Unsheathed

“I’ve only just arrived, and Southern Garden Nation is a region that Zhong Qiu has worked very hard to develop. Which side is Zhong Qiu taking this time?” Cheng Yuanshan asked in puzzlement. “I initially thought he was on Yu Zhenyi’s side. However, this isn’t necessarily the case by the look of things now? And what does Old Demon Ding plan to do? He’s the one with the least reason to do anything right now, yet he’s insisted on coming to the capital of Southern Garden Nation for some reason. What’s his goal?”

After Arm Sage Cheng Yuanshan referred to Shopkeeper Liu Zong as the Knife Sharpener, there was a brief moment where the aura of the short old man rose explosively. However, Liu Zong’s aura quickly weakened again, causing him to become that ingratiating shopkeeper once more. Liu Zong pointed at Cheng Yuanshan and teased, “Hah, you’re someone who likes to overthink things.”

Cheng Yuanshan was well aware of the fact that Liu Zong hadn’t set aside his cultivation during these past few years. In fact, Liu Zong’s cultivation had improved even further, going beyond what was already an impressive cultivation base.

However, no piece of astonishing news had traveled out from Southern Garden Nation during all these years that Zhong Qiu had guarded the imperial palace. Having lost his whetstones, how had Liu Zong’s martial arts cultivation advanced instead of going back?

Meanwhile, Cheng Yuanshan had secretly killed many powerful individuals in the grasslands during the past years. During this period of time, he had also snuck to the south several times and killed two grandmasters from the cultivation world who had possessed the potential to become Upper Ten Elites. Cheng Yuanshan’s purpose for doing this was to temper his mental state through intense and deadly battles. He didn’t dare to relax a single bit.

“Zhou Fei never fears anything when he speaks and acts. He’s very much like those otherworldly immortals from the past,” Cheng Yuanshan said. “He appears to be siding with Ding Ying this time, so why don’t you give me a hint regarding whether this is good or bad? Other people aren’t trustworthy when it comes to these matters, but you’re an exception, Liu Zong.”

“What’s your reason for believing me?” Liu Zong asked with a smile.

“A glut of people in the cultivation world are referred to as martial arts addicts, but in my mind, you, Liu Zong, are the only person who’s a genuine martial arts addict,” Cheng Yuanshan replied with a serious expression. “You’re the same as Ding Ying, Zhong Qiu, and Yu Zhenyi, and you’re one of the few people who came out alive from that chaotic battle all those years ago.

“Of the Upper Ten Elites at that time, some died and some vanished, and it was surprisingly fringe members like the three of you who each managed to obtain their own fated opportunities. Ding Ying obtained the Daoist hat left behind by that immortal, Yu Zhenyi obtained a secret immortal scripture, and I’m not exactly sure what Zhong Qiu obtained.

“As for you, Liu Zong, you voluntarily turned down that saber simply because you already had a knife. You’re the only person in the world who could have made such a decision.”

Liu Zong stroked his thinning beard and smiled with squinted eyes, asking, “You’re an outsider who wasn’t personally involved in that disaster, so how do you know of these secret matters?”

This matter was an itch that Liu Zong had always wanted to scratch. He couldn’t discuss this with ordinary people, but now that Arm Sage Cheng Yuanshan had explicitly mentioned it, Knife Sharpener Liu Zong couldn’t help but feel a little smug.

“I was the one who killed the new owner chosen by that demonic saber, Refiner. However, I wasn’t able to obtain the saber for myself,” Cheng Yuanshan replied honestly.

Arm Sage Cheng Yuanshan had always been a proud and haughty person, so he most likely looked down on some of the other cultivators on the list of Upper Ten Elites, for example, the Mirror Heart Pavilion’s Tong Qingqing.

As for the Lower Ten Elites, a list of yet another ten cultivators compiled by people with nothing better to do, Cheng Yuanshan had once announced that some of these people could make tea for him, some could take his shoes off for him, and some could help guard and maintain his courtyard for him. Even though they were all top-notch elites renowned throughout the world, not a single member of the Lower Ten Elites was worthy in Cheng Yuanshan’s eyes.

However, Cheng Yuanshan was extremely polite when visiting Liu Zong today. In fact, he was even willing to subtly treat himself as slightly inferior to Liu Zong.

Judging from this, it was abundantly clear that Cheng Yuanshan had zero confidence in his current trip to the capital of Southern Garden Nation.

Liu Zong extended a finger and stuck it into his mouth, scraping out some remnant shards of meat stuck between his teeth from his previous meal. He casually flicked the meat aside and explained, “A butcher’s skill is determined by how long he can use his favorite knife for peeling skin, chopping meat, and scraping meat from bones.

“The worst butchers need to swap their knives every two to three years, while slightly better butchers will swap theirs every seven to eight years. As for my knife, I’ve used it from my first day in the cultivation world all the way until now. It’s already been close to forty years.”

He chuckled. “Only killing those disguised otherworldly immortals is satisfying enough. I’ve sharpened my knife for dozens of years, so I dearly hope that my skills don’t become like those bullshit dragon-slaying techniques from the books.[1] I welcome the otherworldly immortals to this world; I welcome them with open arms.”

————

An impoverished scholar who had traveled to the capital to attend the imperial examination was currently waiting for his beautiful partner to return. In fact, he had even gone against the sagely teachings of noble people needing to stay out of the kitchen for the sake of his partner.[2]

They had come across each other by chance in the cultivation world, and she was very fond of making jokes with him even though she was six years older. She always claimed that she was a bad woman. However, the scholar felt like this didn’t matter.

After all, she could play such beautiful tunes with the pipa, tunes that perfectly captured the passion and intensity of the battlefield as well as the hidden resentment lingering inside a woman’s room. That being the case, she definitely couldn’t be too bad.

A person mysteriously walked over and told the scholar a story about some woman from the cultivation world.

If this story were true, the scholar felt like the woman in the story was irredeemably evil.

However, the scholar felt like his partner was different. He felt like she was a very good woman. She was knowledgeable and sensible, and gentle and virtuous. Not only that, but she was also very beautiful. The scholar felt like she was someone worth marrying and growing old together with.

He was waiting for her to return home.

He wanted to tell her these heartfelt thoughts when he saw her again.

————

The Vajra Temple was the number one temple in the capital of Southern Garden Nation. At the same time, it was also the largest temple in this world and a Buddhist holy land with the most monks.

There was a secluded and remote thatched cottage in the temple, and the doors of this crude cottage were wide open. The cottage was very empty, and there was surprisingly nothing else apart from an old monk and a straw mat.

A slim and handsome young master was surrounded by a dozen or so breathtaking beauties as he slowly walked toward this unremarkable thatched cottage. They ranged from thirteen to forty years old, and they were all extremely beautiful.

If someone from the Reverence Pagoda were present, they would discover that there were extremely renowned celestial maidens, noblewomen from powerful clans, and so on. Without exception, these women were all renowned for their beauty.

There were many Buddhist scripture banners hanging outside the thatched cottage.

The young man was like a prince traveling with his beautiful concubines, and he explained the concepts and origins of Buddhist terms such as the ten directions, aranya, ksana, and dhvaja to them as they walked toward the thatched cottage.[3]

The ladies were mostly from good family backgrounds, so quite a few of them possessed extremely impressive knowledge. Thus, some of them gave silvery laughs and pointed out a few mistakes that the young man had made.

However, the young man didn’t explain anything, and he simply said that different places had different customs and explanations. Moreover, he claimed that the explanations from his hometown conformed better with the fundamental teachings of Buddhism.

The meditating old monk opened his eyes and asked with a smile, “Benefactor Zhou, you’ve already received Ding Ying’s promise and guaranteed yourself a position among the Upper Ten Elites, so why did you still come here?”

The young man with the surname Zhou raised his hand and gestured for the group of a dozen or so ladies not to follow him. He walked toward the thatched cottage by himself and replied with a chuckle, “I’m here to request a Golden Arhat Body for my worthless son.”

When he neared the door, he raised his foot and respectfully asked, “Should I take my boots off? I’m afraid of soiling your pure monastery.”

The old monk smiled and replied, “The soil on your boots is undefiled. In Benefactor Zhou’s mind, does it make a difference whether you remove your boots or not?”

“Baldies like you always like to spout such kinds of nonsense no matter where you are,” the young man said in exasperation. “You give your nonsense the glorified name of Buddhist allegories, and I genuinely can’t bring myself to like this.”[4]

The young man then pointed at the empty cottage and posited, “This place looks empty, but aren’t you still here?”

The old monk sighed and replied, “Benefactor Zhou, you’re someone who possesses the root of wisdom and understands all of the relevant principles, but it’s a shame that you’re not willing to turn back.”

The young man with the surname Zhou still decided to take his boots off before entering the thatched cottage. He sat down next to the door and raised an arm, pointing at the group of beautiful ladies behind him, all of them shapely and attractive in different ways. “How would you persuade me if they’re the Buddhist principles that I seek?” he asked the old monk.

“Trying to have subtle and mystical debates with otherworldly immortals like you is truly very tiring,” the old monk replied with a pained expression.

The young man theatrically lowered his head and put his palms together, saying “Amitabha” while smiling with squinted eyes.

The old monk’s face was already wizened to begin with, yet it appeared even more wrinkled and anxious at this moment.

Ordinary people were unable to enter the Vajra Temple. Perhaps officials and nobility from Southern Garden Nation were able to enter, but even they were unable to find this simple thatched cottage. However, the young man who looked to be around twenty years old was different. This was because his name was Zhou Fei.

He was the fourth-ranked superior grandmaster in the world, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe his profound martial arts skills as having reached the pinnacle. Moreover, he was masterful in musical instruments, Go, calligraphy, and painting.

The ladies outside, both young and mature, genuinely liked Zhou Fei. Perhaps they had been forced into a relationship with him in the beginning—some had feelings for other men, some were already married, some were loyal women already teaching their children—and they had all been forcefully dragged into the mountains by Zhou Fei or his subordinates in the Spring Tide Palace.

However, after interacting with Zhou Fei every day—perhaps for a mere few months or for a lengthy five to ten years—there was ultimately not a single lady who could avoid falling in love with him.

This was a strange happening in the cultivation world that didn’t appear to make any sense at all.

Those in the lower levels of the cultivation world always liked to describe Zhou Fei, the so-called emperor of the mountains and the founder of the Spring Tide Palace, as a morbidly obese and incredibly ugly person. Or perhaps they would describe him as a cruel and violent man who killed people on a whim. However, none of this was true.

Disregarding revenge killings in the cultivation world and only focusing on the ladies who were attracted to him, Zhou Fei was not only talented and elegant, but he was also able to maintain his youthful appearance after all this time.

Zhou Fei smiled and asked, “To have a father and his son ascend from this world together; isn’t this very worth looking forward to?”

The old monk sighed and replied, “I was indeed hiding the White River Temple’s Golden Arhat Body before. However, Benefactor Ding reappeared in the capital after disappearing for sixty years, and he immediately transported the Golden Arhat Body to the imperial palace of Southern Garden Nation. You’ve come too late, Benefactor Zhou.”

Zhou Fei stared into the old monk’s eyes for a moment before changing the topic and asking, “I’ve heard that there exists an azure garment that drifts around the capital and is invisible to the naked eyes of mere mortals. Are you able to see this garment, Old Monk?”

Before the old monk could even reply, Zhou Fei narrowed his eyes and said in a firm voice, “I hope you’re able to see it!”

However, he was radiating with killing intent.

The old monk remained silent, seemingly practicing silent meditation. Or perhaps he was weighing up the pros and cons of his responses.

Zhou Fei was someone who would stick to his promises. If he said that he would massacre the Vajra Temple, then he would definitely kill everyone in the temple, even the child monks and the sweeping monks.

Zhou Fei gave a hearty laugh and retracted his concentrated killing intent that was almost tangible, saying, “Four treasures in total have appeared in this world during the past sixty years—the Golden Arhat Body and the Sky Soaring Garment in Southern Garden Nation, the suit of treasured armor in Pine Song Nation, and the demonic saber that can shatter all immortal techniques in the lands beyond the cities.

“If a member of the Upper Ten Elites manages to obtain one of these treasures, then their standing in the world will naturally become even more stable. Meanwhile, elites who are almost as powerful as the Upper Ten Elites will become even more impressive if they manage to obtain one of the four treasures. In fact, they’ll have a chance to squeeze some poor sucker out of the top ten ranks.

As if making his mind up about something, the old monk set aside all worries and appeared far more relaxed than before. Seemingly making small talk with Zhou Fei, he asked, “Benefactor Zhou, is Buddhism flourishing in your hometown?”

Zhou Fei pursed his lips and replied, “Over there? It’s hard to say.”

“There exist some texts that have fragmented records about otherworldly immortals like you. It’s said that those who have attained Dao can vaporize large lakes with a sweep of their arm, shatter mountains with their punch, transform their breath into a flying sword that can behead people five hundred kilometers away, ride on the wind to cross rivers and seas, and capture flood dragons with a single hand. Is this true?” the old monk asked.

Zhou Fei was just about to reply.

However, a woman in white suddenly flew over at this moment, directly landing outside the simple thatched cottage and saying with a panicked expression, “Young Master was severely injured near Champion Scholar Alley.”

“What?” Zhou Fei asked with a displeased expression.

The beautiful and aloof woman hesitated as if she wanted to say something. However, she eventually fell to her knees with a thud, with her entire body trembling.

The corners of Zhou Fei’s lips twitched as he slowly raised his palm to his forehead. “Lu Fang… Lu Fang, not only are you stupid, but you’re also useless. You couldn’t even protect my son…”

The fingers on his pale and jade-like hand were like hooks, and it was as if he were trying to crack open his own skull.

Zhou Fei put his hand down and lightly patted his knee before suddenly flicking his sleeves backward.

The stunningly beautiful woman kneeling outside the thatched cottage flew back like a ragdoll, exploding into pieces before she could even land. The group of ladies standing further away all moved to the side, yet many of them were still drenched in blood. Even so, not a single one of them dared to express resentment or anger.

“This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.” Zhou Fei exhaled heavily before smiling and continuing, “Old Monk, let’s continue our conversation from before. I’ll deal with these family matters after we finish our chat.”

The old monk was rendered speechless.

Zhou Fei didn’t push the old monk to speak, and he asked, “How was my son injured?”

However, he suddenly realized that the woman was already dead, so he extended a hand outside his sleeve and rapidly formed a seal, performing a mystical technique that wasn’t recorded in any of the Buddhist and Daoist texts in this world.

The faintly discernible figure of a woman vaguely materialized outside the thatched cottage. She was still trembling in terror after death, and she timidly hovered toward Zhou Fei, moving her lips but making no sound.

However, it was clear that Zhou Fei alone could “hear” what she was saying.

The old monk sighed upon seeing this.

No matter how strong one was, there was always someone stronger.

1. In this context, dragon-slaying techniques refer to techniques that are extremely powerful but almost never used (due to the rarity or non-existence of dragons). ☜

2. There’s more context and nuance to the actual saying, which states that a noble individual stays out of the kitchen not because they think cooking is beneath them, but instead because they can’t bear to see live animals being killed for food. ☜

3. The ten directions refer to the eight points of the compass (north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest) and the directions of up and down (zenith and nadir), in which different manifestations of Buddha exist. Aranya means forest and refers to temples and monasteries, ksana refers to an instant (more specifically the ninth part of a thought moment or the 4,500th part of a minute), and dhvaja refers to Buddhist scripture banners. ☜

4. Buddhist allegories (禅机) refer to clever and mystical remarks that are extremely thought-provoking and can lead to the understanding of Buddhist concepts or the attainment of enlightenment. ☜