Unsheathed

Cui Chan wasn’t surprised by this response, and he said in a patient manner, “I know you have some reservations about me and think that I’m harboring ulterior motives, but you can observe me for a while before you decide whether you want to accept me as your first disciple.

“At the moment, my cultivation base isn’t anything special, but I have a decent wealth of knowledge and experience, and I know the customs and traditions of Great Sui Nation like the back of my own hand, so having me accompany you on your journey to Great Sui Nation will make a world of difference.”

Cui Chan could see that Chen Ping’an was still completely unmoved, but he wasn’t disheartened by this, and he continued, “Rest assured, I haven’t just come here empty-handed to ask you to accept me as your disciple.

“Instead, I’ve prepared a set of extremely precious presents for you, one of which is a copy of the ‘Blessed Beast and Spirit Album’, which is something that virtually every traveling cultivator of the Middle Five Tiers has a copy of. On top of that, my copy is even more precious because it’s naturally nurtured five or six types of spirits.”

Cui Chan was counting off his presents one by one on his fingers as he continued, “There’s also a set of four treasures of the study, out of which the brush holds an ink-devouring?fish. Regardless of whether you decide to write or paint using the brush, after you’re done, there’s no need to wash the brush as the ink-devouring?fish will gobble up all of the ink. Isn’t that amazing?

“Surely you have to agree that this is an exceptional tool for any scholar. As for the ink, it’s threefold pine rustle ink. Tap the ink stick with your fingers, and it’ll produce a pleasant sound like the rustling of pine needles in the wind. Even if you use only a tiny amount of the ink to write something, the fragrance of the ink will still?linger for many years.

The inkstone is an ancient artifact left behind by a nameless old monk from another continent, and it’s called the pond of release. Are you not intrigued? The paper is golden stone sheet, a type of paper that is used by emperors to officially assign mountain and river gods.”

Cui Chan took a deep breath here, then continued, “The most, most, most important present I have for you is a half-dead bonded flying sword! It’s forged from an exceptional material and is peerlessly sharp. The best thing about it is that you won’t need to nurture its sword qi or develop its sword intent. Instead, you’ll essentially be able to use it right away.

“I obtained the flying sword by chance, and it’s been a cherished piece in my collection for many years. I haven’t refined it this entire time, not because I don’t think it’s a good sword, but instead because I’m not a swordsman, so it would be a terrible waste for me to refine such a fine flying sword…”

Initially, Cui Chan was full of vigor and enthusiasm, but his voice was becoming quieter and quieter as he spoke. He discovered that not only did Chen Ping’an not seem to be tempted by his presents in the slightest, on the contrary, the more presents he rattled off, the more resolute the look of refusal in Chen Ping’an’s eyes became.

A dejected look appeared on Cui Chan’s face as he clasped his hands together in front of his chest and asked in a pitiable manner, “Is that still not enough? I’ve come here with full sincerity to become your student. If you don’t believe me, I can swear a vow. If I harbor even the slightest bit of ill will toward you, then let me be struck down by lightning right where I stand!”

“No!” Chen Ping’an declared in an implacable voice with a shake of his head.

Chen Ping’an first saw Cui Chan back at Master Ruan’s blacksmith shop, and at the time, he had mistaken the boy to be Wu Yuan’s scholarly attendant. During their second meeting at the archway, Cui Chan had taken the initiative to speak to Chen Ping’an, referring to himself as “Uncle Cui Chan”.

He had revealed a bunch of strange and inexplicable insider information to Chen Ping’an, then followed him to Clay Vase Alley, where he had stolen the couplets plastered on the gate of Song Jixin’s yard.

Unlike in Cai Jinjian’s case, Chen Ping’an had never sensed any killing intent from Cui Chan, but he definitely didn’t trust Cui Chan, either. He was hoping that Cui Chan would stay away from him, and never did he think that Cui Chan would follow him all the way to the border of the Great Li Empire.

Chen Ping’an was no idiot, and he knew that Cui Chan’s intentions definitely weren’t pure. Otherwise, why would he have followed him all the way to the border and offered up so many precious gifts just to become his student?

Cui Chan took a subtle glance at Chen Ping’an’s hair, only to discover that the jade hairpin had already disappeared.

According to their prior agreement, the old man would put in a word for him with Chen Ping’an. At the very least, the old man wouldn’t reveal to Chen Ping’an the fact that he was the Great Li Empire’s imperial preceptor, nor would he expose the plot that Cui Chan had hatched against Chen Ping’an and Qi Jingchun.

As for why the old man was letting him off the hook so easily and why he had decided to emerge from the Forest of Virtue at a time like this, when the outcome of the situation had clearly already been decided, Cui Chan couldn’t be bothered to try and deduce the reasons behind all of this.

Trying to compete against a true Sage in calculation and deduction would’ve been a completely futile endeavor. In particular, his soul was split up, and his cultivation base and stamina were both far inferior to their past standards.

He was afraid that once he reached a certain depth in his deduction, he would inadvertently break certain rules set by the old man and be reduced to a mentally handicapped husk of a person, just like the fate that had befallen the original host of this body.

“Chen Ping’an, did you not encounter an old scholar who informed you of the situation at Red Candle Town’s Pillow Relay Station?” Cui Chan asked.

Chen Ping’an’s brows furrowed slightly in befuddlement.

Cui Chan carefully examined Chen Ping’an’s expression, and he could tell that Chen Ping’an wasn’t faking his reaction. “Alright, in that case, I’ll have to bring out my trump card, but let me make this clear in advance, Chen Ping’an: I’ve come to you with all the sincerity in the world, yet you’ve turned me down in such a cruel manner, so I’ve decided to reduce my presents to you by half. This is your final chance to change your mind!”

Chen Ping’an offered no response as he promptly turned to leave, and Cui Chan hurriedly pulled a black go stone out of his sleeve upon seeing this, then tossed it onto an empty area by the side of the official road. “This is a message left to you by Old Man Yang. Once you crush the go stone, you’ll learn about the events that led up to this.

“After that, you’ll have to help me prove my innocence and tell Chen Ping’an that I have no ulterior motives. I came here with the sole intention to become his student, and my intentions are pure and earnest.”

The Yin god didn’t reveal himself, but the black go stone that was capable of storing verbal messages abruptly disintegrated in mid-air.

Shortly thereafter, Lin Shouyi approached Chen Ping’an with a peculiar expression, and he whispered, “The Yin god says that Old Man Yang of the Yang Family’s medicine shop?has told you to place your trust in Cui Dongshan, and that he won’t try to plot against you.

“He says that you should treat him like a servant and do with him as you see fit on the way to Great Sui Nation’s Mountain Cliff Academy, and that it would be a waste not to accept a free disciple like this. He also said that from now on, Cui Dongshan’s fate is intertwined with yours, and that your safety is integral to his survival, so he wouldn’t dare to harbor any ill will against you.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response, then asked, “Who’re they?”

A smile appeared on Cui Chan’s face as he introduced, “The tall idiot is called Yu Lu, Lu as in fortune, and the little dark-skinned girl is called Xie Xie, as in thank you. I wonder who gave her such a ridiculous name!” [1]

Cui Chan then put on a sorrowful expression that was so fake that it wouldn’t even have fooled a blind man, and he sighed, “Both of them are former citizens of the fallen Lu Empire, and the tragedy that they’ve had to endure truly saddens me. Xie Xie had already studied at Mountain Cliff Academy for some time in the past, while Yu Lu wasn’t as fortunate.

“Not long after he left his hometown, the battle between the Great Li Empire and Lu Empire commenced, so both of them were forced to return home. Now that their empire has fallen, the only reason they’ve been spared is because they’re students of Mountain Cliff Academy. If I don’t take them to Mountain Cliff Academy, they’ll be sure to perish in the mountains to the west of your Dragon Spring County.

“They’ll either be beaten to death by some mountain god who finds them to be an eyesore, or they’ll be forced to fend for themselves in the cruel environment of the mountains and die of exhaustion before they even reach 30 years of age. That’s why they’re extremely grateful to me and insist on referring to me as young master. I’ve tried to tell them that it’s not necessary, but they refuse to listen.”

Xie Xie smiled as she interjected, “If you feel like it’s a burden on your shoulders for us to refer to you as young master, then I won’t call you that anymore.”

Thankfully, Yu Lu didn’t try to escalate the situation, and he merely smiled as he said, “I’m already used to calling you young master, so I’ll continue to do so.”

Cui Chan turned to Xie Xie with a fake smile as he said, “Thank you for being so thoughtful, Xie Xie.”

After a period of silence, Lin Shouyi seemed to have received another message from the Yin god, and he continued in a quiet voice, “Old Man Yang says that it would be best for us to take in Yu Lu and Xie Xie, and that it would only benefit us to do so. He says that if you really don’t want to accept Cui Dongshan as your student, then you can just use him as a meat shield.

“If you encounter any danger in the future, you can just get him to take the fall for you. He’s carrying a pocket treasure, so he has a lot of resources at his disposal and can withstand a great deal of punishment.”

Cui Chan had been eavesdropping on Lin Shouyi this entire time, and he immediately flared up with rage upon hearing this. “Old Man Yang, you backstabbing old fart! How could you do this to me?!”

Chen Ping’an smiled as he asked in a low voice, “If I take in those two, will they be your schoolmates in the future?”

A wry smile appeared on Lin Shouyi’s face as he replied, “Perhaps. Truth be told, neither Li Baoping nor I have much of an idea about the true situation in Mountain Cliff Academy, and Mr. Ma didn’t tell us anything during our previous trip out of the town.”

Li Huai had been stealing furtive glances at Yu Lu this entire time, and he felt like this was someone that he could get along with. At the very least, he certainly seemed more approachable than the short-tempered and violent Li Baoping and the cold and aloof Lin Shouyi. Yu Lu was carrying some heavy luggage on his back, and upon noticing the glances Li Huai was casting his way, he smiled and nodded at Li Huai in response.

Meanwhile, Li Baoping was occasionally taking glances at Xie Xie, and their eyes had met on more than one occasion. In direct contrast with that time when they had encountered the blind old Daoist priest and his disciples, where Li Baoping had immediately taken a liking to the round-faced little girl with the nickname of Jiu’er, Li Baoping couldn’t?bring herself to feel any fondness toward Xie Xie.

There was a smile on Xie Xie’s face, making it impossible to glean her true emotions, but she was also not very fond of Li Baoping.

This was the first time that the two of them had ever met, so this mutual?hostility that they felt toward one another clearly had nothing to do with reason or logic.

Chen Ping’an turned to Cui Chan as he said, “Yu Lu and Xie Xie can join us, but you can’t.”

Cui Chan’s smile immediately faded as he asked, “Why?”

“Because I don’t think you’re a good person,” Chen Ping’an replied.

This was a rather childish statement from Chen Ping’an, but no one found it to be amusing. Even Li Huai, who was always carefree and never fazed by anything, could feel a sense of suffocating pressure in the air.

Yu Lu turned to look behind him, and he discovered a large cloud of dust in the distance. The earth was trembling in a dull manner under a set of pounding horse hooves, and the ground resembled a lowly peasant that had been whipped into submission, only just barely clinging onto life as they suffered in silence.

The mighty aura of the Great Li Empire’s cavaliers swept through the air, and even though it was only a unit of 30 to 40 light cavalry units, they were still giving off a sense of menacing killing intent.

Yu Lu’s eyes narrowed involuntarily upon seeing this.

Meanwhile, Cui Chan extended his hands out of his sleeves, then brought them down in a calming gesture, doing his best to maintain his composure as he said, “I came here to become your student because an old scholar insisted that I do so.

“If you refuse to accept me as your student, then that’s fine. I’ll simply accompany you on your journey to Mountain Cliff Academy as Yu Lu and Xie Xie’s young master, and you can all just pretend that I don’t exist. How about that?”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response. “As long as you don’t mess with me and stop trying to make me accept you as my student, you can do whatever you want.”

Cui Chan was just about to say something when the unit of cavaliers thundered past.

Yu Lu had been observing the unit of cavaliers this entire time, and he had already lowered his head while also raising an arm, using his sleeve to shield himself from the dust.

Meanwhile, Xie Xie had already moved off the official road.

Unfortunately for Cui Chan, he just so happened to be wearing a pristine white robe.

As the formidable unit of cavaliers stormed past, Cui Chan was rooted to the spot with his entire body covered in dust. His?mouth was still open, but he was unable to utter even a single word.

Li Huai couldn’t help but take pity on Cui Chan, and he mused to himself, “I’m?beginning to feel a little sorry for him.”

Meanwhile, Chen Ping’an wiped the dirt and grime from his face, and he murmured to himself with a dazed expression, “What have I done to deserve this?”

————

According to the rules established by Ruan Qiong, any cultivators traveling through what was once Jewel Small World were prohibited from flying or traveling atop flying swords, unless they had express permission from the Great Li Empire’s imperial court. Following the killing spree that Ruan Qiong had gone?on to set an example, all of the cultivators in the Great Li Empire had accepted this rather unreasonable rule.

Liu Baqiao descended from the sky atop his flying sword outside Jewel Small World, and after paying some silver, he got into one of the lavish horse-drawn carriages prepared exclusively for cultivators at the relay station. He traveled by carriage to the new school founded by the Dragon Tail County Chen Clan, where he found his good friend, Chen Songfeng, personally teaching a class of around a dozen children.

Upon spotting Liu Baqiao through the window, Chen Songfeng immediately wanted to find someone else to teach the class in his stead, but Liu Baqiao hurriedly waved a hand, indicating that he was happy to wait.

An hour later, the lesson concluded, and all of the children extended respectful bows to their teacher, following which Chen Songfeng quickly made his way out of the classroom. Upon arriving by Liu Baqiao’s side, he took a glance at Liu Baqiao’s sword with an intrigued expression, then asked, “So this is the talismanic sword in the Dragon Locking Well of the Great Li Empire’s capital city?”

Liu Baqiao rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion, then clasped his hands behind the back of his head as he complained, “That bastard, Song Changjing, promised that he was going to save the talismanic sword for me to pull out once I get to the capital. On the way there, I heard a bunch of stories about how someone had already taken the talismanic sword.

“I didn’t believe them, thinking that Song Changjing had only spread a false rumor to placate everyone so that no one would attempt to take the talismanic sword before I got there, but when I did get there, I discovered that the sword had already been taken by some woman called Yang Hua!”

Liu Baqiao was becoming more and more furious as he spoke. “I went to Song Changjing to demand an explanation, and guess what happened? All he did was get someone to pass on a message to me, telling me that if I want the sword, then I should seek out Yang Hua and take it from her by force.

“Never in my life have I seen such a shameless 10th tier grandmaster! After that, I learned that this Yang Hua had become the official goddess of the Iron Talisman River in this county. What can I say? That’s life, I suppose.”

1. The Lu (禄) in Yu Lu translates to fortune. 👈