Unsheathed

Chapter 244 (1): I Am Chen Ping’an of the Great Li Empire

Song Yushao had only just retrieved his sword from under the waterfall the day before. It was a renowned sword by the name of “Immovable,” a divine weapon feared by many Qi refiners, and it was in a scabbard crafted out of a rare kind of azure bamboo.

As it turned out, the first time that Song Yushao had seen this sword was precisely in the same place, under the pool at the foot of the waterfall. Furthermore, it had been right under the protruding rock atop which Chen Ping’an had practiced his standing meditation under the waterfall.

There was a hidden mechanism in that rock, and Song Yushao had managed to obtain the sword by chance. The sword played no small part in the development of his swordsmanship, and it could be said that it was an integral part to his eventual rise to become the sword saint of Water Combing Nation.

After reading through countless scriptures, Song Yushao had finally found a record pertaining to this sword.

It was said that the sword had been forged by a martial god from another continent, but it had later become lost in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and it was said to be capable of splitting mountains and vanquishing great evil.

Following the passing of Song Gaofeng, Song Yushao had taken his son’s sword, and his original sword had been returned to its former resting place in the rock.

At this moment, this very same sword was strapped to Song Yushao’s waist as he stood and confronted the army before him, which had slowed down drastically. True to the sword’s name, he was standing like an immovable mountain with no fear on his face whatsoever.

Out of this formidable army of close to 10,000 troops, there were 3,000 elite cavalry that had been selected from Chu Hao’s personal army, and all of them were battle-hardened border veterans. Besides them, there were also almost 5,000 elite soldiers selected from various armies across the entire nation, in addition to over 1,000 law enforcers who directly served the official authorities and formidable martial artists that had been hired at a steep price.

Of course, there were also some powerful cultivators who directly served General Chu Hao, and almost all of them had been presented to him by the emperor as part of the dowry of the deceased former alliance leader’s daughter.

The former alliance leader was long dead, but he had served as alliance leader for close to twenty years and had the backing of the imperial court, so he had secretly developed many loyal subordinates, all of whom now served his son-in-law, Chu Hao.

Even though so many years had already passed, Chu Hao’s wife still harbored extremely deep resentment toward Sword Water Villa.

On the surface, Chu Hao was constantly vowing to exact vengeance for her, but in reality, he knew that Sword Water Villa was not to be messed with unless the perfect opportunity arose. Without an explicit instruction from the emperor, there was no way that he would openly provoke the number one swordsman of the entire nation.

Hence, despite his wife’s complaints, Chu Hao remained unmoved and refused to take any action. Thankfully, Sword Water Villa had stepped out of line on this occasion and forced the emperor’s hand. Chu Hao immediately seized the opportunity, volunteering to lead the army to vanquish Sword Water Villa, and everything naturally fell into place.

Pertaining to this entire situation, not only did Chu Hao’s wife have a knot in her heart, Chu Hao himself also had his own gripes. His wife had clearly been aware that Song Gaofeng already had a wife, and the two of them shared a very loving relationship.

On top of that, Song Gaofeng’s father was the sword saint of Water Combing Nation, so it was a display of extreme entitlement and selfishness for her to demand Song Gaofeng to divorce his wife and marry her just because her father was the alliance leader.

The fact that she had gone to destroy that woman’s garden and ruin her life out of spite just because she didn’t get the man that she wanted only served to show how venomous and depraved a woman she was. If Chu Hao had been in Song Gaofeng’s place, he would’ve sent out his entire army to claim her head in retaliation.

Having said that, Chu Hao wasn’t Song Gaofeng, and despite his internal gripes about his wife’s character, he had to admit that marrying her came with a multitude of benefits. Not only had he earned the emperor’s trust, he had ended up with a beautiful wife and around a dozen top-tier cultivators and martial artists that served him with absolute loyalty.

It was truly killing three birds with one stone, so whatever qualms and reservations he had about his wife were downright negligible in comparison. Furthermore, after the old alliance leader was slain by Song Gaofeng, the former’s daughter had been taught a harsh lesson, and she had learned to become a lot more restrained, sticking to her duties as a housewife for the most part.

She also proved herself to be a capable socialite who got along well with many other important figures in the capital city, and that had contributed greatly to Chu Hao’s smooth progression up the ranks. As a result, Chu Hao often felt like he had to thank Song Gaofeng for teaching her that lesson. Otherwise, he would’ve been forced to deal with the full brunt of her unrestrained venom.

Unbeknownst to everyone except Chu Hao, his wife was following him in secret on this trip, and she was staying in a confidential location in the nearby city. She had said to Chu Hao that Song Yushao could be spared, and that if he were to run away, then so be it. However, that scoundrel by the name of Song Fengshan had to be killed.

Once he was dead and cremated, she would personally take his ashes in an urn to the grave of Song Gaofeng and his wife, then smash the urn in front of them, forcing them to witness the end of their lineage.

There was truly no one more cruel than a woman scorned, but in Chu Hao’s eyes, this was a good thing.

Chu Hao held onto the reins of his horse with one hand while shielding his eyes from the sun with the other as he continued to peer into the distance in a leisurely fashion.

The official road here was very wide, and the terrain on either side of it was very flat and level, making it perfect for foot soldiers to march over, and even the cavalry could make a charge at any moment if need be.

In Chu Hao’s eyes, Song Yushao was just a senile old geezer who was used to reigning supreme in Water Combing Nation, but didn’t have even half a clue when it came to battlefield tactics. Seeing as he was determined to perish with Sword Water Villa, Chu Hao was more than happy to grant him that wish!

Chu Hao cast his gaze toward the old sword saint in the distance, and a mocking sneer appeared on his face as he lowered his hand to stroke the gold paper knife in his hand, one that had been awarded to him personally by the emperor, and he smiled as mused to himself, “It’s a pity that such a valiant hero is going to meet his demise today.

“Of course, it’s also a good thing that he showed up. Now, when people mention this event in the future, they’ll speak of how I slew a sword saint.”

There were many legends of almighty heroes defying impossible odds to oppose mighty armies on their own, but unfortunately, those were only embellished stories. In this region, there were around a dozen nations, including Water Combing Nation, and there was no lack of formidable generals in those nations, ones that possessed incredible combat prowess.

They were always seen leading their troops from the front, and if they had a powerful steed beneath them, then their powers would be enhanced even further, but in reality, there existed no one capable of opposing an entire army on their own.

Chu Hao was not just some sheltered scholar. In fact, he was a veteran who had fought in countless battles, and never had he encountered anyone capable of such a miraculous feat.

Song Yushao remained standing on the spot. Now that he had come here, he was unwilling to back down even a single step, but there was a hint of exasperation in his eyes as he turned to look back.

What the hell are you doing here, Chen Ping’an?! This is no merry road trip!

Chen Ping’an was carrying the sword case that contained Subduing Demons and Eliminating Fiends strapped tightly to his back.

He jogged over to Song Yushao’s side, and the latter turned to him with a frustrated expression. “Back at the waterside pavilion, after your conflict with Unruly Saber Villa, I told you that when journeying through the cultivation world, one is responsible for one’s own life and death. Do you understand what that means, Chen Ping’an?”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response.

Song Yushao couldn’t help but burst into exasperated laughter. “You don’t know shit! In the cultivating world, there’s danger at every turn! I didn’t come here just to show my face, then immediately retreat as soon as the going gets tough. I’m here to make a final stand, and in the heat of battle, I won’t be able to babysit you, do you understand?”

Song Yushao was becoming more and more furious as he spoke, and in the end, he heaved a faint sigh as he concluded, “You shouldn’t have come here, Chen Ping’an.”

“Regardless of what you’re planning to do today, I only have one job, and that’s to ensure that you leave this place alive. That’s it. I won’t kill anyone,” Chen Ping’an said. Then, he tilted his head for a moment and corrected himself. “At least, I’ll try not to kill anyone.”

Song Yushao took a deep breath, doing his best to rein in his temper as he said, “Right now, we are about to face an entire army. In the heat of battle, do you really think you can avoid killing just because you said so? Do you think this is a children’s game?

“In an army, there are thousands of cavalry that can storm at you from all directions and endless foot soldiers to stand in your way, not to mention the thousands of archers taking aim at you, ready to let loose volleys of arrows at the drop of a hat.

“On top of that, there are around a dozen formidable cultivators directly under Chu Hao’s command, as well as a group of master archers who can shoot with exceptional power and accuracy, all of whom are considered to be important assets to the imperial court when it comes to dealing with master martial artists and Qi refiners.

“Even for someone like me, I won’t be able to avoid severe injury if I get struck by an arrow in the vitals!”

“If they’re really that formidable, then have you come here just to surrender your own life?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“I’m going to try and go after their general, Chu Hao,” Song Yushao explained. “I’m going to capture him before they have a chance to strike me down, and once I do that, this army will be without a leader. After that, I’ll force Chu Hao to hand over that woman.

“If I’m on my own, my chances of success will be about fifty percent, but if you rush into battle with me, as soon as we get surrounded, you’ll only become a burden to me. Listen to me and return to the villa right away, then take your two friends and get as far away from this place as you can.”

Song Yushao raised his head to bask his face in the sunlight, and it was a bright and sunny summer’s day, a perfect day to be making a final stand.

A faint smile appeared on his face as he turned back to Chen Ping’an with a smile and said, “I appreciate the gesture, Chen Ping’an, but regardless of whether I die here today or whether Sword Water Villa falls or survives, I can look back on my life and say that I have no regrets. Is that not enough? I’d say that’s more than enough!”

Chen Ping’an patted the wine gourd strapped to his waist as he said with a bright smile, “I’m not trying to boast, but when I run at full tilt, I’m definitely faster than all of those horses! On top of that, I have some life-saving trump cards up my sleeve, so you don’t have to worry about me. Just focus on taking down Chu Hao, and I can take care of myself. If I weren’t capable of that, then I wouldn’t have shown up today at all.”

Song Yushao’s temper finally boiled over again, and he had to fight the urge to swat Chen Ping’an on the head as he yelled, “Idiot! Do you really think that shitty little gourd of yours is a Sword Nurturing Gourd? Even if it is a legendary Sword Nurturing Gourd, how will it be of any use to you, a pure martial artist?!”

Chen Ping’an adjusted his position so that he was standing behind Song Yushao, concealing himself from the opposing army, then patted the Sword Nurturing Gourd strapped to his waist as he said, “Someone’s looking down on you, First. Why don’t you come out and prove them wrong?”

Song Yushao was completely rooted to the spot.

What the hell is he doing? Nothing’s happening!

A slightly awkward look appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face as he called out, “Fifteenth!”

A streak of green sword light instantly flew out of the Sword Nurturing Gourd like lightning. It was a sleek and compact little sword that was glittering and translucent, and it emerged in between Chen Ping’an and Song Yushao, then began to slowly whiz around from side to side, as if it were seeking the approval of its master.

At this point, Chen Ping’an was already well aware that out of the two swords in his Sword Nurturing Gourd, Fifteenth was very gentle and obedient, following Chen Ping’an’s every command, and it was like a sweet and caring pet. As for First, sometimes, Chen Ping’an wasn’t sure if he was its master or if it was his master.

It refused to heed Chen Ping’an’s call unless he was in life-threatening danger or if there was something that caught its interest. However, Chen Ping’an had come to accept this, rather than yearning for First to be as obedient as First. At the very least, First had never defied him when it truly mattered.

“You’re telling me this really is a Sword Nurturing Gourd?!” Song Yushao exclaimed with a stunned expression.

Chen Ping’an merely gave a wide smile in response.

However, the surprise on Song Yushao’s face then faded as he reverted back to a solemn expression, patting Chen Ping’an on the shoulder as he said, “You have an extremely bright future ahead, Chen Ping’an. Do not throw away your life for nothing here. Go! I’m already very touched that you decided to accompany me this far.

“The path ahead of you is a very smooth one, and you’re blessed with powerful treasures, so you need to cherish your life even more. Get out of here, and don’t make me repeat myself again. Otherwise, I’m going to beat the crap out of you before that army even has a chance to get to you, do you hear me?!”

However, when it came to stubborness, Song Yushao had met his match, and Chen Ping’an refused to back down as he declared in a solemn expression, “I, Chen Ping’an, come from Clay Vase Alley of Locust Yellow County of the Great Li Empire’s Dragon Spring Prefecture, and I’m on a journey to see what this world has to offer, so don’t try to stop me!”

“You’re a hopeless idiot!” Song Yushao exclaimed as he burst into laughter.

Chen Ping’an took a step forward so that he was standing directly beside Song Yushao, then said, “Also, I owe you a hotpot meal.”

Even though Song Yushao was looking into the distance, he was still concerned about Chen Ping’an, and he asked, “Will you really be able to get away if things take a turn for the worse?”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response. “Not only do I have my Sword Nurturing Gourd and flying swords to protect me, I made twenty inch movement talismans last night, so if I have to run, I guarantee that my speed will be unmatched, and I’ll be impressing even myself!”

This sounded like a joke, but as Song Yushao turned to examine Chen Ping’an’s expression, he found that the boy was completely serious.

Song Yushao was very reassured to see this, and he gripped the the hilt of his Immovable as he declared, “Alright, then I’ll be waiting for you to treat me to that hotpot meal!”

“If we eat hotpot at the restaurant, can we bring our own wine?” Chen Ping’an suddenly asked.

Even though he had had a Sword Nurturing Gourd, a pair of flying swords, and a stack of inch movement talismans at his disposal, he was still the same stingy little miser that he had always been.

“Of course you can! Who’s going to stop you?” Song Yushao chortled, then rushed forward as he drew his sword out of his scabbard and declared, “I’ll be going on ahead. All you have to do is watch my back for me!”

On one side was a formidable army of ten thousand, while on the other side were only two people.

Despite how lopsided an affair this was, it was actually the army that was far more tense and nervous than their two opponents. In particular, some of the younger and less seasoned soldiers were trembling slightly from the tension in the air.

In the face of just two opponents, all they had to do was wear them down into exhaustion and eventually death. There was no real need to strategize. The cavalry would lead the charge and form an encirclement, while the archers would provide support from afar, launching volleys of arrows to prevent Song Yushao from escaping.

After that, the foot soldiers would storm onto the scene, with the front row of soldiers forming a barricade of shields, while the foot soldiers behind them attacked with long spears through the gaps between the shields.

Aside from the standard bows used by the archers in the army, there were also several dozen divine bows that had been taken from Water Combing Nation’s imperial vault. These divine bows had been crafted by Mohist artisans, and they had always been given to the best archers that the army had to offer.

The tips of the arrows used had cloud runes engraved upon them, while the shafts of the arrows were crafted from iron essence, while the fletching was fashioned from golden falcon feathers. Each arrow was extremely sturdy and heavy, making them too unwieldy for the average archer.

Only exceptional martial artists possessed the strength required to fully draw these bows, and the arrows shot from these bows were far faster, more powerful, more accurate, and went farther than arrows shot from the average bow.

Last but not least, there were twenty formidable cultivators gathered around Chu Hao to form a protective encirclement. With all these obstacles standing in Song Yushaos’s way, getting to Chu Hao was going to be no less difficult than ascending to the heavens.

Chu Hao knew that victory was firm within his grasp. Just the 3,000 elite cavalry from his personal army alone would’ve been more than enough to deal with Song Yushao, and they were battle-hardened veterans who were fearless and willing to tackle the enemy head-on. However, that didn’t mean that the rest of the troops would also be so fearless.

As a seasoned veteran himself, Chu Hao was well aware of this. Hence, for this particular battle, any soldier that was to perish would receive a staggering hundred taels of silver from the imperial court as reparations, and everyone in the clan that the deceased soldier belonged to would also be exempt from compulsory military service for a decade!

However, anyone who dared to flee or desert the battle would be executed on the spot, and their clans would be banished from Water Combing Nation entirely!

With such a strong incentive for participation and an equally great punishment for deserting, the soldiers had no choice but to prepare to fight to the death.

Chu Hao was straddled atop his horse beneath a majestic flag, looking completely confident and assured.

There was no way that a single man could possibly oppose an entire army, and the emperor had already promised him in private that he could take half of the wealth of Sword Water Villa to issue rewards to the troops of this army, while the other half would be taken by the imperial treasury.

However, Chu Hao would have to cover the rest of the expenses of this march, and he was not permitted to turn to the Ministry of War or the Ministry of Revenue for financial aid.

Even so, Chu Hao was confident that he would still be able to profit immensely after the Sword Water Villa was stripped.

Instead of rising up into the air and making himself a sitting duck for all of the opposing archers, Song Yushao leaned forward and lowered his center of gravity, then charged forward like lightning toward the uniform line of elite cavalry that formed the vanguard of Chu Hao’s army.

The first volley of arrows came raining down from the sky, and the entire area was abuzz with the sound of countless twanging bow strings.

Song Yushao stomped a foot heavily down onto the ground, launching himself forward at an such an incredible speed that it was becoming difficult to even track him with the naked eye. At the same time, he spun around as he slashed his sword through the air, and a burst of tremendous sword qi emerged within a radius of several dozen feet around him, erupting in all directions.

The ground behind Song Yushao was instantly riddled with arrows, while the arrows that were on course to strike him were all shattered by the sword qi around him.

He was displaying extraordinary speed and extremely formidable sword qi, much to the shock and awe of the opposing army, but the troops remained unfazed as the next volley of arrows was fired in an orderly fashion.

Song Yushao spun around like a spinning top with Immovable held before him, and thousands of Immovables instantly appeared all around him, all of which had their tips pointing outward.

In the blink of an eye, he had conjured up thousands of streaks of sword qi, and he thrust a finger up at the heavens as he roared, “Go!”

With a stomp of his foot, all of the sword qi in a semicircle around him shot through the air, hurtling toward the row of oncoming lance-wielding cavalry that was leading the charge. In the blink of an eye, dozens of horse legs were severed, and around twenty horses were decapitated altogether, plunging the entire line of cavalry into complete disarray.

Meanwhile, Immovable rose up into the heavens, and streaks of sword qi continued to fan out across the surrounding area like a giant umbrella. All of the arrows that struck this umbrella were instantly pulverized as if they were fragile eggs that had been dashed against a rock.

Two elite cavalry units were accelerating in their forward charge from either flank, tilting themselves sideways atop their steeds to shoot arrows diagonally at Song Yushao. The remaining semicircle of sword qi behind Song Yushao immediately shot forth as well, and several dozen more horses in these two elite cavalry units were slain on the spot, while the soldiers riding atop those horses were sent flying through the air.

However, these were clearly all extremely well-trained soldiers, and very few of them fell unconscious from the impact of falling off their steeds. The majority of them either drifted lightly onto the ground or quickly clambered to their feet, drawing their blades and charging directly at Song Yushao.

Just the title of Water Combing Nation Sword Saint alone wasn’t going to be anywhere near enough to intimidate these elite troops, all of whom had crawled out from under piles of bodies on the battlefield on countless occasions.

Out of the dozen or so nations in the western region of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, Colorful Garment Nation had the greatest number of troops, so on paper, it had the most formidable military. In particular, it held a significant advantage over the other nations when it came to the number of cavalry.

However, in terms of actual combat prowess, it was far lacking compared with Ancient Elm Nation, which was renowned for the ferocity of its foot soldiers, Pine Stream Nation, which had the best cavalry and archers, and Water Combing Nation, which had the toughest and most valiant people. In contrast, the border army of Colorful Garment Nation was just a bloated unit of incompetent troops.