Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an and the others had entered the mountain range from the north and were now heading toward the south. After traveling for a while, they coincidentally came across another group of people who were heading toward the north. Their leader was an old Daoist priest who had a peach wood sword on his back and a string of silver bells hanging from his waist. His Daoist robes were aged, and there was nothing but straw sandals on his feet. He had barely any immortal aura, but he was indeed brimming with an aura of poverty.

There was a lame and awkward-looking young boy behind the old Daoist priest, and apart from carrying a large bag on his back, there was also a banner that read “subduing demons and capturing ghosts, eliminating fiends and safeguarding Dao” resting diagonally across his shoulder. However, the fabric had already started to wear and lose its color, and this was perhaps because the banner had been washed too many times. The characters on it were also fading.

Apart from him, there was also a little girl with a round face who looked to be around seven or eight years old. She was small and skinny, and she was using her arms to support the old Daoist priest whose eyes remained shut for some reason.

The old Daoist priest suddenly looked up and “gazed” at the winding azure and black mountain range in front of him. There was astonishment in his voice as he exclaimed, “Huh? These mountains aren’t very far away from the river god shrine of the Embroidered Flower River, yet there’s actually such obvious demonic energy soaring into the sky? There’s definitely some hidden secret behind all this. Even though boundaries exist between mountains and waters, with neither interfering with the other, this place is indeed very strange. Extremely strange.”

When the little girl with rosy cheeks heard this, she asked anxiously, “Master, then what should we do? You failed to capture the demons in Three Twigs Mountain last time, and the people who hired us were so angry that they ultimately didn’t pay us anything. We’re genuinely running out of copper coins now, so why don’t we take a detour instead?”

“Take a detour?” the old Daoist priest humphed coldly. “If I didn’t encounter these demons, then so be it. I can simply view that as the luck of these demons. However, since this Daoist priest has come across them, is there any reason for me to spare them?! Are the characters written on the banner, eliminating fiends and safeguarding Dao, merely a show to outsiders…?”

“Master, there aren’t any outsiders here,” the little girl reminded him with a sigh.

The old Daoist priest produced a forced smile and said, “Oh, it was just an offhand remark. I still haven’t recovered from our experience in Three Twigs Mountain. That was truly far too infuriating. Even if the outcome wasn’t ideal, we should have still received some credit for our hard work. Yet, they were unwilling to pay even half a copper coin! There are actually such shameless and uncharitable people in the world… It serves them right that their ancestral graves have been taken over by mountain ghosts, and that their children and descendants will face calamity after calamity…”

“Master, don’t you often say that Daoists need to have a balanced mind?” the little girl reminded him again.

The old Daoist priest had still been smiling and benevolent a moment ago, yet he suddenly flared up in rage at this moment. He reached over to forcefully pinch the elbow of the little girl with two fingers, and he scolded with a stern expression, “Who’s given you the courage to educate your master? And you even dare to do so time and time again!”

The little girl’s elbow hurt so much that she immediately burst into tears. She hurriedly begged for forgiveness, saying, “Ow, ow, ow, it hurts! Master, I won’t dare to do it again…”

The old Daoist priest didn’t turn around, and he simply reached down to forcefully smack the string of bells hanging by his waist. As the bells chimed, he spat with a frightening smile, “Little bastard, you dare to develop killing intent toward your master?”

The lame young boy remained silent. However, blood quickly started to trickle from his nose and ears. Even so, the young boy still remained silent and unmoving.

The little girl sobbed even more sadly, and she begged, “Master, please spare Senior Brother. He definitely didn’t do it on purpose. I promise that I’ll try my best to give Master an extra 500 grams of spring water within the next three days.”

A smile spread across the old Daoist priest’s face, and he forcefully patted the little girl’s head. The skinny little girl swayed left and right, and she immediately added, “Not try my best, but guarantee!”

The old Daoist priest finally retracted his hand which was as shriveled as an old branch. He laughed heartily and announced, “Let’s enter the mountains! Horses won’t grow fat without wild grass. Perhaps there’s a mountain of wealth waiting for us here. Indeed, even though you two bastards are sponging food and drinks off me, your master’s mind has truly become more at ease when he cultivates. Now that I think about it, I should probably treat the two of you a little bit better in the future. Haha.”

The little girl continued to support the blind Daoist priest with her arms as they started to climb the mountain.

The lame young boy quietly wiped the blood from his face. He was already used to this.

The little girl secretly turned around to smile at him, and the lame young boy grinned in reply, signaling that he was okay.

After entering the mountains, the master and two disciples were surprisingly unable to pinpoint the source of the demonic energy even after traveling around for more than five days. The old Daoist priest could still sense the wisps of demonic energy suffusing through the nearby trees and vegetation, yet he couldn’t locate the origin of this energy no matter what. Because of this, the old Daoist priest was aware that this demon was definitely very powerful. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been able to deploy this concealment formation.

However, the old Daoist priest was still unwilling to give up. He ordered the lame boy carrying the banner to scout the surroundings every day, while he and the round-faced little girl would take a rest in someplace near the mountain paths. From time to time, he would take out a wooden geomantic compass[1], which people often referred to as Inverting Compasses. This was a tool commonly used by Daoist priests and Naturalists[2]. Such compasses weren’t rare, yet the flash of gold that would occasionally flow through the red needle revealed that this compass held more secrets than met the eye.

The sky was dark, and mist hung in the air. It could rain at any moment. The old Daoist priest was squatting by the path at this moment, and as he “gazed” down at the geomantic compass, he recited in a mystical voice, “Upside upside down, the 24 mountains contain mountains of gold and mountains of silver; upside down down, the 24 mountains contain the lair of dragons and the dens of tigers[3].”

The old man put his geomantic compass away and turned around to face the mountains in the distance. He chuckled softly and said, “The path toward wealth has opened up. The heavens will always leave us a way out. By the looks of it, I’ll be able to enjoy a few cups of wine when we arrive at Wanping County.”

The round-faced little girl followed her master’s gaze, only to see a group of people slowly walking over. She opened her eyes as wide as she could. As the group of people drew closer, she discovered that the person walking in front was a young boy in straw sandals carrying a large basket on his back. There was a machete in his hand, and he would occasionally use it to clear the branches and shrubs blocking the narrow path, lest they catch and tear their clothes.

There were three people behind him, and they were all quite young. One was a little sister wearing a bright red jacket, one was a mischievous-looking little boy, and one was an aloof-looking older brother. The three of them were all carrying small and adorable green bookcases.

Finally, there was a white donkey carrying luggage following behind them.

The little girl lowered her voice and said, “Master, they don’t look like wealthy people… How about we give it a pass?”

The blind Daoist priest raised an eyebrow and retorted, “As small as a mosquito’s leg may be, it’s still meat after all! You’re somewhat managing our resources as well, so are you not aware of how many copper coins remain in our pockets? With how voracious your senior brother is, just how many taels of silver has he already eaten away? If it weren’t for me taking pity on you two, just how many days would you have lasted in this cruel world…?”

The intelligent little girl hurriedly started to massage the old Daoist priest’s shoulders. There was a sincere smile on her face as she said in gratitude, “That’s why Older Brother and I never complain even if we have to do hard work for Master. However, if Master becomes angry in the future, can you punish me when Older Brother isn’t present instead? That way, Older Brother won’t get angry, and Master won’t need to punish him either.”

The old Daoist priest slowly stood up. The little girl immediately retracted her hands and stood to the side.

The group of people approaching them was none other than Chen Ping’an and the others, who were heading toward Yefu Pass which was located on the border of the Great Li Empire.

In fact, Chen Ping’an had already noticed the smiling old man and the demure little girl a long time ago.

When Chen Ping’an and the others drew closer, the old Daoist priest stroked his beard and smiled before saying in a slightly awkward-sounding official dialect, “If my observations aren’t wrong, then the four of you have faced perilous dangers during your long journey. However, it’s imperative that you don’t blindly believe the notion that you’ll encounter fortune after surviving great calamity. From my observations, the true calamity still lies ahead. Only after overcoming this obstacle will you be able to encounter fortune.”

Chen Ping’an’s mind immediately became alert. However, his expression remained unchanging.

Meanwhile, Li Baoping observed the slightly pale little girl. The little girl smiled shyly, and Li Baoping also smiled in reply.

The little girl wearing the red jacket and the even littler little girl immediately developed good impressions of each other.

Li Huai almost uttered the words that were already on the tip of his tongue — “Aren’t you blind, old Daoist priest? How can you be observing this and observing that?” However, the troubles that they had encountered while traveling down the Embroidered Flower River were still fresh in the little boy’s mind. He immediately held his mouth shut with his hands, determined to stop himself from causing any more trouble.

As if sensing Li Huai’s thoughts, the blind Daoist priest laughed loudly and explained, “You children don’t know, but the Daoist Sect has 10 great mystical abilities. Among them, there’s the ability ‘opening the eye of the mind, bringing clarity to heaven and earth, repelling ghosts and demons’. I’ve coincidentally learned this ability, and even though I don’t dare to claim that I’m a master, I do indeed have a fairly good grasp of it already. I don’t observe others through their physical appearance, and I instead only need to observe them through their aura.”

“The Confucian sages teach us not to speak of peculiar powers, unfathomable strength, chaotic rebellions, and ghosts and gods when meeting others in chance encounters,” Lin Shouyi said with a calm expression.

The old Daoist priest was slightly astonished. However, he quickly sighed and said, “So be it, so be it. Buddhist monks don’t enlighten those who aren’t fated, and Daoist priests don’t save those who are misguided. You can go now. However, I hope that you’ll be careful for the rest of your journey. If you genuinely come across any troubles, then don’t be afraid to yell loudly. If I coincidentally hear your shouts for help, then I’ll definitely rush over to provide you with assistance. If I’m too far away, however, then I’ll be powerless even if I want to help.”

After saying this, the blind old Daoist priest stepped aside to give them the path.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Thank you for the warning, we will be careful.”

The two groups walked past each other, and Li Baoping confidently waved at the skinny and round-faced little girl. The little girl timidly raised her hand to her chest and lightly waved back, silently bidding farewell.

When Chen Ping’an and the others vanished into the distance, the old Daoist priest mumbled, “During our journey, we’ve either come across unrefined martial artists from the Great Li Empire or unknowledgeable locals from the nearby towns. This technique worked every time, so why has it suddenly stopped working today? Such misfortune… Nothing’s working out. By the looks of it, it’s even more important that we don’t fail to conquer the demon this time. Great demons living in the mountains definitely possess grand wealth, so this time…”

The blind Daoist priest’s eyelids shuddered a little, and he immediately stopped speaking. He patted the head of the little girl who was gazing at the distant mountain path with a reluctant expression, and he said in an amiable voice, “Jiu’er, your master’s lightning cultivation will receive assurance if we succeed this time. When that happens, we won’t need to worry about money anymore. That being the case, I’ll definitely be nicer to you and your older brother in the future.”

The little girl looked up and said with a smile, “I’ll be very happy as long as Master stops hitting the bells all the time!”

The blind Daoist priest didn’t comment on this. He suddenly looked up, with his fingers also starting to form seals. He wasn’t astonished, and he was instead delighted as he exclaimed, “The atmosphere had changed. Such dense demonic energy! It’s actually able to bring change to the surrounding climate as well! Very good, very good! We’ve finally managed to lure the snake from its lair. Little Jiu’er, get ready to eliminate fiends and safeguard Dao with me!”

The little girl nodded in earnest. She was completely unafraid of the demons and ghosts that were able to terrify the common people with just their reputation alone.

She retrieved a small silver blade that was only an inch long before rolling up her sleeves. As she prepared to draw the blade across her arm, she asked, “Master, do you need the talisman spring water now?”

The old Daoist priest nodded and replied, “Even though I still have some, it’s safer if I collect a bit more to prepare for any unexpected situations. That way, I won’t be caught by surprise by the demons, and you two won’t end up suffering any misfortunes as a result either.”

The little girl took a deep breath before using the small blade to cut a gash in her arm. Warm blood instantly spilled out, and she hurriedly raised her arm and said, “Master, it’s ready.”

The blind Daoist priest deftly used his finger to rapidly draw a seal on his left palm. He then swapped hands and drew another seal on his right palm.

The little girl grew increasingly pale, yet she still asked in earnest, “Master, is that enough?”

“It’s enough for the moment,” the old Daoist priest chuckled in reply. “I’ll give the great demon in this mountain a taste of my lightning spell now! Let’s see how it likes lightning crashing down on its head!”

Approximately 500 meters away from the master and disciple, Chen Ping’an suddenly stopped in his tracks and raised his machete, signaling for the others to be on guard.

The others looked over, only to see a young boy leaping out from the dense forest like an agile monkey. There was a strange banner in his hands, and he vigorously waved it several times as he stood on the mountain path with his back facing them. After doing this, he was just about to run down the mountain path to return to where the old Daoist priest was.

However, he saw Chen Ping’an and the others when he turned around, and a slightly worried expression spread across his face. After thinking for a brief moment, the young boy who was drenched in sweat gritted his teeth and changed his plans. He continued to retreat down the mountain, but he chose to take a detour instead of running down the mountain path.

At the same time, he didn’t forget to gesture to Chen Ping’an and the others, warning them to leave quickly.

Li Huai was astonished. “What’s going on?”

Lin Shouyi frowned and replied, “That young boy is most likely being pursued by a sinister entity. I can sense some permeating Yin energy.”

Sure enough, a fuzzy figure that was enveloped in tumultuous black smoke paused for a moment when it saw Chen Ping’an and the others. An eerie and terrifying aura emanated from it, yet it eventually decided to ignore them and pursue the young boy holding the banner instead. It rapidly dashed after him.

Chen Ping’an turned to Lin Shouyi and said, “Ask Senior Yin god what he thinks about this.”

After a moment, Lin Shouyi replied, “Senior Yin god told us to keep walking forward and not to stop here. He said that he’ll observe the situation if he has the chance. However, he also said that his job is only to guard us and accompany us to the border of the Great Li Empire. He wants to remind us that our goal is to journey to a distant land to seek knowledge, not to act as benevolent people who subdue demons and slay fiends. He hopes that we can refrain from seeking trouble for ourselves.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Tell Senior Yin god to act according to the situation. He can help if he’s able to, but there’s no need for him to force himself if the situation is too difficult. Also, you should prepare three talismans as well, Lin Shouyi. You walk in front from now on, and I’ll bring up the rear. Baoping and Li Huai, remember not to be afraid if we truly come across any ghosts or demons. Make sure not to act like… Forget about it, let’s continue forward!”

Chen Ping’an had initially wanted to tell them not to act like Zhu Lu had in Go Table Mountain. She had clearly been at the peak stage of the second tier, yet she hadn’t dared to lift even a single finger against the ferocious white python.

However, he quickly swallowed his words after recalling the comment that A’Liang had casually made — “Those who talk behind others’ backs are definitely troublemakers themselves.”

Lin Shouyi remained calm and unfazed.

Right now, he could just manage to use the three lowest-quality yellow paper talismans from the stack of paper talismans that the Li Clan from the small town had treasured.

One was “Pearl Within a Plate”, and this was a water element talisman. One was “Fiery Rain”, and this was a fire element talisman. The last one was “Five Mountains Shatter the Barrier”, and this was a mountain aura talisman.

However, what Lin Shouyi truly depended on wasn’t these three paper talismans, which he still didn’t know the power of. Instead, it was himself.

It was the secret lightning technique recorded in the Recite Atop Clouds Scripture.

However, Lin Shouyi naturally wouldn’t seek trouble and put everyone in danger for the sake of testing the might of his lightning technique.

The four of them walked quickly. Li Huai put his hand out as he walked, and he grumbled in bewilderment, “It’s starting to rain just like this? You’re not going to give us any warning beforehand?”

The sky was overcast, and rain continued to fall. The rain wasn’t heavy, yet it caused the mountain to become far chillier than before.

Chen Ping’an retrieved four bamboo hats from his basket. They had purchased these in Red Candle Town, and they were for the exact scenario of continuing to journey through the wind and rain.

They each wore a bamboo hat, and they didn’t stop to wait for the rain to clear. Chen Ping’an occasionally turned around to glance back.

In the distance, the blind Daoist priest laughed loudly as he faced the direction that the limp young boy was wildly sprinting over from. “Very well, I’ve been waiting for you to arrive, you measly fiend! You’re seeking death! Now, die!”

The old Daoist priest took a firm step forward as he unleashed a palm strike. Only afterward did he shout a warning to the limp young boy. “Get down!”

The young boy leaped forward and rolled along the muddy mountain path.

Golden light dazzled in the old Daoist priest’s palms, and each stroke of the symbols radiated with a brilliant golden glow. There was a faint rumble of thunder in his palms.

Contrasted against the dark and rainy atmosphere of the desolate mountain, these streaks of golden light appeared especially piercing and eye-catching.

The ball of black smoke behind the young boy ground to a sudden halt. It was just about to flee, yet it had already been struck by a beam of golden light. It was as if it had been enveloped by a large golden net. There was a crackling and hissing sound, and the dark shadow wailed in anguish as it quickly vanished into nothingness.

The young boy ran behind the old Daoist priest with his back still bent. He was panting heavily, and he planted the soul-summoning banner into the ground. Upon seeing the little girl’s worried expression, he grinned and shook his head to signify that he was fine.

After vanquishing the fiend with a single palm strike, the old Daoist priest laughed heartily and exclaimed, “You were nothing but a lowly yin entity born from withered bones, yet you still dared to show yourself in front of me?!”

A wisp of gray was seemingly dragged inside the planted banner.

The old Daoist priest leaped up before twisting around in mid-air and throwing another palm strike. “Come on over, all of you come on over! You can all transform into my boundless merit and virtue!”

Another yin entity creeping up behind the young boy and little girl was blasted into smithereens by the old Daoist priest’s lightning technique. It wasn’t long before another wisp of gray flew into the banner.

The old Daoist priest dashed and leaped across the mountain path as he rapidly unleashed palm strike after palm strike. Beams of golden light flashed again and again, accompanied by the astonishing sound of rumbling thunder.

He laughed heartily, and his aura appeared imposing as his aged face was illuminated by the arcs of lighting flashing amid the dreary rain. He was indeed capable of slaying demons and vanquishing fiends. “Just how vast and magnificent is my lightning technique? Is it something that measly yin entities like you can rival? The great demon cowering behind the scenes, are you going to send more small fry to their deaths? I urge you to hurry up and surrender! Hand over half of your wealth, and perhaps I’ll be benevolent enough to spare your life!”

For the past thousand years, lightning techniques had remained dominant as the most lofty of the myriad techniques of the Daoist Sect. Once they were unleashed, they were widely recognized as the mightiest and most peerless of techniques.

However, when it came to the Five Lightning Righteous Technique, few Daoist Sects in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent were able to truly comprehend its essence. Most of the techniques being taught were either incomplete or variations that only emulated its form but not its essence. As a result, those who wielded these latter techniques would definitely suffer a backlash. As time went on, their vitality would slowly be exhausted, leading them to an early death.

In other words, the old Daoist priest’s blindness wasn’t necessarily due to natural causes.

The balls of black smoke that had been rapidly fluttering around the forests surrounding the mountain path gradually reduced in number. At the same time, the revolting sounds that were a mixture of their whimpering, wailing, and roaring also subsided into silence.

“Master, a lot of lanterns have been hung up behind us,” the little girl said quietly.

The blind Daoist priest turned around to “look” over. He could sense numerous white paper lanterns materializing in the air and being mysteriously lit up. It was as if a fiery dragon that measured hundreds upon thousands of meters long was slowly swimming through the mountains and marshes.

His expression became serious, and he rubbed his palms together. The symbols that he had drawn with his disciple’s blood were already nearing their limit.

The old Daoist priest drew the peach wood sword from his back, and it was as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

A woman dressed in a bright red wedding dress walked over in a calm and casual manner. There was an oil-paper umbrella in her hand, and her eerie voice sounded next to their ears even though her mouth clearly wasn’t moving. “Daoist priest, please continue to draw your symbols and talismans. I can wait for you even if you want to cover your entire body in them. After this, I’ll invite you three to my residence where I’ll personally wash your faces, pull out your tendons, and pierce your hearts.”

It appeared as if the female ghost in red was most interested in the round-faced little girl. Her hoarse voice continued to ring next to their ears as she reached up to cup her small and snow-white face. “For example, washing faces is like this.”

In the next moment, the round-faced little girl hurriedly shut her eyes in fright.

As it turned out, the female ghost had lightly wiped her hands across her face and “washed” her skin away, revealing a bloody and harrowing appearance.

1. Also known as a feng shui compass ☜

2. The School of Naturalists studies the concepts of yin-yang and the Five Elements. ☜

3. This is based on a chant spoken by feng shui masters. ☜