Unsheathed

Moon Hook Island was quite a powerful island, and the old Golden Core Tier island master had been renowned for being a tough nut to crack. However, Yu Gui had betrayed the old island master and damaged the island’s protective array, thereby creating an opening for Liu Zhimao and Gu Can to exploit.

All of the Moon Hook Island cultivators were caught completely off guard and suffered extremely severe casualties, with Yu Gui becoming the main beneficiary, harvesting a huge number of souls from deceased cultivators of the Middle Five Tiers. It was rumored that he was very likely to become the next new Nascent Tier cultivator of Bamboo Scroll Lake.

On top of that, he had taken the old island master’s concubines and daughters for himself, and he had been leading a blessed life for the past year. During the celebratory banquet on Cyan Gorge Island, even Liu Zhimao had jokingly remarked that Yu Gui was the most enviable person in all of Bamboo Scroll Lake.

During the same banquet, Gu Can had given Yu Gui a big thumbs-up, in response to which the latter had hurriedly risen to his feet and proposed a toast to the former.

Gu Can barely ever displayed any benevolence toward any of the guest elders of the island, so this was a very rare honor, indeed.

Upon reaching the shore of the Moon Hook Island, Chen Ping’an pulled out his Day and Night Wandering Deity True Body Talisman and summoned the pair of wandering deity puppets, then stepped ashore completely unannounced.

This was a very Bamboo Scroll Lake way of doing things, and he was no longer the innocuous accountant who was polite and friendly to everyone that he met.

Yu Gui had originally intended to put on a bit of a show of authority, but he was so frightened by this gesture from Chen Ping’an that he had immediately come scurrying out to meet him.

He had been terrified that Chen Ping’an had come to exact a killing spree for whatever reason on his island, so he was very relieved to hear that he had only come here to purchase some unimportant yin entities. At the same time, he also gave Chen Ping’an many justifications for his past actions in a roundabout manner.

For example, he spoke about how abhorrently the old island master had treated him, and how much bad blood had accumulated between them, ultimately leading to his decision to betray the old island master. He also threw in a story about how the old island master had forcibly taken his lover and made her his concubine, and that the two of them were only reunited after the old island master’s demise.

It was unclear whether any of these stories were true, but Yu Gui certainly did his very best to make them sound as convincing as possible.

Chen Ping’an patiently listened to Yu Gui’s gripes, and only after Yu Gui had completely run out of sob stories did Chen Ping’an steer the conversation toward the subject of purchasing yin souls. Perhaps it was because Yu Gui was far wealthier than the ghostly cultivator with the Ma surname and had more yin souls to spare, or perhaps it was because he simply possessed superior foresight.

In any case, he was much more happy to sell what he had to Chen Ping’an, and for some yin souls that were in very incomplete states, he virtually gave them to Chen Ping’an free of charge. If it weren’t for the fact that he was no longer a pathetic little cultivator that had to go and scavenge for lowly souls in graveyards and ancient battlegrounds to use for the refinement of his bonded items, those incomplete yin souls would’ve already all been refined.

After all, ghost generals and ghost kings all required loose souls for sustenance.

Chen Ping’an also asked him some questions about soul-nurturing talismans, and Yu Gui naturally answered such inconsequential questions with full transparency, terrified that any lie that he told would lead to his instant demise at the hands of the two puppets standing behind Chen Ping’an.

There wasn’t a single earth immortal in Bamboo Scroll Lake who hadn’t heard about the one-sided massacre that had taken place outside Cloud Pagoda City with Chen Ping’an as the perpetrator, and all of them had begun making preparations in case Chen Ping’an were to come after them for some reason, someday.

In fact, there was a chance that some of the island masters on Palace Willow Island had already agreed to forge alliances with one another specifically to protect themselves from Chen Ping’an.

Among all of the countless cultivators of Bamboo Scroll Lake, there was a universally agreed upon notion, which was that there existed no truly unbeatable treasure in this world. Perhaps it would be unbeatable one day, but it wouldn’t be the next day. At the very latest, a counter for it would be found the day after the next.

Chen Ping’an turned down Yu Gui’s offer to escort him to the dock, opting to return to his boat on his own. From there, he stowed away the Day and Night Wandering Deity True Body Talisman, which was becoming dimmer and dimmer with each use, then departed on his boat.

There were over a thousand islands in Bamboo Scroll Lake, and all of them presented different pieces of picturesque autumnal scenery.

Chen Ping’an was in no hurry to return to Cyan Gorge Island, so he stopped the boat in the middle of the lake, then took a sip of wine from his Sword Nurturing Gourd to reinvigorate himself.

After strapping the Sword Nurturing Gourd back to his waist, he began to observe the scenery around him.

The Scholarly Sage had once said that no exceptional man was born exceptional. Rather, they became exceptional for their ability to use the resources around them.

That was why Chen Ping’an had sent three letters to three different people. It was also why he had been using the Day and Night Wandering Deity True Body Talisman in such a decisive manner, even at the expense of draining its power, and why he had forced Sword Immortal to come out its scabbard against its will.

At this point, Chen Ping’an had come to realize that the principles of world had barriers to accessibility. Principles that were too inaccessible were often disregarded as too profound or complex, while principles that were too accessible were seen as excessively simple and mundane.

As for those in between, they were never the true, foundational principles of the world. Ultimately, it came down to how one viewed the world deep down in their heart. For example, Gu Can’s mother never believed in karma, while Chen Ping’an always had. This was the fundamental difference between their mindsets, and that was why their world views differed so drastically.

Gu Can’s mother was materialistic to the extreme, while Chen Ping’an was often willing to look beyond materialistic things to the things that he regarded as more important, and this had virtually nothing to do with what he had experienced since leaving the Jewel Small World and how many principles he had read from books.

If one were to delve even deeper, then that would concern a person’s barest and simplest view of the world, concerning the so-called critical principle proposed by Cui Chan.

Chen Ping’an had actually already considered everything to this level of depth, but ultimately, he had decided to stop and turn back.

There was no benefit to be derived in thinking excessively about such matters.

At the moment, Chen Ping’an had no choice but to set aside his fist and sword technique practice. Even thoughts of the all-important ten-year and sixty-year promises had to be banished from his mind for one, and as a result, he naturally had more time to think about other things and to observe Bamboo Scroll Lake.

He wanted to see more and see further than back when he was standing at the railing of the Purple Sun Residence in the Yellow Court Nation. For example, the current Chen Ping’an could confidently assess that Bamboo Scroll Lake was a place that was sure to be fought over by the most dominant powers on the continent.

Prior to the Great Li Empire’s southward expansion, it had been a lawless safe haven for rogue cultivators fleeing from the repercussions of their crimes. It had been an annoying thorn in the Luminous Vermilion Empire’s side, but not one that was worthy of the sacrifice that it would take to pluck out. Now that this delicate equilibrium had been broken, everything was undoubtedly going to change.

Chen Ping’an was also waiting.

Whether it be the nearest Luminous Vermilion Empire claiming Bamboo Scroll Lake first, or the Great Li Empire getting there before its fiercest rival, or perhaps Lake View Academy would step in as mediator, unwilling to allow either side to become too powerful. Regardless of the outcome, a new equilibrium would emerge, and in the process, the laws of a nation would overcome the traditions of a land.

Over on Palace Willow Island, the island masters were still engaging in heated arguments every day.

This was a very rare sight in Bamboo Scroll Lake as under normal circumstances, everything was settled in battle, not words.

Seeing as this was a very important occasion, official rules still had to be followed, so none of Gu Can’s friends were permitted to be in attendance, even though the vast majority of island masters had to treat them with respect, and some of them wouldn’t even have felt it humiliating to refer to Gu Can’s three friends as their equals.

Recently, Palace Willow Island had been absolutely packed to the rafters, mostly by the island masters and their entourages. In the wake of the untimely demise of the female cultivator who had served as the previous ruler of the cultivation world of Bamboo Scroll Lake, Palace Willow Island had already been left uncared for for the past two centuries.

Only some elderly vagrant cultivators who felt indebted to her would occasionally send people to clean up the island. Otherwise, the island would’ve already been reduced to a set of overgrown ruins reclaimed by nature.

The old master of Palace Willow Island was the only vagrant cultivator of the Upper Five Tiers of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, Liu Laocheng.

He came from a no-name place called Wasp Tail Ferry Station in the southeastern region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and he first became renowned across the entire continent when he reached the Gold Core Tier on a walkway suspended between a pair of mountains in a small immortal sect.

According to the rules established by the Confucian academy, Liu Laocheng was entitled to found his own sect after reaching the Upper Five Tiers, but all he did was instate a female cultivator of Bamboo Scroll Lake who had very close ties with him as the ruler of the cultivation world, while he himself departed from Bamboo Scroll Lake to travel the land in a seemingly aimless fashion, and he was never heard from again.

All hopes of a unified Bamboo Scroll Lake were dashed in the wake of his departure, and everything became a fragmented mess once again, thereby facilitating the meteoric rise of Liu Zhimao and Cyan Gorge Island, allowing a lawless little foreign brat like Gu Can to wreak havoc as he pleased in Bamboo Scroll Lake.

As autumn transitioned to winter, Chen Ping’an began to pay frequent visits to the ghostly cultivator with the Ma surname, the Treasured Jewel Pavilion on Bejeweled Hairpin Island, and Yu Gui of Moon Hook Island.

Right as Chen Ping’an felt like an outcome was finally about to be reached on Palace Willow Island, an astonishing turn of events unfolded on Hibiscus Mountain of Bamboo Scroll Lake.

The cultivation base of Hibiscus Mountain’s island master wasn’t all that impressive, but Hibiscus Mountain had always been a subsidiary island to Heavenly Governess Island, which was one of the large islands opposed to Liu Zhimao’s instatement as ruler of the cultivation world.

Hibiscus Mountain was renowned in the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent for producing Hibiscus Stone, an exceptional material for crafting seals, and it was situated on the outskirts of Bamboo Scroll Lake near Green Parasol City, one of the lake’s four major border cities. One night, a massive fire erupted as a battle no less ferocious than one between a pair of Nascent Tier cultivators took place.

Around a dozen unidentified cultivators had infiltrated the island, and they had been met with the cultivators of Hibiscus Mountain. The battle had given off such radiant light that it had illuminated almost the entirety of Bamboo Scroll Lake, and its centerpiece was a gargantuan lantern that had hung high up in the night sky above the lake, almost outshining the moon.

In the end, a fiery dragon that was several thousand feet in length had appeared on the summit of Hibiscus Mountain, shaking the entire landscape around it. All of the island masters on Palace Willow Island who had intended to travel to Hibiscus Mountain to see what was happening there were immediately deterred by the sight of the almighty fiery dragon.

All of a sudden, everyone was looking at Liu Zhimao with an even greater degree of fear and apprehension than before.

The island master of Hibiscus Mountain was absolutely crestfallen, while the island master of Heavenly Governess Island was livid, loudly denouncing Liu Zhimao for breaking the rules by attacking Hibiscus Mountain during the election.

Liu Zhimao defended himself by stating that he wasn’t an idiot, and that it would’ve taken a fool to turn all of the island masters against him at a time like this, just to attack an island as insignificant as Hibiscus Mountain.

However, the island master of Heavenly Governess Island refused to relent, continuing to hurl abuse at Liu Zhimao without restraint. Liu Zhimao was certainly not the tolerant type, and a battle quickly broke out between the two.

The master of Heavenly Governess Island wasn’t a Nascent Tier cultivator, but she did possess an extremely rare treasure.

That night, Gu Can and Tan Xue stood alongside one another as they observed the almighty fiery dragon on Hibiscus Mountain.

“What do you think?” Gu Can asked with a smile.

Tan Xue licked its lips as it replied, “If I can eat it, perhaps I can go straight to the Upper Five Tiers, and I won’t be hungry for at least a century.”

“What are your chances of victory?” Gu Can asked with an excited gleam in his eyes.

Tan Xue stared intently at the fiery dragon on Hibiscus Mountain, and it couldn’t help but salivate, so it had to clasp a hand over its own mouth as it smiled and replied, “If it’s just the two of us in a battle without any outside interference, I’d say I have a 60:40 chance of winning here in Bamboo Scroll Lake.”

Gu Can thought about it for a moment, then decided, “Things aren’t so simple. Let’s listen to Chen Ping’an and remain patient for now. The fact that those people chose to act now clearly indicates that they must have some type of plan.”

“Should I dive to the lakebed and sneak over to Hibiscus Mountain to take a look? That’s all I do!” Tan Xue suggested in an eager manner.

Gu Can shook his head in response.

“It would be best not to do that in case you run into trouble. Liu Zhimao and I will devise a plan once the information from that end reaches Cyan Gorge Island.”

“Liu Zhimao may not be willing to see me make another breakthrough,” Tan Xue said in a pitiable manner.

Gu Can’s eyes narrowed slightly as he asked in a quiet voice, “Then what if Liu Laocheng of Palace Willow Island appears? Do you think my master will still be able to stand by and do nothing then?”

“Has Liu Laocheng returned to Bamboo Scroll Lake in secret?” Tan Xue asked as it cocked its head to the side.

“If that can be confirmed to be the case, then you’ll have an opportunity for a massive feast, one that’ll leave you full for at least a century,” Gu Can grinned. “Even if Liu Laocheng hasn’t returned to Palace Willow Island, I’ll make sure that he ‘appears’ in a certain city in Bamboo Scroll Lake.

“When that time comes, Tian Hujun, Liu Laocheng, Yuan Yuan, Yu Gui… All of those people will come in useful. If we’re gonna make a move, then we may as well make it a big one!”

On the summit of Hibiscus Mountain.

There was a young woman in green with her hair arranged into a ponytail, and with a flick of her wrist, the fiery dragon on the mountain summit reverted back into a bracelet.

Dong Gu and Xu Xiaoqiao exchanged a wry smile upon seeing this. It had been a very arduous process for them to reach the island’s protective array and scale the mountain, and they had even lost one of their seventh tier martial artists, yet the battle was over as soon as their senior sister made a move.

The woman in green turned to the side and pulled out a handkerchief, then began nibbling on a piece of pastry.

Palace Minister Song had even used his bonded lantern, yet that old Golden Core Tier cultivator adept in the soul dividing techniques was still almost able to get away.

The woman in green was very displeased at having had to chase after this master and disciple duo this entire time.

At this moment, there was a tall young man standing before her. His face was smeared with blood, his clothes were in tatters, and he was glowering at her with intense animosity in his eyes.

After having a pastry, she was feeling a little better, and she met his gaze as she asked, “Do you want to die?”

The young man spat out a globule of blood-infused saliva, and the flames of resentment in his heart were only further fanned by the thought of the terrible fate met by his master, having been devoured whole by the fiery dragon.

A look of resolve appeared in his eyes as he clenched his fists tightly and sneered,

“Why is it that you Great Li Empire scoundrels have pursued me for so long? It’s all because you want me to return to the Great Li Empire to serve you and enhance your Song Clan’s martial fortune!”

The woman in green looked back at the young man as she said, “I’ll give you credit, you’re pretty smart. You don’t want to die at all, but you know that the sticky rod officials of the Great Li Empire definitely won’t kill you, and you really want to obtain that immortal jade dish from your master and that bonded treasure of his, which is why you’ve been following all this time.

“Having said that, I can tell that you do have some true attachment to your master, and you really do want to avenge him. You’re planning to master the immortal technique on that jade dish someday, then refine that bonded treasure, after which you can defect from the Great Li Empire and tear me to shreds…

“Actually, no, you intend to make me into a plaything puppet with my sentience still intact. Hold on a second…”

She turned away to eat another small piece of pastry, and her mood was immediately soured at the sight of her ever-dwindling supply of peach cakes.

She turned back to the astonished young man as she prompted, “Go on then, keep thinking about what you’re going to do so I can see the full extent of your plans. You’re going to die anyway.”

A hint of panic finally surfaced in his eyes upon hearing this, but he forcibly composed himself as he turned to Palace Minister Song, who he assumed to be the most authoritative figure present, and he sneered, “She says she’s going to kill me. Are you going to allow that?”

“Once I decide to kill you, even all of them combined won’t be able to stop me,” the woman in green interjected.

Palace Minister Song was left in a difficult predicament.

Prior to this southbound journey, he had been informed of some of the empire’s best-kept secrets, such as why the imperial court of the Great Li Empire was so reverent to Ruan Qiong.

While it was true that eleventh tier cultivators were exceedingly rare on the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, the Great Li Empire wasn’t just any mortal empire on the continent, so why was it that even the imperial preceptor was willing to make so many concessions to Ruan Qiong?

The answer lied in his daughter.

The imperial preceptor had told him that if Ruan Xiu were to die, then all of them should put an end to their own lives outside the Great Li Empire. Otherwise, they would be hunted down anyway. If Ruan Xiu were to kill them, then that would be entirely their fault, and not only would the imperial court of the Great Li Empire not stand up for them, their superiors were going to be held culpable.

With a gentle flick of her wrist, Ruan Xiu’s bracelet transformed into a divine general with a golden visor of its face, and it began walking mercilessly toward the young man, even as the latter began begging for mercy.

In the blink of an eye, rivulets of molten lava began crawling over his body to form a restrictive cage, and he couldn’t help but howl in agony.

The divine general twisted off the young man’s head, then opened its mouth and devoured his head and body together.

All the while, Palace Minister Song looked on with a grimace, but didn’t dare to intervene.

They had pursued the young man all this way, and it had all been for nought.

Ruan Xiu cast her gaze in the direction of Palace Willow Island, and after some contemplation, she opened her handkerchief to see the pieces of pastry inside, then reluctantly closed it again, thinking to herself that she had to consume the pastries sparingly. After all, there were no Dragon Riding Alley pastry shops here.

All of a sudden, her eyes abruptly lit up as she cocked her head to the side, and an incredulous look appeared on her face as her gaze focused on a certain spot some distance away from Palace Willow Island.

It was as if she had caught a glimpse of a familiar sight of something even more delicious than pastries.

She quickly pulled out her handkerchief again, then quickly stuffed the pastries into her mouth one after another. After that, she tucked the handkerchief back up her sleeve before dusting her hands off as she gave herself a pleased nod.

Her cheeks were bulging with the pastries that she had just stuffed into her own mouth, and it was as if she were a criminal trying to destroy evidence.