Unsheathed

Wei Bo also gave a nod, then turned to the foot of Downtrodden Mountain with a smile as he declared, “You have another visitor.”

Chen Ping’an immediately tensed up upon hearing this, fearing that Ruan Qiong was storming up the mountain to pursue him in a fit of rage.

Wei Bo laid a hand onto Chen Ping’an’s shoulder as he said, “You’ll know who it is when you see them.”

“Hold on a second,” Chen Ping’an suddenly said.

A look of indignation and exasperation appeared on Wei Bo’s face as he exclaimed, “You still have more favors to ask of me? Don’t you think you’re going too far now?”

“It’s not every day that I ask you for favors, so when I do, I better make it count,” Chen Ping’an jibed.

“Fine, let’s make it four then,” Wei Bo sighed.

Chen Ping’an pulled out the parasol leaf, then retrieved the “nourishing the noble spirit” jade tablet from within.

“That’s an object that’s just as valuable as it is sensitive,” Wei Bo remarked at the sight of the jade tablet.

Chen Ping’an offered the jade tablet to Wei Bo with a smile as he said, “I’m lending it to you for a hundred years as compensation for that length of courage bamboo.”

Wei Bo took the jade tablet from him without any hesitation as he chuckled gleefully, “Perfect! I’ve been waiting for you to say that ever since you returned to the Dragon Spring Prefecture!

“With this jade tablet, my position as the Great Li Empire’s Northern Mountain God has been completely consolidated. Even if the territory under my jurisdiction expands to encompass half of the entire Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, I can ensure that the mountain and water fortune within do not waver.”

Chen Ping’an then also handed the parasol leaf to Wei Bo as he continued, “You can have the larger of the two colored glaze golden body fragments inside. I don’t think I can adequately look after the parasol leaf, so I’ll leave it on Cloud Drape Mountain. In any case, I’m no longer in any hurry to construct the two formations.”

Wei Bo was very much taken aback to hear this. A colored glaze golden body fragment the size of an infant’s fist was a priceless treasure that even cultivators of the Upper Five Tiers would fight to the death over, yet it had fallen onto his lap!

This was something that Wei Bo hadn’t even dared to imagine in the past, even though colored glaze golden body fragments were even more beneficial to mountain and river gods than they were to cultivators.

After a long silence, Wei Bo proposed, “How about you do a buy one get one free deal and give me the other fragment as well?”

Chen Ping’an raised his middle finger in response.

Wei Bo was very relieved to see this, and he said, “Looks like you’ve thought long and hard about this and aren’t going to change your mind.”

He then carefully tucked the parasol leaf away as he praised Chen Ping’an for his generosity.

“If I want the horse to run fast for me, then I must feed it well,” Chen Ping’an said in a smug manner.

“You really don’t want to reconsider?” Wei Bo asked.

Chen Ping’an shook his head as he cast his gaze into the distance with a dazed expression, and he was suddenly looking very weary as he tucked his hands up their opposite sleeves.

“I had no one to rely on but myself on this journey to Bamboo Scroll Lake, so I had to be excessively cautious in everything that I did. I don’t want to also have to constantly rely on myself someday even in my hometown. I want to be able to slack off as well from time to time.”

Wei Bo was silent for a moment, then smiled as he asked, “You were originally intending to give that smaller colored glaze golden body fragment to the Downtrodden Mountain God, right? He’s much closer to you, so it can’t hurt for you to be on good terms with him.”

Chen Ping’an nodded as he replied, “That was the plan, but it looks like I can save it now.”

“I thought you were a walking charity, but that’s not very charitable of you,” Wei Bo remarked.

“I was never a walking charity!” Chen Ping’an snapped.

Wei Bo merely smiled and offered no response.

A thought suddenly occurred to Chen Ping’an, and he asked, “By the way, are there any ships that can take me to the Colorful Garment Nation from Ox Horn Mountain?”

“I can get that arranged,” Wei Bo replied with a nod.

Chen Ping’an smiled as he said, “Next time, I’m going to scale Cloud Drape Mountain from the bottom and thoroughly explore it.”

“You can pay a visit to Forest Deer Academy while you’re at it. You have a friend who’s studying there,” Wei Bo suggested.

He was referring to Prince Gao Xuan of the Great Sui Nation, who Chen Ping’an did not have a negative impression of.

“Just like accumulating earth can eventually form mountains, you have a lot to look forward to in the future. When it comes to mountains, you’ll have many in your possession, including Downtrodden Mountain, Gray Veil Mountain, and Sword Worship Plateau.

“On Downtrodden Mountain, you’ll have Mr. Cui, Cui Dongshan, Zhu Lian, Pei Qian, and many other friends and mentors, and within the Great Li Empire, you’ll have many allies, such as me, Xu Ruo, Zheng Dafeng, and Gao Xuan,” Wei Bo encouraged.

A faint smile appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face upon hearing this.

It was often the case in life that an exuberant rainbow was waiting at the end of a grueling storm.

“Don’t keep your guest waiting any longer now,” Wei Bo said as he rested his hand on Chen Ping’an’s shoulder again, then gave him a gentle push.

In the next instant, Chen Ping’an was already gone, leaving Wei Bo on his own on the summit of Cloud Drape Mountain, looking out at the stunning night scenery.

Chen Ping’an stumbled forward, and he felt as if he had stepped into an ethereal, colorful immortal realm. There was a momentary rush of dizziness, and by the time his vision focused again, he was already at the foot of Downtrodden Mountain.

He was already accustomed to this as it had happened to him quite frequently in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land.

It was like wading through water, and the water in this case was the river of time.

The land-shortening techniques of earth immortals and mountain and river gods essentially involved going against the river of time.

According to legends, the immortals and deities of the distant past were able to move mountains and cross seas, completely putting the land-shortening techniques of the present day to shame. There were ancient texts claiming that the most powerful beings of the time were able to descend into the underworld or ascend into the heavens on a whim.

These stories had all been told to Chen Ping’an by Cui Dongshan in casual conversations, and at the time, Chen Ping’an hadn’t thought much about the supposed three mountains that had been moved and the four seas that had been crossed.

It was only after purchasing that immortal book from Stalactite Mountain that Chen Ping’an discovered that there was no such concept as the three mountains and four seas in the Majestic World. After that, he was reunited with Cui Dongshan in the southeastern region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and he had brought up this matter in passing while the two of them had been playing go.

In response, Cui Dongshan had merely chuckled and brushed it off as ancient history, offering no further elaboration on the matter.

At the foot of Downtrodden Mountain, Chen Ping’an was greeted by the sight of a hunchbacked man.

The man spotted Chen Ping’an as well, and he remarked, “So you’re able to use land-shortening techniques now. How impressive! Have you gotten rid of the Downtrodden Mountain God and taken his place?”

“I don’t have such abilities up my sleeve, it was Wei Bo who sent me here,” Chen Ping’an replied in a resigned manner. “Should we take a walk?”

Zheng Dafeng sized up Chen Ping’an to discover that he had lost a significant amount of weight since they had last met. It seemed that he had grown a little taller, but it didn’t appear so, given his slouched back and shoulders.

“Looks like you must’ve really suffered at the hands of Sui Youbian!” he exclaimed.

“How so?” Chen Ping’an asked in a perplexed manner.

“It’s always the young people like you that don’t know how to exercise restraint,” Zheng Dafeng said in a meaningful and heartfelt manner. “If you overdo it, your body is bound to suffer. I’m willing to bet that you haven’t had the energy to practice your fist techniques recently, right? Head over to the old man’s shop and grab some medicine to help you replenish your body.

“If that’s still not enough, go and ask for a Qi integration technique from Wei Bo, then challenge Sui Youbian to a rematch. It’s fine, don’t be embarrassed. It’s not uncommon for men to be outmatched by women when they’re inexperienced.”

Chen Ping’an finally understood what Zheng Dafeng was implying, and he knew that the more bothered he acted by his flippant remarks, the more crude jokes he would make. If Sui Youbian were present, she would’ve most likely already drawn her sword to teach Zheng Dafeng a lesson.

With that in mind, he replied with a placid smile, “There is no place for such activities in the pursuit of the Great Dao.”

Zheng Dafeng rolled his eyes in response.

“By the way, I met your master’s two new disciples. The girl is training as a pure martial artist, just like you and Li Er, but that doesn’t appear to be the case for that boy from Peach Leaf Alley. Why is that?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Zheng Dafeng shook his head as he replied, “No one knows what the old man is thinking. I don’t even know how many other senior brothers and sisters I have outside of Li Er. Can you believe that? The old man never likes to talk about this stuff.”

“What are your plans at the moment?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“What plans could I possibly have? I’m looking for a wife, of course! If I didn’t have to sleep, I’d go out wandering all night with a lantern to see if I can pick up a woman from the side of the street to take home and make my wife! You think it’s fun being single? The nights are so long and lonely, and the only thing I have to keep me company beneath my blankets are my own farts! How pitiful is that?” Zheng Dafeng yelled.

Chen Ping’an heaved a forlorn sigh, wishing that he had never asked.

“I have something to discuss with you,” Zheng Dafeng said with a smile.

“Go ahead,” Chen Ping’an prompted in an intrigued manner.

Zheng Dafeng pointed at the foot of Downtrodden Mountain as he said, “I’m planning to take up my old job as gatekeeper and freeload off you. What do you say?”

“You’re not joking?” Chen Ping’an asked as he stopped in his tracks.

“You think I came all the way to Downtrodden Mountain in the dead of night just to joke around with you?” Zheng Dafeng snapped.

“Sure, you’re very much welcome here. I’ll get Zhu Lian to construct a house for you at the entrance of the mountain,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

“Get him to construct one on the mountain as well. Otherwise, I’ll be made a laughing stock, and I’ll never be able to find a wife,” Zheng Dafeng negotiated.

Chen Ping’an looked around momentarily, then approached Zheng Dafeng before whispering something into his ear.

After hearing what he had to say, Zheng Dafeng hurriedly wiped away the drool that was trickling down from the corner of his lips, following which a sly grin appeared on his face as he said, “Surely that’s not appropriate. I still don’t have a wife at the moment, and if people find out, it’ll be bad for my reputation. Besides, you already gave it to that little girl in the pink dress, you can’t just take it back from her.”

“Alright, in that case, I’ll let her keep it. Don’t come complaining to me if you change your mind,” Chen Ping’an said as he continued on his stroll.

Zheng Dafeng hurriedly grabbed onto his arm as he said, “Don’t be like that! I was just saying that to be polite. You know me, I’ve always been really timid and shy. How are you still so oblivious and inconsiderate even after traveling the world for so many years?”

Chen Ping’an was silent for a moment, then decided, “On second thoughts, I won’t take back that Fox Skin Beauty Talisman from her. Instead, I’ll get someone to buy another one for you from Light Breeze City.”

Zheng Dafeng nodded eagerly in response, but a suspicious look then appeared on his face as he asked, “Hold on a second, what’s that supposed to mean? You’re not supplying the money to buy the talisman?”

“I will, but it’ll serve as compensation for your gatekeeping services,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

Zheng Dafeng was furious to hear this.

The joking smile on Chen Ping’an’s face faded away as he said in a serious manner, “If you really want to find a peaceful place to stay, then there are many other mountains that you can choose from outside of Downtrodden Mountain, like Gray Veil Mountain, Ao Back Ridge, or Sword Worship Plateau.”

Zheng Dafeng shook his head in response.

“I don’t see anything embarrassing about serving as a gatekeeper. If I really felt like my life was over, and I wanted to hide somewhere because I was too embarrassed to see anyone, then why would I have come to the Dragon Spring Prefecture?”

Zheng Dafeng patted Chen Ping’an on the shoulder, then slowly strolled onward as he looked up at the summit of Downtrodden Mountain and continued, “There’s a genuine air of humanity here, and that’s what I like about this place.

“The small town also possessed the same quality back then, but after the small world descended to become a blessed land, people from all over the Majestic World began coming through here, and while it appeared more lively, that air of humanity was gone.”

Chen Ping’an had felt the same thing while passing through the small town on this trip back to the small town, but he had never articulated these feelings as directly as Zheng Dafeng.

“If there comes a day when I feel like Downtrodden Mountain has become the same way, then I’ll move away without a second thought. If that time comes, don’t blame me for not bidding you farewell,” Zheng Dafeng said.

“I think you should still tell me if you’re going to move away,” Chen Ping’an said after some consideration.

Zheng Dafeng offered no response to this, but he suddenly reached out a hand to pat Chen Ping’an on the back as he said, “Stand up straight! Aren’t you tired walking around hunched over like that? I may be hunchbacked now, but at least I’m handsome! If you walk around like some hunchbacked old man, you’re never going to attract any fine ladies!”

Chen Ping’an tried to force a smile onto his face, but ultimately failed.

That night, Zheng Dafeng stayed in Zhu Lian’s courtyard. The two of them were birds of a feather, and they could easily chat the entire night over two flagons of wine and several simple dishes.

The thought of Zhu Lian’s presence on Downtrodden Mountain made Chen Ping’an feel much better about Zheng Dafeng’s chances of staying here.

Zhu Lian was most likely going to be making regular trips to the foot of the mountain to chat and drink with Zheng Dafeng, and if they got into one of their boasting contests, Zheng Dafeng may even reveal his status as one of the four divine generals of the Heavenly Court during his past life.

Upon Chen Ping’an’s return to the bamboo building, he discovered Cui Chan’s grandfather already standing on the second floor, and he turned to make his way into the building.

Even as his skin began to crawl from dread, he still ascended to the second floor.

Cui Chan’s grandfather was seated in the room with his legs crossed, and he jibed, “You’re not going to thank me for allowing you to see that fine moonlit maiden?”

“I can’t bring myself to say things that go against my conscience,” Chen Ping’an replied in a stoic manner as he sat down across from him.

Cui Chan’s grandfather nodded in response.

“That’s understandable. You haven’t been beaten for a few years, so you’ve developed a bit of courage.”

A sense of foreboding welled up in Chen Ping’an’s heart upon hearing this.

“You’re still thinking about running?” Cui Chan’s grandfather sneered. “Are you not afraid that I’ll punch you straight to Divine Elegance Mountain, then have Ruan Qiong smash you back to Downtrodden Mountain with a swing of his hammer?”

Beads of sweat began to take shape on Chen Ping’an’s forehead.

Cui Chan’s grandfather pulled a letter out of his sleeve, then tossed it at Chen Ping’an as he said, “Your student left this for you.”

As Chen Ping’an reached out to catch the letter, Cui Chan’s grandfather had already thrown a punch at him. Even though Chen Ping’an could sense the punch coming, he was still unable to react, and he was sent flying before crashing into the wall with an almighty thump.

“How strange! You’re somehow less alert as the peak-fifth tier martial artist that you are now than back when you were only at the third tier. No wonder you’ve only been regressing all this time,” Cui Chan’s grandfather sneered.

Chen Ping’an stowed the letter away in his minimization treasure, then removed Sword Immortal from his back before taking off his boots. His back was hunched, and he adopted a slack-looking fist stance. His fist intent was completely contained within his body, and his joints cracked and popped like firecrackers as his robes rippled over his body, while the surrounding dust in the room erupted up into the air.

If Zhu Lian were here, he would’ve undoubtedly been astonished before immediately flattering Chen Ping’an by telling him that the student had already surpassed the master.

During the past few years, the only fist stance that Chen Ping’an had been practicing had been the “Ape Form,” the fist stance invented by Zhu Lian.

Even though he was still yet to fully master the stance, it was already looking very similar to Zhu Lian’s Ape Form, which he had been honing for several decades.

With his Ape Form fist intent coursing through his body, Chen Ping’an adopted the Examining the Dragon fist stance that he had learned from Imperial Preceptor Zhong Qiu of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, but his fists were held up in accordance with the Heavy Cavalry Formation Shattering Technique.

“Come! As long as you restrict your cultivation base to the fifth tier, I’ll have no complaints even if you beat me to death!”

Cui Chan’s grandfather slowly rose to his feet.

The bamboo building shuddered, and much of the abundant spiritual energy in the surrounding area was scattered as Chen Ping’an sprang toward his opponent, aiming a knee strike at his head while he was still yet to fully stand up straight.

Cui Chan’s grandfather calmly pressed a hand against Chen Ping’an’s knee, then sent him flying with a casual push as he continued to slowly rise to his feet. Throughout this entire process, he hadn’t sped up nor slowed down in the slightest, and it was as if this had always been part of the sequence of movements that he had intended to make.

After Chen Ping’an was sent flying, he was able to quickly steady himself, treading lightly upon the wall of the bamboo building before gently drifting down onto the ground as he asked with furrowed brows, “Wasn’t that sixth tier power just now?”

Cui Chan’s grandfather clearly had no interest in answering such a childish question.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he replicated Chen Ping’an’s setup, adopting the fist intent of the Ape Form, the Examining the Dragon fist stance, and the fist positioning of the Heavy Cavalry Formation Shattering Technique before smiling as he said, “Arrogant little brat! Let me show you how it’s done!”

Chen Ping’an bent his knees slightly to lower his center of gravity, then shifted one foot back behind the other while making a series of free-flowing motions through the air with his hands.

In the end, he clenched his hands into fists and adopted a strange pose that Cui Chan’s grandfather had never seen before as he declared, “If you restricted your powers to the fifth tier, I would have nothing to fear!”

Cui Chan’s grandfather merely nodded in response before throwing a single punch, and Chen Ping’an fainted on the spot before he even had a chance to fully articulate the profanities that were coming out of his mouth.

Cui Chan’s grandfather clearly hadn’t restricted his powers to the fifth tier. At the very least, he was using the power of a sixth tier martial artist, perhaps even a seventh tier one.

He clasped a hand behind his back with a smile as he said in mock apology, “Sorry, I didn’t hold back enough.”

He wasn’t intentionally playing tricks on Chen Ping’an. Instead, it was simply the truth.

Over these past few years, his immense fist intent had been slowly nurtured by this bamboo building that was riddled with talismans, and it had been brought to the fore by Chen Ping’an’s fist intent, leaving him raring to go. Hence, even though he had done his best to hold back, he was still only able to suppress the power of that punch to the seventh tier.

Cui Chan’s grandfather heaved an internal sigh as he stepped out into the corridor outside the room.

It was only a matter of time before he returned to the third and final sub-tier of the tenth tier, the eleventh tier, which had once appeared firmly within his grasp, was now completely out of his reach.

He had renounced the slight chance that he had of reaching the eleventh tier in the face of Branch Master Lu Chen in exchange for the safety of Chen Ping’an and Pei Qian, and even though he didn’t regret the decision, there was inevitably going to be some disappointment.

He turned to look back at the unconscious Chen Ping’an in the room, then strode over to his side before giving him a kick to knock him conscious. However, before he was able to say anything, he lost consciousness again from a kick to the forehead, following which Cui Chan’s grandfather murmured to himself, “You better reach the eleventh tier someday or I’ll beat you to death!”

As he returned to the corridor, he felt completely reinvigorated, as if he had returned to those days back when he had kept his grandson locked up in that small pavilion in the scripture library and removed the ladder.

Whenever that grandson of his made progress in his studies, the old man would be extremely pleased, but he never articulated those feelings. He rarely ever articulated his most genuine feelings to his cherished grandson, whether it be disappointment or elation, particularly the latter. Those feelings were like a jar of aged wine sitting in a coffin. Once he left, the jar of wine would never get to see the light of day again.

Pei Qian, the little girl in pink, and the little boy in azure may not have been aware of what Cui Chan’s grandfather had done for Chen Ping’an, but Zhu Lian did, and that was why he had never considered learning fist techniques from him.

It was already enough for there to be a single mentor and a single student.