Unsheathed

The Golden Core Tier earth immortal suddenly smiled and said, “I see, so you are a disciple of Legalism. No wonder…”

Chen Ping’an didn’t know how the earth immortal had formed such a misunderstanding.

The earth immortal was probably very familiar with the culture and customs of the Azure Phoenix Nation. He smiled with squinted eyes and continued, “Then we should indeed spar with each other.”

The atmosphere at the mountain pass instantly became very tense.

Vagrant cultivators were accustomed to going back on their word and betraying their allies. People die in pursuit of wealth just like how birds die in pursuit of food. Who didn’t want to earn an additional fifty lesser heat coins? They would naturally work for clean money, but did that mean they would refrain from fighting for blood money?

How did vagrant cultivators obtain official positions in the imperial courts or become guest elders in immortal forces? Most of the time, their stepping stone would be the completion of a dirty task. For example, they would be tasked with assassinating some important official of an enemy nation, or exacting revenge and resolving hostilities between immortal forces, tasks that were unsuitable for the imperial courts and immortal forces to carry out by themselves.

The earth immortal calmly swept his gaze around as if he were inspecting the battlefield.

“Are you aware that tens of thousands of people will be killed or displaced if the earth bull chooses to turn its body and manipulate the earth veins?” asked Chen Ping’an.

The earth immortal hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding and replying, “I’m naturally aware of this, given my cultivation.”

The vagrant cultivators weren’t especially surprised by the earth immortal’s answer.

Only the formation cultivator, Lü Yangzhen, furrowed his brow upon hearing this. However, he concealed his expression very well.

“Then are you able to suppress the earthquake?” Chen Ping’an asked.

The earth immortal didn’t answer this question directly. Instead, he smiled and explained, “This is no simple task. We can either heed the advice of your friends and spend an exorbitant of money to set up numerous formations in the surroundings to stabilize the earth veins and minimize the impact of the earthquake, or we would need a Qi refiner to possess a connate immortal treasure and have them refine this treasure into their bonded item. That way, the immortal treasure can be used to stabilize the mountains and suppress the earth veins.”

Seeing Chen Ping’an remain silent, the earth immortal carefully observed the young man for a moment before saying, “I’m sure we’ll meet again someday.”

The earth immortal seemingly abandoned his plan to “spar” with Chen Ping’an, and he looked at the leaders of the various alliances of vagrant cultivators such as the elder in black sitting atop the giant five-tailed black fox, Formation Cultivator Lü Yangzhen, and so on. He used his mind’s voice to tell them the locations to split up the spoils and receive their remaining compensation, after which he flew away on the wind.

All of the vagrant cultivators left following the departure of the Golden Core Tier earth immortal. However, they all left in slightly different directions, and it was clear that the earth immortal had given each alliance a different time and location to receive their compensation and share of the spoils. He would meet with the four alliances separately, lest they complain not about the value of their reward, but about the inequality of their share.

Zhang Shanfeng gently punched Chen Ping’an in the arm and said in amusement, “How impressive! You’re using lesser heat coins as if they’re snowflake coins.”

Xu Yuanxia had already stood back up a while ago, and he sheathed his saber before running his fingers through his beard to comb his facial hair that was clumped together with blood. “We’re safe for the moment, but I’m afraid that the Golden Core Tier guy might harbor ill intentions. I believe that he is one of the most powerful individuals in this area. If push comes to shove, we’ll have to abandon our initial plan of staying here and waiting for the debate between Buddhism and Daoism. It would be in our best interests to leave as soon as possible.”

“The True Martial Sword that Chen Ping’an lent me and your short saber… Are we really going to leave them at the chief military governor’s office just like this?” Zhang Shanfeng asked in hesitation.

“Gave, not lent,” Chen Ping’an corrected him.

Even though Xu Yuanxia felt pained and reluctant, he still replied with a resolute expression, “It’s not like the chief military governor’s office is going to grow legs and run away, so we’ll eventually have an opportunity to come back and retrieve them. Otherwise, if the chief military governor’s office is the true culprit behind everything, then we’ll be running right into their trap. The emperor of the Azure Phoenix Nation has always been an unruly person, while the chief military governor is one of his most trusted subjects. As such, we’ll run a big risk of being targeted by everyone. Moreover, we won’t be able to explain ourselves and prove our innocence, and we’ll also have no way of defending against their baseless accusations.”

Zhang Shanfeng had once been a stubborn person who would only relent after suffering the consequences, or else he wouldn’t have abandoned Confucianism and gone to the mountains to become a Daoist priest instead. However, he had matured a lot during his journey south from the Northern Complete Reed Continent to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. He had seen and heard a lot, and he had also faced quite a number of challenges. In any case, he didn’t insist on going to the chief military governor’s office anymore after hearing Xu Yuanxia’s explanation.

Chen Ping’an pondered for a long time before coming up with a reasonable plan that could allow Zhang Shanfeng and Xu Yuanxia to feel at ease and visit the chief military governor’s office. At the same time, they wouldn’t be dragged into his dangerous and unpredictable situation.

“I came across a fated opportunity at a Confucian academy in the Parasol Leaf Continent, and I obtained a jade tablet that can be used to save one’s life during times of critical danger,” Chen Ping’an explained. “Even though the Azure Phoenix Nation is filled with people from all walks of life, meaning that we shouldn’t let our guards down, being in possession of this jade tablet is… equivalent to being accompanied by a noble scholar from a Confucian academy. Ordinary cultivators at the Golden Core Tier and the Nascent Tier won’t really dare to kill people in possession of this jade tablet. In other words, it won’t be too difficult for us to retrieve True Martial and the short saber.”

One needed to be sincere when dealing with other people, yet digging oneself into a hole and facing perilous danger as Chen Ping’an had against Du Mao couldn’t be regarded as being sincere anymore. Rather, that was called being simple-minded and naive.

Pei Qian and the four martial artists from the Lotus Flower Blessed Land were already walking over.

They were all extremely interested in the young Daoist priest and the big-bearded martial artist. They didn’t look like people from Chen Ping’an’s hometown, but rather like friends that Chen Ping’an had made during his travels.

Wei Xian and the others could all tell that the young Daoist priest was only an ordinary Qi refiner with a middling cultivation base. Meanwhile, the big-bearded man was a saber-wielding martial artist with a decent fifth tier cultivation base. And… this was it?

Pei Qian was secretly observing the two people the entire time, standing beside Chen Ping’an with her hiking pole in hand and the bamboo saber and bamboo sword that Chen Ping’an had made her hanging by her hip. She smiled and said, “Hi, Big Brother Daoist Priest and Saber-Wielding Uncle. I’m Pei Qian, Master’s opening disciple!”

Xu Yuanxia chortled with hearty laughter. He had gained one level of seniority for free.

Even though Zhang Shanfeng’s shoulder had been pierced by the sword cultivator’s bonded flying sword, and his face was still deathly pale even after applying some golden sore medicine on his wound, the corners of his lips curled up into a smile when he saw the skinny little girl who claimed to be Chen Ping’an’s opening disciple. He smiled and waved at the little girl, saying, “Hi, Pei Qian, how old are you this year?”

Pei Qian smiled widely and replied, “I’m only seven years old, and that’s why I’m so short.”

Chen Ping’an immediately flicked her on the forehead.

Pei Qian wanted to save face, but she ultimately ended up facing the consequences. Her expression immediately became sullen as she said truthfully, “I’m actually eleven years old.”

Chen Ping’an turned around before squatting down and looking at Xu Yuanxia, asking, “You’ve suffered severe wounds, so what are you going to do?”

Xu Yuanxia and Zhang Shanfeng also squatted down, with the big-bearded martial artist stroking his beard and contemplating for a moment before replying, “Well, let’s forget about that sneaky earth immortal and just focus on that sword cultivator riding the giant black fox, and the other vagrant cultivators. They clearly came with ill intentions and they would’ve immediately killed this earth bull if we stepped back and relented. In fact, this earth bull will still die if we leave now and abandon it.

“What you said was very true. Money doesn’t fall from the sky, nor is it blown over by the wind. Since we decided to help the earth bull, we may as well help it until the end. We’ll let it follow us in its true form for now, and we can find an earth vein for it to hide itself in once it recovers from its wounds. But this means there’ll be more weight on your shoulders, Chen Ping’an.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “We’ve only been apart for a short time, yet you’re already being this polite with me?”

Xu Yuanxia roared with laughter. “Being polite doesn’t cost me any money!”

Like a little chick pecking rice, Pei Qian nodded vigorously in agreement. Being polite and speaking words of flattery genuinely didn’t cost any money. This big-bearded uncle could most likely be regarded as a like-minded person.

Compared to Pei Qian, Wei Xian and the others saw more and thought further.

Wei Xian, Sui Youbian, Zhu Lian, and Lu Baixiang had never seen Chen Ping’an asking other people for their opinions before. Not only that, but he was heeding the words of the young Daoist priest and the big-bearded martial artist in a very natural manner. It didn’t seem forced at all.

One had to realize that Chen Ping’an had experienced many challenges and battles together with the four of them. In fact, Sui Youbian had even been killed several times. However, Chen Ping’an’s decision-making and demeanor radiated a formless sense of strength, toughness, and assertiveness. At the same time, he still treated them with the necessary amount of respect.

Even Wei Xian had to concede that he wasn’t exaggerating too much when he praised Chen Ping’an as having the potential to become a powerful ruler. If the two of them had risen together during a chaotic age in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, then it was very likely that he and Chen Ping’an would have become opponents on the battlefield.

Chen Ping’an looked at the earth bull and asked, “Can you assume human form? If I remember correctly, demons that have reached the Sea Observation Tier or the Dragon Gate Tier can assume human form, can’t they? I have some alchemical pills used for treating wounds, and they’ll be more effective if you ingest them while in human form.”

Before Chen Ping’an and the others left Old Dragon City, Lady Gui had sent someone over to give them a treasure box made from osmanthus wood. It was not something worth an exorbitant amount, but it was still not something ordinary people could afford. Namely, the treasure box contained twelve vials of alchemical pills useful for earth immortals. They were the most cost-effective pills for each cultivation tier in the Middle Five Tiers.

The Dragon Gate Tier earth bull that had suffered wounds to its foundation of the Great Dao shook its head in response to Chen Ping’an’s question.

“This earth bull is quite unique compared to ordinary mountain spirits and water beasts,” Zhang Shanfeng explained. “The purer one’s alignment with one of the Five Elements, the more difficult it is for one to assume human form. For example, this earth bull needs to advance to the Golden Core Tier before it can assume human form.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in realization and replied, “That’s okay. We’ll try our best to detour around the provincial city when we head over to the chief military governor’s office. We’ll take the smaller paths through the mountains and the rivers.”

Zhang Shanfeng smiled and said, “We’re quite familiar with these paths since we traveled to many places around the Azure Phoenix Nation and the Fortune Mountain Nation these past two years.”

Chen Ping’an took out an alchemical pill that was suitable for Dragon Gate Tier cultivators and told the earth bull to ingest it. Fifteen minutes later, the earth bull could already stand back up even though it was a bit of a struggle. Its body was still riddled with wounds, but these wounds no longer prevented it from walking normally.

Earth-element demons were known for their tough physique and astonishing stamina, after all, and this Dragon Gate Tier earth bull also revealed to them that it had refined a green glaze mountain-and-water vase as one of its bonded items. This vase could absorb and accumulate the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Chen Ping’an immediately understood the earth bull’s intention, so he directly handed the entire vial of alchemical pills to the earth bull. This way, the earth bull could place the alchemical pills inside its green glaze vase and slowly absorb the medicinal effects as well as spiritual energy to heal its wounds.

The eyes of the yellow earth bull were brimming with tears after it stood up, and it gazed at the young man dressed in snow-white robes and asked in a guilt-riddled voice, “How can I repay your noble act, Esteemed Immortal? I cultivated here for more than two hundred years because I was attracted to the dragon vein of this place. I obtained two immortal treasures by chance before, but I’ve already refined these treasures into my bonded items. Other than these, I haven’t obtained any natural treasures of heaven and earth. Esteemed Immortal, you’ve saved my life and even repaired my Dao, yet…”

Pei Qian sighed with sorrow.

It’s all my fault. We’ve only just left Old Dragon City, yet I’ve already become a money loser? I almost lost two snowflake coins at Wasp Tail Ferry Station, and now we’re going to suffer a huge loss in this mountain pass.

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “It’s okay. If you’re genuinely sincere, then you can visit my hometown in the future when you recover and form a golden core, and when you can travel around the world in human form. The mountains are beautiful and the water is limpid, and spiritual energy also exists in abundance. You’re very welcome to visit…”

Upon hearing Chen Ping’an say this, Xu Yuanxia interjected in a meaningful voice, “Why wait until the earth bull forms a golden core? It should head to your hometown immediately after it recovers from its wounds, and perhaps it can directly form its golden core there. There’s a sage guarding the fortune in your hometown, and there’s no need to worry about unexpected disasters being caused by the earth bull turning its body either.”

There was a confused look in the earth bull’s eyes as if it didn’t understand Xu Yuanxia’s words.

Chen Ping’an carefully contemplated whether this suggestion was viable or not. However, Xu Yuanxia smiled and continued, “Well, here’s no hurry. We’ll travel together for a long while, so let’s see if we get along with each other first. It won’t be too late to make a decision at that time. If things don’t fall in place naturally, then we would be better off parting ways with each other and simply leaving a good impression in each other’s minds. We’ll meet again if we’re fated to, and that will definitely be better than staying together and risking conflict. That would be a waste of the good relationship between us.”

“I agree,” Zhang Shanfeng said with a nod.

Chen Ping’an naturally had no objections.

They left the mountain pass and slowly made their way to the office of this chief military governor that was greatly renowned throughout the Azure Phoenix Nation.

Chen Ping’an told Zhang Shanfeng and Xu Yuanxia about his travels, naturally leaving out the things that were too sensitive.

The young Daoist priest and the big-bearded martial artist also told Chen Ping’an stories about their adventures after the three of them had parted ways at the Green Beetle Shop back then.

————

The Imperial Tang Clan of the Azure Phoenix Nation had a tradition of bestowing the title of king but not a kingdom for these kings to rule. Kings and county kings would stay in their residences in the capital; moreover, they had the right to live in these residences but did not own them. In other words, they would lose their right to live in these residences once they lost their positions as kings.

There were five chief military governor offices in the Azure Phoenix Nation, in the north, south, east, west, and center. These offices held immense power, and they were responsible for transporting grains to the imperial court as well as to the army. At the same time, they controlled the trade of salt and iron and looked after many other important matters.[1] These were all critical areas that pertained to the lifeblood of the empire.

Ordinary rulers were apprehensive of high-ranking officials holding too much power and kings and nobles breaking off and gaining absolute rule over their territories, yet everything had been calm and peaceful in the Azure Phoenix Nation for the past several hundred years. The officials and nobles acted appropriately, so much so that everyone else was left scratching their heads. Some of these nobles had territories so far away from the imperial capital and from the eyes of the emperor, so how was not a single one of them harboring wild ambitions? How were they all remaining loyal and willing to die for the Imperial Tang Clan?

In any case, the Azure Phoenix Nation was like an otherworldly paradise filled with peace and tranquility. This was especially the case when compared to the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, which was bathed in the flames of war. However, these wars also forced several swarms of nobles and scholars to abandon the north and flee to the south. The Azure Phoenix Nation, the Fortune Mountain Nation, and the Lofty Sky Nation all took in tens of thousands of these people, with the Azure Phoenix Nation taking in the most.

Of the five chief military governors in the Azure Phoenix Nation, the four in the north, south, east, and west had all been promoted to their current positions after meritorious service on the battlefield or in the military. Only the chief military governor in the central region had inherited the position from his ancestors.

Indeed, this position had been held by the Wei Clan for generation after generation for the past three hundred years. The Wei Clan only relied on a single direct descendant to carry on the lineage, which made it seem as if they might falter and die out at any moment. However, they refused to keel no matter what, keeping a solid grip on the position of chief military governor for more than three centuries.

The current chief military governor of the central region of the Azure Phoenix Nation—the one from the Wei Clan who had asked Zhang Shanfeng and Xu Yuanxia for True Martial and the short saber—no longer traveled around for sightseeing and enjoyment after inheriting this position. Instead, he mostly remained in his residence.

However, thanks to his achievements and other stories about him from many years ago, he was still quite renowned in the Azure Phoenix Nation and the two other nations. Chief Military Governor Wei was skilled at writing Daoist classics, writing in cursive script, annotating Buddhist scriptures, and painting Buddhist statues. He was incredibly skilled at painting Buddhist deities, in fact, so much so that he was called peerless among his contemporaries. Even in the imperial court, it was very difficult to obtain a single painting from Chief Military Governor Wei.

The chief military governor also had an impeccable reputation in the literati world, and he was regarded as graceful in demeanor, impressive in manner, and as lofty and otherworldly as pine trees rustling in the wind… He was even more highly regarded among the noble ladies and maidens in the capital, and it was said that a woodsman had once mistaken him for a transcendent immortal when he was out visiting immortals in the mountains with his friends in the past. The woodsman fell to his knees and kowtowed, exclaiming in astonishment that he had come across a paramount immortal.

Now that the capital of the Azure Phoenix Nation was hosting a huge debate between Buddhism and Daoism, Chief Military Governor Wei would travel over to oversee the safety of the capital. He was given permission to bring six thousand elite soldiers north and have them stationed at critical locations throughout the capital.

This was a clear reflection of the emperor’s trust and reliance on Chief Military Governor Wei.

In fact, their relationship was so close that there were even some rumors in the cultivation world claiming that there was more than just an intimate friendship between them. One had to realize that the emperors of the Lofty Sky Nation and the Fortune Mountain Nation would also be attending the grand debate between Buddhism and Daoism, yet neither of the emperors expressed any objections about Chief Military Governor Wei bringing soldiers into the capital. The emperors regarded this as normal, and this was very strange indeed.

On this day, a burly young man came over to visit the chief military governor’s office. He kept a low profile and didn’t alert any outsiders.

Chief Military Governor Wei Liang hosted his guest inside the study.

Wei Liang was only thirty years old, and he was a very handsome and elegant man.

Even though he was an extremely high-ranking official, he was very casual in his interactions with the burly young man, neither appearing politely distant nor being too purposely hospitable. Meanwhile, the burly young man was clearly well-acquainted with the chief military governor as well. He didn’t sit opposite Wei Liang; instead, he stood in front of the bookshelf and flipped through several different books.

Wei Liang smiled and said, “Jiang Yun, it seems like your clan holds you in very high regard, what with them being willing to hand this task to you. Well, this saves me some work and effort as well. I’ll be in the open, while you’ll be hiding in the shadows. I believe that this debate between Buddhism and Daosim near the tail end of spring won’t bring about too many disturbances.”

The burly young man was none other than the individual who lived near the tail end of Narrow Wasp Alley in Wasp Tail Ferry Station. Perhaps due to the fact that he had left the immortal ferry station which was a second home to him, Jiang Yun had used an illusion technique to conceal his belt, the iron chain from the Iron Lock Well that he had refined into a bonded item. This was to avoid drawing any attention from those in the city,

Jiang Yun casually flicked through a book that was filled with an extremely large number of annotations. There was a mix of black and red ink, and it was clear that Chief Military Governor Wei Liang had read this book more than once.

Jiang Yun turned around and warned, “You shouldn’t be too careless, Old Wei. Your emperor has made such a huge mess, and the situation is so complicated right now. Apart from me, several other people from my clan might be lying low in the capital and keeping an eye on the situation as well. Moreover, their cultivation bases definitely aren’t low.”

Wei Liang smiled and didn’t offer a response.

Jiang Yun felt slightly helpless, and he remarked, “A small nation like the Azure Phoenix Nation actually dares to host a debate between Buddhism and Daoism? Not only that, but they’re purposely making such a huge deal out of it as well. The Imperial Tang Clan might not understand the great dangers implied by competition between the three teachings, but are you not aware of these dangers, Old Wei?

“Why did the Cloud Forest Jiang Clan relocate to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent back then? I purposely traveled through some bustling areas after leaving Wasp Tail Ferry Station, and not to exaggerate or anything, but the streets are overflowing with Qi refiners right now. This is already the case in the outer regions, so it goes without saying that the capital is no different. Are you people genuinely unafraid?”

Chief Military Governor Wei Liang placed a wooden case on the table, and an ice-cold radiance instantly filled the room when he opened it. He retrieved a so-called scholarly knife from the wooden case and said with a faint smile, “It’s because of your master that you have some sympathy toward vagrant cultivators and itinerant cultivators. However, this isn’t the case for me. Before we reach the end of spring, I’ll cast several nets to capture all of the vagrant cultivators who have criminal records, whether their crimes were committed in the Azure Phoenix Nation or elsewhere. I’ll act within the laws and catch them dead or alive. A single rat dropping can spoil an entire pot of congee, so what about nests upon nests of rats rushing into the capital?”

Scholarly knives were ornaments placed on study desks by refined scholars and literati. Even though they were very small, they could still be regarded as the weapon of a noble person.

There were close to ten ancestral scholarly knives placed neatly inside the wooden box on the table in front of Wei Liang, and they were roughly separated into two categories—those that had seen many summers and winters and those only used for cutting fine Xuan paper.[2]

The former type of scholarly knives could just as well be called carving knives, and this was because people could only keep written records on bamboo slips and wooden slips in the ancient past. These were the “books,” and thus, the small knives used for carving them were rightfully called book knives.

They were made of iron in the past, and of copper in the even more distant past. Now, however, they were made from various types of precious materials, and largely used for decoration and collection. They were no longer used for their original purpose.

Wei Liang was holding a scholarly knife in each hand at this moment.

One was made of bamboo, and the characters “Made by Zhensong Hall” were inscribed on its hilt.

The other one was made of white jade and decorated with dragon patterns, and it had the characters “Tempered One Hundred Times by Official Craftsmen” inscribed.

Jiang Yun returned the book in his hand to the bookshelf and sighed, saying with a complicated expression, “And that’s why you plan to kill so many vagrant cultivators in a single go?”

“To commit many crimes is to seek death. It’s quite a bit of work for me to deal with those official immortals in the mountains, so the vagrant cultivators can count themselves very lucky that I’m not directly hunting and killing them. Of course, I also have selfish reasons for going to such lengths to do this. However, a good number of fence-sitters have already become eyes and ears for my office, and they’ll have their time to make a significant impact later on. See, this is how clean and simple it is to act according to stringent criteria in this world.”

Wei Liang didn’t look up as he spoke, and his gaze remained fixed on the white jade cutting knife. He then used the bamboo cutting knife to gently tap the white jade cutting knife, causing them to emit a crisp sound. He closed his eyes and listened with great joy.

Jiang Yun was slightly angry, even though he had a very good personal relationship with Wei Liang, and he asked, “Are you not concerned about whether your criteria are moral or immoral?”

“Immoral criteria are also criteria, aren’t they?” Wei Liang countered.

He opened his eyes, his expression calm and composed as he changed the topic and continued with a smile, “Let’s not talk about these matters that we’re destined to disagree on. During my most recent trip out, I came across a fellow disciple of Legalism who was incredibly interesting. His friends left two items in my office, so you can stay here and wait around for a few more days if you’re interested.”

1. In ancient China, the imperial court maintained a monopoly over the trade of salt and iron. ☜

2. 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. ☜