Unsheathed

At the dinner table of the Chen Clan’s leader, Chen Ping’an sat down in Zhang Shanfeng’s original spot and briefly explained the situation to Xu Yuanxia, telling him that the young Daoist priest had been brought away by his master.

To the big-bearded martial artist, this was nothing more than an ordinary parting. During his earlier years on the battlefield, he had become accustomed to eternal partings with his companions. Thus, even death was a common occurrence to him; how could anything less than that upset him?

Chen Ping’an accompanied Xu Yuanxia and drank a few cups of wine. In fact, before entering the dining room and sitting down at the table, he had already taken out two pots of osmanthus wine, one for the clan leader and one to enjoy with Xu Yuanxia.

The elderly clan leader had drunk sorghum liquor his entire life, so his impression of alcohol was that it should burn the throat and light up the belly. He was also a direct person, so he asked the village teacher sitting beside him to translate his comments for Chen Ping’an.

Using the official dialect of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, the village teacher repeated the elderly clan leader’s words to Chen Ping’an, saying that this wine was most likely very expensive. However, its taste was very mellow and not impactful enough, meaning that it lacked some flavor. That being the case, it would be just right for the women in the village.

Chen Ping’an felt slightly helpless upon hearing this. Xu Yuanxia was also well aware of just how valuable this osmanthus wine was. This was a wine that could genuinely extend the lifespan of ordinary mortals. In fact, just one cup of this wine was worth more than all of the sorghum liquor in this village combined. Yet, the elderly clan leader had such a low opinion of it? Xu Yuanxia almost choked on his wine.

After dinner, Chen Ping’an and Xu Yuanxia strolled around the tranquil village. Chen Ping’an returned the short saber to Xu Yuanxia, and the latter put his weapon away as he listened to Chen Ping’an describe Zhang Shanfeng’s master.

Xu Yuanxia was slightly astonished by what he heard, and he exclaimed, “The land-shortening technique of Qi refiners is actually derived from the astral steps of Daoist priests. Zhang Shanfeng is an external Daoist priest of Mount Longhu, so it isn’t strange that his master is skilled at this technique. At the end of the day, this is a technique originating from the Daoist Sect, after all.

“The major thing is how far you can travel like that. The difference between traveling a few dozen meters and a few dozen kilometers is like the difference between heaven and earth. As for drawing a talisman on the ground to bring another person away… Honestly, I’ve never even heard of such a feat before.”

Xu Yuanxia paused for a moment before continuing, “So be it if this was all. However, to draw a talisman on Zhang Shanfeng’s hand and managing to retrieve True Martial and the short saber from a thousand kilometers away? Just what kind of technique is this?”

Chen Ping’an sighed with emotion and replied, “How should I know?”

Xu Yuanxia smiled and said, “No matter what, it’s a good thing that Zhang Shanfeng has a truly powerful master. It’s just that our young friend was too impolite, hiding this from us the entire time and forcing me to worry about whether he was an external disciple from a third-rate force in the Complete Reed Continent. After all, most of the people claiming to be Heavenly Masters from Mount Longhu who go outside to subdue demons and eliminate fiends are just scammers. The world is swamped with these liars.

“I was filled with worry the entire time, and I carefully prodded around a few times to figure out whether Zhang Shanfeng was tricked into joining a force that scammed people of their money. If he had actually become the disciple of a weak fraudster by accident, then it would have been best for him to sever this relationship as early as possible. In fact, it would have been a good idea for him to not return to the Northern Complete Reed Continent. In any case, maybe it’s best that I didn’t see what his master did, or else I would’ve had to pick up my jaw from the ground.”

Chen Ping’an smirked. He seemed to be taking pleasure in Xu Yuanxia’s misfortune.

Xu Yuanxia felt slightly hesitant at this moment.

As the two of them slowly walked along the bluestone path surrounding the pond, Chen Ping’an said, “Big Brother Xu, feel free to speak your mind. Is there any need to be so polite with each other?”

“During this trip to the Azure Phoenix Nation, Zhang Shanfeng went with me to bring that ash urn back to the person’s family,” Xu Yuanxia replied. “Then, I went with him to attend the Liberation Rite of Water and Land and the Heavenly Worship Ceremony. To be honest, now that Zhang Shanfeng has returned to that Heavenly Master Residence with his master, I’m also starting to miss home a little.”

“Then take a trip home earlier,” Chen Ping’an suggested with a faint smile.

Xu Yuanxia stopped and stroked his beard, saying, “I’ve wandered around the outside world for so many years, and apart from sending some money and letters back home at set intervals, I have no idea what my hometown has become like now.”

“Then how about I go with you?” Chen Ping’an offered in a quiet voice. “If you feel like it’s inappropriate for Wei Xian and the others to go, then I’ll only bring Pei Qian with me. I’ll tell Wei Xian and the others to travel to the capital of the Azure Phoenix Nation for now.”

Xu Yuanxia smiled and shook his hand, replying, “You’re not a beautiful maiden or anything, so do I need you to accompany me home? You should follow your original plan. There’s no need to change your plans for me.”

“I never had any plan to begin with. What, is there something in your hometown that can’t be exposed? Are you afraid of me seeing through your scam?”

Xu Yuanxia sighed and squatted down beside the pond, using the pommel of his saber to gently tap the bluestone path. “My family is pretty well-off; they can probably be considered a prominent clan in the county. There was a marriage arranged for me, and I happened to take a glance at that young woman before I left home. She was fairly pretty, and I did in fact like her. But I was extremely ambitious back then, and I felt like I could make a huge name for myself in just three to five years. Afterward, I could confidently strut into the town and give her a grand wedding. Yet before I knew it, I’d already been wandering around for more than ten years.”

Chen Ping’an squatted down beside Xu Yuanxia and consoled him, “Big Brother Xu, you’re an authentic fifth-tier martial artist who’s also familiar with battle formations. If you return home, becoming a general in the imperial court shouldn’t be too difficult, right?”

“That’s right, it won’t be too difficult,” Xu Yuanxia replied with a nod. But then he sighed. “The closer to home I get, the more nervous I become. However, this is quite a frightening response when I think about it. I was never this anxious and agonized even when I fought with my life on the line on the battlefield during my younger days.”

Chen Ping’an pondered on this for a moment. Since Xu Yuanxia wanted to return home by himself, he naturally had his reasons for doing so. Thus, he said in a quiet voice, “I plan to travel to Bamboo Scroll Lake’s Cyan Gorge Island next, and I’m going to look for a child called Gu Can. He also lived in Clay Vase Alley back then, and he’s now a disciple of Liu Zhimao, the River Severing True Lord. If everything goes well, then I’ll travel to the Confucian academy in the Great Sui Nation afterward and look for a few other children who also came from my hometown.

“Big Brother Xu, if you encounter any challenge back home that’s too difficult for you to solve by yourself, then don’t forget that you have two friends in the cultivation world who can help. Zhang Shanfeng might be difficult to reach now, but you can always contact me. Well, that might be a little troublesome as well. Make sure you deliver two letters at once, lest I miss your message.”

Xu Yuanxia patted Chen Ping’an’s shoulder before pointing at the pond in front of them and saying, “My hometown can be compared to this pond—it’s small and unable to be viewed as the cultivation world or whatnot.[1] As a fith-tier martial artist with two decent weapons, this is more than enough for me to brag and show off. Even the provincial overseer will treat me as an esteemed guest. After all… do you think everyone is like you, Chen Ping’an?”

Chen Ping’an handed his Sword Nurturing Gourd to Xu Yuanxia and said in a soft voice, “Here, have a taste of this. This is some genuinely good wine. If you like it, then you can take the wine with you. Of course, you can’t take the wine gourd.”

Xu Yuanxia was slightly skeptical, yet his face instantly flushed bright red after he took a sip of medicinal wine refined from the golden core of the Nascent Tier flood dragon from the vermilion wine gourd. The breath of True Qi in his body was stirred, and it rushed past his acupoints like huge waves slamming into rock cliffs.

Xu Yuanxia hurriedly channeled his Qi to stabilize his body, and it took him quite a bit of work to digest the intense effects of the medicinal wine. He burped and exhaled a breath of murky Qi that had been stuck in his body for a long time and unable to be purified. He wiped his mouth, and there was a bright glimmer in his eyes as he exclaimed, “This wine is truly incredible. Martial artists only need to drink a single sip to see amazing results.”

Chen Ping’an was in no hurry to take back the Sword Nurturing Gourd, so he crossed his arms and chuckled, “Do you think everyone is like you, Xu Yuanxia? Do you think everyone can drink some medicinal wine from this wine gourd?”

Xu Yuanxia roared with laughter and didn’t hold back anymore, tilting his head back and drinking another large mouthful of medicinal wine, using it to cleanse his pure True Qi and expel any impurities. Not content with this, he took a third swig of medicinal wine and directly sat down cross-legged, remaining still for a long time like an old monk ,edotatomg.

When Xu Yuanxia opened his eyes again, he handed the wine gourd to Chen Ping’an and said, “Alright, three’s the limit. I finally have something to look forward to now, and I can dream about becoming a sixth-tier martial artist. Three swigs of this wine is enough, and drinking any more will do more harm than good. My foundation as a martial artist isn’t strong enough, so I can’t drink too much of it. I’ll ask you for more when I break through the final barrier of the fifth tier and advance to the sixth.”

Chen Ping’an was slightly puzzled. “Then why not take the wine with you? This will save you the trouble of having to ask me for it later.”

Even though Chen Ping’an needed this medicinal wine to nurture his physique and soul right now, he had already embarked on the proper path of martial arts cultivation. Thus, not drinking this medicinal wine would simply result in his cultivation speed being somewhat slower. Back in Old Dragon City, this medicinal wine had been a huge help during a dire time, especially since Chen Ping’an had just been severely wounded by Du Mao’s celestial weapon. Now, however, it was only icing on the cake.

However, it was a different story for Xu Yuanxia. This precious medicinal wine that couldn’t be bought with money had profound implications for the big-bearded martial artists. Disregarding the Great Li Empire, the smaller nations of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent treated martial artists very differently depending on their cultivation base. Indeed, the difference between how fifth-tier martial artists and sixth-tier martial artists were treated was like the gulf between heaven and earth.

In fact, seventh-tier martial artists might be powerful enough to affect the martial fortune of a small nation. That being the case, sixth-tier martial artists who had the potential to reach the seventh tier, the Vajra Body Tier, would naturally be treasured and recruited by the rulers of smaller nations.

Xu Yuanxia glanced at Chen Ping’an and replied, “This medicinal wine can accelerate one’s cultivation and not leave behind any side-effects, so it’s obviously a top-notch treasure. But it isn’t necessarily beneficial for martial artists who need to temper their mental state after advancing. With this medicinal wine, they’d inevitably start feeling lucky.

“They might not slack off on their physical training, but their mental state might become overly calm. If that’s the case, then their fist techniques will naturally become limp and sluggish. Chen Ping’an, do you think martial artists of this world can control themselves and refrain from drinking this medicinal wine if each sip is able to help them advance their cultivation base?”

Xu Yuanxia gazed into the distance and sighed with emotion, “Even though I’m well aware that drinking too much of this medicinal wine will have a detrimental effect on my cultivation in the long run, I have to admit that I won’t be able to control my impulse to drink it. In any case, I’m a drunkard, after all, so will I give a damn about my cultivation roadblocks or whatnot once I start to drink? I’ll enjoy myself to my heart’s content before I start to think about these things.”

When it came to one’s mental resolve on the path of cultivation, Xu Yuanxia conceded that he was inferior to Zhang Shanfeng and even more inferior to Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Then I’ll wait for you to reach the sixth tier first. When that time comes, I’ll give you this wine as a celebration wine.”

“When you travel north this time, don’t forget to pay Sword Saint Song and those two children in Blusher Prefecture a visit if you have the opportunity to travel through the Colorful Garment Nation and the Water Combing Nation,” Xu Yuanxia suddenly said. “Of course, you should also visit that couple in the ghost estate.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “Naturally. I need to treat Old Senior Song to some hotpot, and I need to check on those two children to see whether their cultivation journeys are going smoothly. I also need to visit that old estate to try out the old granny’s braised pork with dried bamboo shoots.”

Xu Yuanxia laughed heartily. Cultivation and wealth aside, Chen Ping’an was still the same Chen Ping’an as before. He patted the young man’s shoulder again, exerting much more force than last time. His voice was filled with energy and vigor as he said, “Chen Ping’an, both you and Zhang Shanfeng need to cultivate earnestly and make a name for yourselves. When you guys become successful and renowned in the future, I’ll also be able to boast in front of other people when I hear of your feats in my hometown. At that time, countless people will cry and shout as they beg me to drink with them and tell them stories about you and Zhang Shanfeng.”

Chen Ping’an cupped his fists and said in amusement, “Thanks for your blessings, Big Brother Xu.”

Xu Yuanxia stood up and said, “Alright, it was still okay before when we were randomly strolling around, and I didn’t really feel anything. But now that I’m thinking about home, it’s as if my stomach is craving wine and causing an uprising. It will feel terrible if I don’t take a sip. Haha, that pot of old wine is none other than my hometown—it’s time to set off!”

Chen Ping’an also stood up, saying, “Then I’ll accompany you to your room to pack up. I’ll go with you for a short distance.”

Xu Yuanxia shot a glare at him and scolded, “Why so sentimental? You need to learn from Zhang Shanfeng when it comes to farewells. Look at how straightforward and quick he was! He immediately left when it was necessary.”

Chen Ping’an rolled his eyes and retorted, “Him? I’ll be quite impressed if Zhang Shanfeng isn’t crying right now. In fact, why don’t we have a bet on this?”

Xu Yuanxia rubbed his chin and said, “There’s no one to bet with. That idiot is hiding from his master and secretly bawling his eyes out.”

Chen Ping’an also rubbed his chin, saying, “Is this a case of great minds thinking alike?”

Xu Yuanxia laughed and strode away, telling Chen Ping’an that there was no need to see him off. However, the big-bearded martial artist suddenly remembered that it was late at night, and it was very possible that many women and children had already gone to bed. Thus, he quietened down and waved farewell with his back facing Chen Ping’an. He didn’t hesitate or pause at all.

Standing there, Chen Ping’an inevitably felt the slight sorrow of parting.

Around thirty minutes later, Pei Qian slowly trudged over with sleepy eyes. Running through the alleyways at night was quite terrifying, so that yellow paper talisman was once again stuck on her forehead. After finding Chen Ping’an, she asked in puzzlement, “Why is the big-bearded uncle running away? Does he owe you money, Master? Is he unable to repay it, so he feels too ashamed to show his face? So he’s sneaking away at night?”

Pei Qian felt extremely irritated by this, so she angrily stomped her feet and punched her palm before fuming, “That poor uncle with a big beard is far too disloyal! If he doesn’t have enough money to repay his debts, then he can secretly borrow some from me! It’s not like I’ll expose his embarrassing actions to Master or anything.”

She wasn’t sure why, but she had a nagging feeling that Chen Ping’an had been unusually happy the entire time after meeting the young Daoist priest with mediocre talent and the big-bearded uncle with a supremely loud voice. It seemed like he was even happier than if he had made a lot of money.

In reality, however? Ever since meeting the yellow earth bull at the mountain pass, her master had lost money, then lost money, and then lost some more money. Indeed, hadn’t he given Zhang Shanfeng an azure wooden box? One that held some kind of important seal? Moreover, during their trip from Old Dragon City to Wasp Tail Ferry Station, had her master been willing to drink his osmanthus wine and well-water immortal wine every single day?

By the looks of it, making friends in the cultivation world was completely meaningless. After all, doing so would cause a person to lose all of their money.

Chen Ping’an smiled and shook his head, correcting, “Your big-bearded uncle simply misses home. We can look for him in the future, and you can also look for him by yourself when you start to travel around the cultivation world. You’ll most likely be old enough to drink at that time, so you need to remember to bring some good wine when you visit him.”

Pei Qian shook her head and said, “The cultivation world is teeming with dangers, and wine is far too expensive. I’ve decided that I won’t travel around the cultivation world.”

Chen Ping’an twisted her ear and scolded, “Just how old are you? And you’re telling me that the cultivation world is teeming with dangers?”

Pei Qian stood on her tippy-toes and begged for mercy, saying, “Old Man Wei and the big-bearded uncle both said the same thing. I felt like it was quite impressive and gallant when they said this, so I decided to casually repeat it as well.”

Chen Ping’an let go of her ear and chuckled, “Use the six-step walking meditation to go back to your room and sleep.”

Pei Qian could perform the six-step walking meditation decently well now, but she was still unable to capture the essence of standing meditation and the corresponding Sword Furnace Stance. As for the Heaven and Earth Stance, Pei Qian was indeed very interested in learning this. However, she couldn’t grasp this stance no matter what. This was because she couldn’t even do a handstand yet.

An uneventful night passed by.

The roosters started to crow very early in the mountain village, but Chen Ping’an didn’t go out for a stroll after waking up. This was because the martial arts practitioners in the village were about to gather and train together in around half an hour. They would train together in the morning and at night, and they would persist with this training day after day, year after year. This was the case for all men in the village, whether they were young boys or grown men. In fact, even women were allowed to join if they wanted to.

Many people in this village went on to work as armed escorts, so it would naturally be difficult to build a good reputation if one didn’t possess solid martial arts skills. According to the village teacher, the reputation of their clan leader, known as Chen’s Archway, was extremely useful in this province of the Azure Phoenix Nation when descendants of the Chen Clan went to work as armed escorts or travel around the cultivation world.

When Chen Ping’an walked past the martial arts training ground of the Chen Clan yesterday, he didn’t stop to observe like he had observed the martial arts school in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. Instead, he had briskly walked past and left.

Not only that, but Chen Ping’an even spoke with the four martial artists from the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, especially Lu Baixiang and Sui Youbian, and told them that it was best to avoid walking around with weapons in this mountain village.

They needed to adapt to the local traditions and customs.

On this morning, Chen Ping’an and his companions gathered together to eat breakfast. After finishing breakfast, they would prepare to leave the village and head to the capital of the Azure Phoenix Nation. Before leaving the country, Chen Ping’an wanted to watch the grand debate between Buddhism and Daoism, which the emperor had spent all of his effort organizing.

Apart from Wasp Tail Ferry Station, located at the intersection of three nations, there was also another immortal ferry station located in the eastern regions of the Azure Phoenix Nation. Apparently, it was slightly larger than Wasp Tail Ferry Station. Back in Wasp Tail Ferry Station, Chen Ping’an and the others had heard that war and chaos were ravaging the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and this was the case for both cultivators in the mountains and people outside the mountains. Thus, many intercontinental ships heading to this area had stopped running.

There was no ferry station above Bamboo Scroll Lake, and the two ferry stations nearest to it were located in the heavily guarded area of a nation’s capital and an immortal force in the mountains. However, both places were affected by the chaotic wars, with the heavy cavalry of the Great Li Empire trampling all over the lands and sending blood flying everywhere. Thus, Chen Ping’an wanted to try his luck with the ferry station located in the eastern regions of the Azure Phoenix Nation. Otherwise, the distance to Bamboo Scroll Lake would be far too great to cover on foot.

While sitting around a table and eating congee, Chen Ping’an and the others suddenly turned around to look toward the courtyard located outside the dining room. A snow-white figure appeared extremely eye-catching as it gracefully hovered out from the shadows of the corridor and stood still. There was a dazzling smile on this person’s face.

It was a young boy in white with an immortal aura.

He appeared even more ethereal than Chen Ping’an.

Pei Qian dazedly stared at the uninvited guest, and for some unknown reason, she hurriedly took out the Treasure Pagoda Demon-Suppressing Talisman and slapped it on her forehead.

Chen Ping’an put his chopsticks down and heaved a soft sigh.

Wei Xian and the others were slightly puzzled.

Apart from this person’s outstanding appearance and outfit, they couldn’t determine his strength or cultivation base at all. In fact, they couldn’t even determine whether he was an immortal from the mountains or a pure martial artist.

This made them feel less and less confidence.

Chen Ping’an stood up and walked over, stopping near the door threshold before asking, “Why did you come here?”

With tears in his eyes and his lips quivering, the young boy sobbed and shouted as he ran over to Chen Ping’an, seemingly wanting to hug him and lament about the pain of separation. It was a very touching sight.

“Master, I’ve caused you to suffer so much by arriving too late. Disciple Cui Dongshan deserves to die a hundred times over to make up for his sins… Aargh…!”

Chen Ping’an directly raised a foot and kicked his repulsive “disciple” away.

Pei Qian widened her eyes in astonishment. Where had this person suddenly come out from? By the looks of it, he was trying to snatch her master away?

Cui Dongshan spun countless times in the air, with his large sleeves fluttering around like beautiful white clouds pushed away by the outstretched hand of an immortal.

1. The term for cultivation world is Jianghu (江湖), which literally means rivers and lakes. Xu Yuanxia is thus saying his hometown is a small pond that’s incomparable to the rivers and lakes. ☜