Unsheathed

Zheng Dafeng really did oblige to her request, making his way into the side room before returning with a large handful of sunflower seeds that he tossed into Pei Qian’s dish. Due to how small the dish was, the handful of sunflowers was made to look very plentiful in comparison, and Pei Qian’s impression of Zheng Dafeng improved slightly.

Finally, Chen Ping’an took his first sip of wine, and after setting down the Sword Nurturing Gourd, Fifteenth flew out from within, following which Chen Ping’an brought out the jade tablet minimization treasure that Zheng Dafeng had given him, and he smiled as he said, “There are a lot of people in Old Dragon City who think that money is everything, aren’t there?

“I don’t have much money right now, but I do have quite a few precious belongings. This Dao robe is called Golden Sweet Wine, and it was left behind by an ancient immortal. Would you be able to wear it? Also, I have some demon-binding chains crafted from the whiskers of a Nascent Tier flood dragon from the Flood Dragon Trench. Will that be useful to you?”

Zheng Dafeng shook his head in response.

“Once you reach the Three Mind Tempering Tiers, you’ll come to understand that these things will only hinder you. Perhaps these things can save your life, but if I were to use them, then they would only send me to my death.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response, then pulled out a large stack of pre-inscribed talismans as he continued, “I don’t think you’ll have any use for Yang Energy Illumination Talismans. If the Dragon Slaying Platform has been made to be like a blessed land by the Fu Clan, then a Barrier-Shattering Talisman most likely won’t work, either.

“I also have this Treasure Pagoda Demon-Suppressing Talisman and Lock Slashing Talisman, but that’s specifically to be used on flood dragons. Oh, this Sword Suppressing Talisman is of quite a high caliber. It was inscribed for me by a friend, and it’ll be able to suppress even the bonded flying sword of a Nascent Tier swordsman for a short time…”

The yin soul with the Zhao surname could feel a slight sense of pressure just at the sight of the stack of talismans, particularly the azure Sword Suppressing Talisman. Even though it was a talisman that specially targeted earth immortal swordsmen, it still made him feel extremely apprehensive.

“Have you been robbing people non-stop on this entire trip to Stalactite Mountain?” Zheng Dafeng exclaimed with a stunned expression.

Chen Ping’an paid no heed to Zheng Dafeng as he continued to pull out more items; this time, it was three porcelain containers.

“This one contains the immature golden core of a water demon from Parasol Leaf Continent’s Burial River, this one contains the Nascent Tier golden core of that old flood dragon from the Flood Dragon Trench, and this one contains the golden core of a twelfth-tier great demon.”

Zheng Dafeng turned to stare at the yin soul, then pointed at the porcelain vase that contained the golden core of the twelfth-tier great demon as he asked, “Do you believe what the fuck he’s saying?”

The yin soul shook his head, then nodded as he replied, “I wouldn’t believe it if it were someone else, but seeing as it’s Chen Ping’an we’re talking about… I’ll say I’m on the fence.”

“Can any of these things help you?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“Hold on, let me think for a minute,” Zheng Dafeng said, then fell into deep thought.

“If I had known that you had so many precious belongings, I would’ve never let you into this room. Why are you doing this?” the yin soul sighed.

“Seriously, why are you doing this?!” the yin soul repeated in an exaggerated manner.

“You can just treat this as a deal that I’m making with Divine Lord Yang,” Chen Ping’an said with a calm expression. “Either I lose everything, or I make an absolute killing.”

The yin soul merely shook his head and offered no response, clearly not convinced.

“What do you guys say?” Chen Ping’an asked as he turned around.

“What else can I do but follow your lead?” Wei Xian replied in an indifferent manner.

Sui Youbian rested her sword across her lap, then said with a bright gleam in her eyes, “In addition to a Seated Meditation Pill, I also wanted a Fire Dragon Pill and a Rain Bringer Pill.”

“I always relish the opportunity to slay an immortal or two,” Zhu Lian said with a smile.

“If I could call the shots here, then I would naturally want to leave Old Dragon City right away, but seeing as you’ve already decided to stay, then I also want a Fire Dragon Pill and a Rain Bringer Pill. Once we obtain the geomancy map of Old Dragon City, I can help map out the best routes to take,” Lu Baixiang said.

“Thank you, everyone!” Chen Ping’an said as he cupped his fist in a grateful salute.

He then turned back to Zheng Dafeng and asked, “Do you think the four of them will be able to make any progress in their cultivation base over the next few days?”

Zheng Dafeng nodded as he replied, “I can see that one of them is at the seventh tier, while the other three are all at the pinnacle of the sixth tier. All of them are true pure martial artists, and honestly, I don’t even know where you managed to recruit them from.

“The one at the Vajra Body Tier can easily consolidate her cultivation base over the next few days, but it’ll be very difficult for the other three to make breakthroughs in the same timeframe. Having said that, they can definitely still make improvements.

“As long as they can survive this ordeal, their martial arts cultivation will definitely benefit immensely from the experience. I can spar with them over the next few days. As for how much of my fist intent they’ll be able to absorb, that’ll be up to them.”

Wei Xian and the others remained completely expressionless upon hearing this, and Zheng Dafeng couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

Normal sixth- and seventh-tier martial artists would’ve been extremely grateful for the opportunity to be able to spar with a ninth-tier martial artist, yet they didn’t seem to appreciate the opportunity at all.

Unbeknownst to him, all four of them had extensive histories that made them far different from the average martial artist of their cultivation base.

On the battlefield, Wei Xian was a one-man force of nature who could oppose an entirely mighty army on his own.

Lu Baixiang was a man of many exceptional talents, and he strove to be the best in everything in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land aside from martial arts, including things like playing musical instruments, playing Go, writing calligraphy, and making tea.

Sui Youbian was obsessive in her pursuit of swordsmanship, striving wholeheartedly toward the goal of ascension.

As for Zhu Lian, beneath his amicable facade was a complete and utter madman. Even if all of the martial artists under the heavens were to turn on him at once, he would still be more than happy to face them with his fists.

Zheng Dafeng was rather looking forward to the sparring matches that he was going to have against these four.

A serious look appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face as he said, “I want to refine a bonded item. Would it be possible for you to find someone to purchase one for me? It has to be made certain that whatever materials that are sourced haven’t been tampered with. If I can pull it off, then that’ll essentially grant me an extra life.”

The yin soul turned to Zheng Dafeng, and after a brief moment of contemplation, the latter replied, “I have to ask someone. If she agrees, then it can be done.”

A smile then suddenly appeared on Zheng Dafeng’s face as he asked, “I trust her, do you trust me?”

“I trust your master,” Chen Ping’an replied, rendering Zheng Dafeng speechless once again.

The yin soul rose to his feet as he smiled and said, “I’ll go find a few more geomancy maps.”

Chen Ping’an turned to Pei Qian as he said, “You sleep in the same room as Sui Youbian, while Wei Xian and the others will have to stay in the same room. I can sleep on the floor in the shop, but if the materials are gathered…”

“Then I’ll sleep on the floor with Big Sister Sui Youbian!” Pei Qian volunteered.

Sui Youbian and the others raised no objections to this.

In the face of the upcoming battle, these were all completely trivial matters.

As night fell, Chen Ping’an dragged a long bench into the courtyard. Sui Youbian and the others also made their way out into the courtyard after taking their pills.

Zheng Dafeng had one hand clasped behind his back and one hand in front of his belly as he smiled and said, “When facing a cultivator of the same tier, a pure martial artist must ensure that a single punch is enough to end the battle, so long as the opponent is within a hundred feet.

“I don’t know anything about the four of you, but at the very least, I’m going to treat you as four seventh-tier Qi refiners for now. The four of you can come at me all at once to save time.”

None of the four took even a single step forward.

An exasperated look appeared on Zheng Dafeng’s face as he asked, “Do you not think a ninth-tier martial artist like myself is worthy of facing all four of you at once? Do you feel like it’s embarrassing to gang up on me?”

Pei Qian dragged over a little stool and sat down beside Chen Ping’an.

Zheng Dafeng turned to Chen Ping’an, and the latter extended a hand, gesturing for him to do as he pleased.

“Alright, if none of you are going to attack, then I’ll be taking the initiative.”

As soon as Zheng Dafeng’s voice trailed off, he abruptly vanished from the spot, and a dull thump rang out as he threw four punches at almost the exact same time.

Sui Youbian, Wei Xian, Lu Baixiang, and Zhu Lian each took one to three steps backward.

An impressed look appeared on Zheng Dafeng’s face as he remarked, “All you have very solid foundations. Chen Ping’an, where on earth did you find these servants and this maidservant? I also want a few, particularly someone as beautiful as this maidservant of yours.”

Sui Youbian was the first of the four to spring into action, lashing out with her sword.

She was followed by Zhu Lian, who pounced through the air, while Wei Xian and Lu Baixiang moved to the flanks, preparing to back up Sui Youbian and Zhu Lian when required.

Their tacit understanding with each other meant that there was no need for any verbal communication, and this was how it was supposed to be, given that they had all been the most powerful figure in the Lotus Flower Small World at some point.

“You can take a closer look if you’re interested,” Chen Ping’an said.

Pei Qian raised her hand to offer a fistful of sunflower seeds to Chen Ping’an, to which the latter shook his head in response.

Pei Qian withdrew her hand and continued munching on sunflower seeds as she shook her head and said, “I’m not interested. They’re nowhere near your level, Fa, er… Master.”

In private, she called him father, but when others were present, she called him master. Pei Qian felt like she had truly grasped the teachings of the books that she had read. After all, as the saying went, a master for a day, a father for a lifetime.

“You’re wrong,” Chen Ping’an said. “In terms of pure martial arts cultivation base, I’m still lacking compared with the four of them. At the moment, I’m only at the fifth tier, it’s just that I’ve built up a great foundation from all of the grueling battles that I’ve endured. As a result, I can break through my sixth tier bottleneck at any time.”

A “great foundation” in Chen Ping’an’s words was no less glowing a piece of praise than a “decent foundation” in the words of Cui Chan’s grandfather.

“In any case, you’re still the best, Master,” Pei Qian said as she raised her head with a vibrant smile.

Meanwhile, Sui Youbian and the others were struggling immensely at the hands of Zheng Dafeng, and this was even after he had restricted his own cultivation base to the Far Roaming Tier.

Otherwise, if he were to go all out, then a light spar would turn into a one-sided beating.

Unlike for Qi refiners, a difference of a single tier for martial artists was akin to the difference between night and day. Of course, there were also exceptions to this. For example, Cui Chan’s grandfather, the only pure martial artist on Eastern Treasured Vial Continent at the pinnacle of the tenth tier, had managed to easily kill that sixth-tier martial artist who had come to request his mentorship with a fifth-tier punch.

However, even if that wasn’t a one-off case, it wasn’t far from it.

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but think of the white-robed young boy, Cao Ci. Now that they were both at the fifth tier, Chen Ping’an really wanted to know if he would still suffer three consecutive crushing defeats if he were to face Cao Ci in battle again.

Chen Ping’an cast aside those errant thoughts as he focused his attention on the battle taking place in the courtyard, and he said to Pei Qian, “I forgot to apologize to you for what happened as we were passing through that prefectural city prior to entering the Clear Realm Mountain area.”

Pei Qian was munching on some sunflower seeds as she looked up at him with a perplexed expression and asked, “Why are you apologizing to me? Is it because of that pancake?”

At the time, Pei Qian and Wei Xian had gone out to buy some food to eat, while Chen Ping’an and the others were visiting a bookshop. Upon reuniting with Pei Qian, Chen Ping’an discovered her munching on a pancake, while a woman dressed in lavish clothing was hurling a torrent of abuse at her.

Standing beside the woman was a sniveling child, and the woman wasn’t being excessively vulgar with her words, most likely because she was from a highly educated family. All she was saying was that Pei Qian was an uncivilized little brat, and that her parents ought to teach her a lesson for her rudeness.

Chen Ping’an’s immediate assumption was that Pei Qian had caused some trouble again, and he strode over to her with a stern expression.

He was very worried that not only would Pei Qian not grow up under the positive influence of the books that he was making her read, she would become a rude and domineering little brat under the influence of Zhu Lian and the others instead.

Hence, he had sided with the woman and the child, and even though he hadn’t directly scolded her, it was very clear what stance he was taking on the matter.

Pei Qian was extremely fearful of Chen Ping’an, and she immediately offered the rest of her pancake to the woman, telling her that she didn’t want it, and that the child could have it.

The woman was even more infuriated upon hearing this, feeling as if she had been humiliated. She mistook Chen Ping’an for a senior of Pei Qian’s, and she began scolding her as well. However, she was much more reserved and careful with her words, most likely because Chen Ping’an’s attire gave her the false impression that he was from a very wealthy clan.

Only after hearing Wei Xian’s recount the sequence of events leading up to that point did Chen Ping’an realize that he had made a mistake. As it turned out, Pei Qian had bought the last pancake in the shop, but she was approached by the child, who really wanted the pancake and asked her to give it to him.

Pei Qian naturally refused to oblige, and not only that, she began eating the pancake in front of the child while intentionally raving about how delicious it was. The child immediately burst into tears, and that was when the woman swooped in. However, Pei Qian was completely unbothered by her scathing words, continuing to happily munch on her pancake.

The more irate the woman became, the more gleeful Pei Qian felt. All the while, Wei Xian acted as a passive bystander, seeing no need to intervene as long as the woman did not resort to physical violence.

After learning the truth, Chen Ping’an led Pei Qian over to the woman and asked her to apologize.

The woman was furious, and she declared that she had the connections required to ensure that Chen Ping’an wouldn’t be able to make it out of the city alive.

Chen Ping’an told her to do as she pleased, and after a few more parting threats, the woman stormed away in a huff with her child.

After that… nothing happened. Chen Ping’an waited for a while for the woman to come back with her so-called reinforcements, but they never showed up, so in the end, he could only leave the prefectural city with Pei Qian and the others.

Chen Ping’an patted on Pei Qian’s head as he sighed, “I owe you an apology for what happened back then.”

Pei Qian was very perplexed to hear this, and she hurriedly threw down her handful of sunflower seeds, then got up from her little stool before sitting down beside Chen Ping’an on the bench as she said in an uneasy manner, “Old Man Wei tells me that prisoners on death row are always granted a fine feast before they’re executed. You don’t intend to abandon me here, do you, Father? Is that why you’re saying all of this?”

The thought of abandonment had Pei Qian feeling so fearful that she had even forgotten not to refer to Chen Ping’an as her father, and she was gripping tightly onto his sleeve with all her might.

Chen Ping’an gave her a flick on the forehead, and the panic and fear in her eyes instantly turned to elation.

Even though her forehead was stinging, she knew that she was safe.

Pei Qian released Chen Ping’an’s sleeve, then set her hands down onto the bench as she swung her feet back and forth and said, “There’s no need for you to apologize to me about something so trivial, Master. You scared me witless just now! In the words of Old Man Wei, this is so minor and insignificant that it’s like a light drizzle of rain, which isn’t even enough to wash one’s hair.”

Chen Ping’an also planted his palms down onto the bench as he smiled and asked, “Do you still remember what happened when we reached the summit of the Heavenly Palace Peak? You must’ve felt like I was acting very strangely, right?”

Pei Qian nodded vigorously in response.

“I remember it very clearly. At the time, you did something very strange. You stood up really straight, then adjusted the jade hairpin in your hair. In the books I read, it says that this is the correct etiquette to be observed when meeting with important guests, but you didn’t even know those people from Green Goat Palace, and they weren’t figures of high status, either, so I couldn’t help but wonder why you did that.

“I thought about this for a very long time, but couldn’t come up with an answer, so I just gave up.”

An absentminded look appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face as he cast his gaze into the distance and said, “Some years ago, I encountered some immortals from the outside for the very first time at the entrance of my hometown.

“They varied quite drastically in age, and at the time, I was standing beside Zheng Dafeng, looking out at them through the wooden gate. I’ve always had good eyesight and memory, so even to this day, I can still clearly recall their demeanors and the looks on their faces when they looked at me.”

Chen Ping’an paused here for a long while, then smiled as he continued, “That’s why I’ve always thought to myself that if I’m ever in their position someday, then I can’t allow myself to look at the others the same way they looked at me. I can’t be so high and mighty and become accustomed to seeing other people as ants.”

This was perhaps the first time that Chen Ping’an had spoken so seriously to Pei Qian about principles that couldn’t be found in books, life principles that belonged to Chen Ping’an alone.

Chen Ping’an crouched down to pick up the sunflower seeds that Pei Qian had dropped in her panic, and he gathered the sunflower seeds in the palm of his other hand before sitting back down again.

He then offered one of the sunflower seeds to Pei Qian as he said in a seemingly casual manner, “The way that we sit, the way that we speak, the way that we act, the principles that we abide by… All of those things tell the world about how many books you’ve read, how much hardships you’ve endured, how much of the teachings from senior figures in your life that you’ve absorbed.

“Hence, I don’t want others to see and think badly of my parents and the teachers that I respect. I don’t want to present myself in a way that would portray my seniors and mentors in a bad light.”

Chen Ping’an turned to Pei Qian with a smile as he continued, “You’re still young, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand what I’m talking about now. Back when I was your age…”

Chen Ping’an’s voice trailed off here, and he didn’t want to follow that train of thought any further.

He set all of the sunflower seeds down onto Pei Qian’s hand, then said, “Mr. Qi’s teacher is right. A young child should be vibrant and exuberant. I’m already past that age, so I can’t display those qualities anymore, but I hope that you can. Little Baoping over at Mountain Cliff Academy and Cao Qinglang of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land are both able to do this.

“Both of them are unburdened by worries and scars, and they carry nothing but hopes and aspirations and on their shoulders. Just the thought of their exuberance puts me in a very good mood.”

“You’re such a good person, Father,” Pei Qian sighed. “If I’m ever out in the world on my own, how am I ever going to find someone as good as you?”

A hint of concern then appeared in her eyes as she continued, “Back when I was stuck on the ship, I could only look out at the ferry stations and think to myself about how fun everything looks out there. I thought to myself that when I grow up someday and master unrivaled swordsmanship, I’d say to you: ‘Father, give me a horse, I’m going out to explore the world!’

“However, I then thought to myself that horses are quite expensive, so you may not be willing to give me one. In that case, I would settle for a donkey or even a mule! The big, wide world is waiting for me, and it’s begging me to come and explore it!”

Pei Qian heaved a forlorn sigh here, then continued, “But now, I don’t want to go exploring the world anymore. What’s the point? It’s all bad people or not-so-good people out there.”

Chen Ping’an also began swinging his feet back and forth as he smiled and asked, “But you also met me while you were out in the big, wide world, didn’t you?”

Pei Qian was silent for a long while upon hearing this, and after some extensive deep thought, she replied in a quiet voice, “But I don’t want to meet anyone else now that I’ve met you.”