the young master of Old Dragon City, Fu Nanhua was convinced that after successfully attaining his fated opportunity here, there was no way that he would ever be overtaken by a child who hadn’t been taken from the town by anyone up to this point.

Song Jixin took a glance at the teapot and half-full pouch of copper coins on the table, then raised his head as he said, “I have two conditions. If you agree to those conditions, not only will I sell you this mandrill teapot, I’ll also show you something else that’s at least of the same caliber.”

Fu Nanhua fought down the elation that was rising up in his heart as he maintained as calm a facade as he could muster up and asked, “What are your conditions?”

Song Jixin didn’t waste any time and immediately told Fu Nanhua what he wanted. “Firstly, I want you to give me three pouches of gold essence coins, not two.”

“I can do that,” Fu Nanhua replied without any hesitation.

Song Jixin stared intently into his eyes, radiating silent skepticism.

Fu Nanhua smiled as he said, “You can choose whether to believe me or not. Now that I’ve accepted this condition, you must bring out the item that’s worth two pouches of gold essence for me to see in person.”

“Of course,” Song Jixin replied with a nod.

“What’s your second condition?” Fu Nanhua asked.

“I want you to kill someone for me,” Song Jixin replied.

Fu Nanhua shook his head in response. “Seeing as you’re aware of how many copper coins are in each pouch, I’m sure you’re also aware that outsiders like myself cannot just kill the townsfolk in here as we please. Otherwise, we’ll be immediately evicted from the town, and there’s even a chance that we could be stripped of a portion of our aptitude.

“The sages are even capable of depriving us of future fated opportunities through unfathomable means, so not only will we be forced to suffer the consequences of our actions, even our clans could be negatively impacted as well.”

“Don’t be so quick to refuse. Perhaps the circumstances will change over time, and you might want to reconsider then,” Song Jixin said with a faint smile.

“I’m curious, who do you want to kill?” Fu Nanhua asked with a smile.

“I’m still considering that question myself,” Song Jixin replied, telling only a half-truth.

Fu Nanhua picked up the teapot again, stroking its smooth surface as he said in a nonchalant manner, “In that case, I’ll just have to wait and see.”

Across from him, Song Jixin unconsciously massaged his own neck as a sinister look appeared on his face.

After Cai Jinjian had been taken to Gu Can’s residence by Zhi Gui, the maidservant had departed on her own to go and visit the shops on Apricot Blossom Alley. Cai Jinjian pushed the gate open before entering the courtyard, upon which she was instantly rooted to the spot, not daring to move even a single inch. She stared at the old man sitting on the bench as she asked in a trembling voice, “May I ask if you are the River Severing True Lord of Lake Shujian?”

“Oh? How do you know of me?” the old man asked.

Cai Jinjian replied in a respectful voice, “I am Cai Jinjian of Dawn Cloud Mountain. 10 years ago, I accompanied my father on a trip to Lake Shujian, and I had the honor of seeing you from afar. Even to this day, that memory still remains clear in my mind as if it had happened only yesterday.”

The storyteller who was being referred to as the River Severing True Lord took a glance at Cai Jinjian, then said in an indifferent voice, “I see. Seeing as you’re from Dawn Cloud Mountain, I’ll forgive you for your unannounced intrusion, but don’t let this happen again. Make sure to close the gate behind you when you leave.”

Cai Jinjian was silent for a moment before nodding in response. “I’ll be taking my leave now, Senior.”

After that, she really did leave as she was instructed, and she obediently closed the gate behind her, doing so with great care so that she didn’t make any more noise than necessary.

Inside the courtyard, Gu Can’s mother cast a concerned gaze toward the gate as she asked, “Immortal Elder, I don’t think she’s the type that would give up so easily. Are you sure she won’t cause trouble for us?”

The River Severing True Lord scoffed, “In this place, even drawing a breath or releasing a fart could bring trouble. If we’re constantly cowering and backing down at the first inkling of trouble, then we won’t be able to get anything done.”

The woman had no response to this.

The River Severing True Lord smiled as he asked, “Let me ask you this: if you had a choice, would you rather send Gu Can to cultivate on Dawn Cloud Mountain or accompany me to Lake Shujian?”

The River Severing True Lord could see that the woman was eager to pledge her loyalty, so he raised a hand, gesturing for her to wait as he continued, “Don’t be in a hurry to answer. Dawn Cloud Mountain ranks near the bottom among the second-rate sects of our Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, but if you think that it’s not worthy of your consideration just because of that, then you couldn’t be more incorrect.

“The Cloud Root Stones produced by Dawn Cloud Mountain are a truly prized treasure, and they are the only sect under the entire heavens to produce the material, not just on the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. As a result, Dawn Cloud Mountain holds a transcendent status and is respected by one and all.

“In particular, all of the sects and Daoist temples that follow the alchemy branch of Daoism have had very close and deep-rooted ties with Dawn Cloud Mountain for thousands of years. In contrast, I’m nothing more than one of the cultivators of Lake Shujian. All I have is an island on the lake, a few disciples, and no more than 100 servants.”

Despite her age, Gu Can’s mother still retained much of her beauty from her younger days, and she smiled as she said, “The disparity between myself and that woman from Dawn Cloud Mountain is no different from the gap between her and yourself. How could I possibly send Gu Can off to scrounge for scraps with that woman rather than become the disciple of someone as mighty and revered as yourself?”

The River Severing True Lord burst into laughter upon hearing this, following which a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he instructed in a serious voice, “Tell me about that boy’s history, and give me as detailed an account as possible.”

The woman faltered slightly upon hearing this, then smoothed down her hair with her hands momentarily before beginning her story. “The name of that poor boy is Chen Ping’an. Both his parents grew up in the town, and I was very close with his mother. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, but she had a fantastic personality. I don’t think I can recall an instance where she ever became angry at anyone.

“Her husband was far from a handsome man, and to be honest, I don’t think he was good enough for her, but he was a decent potter. If he hadn’t died so young, perhaps he would’ve been able to become the head potter at a large dragon kiln in 20 years. As for how he died, some say that on a certain rainy day, he was worried that the flame in the kilns would be snuffed out, and in his haste to get to the kilns, he slipped and fell into the creek.

“Others say that while out in the forest securing firewood one day, his greed got the better of him, and he trespassed onto a mountain that was sealed off by the imperial court and fell prey to some wild beasts. In any case, his body was never found. That man had a really quiet and withdrawn personality, but he was very good to his son. Whenever he returned to the town, he would always bring some small gifts like little pellet drums, candy Bodhisattva figures, or old porcelain fragments.

“Before he passed away, the family of three had a pretty stable life. After Chen Ping’an’s father passed away, the grief was too much for his mother to bear, and she fell ill almost overnight. Over the course of less than a year, she was so tormented by her illness that she was reduced to nothing more than a sack of skin and bones. At the time, her neighbors and I were terrified to see her, and she was just a shell of the bubbly and outgoing woman that everyone knew and loved.

“During that time, Chen Ping’an looked after her. He was just a wee little child back then, but he did everything, including buying and brewing medicine, and cooking for his mother and himself. He was so short back then that he had to stand on a stool while cooking just to reach the countertop, and in order to save money on medicinal ingredients, he would go all over the mountain searching for the more common medicinal ingredients.

“If he had any left over, he would sell it all to the medicine shop. One time, he presumably ate the wrong medicinal herb by accident while exploring the mountains, and upon returning to the town, he suddenly collapsed to the ground and began frothing at the mouth while rolling around as if he had been possessed. We were terrified at the time, thinking that this would be the end of their family.

“At the time, my mother-in-law was still alive, and she said that it would be a blessing for all three of them to pass on like this so that none of them would have to remain in this world and suffer alone. At the very least, they would be able to reunite in the afterlife. However, Chen Ping’an was somehow able to survive that ordeal on his own, but his mother was unable to live through the winter.

“Oh, that reminds me, Chen Ping’an was born on the fifth day of the fifth month. All of the older people in our alley say that this is the most unlucky day of the year, and those who are born on that day will not only lead miserable lives, they’ll bring misfortune upon their families as well. After his parents passed away, there was not a single copper coin left in their house. Even the small gifts that his father had brought back for him had all been exchanged for food with the other children in the town.”

At this point in the woman’s story, the River Severing True Lord finally interjected, “The fifth day of the fifth month, eh? That’s interesting. Let me see…”

He then began to count on his fingers, seemingly calculating something.

The woman didn’t know whether she should continue, but the River Severing True Lord smiled and said, “You can keep going.”

The woman did as she was told, continuing her story. “None of the people living on our Clay Vase Alley dared to bring Chen Ping’an into our homes, but we couldn’t bear to just see him die, so we would occasionally help him out, bringing him some food to ensure that he wouldn’t die from starvation. Everyone knew that Chen Ping’an was a good and hard-working child, and we all want to help him, but his birthdate has such negative connotations that no one dares to associate with him.

“Of course, not everyone’s sympathetic to his cause. There are also some scummy individuals in our neighborhood who always liked to pick on him just because he has no parents, and in the end, he was forced to go and become an apprentice at the kilns. Before his mother passed away, he had promised her that he would sooner become a beggar than go work at the dragon kilns. Something absolutely terrible had to have happened to him for a child so devoted to his mother to go back on his promise to her.”

“Do you know the names, birthdates, and eight characters of the boy’s parents?” the River Severing True Lord asked. [1]

The woman only knew their names, but not their birthdates and eight characters. However, the River Severing True Lord assured her that this information would suffice, and a few moments later, he suddenly sneered, “Did they think their pathetic little tricks would be able to fool anyone? What a joke!”

The woman looked on with a befuddled expression.

The River Severing True Lord explained, “That boy’s father didn’t die from an accident. What most likely happened is that he inadvertently discovered the secret of this town, but he was far less fortunate than you, and his ancestral blessings were also sorely lacking compared with those of your clan. In the end, he shattered his own son’s bonded porcelain vase for the sake of his safety.

“As a result, a certain sect outside the town lost everything that they had been painstakingly orchestrating. That’s a massive investment gone to waste, and there’s no way that a lowly potter like him would’ve been able to compensate the sect for their losses, so he had to pay with his life. His life alone wasn’t enough, and they claimed his wife as well.

“The sect behind all of this most likely thought that the death of a potter wouldn’t be worthy of note in anyone’s eyes, so they couldn’t even be bothered to do a good job of covering it up, using an extremely crude concealment technique that I was able to see through in mere moments. The degree of negligence is as laughable as it is astounding.”

A dejected look appeared on the woman’s face upon hearing this.

The River Severing True Lord could tell what she was thinking, and he smiled as he asked, “Do you feel ashamed? Are you regretting what you did?”

A wry smile appeared on the woman’s face as she replied, “I definitely do feel ashamed. After all, I watched that child grow up right in front of me. However, I haven’t regretted what I’ve done even for a single instant!”

“I can tell,” the River Severing True Lord said with a nod.

The woman murmured to herself in self-consolation, “If Chen Ping’an’s mother were in my position, I’m sure she would’ve done the same thing.”

“I’m not so sure of that,” the River Severing True Lord mused with a shake of his head.

“She definitely would’ve done the same!” the woman yelled, as if to drown out all dissenting voices.

The River Severing True Lord wasn’t bothered by her rude outburst, and he merely sighed, “I suppose. Every parent simply wants what’s best for their child.”

————

Chen Ping’an was sitting on his doorstep, and he suddenly asked, “Can I ask you something, Ning Yao?”

Ning Yao was sitting with her legs crossed, her back against the wall, and her saber in her green scabbard resting in front of her. “Of course, but I won’t answer any questions that concern confidential secrets or my privacy.”

“Generally speaking, how long do people like you stay here before they leave?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Ning Yao’s brows furrowed slightly as she replied, “That’s hard to say. Some people are extremely fortunate and can leave the very same day they came. Others are not so fortunate, and this could be their final resting place. If you insist on getting my opinion on the matter, then I can tell you, but my estimates may not be accurate, so make of that what you will. If we take a look at the eight people that I came into the town with as an example, there are two groups of people from powerful families.

“They’re not going to be very smart, but they’ll have a lot of money on their hands, and I’m sure they won’t be leaving the town anytime soon. At the very least, they’ll be staying in the town for a few days. The guy with the tall hat and the jade pendant will probably have a relatively easier time getting what he wants. In contrast, there’s an idiot who’s focused all of his efforts on that well. As for whether he’ll succeed or not, that’ll depend on his luck.”

“Can I ask you about someone else?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“Who?”

“The young woman who’s really tall.”

“Do you like her?”

Chen Ping’an merely brushed off the question with a smile, treating it as nothing more than a jibe.

Ning Yao seemed to have also realized that her joke was in bad taste, and a grim look appeared on her face as she said, “Truth be told, I overheard your conversation with Daoist Lu from earlier, so I know what she did to you. Are you thinking about seeking vengeance against her?”

She heaved a faint sigh, then continued, “Let me give you a piece of advice. For those people who are at the top of the mountain, people like you who are halfway up the mountain are actually no different from those at the foot of the mountain. That’s not because they’re arrogant, it’s just that they really are far above you.

“Setting that woman from Dawn Cloud Mountain aside, even that little boy in the large red robe can make you throw up a ton of blood with a punch to the chest, whereas if the roles were flipped and you punched him instead, it would barely even tickle him. At the very most, it’ll hurt him a little, but it definitely won’t do any substantial damage. As for the reasons for this, that’s very hard to elaborate on, and I’m not very good at talking about this stuff.”

Chen Ping’an turned to cast his gaze out the door as he said, “I just want to know why she did that to me. That was the first time that we met, so what reason did she have to kill me?”

Ning Yao pondered the question for a long while before finally replying, “She may not be the type of person who kills innocent people on a whim. How do I explain this? Picture it this way: on the path of cultivation, there are all types of different terrains and situations that one has to negotiate.

“Sometimes, they may be a little hasty in their footsteps and inadvertently crush an ant underfoot, or they could get hungry and catch a few fish out of a river to eat, or they could accidentally kill a bird or a snake while practicing the use of their powers. Those are all possibilities, and none of those scenarios are necessarily intentional. That’s not a very good analogy, but you understand what I’m saying, right?”

“Kind of,” Chen Ping’an replied, then cast his gaze out the door again in a rather gloomy manner.

In reality, he didn’t understand at all. He couldn’t wrap his head around why those people could just take the lives of others for no reason.

A long while later, Chen Ping’an turned to Ning Yao with a smile as he said, “If you don’t mind, you can live here. Just tell me if you need anything.”

“Where are you going to live?”

“I know someone, and I’ll go and live at his place, so don’t worry about me. His name is Liu Xianyang, and he’s a very good friend of mine.”

“Thank you,” Ning Yao said with a smile on her face.

Chen Ping’an smiled back at her while scratching his own head in a rather bashful manner. After a brief moment of hesitation, he finally mustered up his courage, then turned to face Ning Yao once again as he said, “Ning Yao, if I don’t come back someday, give that pouch of golden copper coins to Liu Xianyang and tell him to look after this house for me from now on.

“He doesn’t need to clean it, just do the occasional repair and add some new roof tiles from time to time so that it doesn’t leak rain. Also, don’t let the wall collapse, and make sure that the yard gate isn’t looking too shabby. If he could plaster some door gods and couplets up on the door and walls on New Year’s Eve, then that would be fantastic, but if it’s too much trouble, then don’t bother with it.”

Ning Yao could see a sparkle in Chen Ping’an’s eyes as he spoke of door gods and couplets, and it was clear that he had yearned for those things for many years.

As for exactly how many years, it was the same as the number of years that had passed since his parents had left this world.

After getting everything off his chest, Chen Ping’an felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he gently exhaled before dusting off his knees and slowly rising to his feet.

Right at this moment, the flying sword within the scabbard on the table suddenly began to emit a sharp screeching sound.

1. According to ancient Chinese superstitions, the “eight characters” is a Chinese astrological concept that a person’s destiny or fate can be divined by the two sexagenary cycle characters assigned to their birth year, month, day, and hour. ☜