Unsheathed

Thankfully, everyone was distracted by the battle between Sun Scorch Mountain and the Wind Lightning Field.

It seemed that an epic battle between two formidable sects was more alluring to bystanders than a complex love story.

Chen Ping’an watched as He Xiaoliang ate an entire fire pear, but she still wasn’t displaying any intention of talking, so he could only ask in a quiet voice, “May I ask what business you have with me, Esteemed Immortal He?”

He Xiaoliang finally collected her thoughts upon hearing this, but she still didn’t say anything. Instead, she began to look closely at Chen Ping’an.

Compared with back when she first met him on Azure Cow Ridge in Jewel Small World, he had grown a little taller, his skin was slightly fairer, and there was a bit more of a spark in his eyes.

As one of the Branch Masters of Daoism, Lu Chen had had a very candid conversation with He Xiaoliang prior to her departure.

Aside from what He Xiaoliang had revealed to Chen Ping’an, there were many more secrets that she had to refrain from divulging for one reason or another. For example, at the time, Lu Chen had been situated in the house that neighbored Chen Ping’an’s on Clay Vase Alley, seated on a small stool in front of the stove while holding a blowtube in his hand.

He was the guest, yet he was forced to cook. Meanwhile, Zhi Gui was lazily sunbathing in the courtyard while occasionally turning to the kitchen and urging Lu Chen to speed up in his cooking.

At the time, He Xiaoliang had been seated near Lu Chen, yet even after learning his true identity, she remained completely calm and collected, surprising even herself with her own composure.

Despite the smug look on Lu Chen’s face at the time, he was complaining in a disgruntled voice, “Qi Jingchun insisted on playing matchmaker and leaving me with a massive predicament. Now, it’s time for me to return the favor, and it’s my turn to play matchmaker. Let’s see who’s going to come out on top!”

There had been a sly grin on his face as he was speaking, but He Xiaoling remained completely unmoved, both internally and externally, much to Lu Chen’s dismay.

Her personality was too much like his first senior brother. It would’ve been far more interesting if she had been more like his second senior brother, but at the same time, that would’ve made her quite a pain to deal with.

Another example was the young boy that had come out of Apricot Blossom Alley, Ma Kuxuan.

While Lu Chen was waiting for his plan to come into fruition, he had told He Xiaoliang in a straightforward manner that the snake gall pebbles that Chen Ping’an had given to the two of them were like the banks of a river, while those pages that contained the medicinal recipe was like a bridge, particularly the stamp that bore the words “Signed, Lu Chen”.

This was a long-term plot devised by Lu Chen, but there weren’t really any sinister intentions behind it.

On the contrary, Lu Chen had lent Chen Ping’an a helping hand after he had left the town. In the past, due to the fact that his bonded porcelain had been broken, he had missed opportunity after another, and he had only managed to survive thanks to his innate resilience and his special status as an important pawn.

After weathering the storm that was the early stage of his life, he had begun to receive some reciprocation from the Heavenly Dao, and that was one of the contributing factors behind the turn in his fortune.

The other major factor behind this was none other than Lu Chen.

Perhaps Qi Jingchun had already identified this, but he was still willing to go with the flow. He was confident that Chen Ping’an’s fortune would turn eventually, and he could see that Chen Ping’an was a child who knew when to make the right sacrifices. Hence, he was happy to see Chen Ping’an develop and grow. As for Chen Ping’an himself, he was naturally completely oblivious to all of this.

After the bridge was constructed, an extremely subtle yet profound connection had appeared between Chen Ping’an and He Xiaoliang, and their fortunes and misfortunes had become shared and connected.

Hence, it wasn’t inaccurate to say that half of He Xiaoliang’s fortune had been split to Chen Ping’an.

The average person would’ve likely already perished had such an immense blessing of fortune been bestowed upon them.

If the path that they walked had been as thin as paper, even a single drop of rain would’ve been enough to pierce through it, let alone a torrential downpour.

Even if one had the blessing of walking on a far more sound and robust path, like the bluestone slab streets of Fortune Street, if they were excessively greedy and tried to take every piece of fortune that came their way, then their downfall would’ve also been inevitable. If one were to indulge in greed without discretion, then such an immense amount of fortune would’ve been enough to lead them to complete and utter destruction.

Lu Chen harbored no ill will toward Chen Ping’an, but at the same time, he was also completely uncaring about whether Chen Ping’an would be crushed under this enormous endowment of fortune.

As it turned out, Qi Jingchun had chosen the wrong person.

In the instant that she heard these secrets being revealed by a Branch Master, He Xiaoliang’s perpetually calm and tranquil mental state finally began to waver, much like cracks appearing on a mirror.

She had been blessed with tremendous fortune her entire life, yet at this moment, she was perched perilously on the edge of a cliff, and her next step was going to decide whether she would be able to continue to ascend against the flow of resistance to attain her Great Dao, or if she was going to fall down the cliff and be crushed against the rocks below.

Furthermore, even if she were to make the right choice, her rate of progress in cultivation still wouldn’t be as rapid and uninhibited as it used to be.

Up to that point, everything had gone her way, and this was the most perilous moment in her life.

In particular, that feeling of being reduced to a pawn with her fate completely out of her hands was absolutely terrible.

She wasn’t cultivating to become a puppet controlled by some almighty figure, even if that controlling figure were Lu Chen, the Branch Master of the Heavenly World!

Compared with the previous instance, this made He Xiaoliang feel even more lost and agitated.

From the moment that she successfully severed her period back when she was 14 years old, He Xiaoliang noticed that the look in her master’s eyes when he gazed upon her changed.

As time passed, she began to realize that the look in his eyes that always made her feel slightly uncomfortable was no longer just the benevolence that a senior displayed to their junior. Instead, it was also interspersed with the lust that men felt toward women.

At the time, Qi Zhen was in the midst of a period of seclusion, and everyone in the entire Divine Edict Sect had been very anxious.

Prior to her departure to Jewel Small World, her master had revealed his intentions to her in a candid fashion, telling her that he wanted her to become his Dao partner!

He had also declared that he was willing to leave Divine Edict Sect for her, that they could become a pair of free and unrestrained lovebirds that roamed the wilderness, not having to care about social norms and the opinions of others. If He Xiaoliang didn’t want to live such a lifestyle, then he was also open to becoming Dao partners in secret while continuing to present themselves as master and disciple on the surface.

He had promised her that the incomplete scroll that contained the dual cultivation technique in his possession would allow them both to reach the Upper Five Tiers without having to resort to unsightly bedroom activities.

He Xiaoliang was unwilling to comply, and she knew that if it weren’t for the fact that her master wasn’t confident in his ability to discreetly force her into submission, then he would’ve most definitely already taken her by force.

That was why she had embarked on that long journey to Jewel Small World.

There were some pieces of scenery that He Xiaoliang wanted to see by climbing to the top of the mountain through her own power alone.

In reality, she didn’t really care about the negative connotations surrounding dual cultivation techniques or so-called blasphemous relationships between masters and disciples. The only thing that she had eyes for was the Great Dao!

The truly top-tier dual cultivation secret techniques of Daoism weren’t actually anywhere near as unsightly and lascivious as mortals perceived them to be.

Dual cultivation was considered to be a shady and crooked path to pursue, which was a derogatory categorization, but to Qi refiners, these supposedly shady and crooked paths were simply ones that couldn’t take one directly to the Upper Five Tiers. Even so, they could still have been pursued to great effect.

Following her return from the Great Li Empire, her master had completely done away with his disguise as a benevolent senior; he started using all types of tactics to try and get her to submit to him, including coercion, threats, and scare tactics.

He Xiaoliang dealt with everything as they came, calmly nullifying all of her master’s attempts to force her to bend to his will, but deep down, she felt a little pity for him because she knew that the Great Dao that he had chosen was far too narrow and crooked. She wasn’t willing to accompany him down this narrow path, which would’ve only led to a piece of scenery nowhere near spectacular enough to satisfy her.

After that, Sword Immortal Wei Jin of the Wind Snow Temple had arrived in Southern Stream Nation. He Xiaoliang’s master had mistaken him for an ally that she had called upon, and as a result, he became far more restrained. However, to his surprise and elation, He Xiaoliang turned down Wei Jin as well, and he had departed in a heartbroken and drunken daze on the back of his donkey.

He felt as if he had been given another chance, yet little did he know that there were only going to be more obstacles standing in his way. The young Daoist priest who was of the same level of seniority as him dared to protect He Xiaoliang, despite the fact that he didn’t possess a particularly lofty cultivation base.

He had directly confronted He Xiaoliang’s master and made a serious threat that placed the latter in a very difficult position, one in which he was unsure of whether he should back down or continue to force the issue.

However, once again, the heavens seemed to have smiled down upon him, and the young Daoist priest set off for Middle Earth Divine Continent not long thereafter, doing so in such a hurry that he was only able to have one private conversation with He Xiaoliang before he left.

All of the outsiders invested in this matter had thought that she had left Divine Edict Sect to pursue her junior uncle, but in reality, she had chosen to remove herself from Divine Edict Sect entirely. This presented her master with what he perceived to be another opportunity, but Sect Master Qi Zhen had been very tolerant of her actions, deciding not to pursue He Xiaoliang as a traitor of the sect despite the widespread objections.

All of the elders of Divine Edict Sect had been infuriated by her action, feeling as if their sect had raised a heartless traitor, but they couldn’t oppose the orders of their sect master, so they could only give up. Only He Xiaoliang’s master insisted on pursuing her for an “interrogation”, but he was also dissuaded from doing so.

At the time, He Xiaoliang had already traveled with Lu Chen to the Great Li Empire, and she had heard that her master had been “dissuaded” from coming after her, but she knew that Qi Zhen had stopped her master by force. Perhaps they had even engaged in battle before her master was forced back to his residence.

His Great Dao was already standing on its last legs, and without her, it would completely collapse. Given his stubborn personality, there was no way that he would give up without a fight, but ultimately, everything that he did would prove to be futile as Lu Chen was the one standing behind her, a man who could order even Qi Zhen around like a servant.

Countless thoughts were running through He Xiaoliang’s mind, and she remained silent, refraining from answering Chen Ping’an’s question, so he could only wait in silence himself.

All of a sudden, He Xiaoliang’s eyes lit up, and she abruptly rose to her feet, looking as if a knot in her heart had just been unraveled.

No matter how cunning and scheming Lu Chen is, he’s still only going with the flow. In the end, we were fated to be a match made in heaven!

However, the light in her eyes then abruptly faded.

She could still recall that the first time she had seen Chen Ping’an, she had identified that the two were connected by fate, but only very loosely so.

That was the true intention of her Great Dao, so why was it that she was now concerning herself with fate, and even thinking to herself that they were a match made in heaven?

This was still all a part of Lu Chen’s plans!

Sure enough, a lazy and slightly amused voice rang out in her heart to confirm her suspicions. “You’re correct. The fact that you were able to reach this conclusion by yourself tells me that you’ve arrived at the right answer through this period of self-reflection. With that, the cracks in your mental state have already been completely mended.

“Even if you’re dealt another heavy blow in the future, your mental state won’t be brought to the verge of completely crumbling as it did this time. Now that you’ve overcome this hurdle, you can go to travel Complete Reed Continent. Let me make this clear in advance: I haven’t been eavesdropping on this conversation.

“Instead, I’ve planted something in your heart well before this, and I’ll immediately be informed once you arrive at the right answer. Setting that aside for now, I have one final question for you: what are you going to do with Chen Ping’an?

“Actually, that’s a little bit ambiguous, and it’s not true to my usual style. The question should be: hold a hand to your voluptuous chest and ask your conscience whether you should get rid of this young boy. You’re clearly connected to by fate, but you’re unsure of whether the connection will have a positive or negative impact on you.

“Are you going to kill him right here and now to prevent the potential formation of future knots in your heart that could destabilize the foundation of your Great Dao?”

He Xiaoliang cast her gaze toward Chen Ping’an with her cheeks flushed and a cold look in her eyes.

Chen Ping’an looked back at her, feeling as if his entire body had been plunged into a glacial pit.

Inside his Sword Nurturing Gourd, First and Fifteenth were both ready to spring forth at a moment’s notice.

Should I kill him?

It seemed that no matter what she did, it would still all be a part of Lu Chen’s plans.

The first time, He Xiaoliang had to get over the hurdle that was herself, and this time, she had to get over the hurdle that had been personally set up for her by the Branch Master himself. Of course, Lu Chen hadn’t gone all-out as doing that would’ve been no different to forcing her to her death. Clearly, he had high hopes for He Xiaoliang and wanted to test her, but not to the point that she would be doomed to fail.

For the second time, He Xiaoliang was having to go through a process of rigorous self-reflection. The cold look in her eyes gradually became one of seduction, and coupled with her flushed cheeks, this was a very foreign and unusual appearance for her.

At the same time, her mental state was fluctuating wildly like waves crashing against the shore, and it was a very painful state of uncertainty.

Chen Ping’an remained silent as he stared intently at He Xiaoliang, who was behaving very strangely in his eyes.

In fact, he was even beginning to wonder whether this was a fox demon that had taken on He Xiaoliang’s appearance in an attempt to seduce him. Otherwise, why was she acting so out of character?

Furthermore, his instincts told him that he was currently walking on a perilous tightrope between life and death.

He Xiaoliang was unconsciously gripping the edge of the table tightly with both hands, and a sheen of sweat had appeared on her forehead.

Right at this moment, a faint sigh rang out in her heart, forcibly quelling her mental turmoil. “He Xiaoliang, I’ve already given you the answer, it’s just that you’ve been blinded by your pursuit of the Great Dao and refuse to see it. You can kill him if you want, and I won’t stop you. You can also choose to spare him, and I won’t force you to do the opposite.

“Either way, you’ll be able to pass this test, yet you insist on driving yourself into a corner where neither decision seems feasible. You’re even considering the worst possible option, which is to kill Chen Ping’an, then marry him posthumously. In doing so, you’ll be able to sever the karma between the two of you while also maintaining a clear conscience, but this is downright preposterous!

“Will doing something so foolish and contrived really allow you to reach the heights that you desire? Have you considered why it is that Chen Ping’an has been dealt a terrible hand at every turn, yet has been able to live to this point, while you possess exceptional aptitude and are blessed with immense fortune, yet can’t even step over the easiest hurdle to bypass that stands in your way?”

All of a sudden, He Xiaoliang collapsed back into her chair in a defeated manner with her head slumping down onto the table. Her face was extremely flushed, and she was panting heavily as she cast her gaze toward Chen Ping’an with a film of tears in her eyes.

There was a mixture of guilt and indignation on her face, but all of her killing intent had faded away, and Chen Ping’an had no idea what had led to this change.

What’s going on? I haven’t done anything! I haven’t even used the flying swords in my Sword Nurturing Gourd yet!

Besides, in the face of a Qi refiner as formidable as He Xiaoliang, even if he were to unleash both First and Fifteenth, along with Subduing Demons and Eliminating Fiends, there was still no chance that he would’ve been able to survive, let alone defeat her.

Only after a little while did He Xiaoliang return to her senses, and the tears in her eyes faded alongside the flush in her cheeks as she recovered her composure. She rose to her feet and smiled at Chen Ping’an, finally reverting back to the celestial maiden that Chen Ping’an had seen during their first encounter, and she declared in a decisive voice, “Chen Ping’an, the day you die will be the day you become my husband!”

In the end, she had decided to abide by half of her original decision, choosing to deepen her fated ties with Chen Ping’an rather than to kill him.

Lu Chen’s voice rang out once again in He Xiaoliang’s heart, and it was full of approval as he declared, “He Xiaoliang, from this moment forth, you are now my sixth direct disciple, and you are permitted to establish a sect of your own on the Complete Reed Continent.”

Meanwhile, Chen Ping’an was completely flabbergasted, and he couldn’t help but ask, “What did you say, Esteemed Immortal He? Did I mishear you? Could you repeat what you just said?”

What’s all this nonsense about me becoming her husband after I’m dead?

Chen Ping’an was becoming more and more convinced that this “He Xiaoliang” was actually some troublemaking fox demon in disguise.

He Xiaoliang was a little frustrated and embarrassed, and she gave Chen Ping’an a displeased glare, then took one final long look at him before departing.

In the wake of her departure, Chen Ping’an remained in his chair with his brows tightly furrowed.