Unsheathed

Only after it was absolutely certain that Zhou Ju and the elderly mountain master had left the villa did she enter the main hall, and after taking a seat, she began to communicate with Song Fengshan through mental transmission.

She was a Qi refiner, while Song Fengshan was a martial artist, so in order for mental communication to take place between the two, one had to at least be a fifth tier Qi refiner, while the other had to be a fourth tier martial artist at a minimum.

Song Fengshan’s wife continued to play the role of the perfect hostess, assuring everyone that there was no need to be concerned, while Song Fengshan sat in a confident silence.

Outside of relief, he was also feeling some other mixed emotions.

His grandfather really had managed to oppose an entire army on his own. Not only that, but he had even managed to capture Chu Hao, thereby saving him a great deal of trouble. On top of that, Song Yushao and Chen Ping’an had joined forces with Su Lang, who had been convinced to switch sides by Song Fengshan’s secret letter, and the three of them had faced off against Lin Gushan and the owner of the Case Purchasing Pagoda.

The outcome of that battle was that Lin Gushan had been decapitated by Su Lang, and with that, the sword immortal had slain the sword paragon. The only blemish on what was otherwise a perfect campaign was that the owner of the Case Purchasing Pagoda had managed to escape using a secret technique, despite suffering severe injuries, and that could be a problem in the future.

Song Fengshan declared to the young woman in secret, “Once all is said and done, I’ll follow through on our agreement and help you become an official mountain god of Water Combing Nation.

“You’ll attain a godly body and you’ll be able to benefit from the worship of others, but let me make this clear in advance: if you want to be able to make rapid progress in your cultivation and continue to reap benefits after you become a mountain god, then you’ll still have to act according to my plan.

“For the next few decades, you have to go against your true nature and perform good deeds in order to win over the people. If you ruin my plans by going back on our agreement and returning to your old ways, then I’ll be forced to strike you down as an enemy.”

“I certainly know better than to go against you, esteemed young villa master,” the young woman replied through mental communication with a seductive smile.

A solemn look then appeared on Song Fengshan’s face as he continued, “Also, I have to trouble you to make a trip to the city and inform Han Yuanshan that there’s been a change in the current state of affairs.

“Even though Zhou Ju has presumably set off back to the academy, I’m sure there will be more people coming after him, so he’ll have to make a decision on whether he wants to continue to execute his plan of posing as Chu Hao to gain a foothold in Water Combing Nation’s imperial court.”

The young woman heaved a forlorn sigh, and she rose to her feet, preparing to set off for the city.

“Whether it’s in bed or elsewhere, it seems I’m destined to slave away for others. Oh, by the way, make sure to ask Chen Ping’an for the armor pellet that he took from Chu Hao. You have to obtain that armor pellet no matter what, whether it be by paying for it or doing him some favors in exchange. If Yuanshan chooses to take the risk and pose as Chu Hao, then that armor pellet will be an important item for identity verification.”

“I’ll take care of that,” Song Fengshan replied.

The young woman knew that Song Fengshan didn’t like to be nagged, so she didn’t say anything further and promptly departed from the hall.

Meanwhile, Song Yushao and Chen Ping’an were making their way toward the courtyard in the villa that the latter was staying in.

While making their way back through the mountains, Chen Ping’an was attacked by the owner of the Case Purchasing Pagoda, who had already been lurking in ambush for quite some time by then. After that came Lin Gushan, who engaged Song Yushao in battle.

If Chen Ping’an and Song Yushao had been in peak condition, then there would’ve been no degree of ambiguity at all to the outcome of that battle, and they would’ve been sure to crush their two assailants. However, Chen Ping’an was severely mentally taxed, so he was unable to control First and Fifteenth with anywhere near the same level of proficiency as before.

As a result, he was only able to fight the owner of the Case Purchasing Pagoda to an standstill. As for Song Yushao, he was able to gain a slight upper hand, but Lin Gushan was in peak condition, and their battle wasn’t going to be decided anytime soon, so Song Yushao was unable to help Chen Ping’an in his battle.

After that, the Green Bamboo Sword Immortal and the young mama had arrived on the scene, and it seemed like each side would be receiving an ally, but theoretically, Lin Gushan’s camp should’ve had the upper hand, with Su Lang joining forces with Lin Gushan to face Song Yushao, while the young mama assisted Chen Ping’an in his battle against the owner of the Case Purchasing Pagoda.

However, the situation took a completely unexpected turn from there, with Su Lang decapitating Lin Gushan with a single strike. The owner of the Case Purchasing Pagoda immediately fled the scene upon seeing this. In a last-ditch effort, Chen Ping’an was able to control Fifteenth to pierce through the assassin’s abdomen, but the latter was ultimately successful in his escape.

The young mama seemed to have been going all-out, throwing a fearsome-looking barrage of attacks at the owner of the Case Purchasing Pagoda, but it was all for show. After all, whether a foreign boy lived or died didn’t have much of a bearing on the state of Water Combing Nation. Furthermore, Chen Ping’an was an unpredictable individual outside of her control, so perhaps it would be better if he died.

On this day, Xu Yuanxia and Zhang Shanfeng were both absent from the villa, having been convinced by Chen Ping’an to go to the small town early in the morning. He had told them that they were going to set off on this day for the ferry station on the border.

Chen Ping’an hadn’t tried to hide anything from them, revealing the nature of the situation in a direct and forthright manner. Zhang Shanfeng had insisted on coming with him, but he was stopped by Xu Yuanxia, who dragged him to the town.

After sitting down beside the stone table, Song Yushao mused, “Chu Hao is most likely dead.”

Chen Ping’an offered no response to this.

Just as Wang Yiran’s daughter had been responsible for her actions when she had pointed the scabbard of her saber at Chen Ping’an, Chu Hao was also responsible for his own fate as a general leading an army against Sword Water Villa.

Chen Ping’an pulled Chu Hao’s armor pellet out of his sleeve and handed it to Song Yushao. Earlier, the young mama had asked him for the armor pellet, but he had refused to give it to her.

Song Yushao waved a hand as he said, “You were the one who captured Chu Hao, so this armor pellet belongs to you.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head in response. “I want you to have it, Senior Song. That woman was really desperate to secure this armor pellet from me, and I’m sure it’s not just a matter of money for her. I didn’t give it to her because I don’t like her character and the way that she does things.”

Song Yushao smiled as he offered, “How about I give you all of our villa’s light snow coins? Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair, and I would be owing you a favor on top of the money that I already owe you. As for whether Fengshan has enough money to spend, just leave that to him. Given how capable he’s shown himself to be, I’m sure he can acquire a few thousand light snow coins if he wants to.”

Chen Ping’an smiled as he said, “Between true friends, it doesn’t matter if one owes the other a favor. You can just treat me to some wine the next time I come to visit the villa.”

Song Yushao shook his head in response. “You were the one who said that owing someone favors is more painful than owing someone money, yet you’re now saying that it doesn’t matter if friends owe each other favors, so which is it? You can’t just change the rules as you please!”

Chen Ping’an removed his Sword Nurturing Gourd from his waist, then took a relaxed swig of wine from it. This was not a swig of wine taken to disguise an exchange of breaths. Instead, it was a genuine swig taken purely for enjoyment.

“If you don’t see me as a friend, then do as you please and return everything that you owe me, whether that be money or favors. After that, we can cut all ties with each other, and I won’t come to the villa for a drink even if I’m passing through Water Combing Nation.”

Song Yushao hesitated momentarily, then finally accepted the armor pellet with an exasperated look on his face. “What’s going on with you all of a sudden? You’re getting me all confused.”

“Back when I was an apprentice at the dragon kiln in my hometown, my teacher in pottery firing taught me a saying. Either disregard even a cow, or scrutinize even a needle,” Chen Ping’an replied.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Song Yushao asked with a puzzled expression.

Chen Ping’an was a little embarrassed as he explained, “It means that between close friends, one can give the other something as valuable as a cow without any return, but when it comes to doing business, even a needle’s worth of money must be closely scrutinized.”

This was obviously a saying that had been passed down in the small town, rather an adage that could be found in any books, but back in the Blusher Prefecture of Colorful Garment Nation, Daoist Chong Miao had said something similar prior to his death.

Hence, Chen Ping’an was convinced that this saying was correct, albeit a little rough around the edges.

Song Yushao immediately burst into laughter as he pointed a finger at Chen Ping’an and declared, “You’re definitely going to be a very rich man in the future!”

Chen Ping’an cupped his fist in a grateful salute as he replied with a bright smile, “I certainly hope so.”

Song Yushao rose to his feet with a smile as he said, “I’ll go back to the villa to take care of some things, then I’ll treat you to a meal of hot pot in the town. After that, you and your friends can set off for that ferry station.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response, and following Song Yushao’s departure, he returned to his room and changed into a set of clean clothes. He then left a ready-made golden treasure pagoda demon-suppressing talisman on the table and placed a wine cup on top of it as a paperweight.

He had accepted 300 light snow coins from Song Yushao back when they left the battlefield as he didn’t want Song Yushao to feel bad.

Over the course of his journey, Chen Ping’an’s personality had changed quite a bit, and he had turned from a hillbilly who had never even touched a drop of wine into a little drunkard who knew the difference between fine and crude wine. However, there were some aspects of his personality that remained unchanged, and they would most likely stay that way even after centuries or millennia.

A short while later, Song Yushao returned to the courtyard with a small package and two jars of fine wine. Chen Ping’an’s wine gourd was filled once again, and even after that, there was still a jar of wine leftover for them to drink while having hot pot in the town. As for the package that contained the 300 light snow coins and some other items, Song Yushao was holding onto it for Chen Ping’an for the moment.

After departing from the courtyard, the two of them were greeted by the elderly villa steward, who cupped his fist in a salute toward Chen Ping’an as he said with a smile, “Please come visit our villa often, Young Master Chen. From this year forth, our Sword Water Villa will prepare a lot of huadiao wine specifically for you, so whenever you come to visit, you’ll always get to enjoy the finest aged huadiao wine.” [1]

“I’ll definitely be sure to make frequent visits then!” Chen Ping’an declared as he returned the salute.

After that, Song Yushao and Chen Ping’an flew out of the villa once again.

The old steward remained standing on the spot, looking on at their departing figures with a warm smile on his face. In his eyes, the old villa master had undergone a drastic change for the better. In contrast with the gloomy disposition that he had displayed for the past few decades, it was as if he had returned to his youth, and he was once again full of flair and vigor.

With Song Yushao in such high spirits, the steward was confident the villa would remain at the top of Water Combing Nation’s cultivation world for at least several more decades.

Shortly thereafter, the old steward departed from the courtyard on a casual stroll. Along the way, he encountered the two maidservants responsible for the maintenance of that courtyard, and in an extremely rare display, he greeted them with a warm smile rather than his usual solemn expression, much to the bewilderment of the two maidservants.

As Chen Ping’an and Song Yushao arrived in the town, the spies sent by the imperial court had already departed well in advance.

They met up with Xu Yuanxia and Zhang Shanfeng at the restaurant, and the four of them enjoyed a hot pot together on the second floor. In the wake of Song Yushao revealing his own identity during his last visit, the restaurant shopkeeper was initially a little timid and reserved, and only after Song Yushao called him an idiot and encouraged him to lighten up did he finally feel a bit more comfortable and relaxed.

Zhang Shanfeng didn’t have a very high spice tolerance, but neither did he want to back down from the challenge, so he could only continue to force food down his throat even as his eyes and nostrils wept. In an unusual display of cruelty, Chen Ping’an told him that drinking wine would help alleviate the burn, and that resulted in Zhang Shanfeng spitting up a mouthful of wine all over Chen Ping’an’s clothes.

Song Yushao wanted to enjoy himself wholeheartedly for this meal, so he didn’t use his cultivation base to stave off the effects of the alcohol, and before long, he was getting a little drunk.

He spoke to Chen Ping’an about many things that came straight from the bottom of his heart, and they chatted about anything that sprang into their mind.

“Listen to me, Chen Ping’an. I know you like to preach, but that’s not a habit that’ll earn you many friends. Girls don’t like to be preached to, and men aren’t much better in that regard. Everyone has their own struggles, and the last thing someone wants when they’re in a foul mood is for someone to preach to them.

“If the things that you preach aren’t correct, then I suppose it’s not so bad, but if they know what you say is right, but simply can’t do it, then that would only make them even more frustrated!”

The combination of wine and spicy food was making Chen Ping’an’s tongue a bit numb, but he still slurred in response, “I like to preach from time to time, but I never have verbal altercations with anyone. At the very worst, I’ll only fight them!”

Song Yushao also imparted some relationship wisdom upon Chen Ping’an.

“Chen Ping’an, if a girl ever tells you that you’re a good person…”

“Then that means she likes me, right?” Chen Ping’an asked with a hopeful expression.

Song Yushao slammed a hand down onto the table as he chortled with mirth, “My arse! That means you have no chance with her anymore!”

Chen Ping’an was astonished to hear this, and he hurriedly took a large swig of wine to calm his nerves.

After a filling meal, Chen Ping’an’s trio parted ways with Song Yushao at the end of the street.

As the three of them faded away into the distance, Song Fengshan silently appeared beside Song Yushao with a rusty iron sword strapped to his waist.

Song Yushao continued peering into the distance as he heaved a faint sigh.

Song Fengshan harrumphed coldly. “Am I your grandson or is he your grandson?”

Song Yushao could only chuckle in response.

Despite the indignant tone in Song Fengshan’s voice, there was a faint smile on his lips.

As it turned out, the package that Song Yushao had given to Chen Ping’an contained all of the 2000 or so light snow coins in Sword Water Villa’s possession, and not a single coin was left for the villa.

Chen Ping’an had been goaded into drinking cup after cup of wine by Song Yushao, to the point that he was completely drunk and had to stumble out of the restaurant, so he had forgotten to examine the contents of the package slung diagonally across his back.

Ultimately, the sly old fox had come out on top against the spritely young buck.