Unsheathed

Chapter 144: One Sitting on the Well, One Looking at the Sky[1]

In the Autumn Reed Inn, near the old well located near the pavilion…

A young boy in straw sandals quietly sat by himself. It was as if he were waiting for someone.

Nearby in the room, the little boy Li Huai was already fast asleep. The oil lamp on the table had already been extinguished.

Just then, Chen Ping’an had put away several maps. Some of them displayed the states and prefectures in the south of the Great Li Empire, while some of them displayed the territories of Great Sui Nation. These maps had all been gifted to him by Ruan Xiu.

After placing the maps back into his basket, Chen Ping’an had sat down beside the table and started to mull over the same problem again.

There was definitely no need to suspect Ruan Xiu.

However, Cui Chan and Wu Yuan, the county magistrate, had jointly visited the blacksmith shop before.

And according to Ruan Xiu’s casual remarks, these maps had been generously offered to her by none other than the office of the county

Chen Ping’an and the children had traveled south and come across that group of people outside Yefu Pass. After deciding to travel together, their experiences in Yellow Court Nation had been as strange as could be.

In the end, Chen Ping’an had walked toward the pavilion once again. He sat down on the old well to wait for Cui Chan.

————

The Great Water Palace was permeated with an aura of gloom and misery. Blood covered the floor of the entire hall.

Initially a boisterous hall filled with music and dance, this was now a hall that couldn’t be starker in contrast.

Dressed in white, Cui Chan remained sitting on the elevated white jade chair, with his mind wandering in a place far away.

Meanwhile, the great river god stood in front of him in the hall and used his water element mystical abilities to rid the bloodstains and sanguine smell from his body. The beautiful maidservants in the Great Water Palace had all been disposed of by the great river god, regardless of whether they were water ghosts or living humans. A ruler careless in speech would lose officials, while secrets carelessly disclosed would lead to death. As the mighty great river god watching over the 18 rivers in the north of Yellow Court Nation and forging them into a unified power, he was naturally deeply aware of this principle.

Of his two most trusted subordinates, the chief strategist in Confucian robes was neither drinking nor eating meat. Instead, he was sitting upright like a lifeless clay Bodhisattva. Meanwhile, the bloated toad appeared listless as it obediently sat in its spot. It appeared as if it had been petrified by the bloody events of today.

Nearby, Tang Jiang remained calmly sitting in his original spot. In fact, the spy from the Great Li Empire’s Green Bamboo Pavilion held a pair of chopsticks in one hand and a glass of wine in the other as he enjoyed the delicious dishes that were gradually becoming cold.

How many years had it been since he had last felt so satisfied and delighted?

If Tang Jiang bowed and spoke obsequiously for a few more years, then he might genuinely have become accustomed to working as a lowly lackey for others. At that time, perhaps he would forget how to stand up straight and enjoy the dignity of a normal person even if the iron hooves of the Great Li Empire’s warhorses shattered the lands of Yellow Court Nation…

The cultivator who had defected from the Spirit Charm Sect hadn’t been killed. However, he was already drenched in sweat.

Apart from him, there were two other extremely fortunate souls who hadn’t been killed.

They were none other than the two young swordsmen who had come from entirely different backgrounds. Just then, Cui Chan had given them an opportunity to avoid death. There were two beasts in the hall brought over by the cultivator from the Spirit Charm Sect, if the two swordsmen who were yet to reach the Middle Five Tiers could kill one beast each using only their bonded flying sword, then Cui Chan would allow them to become genuine esteemed guests of this Great Water Palace.

In fact, Cui Chan even agreed that they could refer to the great river god of the Cold Food River as their brother. Such a huge honor would undoubtedly allow the two swordsmen to greatly elevate their status. They would immediately become hot property in the northern regions of Yellow Court Nation. This was especially the case for the Qi refiner from the Lurking Dragon Temple. He was nothing more than an adored disciple of the temple’s master, but from today onward, he would very likely become the leading candidate to become the next temple master. Not only that, but no one would dare to challenge him.

The two swordsmen were both at the peak stage of the third tier, and the power of their bonded flying swords was still extremely flimsy and unsustained. Thus, their battle with the two beasts was incredibly intense and perilous. Even though they ultimately pulled through, their victory could only be considered a pyrrhic victory. They had both suffered heavy wounds. Fortunately, however, their bonded flying swords hadn’t been damaged too severely.

Cui Chan was still zoning out, yet no one dared to disturb him.

However, they naturally couldn’t sit there and wait forever, so in the end, the great river god in azure could only call out in a soft voice, saying, “Perfected Immortal?”

Cui Chan came to his senses and swept his gaze across the hall. He then turned to the two swordsmen and said, “Since you two won, this demonstrates that you have the right to continue down this path of the Great Dao. You two can leave and treat your wounds first. The Great Water Palace will provide you with the best pills, and they’ll also provide you with all the materials you need to refine your swords.

“That masterless swordsman, you can stay in the Great Water Palace in the future and enjoy the position of low-ranked honored member. As for the swordsman from the Lurking Dragon Temple, tell your greedy and lascivious master that both levels of government, from prefecture to state, will help regarding the elevation of the Lurking Dragon Temple from a temple to a palace. The Great Water Palace and a few cabinet elders from the imperial court will also provide their assistance. Tell him to sit tight and wait for the good news.”

The two swordsmen were over the moon, and they both thanked Cui Chan profusely before taking their leave.

Cui Chan turned to Tang Jiang and said, “There’s no need to gild the lily after returning. Just continue to lie low with the other spies.”

Tang Jiang quickly stood up to receive this order.

He was just about to leave, yet he heard Cui Chan snap, “Don’t you understand the concept of ‘reaching over to lead the sheep away’[2]? Are you not going to take the remaining wine on the tables with you?”

Tang Jiang was slightly hesitant.

“Just think of this as something that the Great Li Empire owes you. It’s your loss if you don’t take it,” Cui Chan said with impatience.

A peculiar glow suddenly appeared on Tang Jiang’s completely unremarkable face. He cupped his fists and turned around before striding out of the hall. After walking out, and with his back facing everyone, he raised his hands above one shoulder and cupped his fists at Cui Chan once again. He didn’t dare to turn around, and the rims of his eyes were red as he gazed into the distance.

“Milord, the Great Li Empire has never owed Tang Jiang anything! Even if I can only watch the Great Li Empire flourishing and rising from a distant land… Haha, this feeling… Is it not tens of thousands of times better than the flavor of that wine?!”

“Hah, your ability to flatter others is truly well-trained and top-notch. However, it’s a shame that I’m immune to this. Alright, you can piss off now,” Cui Chan scolded with a chuckle.

Outside the hall, the spy from the Great Li Empire who was no longer a young man roared with hearty laughter as he strode across the soil of a foreign land. His steps were light and carefree.

Looking at the empty hall, Cui Chan suddenly revealed, “My surname is Cui. I’m from the capital of the Great Li Empire.”

The chubby man whose true identity was a river-blocking toad was utterly baffled.

The great river god was slightly stumped.

Meanwhile, the Yin entity strategist hurriedly stood up and bowed in a respectful manner, saying, “My respects to Imperial Preceptor!”

The great river god was stunned. After a while, he wholeheartedly accepted the situation and remarked, “So it’s the Great Li Empire’s imperial preceptor who has personally visited my humble home.”

The slow-witted toad prostrated itself on the floor once again. It continued to bang its head on the floor and kowtow, and it appeared as sincere as could be.

“Does Prefectural Governor Wei have any hidden background? Will he become a potential roadblock for us in the future?” Cui Chan asked.

The great river god shook his head and replied, “Wei Li was born in a poor family in Yellow Court Nation’s south. He doesn’t have any powerful supporters in the official circles either, or else he wouldn’t need to yield to me in this prefecture. Right now, he has no option but to betray his spirit as a scholar to flatter the Great Water Palace.”

Cui Chan rested his cheek on one hand and used his other hand to tap the armrest of the white jade chair. “When conquering the northern nations before, the Great Li Empire was focused on overwhelming them and smashing through them like splitting bamboo. Those who refused to surrender would be killed without mercy. Song Changjing was no stranger to massacring cities and digging mass graves for tens of thousands of people. This was an act of demonstrating the Great Li Empire’s might.

“However, our expedition down south won’t be as easy and smooth sailing as this. Yellow Court Nation is the first big challenge that lies in our path. Thus, we can’t have it become a broken mess that’s left in tatters. After all, all of the empires and nations to the north of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent’s Lake View Academy and to the south of the Great Li Empire’s Yefu Pass are carefully observing the development of this situation.

“There will only be an increasing number of loyal officials like Wei Li in the future. Most importantly, we need to determine whether people like Wei Li make up the majority of an empire’s officialdom, or whether people like that state attendant make up the majority. Depending on the different situations, the ferocity and speed of the Great Li Empire’s army will also vary.”

The strategist nodded slightly.

Cui Chan suddenly looked at the strategist and commanded, “Tell me your thoughts about Wei Li.”

The strategist smiled and replied, “Wei Li is very intelligent, yet he’s also not intelligent enough. If he were intelligent enough, then he wouldn’t have attempted to appease both parties during the commotion before. He wouldn’t have tried to appease his own conscience while also trying to maintain good relationships with the others. Such beneficial outcomes don’t exist in the world. At the very least, they don’t exist in the territories controlled by the Great Water Palace.”

He pointed at the trembling traitor from the Spirit Charm Sect and said, “After threatening and bribing this person a little…”

Cui Chan interrupted the strategist river guardian and said with a smile, “A little? You’re saying this quite casually, but everyone reacts differently to a given situation. Not everyone is as loyal to their nation as you are Sui Bin, and not everyone is willing to resolutely choose death for the sake of righteousness. Not only did you choose death for yourself, but you even dragged your entire family along with you.”

The strategist was unfazed, and he cupped his fists before replying, “You flatter me, Imperial Preceptor.”

Cui Chan waved a hand and signaled for Sui Bin to continue.

“As the home of the Great Water Palace, many things have happened in the prefecture over the course of the past several hundred years. For example, we secretly breached a levee, causing some prefectures to experience both floods and droughts, and so on. Not only was Prefectural Governor Wei aware of these matters, but even the governors and overseers before him most likely suspected that something was going on,” Sui Bin continued.

“However, they were never able to gather any solid evidence, and they were also apprehensive of the great river god’s might. Thus, they swept these matters under the rug and allowed us to coexist peacefully the entire time. Speaking of the prefectural government’s archive room, it’s experienced numerous floods and fires over the years. In terms of the things that were recorded on these lost documents, they were all matters that the Great Water Palace hoped to keep secret from the public. We weren’t afraid of a government siege, and we simply didn’t want our reputation to take a hit.”

After explaining this, Sui Bin turned to the great river god and said with a faint smile, “Master is someone who cares about his reputation.”

The great river god chuckled in annoyance and said, “Sui Bin, are you really going to pick at the scabs of your savior like this? If it weren’t for me gathering your damaged soul that was drifting across the river and reforging a body for you at that time, then you would have already experienced reincarnation heaven knows how many times.”

Sui Bin smiled and feigned begging for forgiveness. He was surprisingly unafraid of the great river god’s overwhelming might.

The strategist’s face was dark green, and he bent down in front of Cui Chan to pick up a glass of wine. After taking a sip, he continued, “That Wei Li is both ambitious and talented, and he relied on his own abilities to climb to the level of prefectural governor. However, he’s still willing to bow his head and endure many things. If someone like him breaks free from our control and is promoted to a ministerial position in the capital in the future — especially one in the Ministry of Rites who’s extremely trusted by the emperor of Yellow Court Nation — then combined with his grievances from his previous roles in the local areas, won’t we be afraid of him gathering his resolve and pointing his blade at the Great Water Palace at that time?

“With this in mind, I told the great river god that we can indeed use this kind of official. However, if they still have a… sense of righteousness in their mind, then we definitely can’t trust them with any great responsibility.”

Cui Chan shot a sideways glance at Sui Bin. “Such penetrating criticism of his ulterior motives. If you chose to cultivate instead of becoming an official, then perhaps you would have had an opportunity to reach the 10th tier.”

“It’s a shame that we can’t go back in time,” the river guardian Sui Bin said with a relaxed smile.

Cui Chan stood up and shook his sleeve, causing half a stick of incense to slide out.

Everyone in the hall was puzzled. What was this young-looking imperial preceptor from the Great Li Empire playing at?

Cui Chan placed the half-burned stick of incense in the air and allowed it to hover there. He then snapped his fingers.

The incense lit up, sending wisps of smoke into the surroundings.

These wisps of smoke didn’t dissipate in the air, and they instead hung there and slowly converged into the slender figure of a young woman.

Sui Bin’s expression changed drastically, and he was finally unable to maintain his composure any longer. “How is this possible?!” he exclaimed.

The great river god squinted his eyes and shot a sideways glance at his trusted strategist. Even though he was astonished by the young imperial preceptor’s mystical abilities, he was actually feeling quite relaxed as he enjoyed the show taking place.

The young woman’s figure stabilized slowly, with her appearance becoming increasingly clear as well. When she eventually floated down and landed on the hall, it became clear that she was the woman being honored in the Azure Maiden Temple on Horizontal Mountain. She had played Go with Lin Shouyi once, and Cui Chan had also ordered Yu Lu to offer her a stick of incense.

One had to realize that even Old Man Yang from the small town had sincerely praised the young imperial preceptor as someone who was “proficient in the art of soul manipulation”. Thus, it was clear that Cui Chan had used some sort of unique secret technique to “steal” the young woman from the temple.

Generally speaking, it was impossible for deities from illegal temples to freely leave their territories. This was especially the case for low-level deities with shallow cultivation bases.

The strategist who had gone by the name Sui Bin during his life exploded in rage upon seeing the young woman. His face became increasingly dark, and his finger shook uncontrollably as he pointed at the young woman. His initially calm expression became twisted as he spat, “Shameless wretch! You still have the face to leave Horizontal Mountain? Have you forgotten your oath? Absolute wretch! Disloyal to your country and undutiful to your parents… You’re a wretch who has betrayed everything!”

The young woman was panic-stricken and terrified upon seeing the strategist, and she said in a timid voice, “Father…”

However, she felt extremely ashamed after uttering this, and she covered her face and started to sob. She appeared pitiful and helpless.

Cui Chan crossed his legs and asked in an amused voice, “Are you surprised?”

He then looked at the great river god and said with a chuckle, “I’ve read ‘The Records of Shu Nation’ before, and one of the strange and interesting stories recorded on it is about the Azure Maiden Temple in Horizontal Mountain. According to the story, a high-ranking official from an overthrown empire committed suicide for his nation beside an old cypress tree on Horizontal Mountain.

“However, his family was unwilling to die with him, so they all fled to other places. Only his youngest daughter slit her throat and committed suicide with him. Her blood sprayed onto the ancient cypress tree, and this allowed her soul to take residence there. In the end, she became the Azure Maiden of Horizontal Mountain. What a deeply moving story.”

The great river god sat down on an empty chair and chuckled, “This is nothing but a false myth. In reality, the situation was the complete opposite. When Sui Bin decided to give up his escape at the small temple and commit suicide with the assistant minister of their destroyed nation to demonstrate his loyalty, most of his female relatives chose to hang themselves and commit suicide. The others also ran into walls or swallowed gold to commit suicide. In fact, only his youngest daughter was unwilling to die.

“She ran out of the small temple, yet Sui Bin caught up to her and killed her with his sword under the ancient cypress tree. She transformed into a resentful spirit, yet a sliver of her sentience remained intact. She was also relatively kind-hearted after her death, and she provided both shade and protection to many passing mortals. It was because of this that she gained a good reputation in ‘The Records of Shu Nation’.”

The great river god took a sip of wine and continued, “Afterward, her father became my subordinate and eventually became the river guardian of some river near Horizontal Mountain thanks to my recommendation. Perhaps Sui Bin felt guilty, or perhaps it was because of some other reason, but he secretly asked someone to make a gold-gilded clay statue for the resentful spirit that was already nearing its end after being lashed by the winds and scorched by the sun. It was thanks to this that his daughter was able to survive.”

Cui Chan clicked his tongue in wonder.

However, the river guardian Sui Bin became even more enraged, and he roared, “You’re even worse than a beast! I remained upright and righteous my entire life, and the Sui Clan also remained proper for over 300 years. Yet, in the end, how did we produce a wretch like you?!”

Cui Chan reverted to his lazy sitting position with his cheek resting on a hand. As he watched the miserable scenes playing out between the estranged father and daughter, he suddenly said, “Sui Bin, that’s about enough.”

In his fit of rage, Sui Bin couldn’t care less whether the young boy was an imperial preceptor or not. “I’m merely disciplining my daughter; is there anything wrong with this?!” he retorted.

“But I feel like you’ve already taken things far enough,” Cui Chan replied calmly. “Is this a good enough reason for you?”

“Sui Bin! Don’t be disrespectful! If you dare to say another word, then I’ll knock all of your teeth out!”

Tonight was the first time that the great river god actively begged for forgiveness for his subordinates. He stood up again and bowed his head to Cui Chan before begging, “Please don’t mind him, esteemed imperial preceptor.”

Cui Chan jumped off the white jade chair and lazily stretched his back. “Alright, alright, I’m going to leave now. Otherwise, a certain someone is going to become suspicious of me.”

He navigated around the large desk and made his way down the steps. With his hands holding his sleeves, he chuckled and said to the young woman who hadn’t dared to raise her head this entire time, “Don’t listen to your father’s nonsense. A young and gentle girl like you should be learning musical instruments, Go, calligraphy, and painting at your age. When your heart flutters, you should hide in your room and secretly daydream about your crush. That’s how you should be living life.

“In terms of crumbling mountains and severed rivers, bloody battles and destroyed countries? This is all because of men like your father being incompetent and useless. Yet, Sui Bin was still shameless enough to drag you into the grave with him. What are you feeling ashamed of? Your father’s the one who should feel ashamed for hanging himself. Rest assured, the great river god will definitely protect you in the future. If your father dares to scold you, then tell the great river god to give him a good slap.”

Sui Bin was absolutely stupefied.

The great river god could feel a headache forming.

The young woman mustered her courage and raised her head for a split second to steal a glance at her father. However, she quickly lowered her head again and sobbed in a quiet voice, “Father, it was your daughter who was undutiful.”

Cui Chan huffed and quickly strode over, lightly slapping the young woman on the back of the head. “You meek little thing,” he scolded with a chuckle.

Seeing that the imperial preceptor of the Great Li Empire was about to leave, the great river god hurriedly ran after him and asked in a quiet voice, “Imperial Preceptor, you’re not going to rest here tonight?”

“I’m afraid of the murderous aura of this place,” Cui Chan replied.

The great river god didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

When he arrived at the door, Cui Chan first glanced at the silent father and daughter before turning to the great river god of the Cold Food River and saying, “You’re much more fortunate than her. You have a father who isn’t so stubborn and pedantic.”

The great river god became even more submissive than before, and he asked, “You’ve already met my father before, esteemed Imperial Preceptor?”

Cui Chan nodded and replied, “The old man even treated me to a few meals of mountain delicacies. Truth be told, it was much better than your combination of meat and beautiful women.”

“I wouldn’t dare to compare myself to my father,” the great river god chuckled.

Cui Chan stopped and patted the great river god’s shoulder. “When the Great Li Empire conquers Yellow Court Nation, I’ll definitely compensate you and even throw in some extra for the damage that I caused with my two stomps. And that white jade chair is also a little useful to your tribe, so I’ll leave it with you as a gift.”

“I’m willing to loyally serve Imperial Preceptor!” the obsequious great river god said in a solemn voice.

Cui Chan clearly didn’t take him seriously, and he told the great river god that there was no need for him to see him off. Cui Chan left the Great Water Palace by himself and leaped into the Cold Food River.

His hands and feet didn’t move, yet he was still able to nimbly cut through the water. He advanced gracefully, and it was as if he were a white flood dragon who had lived here since ancient times.

Following the flow of the river, he eventually arrived at the bottom of the well located at the old address of the city god pavilion. He didn’t return to the nearby Autumn Reed Inn immediately, and he instead stopped here for a long time, silent and unmoving.

He stood at the bottom of the well, and his hands were clasped behind his back as he looked up at the sky.

————

Sitting on the well, the young boy above suddenly asked, “Why aren’t you coming up?”

“Because I don’t dare to,” Cui Chan replied with a smile.

1. A play on the idiom “looking at the sky from the bottom of the well”, which refers to a person who is ignorant and short-sighted. ☜

2. To have sticky fingers. This literally means seizing the opportunity to steal from others. ☜