Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an sprinted away with Ning Yao on his shoulder, his speed even quicker than when he had climbed the mountain just then. It was as if he were kidnapping someone’s pure and chaste daughter.

Ning Yao’s wounds were quite severe, and she felt even worse as she bounced up and down on Chen Ping’an’s shoulder. However, this was no time to worry about her feelings or face. Otherwise, if the old ape struck them again, it was extremely likely that she and Chen Ping’an would die together “for the sake of love”.

Ning Yao’s forehead was dripping with sweat as she asked, “How did you survive? You weren’t hit by the stone? How did you know that the old ape would target you and not me?”

After asking all these questions, Ning Yao suddenly came to her senses and said, “Forget about this first. While the old ape is replenishing his Qi, we need to run as far away as we can! I’ve already commanded my flying sword to obstruct him, but I predict that it can’t delay him for too long.”

Chen Ping’an nodded gently, and he was as quick as the wind as he adeptly navigated the alleys. He was like a fish speeding through the water.

After running far away from the west side of the small town, Chen Ping’an found the opportunity to quietly explain, “While we were fighting in Clay Vase Alley, I tricked to old ape to jump on top of an old and rundown roof, causing him to fall into the house. While he was down there, I secretly tossed a small piece of broken tile onto the nearby roof. Sure enough, he thought that it was me being careless and revealing my position, so he suddenly tossed a tile over, breaking both the wall and the roof. That was truly terrifying.

“Just then, I was actually lying on a nearby rooftop for quite a while, but I didn’t dare to come out because I was afraid that I would distract you. I was also thinking about whether I could shoot the old ape with an arrow. However, when I saw him throw that stone into the air, how could I still dare to be careless? It was like a fire dragon soaring to the sky, and I’m pretty sure that everyone in the small town could have seen it if they looked up.

“I thought a step further at that moment, and I considered what I would do if I were him. I would definitely use you as bait to lure out the person who was hiding nearby. After dealing with them, I would turn my attention back to you. To catch two fish with one bait, just how good would that be, right? So I decided to take off Liu Xianyang’s shirt and throw it out first. Only after that did I dare to dash out to rescue you.”

Ning Yao’s eyes lit up, and she clicked her tongue in wonder. However, she mysteriously started to interrogate him, asking, “Chen Ping’an, who did you learn all these slimy schemes from?! You look honest and sanctimonious, but you’re definitely not as honest as you appear! Speak! After Daoist Lu saved me and brought me to your house, did you take that opportunity to do anything else to me after removing my veiled hat?”

Chen Ping’an was dazed, and his expression was just like when he had been whipped in the head by cow tails when he was young. “What?”

Ning Yao didn’t continue her interrogation, and she instead started to chuckle to herself.

Chen Ping’an was an avaricious person, but he was definitely not a pervert.

Ning Yao firmly believed this, just like how she firmly believed that she would definitely become a mighty sword immortal in the future. Not one of the most powerful, but the most powerful.

“Put me down,” she said in a low voice.

“You can walk by yourself now?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“Not yet,” Ning Yao replied begrudgingly. “But if you continue to run like this, even my heart and intestines are going to be shaken out by you. At that time, I might not be killed by the old ape’s fist, but I’ll instead be killed on your shoulder. The old ape will truly laugh himself to death if he hears about that.”

Chen Ping’an slowed down and said with a headache, “Then what should we do? Find somewhere nearby to hide? I actually wanted to leave the small town. There’s a place that’s not easy to find.”

Ning Yao suddenly recalled something, and she asked in curiosity, “Where’s that wood and porcelain armor that you made by yourself? Why aren’t you wearing it?”

Chen Ping’an smiled bitterly and said, “It’s not very useful against that old ape, and instead of helping, it will even slow me down. So I decided to take it off. Thankfully I did, or else I don’t know how I would have carried you away. I wouldn’t have been able to carry you on my shoulder or back, nor would I have been able to carry you in my arms. Just thinking about it is giving me a headache.”

Ning Yao sighed before making up her mind and saying, “Chen Ping’an, put me down first. Then carry me on your back to that place you mentioned.”

Chen Ping’an naturally didn’t have any objections. He put Ning Yao down and shifted her onto his back without any hesitation before running off again.

“Ning Yao, where’s your saber? Why do you only have your saber scabbard?” he asked.

With her arms wrapped around Chen Ping’an’s neck, she huffed, “It’s buried in the ground.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t ask any more questions as he ran to an unfrequented place outside the small town.

This was a desolate area that was scattered with tombs that no one visited anymore. Weeds covered the tombs, and they grew so thick that this place looked more like a vegetable garden than a burial site. They could hear the hoots of owls from time to time, and this made the surroundings appear even creepier.

Fortunately, Chen Ping’an wasn’t like the other children at his age, and he harbored a unique feeling toward this place. Thus, he didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. After around 15 minutes, Chen Ping’an navigated through countless broken and collapsed statues with Ning Yao on his back, and he arrived behind the gigantic statue of a god that was collapsed and missing its head for some reason. Its body was six meters long, and one could imagine just how mighty and dignified it would have once appeared when it was unbroken and quietly sitting in a temple.

Chen Ping’an squatted down and attempted to let Ning Yao climb off his back. However, there was surprisingly no response after waiting for a while, and Chen Ping’an was almost scared to death, thinking that Ning Yao had already died on the way here. As he stood there with a stupefied expression on his face, completely speechless with shock, the young girl who had enjoyed a nice and comfortable nap this entire time finally woke up, instinctively wiping the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand. She then asked in a sleepy voice, “Are we there?”

For some reason, Chen Ping’an almost burst into tears upon hearing her voice.

He hurriedly took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He then gently released his grip on Ning Yao’s legs to let her down before turning around and saying with a smile, “This is a temporary hut that I built last autumn. I used to always bring Gu Can here to play, and he would always nag me to build something fun for him. So I collected some branches and built a frame, then I grabbed some leaves and grass to place on top of it. It’s fairly sturdy, and it didn’t collapse even after two bouts of heavy snow last winter.”

Ning Yao stood up and looked back, and she didn’t see the flying sword returning in a disheveled manner. This was a good sign, as it signified that the old ape hadn’t found their hiding spot yet.

Chen Ping’an told Ning Yao to wait for a moment as he bent down and entered the small hut. After tidying it up a little, he opened the door and invited her in.

Ning Yao felt a sense of relief as she sat in the hut that didn’t feel too cramped.

Chen Ping’an didn’t shut the crude wooden door, and he instead sat in the doorway with his back to Ning Yao.

“Why aren’t you shutting the door?” Ning Yao asked.

“It won’t make a difference if that old ape finds us,” Chen Ping’an shook his head and said.

Sitting cross-legged, Ning Yao nodded and said, “That’s true.”

After falling silent for a moment, Ning Yao continued, “You don’t have any questions that you want to ask?”

Sure enough, Chen Ping’an asked, “Did the old ape use all three breaths of Qi?”

“Mhm. However, I’ve got some bad news for you,” Ning Yao replied. “He can break the rules at least one more time, and that’s more than enough to deal with us two injured people.”

“Ning Yao, what price will he have to pay?” Chen Ping’an asked.

The fragrance of the nearby grass seeped into the small hut, causing the air to feel cool and refreshing. Even though it was slightly humid, Ning Yao felt like this was already very good. She couldn’t ask for too much.

Shen thought carefully for a moment before replying, “The old ape has fought three times. The first time was when he chased you from Clay Vase Alley to the west side of the small town. He was more cautious at that time, and it was mainly because he was trying to gauge whether you had external support or not. After all, he was afraid that someone was trying to lure him into a trap and target his young mistress from Sun Scorch Mountain. Thus, he probably only had three to five years shaved off his lifespan.

“The second time was when he fought against me by the creek. That probably shaved 20 or so years off his lifespan. The third time he fought us, he probably lost at least 50 years of his lifespan. The next time he fights us, he’ll probably lose at least 100 years of his lifespan.”

There was a bright glimmer in Chen Ping’an’s eyes as he pulled a stalk of grass from the ground and flicked the dirt from its roots before placing it in his mouth. “Then we’ll call it 180 years. That’s already a huge win!” he said with a beaming smile. “If I ignore what Cai Jinjian did to me and assume that I can live to 60 years old like most ordinary people, that’s already a gain of two extra lives! Anyway, I feel like that old ape will become furious when he thinks about the fact that he sacrificed almost 200 years of his lifespan to deal with me.”

Ning Yao frowned and said, “Chen Ping’an, you really feel like your life is that worthless?”

“Compared to an immortal beast like that old ape who’s lived for thousands of years, a peasant potter from a small town like me is naturally not worth anything,” Chen Ping’an replied without hesitation. “Admitting this isn’t shameful.”

Ning Yao felt extremely stifled after hearing Chen Ping’an’s foolish reasoning.

Chen Ping’an turned around and said with a smile, “Of course, conceding this is one matter, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel wronged at all. Just think about it. We were all equally born into this world, so why should my life be worth nothing?”

Ning Yao was just about to answer his question and recite a few motivating sayings by the Sages to show off her knowledge. Unexpectedly, however, Chen Ping’an quickly answered his own question.

He sincerely said to himself, “Perhaps I didn’t do enough good deeds in my previous life? But I haven’t had enough time to do good deeds in this life either! Then aren’t I screwed for my next life again? What should I do?”

Ning Yao picked up the empty green saber scabbard that was resting on her legs and used its tip to lightly prod Chen Ping’an on the back.

Chen Ping’an grimaced, and he immediately turned around to look at her with an indignant expression.

Ning Yao glared at him and said, “You’re nowhere near dying yet, so why are you already thinking about your next life?!”

Chen Ping’an hurriedly raised a finger and gestured for her to be quiet.

Ning Yao immediately shut up.

Chen Ping’an shuffled forward a little, attempting to create some distance between himself and Ning Yao’s saber scabbard.

Ning Yao wanted to say something, but she didn’t know whether she should. In the end, she decided to tell Chen Ping’an the truth, saying in a hoarse voice, “Chen Ping’an, have you ever considered this? Even though he’s lost 180 years from his lifespan, what was the initial lifespan of this Mountain-moving Ape from Sun Scorch Mountain?”

Gazing at the sky with his back to the young girl, Chen Ping’an replied with a shake of his head.

How could he know about such a mysterious thing? He probably couldn’t guess correctly even if he wracked his brains as hard as he could.

Some things were just like the bluestone slabs in Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Alley — if Chen Ping’an hadn’t run over there to deliver letters, he would have never known that there existed roads other than mud roads in the world.

Ning Yao sighed and said, “As descendants of ancient beasts born from the peculiar phenomenon of heaven and earth, the acupoints of these beasts are far inferior to those of us humans. As such, it’s extremely difficult for them to cultivate. However, the good thing about this is that their vitality is eroded far slower than ours, and this allows them to enjoy extremely long lifespans. On the lower end, they can enjoy a life span of 500 years, while on the higher end, they can enjoy a life span of 5000 years.

“Mountain-moving Apes like to move around a lot, so if they don’t cultivate, they naturally won’t enjoy an excessively long lifespan. They naturally won’t live for as long as tortoises and flood dragons. However, the Mountain-moving Apes used to be the dominant force in some region in the past, after all, so their lifespans can still reach up to 2000 years. Moreover, this old ape has clearly mastered some mystical abilities already, so once he advances to the Upper Five Tiers, combined with his Ninth Tier physique, it’s possible that he can enjoy a lifespan of 3000 years or even 4000 years, to say nothing of just 2000 years.”

Ning Yao looked at the slightly skinny boy in front of her and said, “So don’t feel like you’ve lived enough already.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t say anything.

Meanwhile, Ning Yao felt a little sad for him.

The two of them fell silent. Ning Yao started to feel a little guilty for revealing this secret, and she tried to wrack her brain for some words to comfort Chen Ping’an.

However, when she started to develop a headache after thinking too hard, she suddenly heard the soft sound of snoring traveling over from in front of her.

Ning Yao was stupefied.

This was a large residence deep in Apricot Blossom Alley. It was clean and tidy from the outside to the inside, and even the path in front of the courtyard gate was cleaner than those of its neighbors.

An old lady whose face could never be described as kindly and benevolent lifted the candle in her hands to make the room a little brighter. She then looked at her grandson with a doting expression, saying for the millionth time, “Why did you run off to the rooftop so late at night again? As the saying goes, the chill of winter carries into spring. However, you never listen to me. You’re still growing now, so what will you do if the chilly weather leaves you with an incurable illness? How will your grandma live then?”

The stupid young boy replied with a grin.

The old woman sighed as she sat down, saying, “Oh, my darling grandson, do you know? In the morning, that ungrateful brat suddenly came knocking for heaven knows what reason, with bags of big and small gifts in his hands. You weren’t home at the time, so you weren’t able to see his expression. Oh, he appeared like a dutiful son and caring father. Your grandma was almost moved to tears!”

The old woman wore an expression of ridicule as she said this, and she suddenly turned around to spit a ball of thick phlegm on the ground. However, she immediately regretted this, and she hurriedly used the tip of her foot to smoosh it away. Looking up and seeing her grandson’s indifferent expression, she was suddenly filled with a sense of anger and irritation.

Nonetheless, she couldn’t bring herself to hit him, so she could only huff, “Oh, you heartless brat, you don’t even know to care for your grandma. Your original name was Ma Xuan, but since you were abandoned by your parents, is your life not a bitter and hard one? So Grandma added the character Ku[1] to your name. If you feel like it’s too unlucky, you can change it back in the future if you want. It’s nothing major, so you don’t need to care about what your grandma thinks. Grandma is nothing but an old lady from a small town, and I’m just like a naive toad in the fields. With such a lack of knowledge, it almost serves me right to have such a difficult life.”

The old woman started to wipe away her tears.

Ma Kuxuan reached over and placed a hand on his grandma’s dry and bony hand.

A hint of emotion finally appeared in the old woman’s eyes as she looked at her grandson, and a smile appeared on her face as she lifted her hand to pat the back of Ma Kuxuan’s hand. “Your grandma is quite an unfortunate person. Your grandpa was someone with a conscience, but he wasn’t someone with skill. So, he wasn’t someone who could be relied on. Meanwhile, my son was someone with skill, but not someone with a conscience. So, he also wasn’t someone who could be relied on. In the end, you’re the only person who I still care about.

“If you don’t make some progress soon, your grandma would have truly endured all these hardships for nothing. However, what are a few hardships? Just don’t be like your grandma in the future. You definitely have to grow up and make a name for yourself in the future. If someone bullies you, then bully them back a thousand times harder! You definitely shouldn’t become a good person. In terms of being a bad person, it’s okay if it’s just for a few times. Just don’t think about harming others all the time. One needs to be careful of facing punishment and retribution after all, right? The heavens might like to nod off for years on end, but there are ultimately the occasional moments when the heavens open its eyes. If you’re unlucky enough to get caught… then ouch!”

Ma Kuxuan had been forced to listen to these ramblings from a very young age, and it was very likely that he had already grown calluses in his ears from listening to all this. In fact, he had probably already gone through several cycles of calluses. However, Ma Kuxuan ultimately didn’t pull his hand away, and he allowed his grandma to lightly hold his hand.

The old woman suddenly asked, “Why do you like that despicable Zhi Gui?”

“Because she looks good,” Ma Kuxuan replied with a faint smile.

The old woman lightly slapped the back of Ma Kuxuan’s hand and scolded, “You heartless little maggot! You won’t even tell your grandma the truth?”

Ma Kuxuan smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Grandma, it’s a good thing.”

The old woman was skeptical, but she decided to drop this topic for the moment, saying, “Do you know why your parents abandoned you?”

Ma Kuxuan smiled and replied, “Because we were poor back then? So they couldn’t afford to raise me?”

The old woman suddenly raised her voice, screeching, “Poor? For the past seven or eight generations, the Ma Clan genuinely hasn’t been poor. However, we’ve become accustomed to bowing down to others, so much so that we don’t even know how to act as masters anymore. In fact, our ancestors left an instruction for us. Regardless of how wealthy we become, we can never move our residence to Fortune Street or Peach Leaf Alley.

“If your wretched parents were poor, would they be able to wear gold and silver every day? Would they be able to enjoy delicacies every meal? Apart from not daring to move to Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Alley where the Four Surnames and Ten Clans are gathered, what comfort haven’t they enjoyed?”

The old woman became angry every time she talked about her son and her daughter-in-law. She chuckled coldly and said, “Those ancestral teachings and instructions are merely things that have decayed in the mud with time. After all these years, what are they still worth? My dear grandson, just ignore them when you make a name for yourself in the future. Grandma has lived for all these years, and I’ve seen all kinds of wealthy people and poor people. At the end of the day, however, only talentless fools choose to be honest people!”

Ma Kuxuan wore a dazzling smile, and it was hard to say whether this was because he agreed with his grandma or because he thought her words were farcical.

He had always been like this, and he had always been able to endure hardships and harassment from others. However, when he put his mind to something, he would become so stubborn that even his grandma couldn’t persuade him

The old woman pondered for a moment before running over to see if the courtyard door was locked. She then returned inside and sat back down, saying in a quiet voice, “Ma Kuxuan, don’t think that your grandma has been acting strange all these years. Apart from being a midwife and offering charmed water to others, I’ve also shamelessly collected trash from others. However, everything that your grandma collected was an extremely valuable treasure.”

Ma Kuxuan wore an exhausted expression at this moment, and it was clear that he was completely uninterested in his grandma’s large box of trinkets.

However, the old woman continued to explain how she had tricked and swindled others in the past, her expression bright and filled with smugness.

Ma Kuxuan suddenly asked, “Grandma, did Chen Ping’an’s father die in…”

The old woman’s expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly reached over to cover her grandson’s mouth, saying with a stern expression, “Some things can be done, but they can’t be talked about!”

The young boy nodded with a smile, not asking any more questions on this topic.

The old woman also lost interest in boasting about her past exploits, and she suddenly looked a little sick and listless at this moment. It was as if something were weighing on her mind, and she would glance out the window at the night sky from time to time.

Ma Kuxuan smiled and said, “Grandma, you’ve been the sorceress of our small town for so many years, and our neighbors in Apricot Blossom Alley all praise you and say that you can overcome the gap between yin and yang and bring ghosts back to the living world.”

The old woman rolled her eyes and said, “You actually believe their nonsense? Your grandma is someone who’s even afraid of thunder, so will I not be scared to death if I truly see a ghost?”

“Don’t be afraid, Grandma,” Ma Kuxuan said with a smile.

“Humans and ghosts walk two different worlds, just as gods and immortals walk two different realms. On one side is the Great Dao, and on the other side is heaven and earth.”

A new dawn arrived.

Sitting inside the small hut, Ning Yao slowly opened her eyes.

Chen Ping’an was nowhere to be seen.

Ning Yao hurriedly stood up and bent down to exit the small hut. With a tap of her foot, she then sprang up onto the large shoulder of the collapsed and broken statue.

Chen Ping’an was running over from the distance, with his footsteps neither hurried nor slow. It didn’t look like he was fleeing from someone. When he saw the young girl in green, he hurriedly waved his hand and gestured for her to come down.

Ning Yao jumped down from the statue and landed in front of Chen Ping’an.

“The old ape hasn’t found our hiding place yet,” Chen Ping’an said.

After saying this, Chen Ping’an clasped his hands together and bowed at the headless statue of the god, murmuring something quietly. Ning Yao could vaguely make out what he was saying, and it was things like begging the god to not blame her for being disrespectful and so on. She rolled her eyes, but she didn’t say anything.

Afterward, Chen Ping’an lowered his voice and said with a mysterious expression, “Let me show you two statues; they’re extremely interesting!”

“Is it some god or immortal who’s willing to show themselves to you? Are you trying to tell me that your sincerity is going to reap instant results?”

Chen Ping’an huffed and said, “Ning Yao, your words are seriously…”

Ning Yao raised an eyebrow.

Chen Ping’an immediately changed tact, continuing in a smooth manner, “Like that of a well-read person!”

It was as if Ning Yao had suddenly become a different person at this moment. She coughed a few times and reminded herself to remain modest.

Chen Ping’an led the way, and Ning Yao quietly followed after him.

She unconsciously raised a finger and massaged her glabella.

She had truly walked a tightrope between life and death.

After a long mental battle with herself, she took a deep breath and weakly uttered two words — thank you.

Chen Ping’an had been keeping his eyes peeled and his ears open the entire time, so he naturally heard Ning Yao’s sudden words of gratitude. Even though in his mind, he didn’t feel like she needed to thank him. Instead, he was the one who should have thanked her.

However, Chen Ping’an truly didn’t know where to start, so he decided to ignore this matter altogether.

Chen Ping’an suddenly stopped in his tracks. He looked toward the south in a daze and muttered, “What if the old ape has already been kicked out of this small world by Mr. Qi? And that’s the reason why he hasn’t found us yet? What should we do then?”

Ning Yao didn’t know what to say to this.

Chen Ping’an continued to walk forward, not showing any signs of feeling unwell.

Ning Yao quickened her pace and walked up beside him, asking, “Chen Ping’an, are you okay?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “I’m fine. I know that some things are just like this, and there’s nothing we can do to change it.”

He hadn’t gone to school before, so he naturally didn’t know that phrase that completely captured his emotion at this moment — a limit there exists to everyone’s ability.

Ning Yao suddenly came to a stop. When Chen Ping’an turned around in puzzlement, she pointed at the red mark on her glabella and said, “I know that you’re curious but don’t have the courage to ask. So let me tell you the truth. This is my trump card. Is the old ape from Sun Scorch Mountain powerful? He’s bullied us to a very miserable state, right? However, inside the acupoint on my glabella is the birthday present that my mother gave me for my 11th birthday. It’s my bonded treasure, and once I unleash it, not only will the old ape die, but..”

She suddenly paused at this moment, and she eventually decided to directly skip over it, continuing, “I’m saying all this because I want to tell you something — the world is very big, so don’t underestimate yourself, and don’t become discouraged. Aren’t you already practicing martial arts now? Why don’t you practice swordsmanship as well?”

“You know how to teach sword techniques?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Ning Yao replied with perfect assurance, “My talent is far too great, and I also started to practice sword techniques from a very young age. So, my skill level is also rising extremely quickly. In terms of teaching others sword techniques, however, I don’t even know where to start!”

Chen Ping’an scratched his head.

Ning Yao pondered for a moment before saying with a serious expression, “Even if I want to give my flying sword to you, the flying sword definitely won’t agree. Moreover, I don’t want to humiliate it like that either. In my hometown, we view swords with spirits as equals and like-minded beings.”

In the end, Ning Yao removed the snow-white sword scabbard from her waist and said, “But I can give this sword scabbard to you!”

Chen Ping’an was baffled, and he asked, “Why?”

Ning Yao firmly patted Chen Ping’an’s shoulder and said in a meaningful manner, “Since you already have a sword scabbard, will you be far away from becoming a sword immortal?”

Chen Ping’an dazedly accepted the empty sword scabbard, his expression dumbfounded as he uttered, “Say what?”

Ning Yao strode forward.

She felt like she had just done something extremely natural and dashing. This was all there was to it.

Chen Ping’an carefully held the sword scabbard, thinking to himself, ‘Where in the world am I going to find a sword from?’

1. The Chinese character Ku referred to here literally means bitter or hardship. ☜