Unsheathed

Chapter 439 (2): Sharpening One’s Sword While on Break from Sword Practice

It had already been a very long time since Chen Ping’an had cultivated or practiced his fist techniques, and he was still slowly recovering from his battle against Liu Laocheng. However, only now had he come to realize just how devoid of spiritual energy his two bonded acupoints had become.

Needless to say, the acupoint that had previously been home to his golden scholarly core was already in a state of complete ruin, and in order to wield Sword Immortal, he had completely overexerted himself, placing a huge strain on the water palace occupied by all of the miniature, green-robed figures.

He was aware of this, but he had failed to anticipate just how depleted the bonded acupoint had become. In the wake of that battle, the water palace had completely dried up.

Chen Ping’an immediately left his room without any hesitation, then traveled by boat, the one that had become renowned across the entirety of Bamboo Scroll Lake, to pay a visit to Tian Hujun on White Fish Island.

The steward of her manor apologetically informed him that she was in seclusion, and that he didn’t know when she was going to come out. He didn’t dare to disturb her, but if Chen Ping’an truly needed to urgently see her, then the steward was willing to inform Tian Hujun of his arrival, even if it meant that he would be handed down a severe punishment after the event.

It was considered to be strictly taboo in the cultivation world to disturb one during one’s seclusion.

Chen Ping’an was not some cultivation newbie who wasn’t aware of such a rule, and he hurriedly assured the old steward that he was in no hurry. It was just that he had visited White Fish Island on several past occasions, but had never gotten the chance to sit down and have a good chat with Tian Hujun.

He told the steward that Tian Hujun had run many errands for him of late, so he had come here to express his gratitude to her, and there was no need to interrupt her seclusion over such a trivial matter.

The steward had been prepared to interrupt Tian Hujun’s cultivation and incur her wrath, potentially at the cost of his own life, and he was immensely relieved to hear this.

Right as Chen Ping’an was about to leave, he suddenly smiled and said, “I heard that your manor has some maiden tea from Cao E Island that you would occasionally bring out to treat guests. Now that I’m already here, can I trouble you to bring me a cup of tea before I go? If Island Master Tian gets mad at you, you can just tell her that I pestered you to no end and wouldn’t take no for an answer, so you had no choice but to spare me some tea.”

The old steward was more than happy to oblige to this request, and he hurriedly invited Chen Ping’an into the manor, then quickly offered up a pot of the finest maiden tea from Cao E Island.

Chen Ping’an sipped on some tea while having a chat with the old steward, and the two of them had a great time together.

After Chen Ping’an stood up to leave, the old steward personally accompanied him all the way to the dock before vigorously waving him farewell.

On the way back to the manor, the old steward had a spring in his step and a wide smile plastered across his face, feeling as if had just spoken on equal terms with someone of extreme importance.

After departing from White Fish Island, Chen Ping’an paid a visit to Bejeweled Hairpin Island as opposed to returning straight to Cyan Gorge Island.

The spiritual energy in a pot of maiden tea was still nowhere near enough to replenish what he had lost, so he was going to have to purchase some pills that were abundant in water fortune.

Seeing as Tian Hujun was in seclusion, he would have to turn to Liu Chongrun.

It was said that back when Liu Chongrun’s home nation fell, she had secretly plundered many precious items from the secret imperial vault, and even more importantly, she was one of the few people in Bamboo Scroll Lake that Chen Ping’an felt like he could place his trust in.

Through his conversations with Ma Yuanzhi and his own research into the history and interpersonal relationships of Bamboo Scroll Lake, he had concluded that Liu Chongrun was at least relatively reliable when it came to business dealings, and there had been no scandals with her at the center over the past two hundred years.

If Liu Chongrun were such a brilliant actress that she had managed to keep her true nature completely secret for two hundred years, and she also had powerful backers that had been capable of predicting through divination that he would come to purchase pills from her on this day, then he would just have to concede and take the bait.

Once again, Liu Chongrun didn’t meet him in person.

This had become a normal occurrence of late, and it seemed like she had truly grown sick of his incompetent attempts at playing matchmaker.

During his previous two visits, Liu Chongrun had sent an exceptionally beautiful direct disciple of hers to “intercept” him at the dock. Chen Ping’an didn’t know the female disciple’s name as the cultivators of Bejeweled Hairpin Island held themselves to higher moral standards than what was the norm in Bamboo Scroll Lake and tried to avoid frivolous entanglements with men, and that was quite a rare sight.

On the other end of the spectrum was Cloud Rain Island, which was also occupied solely by women, but it was jokingly referred to as Brothel Island by the male cultivators of Bamboo Scroll Lake, and the reputations of the two islands were night and day. Chen Ping’an was only interested in speaking to Liu Chongrun, and he didn’t want to involve himself with any other cultivators of Bejeweled Hairpin Island.

This naturally wasn’t a decision borne out of arrogance or conceitedness. Instead, it was because he was aware that all of his words and actions could potentially have all types of unpredictable consequences. Even if the consequences were positive, they would only have a relatively minor positive effect, but if things went awry, then he could easily get some people killed.

Once someone found oneself deep in a difficult predicament, they would inevitably slide down a slippery slope, and it was often the case that the more one became burdened by their thoughts and hesitation, the more lost they would become.

In a situation like this, if one could look beyond their own interests and their personal troubles to consider the welfare of those around them, then that wasn’t necessarily guaranteed to be able to save them from their predicament, but at the very least, it would prevent them from making further mistakes and sliding even faster down the slippery slope.

Chen Ping’an declared the purpose of his visit, and Liu Chongrun’s disciple smiled as she asked, “You’re not here to play matchmaker for Ma Yuanzhi this time, Mr. Chen?”

Chen Ping’an nodded in confirmation.

The female disciple was rather displeased to hear this, and she stomped a foot onto the ground as she complained, “You made me lose ten snowflake coins, Mr. Chen!”

“If I told you that you deserved it, would I still be able to see your mistress?” Chen Ping’an asked in an exasperated manner.

“Yes,” the female cultivator replied in a reluctant manner.

“In that case, you deserve it,” Chen Ping’an said, and many of the Bejeweled Hairpin Island cultivators hiding in the distance instantly burst into laughter.

Most of them were Liu Chongrun’s direct disciples or female prodigies that had only recently settled on the island, and it was generally only the younger cultivators that dared to behave this way.

“How about you go to Treasure Light Pagoda on your own, Mr. Chen?” the female disciple grumbled.

“Sure,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

Upon entering the island, she really did leave Chen Ping’an to his own devices as she stepped into the side room near the entrance of the island to chat with her junior sisters, as well as to issue the aforementioned ten snowflake coins to the one that she had lost the bet to.

The lucky young woman was barely even able to hold onto all of the snowflake coins with two hands, and she poked her head out of the room with a wide grin as she yelled at Chen Ping’an, “Thanks, Mr. Chen!”

Chen Ping’an merely waved a hand without turning around in a gesture that said “you’re welcome.”

All of the female cultivators in the side room burst into laughter upon seeing this, regardless of whether they had won or lost the bet.

In the Treasure Light Pagoda, Chen Ping’an was greeted by Liu Chongrun in an opulent palace dress, and the two of them sat down across from one another. Liu Chongrun brewed some tea in a well-rehearsed fashion, and there was a truly noble and regal air to everything that she did.

Chen Ping’an had heard that the Spring Courtyard Mansion had extended invitations to Liu Chongrun on two past occasions, and it certainly made sense for her to be so highly sought after.

“Are you not concerned about your own physical condition in the slightest, Mr. Chen?” Liu Chongrun asked.

“I am, and that’s why I came to your Bejeweled Hairpin Island. I want to purchase some pills from you that replenish the spiritual energy in a water palace acupoint,” Chen Ping’an replied in a direct and straight forward manner. “If I recall correctly, your home nation once had a water residence and a dragon boat, both of which had been constructed under your supervision and were renowned throughout the entire central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent.”

Liu Chongrun nodded in response.

“I do have pills that can nourish water-attribute acupoints and bonded items for earth immortals, and I have more than one variety in my possession, but this is not a matter of price. Here in Bamboo Scroll Lake, I do not dare to reveal such precious treasures. If I do, then unless I can provide an endless supply, I will only be courting death. Given your intelligence, I’m sure you understand what I’m saying, Mr. Chen.”

Chen Ping’an gave a nod of his own as he replied, “If I were in your place, I would also have the same concerns, and I definitely wouldn’t dare to sell such pills unless there was absolutely no other alternative.”

Liu Chongrun offered him a cup of immortal tea, and under the light of the sun, a tiny rainbow that was roughly the same length as a finger had appeared over the teacup.

“I know that you’re a reasonable man, Mr. Chen. How about you tell me on what basis I should sell you these pills?” Liu Chongrun asked with a faint smile.

Chen Ping’an considered the question momentarily, then asked, “What will it take for you to be willing to sell the pills to me?”

A serious look appeared on Liu Chongrun’s face as she replied, “I want to move Bejeweled Hairpin Island out of Bamboo Scroll Lake. Is that going to be possible, Mr. Chen?”

Chen Ping’an was rather taken aback to hear this.

“Bejeweled Hairpin Island has always remained neutral and never gotten itself involved in any conflicts, so it barely has any enemies. Hence, it really shouldn’t matter much whether Bamboo Scroll Lake ultimately falls into the hands of the Great Li Empire or the Luminous Vermilion Empire. In either case, Bejeweled Hairpin Island may not be able to benefit much, but it shouldn’t be in any danger, either.

“From there, order will be established in Bamboo Scroll Lake, and it will become more and more like a mortal empire, which is precisely the type of environment that you would thrive in, so why would you move Bejeweled Hairpin Island out of Bamboo Scroll Lake?”

Liu Chongrun held her teacup in both hands as she cast her gaze downward, and her eyelashes were moistened by the condensation rising up from the tea.

Chen Ping’an’s gaze remained focused on her, but it was a completely neutral gaze that was devoid of any lust or impure intent.

Liu Chongrun raised her head slightly to meet his gaze, only to look back down again a moment later before taking a sip of tea.

“What I’m afraid of is the possibility of the Luminous Vermilion Empire claiming Bamboo Scroll Lake. There are some seemingly absurd rumors about the empires circulating in the mortal world, but I can tell you that certain rumors do have some truth to them.”

Chen Ping’an mind immediately drifted to the historical events pertaining to the Luminous Vermilion Empire, Bejeweled Hairpin Island, and Liu Chongrun’s former home nation that he had read about upon hearing this.

Just as there was purportedly some truth to the rumors that Liu Chongrun had mentioned, there was also some truth to his rather whimsical title of accountant.

However, many of the documents on the shelves in his room contained information that was too fragmented and unreliable to form a cohesive story, and despite his best efforts, he was unable to think of what Liu Chongrun could’ve possibly been referring to.

After all, Bejeweled Hairpin Island wasn’t a particularly important place that Chen Ping’an had conducted extensive research into, so his knowledge of the island’s history was still a little lackluster.

All of a sudden, Liu Chongrun asked a question that should’ve never been asked in Bamboo Scroll Lake: “Can I trust in your character, Mr. Chen?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, then nodded as he replied, “I wouldn’t dare to say that, but compared with the unscrupulous ways of the cultivators of your Bamboo Scroll Lake, I daresay that I’ll be a bit more reliable.”

A wry smile appeared on Liu Chongrun’s face as she said, “You’ve never used your status to force me to do anything against my will, nor have you ever displayed any frustration even after being turned away by me so many times. For that, I’m willing to trust your character.”

Chen Ping’an took a sip of tea, then said, “Isn’t it more accurate to say that the tribulation facing Bejeweled Hairpin Island is beyond what you can handle, so you have no choice but to take a gamble on my character?”

Liu Chongrun appeared awkward in the face of Chen Ping’an’s scathing yet accurate assessment of the situation.

“I’m assuming that you’ve done some homework on my history, and you want to move to Dragon Spring Prefecture, is that right?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Before Liu Chongrun had a chance to reply, Chen Ping’an continued, “Bejeweled Hairpin Island is rather sparsely populated, and on an official basis, you are the only earth immortal on the island. Hence, if you were to move to the Dragon Spring Prefecture, one or two relatively small mountains should be enough to house everyone.

“By settling in the Dragon Spring Prefecture, you’ll also be pledging your allegiance to the Song Clan, and not only does that allow you to leave Bamboo Scroll Lake, you’ll also be far from the war-torn central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. Hence, even if the Luminous Vermilion Empire comes out on top and conquers Bamboo Scroll Lake, it’ll have nothing to do with you, and they won’t be able to reach you…”

Initially, Liu Chongrun was listening very carefully, latching onto Chen Ping’an’s every word, but all of a sudden, a furious look appeared on her face as she glowered intently at him.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Ping’an asked with a puzzled expression.

Liu Chongrun continued to stare intently into his eyes, seemingly trying to find any sign that he was putting on an oblivious act, in which case she would immediately evict him from her island.

Ultimately, Liu Chongrun was unable to see any signs of disingenuity from Chen Ping’an, and she tried to rein in her own temper, but was ultimately unable to as she demanded, “Chen Ping’an! Have you really not heard about what happened between me and the Luminous Vermilion Empire?”

Chen Ping’an’s brows furrowed slightly as he replied, “Most of what I know about you was told to me by Ma Yuanzhi, and he mostly only told me stories about you and him, so I don’t know anything about your history with the Luminous Vermilion Empire.

“All I know is that Ma Yuanzhi is extremely resentful of the Luminous Vermilion Empire, and that he even left Bamboo Scroll Lake a few times to sneak into the Luminous Vermilion Empire and managed to successfully assassinate several border generals.

“He told me that he was the perpetrator behind many of the unsolved cases of the Luminous Vermilion Empire, but as for the reason why he’s so resentful towards the Luminous Vermilion Empire, that has never been revealed to me. Could it be that you’re fearful of a certain powerful figure in the Luminous Vermilion Empire, and that somehow had something to do with the fall of your former home nation?”

Liu Chongrun threw her teacup onto the ground, where it shattered into pieces.

Chen Ping’an remained calm and unflustered, and Liu Chongrun took a deep breath to compose herself upon seeing this, then apologized in a self-deprecating manner, “Please forgive me, Mr. Chen. It seems that I must put more work into my mental cultivation.”

Chen Ping’an waved a hand to indicate that it was fine.

After a brief pause, Liu Chongrun began, “There’s a shameless old earth immortal swordsman from the Luminous Vermilion Empire who once came to the capital city of our nation as an envoy. At the time, the only thing separating me from the throne was really nothing more than an imperial robe, yet in a completely foreign land, he dared to storm into my palace and almost managed to have his way with me!

“None of the imperial guards and guest elders dared to even try to stop him! He wasn’t able to get what he wanted, but even as he was slowly putting on his pants, he was still intentionally swaying his… his manhood from side to side, telling me that there was nowhere that he couldn’t reach me, that the thing between his legs could extend from the Luminous Vermilion Empire all the way to our capital city!

“Back when our nation met its demise, he just so happened to have been in seclusion. Otherwise, I most likely wouldn’t be sitting here with you right now. Since then, he’s become an extremely powerful official of the Luminous Vermilion Empire and the honorary emperor of one of the empire’s subsidiary nations. Unfortunately for me, just like the Stone Brush Nation, that nation also just so happens to be neighboring Bamboo Scroll Lake.”

Chen Ping’an offered no response to this.

Liu Chongrun gritted her teeth as a look of resolve appeared in her eyes, then puffed out her chest as she declared, “If you agree to move our Bejeweled Hairpin Island to the Dragon Spring Prefecture as soon as possible, I’m willing to give up my body to you! It can happen today! In fact, if you want, I can go right here, right now!”

Chen Ping’an looked back at her, completely unmoved by her tantalizing offer.

He then asked a question that spoiled the mood even more than an outright refusal would’ve: “Why didn’t you go to Liu Zhimao or Liu Laocheng instead?”

A sullen look appeared on Liu Chongrun’s face upon hearing this, following which a cold sneer appeared on her face as she replied, “If I go to Liu Zhimao, once he grows sick of me as his plaything, he’ll be sure to sell me to the Luminous Vermilion Empire. As for Liu Laocheng, I most likely wouldn’t even be able to secure an audience with him. Even if he’s willing to see me, he’ll most likely kill me on the spot if I dare to make such a request of him.”

“Has there ever been a man that you’ve developed feelings for, Island Master Liu?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Liu Chongrun shook her head in response.

“No! If there exists such a man, then I would’ve never offered my body to you just now, even if my own life and the future of Bejeweled Hairpin Island were at stake!”

Chen Ping’an nodded as he said, “I’d say you’re telling the truth. If you had someone that you truly liked, then you would’ve never said something so shameless to me.”

An enraged look appeared on Liu Chongrun’s face upon hearing this.

“Don’t overstep your boundaries, Chen Ping’an! I may be a woman, but I’m not so inept that I can be educated and insulted by you!”

Chen Ping’an took a sip of tea, then sighed in an exasperated manner, “Shouldn’t we remain amicable with each other, even if the deal between us falls through?”

Liu Chongrun composed herself slightly, but was ultimately unable to completely stifle her temper as she denounced, “All men are trash! They’re either shameless perverts who want nothing more than for all of the women in the world to be their playthings, or two-faced phonies like yourself! All of you are utterly deplorable!”

Chen Ping’an offered his empty teacup to her for a refill, but Liu Chongrun refused to oblige as she snapped, “What are you, disabled?”

Chen Ping’an could only fill his own cup before also fetching her a new cup and filling it as well before offering it to her. Liu Chongrun snatched the cup from him before downing its contents in one go.

As long as one side remained calm and placid, it was difficult for the altercation to escalate regardless of how enraged the other party was.

Liu Chongrun refilled her own cup, and Chen Ping’an waited for her to take a small sip before asking, “Island Master Liu, are you really so resentful of Ma Yuanzhi just because he was once a chef? I don’t think you’re that type of person.”

“I resent him because he’s ugly!” Liu Chongrun snapped. “I feel dirty even just having his eyes on me! That’s always been the case, and it’s even more so the case now! He’s constantly staring at other women’s breasts and backsides, and the bigger they are, the more he stares! The more noble a woman’s status, the more he lusts after them!”

Chen Ping’an offered no response to this, and he decided there and then that he was never going to get himself involved in their mess again.

Liu Chongrun set down her teacup as she sneered, “A woman doesn’t have to like a man just because he does many things for her. Such a rule does not exist!”

However, she then heaved a forlorn sigh as she continued, “Having said that, of course I’m aware of everything that he’s done for me over the years. Otherwise, do you think I would’ve allowed him to keep the name of his Vermilion Chord Residence for all these years? Sometimes, I feel moved when I think about all of the things that he’s done for me, but then as soon as I think of his ugly face, I can’t help but feel disgusted.”

Chen Ping’an remained stoically silent.

However, Liu Chongrun had no intention of letting him off the hook, and she looked at him out of the corner of her eye as she continued, “If you were as ugly as Ma Yuanzhi, then I would’ve never come out so many times to see you at the dock. At the very most, I would’ve only met with you once or twice.

“Us female cultivators are just like mortal women, we also like to see handsome men and detest the contrary. It’s just like how all of you men like to ogle beautiful women, the only difference lies in whether you men can keep your thoughts and the thing between your legs in check.”

Liu Chongrun raised her cup, then took a slow sip of tea as she smiled and asked, “I can see that you’re doing a good job of keeping the thing between your legs restrained, but are you able to manage to keep your thoughts in check?”

“I don’t have to,” Chen Ping’an replied with a pure and earnest gaze.

Liu Chongrun could see that he wasn’t lying, and she was left feeling a little disheartened and frustrated.

“Are you simply not attracted to women, or have I become old and gray and lost my charm?”

Chen Ping’an set down his teacup as he said, “Seeing as you’ve stated your asking price, I’ll get in contact with the Great Li Empire to try and make some arrangements.”

“Will it be through Millet Grain Island?” Liu Chongrun asked in a careful manner.

Chen Ping’an nodded in response, making no attempt to build any suspense.

“Please don’t screw this up, Mr. Chen. Otherwise, our Bejeweled Hairpin Island will be completely doomed,” Liu Chongrun said.

“I’ll be sure to be careful. Even if I can’t help you, I’ll make sure that I don’t worsen the situation for your Bejeweled Hairpin Island,” Chen Ping’an assured with a smile.

“What gives you the confidence to say something like that, Mr. Chen?” Liu Chongrun asked in a joking manner.

Chen Ping’an was silent for a moment, then replied in a direct and straightforward manner, “Compared with a certain thing that I’m doing at the moment, the fate of Bejeweled Hairpin Island is just a tiny little bonus that any of the three sides can throw in to sweeten the deal.”

A skeptical look appeared on Liu Chongrun’s face.

Chen Ping’an tucked his hands up their opposite sleeves and asked, “Do you not believe me? In any case, you’re taking a gamble, so you have no choice in the matter, whether you believe me or not. You’re like a patient suffering from a terminal condition, and you have no choice but to place your trust in a shoddy doctor like me. Perhaps you’ll get a pleasant surprise and find out that I’m a better doctor than I am a matchmaker.”

All of a sudden, Liu Chongrun suddenly put on a rare display of vulnerability, and it was as if she had suddenly transformed into a flippant young girl as she asked, “Is it too late for me to change my mind? Can we still treat this as if I’ve done nothing more than invite you for some tea?”

“Of course,” Chen Ping’an replied with a nod. “Unlike you, even if the deal between us falls through, I’ll still keep things amicable.”

Liu Chongrun couldn’t help but grit her teeth in frustration. No matter what tactics she employed, Chen Ping’an remained completely infuriatingly unflappable.

Liu Chongrun raised her hands, intentionally squeezing her breasts between her elbows to accentuate her cleavage, then clapped her hands together with a seductive smile before telling Chen Ping’an to wait for a moment.