Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an woke up with a start, drenched in sweat, and sat up in bed.

Only after carefully thinking over the events of last night did he feel slightly more at ease. In his memory, he had only explained the theory of sequential order created by the Scholarly Sage, and he hadn’t talked too much about the competition between the third and fourth sages of Confucianism. He hadn’t talked much about Mr. Qi either.

Even so, he still needed to give the water goddess some warnings when he saw her in a moment. They could talk freely behind closed doors, yet they couldn’t mention these things in public. Otherwise, he could simply avoid trouble by returning to Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, but the water goddess couldn’t just dig up her Green Roving Residence and gold statue and leave.

Chen Ping’an glanced down at his boots next to the bed and faltered for a moment. This was because his boots were pointing toward the bed. Chen Ping’an shook his head.

Alright then, you were afraid that I wouldn’t notice that you took my boots off for me? You’re filled with smarts, so why aren’t you willing to use these smarts for studying?

Chen Ping’an went to the courtyard. It was nearing nine o’clock, so it was very likely that the convoy of the Yao Clan had already set off. He and Pei Qian needed to make haste to catch up to the main group. Disregarding the 150 kilometers along the bank of Burial River to the relay station, they were still two hours behind the main group.

However, he was feeling extremely awake and refreshed after drinking the one-hundred-year-old Blooming Water Wine last night. Not only were his wounds from the battle in the border inn largely healed, but even his mind was feeling especially peaceful and relaxed.

This was analogous to a room that was filled with too many trinkets. Even if the owner of the room viewed all of these trinkets as treasures, they would definitely feel far more satisfied if everything was tidied up one day.

There was a young maidservant standing near the doorway of the courtyard, none other than the water ghost who had brought Pei Qian over to look at the spirit wall last night. She smiled beautifully at Chen Ping’an and explained, “Young Master Chen, milady asked me to wait here and bring you to the main hall where you drank last night.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and briskly walked over, asking, “Where’s the little girl who came here with me?”

The maidservant covered her mouth and giggled, carefully considering her words before replying, “The young lady woke up a bit earlier than you. She only slept for less than two hours before waking up, so I brought her on a tour around Green Roving Residence. The young lady is extremely lively and outgoing, and everyone in the residence likes her very much.”

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment, and he eventually decided to ask in a direct manner, “She didn’t ask Green Roving Residence for anything, did she?”

The maidservant hurriedly shook her head and replied, “No, no she didn’t. She genuinely didn’t ask for anything.”

The young maidservant was clearly a bad liar.

Chen Ping’an felt slightly helpless as he asked, “What did she ask for? We won’t take it with us if it’s too valuable. However, I can pay for it if it’s only an ordinary item.”

The maidservant was fidgety and uneasy as she replied, “She only asked for some brushes and paper that Green Roving Residence purchased from the marketplace. She said that she would start practicing how to draw talismans from today onward. She also said that she would eventually repay Green Roving Residence for these items.

“Young Master Chen, she only asked for some brushes and paper, and these things genuinely aren’t worth much money. Please don’t criticize the Young Lady for this. How about you treat this as my gift to the Young Lady? You might not know, Young Master, but it’s already been many years since I’ve last interacted with someone. I’m extremely happy that the Young Lady was willing to chat with me, and I feel so joyful that it’s as if I’m celebrating New Year like living people.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “Then I’ll treat this as your gift to her. However, I’ll still ask her to thank you in a moment.”

A smile spread across the maidservant’s face as she curtsied and said, “Young Master Chen is such a considerate person. I hope you can visit Green Roving Residence often in the future.”

When Chen Ping’an saw Pei Qian, there was a dazzling smile plastered on the little girl’s face.

“There’s nothing you want to say?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Pei Qian shot a glare at the female ghost standing behind Chen Ping’an before huffing and retrieving a small calligraphy brush which had its tip made from rabbit hair. She then lifted her coat, revealing a large bundle of Xuan paper hidden in her clothes.[1]

“I already told Big Sister Xuanhua that I’m only borrowing this brush and paper from Green Roving Residence,” Pei Qian hurriedly said. “I’ll definitely pay them back in the future! I only hid them away because I was afraid that you wouldn’t agree.”

“Even if you start earning money in the future, do you know just how far away Eastern Treasured Vial Continent and Parasol Leaf Continent are?” Chen Ping’an asked. “How will you pay them back in the future? If you ask an immortal ferry station to deliver the money for you, the delivery fee alone will be enough for you to buy a residence in the capital of Southern Garden Nation. Can you say for sure that you’ll be able to earn so many taels of silver?”

There was a baffled expression on Pei Qian’s face.

Chen Ping’an chuckled coldly and continued, “Perhaps this was your main consideration? You knew this was the case, so that’s why you said you were willing to repay the money in the future?”

Pei Qian smiled awkwardly as her eyes darted around. She didn’t dare to look at Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an reached over.

A sullen expression spread across Pei Qian’s face, and she exclaimed, “You’re not allowed to smack my head or twist my ears! You can hit me anywhere else!”

Chen Ping’an chuckled in slight anger and instructed, “Hand me the brush and paper, I’ll keep them safe for you. This Big Sister just said that this is her farewell gift to you.”

Pei Qian handed the brush and paper to Chen Ping’an before looking toward the beautiful female ghost holding her hand to her mouth and giggling. She put on an extremely grateful expression and said, “Big Sister Xuanhua, you’re such a good person… No, you’re such a good ghost. You should become the next water goddess.”

Chen Ping’an placed the brush and paper inside his pocket treasure located inside his Sword Nurturing Gourd. He then shot a glance at Pei Qian.

Pei Qian immediately came to a realization, and she bowed and thanked the young maidservant.

The two people and one ghost walked to the main hall where the water goddess had already been waiting for a long time.

Compared to her careless and bold nature from before, the water goddess of Burial River finally appeared more like a deity today. She was wearing a magnificent brocade robe that was similar to the garb of wives and mothers of officials in the imperial court.

After the maidservant, Xuanhua, took her leave, the water goddess directly said in a solemn voice, “Chen Ping’an, a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of goodwill. And what you gave me was far more than just a drop, so I definitely need to give you something in return. Otherwise, I’ll be riddled with unease and guilt.

“I thought about this for a while, and there’s nothing in Green Roving Residence that you’ll take a fancy to. The weapons that I’ve refined are only so-so, but the two immortal treasures are my bonded weapons that I can’t offer to you. As for the other weapons, none of them are high-grade enough.

“In any case, these weapons won’t be enough to repay this debt of gratitude even if I give them all to you. That being the case, I want to give you the immortal mantra inscribed on the rain praying tablet outside my temple.”

The water goddess retrieved a jade slip and continued, “I hope that you immediately destroy this jade slip after memorizing the immortal manta. It’s not that I’m stingy, but rather because the mantra recorded on the stone tablet pertains to the Dao attainment catalyst of an ancient immortal. This is a huge fated opportunity that pertains to even greater karma. As a result, carelessly disseminating this immortal mantra isn’t necessarily a good thing. In fact, failing to withstand the might of this immortal mantra might lead to disastrous results.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response, smiling as he reached over to accept the jade slip. He then swiftly placed it inside his flying sword, Fifteenth.

The water goddess was slightly surprised, and she asked, “Aren’t you going to decline my offer and say a few polite words first? Then, if we go back and forth about it until you finally concede, it will surely be a better display of the sincere friendship between us.”

Chen Ping’an suppressed his laughter and replied, “Truth be told, I genuinely need a high-grade tool refinement mantra right now. I mysteriously started to wander around with my yin soul last night, and I impulsively decided to head straight to your water god temple. Zhong Kui also mentioned a fated opportunity, so I surmise this is what he was talking about. This is akin to a blessing from the heavens, so I’ll surely suffer a backlash if I don’t grab it with both hands.”

The water goddess scratched her head and conceded, “That all makes sense, but I can’t help but feel like there’s a little something missing. Imagine if you acted in a righteous manner and turned down my gift, saying that noble people didn’t seek rewards when they helped other people.

“Afterward, I would weep and holler and threaten suicide, insisting that you must accept my gift no matter what. In the end, both you and I would bid farewell to each other while brimming with happiness and satisfaction. Just how interesting would that have been?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and remained silent.

Following this exchange, the water goddess planned to bring Chen Ping’an and Pei Qian to Burial River, where she would once again use the mystical ability from last night to transport them to the relay station that was located upstream. Mountain gods and river gods possessed the mystical ability to travel hundreds of kilometers in but a moment, and this was the divine ability that Qi refiners were most fond of.

Apart from this, Qi refiners were probably most fond of the gods and deities’ advantage when they stayed in their own shrines and temples. In such situations, gods and deities would enjoy an advantage similar to what Confucian sages enjoyed in Confucian academies and Spiritual Masters in Daoist temples.

Perhaps unwilling to bid farewell to Chen Ping’an and Pei Qian too soon, the water goddess traveled by foot as she led them to the entrance of Green Roving Residence.

As they approached the entrance, she suddenly turned around and asked, “Chen Ping’an, do you have any books written by the Scholarly Sage? It would be best if it’s a book that the Scholarly Sage personally gave to you. Rest assured, I won’t be so reckless as to flagrantly enshrine it in my water god temple. That would be asking for trouble.

“Instead, I’ll secretly hide it in my Green Roving Residence and place it together with the memorial tablet that I personally made. This is one of my biggest wishes, and it’s also a result of my desires. My Divine Dao has taken a huge step forward, and my cultivation base has also risen explosively.

“However, this implies that I’ll have an even greater need for the Scholarly Sage’s knowledge and principles in the future. I need to transform these inanimate principles into a living and breathing part of myself. My instinct tells me that if I succeed, I can advance even further. In fact, my water god temple might even become superior to the temples of the formal gods of the Great Quan Empire’s Five Mountains.”

Seeing Chen Ping’an remain silent, the water goddess stopped and continued, “I’m begging you, Chen Ping’an.”

There was a rare expression of pleading on her face.

Chen Ping’an mulled over this for a long time before replying, “The old scholar did indeed give me an elementary Confucian text. However, it isn’t a book written by him.”

The water goddess was delighted upon hearing this, and she exclaimed, “It doesn’t matter as long as it’s a book from the Scholarly Sage! I’m not stupid, so I’m well aware that the book definitely contains the true intent of the Great Dao!”

Chen Ping’an recalled his first encounter with the short water goddess. With a saber by her waist and a sword on her back, she had wielded an iron spear almost twice as long as she was tall while battling against the river demon at the bottom of Burial River. She had appeared extremely mighty and impassioned.

He also recalled her visit to the water god temple, and she hadn’t appeared arrogant or haughty in the least while speaking with Zhong Kui. In fact, she had been so calm and reasonable that she hadn’t appeared like a deity at all. Rather, she had appeared like a genuine scholar.

Chen Ping’an sighed and turned to the skinny little girl standing beside him, asking, “Pei Qian, you’ve probably memorized the book that I always tell you to read, so perhaps you can give it to Miss Water Goddess?”

The water goddess faltered upon hearing this. Chen Ping’an was actually asking Pei Qian for approval?

What happened next baffled her even more.

Pei Qian bit her lips and refused to speak no matter what. She was even more unwilling to nod in agreement.

Chen Ping’an grabbed his Sword Nurturing Gourd and drank a mouthful of wine.

The water goddess gritted her teeth and said, “I actually have another incredibly valuable treasure in my Green Roving Residence, and this treasure is definitely no inferior to that immortal mantra. I’m willing to exchange this treasure for your book!”

After saying this, she smiled at Pei Qian and continued, “Apart from repaying Chen Ping’an for his kindness, I’ll also give you an impressive treasure. I don’t dare to claim that it’s extremely valuable, but it’s definitely an incredibly rare treasure.”

However, Pei Qian simply stood there, refusing to say anything and refusing to nod in agreement. Her small hands were tightly clenched as she tugged the corners of her clothes.

She was afraid that Chen Ping’an would get angry at her and detest her even more, yet she was also afraid that Chen Ping’an would nod and agree to the water goddess’ offer.

At this moment, Chen Ping’an retied the Sword Nurturing Gourd to his waist before bending down and surprisingly smiling at Pei Qian. He patted her small head and said, “It’s okay if you don’t want to.”

Pei Qian wrapped her arms around Chen Ping’an and burst into tears.

Chen Ping’an didn’t know what was going through her mind at this moment, and he was mystified as to why she was suddenly crying. He flashed a helpless smile at the water goddess and apologized, “I’m sorry about this. However, I’ll try my best to find a suitable book for you when I return to Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. I’ll send the book to you when I find it. In terms of repaying me or whatnot, there’s absolutely no need for this.”

The water goddess heaved a forlorn sigh. She glanced at Chen Ping’an before glancing at Pei Qian, and there was pain and disappointment in her voice as she replied, “That’s the only option then.”

Arriving on the bank of Burial River, Chen Ping’an put Pei Qian on his back and jumped into the water.

With a flick of her large sleeve, the water goddess once again summoned a strange whirlpool similar to the one that Zhu Lian had seen last night.

In the next moment, the three of them had already traveled 150 kilometers upstream. One person hovered to the bank, while one person strode across the water to the bank.

The water goddess stood on the bank of Burial River.

Chen Ping’an bid farewell to her before turning around and leaving. After walking for a while, he seemingly said something to Pei Qian that caused her to burst into tears. With tears streaming down her face, the little girl turned around to wave goodbye to the water goddess.

The water goddess smiled and waved back.

The young boy and the little girl gradually walked further and further away.

However, Pei Qian continued to sob as she rested on Chen Ping’an’s back.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, so why are you crying?” Chen Ping’an asked with a smile.

Pei Qian rested her head against Chen Ping’an’s back and said, “I’m sorry.”

“Hmm?”

“You were right, all I do is lose money,” the little girl said in a heartbroken voice.[2]

Chen Ping’an chuckled in mock anger and replied, “What nonsense are you speaking? Remember to study more diligently in the future.”

Pei Qian sniffed and nodded earnestly in response.

“Don’t wipe your snot on me,” Chen Ping’an huffed.

Pei Qian leaned back a little before helping to wipe the tears and snot from Chen Ping’an’s back.

“Heh,” she chuckled.

Chen Ping’an and Pei Qian eventually vanished into the distance.

Only then did the water goddess break into hearty laughter.

As expected of the Scholarly Sage’s direct disciple!

In reality, Chen Ping’an had always planned to give the book to her. Moreover, how many people in the world would care about the opinion of a little girl if they were offered such a profoundly valuable treasure?

Her smile was eventually replaced by a solemn expression as she bowed deeply in Chen Ping’an’s direction.

Sure enough, different people would learn Dao at different times.

To sit down and discuss Dao last night, and to stand up and act upon Dao today… Such was the unity of knowledge and action.

Chen Ping’an was a genuine scholar! Chen Ping’an was a true teacher!

1. Xuan paper is a kind of paper originating in ancient China used for writing and painting. Xuan paper is renowned for being soft and fine-textured. ☜

2. Remember that Pei Qian (裴钱) is a homonym of 赔钱, which literally means losing money. ☜