Unsheathed

In the eyes of the carefree Li Baoping, this prosperous prefectural city in the north of Yellow Court Nation was extremely lively and bustling. In fact, it was even livelier and more bustling than several of her hometowns put together.

In the eyes of the old scholar who had seen countless mountains and rivers, however, he would naturally see further and deeper. Perhaps he could already see the iron hooves of an enemy empire marching south and the tragic scene of dust and smoke rising into the air. Those jolly smiles and delightful conversations would soon become the source of anguished wails and heart wrenching screams.

In fact, it was surprisingly those haggard beggars sitting on the sides of the streets who would experience less pain and suffering in the future. As for those hooligans and rogues, they would further find great opportunities in that chaotic world. Perhaps they would even soar in status to become the new officials and generals of Yellow Court Nation.

However, the old scholar had already experienced many vicissitudes, so he naturally wouldn’t allow these emotions to show on his face, lest he ruin the good mood of the little girl and young boy.

Weaving left and right through the streets, the old scholar eventually led them to an old bookshop where he bought them a few books each. The owner of the bookshop was an old man who had failed to achieve success in the imperial examination, and he was someone who would often feel a sense of superiority and not pay much heed to others. However, he felt a sense of familiarity and respect toward the eloquent old scholar, and he was eventually captivated by the knowledge and moral principles of the old scholar.

The books were meant to cost around 20 taels of silver, yet the old man insisted that he would only accept 10 taels of silver. After leaving the bookshop, the old scholar looked at the expressions of admiration on Li Baoping and Chen Ping’an’s faces and chuckled, “How about that? Studying and reading books is quite useful, isn’t it? It helped us save eight taels of silver today. And that’s why people say books hold houses of gold within them[1]…”

After saying this, the old scholar lowered his voice and said in a mysterious manner, “In fact, in some place to the south — not the southern regions of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, of course — there’s a Pure Confucian Chen Clan. There’s a stubborn old man in this clan who always disagrees with me, and when he was young, he would read books and study day after day, night after night. After a few decades, his sincerity and devoutness likely moved the heavens. One day, he genuinely read a house of gold and a wife of beauty into existence.”

Chen Ping’an’s eyes widened in astonishment. He gulped and asked, “How big was the house of gold?”

Meanwhile, Li Baoping had an expression of curiosity as she asked, “How beautiful was that woman?”

The old scholar laughed heartily as he pointed at the two children and replied, “If you get the opportunity, you should go and check it out yourself in the future. I’m not going to reveal the answer here. After all, seeing is believing. One can indeed describe magnificent mountains, beautiful waters, and stunning sceneries. However, this naturally can’t compare to witnessing it for yourself.”

“Mr. Scholarly Sage, why did you buy those books for Junior Uncle? They’re truly so simple! Even Lin Shouyi and I could teach the contents of those books. Isn’t buying them a waste of money?” Li Baoping suddenly asked.

The old scholar’s smile was replaced by a serious expression, and he replied, “It’s not the same. It’s not the same at all. The most profound books in the world definitely use the simplest and most easily understandable explanations. These kinds of books are the most suited to educating the masses. Do you know why these books are the cheapest? For example, just how cheap is the Dao Ancestor’s Book of Dao and Its Virtue[2]? If one wants to read it, then one can easily purchase it. If one wants to learn from it, then one can easily derive knowledge from it.”

“It’s because many copies have been printed and many people purchase it, right? That’s why it’s so cheap,” Li Baoping added with a slightly confused expression.

The old scholar nodded and explained with a smile, “That’s half correct. After all, if a book is too expensive, how many people would be willing to buy it? Wouldn’t it be better to buy food to fill up their bellies instead? However, we also have to consider the perspective of the paramount sages. If they want to spread their teachings and become the official teaching of a state, empire, continent, or even world, how many direct disciples can they possibly take?

“Thus, a better option is to cast a wide net and print their teachings and principles onto books. By lowering the barrier to entry, many more people will be exposed to these teachings and principles. If the barrier to entry is too high, on the other hand, preventing people from being exposed, how many brilliant disciples and students can be produced?”

Chen Ping’an sighed softly.

“What’s wrong? You find this too boring?” the old scholar asked in concern. “That’s not very good. It’s very important to study and read books.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “No, I just feel like this is quite similar to ordinary people opening stores and fighting for business. In Dragon Riding Alley in my hometown, I have two stores that my friend is helping me look after. I wonder if they’re making a profit or loss right now.”

As if recalling something from the past, the old scholar sighed in emotion. He waved a hand and said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you guys to a restaurant to drink some wine. Chen Ping’an, if you’re feeling a strong craving, you can have a little bit to drink. However, Baoping is still too young, so you’re not allowed to drink yet.”

It was still early in the morning, so many restaurants and taverns were still yet to open for business. Fortunately, the old scholar found a small tavern that was located on the corner of the street. The place was sloppy and filled with oil stains, but the three people fortunately didn’t care too much about these things. If Cui Chan, Yu Lu, and Xie Xie were present, they would most likely furrow their brows in distaste. One had high standards, one was a germaphobe, and one had been pampered since a young age. It was very likely that they would never sit down to drink wine in this kind of place.

The old scholar ordered a pint of loose wine and a plate of salted peanuts. Chen Ping’an continued to adhere to the rule of martial artists not being allowed to drink. Beside him, Li Baoping actually wanted to try some wine. However, with her junior uncle by her side, how would she dare to make such a request? Thus, she could only watch the old scholar drinking with a slightly envious expression.

After traveling together with Chen Ping’an for so long, and after being subtly influenced by him this entire time, the three children were roughly aware of what they could do and what they couldn’t do. Sometimes, Li Baoping would also feel like her junior uncle was too strict with things. However, after taking a glance at her beautiful bamboo bookcase and her soft straw sandals, she would immediately push these thoughts out of her mind.

Because Lin Shouyi had already become a Qi refiner, an immortal, he naturally possessed lofty ambitions. He did indeed have his own opinions about Chen Ping’an, but standing at a great height and able to gaze far into the distance, he felt like these trivial matters weren’t worth his time or attention. Thus, he never said anything either.

As for Li Huai, this was a mischievous little boy who was most willing to spit out whatever was on his mind. However, it was a shame that most of his remarks and actions were completely unreasonable. Thus, he would often be suppressed and punished by Li Baoping before Chen Ping’an could even say or do anything.

Because of these factors, they had yet to encounter any irreconcilable differences during their journey to seek knowledge. They were able to maintain a delicate balance. After Zhu He and Zhu Lu’s departure, the uninvited arrival of Cui Chan, Yu Lu, and Xie Xie outside Yefu Pass allowed the four children to find a common enemy. As a result, the four children ended up growing even closer to each other.

The old scholar continued to enjoy his wine, and his face became slightly red after only a single pint. He didn’t channel his mystical powers to dissipate the effects of the alcohol, and this was perhaps because he had recalled something sad. This was also a rare opportunity for him to relax. Thus, the old scholar allowed himself to drink wine and extinguish the sorrows in his mind.

After looking around, he said in a soft voice, “I had a childhood friend who grew up in a poor family and who had to leave school before he could even graduate. Afterward, he opened a small tavern that was about the same size as the one we’re in right now. He married and had kids when he was 18, and he eventually passed away when he was 65. He ran his small tavern and sold wine for almost 40 years.”

The old scholar lightly swirled his wine bowl and continued, “Whenever I had some spare change in my pockets, I liked to visit his tavern if I wanted to drink wine. I would visit his tavern no matter how far away I was.”

There was a hint of sadness on the old scholar’s face as he smiled and continued, “On that final visit, however, I saw that the tavern was closed. After asking around, I discovered that my friend had already died. Since his tavern had shut down, I had no option but to buy wine from other places. Only then did I realize that he had always charged me more than the other taverns for the type of wine that I ordered.”

“Scholarly Sage, you treated him as a friend, but it seems like he didn’t treat you as a friend!” Li Baoping huffed in anger.

Chen Ping’an didn’t say anything.

The old scholar took a sip of wine before continuing, “However, after many years, I learned that the wine he sold me was actually fermented using ingredients that he personally collected from the mountains. He didn’t worry about the cost, and he only used the best ingredients he could find. He was selling the wine to me at a loss.”

Li Baoping’s jaw fell open. The little girl was instantly filled with a sense of shame and remorse.

The old scholar pinched a peanut and popped it into his mouth. Chewing slowly, he reminisced, “In 40 years, I went from being an impoverished scholar to someone who passed the imperial examination after much difficulty. Afterward… I also gained some abilities and became a little famous. Each time he saw me, my friend would only encourage me to drink wine and nothing else. He never mentioned the studies of his children, nor did he ever mention the turmoil in his wife’s clan. No, he simply encouraged me to drink wine. Back then, he would always sit opposite me, where Little Baoping is sitting now. That was the seat furthest away from me. However, each time he looked up, he would be able to see me. He always had a dumb smile when he looked at me.”

Li Baoping thought for a moment before silently standing up and moving to the seat opposite Chen Ping’an. She grinned widely at him.

Chen Ping’an made a face at her.

“Only afterward did I find out that his children had either become extremely powerful officials who were wanton and domineering, bringing calamity upon both the empire and its citizens, or become young wives of officials who ruthlessly killed their maidservants for the most trivial reasons. His wife’s clan suddenly shot up in status and gained immense wealth as well, becoming one of the largest clans in their prefecture. This was a sinister clan from top to bottom, and they were willing to do anything for the sake of wealth and fame. They brought pain and suffering to countless common people.”

The old scholar dazedly stared at the empty seat opposite him as he continued, “However, you insisted on guarding that rundown tavern and selling wine. You fermented wine year after year, all the way until you died of old age.”

Li Baoping’s jaw fell open again. There was a look of incredulity on her face.

The old scholar retracted his gaze. As he drank the low-quality wine and enjoyed the side of salted peanuts, he said to Chen Ping’an, “You need to apply yourself and earnestly practice martial arts and swordsmanship in the future. You shouldn’t try to speak reason all the time, and you especially shouldn’t be stubborn and do exactly as the books say. You need to understand how to be flexible. Otherwise, you’ll become very tired very quickly. In the end, you might look around and discover that you’re all alone, with not a single friend beside you. Because they need to lead by example, have the sages past and present not done many unreasonable things as well?”

The old scholar extended a finger and drew a line on the table. His arm eventually became straight, and it looked as if he wanted to extend the line out of the table as well. “Just think about it. There are some paths that you can walk alone for one year. But what about 10 years? What about 100 years? 1000 years? Yet, some people are extremely stubborn and insist on continuing down these paths by themselves. So, what should be done? If that’s the case, then one must do the appropriate things at the appropriate times. One can’t be too stubborn or conceited because of their experience or old age. After experiencing everything, one will no longer feel regret when one journeys alone down their path of the Great Dao in the future. Instead, they’ll feel…”

The old scholar was genuinely drunk at this moment, and he pointed at himself with his thumb and exclaimed, “I’m so fucking impressive!”

After proclaiming this in a proud voice, the old scholar’s head tilted forward and banged into the table with a loud thud.

After footing the bill, Chen Ping’an slung the old scholar onto his back and left the tavern.

Li Baoping secretly giggled when she saw this.

As it turned out, even the Scholarly Sage could become drunk! Moreover, he would also ramble on about things after becoming drunk.

“Chen Ping’an! Failing to be unrestrained is failing to make the most of your youth. You definitely have to drink, you hear me? Drinking is amazing!

“And Little Baoping, you definitely have to remember this. You have to cherish Chen Ping’an, this stupidly kind person. Don’t feel like he’s being unreasonable simply because he’s too kind and too correct. Don’t grow distant from him because of this. Otherwise, there’ll eventually come a day when you’ll feel deep regret. Chen Ping’an might become the second Little Qi, and when something eventually happens to him, either no one will know, or no one will dare to help him even if they do know. How tragic would that be…?

“Little Ping’an, we adhere to reason and principles not because we want to make ourselves suffer, but because we want to slowly accumulate knowledge and righteousness. If one day you suddenly feel like the entire world is being unreasonable, you’ll then have the confidence and legitimacy to loudly proclaim that everyone is wrong!”

The drunk old scholar forcefully slapped the young boy’s head as he spoke.

Carrying the old scholar on his back, Chen Ping’an could only nod earnestly with a pitiful expression.

The old scholar burped and straightened his neck, and it was as if he were looking for the little girl with the small bamboo bookcase. Li Baoping hurriedly jumped and said, “I’m over here!”

The old scholar forcefully slapped Chen Ping’an’s head again before saying, “Oh, okay. Little Ping’an, let me ask you this. When you read more books in the future, and when you agree with the principles and reasonings in these books more and more, what would you do if one day all… or half of the scholars in the Majestic World start to criticize Little Baoping and condemn her as being shameless? What would you do if they condemn her for liking her own junior uncle?”

Li Baoping didn’t understand how her actions would be wrong, and she huffed, “What’s wrong with me liking Junior Uncle? Just what kind of crap are these people studying?!”

Chen Ping’an had endured many difficulties and toiled on the bottom rung of society ever since a young age. Because of this, he was able to consider more and think further. He was also aware of just how vile people could be. “If such a day truly comes, and if people truly want to condemn Baoping, then they’ll need to speak to my fists first,” Chen Ping’an replied without hesitation.

He then turned to the little girl and said with a smile, “In addition to my fists, I’ll also be able to wield a sword in the future. So if such a day truly comes, then you definitely need to tell your junior uncle. I’ll definitely rush over to protect you no matter how far away I am!”

“Then what if Little Baoping feels like you can’t defeat those people no matter what? What if she purposely doesn’t tell you because she’s afraid of you getting hurt? And in the end, you, Chen Ping’an, only learn of the tragic outcome after the fact. What will you do then? When things come to that, will you perhaps hunt those scholars down and wantonly massacre them?”

Chen Ping’an stopped walking and looked at the little girl, asking, “Baoping, do you want your junior uncle to be abused and killed after massacring the culprits to exact revenge for you? Or do you want to confidently stand up and face off against them before things come to that? Do you want to face those bad people together? Even if we die, we’ll die a dignified death and not have any regrets.”

Li Baoping was slightly flustered, and she replied, “Junior Uncle, it sounds like the second option is slightly better?”

The old scholar laughed heartily and added, “It won’t be as miserable as you two think. Scholars still care about their face, after all, so things won’t become so grave that it ends up as a life-and-death situation. However, it will be a bumpy path.”

In the end, the old scholar clicked his tongue in wonder and said, “Ping’an, you’re already able to utilize the sequential order ideology to explain things after such a short time. Impressive, very impressive.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “Old mister, so be it if you’re trying to frighten us. But are you perhaps taking things a little too far by pretending to be drunk so you don’t have to foot the bill?”

The old scholar’s head instantly tilted to the side, with his snores becoming as loud as thunder.

There was lingering apprehension in Li Baoping’s mind, and she shuffled over to grab Chen Ping’an’s sleeve.

“What are you afraid of? You should study hard in the future and aim to defeat them using reason. If this still isn’t enough, then your junior uncle will also practice his fist techniques and swordsmanship even more earnestly starting from today. At that time, I’ll stand on my sword and fly over with a whoosh, covering thousands of kilometers and arriving by your side in a flash. Just think about it, everyone will be wide-eyed with shock as they crane their heads to look up at your junior uncle. The situation will be the same as when we saw Wind Snow Temple’s Wei Jin back then. When that time comes, you can tell everyone that this is my junior uncle! Is he impressive? Is he powerful?”

The little girl nodded in earnest. She laughed happily as she jumped up and down, and she exclaimed, “Wow! That’s super impressive!”

1. “A book holds a house of gold” is a line from Song Dynasty Emperor Zhenzong’s poem, ‘Exhortation to Learning Poem’. This literally means study hard become rich. ☜

2. Laozi’s Dao De Jing, the foundational work of Daoism. ☜