Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an locked his door and left Clay Vase Alley. After arriving in his pastry shop in Dragon Riding Alley, he found the little boy in azure sitting in a daze on the door threshold. When the little boy saw Chen Ping’an, he simply greeted his master in a listless manner. Chen Ping’an stepped inside and saw the little girl in pink standing on top of a stool.

There was a serious expression on her face, and she was standing behind the counter and using an abacus to calculate the numbers on the account book. Her fingers were nimbly flying around like a butterfly circling a flower, and the sound of the abacus beads clacking against each other was also especially crisp and beautiful. Several women and young girls from the small town were standing around her with stunned and admiring expressions on their faces.

When these modest-looking women and young girls saw Chen Ping’an, they all smiled and called him “Shopkeeper Chen.”

The little girl in pink looked up upon hearing this, and she said, “Master, I’m helping the shop work out its accounts. I’ll be done very soon.”

Chen Ping’an nodded with a smile. He then walked behind the counter and asked someone to bring him paper and brush. He started to write up a gift list. When leaving the small town before, he had asked Ruan Xiu to help him deliver presents to many neighbors and residents in the small town. Back when Chen Ping’an had worked in the dragon kiln as a potter, it could be said that he had grown up on meals and necessities from everyone.

For example, he had always gone to Gu Can’s house for free meals, and he had often received some hand-me-down clothes from other families. To Chen Ping’an, each meal and each item of clothing had been a life-saving act of kindness. When leaving the small town, he had told Ruan Xiu that as long as he remained alive, he would deliver presents to these families each year. The presents wouldn’t be worth too much, but to the small families on Clay Vase Alley and the surrounding streets and alleys, items worth seven to 20 taels of silver definitely couldn’t be considered as little.

At that time, Ruan Xiu had asked him why he didn’t give them more taels of silver at once and completely repay the debts of gratitude. Doing so would be far simpler, and it would also cause those people to thank him more.

However, Chen Ping’an had replied that this wouldn’t work. He had grown up in a family on the bottom rung of society, so he was in fact well aware of human nature and the nature of the world. It was just that he couldn’t put these understandings into words. For example, a pinch of rice would attract gratitude, while a cup of rice would breed resentment[1]. For example, it was sometimes the most trivial and inconsequential matters that would sully the good heart of dutiful sons and daughters.

Thus, Chen Ping’an had carefully explained his small reasonings to Ruan Xiu. In the small town, the situation of each family could be compared to the situation of a field. There would sometimes be bigger yields, and there would sometimes be smaller yields. In the same vein, families would sometimes produce successful descendants who became wealthy, yet there would also be times when unexpected situations arose and completely crippled an initially well-off family.

Because of this, the gifts that Chen Ping’an prepared for them were mostly food and clothing. However, if a family were genuinely desperate for money, these gifts could be converted into taels of silver as well. Well-off families would be happy upon receiving these gifts, while impoverished families would be grateful and cherish these gifts.

This was a good outcome, regardless of whether it was adding icing to the cake or delivering help in a time of great need.

However, Chen Ping’an only understood these principles and why he was correct after starting to read and learn characters.

After hearing this, Ruan Xiu had smiled very happily and said that the cultivation world in the mountains was a bit different from the world outside the mountains.

The list of gift recipients this year was smaller than the list of gift recipients for last year. After all, debts of gratitude came in different levels of importance and value. For example, some relationships were formed due to a person’s parents, so the relationship between Chen Ping’an and them would be very shallow and distant. In fact, Chen Ping’an wouldn’t necessarily feel any sense of gratitude toward them. Thus, he wouldn’t be so generous as to deliver them gifts every single year. However, when it came to some elderly neighbors, Chen Ping’an chose to leave them on this gift list even though he didn’t exactly have any relationships with them.

Did anyone’s money fall from the sky? When deciding who to keep on the gift list, Chen Ping’an didn’t consider their current situation or wealth at all.

Right now, the young boy was thinking that he definitely had to pave roads and build bridges if he had the opportunity in the future.

After finishing her work on the account book, the little girl in pink started to ask about the pastry shop’s sales and performance. Chen Ping’an didn’t participate in this conversation, and he thought for a moment before handing the gift list to her and telling her that there was no rush to purchase the items. The little girl in pink solemnly accepted the gift list and promised her master that she would definitely complete this task satisfactorily. Chen Ping’an patted her head before walking over to sit down beside the little boy in azure. There was a worried expression on his face, and he continued to sigh and mutter that the cultivation world was filled with dangers.

The beautiful young boy called Cui Ci arrived in the pastry shop with luggage on his back. He told Chen Ping’an that his teacher was busy with matters at home, so he couldn’t come over here by himself. As such, Li Xisheng had asked him to deliver the items instead. At the same time, Cui Ci also delivered a message for his teacher and told Chen Ping’an not to ignore these items. Indeed, it was important that he put them away and kept them in a safe place.

The little boy in azure wasn’t welcoming of this beautiful young boy, and he observed him out of the corners of his eyes and became even angrier when he noticed Cui Ci’s haughty tone of voice. He immediately jumped up and scolded, “You teacher and my master share the same level of seniority, so as a scholarly attendant, you need to show some more respect! After all, it’s not as if my master has obtained some divine blessing or something. What are you acting so arrogant and haughty for?”

Cui Ci’s face instantly flushed bright red.

Chen Ping’an calmed the situation down by saying, “Cui Ci, tell your teacher that I’ll accept his gift. I’ll definitely work hard and practice how to draw talismans.”

Cui Ci nodded with a stern expression. He then looked at the little boy in azure and humphed coldly before turning around to stride away.

Looking at the figure of the disappearing Cui Ci, the little boy in azure threw several wayward punches and kicks from far behind him. Only after doing this did he calm down a little. He sat back down on the door threshold and said with an anxious expression, “Master, the small town is a dragon’s lair and a tiger’s den that’s filled with extreme dangers and evils, so how did you manage to survive until today? If it were me and that silly girl, we would have most likely been killed and skinned by someone long ago.”

Chen Ping’an sighed with emotion and replied, “I don’t know.”

The little girl in pink walked over to the door and asked with lingering apprehension, “Master, who was that big sister with the bucket of water? She was so scary. I feel like she’s just as scary as Master’s student.”

The little boy in azure nodded furiously and said, “I won’t go to Clay Vase Alley again even if you beat me to death. Going to that place is the same as a sheep walking into a tiger’s mouth!”

Chen Ping’an changed the topic and asked, “I named the locust wood sword and another sword forged by Master Ruan as Eliminating Fiends and Subduing Demons. What do you guys

He lowered his voice and continued, “In terms of my sword billet, I feel like calling it ‘First’ or ‘Morning’ will be more suitable.”

The little boy and the little girl exchanged a glance.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “I’m fairly good at choosing names, aren’t I?”

The little boy in azure grimaced and squeezed out a smile before raising a thumb and praising, “Master’s skill at choosing names is indeed very profound. It’s reached the pinnacle and returned to the fundamentals, and it’s a case of the tacky being the same as the elegant. These names are even deeper and more meaningful than what scholars can conjure!”

The little girl in pink wanted to say something, yet she eventually decided against it. She put her hand on her heart and pondered for a moment, and she ultimately decided to go against her conscience and not say anything. It was the first month of the new year, so it was best that she didn’t dampen her master’s mood.

Chen Ping’an glanced at the little girl and asked in puzzlement, “Are the names not very good? Then are they at least passable?”

The little girl in pink kept her mouth tightly shut. She was already going against her not conscience by not saying anything, and she couldn’t bring herself to go even further and lie.

The little boy in azure huffed and said, “What’s wrong, Master? You don’t trust my judgment? Then that proves that your judgment is truly very bad!”

“The names aren’t good?” Chen Ping’an asked in an uncertain voice.

The little boy in azure muttered to himself before finally deciding to speak up for the sake of righteousness. He stood up and placed his hands on his hips, and there was passion and strong emotions in his voice as he said, “Master! Which swindling Daoist priest doesn’t mutter the phrases subduing demons and eliminating fiends all the time? And Morning? Why don’t I name something noon or night? First? Are you referencing the first and fifteenth day of each month?!

“Master, these are all common and crude names! Not only do they lack spirit and vigor, but they aren’t new or original either! Just look at the names of other people’s swords. For example, your student’s sword is called Golden Tassel. This name suits the appearance of his sword, and it doesn’t appear too basic either. And then there’s also Cao Jun’s two swords, White Fish and Ink Chi. Then look at your swords, master, Subduing Demons, Eliminating Fiends, and First or Morning. If I were a sentient sword spirit, I would definitely spit a mouthful of blood.”

“I concur,” the little girl in pink said.

Chen Ping’an carefully mulled over this for a long time before eventually saying, “I’m not going to change the names!”

The little boy in azure slapped his forehead and said sincerely, “There’s a well-renowned immortal abode in the southern regions of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and the founding master of the abode named it the Invincible Divine Fists Group. How many years have people been joking about this already? Master, your method of choosing names will lead to the same outcome as this. However, you don’t seem to be a prodigious swordsman or anything, so it’s very likely that the names of your swords won’t be known by many people. In that case, you can name them whatever makes you happy, Master.”

Chen Ping’an was just about to speak, yet his heart suddenly jolted at this moment. He quietly stood up and said, “You two wait for me in Dragon Riding Alley. I’m going to take a stroll somewhere else first.”

Chen Ping’an arrived in the courtyard of the Yang Family’s medicine shop.

After Chen Ping’an sat down, Old Man Yang said slowly, “Let’s talk about some of the more minor matters first. Tell the small water snake and fire python following you around to leave the small town and go to Downtrodden Mountain as soon as possible. Ruan Qiong is about to fire the furnace and forge the sword soon, and this will cause a huge commotion and likely harm all of the demons, spirits, and creatures in Dragon Spring Prefecture.

“On the lower end of the scale, the sound of the sword being forged will shatter and disperse their cultivation base which they’ve worked so hard to accumulate, and it might even force them back to their original state. On the more severe end of the scale, they might be directly obliterated and killed.

“In a short while, both the offices of Dragon Spring Prefecture and Locust Yellow County will notify the demons and creatures that have their identity on the official records. They can choose to temporarily leave this place, or they can choose to enter the mountains or Wenchang pavilion and the martial sage temple to seek refuge. These places have good feng shui and concentrated spiritual energy, so they’ll be able to block the shockwaves resulting from Ruan Qiong’s sword forging.

“Tell your water snake and fire python not to be complacent and stuck with the belief that they’ll truly be safe and sound simply because they have a Peace and Safety Tablet.”

“I understand. I’ll warn them about this when I get back,” Chen Ping’an replied with a solemn expression.

Old Man Yang took a puff from his smoking pipe, and it was as if he were considering what to say next.

Chen Ping’an sat in an upright manner, and he was feeling extremely uneasy at this moment.

Old Man Yang finally opened his mouth again, saying, “Qi Jingchun secretly possessed an incense entity, something that I tried extremely hard to obtain but couldn’t. Mhm, it was the little girl living in your locust wood sword before. It belongs to me now, and in exchange, I need to guard you a single time. And that will be this time.

“The small town is undergoing significant changes right now, and this definitely isn’t the time for you to wander around and make yourself known. In other words, you shouldn’t stay here for too long. I also asked someone to perform a divination for you, so after Ruan Qiong successfully forges the sword, you should leave the small town and embark on a long journey to the south. As for where you go, that depends on your own mood. Whether you go sightseeing, whether you mingle with the cultivation world, or whether you go to the battlefields to improve your martial arts, the choice is up to you. In any case, don’t return to the small town within five years.

Chen Ping’an’s jaw dropped in shock.

“You don’t need to worry about your ancestral home in Clay Vase Alley, nor do you need to worry about your two shops in Dragon Riding Alley. You don’t need to worry about Downtrodden Mountain and your other mountains either. They’ll be looked after better than if you looked after them yourself,” Old Man Yang continued.

Chen Ping’an’s lips moved slightly.

Old Man Yang smiled and said, “Don’t you have a friend who’s a young girl called Ning Yao? I can tell you that she’s from Stalactite Mountain. More precisely, she’s from the Sword Qi Great Wall. In her hometown, what they lack the most is a good sword. If you’re brave enough, you can take a trip there and help deliver the sword to her.”

Chen Ping’an took a deep breath and asked, “When should I leave?”

Old Man Yang pondered for a moment before replying, “Pack your things and wait for Ruan Qiong to finish forging the sword. Once he gives the sword to you, you should leave right away.”

“What will happen if I don’t leave?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“What will happen?” the old man sneered. “What else can happen? You’ll become a mere corpse. After working so hard to accumulate some wealth, all of it will be handed to other people on a silver platter. The group of people will sit down and split your wealth, with one taking the mountains, one taking the sword billet, one taking the snakes and pythons, and so on. Everyone will be happy. And you? I reckon it will be difficult to even get someone to collect and bury your corpse. Moreover, this isn’t the worst-case scenario. However, telling you the worst-case scenario right now won’t benefit anyone.”

Chen Ping’an raised his hands and furiously massaged his cheeks. He suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question, saying, “Mr. Yang, you mentioned before that the size of the small town isn’t something that I can imagine. So, forgive me for asking, but just how large is the small town?”

Old Man Yang exhaled cloud after cloud of smoke. There was a fake smile on his face, and he replied, “If I’m not wrong, you’ve already seen the long bridge in the sky, correct?”

Waves rippled through Chen Ping’an’s mind, and he immediately felt a sense of fear.

“Since I’ve managed to obtain the incense entity, I can indeed reveal some secrets to you,” Old Man Yang continued in an apathetic voice. “For example, most of the children who coincidentally wrote their names on the wall in that small temple have already passed away. However, those who are still alive are all extremely powerful beings. For example, Complete Reed Continent’s Heavenly Lord Xie Shi and Southern Whirl Continent’s Sword Immortal Cao Xi. As for me, I’m merely someone who’s collecting rent. Year after year, I simply need to keep my eye on this place and collect rent.

“Also, the place that the residents in the small town commonly refer to as Crab Archway is actually a place where a contract was made. After killing the final true dragon, everyone had sat down there and divided the treasures according to merit. That place was where everyone signed the first contract, and this was a contract between four sages from the three teachings and one sect. Ma Kuxuan is related to one of these people.

“Apart from this, knowledge regarding the true purpose of this archway has already been lost. In fact, this archway should actually be called the Sword Suppressing Pagoda. It’s one of the nine Mighty Suppressing Pagodas in the world. In terms of what sword it was suppressing, both you and I are well aware of this already. However, in order to conceal this secret from others, there’s also a Sword Suppressing Pagoda in the Golden Armor Continent.

“Even though that’s only a replica of the Sword Suppressing Pagoda, the sword that it suppresses is also a very impressive one. At the end of the day, however, that pagoda is still a fake. In any case, you can simply treat these secrets as some small stories. It doesn’t matter if you don’t hear about these secrets, and it won’t provide you with much help even if you do hear about these secrets.”

Old Man Yang squinted his eyes and looked up at the sky. “This place is called the Sword Suppressing Pagoda, but in reality, it was actually an ascension platform in the very beginning. However, that’s a matter from many, many years ago, so talking about it won’t do us any good.”

Old Man Yang retracted his gaze and revealed in a calm voice, “Your existence has acted as a connection and bridge between many different matters. Because of this, I’ve been able to complete many transactions and make quite some profit during the past few years. Back then, I only taught you that breathing technique because I had some profit left over after completing some transactions. Thus, there’s no need for you to thank me or feel gratitude toward me. Business is business. Perhaps one day an enemy of yours will be sitting opposite me and offering me a satisfactory amount of wealth. At that time, I’ll also discuss things with them and sell you out if it’s profitable.”

Chen Ping’an remained silent.

He felt slightly sad.

He was still only a young boy, after all, and this was a fact that wouldn’t change regardless of how many mountains he had traversed and how many rivers he had crossed. He was still only 15 years old.

Old Man Yang pointed at the hairpin in Chen Ping’an’s hair and said, “Even though this is only an ordinary hairpin, I quite like the characters on it, so I’m also willing to make a small trade with you. If you give this hairpin to me, I can give you a pocket treasure that even second tier martial artists can use. Just this fact alone already makes it rarer than most of the pocket treasures and minimization treasures in the world. Your trip down south will be different from your trip to Great Sui Nation, and you genuinely won’t have anyone to rely on this time. Thus, you won’t be able to go far if you don’t have enough treasures and belongings on you.”

Chen Ping’an was dumbfounded.

Old Man Yang quietly waited for his response.

“If there comes a day when I want to purchase the hairpin back, will I be able to?” Chen Ping’an asked softly.

Old Man Yang smiled and replied, “If it were anyone else, then my answer would most likely be no. However, you’ve helped me profit many times, so I can make a small exception for you and agree to your request. However, let me say this first. At that time, a single pocket treasure won’t be enough to buy it back.”

Chen Ping’an removed the jade hairpin from his hair and handed it to the old man.

Old Man Yang accepted the white jade hairpin that was made from ordinary material and placed it inside his sleeve without so much as a single glance.

In the next moment, before Chen Ping’an could even retract his hand, a short jasper sword that was only an inch long appeared in his palm. Old Man Yang smiled and said, “I quite like your name for the sword billet, First. This is a very good omen. It’s those two little children who don’t have good taste. Coincidentally, this mini flying sword can both be used as a pocket treasure and nurtured into a fairly high quality bonded flying sword; it is called Fifteenth.”

“This flying sword is very valuable, right?” Chen Ping’an asked in a low voice.

“Don’t worry, just take it.”

Old Man Yang smiled faintly and continued, “Who doesn’t eat dumplings during the new year?”

1. This means that providing a small amount of help to someone in a dire situation will result in their gratitude toward you. However, providing them with too much help and causing them to become reliant on you will instead result in resentment once you withdraw your help and support. ☜