Unsheathed

In the dying light of dusk, Osmanthus Island slowly set sail from behind the giant island. If anyone were to look up in that direction from atop the city wall of Old Dragon City, they would be able to see the enormous silhouette of the ship in the sky.

Of course, they would be able to get an even clearer view of the ship from the island, and one of the people on the island right at this moment was Sun Jiashu.

Even though he had left Old Dragon City, he wasn’t accompanied by any of his clan’s guest elders as on this occasion, he had Liu Baqiao to keep him company.

Liu Baqiao had only just arrived at Old Dragon City, and at this moment, he was squatting on the railing of the island’s sightseeing pavilion, looking out at Osmanthus Island with a slightly weary and dejected expression.

He was tired from the long journey that he had made by flying sword, and was sorely disappointed by how things had turned out between Sun Jiashu and Chen Ping’an. He had all this frustration in his heart that wanted to vent, but he was holding it back as he didn’t want to hurt his friend.

“Why didn’t you go onto Osmanthus Island to give him an explanation?” Sun Jiashu asked.

Even as the prodigious swordsman that he was, Liu Baqiao was still utterly exhausted from his journey to Old Dragon City from Wind Lightning Field. He wiped the back of his hand over his parched lips, then shook his head. “I’m too ashamed to go and see him.”

Sun Jiashu was leaning against a pillar of the pavilion beside Liu Baqiao, and a wry smile appeared on his face as he sighed, “I’m the one to blame for all of this.”

Liu Baqiao waved a dismissive hand in response. “I do feel very angry, but I can understand why you did what you did. Chen Ping’an may be my friend, but that doesn’t mean that he’s your friend. I just failed to anticipate that he would be harboring so many secrets that even you were unable to resist the temptation to try and profit from him.

“Ultimately, this is still my fault. I underestimated this friend of mine and introduced him to you without proper discretion. There’s no need for you to feel guilty, Sun Jiashu. You should’ve never been in this position in the first place.”

Sun Jiashu rested his hand on the pillar beside him as he turned to the side. A gentle breeze caressed his handsome features as he said in a quiet voice, “I can see where you’re coming from, but things should’ve never turned out as terribly as they did. I know better than anyone else just how averse you are to talking things out.

“Normally, you’re much more direct and straightforward, yet this time, you’re not cursing me out or beating me up. Instead, you’re being uncharacteristically calm and reasonable. Why does it feel like you no longer wish to be my friend?”

“That’s not the case, you’re overthinking things,” Liu Baqiao said with a shake of his head, then turned to Sun Jiashu as he reassured, “I’m serious.”

Sun Jiashu also smiled as he sighed, “I really screwed you over this time, didn’t I?”

Liu Baqiao turned to continue looking at Osmanthus Island in the distance as he grimaced, “Let’s not talk about this anymore.”

Sun Jiashu could only heave an internal sigh.

Shortly thereafter, the two of them returned to Old Dragon City, and Sun Jiashu took Liu Baqiao to the Sun Clan’s ancestral residence.

This was the first meeting between Liu Baqiao and the Nascent Tier Sun Clan patriarch staying at the Sun Clan’s ancestral residence, and the latter immediately took a liking to the former.

As an earth immortal, he very rarely ate food anymore, but he still joined the two young men for a meal, which consisted entirely of Liu Baqiao’s favorite dishes.

Liu Baqiao was like a spitting image of the Sun Clan’s patriarch’s younger self, speaking his mind without any qualms or discretion, and the two of them got along extremely well despite the significant age gap.

Liu Baqiao had to return to Wind Lightning Field, so after the meal, he put on the Old Dragon Cloud-Flipping Pendant and departed atop his flying sword.

Alone at night, Sun Jiashu was fishing by the river when he suddenly raised his head to look up into the night sky.

As it turned out, Liu Baqiao had circled around atop his flying sword and now returned. He landed beside Sun Jiashu and kicked him into the river before speeding away again without uttering a word.

Sun Jiashu climbed back onto the river bank with his clothes completely soaked, but a joyful smile had appeared on his face.

The Sun Clan patriarch appeared beside Sun Jiashu without any warning, then said in a meaningful and heartfelt manner, “Friends like Liu Baqiao must be cherished for as long as you live, whether that be a decade, a century, or a millennium.”

Sun Jiashu wiped a hand across his face with a smile as he said, “I understand, esteemed patriarch. From now on, can you allow me to be a bit more selfish and do some things that I want to do, but as the leader of the Sun Clan?”

“The ancestors of our Sun Clan would love to see that,” the Sun Clan patriarch immediately replied without any hesitation.

Sun Jiashu extended a deep bow toward the old man as he said, “Thank you, esteemed patriarch!”

“Don’t bow down to me, you little bastard! You’re the head of the Sun Clan right now!” the old man chuckled.

With that, Sun Jiashu picked up his fishing basket and fishing rod, then quickly returned to the Sun Clan’s ancestral residence. He left that very night, traveling to the Sun Manor in the inner city to take care of some affairs.

Not long after Sun Jiashu’s departure, one of the Golden Core Tier guest elders of the Sun Clan approached the Sun Clan patriarch with a smile, then declared in a direct and straightforward manner, “The Sun Clan is extremely fortunate to have such a brilliant leader. I would like to extend my agreement with the Sun Clan for another century.”

The old man gladly accepted this request, then made his way to the ancestral hall on his own to offer up some sticks of incense.

————

At the Dust Medicinal Shop.

Fan Er didn’t have to kneel at the Fan Clan’s ancestral hall as punishment, so he went to the shop to chat with Zheng Dafeng.

As Fan Er entered the shop, Zheng Dafeng was resting on the counter, harassing a voluptuous female employee, asking her whether her husband, who was a coach driver, still had energy for her in bed after running around all day.

The woman had already grown accustomed to Zheng Dafeng’s harassment, and she put on a seductive smile as she replied that they had to get the carpenter to fix their bed on a weekly basis.

Fan Er just so happened to overhear this, and he pretended not to have understood what she was implying. As for the woman, she was a little embarrassed.

She was used to talking like this with Zheng Dafeng, and she did it to pass the time while working at the shop, but she didn’t dare to be so bold in the face of outsiders. Zheng Dafeng wasn’t willing to let the woman off the hook, and he turned to Fan Er with a smile as he said, “Did you hear that? If you ever need a carpenter to fix your bed for you, you should come to her for a recommendation.”

Fan Er nodded in response, still pretending to be oblivious to the sexual undertones at play.

All of the female employees in the shop immediately rose up collectively in protest, with some of them threatening to sew his lips shut, while others declared that they weren’t going to cook for him, even if he paid them. Zheng Dafeng brushed off these threats without any concern, then led Fan Er to the backyard.

As the two sat down, Fan Er had already brought Zheng Dafeng’s pipe to him. Zheng Dafeng took a puff out of his pipe, then blew out a smoke ring, and he was immediately put in a good mood at the thought that Chen Ping’an had finally left Old Dragon City.

Fu Clan sat down onto a small stool, then asked, “Mr. Zheng, will you be attending Fu Nanhua’s wedding?”

“I would if I were the groom!” Zheng Dafeng snapped.

“I heard that Fu Nanhua’s fiancee is… not very good-looking,” Fan Er said in a quiet voice.

“She’s not good-looking? If she were my wife, I would never leave my bed!” Zheng Dafeng chuckled.

Fan Er was completely speechless.

He had no criticisms of his martial arts master except for how direct and straightforward he was. Sometimes, Zheng Dafeng was so blunt that it caught him completely off guard.

When it came to chatting, he much preferred talking to Chen Ping’an.

“Chen Ping’an sees you as a friend now, does he?” Zheng Dafeng suddenly asked.

Fan Er nodded eagerly in response. “That’s right, we’re very close friends now!”

“I suppose it makes sense that idiots would band together,” Zheng Dafeng jibed as he blew out another smoke ring.

In a rare display of defiance against his martial arts master, Fan Er retorted, “Don’t say that about Chen Ping’an, he’s not an idiot. In fact, he’s really smart, and I really admire him. I feel like I’m extremely fortunate to have met him.”

Zheng Dafeng turned to Fan Er with an exasperated expresion, then sighed, “No wonder you two can become friends.”

A serious look then appeared on his face as he continued, “Just now, I decided on two things. Listen up carefully, Fan Er.”

Fan Er immediately sat up straighter and began listening intently.

Zheng Dafeng raised a finger as he said, “My senior brother, Li Er, was once the strongest ninth tier martial artist under the heavens, while I, Zheng Dafeng, was once the strongest eighth tier martial artist.

“Hence, he was able to father a pair of exceptional children, and his wife… Forget her, we won’t talk about her. As for myself, I was this close to achieving an unprecedented feat of progressing straight from the eighth tier to the 10th.

“Then we look at Chen Ping’an. As a fourth tier martial artist, he was able to bring down two instances of golden flood dragon phenomena in a matter of days, and he also possesses an immense amount of wealth. From all of this, we can deduce an undeniable fact.”

Fan Er’s eyes were wide with curiosity.

Zheng Dafeng continued in a serious manner, “As long as you become the strongest martial artist of a certain tier in the entire Majestic World, you’ll be granted endless fortune. Of course, you can’t just stunt your own growth so you can constantly remain as the strongest martial artist of a certain tier.

“Instead, you still have to make breakthroughs when the opportunities present themselves. Otherwise, you’ll be going against the very principle of martial arts, and that would only have a detrimental effect.”

“Could it be that you want to tell me that I’m currently the strongest third tier martial artist under the heavens?” Fan Er asked in a careful manner. “But my sister tells me that my aptitude is very mediocre. Could it be that she simply doesn’t have an eye for talent like you do, Master? Haha, no wonder you’re not surprised that Chen Ping’an and I could become friends, he’s the strongest fourth tier martial artist under the heavens, while I’m the strongest third tier…”

“Shut your mouth and go sit over there!” Zheng Dafeng snapped with an enraged expression as he pointed over at the doorway leading to the shop, cutting Fan Er off before he could finish his sentence.

Fan Er hurriedly did as he was told, sitting obediently by the doorway, and it was clear to him that he had been mistaken.

He used to be such a smart kid! How has he become so stupid after only hanging out with Chen Ping’an for a few days?!

Zheng Dafeng took a long draft of his pipe to calm himself down, then continued, “Your breakthrough to the fourth tier is imminent. Once you get there, I plan to help you strive for the top. The chances of success are very slim, but I’m a ninth tier martial artist, and I’m not that much inferior to the likes of Li Er and Song Changjing. If I get serious for once in my life, surely nothing is impossible!”

“Are you trying to make me the strongest fourth tier martial artist?” Fan Er asked in a timid voice.

Zheng Dafeng nodded in confirmation. “Looks like Chen Ping’an’s stupidity hasn’t completely rubbed off on you, after all.”

Despite the serious look on his face, internally, Zheng Dafeng was reveling in schadenfreude. Chen Ping’an was going to have to endure immense hardships on Osmanthus Island and the Sword Qi Great Wall. In doing so, he would have to overcome an extremely perilous obstacle that the average martial artist wouldn’t have to face.

However, even after overcoming all those trials and tribulations, it would ultimately be his good friend, Fan Er, who became the strongest fourth tier martial artist over him. How frustrating and disheartening would that be for him?

Then again, there were countless prodigious martial artists all over Majestic World. If Chen Ping’an couldn’t even beat out someone with aptitude as ordinary as Fan Er’s, then he would have no hope at all of becoming the strongest fourth tier martial artist.

Fan Er was silent for a long while upon hearing this, then finally said, “Teacher, you just said that Chen Ping’an is already at the fourth tier. If I also progress to the fourth tier in secret, what happens if I run into him someday?

“To be honest, I’m only studying martial arts because I don’t have the aptitude to become a Qi refiner, so all I want is to be able to reach the eighth tier so that I can fly like Qi refiners. As for becoming the strongest fourth tier martial artist, I’m not really confident in my ability, nor am I really interested in reaching such a goal…”

In the end, his voice trailed off as he lowered his head, not daring to look directly at Zheng Dafeng.

Zheng Dafeng’s heart had been brimming with motivation and excitement just a moment ago, yet he felt as if he had just had a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

However, he knew that it would be wrong to blame Fan Er. Just because he wanted to make Fan Er the strongest fourth tier martial artist didn’t mean that Fan Er had to share those ambitions. With that in mind, Zheng Dafeng temporarily set the idea aside as he smiled and said, “Don’t be in such a hurry to refuse. Let’s get you to the fourth tier first, and if you change your mind then, you can tell me.”

“Alright,” Fan Er immediately replied with a relieved smile.

Zheng Dafeng waved a dismissive hand as he scoffed, “Get out of here! You don’t have any ambitions at all! Just looking at you pisses me off!”

Fan Er rose to his feet, then set the stool back down to its original spot. As he began to make his way into the shop through the doorway, he turned around with a smile as he said, “I want to relax and enjoy life like you, Teacher.”

Zheng Dafeng rolled his eyes in response.

As Fan Er passed through the medicinal shop, the female employees bade him farewell, and he responded in kind.

After leaving the Dust Medicinal Shop, Fan Er raised his head to take a glance up at the sky. He didn’t know when his sister was going to come home. If she were to find a husband that he didn’t get along with on this trip to the Great Li Empire, then that would be a massive headache for him.

He liked his sister, he liked his parents, he liked his patriarchs, he liked his clan’s guest elders, he liked Zheng Dafeng, and he liked Chen Ping’an. It would be terrible if the only person that he didn’t like was his brother-in-law!

Fan Er shook his head to rid himself of that train of thought, and as he strode down a small alley on his own, he looked around to make sure that there was no one watching, then imagined himself as a hero as he performed a string of badass fist techniques.

It was a pity that Chen Ping’an wasn’t present. Otherwise, he would’ve surely been filled with awe and veneration!

The next time he met Chen Ping’an, he was determined to follow the traditions of the martial arts world and swear themselves as brothers of one another over a cup of wine.

The more he thought about this, the more enthused he became, and the more effort he put into his fist techniques. As he flailed his fists through the air, he was cheering for himself to spur himself on.

When he stopped, he nodded with a pleased expression as he mused, “That was an exceptional set of fist techniques!”

Unbeknownst to him, a green-robed young woman was standing at the entrance of the Dust Medicinal Shop. There was a weary look on her face, as if she had just completed a long journey, and she was sipping on some wine while looking at Fan Er in the distance as she sighed to herself, “Our parents really did name him well, he’s just as much of an idiot as his name suggests!” [1]

————

Far away on Osmanthus Island, Chen Ping’an was practicing his six-step walking meditation over and over again on his own at night in the Guimai courtyard.

He really did have a chance of getting to a million repetitions before reaching the Sword Qi Great Wall!

After his walking meditation, he began to practice his standing meditation.

Only after midnight did he return to his room. It was the height of summer, and he laid down onto the high-quality bamboo mat that was as cool as water. He then set down his sword case by his bedside, habitually making sure that it was within reach, then closed his eyes and fell asleep with a faint smile on his face.

He was going to the Sword Qi Great Wall to practice his fist techniques atop the city wall.

1. The Er (二) in Fan Er’s name is literally the Chinese character for the number 2, and that’s slang in Chinese for a stupid person. It’s short for 250, which is an insult of the same meaning. ☜