Unsheathed

Chapter 219 (1): Zhang Shan’s Poem

Zhang Shan stood up and smoothed down his robes, then strode into the courtyard with a righteous look on his face as he yelled, “Everyone, please listen to me!”

Everyone present immediately turned to look at him with different expressions. The young boy from Divine Edict Sect with the length of black rope coiled around his waist turned to Zhang Shan with a displeased look on his face, and he unwound the rope from around his waist before casually tossing it through the air.

The rope instantly unfurled on its own in mid-air like a spirit snake, tying Zhang Shan up in the blink of an eye. As a result, Zhang Shan almost fell over as he swayed from side to side, and he was only just barely able to keep himself upright.

“Why should we have to listen to you?” the young boy from Divine Edict Sect asked with a cold sneer. “You’re just some fake Daoist priest of unknown origins. If you don’t shut your mouth, I’ll throw you out of this courtyard!”

A furious look appeared on Zhang Shan’s face as he yelled, “My name is Zhang Shan, and I am a disciple of Spiritual Master Fire Dragon of Heavensoar Sect on Complete Reed Continent, and I am a member of the Zhang Clan of Mount Longhu! I’ve embarked on a long journey to Eastern Treasured Vial Continent in order to hone my Dao Heart and complete the examination set for me by Mount Longhu.

“As soon as I return home, I’ll officially become a Daoist priest of the Heavenly Master Residence! You may be from Divine Edict Sect, but that doesn’t give you the right to insult a member of Mount Longhu’s Zhang Clan!”

The young boy from Divine Edict Sect was rather lacking in life experience, and he was looking a little dumbstruck by Zhang Shan’s fiery demeanor.

It was clear that he was intimidated by the mention of Mount Longhu and the Heavenly Master Residence, and he didn’t know how Divine Edict Sect stacked up against those places.

The fact that the Heavenly Master Residence was known in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent even though they were on another continent indicated that they were not to be messed with.

As for Mount Longhu on Middle Earth Divine Continent, that was an even more vastly renowned place that didn’t fall under any branches of Daoism. Instead, it was an independent Daoist orthodoxy of its own, so of course the young boy from Divine Edict Sect had heard of it, but the stories that he had heard were limited only to some unofficial myths and legends, most of which were being spread by ignorant mortals.

Generally speaking, no Qi refiner took these stories seriously and merely regarded them as jokes, but as the most prominent Daoist sect on Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, those of Divine Edict Sect knew far more about the true power of the Heavenly Master Residence than others.

The Heavenly Master of the Zhang Clan wielded a seal alongside an immortal sword and possessed boundless Dao power and combat prowess. Even on Middle Earth Divine Continent, which was rife with powerful immortals, he was ranked among the continent’s top 10 immortals of the Upper Five Tiers.

His position of superiority was quite similar to that of Heavenly Lord Qi Zhen on Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and that was why the young boy felt intimidated by Zhang Shan’s claims.

Zhang Shan knew the importance of striking while the iron was still hot, and he scrutinized the elderly Daoist priest intently as he continued, “As for a former disciple of Divine Edict Sect, Yang Huang may have fallen from grace, but he did so for the sake of love, and even in the eyes of us outsiders, his actions are commendable.

“At the very least, we think that he and his wife are deserving of our sympathy. As the leader of the Daoist orthodoxy on Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, surely Divine Edict Sect should have the generosity and graciousness befitting such a lofty status, should it not?”

The youngest Daoist priest of the bunch, the child holding the rectangular wooden block, gently tugged on the sleeve of the young girl as he asked in a quiet voice, “I think Heavenly Master Zhang is right, Senior Sister. What do you think?”

The young girl shook her head in response. “Don’t listen to him spout nonsense.”

Chen Ping’an found this to be a very eye-opening experience, but at the same time, he was a little perplexed as he glanced over at the roof of the boudoir out of the corner of his eye.

Zhang Shan wanted to point at the elderly Daoist priest in order to lend more impact to his words,only to find that he was unable to do so as he was bound tightly by the black rope.

Instead, he skipped a step forward with a cold smile on his face as he said, “On top of that, you and Yang Huang were once fellow brothers of the same generation of disciples from Divine Edict Sect, so why is it that you insist on targeting him in your reunion instead of catching up and talking about old memories over a drink?

“When it comes to the Heavenly Masters of our Zhang Clan, regardless of whether we’ve been officially annointed or not, as long we encounter one another during our travels, then we’ll be sure to catch up like good friends, so why does your Divine Edict Sect not share the same culture?

“Besides, while it’s true that I’m also a cultivator and a descendant of Mount Longhu’s Zhang Clan, even I’m well-versed in the principle that there are always exceptions to every rule.”

A cold tone crept into Zhang Shan’s voice as he continued, “Could it be that you have a personal vendetta against Yang Huang, and that’s why you’re renouncing the teachings of your sect in order to force this pair of husband and wife to their deaths?

“I raise this as a possibility, but I don’t think it’s a very likely one. I can tell just from a single glance that you’re a very generous man. After tonight, I’ll be sure to speak highly of yourself and Divine Edict Sect to everyone that I meet. Even when I return to Mount Longhu someday, I’ll look back on Divine Edict Sect in a favorable light.”

The elderly Daoist priest had his hands clasped behind his back as he stood in silence.

All of a sudden, the young Daoist priest standing on top of the wall uttered a sentence that no one present was able to understand.

Zhang Shan was rather perplexed by what he had heard, and to his surprise, the young man reverted back to the official dialect of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent as he stabbed a finger in Zhang Shan’s direction and yelled in a furious voice, “You’re a fraud! I just asked you a question in the official dialect of Complete Reed Continent, why are you unable to answer me?!

“Posing as a descendant of Mount Longhu’s Zhang Clan here on Eastern Treasured Vial Continent is a blatant act of disrespect and blasphemy to our continent’s Daoist orthodoxy! You better kneel down and repent for your crimes before I strike you down where you stand!”

Zhang Shan was astonished to have encountered someone so shameless, and he erupted into a furious tirade, hurling a torrent of abuse at the young Daoist priest in the true official dialect of Complete Reed Continent, then switched back to the official dialect of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent as he yelled, “That’s utter nonsense!

“Is this how low Divine Edict Sect is willing to sink just to further its own nefarious means? How pitiful it is that this is the state of the leader of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent’s Daoist orthodoxy!”

However, the young Daoist priest standing atop the wall paid no heed to him, turning to the elder Daoist priest as he smiled and said, “Master, I’ve already determined that this person isn’t from Complete Reed Continent. As for whether he’s truly a descendant of Mount Longhu’s Zhang Clan, that’s still yet to be seen. I suggest we throw him out of the courtyard and take care of this ghostly couple first before we decide what we should do with him.”

The elderly Daoist priest seemed to be moved by the idea, and he was just about to speak when Xu Yuanxia was finally unable to suppress his fury any longer.

He strode forward with his saber brandished, and as he did so he chortled, “I’m just a complete nobody, and I certainly have no way to dissuade all of you from carrying out justice on behalf of Divine Edict Sect in any way that you please, but if you insist on punishing Yang Huang according to the rules of your sect, then I’m going to have to listen to the rules of Divine Edict Sect and determine for myself if they hold any merit.

“However, if you’re going to kill Yang Huang and his wife without following the rules, then even if I have to lay down my own life here, I’ll be sure to oppose you to my final breath!”

The young boy from Divine Edict Sect who had ensnared Zhang Shan with his demon-binding rope suddenly asked, “You proclaim that you’re from a sect on Complete Reed Continent under Mount Longhu.

“In that case, do you have a passport to prove that you’re from Complete Reed Continent and a descendant of the Zhang Clan? If you don’t have the proof, then you’re not going to be able to get away with posing as a Heavenly Master of Mount Longhu.”

A hesitant look appeared on Zhang Shan’s face, and Xu Yuanxia’s brows also furrowed slightly in concern.

If Zhang Shan really had lied about his identity as a distant relative of the esteemed immortals on Mount Longhu, then that was a serious crime. Divine Edict Sect had the right to oversee the Daoist orthodoxy of the entire continent, so if Zhang Shan were found guilty of such a crime, then he would surely be handed down a severe punishment.

Zhang Shan took a deep breath, then turned to Chen Ping’an as he said, “Chen Ping’an, help me retrieve my passport from my bags.”

A wry smile appeared on Yang Huang’s face as he turned to look at his wife, and she nodded in response, seemingly aware of what his intentions were. Thus, Yang Huang turned back to face everyone as he said, “Mr. Xu, Daoist Priest Zhang, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and if I am fortunate enough to be reincarnated, I’ll be sure to repay you in my next life.

“Regardless of whether Divine Edict Sect punishes us according to its rules, or whether these people decide to punish us based on past personal vendettas, Zhuo Jing and I accept our fate. Having said that, please don’t come to the false conclusion that everyone in our Divine Edict Sect is like this. That is absolutely not the case!”

Yang Huang’s was standing up straighter and straighter as he spoke, and it was as if he had cast aside all of his inhibitions and the indignations of the past century as he pointed a finger directly at the elderly Daoist priest and continued, “Idiots like him, who only focus on cultivation without making any efforts to better themselves as people, are part of the minority in our Divine Edict Sect.

“It’s no wonder that 100 years have passed by, yet you’re still only at the fifth tier, Zhao Liu. I was already at the fifth tier 100 years ago, and if I recall correctly, you were still only a pathetic third tier Qi refiner. No wonder that tier is considered to be such a major hurdle. It’s almost as if it were designed to obstruct selfish and foolish bastards like yourself!”

Yang Huang had done away with all of his reservations and had spoken his mind without any regard for the consequences.

The younger Daoist priests of Divine Edict Sect could only look back and forth at one another with awkward looks on their faces, while the sword-bearing Daoist priest who referred to Zhao Liu as his master was infuriated. Intense killing intent was radiating from his body, and the longsword in the scabbard behind his back was ready to spring forth at a moment’s notice.

However, he couldn’t deny that Yang Huang’s scathing words held a great deal of truth. Zhao Liu’s cultivation base had remained stagnant at the third tier for several decades before he was finally able to make a breakthrough, and the young swordsman had also been stuck at this tier for a very long time.

Once upon a time, he had been considered a prodigy, a diamond in the rough that had hopes of reaching the Middle Five Tiers. However, over time, he had fallen into obscurity, and now, it had been deemed that he had virtually no chance of ever acquiring a bonded flying sword. As a result, his status in Divine Edict Sect had plummeted drastically in just the past decade alone.

Back at the height of his powers, he was even able to occasionally exchange a few words with the Golden Boy and Jade Girl of the continent, and that was an enormous honor!

In particular, during a conversation that he had shared with He Xiaoliang once upon a time, she had even flashed him a smile.

It was such a rare and breathtaking sight, and he didn’t care that it was only a gesture made out of politeness.

She was a woman that was being desperately pursued even by an almighty Sword Immortal, and he was no ordinary Sword Immortal, he was the youngest swordsman to have ever reached the Upper Five Tiers in the entire history of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent!

As for him, he was only able to follow a master with no hope of ever attaining the Great Dao, accompanying a bunch of kids on a pointless trip for his master to exact vengeance on an old rival under the guise of carrying out official sect duties.

It was made out to be a journey undertaken for training purposes, but on the way here, all he had done was slay some spirits that still hadn’t attained intelligence and eradicated some demons that still hadn’t even attained human forms yet.

Now, he was here engaged in a pointless squabble with a Daoist priest from a foreign continent and a wandering hero, and the futility of the situation matched the hopelessness of his cultivation career.

Hence, he was just about to draw his sword in a fit of rage.

This ghostly traitor and his tree spirit wife were deserving of death anyway. No matter how inept he was, he was still a third tier swordsman, and he had curried some favor with a few of the sect’s elders and even the Golden Boy back when he was still considered a prodigy, so even if he were punished for his actions here, the punishment would only be limited to copying scriptures or some other symbolic punishment that was nothing more than a slap on the wrist, and he had nothing to fear.

All of a sudden, a teasing voice rang out without any warning. “Don’t go around drawing your sword over every little thing.”

Everyone turned in unison to the direction that the voice had come from, and they discovered a burst of faint ripples in the night sky there. Whoever it was that had arrived on the scene, they seemed to have been using some type of advanced concealment talisman, and they had actually been observing the proceedings this entire time.

At this moment, they finally revealed themself, and it was a young woman who wasn’t exactly slender, but didn’t fall into the category of portly, either. She had a set of round and rosy cheeks and was wearing bright red attire, giving her a very festive appearance.

A slightly panicked look appeared on Zhao Liu’s face as he hurriedly cupped his fist in a salute and extended a deep bow. “Zhao Liu pays his respects to Senior Aunt Fu.”

“How do you know me?” the young woman standing atop the flying sword asked with a perplexed expression.

There was a fawning smile on Zhao Liu’s face as he replied, “There’s no disciple throughout the entire Divine Edict Sect who doesn’t know of your esteemed self, Senior Aunt Fu.”

A dark look suddenly appeared on the young woman’s face as she asked with a cold smile, “Has the entire sect already been made aware that the Golden Boy turned down my confession of love to him? Which member of our sect had nothing better to do than run their mouth and gossip to you about me? I’ll be sure to show them my gratitude once I return to the sect.”

Not only was Zhao Liu completely befuddled by what he had heard, everyone else was just as confused.

They knew of this young woman not because of any romantic confession she had made. Instead, it was because she was a figure of a very high level of seniority in the sect, and she had astonishingly powerful backers to boot. Her favorite pastime was to fly as quickly as she could atop her flying sword between the mountains of the sect.

She was constantly flying around throughout the year, and her penchant for bright red clothing made her stand out even more. The maneuver that she liked to perform the most was to ride her sword straight up into the heavens, then plummet directly downward from dizzying heights, only to abruptly swerve mere 20 to 30 feet from the ground before gliding away in a flashy fashion, often only avoiding disaster by mere inches.

There was no other swordsman who was as reckless as her, and over time, she gradually earned a resounding reputation for herself in the sect.

Two years ago, she had tried to cut the margins down even further, only reversing the direction of her fall at a height of just 10 feet above the ground.

As it turned out, that wasn’t enough space to work with, and she crashed headfirst into the ground, sticking out of the ground alongside her flying sword like a pair of radishes waiting to be picked. All of the spectating disciples had been cheering and clapping just a moment ago, only to be stunned into silence by this outcome.

Only after a scolding from He Xiaoliang, who she was on very good terms with, did she begin to exercise some restraint in her reckless endeavors.

Not long after that, she broke through her fifth tier bottleneck and reached the Cave Abode Tier of the Middle Five Tiers. After that, she began whizzing around Divine Edict Sect atop her flying sword once again, constantly flying past in front of the cave abodes of all of the old immortals residing on the sect’s mountains.

All of them were accustomed to peaceful cultivation, so they were naturally very disgruntled by this, but the young woman’s great-grandfather was the master of Divine Edict Sect’s current sect master, Qi Zhen. Hence, Qi Zhen was always quite cold and detached toward everyone else, but he favored this young woman over even the Golden Boy and Jade Girl.

Upon seeing the expressions on everyone’s faces, the young woman immediately realized that not only had she misinterpreted things, she had just aired out her own dirty laundry for everyone to hear, and she was so embarrassed that she wanted to fly away into the night.

However, she then recalled the promise that she had made to He Xiaoliang and the Golden Boy, so she could only endure her fury and embarrassment as she stood on the rooftop with a stern expression, contemplating how she could end things here as soon as possible.

Just like many other sects, Divine Edict Sect was split up into the inner sect and the outer sect. Prior to He Xiaoliang’s departure from Divine Edict Sect, both the Golden Boy and Jade Girl of the continent had belonged to the same sect, and that was an extremely rare occurrence. In order to train these two prodigies, Qi Zhen had instructed them to oversee the outer sect’s affairs.

Of course, he hadn’t just thrust such a huge responsibility upon them, then allowed them to make their own decisions without any supervision. Instead, he adopted a system much like what was seen in mortal empires, with imperial censors supervising all of the imperial court’s officials.

Furthermore, they would also occasionally be assigned the responsibility of taking care of some of the mortal external missions solely on their own. In those cases, they would write down their advice for how to handle the matter in question before handing down this advice to the external disciples that were responsible for addressing the sect’s mortal affairs.

After everything was said and done, He Xiaoliang and the Golden Boy would also have the right to assess and evaluate the performance of said external disciples.

Hence, as the Jade Girl of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent’s Daoist orthodoxy, Divine Edict Sect had truly spared no effort in nurturing and honing He Xiaoliang’s abilities. That was why many people were bewildered by her decision to leave the sect, including a great number of the senior figures in Divine Edict Sect, and it resulted in many of them denouncing her for being an ungrateful traitor.

He Xiaoliang had been one of the brightest young prodigies on the entire continent, and it was precisely because Divine Edict Sect had invested so much into her development that her departure from the sect had hurt those in the sect so deeply.

The secret letter that Yang Huang had sent to Divine Edict Sect had actually already arrived as early as the new years, and back then, He Xiaoliang hadn’t yet left the sect. An argument had erupted between her and the Golden Boy over this letter, with the latter presenting his verdict first.

In his opinion, Yang Huang’s actions were understandable, so there was no need to administer too severe a punishment. However, He Xiaoliang held the completely opposite viewpoint on this matter, and her verdict had been extremely harsh and scathing, stating that as a former disciple of Divine Edict Sect’s, Yang Huang’s fall into depravity was utterly deplorable, and a severe punishment had to be handed down in order to set an example.

However, when it came to the female ghost, both of them shared the same opinion, which was that she should simply be left to her own devices.