Unsheathed

Ruan Qiong’s resolve remained completely unshaken by this sentiment, and he chortled, “No matter. If the Yingyin Chen Clan or some other power really did dare to use me as a pawn, then once I ensure the safety of my daughter, I’ll be sure to exact my revenge on them!”

At the same time, he thought to himself, If that really is the case, then that would be perfect for me. At the very most, it’ll only take me a century to forge that sword, and once it’s complete, I’ll be able to go anywhere and kill anyone I please!

After a brief moment of silence, a curious look appeared on Ruan Qiong’s face as he asked, “Could it be that Chen Ping’an really is the heir to Qi Jingchun’s lineage?”

Old Man Yang raised his pipe, then gently tapped it against the wooden bench before pulling out some new tobacco leaves from a cloth pouch attached to his waist as he scoffed, “How am I supposed to know?”

Ruan Qiong knew that Old Man Yang had accumulated far too many secrets throughout his life, and he smiled as he said, “In order to enter the town, each person needs to give the town’s gatekeeper a pouch of gold essence copper coins.

“This generation’s gatekeeper was a man by the name of Zheng Dafeng. There’s no way that those priceless copper coins would’ve fallen into the hands of the emperor of the Great Li Empire, so I can only assume that you’ve come into possession of them. What exactly do you intend to do with those copper coins?”

“Would you tell me if I asked you how you plan to forge that sword in your heart?” Old Man Yang countered, and Ruan Qiong immediately burst into laughter.

“I’m taking this temple away with me,” Old Man Yang suddenly said in an indifferent manner.

Ruan Qiong was rather taken aback to hear this, but he quickly replied, “As long as you don’t take it out of the town, I have no objections.”

Old Man Yang smiled as he nodded in response. “Seeing as you agreed so easily, I can tell you a little secret.”

Ruan Qiong gestured for Old Man Yang to go ahead.

Old Man Yang blew out a dense cloud of smoke, and smoke scattered into thin wisps before surrounding the entire temple. As it turned out, the temple had already been enveloped within a thin layer of white mist prior to this, and it was clear that this was a concealment measure that Old Man Yang had taken as an additional safety precaution.

Old Man Yang heaved a faint sight, then continued, “Do you know what was most remarkable about Qi Jingchun?”

Ruan Qiong smiled as he replied, “He possesses exceptional aptitude and comprehension ability, and his powers are extremely fearsome as well. Otherwise, there’s no way those lofty figures in the sky would’ve been willing to cast aside their pride and work together to strike him down.”

Old Man Yang shook his head in response. “Let’s say that Chen Ping’an really is the one that Qi Jingchun chose. In that case, someone on the outside had to have planted Chen Ping’an as an exceptional pawn. On the surface, it appears that he was left idle for an entire decade, but in reality, a meticulous plot has been unfolding this entire time, and even I’ve been used during this time.

“What’s most brilliant about all of this is that the one behind this is playing the game while detached from the game. Ultimately, a person is not an inanimate pawn, so once the pawn is planted, it’ll gradually begin to develop a mind of its own. Hence, it’ll become less and less like a pawn, thereby making it more and more subtle and discrete.

“This pawn is also accompanied by another extremely important pawn in the form of Song Jixin, who carries the hopes of the entire Song Clan on his shoulders. With Song Jixin acting as a further distraction and attracting all of the attention, no one would pay any heed to Chen Ping’an, and that allows him to remain hidden in plain sight.”

A solemn look appeared on Ruan Qiong’s face as he mused, “Qi Jingchun was supposed to be someone with the potential to establish a teaching of his own. Granted, this notion was intentionally promoted by those harboring sinister intentions to place Qi Jingchun on an even higher pedestal, but it’s definitely not entirely nonsensical. How is it possible that he didn’t spot any signs?”

“Even I only managed to figure out this convoluted plot just now, and I must say that it’s absolutely riveting! I’m nothing more than a passive bystander, and I already find this fascinating. How do you think someone directly involved in the plot would feel?” Old Man Yang suddenly burst into laughter, leading to a coughing fit as he slapped his own leg and mused, “In reality, Qi Jingchun had already seen through the plot long ago.

“He may have been a scholar, but he didn’t play by the rules at all. Do you know what he did before he died? He intentionally paid a visit to where I was staying, and aside from giving Chen Ping’an that pair of Mountain and Water Seals, he took a short trip with Chen Ping’an and said something to him at the end. Care to guess what he said?”

Ruan Qiong was extremely intrigued, but he replied, “I’ve never had any idea what Qi Jingchun was thinking.”

Old Man Yang sighed, “Qi Jingchun told him that a wise man can allow himself to be oppressed to a certain degree, but not to an unreasonable extent.”

Ruan Qiong pondered this for a moment, and initially, he didn’t think much of it. However, moments later, his expression began to change slightly, and before long, his entire face had become flushed with realization, and his hands had balled up into tight fists. He shook his head as he heaved a resigned sigh, “I must concede my inferiority to Qi Jingchun.”

Old Man Yang nodded in response as he mused with an absentminded look in his eyes, “There are two sets of intentions to his words, the first of which is to get Chen Ping’an to tell me and everyone else that as long as we play by the rules, it doesn’t matter what we do to Qi Jingchun. He had already accepted his fate, and he didn’t care whether he won or lost, or if he lived or died.”

Old Man Yang then rose to his feet as he continued, “His second intention is for Chen Ping’an to think back on this a decade later, or even a century later. He was telling Chen Ping’an that even if he were to find out the truth, which was that he was the true pawn that had led to Qi Jingchun’s demise, he shouldn’t feel guilty, because Qi Jingchun had already figured everything out long ago.”

All of a sudden, Ruan Qiong sprang to his feet before storming away. “What a load of bullshit! I can’t believe someone as powerful and talented as Qi Jingchun would accept such a cowardly demise! If I had his powers, I would’ve stomped a hole straight through Eastern Treasured Vial Continent and punched a rift into the heavens! I need to go have a drink!”

Old Man Yang smiled as he left the temple with one hand clasped behind his back, and with a gentle flick of his other hand, the temple vanished into thin air, only to reappear in his grasp.

“I heard that Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan of the Great Li Empire was once the Scholarly Sage’s first disciple, so surely he’s capable of more than he’s displayed thus far. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

————

Old Man Yang very rarely left the town, but on this occasion, he was crossing the stone bridge, and as he did so, his body became more and more hunched over, and he was walking along in solemn silence.

He crossed the stone bridge twice in succession, but nothing happened. After stepping down from the bridge the second time, Old Man Yang made his way back to the town with a dejected expression as he thought to himself, Could that really have been a one-time opportunity that won’t present itself again if it’s missed the first time? Ma Kuxuan was born from the will of the world, yet even he isn’t worthy of an audience with you?

Why won’t you meet him just once, even if it’s just to make his acquaintance and not to accept him as your master? What kind of person would it have to take for you to give the nod? Setting aside the 5,000 years before that, even Jewel Small World has existed for a whole 3,000 years!

During all that time, how many heroic figures who have gone on to carve out scintillating legacies for themselves on Eastern Treasured Vial Continent have emerged from this town? With your help, any of them could’ve easily progressed a few tiers further! Beyond the 11th and 12 tiers, even further advancement of just two tiers is the difference between night and day!

All was silent on the stone bridge, and the metal sword hanging beneath the bridge remained completely still.

Old Man Yang heaved a faint sigh, then murmured to himself in a self-deprecating voice, “It seems you’ve already resigned yourself to your fate. So be it. In that case, I’ll leave you to your own devices. That way, I won’t have to worry that what little remains of our lineage will be ruined because of you. If I think about it like that, this is a good thing. I’ve only made a minor gamble, so I don’t have to worry about losing everything.”

————

Chen Ping’an was carrying his basket on his back as he returned from the small hill. On the way back, he discovered that the temple was nowhere to be found, and he looked around with a befuddled expression to check that he hadn’t misremembered the temple’s location.

In the end, he was able to confirm that the temple really had carried away like a rock. However, at this point, Chen Ping’an had already grown accustomed to these strange occurrences, so he didn’t think much of it.

Upon arriving at the blacksmith shop, he paid a visit to the earthen hut where all of his belongings were stored, and after packing what he was going to bring and leaving behind the rest, he emerged from the hut to find Li Baoping.

Li Baoping stood before him, raising her little head to look up at him, and her face was glowing with elation and excitement.

She had all types of embroidered pouches dangling haphazardly all over her body, and there were no fewer than seven or eight such pouches in total. In addition to that, there was also a small basket on her back, the top of which was covered by a conical bamboo hat to keep the contents of the basket safe from the elements. Everything had most likely been packed for her by Ruan Xiu at her behest.

Ruan Xiu was dressed in green as she stood beside Li Baoping, who was wearing her usual red jacket, and the two of them were looking very festive.

Chen Ping’an looked down at Li Baoping with a smile as he asked, “Did you pack food?”

Li Baoping nodded in response as she eagerly replied, “The basket is mostly filled with food that Big Sister Ruan gave me, and the rest are all books. It’s not heavy… Well, it’s not that heavy…”

“Just tell me if you get tired of carrying the basket,” Chen Ping’an said.

Li Baoping puffed out her chest as she scoffed, “There’s no way I would get tired!”

Ruan Xiu said in a gentle voice, “I’ve packed a map of the northern region of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, maps of all of the Great Li Empire and Great Sui Nation’s counties, and several other even smaller maps in Li Baoping’s basket. However, after you leave the Great Li Empire, you have to make sure to regularly ask for directions.

“Thankfully, Li Baoping knows how to speak the official dialect that’s used across the entire Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, so you shouldn’t have any problems there. I also put some silver and copper coins in the basket. They’re nothing compared with the gold essence copper coins that you gave to my father, so you’d better not refuse!”

An amused smile appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face as he said, “I’m not an idiot, why would I refuse free money?”

“You still say you’re not an idiot?!” Ruan Xiu exclaimed in an angry voice. “If you’re not an idiot, why would you do this when they have nothing to do with you…”

As soon as these hurtful words slipped out of her mouth, she was immediately overcome with regret, and she hurriedly stopped before she could say anything else because the four other schoolchildren were standing not far away.

Chen Ping’an had been making faces at her this entire time, trying to get her to stop, and he heaved an internal sigh of relief as he said, “I’ll be counting on you to do what we discussed yesterday.”

Ruan Xiu nodded in response. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure to keep the keys safe and go to clean up the houses every once in a while.”

Chen Ping’an took a deep breath, then turned to Li Baoping as he declared, “It’s time to set off.”

“Yay!”

Li Baoping was jumping for joy.

Thus, with matching baskets of different sizes on their backs, the two of them departed into the distance, commencing their journey to Great Sui Nation in the south while everyone else looked on.

Along the way, Li Baoping was chattering non-stop, telling Chen Ping’an about many interesting stories from the town. Finally, they reached the subject of the trip that they had embarked on, and she adopted a mature demeanor as she said, “All scholars above a certain age need to carry swords with them during their travels, not just for protection, but also to show that they’re adept both in their studies and martial arts.”

Chen Ping’an was quite amused to hear this. “That may be correct, but I’m not a scholar like you.”

Li Baoping was momentarily stumped by this reply, and she quickly fell silent, as if this revelation had significantly dampened her mood.

————

Cui Chan bought a flagon of premium wine from the wine shop in the town, then slowly strolled his way back to Erlang Alley.

Upon returning to the Yuan Clan’s ancestral residence, Cui Chan faltered momentarily after unlocking the gate, but still pushed the gates open with a smile in the end.

He quickly entered the courtyard, then closed the gates and made his way to the pond, where he saw a shimmering and ethereal male figure standing beneath the plaque of the main hall. He sat down onto a chair beside the pond, then opened the flagon of wine before taking a whiff.

Only then did he turn to the ethereal figure with a smile as he said, “There may only be a wisp of your soul left, but it’s still quite unbecoming of a gentleman like yourself to trespass on private property like this, wouldn’t you agree, Junior Brother Qi?”

The ethereal figure turned around, and his features were a little unclear, but it was still possible to see that he was none other than Qi Jingchun.

Qi Jingchun smiled as he said, “On that day, you made it appear as if you and Cui Minghuang were putting on an act for Wu Yuan, but in reality, it was an act for me, wasn’t it? Aren’t you tired of all of these deceptions?”

Cui Chan smiled as he asked, “Oh? Have you managed to figure something out?”

Qi Jingchun was standing at the northern end of the pond, directly facing Cui Chan, who was seated at the southern end of the pond, and he asked, “Why is it that you dropped down from the 12th tier to the 10th tier?”

Cui Chan leaned back against his chair, holding his wine flagon between two of his fingers as he swirled its contents around. “It’s all thanks to that teacher of ours. Who could’ve anticipated that you had already detached yourself from him? That’s why your cultivation base wasn’t negatively affected at all, even as the position of our teacher’s deity statue was constantly slipping.

“On the contrary, you’ve only been progressing upward. Ironically, I turned my back on our teacher long ago, yet I’m still unable to escape the influence of his lineage. What’s most crushing to me is the realization that I’ll never be able to surpass our teacher with my knowledge, so what else could I do?

“I couldn’t just do nothing and watch while I was dragged down by our teacher’s demise. The problem is the magnitude of the impact from the collapse of our teacher’s deity statue. It’s not like a small rock falling into a lake. Instead, it’s like an entire mountain plunging into a lake, creating such an enormous splash that no one can avoid being splattered unless they’ve already made it to shore like you.

“Hence, I came up with a little plan. What do you think that plan is, Junior Brother Qi?”

“You want to use the merit of others to benefit yourself in order to transcend your ego,” Qi Jingchun replied.

Cui Chan’s expression stiffened slightly upon hearing this, and the swirling of the wine flagon also ceased.

Qi Jingchun heaved a faint sigh, then continued, “The best outcome would be for you to surpass me and our teacher based on the merit of your knowledge so you can receive the recognition of the world and all beings, but unfortunately, that’s beyond your reach. The second-best outcome would be for our teacher’s lineage to end with me, following which you seize this lineage for yourself.

“Even if you can’t reach the same heights as our teacher did in the Confucian temple, at the very least, you’ll still be in an infinitely better position than serving as the Great Li Empire’s imperial preceptor. The final outcome that’s still desirable for you would be to assign someone as your shadow, then entering a state of Buddhist meditation with your true body.

“If that person can remain true to themselves, then that’ll equate to you maintaining your resolve when faced with a certain hurdle, ultimately presenting the catalyst required for you to return to the 11th tier. Cui Chan, you must’ve thought that regardless of what happens, you’ll be the one to come out on top no matter what, right?

“I know that you’ve already prepared backup plans so that even if Chen Ping’an is able to maintain his purity and his resolve, you’ll still be able to chip away at him. For example, you could maximize the flaws of those children to constantly whittle away at Chen Ping’an’s mental state, like grinding a mirror against a rock, causing its surface to become coarse and unsightly and ultimately shatter.

“In that case, if Chen Ping’an is the one I chose to carry on my lineage, then your plan will have achieved a resounding success, allowing you to claim the fortune of my lineage and that of our teacher, which would be a far superior an outcome to the third method of Buddhist meditation.”

Cui Chan’s complexion was beginning to turn deathly pale.

Qi Jingchun smiled as he said, “If you’re willing to give up on your plan now, I can allow you to achieve the third outcome. Relatively speaking, it’s the least desirable of the three outcomes, but it’ll still be immensely beneficial for you, and all of these years you’ve spent scheming and plotting will finally yield the rewards that you desire.”

Cui Chan rose to his feet with a cold sneer as he scoffed, “Qi Jingchun, nothing more of you remains than a pathetic wisp of your soul! What makes you think you’re in a position to be discussing terms with me?”

“I’m giving you one final chance,” Qi Jingchun repeated with a calm expression.

Cui Chan’s face was twisted with fury as he roared, “How dare you attempt to shake my mental state!”

A hint of melancholy appeared on Qi Jingchun’s face as he called out in a gentle voice, “Senior Brother Cui…”

Cui Chan dashed the wine flagon in his hand violently onto the ground, then took a step forward as he stabbed a finger at Qi Jingchun from across the pond and roared, “You’re not going to beat me, Qi Jingchun!”

Qi Jingchun clasped one hand behind his back while sweeping his other sleeve through the air, and the spilled wine that was flowing over the ground beside Cui Chan’s feet poured into the pond before forming a rippling film of water, much like the one that Cui Chan had conjured up not long ago.

Chen Ping’an and Li Baoping were depicted on the screen of water.

Li Baoping was walking along sideways, raising her head to look up at Chen Ping’an as she threw one question at him after another.

There was a smile on Chen Ping’an’s face as he patiently answered the barrage of strange questions thrown at him by Li Baoping, and if she raised a question that he didn’t know the answer to, then he would simply admit that he didn’t know.

He didn’t feel embarrassed at his inability to answer some questions, and Li Baoping never seemed to grow bored of asking questions.

“Cui Chan, do you still not understand?” Qi Jingchun asked.

Cui Chan was staring intently at the scene being depicted on the film of water, and his face was deathly pale. His lips were quivering uncontrollably as he murmured to himself, “That’s impossible!”

He raised his head, and his expression was twisted to a terrifying degree as he spat through gritted teeth, “Qi Jingchun, you chose a woman to become your only direct disciple?!”

“What’s wrong with that?” Qi Jingchun challenged with a calm smile.

Cui Chan took a deep breath, and the corners of his lips perked up a little as he said, “Even if Chen Ping’an remains true to himself, I’ll just have to do away with all of my backup plans! In fact, I’ll even go out of my way to help him, and I’ll still be able to win, just not as much as I could’ve otherwise! What are you going to do, Qi Jingchun? Are you going to screw over Chen Ping’an just to obstruct my pursuit of the Great Dao?”

A deranged look appeared on Cui Chan’s face, and he chortled with glee, “Chen Ping’an’s fate is interconnected with mine! If I fall, so does he! What are you going to do now, Qi Jingchun?!”

Qi Jingchun remained completely unfazed as he said, “I suggest you cut your losses and proceed no further with your plan. Even in the worst-case scenario, you’ll only fall to the sixth tier, so you’ll at least still be in the Middle Five Tiers.”

“Have you gone insane, Qi Jingchun?” Cui Chan snarled with a dark expression.

Qi Jingchun took a glance at Cui Chan, then heaved a faint sigh as he reached out a pair of fingers before gesturing as if he was placing an object onto something.

In the image depicted in the film of water, Chen Ping’an and Li Baoping remained completely oblivious, but Cui Chan could see that a jade hairpin had suddenly appeared, nestled peacefully in Chen Ping’an’s hair.

A dazed look of shock and horror appeared on his face as he stabbed a trembling finger at Qi Jingchun. “Qi Jing…”

In the end, he was unable to even utter the final syllable of Qi Jingchun’s name before his Dao Heart almost fully collapsed, resulting in him bleeding out of all seven of his orifices.

He collapsed back onto his chair, then quickly arranged his hands into the Treasure Bottle Seal as he panted in a raspy voice, “I have to stabilize my soul!”

Instead of looking at the terrible state that Cui Chan was in, Qi Jingchun raised his head and cast his gaze up toward the sky as he said, “You must learn from your mistakes. If you dare to sneak around and hatch any further sinister plots in the next 60 years, I have ways to make you lose the entirety of your cultivation base and fall to become mortal.

“Of course, given how stubborn and fixated you are, I’m sure you won’t believe me, but that doesn’t matter to me, it’s up to you whether you choose to believe me or not. The first time, I told you not to lose faith in our teacher. You didn’t believe me, and as a result, your cultivation base suffered.

“Prior to coming to Jewel Small World, I told you not to plot against Mountain Cliff Academy, yet once again, you didn’t listen to me. This time, it’s still up to you whether you heed my advice or not.”

After departing from the Yuan Clan’s ancestral residence on Erlang Alley, Qi Jingchun embarked on his last trip in this world. First, he paid a visit to the school, then the stone bridge, followed by the grave of his junior brother, Ma Zhan, and in the end, he paid a visit to the heavens.

Finally, after returning to the ground, he appeared silently beside Chen Ping’an and Li Baoping to walk alongside them, but the two children were completely oblivious to this.

With each step that the three of them took, Qi Jingchun’s body would fade further and further.

Finally, he drew to a halt, watching as the two children continued onward into the distance, and there was a mixture of concern, regret, sorrow, joy, and pride in his eyes.

He gave them a gentle wave as a silent farewell.

Looks like this is it. This is not a bad ending for me.

————

“Hold on, since when did you have a jade hairpin in your hair?!”

“Huh? I don’t know!”

“When did this happen? Chen Ping’an, you’re actually a rich kid posing as a poor kid, am I right?”

“I’m not, I swear! At the very least, that’s no longer the case. I’ve only been rich for a few days.”

“Fine, I’ll believe you, but what’s the deal with that wooden sword protruding out of your basket?”

“I don’t know anything about that, either.”

“Chen Ping’an! If you keep this up, then I won’t like you anymore!”

“But I really have no clue…”

“Fine, fine! I’ll wait until tomorrow before I stop liking you then.”

“……”