Unsheathed

In a serene courtyard in Mountain Cliff Academy, a young girl was sitting in a kneeling position by the door. She felt so apprehensive that she didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly. She was Xie Xie, a young girl now famous in the capital of Great Sui Nation.

Two people sat opposite each other in the room.

At the same time, from another perspective, there was only one person in the room.

There was the young Cui Chan in flowing white robes, and there was the old Cui Chan in azure Confucian robes.

The two of them didn’t say anything to each other after meeting. They only played a game of Go with each other, and it was eventually the young Cui Chan, who now went by Cui Dongshan, who had lost by a single move. However, Cui Dongshan wasn’t in a bad mood because of this, and he reviewed the game with a relaxed grin.

Meanwhile, the old Cui Chan had a solemn expression as he accepted the cup of hot tea that Xie Xie was apprehensively handing over. He slowly sipped the tea, and didn’t look at the Go board.

“Are you unwilling to accept my request even if there’s a method to fuse our souls back together?” the old Cui Chan suddenly asked.

Cui Dongshan continued to pick up Go pieces and place them back in the Go box. “Do you really need to ask?” he huffed. “What kind of temper and attitude does Cui Chan have? He’d rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. This was the case a hundred years ago, and this will still be the case ten thousand years from now!”

“Life is unpredictable and filled with all kinds of preposterous occurrences,” the old Cui Chan sighed.

Cui Dongshan chuckled and asked, “It’s difficult for me to obtain information now, so can you tell me if things have become chaotic near Colorful Garment Nation in the central region of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent?”

The old Cui Chan nodded and replied, “Even though there was a small accident, this wasn’t enough to obstruct the great trend. Chaos is already inevitable.”

Cui Dongshan spent a long time tidying up the Go board. Then, he shot a sideways glance at the old geezer sitting in an upright manner as if he owned the place, and immediately felt a slight sense of anger. He refused to act as a servant any further, and he stretched his arms and legs and lay down on the exquisitely woven bamboo mat.

“You have better fortune than me, and the old scholar is someone who bullies the weak and fears the strong. He was unwilling to target you, so he came over to pick on me, a naive and harmless young boy, instead. You don’t understand how many eye rolls and grievances I suffered on my journey from Jewel Small World to the capital of Great Sui Nation,” Cui Dongshan mumbled.

The old Cui Chan remained silent.

Cui Dongshan was sprawled on the bamboo mat, looking at the ceiling. He touched his forehead, as if he could still feel some lingering pain there. This was a mental trauma that the stinky little girl, Li Baoping, had smashed into him using that seal!

Cui Dongshan crossed his legs and sighed, “The emperor of Great Sui Nation is also a bold and courageous person, being willing to swallow this humiliation and shoulder a heavy burden. He was surprisingly willing to accept this utter humiliation and sign an alliance treaty with the Great Li Empire. However, the Imperial Gao Clan from Yiyang County will have to hide in their shell for a hundred years because of this.

“They’ll have to yield to the whims of others and hand over all of their vassal states, including Yellow Court Nation. They can only watch on as the armored cavalry of Great Li Empire navigates around their land and marches down south, laying down the foundations for their historical feat of conquering and uniting the entire Eastern Treasured Vial Continent in the future.”

“Can you or I predict the state of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent in a century?” the old Cui Chan asked in a calm voice. “Even if we can, will we definitely be correct? The Imperial Gao Clan of Great Sui Nation might be willing to endure this humiliation today, but perhaps this is their first step to coming from behind and overtaking the Great Li Empire?”

Cui Dongshan shook his head and remarked, “If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t be able to endure such humiliation.”

Cui Chan chuckled coldly and assessed, “As it turns out, my mind and my judgment skills were really pathetic during my youth. No wonder I’m in such a miserable state today.”

Cui Dongshan didn’t become angry. He gently swayed a leg and wrapped his hands behind his head like a pillow. As he dazedly stared at the ceiling, he said, “For some reason, you look down on me, but I also dislike you. We’re looking into a mirror, and we both detest what we see. Haha, there are actually such interesting things in the world.”

Cui Chan hesitated for a moment before revealing, “Grandpa has arrived in Dragon Spring Prefecture, and he’s now staying in a bamboo building in Downtrodden Mountain. He’s already become much more clear-headed than before, but…”

“I knew there would be a cursed ‘but’!”

Cui Dongshan covered his ears and rolled around on the bamboo mat. At the same time, he copied Li Huai’s howling as he shouted, “I’m not listening, I’m not listening!”

Cui Chan ignored him and continued, “Before leaving Majestic World, Lu Chen found him and exchanged blows with him inside the bamboo building. Grandpa is completely obsessed with fist techniques, so much so that he’s almost fallen to heretical ways.

“Because of this, his biggest desire is to find out just how powerful the Dao of 10th tier martial artists is. He wants to see whether it’s superior or inferior to the Dao of 13th tier or even 14th tier Qi refiners. Even if it’s inferior, he wants to see just how much it’s inferior by. So, even though he was facing a branch master of the Daoist Sect…”

Cui Dongshan turned around to look at Cui Chan sitting on the other side of the Go table. “When he’s in Majestic World, Lu Chen also has to abide by the rules established by the Confucian temple, right? He can only wield the power of a 13th tier Qi refiner at most. Meanwhile, Grandpa has returned to the 10th tier, so he has a chance to rival Lu Chen if he can return to his peak. He won’t face certain death even in the worst-case scenario.”

Cui Chan shook his head and explained, “Lu Chen used a small trick and dragged Grandpa into a small world. By doing so, their battlefield was no longer in Majestic World.”

Cui Dongshan suddenly stood up, with killing intent spreading across his face. His voice was extremely restrained and calm as he asked, “Did Grandpa die?”

Cui Chan took a sip of tea and slowly replied, “No, he didn’t. He walked out of Downtrodden Mountain afterward, and he was like an ordinary resident in the small town as he busied himself with the task of buying the four treasures of the study. When I found Grandpa, he told me that Lu Chen used a mystical Dao technique to summon ten historical martial artists at the 10th tier inside his small world. They were all under Lu Chen’s control. Just think about it, one punch from each of the historical 10th tier martial artists would mean certain death. With this in mind, would you still throw a punch?”

Cui Dongshan stood up before sitting down and crossing his legs again. He reached up to grab his hair, and there was annoyance on his face as he replied, “I naturally wouldn’t, but Grandpa definitely would. Did Grandpa not know about the significance of this? If he didn’t throw the punch, then that would essentially equate to abandoning any hope of reaching the legendary 11th tier of martial arts. If he didn’t throw the punch, then wouldn’t that be giving up his life-long pursuit of reaching the peak of martial arts?”

Cui Chan put the teacup on the table and asked, “Then have you thought about this before? What if he survived even after throwing that punch? In fact, what if he successfully advanced to the 11th tier of martial arts? At that time, both you and I, as well as Chen Ping’an, will never enjoy another peaceful day.

“Those powerful figures who have remained hidden behind the scenes for hundreds upon thousands of years can tolerate 10th tier martial artists appearing in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. However, they might not tolerate the appearance of a new 11th tier martial god.

“In this sense, Grandpa’s punch was a transaction with Branch Master Lu Chen. One can also say that it was a transaction with Middle Earth Divine Continent. He exchanged the 11th tier of martial arts for an opportunity to buy miscellaneous items from the marketplace. He exchanged it for a peaceful life.”

Cui Dongshan leaned back and plonked onto the floor, muttering, “How boring.”

Cui Chan’s heart shuddered slightly, and he instantly snapped his head around to look toward the door.

Cui Dongshan did the same.

“Qi Jingchun! You were like a ghost that couldn’t stop haunting me, and you’re finally willing to disappear for good now. I want to see whether you still have any trump cards to play Go with me!” Cui Chan said with a cold smile.

“Old Cui, you can muck around with this if you want,” Cui Dongshan said in a listless manner. “However, I won’t accompany you to play Go with Qi Jingchun. This is even more boring.”

Cui Chan humphed coldly and stood up to peer down at the young him. “Wet mud can’t form a wall![1]!” he sneered.

Cui Dongshan didn’t feel embarrassed in the least. Instead, there was a grin on his face as he chuckled, “Lying in wet mud to sunbask actually feels quite comfortable. Please don’t help me up. I’ll get angry at whoever tries to help me up.”

“Hand it over!” Cui Chan extended a hand and demanded.

“Hand what over?” Cui Dongshan blinked and asked.

“That minimization treasure!” Cui Chan replied with a dark expression.

Cui Dongshan rolled to his side and turned his butt toward Cui Chan.

There was a cloudy look on Cui Chan’s face as he relented and said, “I’ll temporarily lend it to you for 20 years. After that, I’ll take it back even if you haven’t advanced to the Upper Five Tiers yet.”

Cui Dongshan quickly turned around and raised a hand, haggling, “At least 50 years!”

Cui Chan walked to the door and flicked his large sleeve, replying, “30 years. Otherwise, I’ll beat you to death right now if you dare to push your luck any further.”

After Cui Chan left the courtyard, Cui Dongshan rolled across the bamboo mat all the way until he reached the door.

Xie Xie was like a wooden puppet, and she had sat in a kneeling position beside the door threshold the entire time.

Cui Dongshan lazily stood up and shot a sideways glance at the young girl’s sitting posture. He chuckled and said, “Xie Xie, your butt is actually quite big. No wonder you want to become my master’s wife.”

The young girl remained silent and unmoving as she obediently sat there.

Cui Dongshan jumped up and ran to the young girl’s side. He then viciously kicked her butt and sent her sprawling into the courtyard.

The young boy in white placed his hands on his hips and chortled with laughter.

The young girl silently stood up, not even patting the dirt from her clothes.

Cui Dongshan sighed and lightly hammered his chest, lamenting, “It’s like daggers are cutting at my heart when I see you in such a pitiful state.”

Xie Xie forcefully squeezed out a smile.

Cui Dongshan hurriedly covered his eyes with a hand. At the same time, he vigorously shook his other hand and exclaimed, “Hurry up and turn your head around! Heavens, I’m seeing a ghost during the daytime! Your young master is about to go blind!”

The young girl turned around and cast her gaze upward. There were blue skies for as far as the eye could see.

When she was young, she had never understood why a cloudless sky represented the best weather. After all, wouldn’t iridescent clouds be more spectacular and beautiful? Only after entering the mountains did she understand the reason behind this — without clouds, there wouldn’t be rain.

————

Li Baoping used an “alliance leader badge” carved from wood to summon everyone over. She had drawn inspiration from a novel that she had just finished reading, one that described the adventures of a gallant cultivator. He was a respected alliance leader in the martial arts world, and he could command the others once he showed his alliance leader badge. He was very mighty and impressive.

Holding the self-crafted alliance leader badge in her hand, Li Baoping swaggered around to knock on everyone’s doors. She didn’t say anything, and simply raised the badge in her hand with a stern expression. After doing this, she would walk away to knock on the next door.

In the end, Lin Shouyi, Li Huai, Yu Lu, Xie Xie, and even Cui Dongshan came over to join in the fun. They gathered in Li Baoping’s dormitory and waited for the “alliance leader of the martial arts” world to speak.

Li Baoping cleared her throat and hung the wooden badge around her neck. There was a thick envelope on the table.

The young girl in the bright red jacket slowly opened the envelope and said with a solemn expression, “Junior Uncle wrote a letter to all of us. As Division Leader of the East Mountain Division which falls under the jurisdiction of Dragon Spring Prefecture Headquarters, I’m now going to read the letter to all of you. Remember not to make loud noises, and make sure not to become distracted. Don’t… Li Huai, sit still! And you, Cui Dongshan, you’re not allowed to cross your legs! Yu Lu, stop snacking on sunflower seeds!”

The group of children and youths had no option but to sit still and obediently listen to the little girl.

Li Baoping read the letter that her junior uncle had addressed to her first. She read it with rhythm and cadence.

She then carefully folded the letter and placed it beside her hand. She retrieved the second letter, which was addressed to Li Huai. The next letter was addressed to Lin Shouyi, and the final letter was addressed to both Yu Lu and Xie Xie.

The contents of the letters were mainly regarding trivial matters that had occurred in the small town during the new year. Chen Ping’an also told them not to argue with each other, especially since they were away from home now. It was important for them to work together and be nice to each other.

They shouldn’t let their family worry, but they shouldn’t tire themselves out from studying too much either. From time to time, they should also leave the mountain to clear their mind. They could stroll around the capital of Great Sui Nation together, or they could engage in some other relaxing activities.

Apart from this, Chen Ping’an had also written about some strange events and peculiar individuals that he had encountered after leaving the capital of Great Sui Nation. He also described his experience on the kun ship, and he recounted what the scenery was like when he looked down from high up in the sky. His descriptions weren’t artistic in the least. Rather, they were straightforward and without flair.

However, Chen Ping’an’s words were filled with a sense of sincerity that allowed everyone to clearly visualize his posture when he had written these letters. Chen Ping’an would have definitely been sitting in an even more upright manner than them. Moreover, his expression would have also been serious and meticulous.

After reading all of the letters, Li Baoping brought her hands down in a calming gesture and announced, “That’s all!”

“Li Baoping, Chen Ping’an pretty much wrote a letter to each of us, so can’t you directly hand them over to whoever they were addressed to?” Li Huai asked with a puzzled expression.

The little girl shot a glare at Li Huai, causing him to shrink back in apprehension.

Cui Dongshan pointed at himself and asked, “Where’s my letter?”

Li Baoping crossed her arms and sat down on a bench with her legs crossed. She then shook her head and replied, “Junior Uncle didn’t write a letter to you.”

Cui Dongshan raised his head and pretended to shed tears. “There’s actually such a heartless and unjust teacher in the world,” he murmured.

Li Baoping suddenly laughed loudly and pulled several banknotes from the envelope. These were official banknotes of the Great Li Empire, and she explained, “Junior Uncle mentioned a matter in my letter, but I forgot to read it just then. Here, take it, Junior Uncle said that he owes you 2000 taels of silver, so he’s returning it to you now. Cui Dongshan, you can’t lie and say that Junior Uncle didn’t return the money to you in the future. I can act as a witness for Junior Uncle!”

Cui Dongshan accepted the banknotes with a heartbroken expression. A flicker of hope suddenly appeared in his eyes, and he asked, “Baoping, did your junior uncle mention anything about couplets? I wrote them. Did Teacher put them up on New Year’s Eve? Can you carefully go over the letter again? What if you missed something?”

“I didn’t miss anything!” Li Baoping replied firmly. “I’ve already read over the letter nine times! I can recite it from back to front!”

There was a look of suspicion on Cui Dongshan’s face, and he bent down and reached over to grab the letter. He wanted to read it himself.

However, Li Baoping immediately placed a hand on the carefully stacked pile of letters and glared at the young boy who was nothing more than a defeated opponent. “How dare you!”

There was always one matter to subdue another matter.

Cui Dongshan huffed and retracted his hand. He plonked back down and heaved a long sigh, feeling like life wasn’t worth living anymore.

“Cui Dongshan, do you feel like these notes are an eyesore? Why don’t you give them to me?” Li Huai said quietly.

Cui Dongshan put the banknotes away and shot a sideways glance at the little boy. “The banknotes aren’t an eyesore, but you, little brat, are indeed an eyesore.”

Li Huai crossed his arms like Li Baoping and replied smugly, “Be careful of what you say. Do you not know that I’m the division leader of the E-section dormitory that’s under the jurisdiction of the East Mountain Division which falls under the jurisdiction of Dragon Spring Prefecture Headquarters?!”

Cui Dongshan stood up and patted his bottom, scolding with a smile, “Piss off!”

Li Baoping collected all of the letters and placed them back into the envelope. “I’ll look after these letters for everyone, lest you lose them by accident. Dismissed!”

Cui Dongshan yawned and left the dormitory.

Lin Shouyi and Li Huai also left together.

Yu Lu and Xie Xie left last.

As he walked, Yu Lu smiled and remarked in a soft voice, “In the letter that Chen Ping’an wrote to us, my section of the letter had twenty-four more characters than yours.”

“Yu Lu, just how childish are you?” Xie Xie grumbled with a dark expression.

Yu Lu smiled in a very punchable manner.

————

Deep in the mountains located in Sword Water Villa, a spectacular waterfall that looked like a white silk cloth descending from the skies.

There was a dark green pool at the bottom of the waterfall, one that was so deep that its bottom couldn’t be seen. The blurry silhouette of a red fish vaguely appeared for a moment, then disappeared once more.

The waterfall was thunderous, and water vapor permeated the surroundings.

Chen Ping’an mulled over a question as he stood in an exquisite waterside pavilion located beside the deep pool.

If he launched a sword strike, could he slash open the curtain of water booming down the waterfall?

Chen Ping’an contemplated the power of the crashing water before considering his own awkward situation. He couldn’t even launch a proper sword strike yet. Thus, the answer was a resounding no.

With a tap of his foot, Chen Ping’an leaped up and landed on the red railing of the waterside pavilion. He initially wanted to practice standing meditation, but his hand involuntarily reached down and grabbed the Sword Nurturing Gourd. He went with the flow and took a sip of wine. He then looked up at the peak of the waterfall before slowly shifting his gaze downward.

The waterfall was like a burst of sword qi flowing down into the mortal world from an immortal’s sleeve.

1. This is an insult calling someone so useless that they can’t be helped or saved. ?