Unsheathed

Lu Tai returned to his residence which was filled with the silvery laughs of shapely young women. There wasn’t a single speck of dust in the courtyard, and all of the paths were paved with bamboo boards that were sparkling clean thanks to his maidservants.

He walked past three maidservants who had escaped from their torturous lives thanks to him, and all of them greeted him, their master and benefactor, in a slightly strange manner.

They greeted Lu Tai using beautiful words of praise that he had told them to find and memorize from the books. The three young women were family members of officials, and they had been forced into the high-class brothel as a form of punishment for these officials. Because of their background, they were quite familiar with essays and poems. Now that there were so many books in the ancient residence for them to read, it wasn’t difficult for them to find and memorize these beautiful words of praise.

One of them said that her young master’s poems were like blooming lotuses, naturally pure and adorable.

Another beautiful maidservant praised her young master’s demeanor, saying that he was as radiant and warm as the sun over the East Sea.

There was also a young woman who compared her young master’s appearance to irises and orchards, saying that his beauty was such that it would illuminate the entire space.

Lu Tai laughed heartily upon hearing their praise.

Lu Tai took his boots off and continued to walk, eventually arriving before a simple but elegant arhat bed. He sat down and leaned back, and a beautiful maidservant wanted to walk over and attend to him. However, Lu Tai waved a hand and shooed her away.

He sniffed the wine and took a sip. Even though it now tasted much better than ordinary wine in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, it was still far from being able to rival the immortal wine in the Majestic World.

Lu Tai casually tossed the pot of wine, which still had the wine insect lying on the bottom, toward a distant table. The pot landed firmly and didn’t spill a single drop of wine.

Later in the day, accompanied by song and laughter in this residence, winds of change were already sweeping through the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. This was the case in the cultivation world, and also the case in the imperial courts and the battlefields.

Lu Tai was teaching an intelligent maidservant how to taste tea when another beautiful maidservant walked over and informed him that an old Confucian scholar had come to visit.

Lu Tai put aside the elegant task at hand and personally walked out to greet Mr. Zhong, the teacher from the private school.

According to Cao Qinglang, Mr. Zhong was very good at teaching, even though he was strict. Not only that, but he was also extremely patieng.

Standing outside the door was none other than Zhong Qiu, the imperial preceptor of the Southern Garden Nation. His expression was grave, and he turned down Lu Tai’s offer to head inside to talk. He stated that he would leave after discussing the matters at the door.

Lu Tai smiled and said, “I’m respectfully listening to your teachings, Mr. Zhong.”

“Young Master Lu, your intentions are good, but you’re prematurely hastening his development right now!” Zhong Qiu said in a solemn voice.

Lu Tai feigned astonishment and asked, “Why do you say this?”

“Young Master Lu, you dare to do this, but you don’t dare to acknowledge your actions?” Zhong Qiu asked in anger.

Lu Tai opened his folding fan with a crack and gently rocked it back and forth, appearing carefree and elegant as he replied, “Dare I ask, Mr. Zhong, where was I wrong?”

Zhong Qiu took a deep breath.

During the past half a year, Lu Tai had taught Cao Qinglang about many so-called affairs and principles of the world.

If it hadn’t been for Zhong Qiu inadvertently overhearing Cao Qinglang’s debate with a fellow classmate in the private school today, it was very likely that he wouldn’t have found out about Lu Tai funneling so much so-called general knowledge to Cao Qinglang.

For example, Lu Tai had taught the little boy about people who would detest those who were wealthy, yet laugh at those who were poor. He had talked about why it was so difficult to become a good person, with the reason being that few people truly understood the notion of doing good without seeking something in return when doing good. Thus, it was very easy for these so-called good people to become bad.

For example, those who set up congee stalls to feed refugees of war were indeed doing good deeds. However, the impoverished and starving refugees of war were also doing good deeds for the wealthy individuals when accepting their help.[1]

Apart from these things, Lu Tai had also taught Cao Qingland a whole heap of random things that were beyond moral principles and etiquette. In fact, there were some things that even Zhong Qiu, who was renowned for his wealth of knowledge in the Southern Garden Nation, hadn’t heard about before. For example, there was the Daoist Sect’s study of military forces, the Mohist Sect’s study of mechanisms, the School of Medicine’s study of using a myriad of herbs to forge golden bodies, the study of reversing aging and returning to youth, and so on and so forth.

Thankfully, Cao Qinglang hadn’t hidden anything from Mr. Zhong when his kind teacher asked about the situation. Bit by bit, he had revealed everything that he had learned.

Zhong Qiu composed himself and slowly asked, “How is Cao Qinglang’s innate disposition?”

Lu Tai thought for a moment before replying, “Pure, kind-hearted, and inclined to goodness.”

“How is Cao Qinglang’s scholarly talent?” Zhong Qiu then asked.

Lu Tai sighed and replied, “Fair.”

“How old is Cao Qinglang this year?” Zhong Qiu finally asked.

Lu Tai felt slightly guilty in a very rare turn of events.

Zhong Qiu sighed with emotion and explained, “How to conduct oneself is different from martial artists learning new skills, and it’s not the case that being able to endure hardships can allow one to walk forward, with speed being the only variable. It’s different from otherworldly immortals like you cultivating the Dao, and it’s not the case that one can advance in leaps and bounds if one is talented enough. In fact, it’s also different from aging Confucian scholars like me engaging in scholarship, where we seek greater heights, broader horizons, and more refined details.

“How to conduct oneself—especially for young children like Cao Qinglang—is something that should be focused on sincerity and simplicity. These are the most important factors. Young children will face many difficulties when reading, but it doesn’t matter if they don’t understand the contents. Their characters will be crooked and fail to capture the required essence when writing, but this matters even less.

“Even though I don’t dare to claim that every single character and phrase in the Confucian classics is suitable, I, Zhong Qiu, dare say that the Confucian classics in this world expound the least incorrect knowledge. The more of these classics Cao Qinglang reads now, the more at ease he can feel when he strides forward in the future. How can a young child like him accept so much miscellaneous knowledge?”

Lu Tai put his folding fan away and bowed in apology, saying, “Lu Tai understands his errors.”

Zhong Qiu sighed and said with a cold humph, “If Chen Ping’an had remained by Cao Qinglang’s side, he definitely wouldn’t have made the same mistake as you.”

Lu Tai looked up, and he didn’t become angry upon hearing this. Instead, he smiled widely and announced, “Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Zhong, I’ve benefited greatly from this. In order to express my gratitude, I’ll bring you a large jar of fine wine. I promise that it will be immortal wine that has never before appeared in the history of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land!”

“There’s no need,” Zhong Qiu replied in a solemn voice.

He then turned around to leave.

“Zhong Qiu, how would you respond if it were Chen Ping’an inviting you to drink?” Lu Tai suddenly asked with a chuckle.

Zhong Qiu was clearly very angry with this young otherworldly immortal, so he didn’t so much as turn around as he replied, “His tolerance for wine isn’t good enough. He’ll be knocked out after a few bowls.”

Lu Tai sighed softly as he looked at the scholar in azure gradually disappearing into the distance.

The profound essence of the Dao was no greater than life.

It was as if he had awoken from a dream.

Had he been born in the Majestic World, Mr. Zhong would have definitely been an extraordinary person.

————

Because it was the season for travel and adventure, there were many colorful clothes and handsome horses dotting the official road outside the prefectural city.

If it were ordinary horse-drawn carriages trundling along the official road, only a minor amount of dust and debris would be kicked up. If it were an entire group of mounted travelers thundering past, however, then those walking along the two sides of the official road would be forced to suffer.

Indeed, Pei Qian had been forced to eat quite a bit of dust, and her clothes were also covered in a layer of gray dust now. She was so angry that she hurriedly retrieved a fragrant pear from her luggage sack and viciously crunched away more than half of it. Only after doing this did she finally calm down.

The Hundred Flower Garden had replenished the immortal nuts and fruits in their rooms every day, but Pei Qian hadn’t dared to ask her master whether she could bring these nuts and fruits with her when they left. Rather, it was Chen Ping’an who had gone over to ask the innkeeper by himself. After learning that guests of the inn were free to take these immortal nuts and fruits with them, Pei Qian had gone around to all of their rooms to take everything away!

Afterward, Chen Ping’an had given Pei Qian a pear and a handful of jujubes to eat during their journey.

At this moment, another group of men and women dressed in silk and satin thundered past on their horses. Fortunately, Pei Qian had already turned to her side very early on, protecting the remaining half of the pear in her hands.

Chen Ping’an waved the dust away and said to Pei Qian with a smile, “Remember to keep the pit of the pear.”

After finishing the pear, Pei Qian placed the pit in her luggage sack and asked, “Master, are these people sprinting around on horses detestable or what? They don’t have any real abilities, yet they insist on showing off and acting all high and mighty.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “We’re only being made to eat some dirt, so we can’t go as far as to say that they’re detestable.”

Pei Qian mulled over this for a moment, but she most likely didn’t understand Chen Ping’an’s response.

Chen Ping’an smiled and asked, “Do you want to ride a horse when you travel around the cultivation world in the future? If you ride a horse, then do you want your horse to gallop as quickly as possible while you holler, ‘Here I come, cultivation world!’?”

Pei Qian came to a sudden realization and replied, “Oh, you’re right.”

Chen Ping’an patted Pei Qian’s little head and said softly, “Don’t be disheartened if you encounter many challenges and obstacles during your first journey through the cultivation world. You’ll always be able to find kind-hearted people in the cultivation world who’ll happily treat you to delicious wine.”

“But I’ll still come across ghosts if I travel during the night all the time. I’m scared,” Pei Qian mumbled.

Chen Ping’an was extremely amused by this, and he chuckled, “You’ll be riding a handsome horse at that time, and Master would have also prepared a sword and a saber for you to subdue demons and eliminate fiends with. In other words, it should be the ghosts and fiends that are afraid of you instead.”

Pei Qian cutely flattered her master, replying, “Master, I’ll definitely accept the sword and the saber. Apart from that, a small donkey will do just fine. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bit slower!”

————

Halfway through their journey, there was a day when Chen Ping’an and his companions were cooking in a tranquil area near a river.

In the distance, there was someone hesitating and seemingly indecisive about whether they should walk over. In the end, they finally made up their mind and decided to approach Chen Ping’an and the others.

The man stopped approximately twenty paces away from Chen Ping’an, and he cast his gaze toward the young man in white who had removed the bamboo bookcase from his back but was still carrying his sword. Using the official dialect of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, he smiled and asked, “Young Master, can I discuss something with you?”

Chen Ping’an nodded and replied, “Go ahead.”

The man walked closer and asked, “Young Master, have you heard about incense peddlers before?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “I know a little about them. Are you an incense provider from some Daoist temple or Buddhist temple in the Azure Phoenix Nation? Are you providing incense for the mountains or incense for the waters?”

The man breathed a soft sigh of relief. By the looks of it, this young esteemed immortal was a refined person who understood how to refer to him as an incense provider, a much more pleasant-sounding title. At the same time, the esteemed immortal also appeared to understand the ins and outs of his trade. Sure enough, he had a good eye for potential customers. Even though these people were traveling on foot, they couldn’t conceal or fake the immortal aura that they were exuding.

Peddling incense was one way to make a living for vagrant cultivators in the cultivation world. They would travel around the world and help mountain god temples, river god temples, Daoist temples, or Buddhist temples look for potential worshippers, persuading those wealthy and capable of donating huge sums of money to visit the temples and offer incense.

Generally speaking, incense peddlers would all bring a certain amount of incense with them. This would be divine incense exquisitely crafted by spiritual masters and eminent monks, meaning that it carried a hefty price tag. Qi refiners could calm their minds and gather their concentration after burning this incense, allowing them to absorb spiritual energy quicker than normal. Meanwhile, it was said that officials and nobles could accumulate hidden virtue for their descendants if they offered this kind of incense in their ancestral halls.

Divine incense was separated by grade, and the difference in price between the highest grade and the lowest grade was immense. Mountain incense was crafted by the mountain god temples and five mountain temples, while water incense was of course crafted by the river god temples, river guardian shrines, and so on.

Chen Ping’an had a deep impression of the incense providers that Cui Dongshan had mentioned before.

The man pointed at the nearby river and chuckled, “It’s water incense from the local river guardian temple.”

Chen Ping’an put down his chopsticks and wiped his hands clean before walking over to the man and asking, “How many snowflake coins will it be?”

“Three sticks of incense for one snowflake coin,” the man replied.

Pei Qian’s eyes widened in shock. One snowflake coin was worth a whopping one thousand taels of silver!

Chen Ping’an secured three lots of water incense, handing three snowflake coins to the man. The man then handed him three simple yet refined wooden boxes, each of which held three sticks of incense.

It wasn’t necessary for one to immediately visit the relevant temple or shrine after securing some incense. Rather, one could visit whenever one wanted. In fact, it wouldn’t matter even if one decided not to visit at all. No one would force them to visit.

The only thing to keep in mind was that mountains were different from waters. Everything would be fine as long as one didn’t offer mountain incense in river god temples or water incense in mountain god temples. Apart from this, it wouldn’t matter if one offered mountain incense or water incense in Daoist temples or Buddhist temples. It would also be fine if one offered mountain incense or water incense in their ancestral halls, the scholarly temples, the city god pavilions, and so on.

Even so, Chen Ping’an still asked the man to wait for a short moment. After Pei Qian and the others finished eating, they followed the man to the local river guardian temple.

While walking to the temple, Pei Qian asked in a soft voice, “Master, won’t we be taking a detour by visiting the temple?”

However, Pei Qian quickly realized that she was speaking nonsense. Her master was always like this; as long as they weren’t in a hurry, they would always stop whenever they came across famous sites or scenic spots. As a result, they would always travel a far greater distance than necessary.

Chen Ping’an remained silent as he looked up and gazed into the distance.

Walking slowly in the gentle spring breeze, the white sleeves of the young man billowed in the wind as he murmured, “I want to see more of the world.”

1. This most likely refers to the fact that wealthy people are doing this for good karma, so those who accept their help are doing “good deeds” for them. ☜