Unsheathed

Liu Jinglong smiled and followed the two people, with the three of them continuing to walk along the path beside the river. “I hope that Mr. Qi… Mr. Liu can explain the concept of surface-level observations to me. I still hope to hear Mr. Liu’s answer even though I already have an answer in my mind. That way, we can verify the affinity of our thoughts,” Chen Ping’an said.

Qi Jinglong nodded and explained, “Rather than equating might to right, we should instead focus on the separation of earlier events and later events pertaining to the theory of sequential order. Being strong belongs to the latter category, and a critical truth is hidden in the former category.”

Chen Ping’an squinted his eyes but didn’t say anything.

Qi Jinglong continued with a serious expression, “True strength derives from… rules and regulations. It involves the knowledge and the ability to wield them. Are emperors powerful beings? Yet, why are there so many perishing nations and fallen empires in the world? Why do some officials enjoy peaceful deaths, yet other officials suffer wretched ends?

“Can official immortals in immortal forces and wealthy descendants in prosperous clans be regarded as powerful beings? You can trace back the many threads and learn about the founding emperors of nations, the founding ancestors of immortal forces, and the founding ancestors of prosperous clans. You can learn about how they managed to establish and grow their forces.

“These forces can’t be regarded as genuinely powerful, and they simply rise to power because of rules and regulations, as well as the tides of the great trend. They then collapse and fade from existence when their actions fail to adhere to rules and regulations. They’re like a flash in the pan, unable to last for extended periods of time. This is similar to cultivators being unable to achieve longevity.”

Afterward, Qi Jinglong spoke eloquently as he explained his views to the two outsiders whom he had only just encountered for the first time.

The first step was to truly understand the rules and regulations, being aware of both their strength and their complexity. The more one understood, the better. It was also important to understand the various… omissions and oversights pertaining to the rules and regulations.

The second step was to adhere to these rules and regulations. More precisely, to firmly attach oneself to these rules and regulations.

For example, foolishly loyal officials and restless separatist generals.

The third step was to establish one’s own rules and regulations. Of course, one could also attack and damage the existing rules and regulations.

The fourth step was to maintain and safeguard rules and regulations.

No one could be an exception — not peddlers and pawns, not emperors and officials, not vagrant cultivators and immortal cultivators, not ghosts and spirits.

During this process, truly powerful rules and regulations would be able to protect countless weaker beings. Of course, these rules and regulations would be extremely complicated, especially given the fact that their formation pertained to those in the mountains, those outside the mountains, those in the cultivation world, those in the imperial courts, and those in the mortal world.

As such, rulers needed to perform introspection, keeping in mind the notion that the water that kept the boat afloat could just as easily engulf the boat. Cultivators in the mountains needed to be afraid of the “what if,” martial artists who usurped the throne needed to worry about their legitimacy, those in the cultivation world needed to tirelessly chase after fame and reputation, and those engaging in trade and business needed to pursue reputation and prestige.

Similarly, Nascent Tier cultivators yearned to integrate with Dao, Immortal Tier cultivators yearned for the fundamental truth, and Ascension Tier cultivators yearned to obtain acknowledgment from the Great Dao of heaven and earth, also yearning to convince the sages of the Three Teachings that their Great Dao didn’t clash with the Great Dao of the Three Teachings, such that they could be afforded a path and allowed to climb even higher.

Sui Jingcheng was extremely befuddled, and she didn’t dare to carelessly open her mouth to say anything. She tightly gripped the hiking pole, and sweat had already filled her palms.

She stole a quick glance at the senior sword immortal in azure, only to see that he was still as calm and composed as always.

“Does Mr. Liu have any enlightening thoughts regarding the tenets of the Three Teachings?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“Some, but only very shallow,” Qi Jinglong replied. “The Buddhist Sect talks about having no attachments, seeking to have everyone put down the butcher knives in their hands. However, why is the Buddhist Sect split into Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism?[1]

“This is because the world is far from ideal, so attaining individual liberation and personal Nirvana according to the teachings of Hinayana Buddhism is nowhere near enough. It’s necessary to provide enlightenment to others according to the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism.

“The Daoist Sect seeks peace and tranquility, proposing that peace and prosperity will naturally last for eternity if all beings in the world are able to achieve a state of peace and purity. At that time, the world will be a flourishing place where no one has any worries. However, it’s a pity that the Dao power of the Dao Ancestor is far too lofty. It’s truly very good, but when the people are intelligent but not yet fully enlightened, with clever people becoming increasingly shrewd, Dao power will unfortunately ring hollow.

“Buddhism is vast and boundless, almost able to cover the entire sea of suffering. However, it’s a shame that the Dharmacarya, monks responsible for spreading the teachings of Buddhism, might not necessarily understand the proper teachings themselves. The Daoist Sect pays little heed to outsiders, so even if some people are able to grab onto the fringes and attain enlightenment, how many people will be left behind?

“The Confucian Sect has the most difficulty involved. The principles expounded in the scriptures weave a complicated web, and even though these principles form a towering tree that provides cool shade to everyone, what happens when one looks up? Contradictions are seemingly everywhere, making it very easy for people to descend into a state of utter confusion.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and asked, “If I remember correctly, Mr. Liu isn’t a Confucian disciple. That being the case, does your path of cultivation seek absolute freedom from the restraints of the world, or does it seek relative freedom within the boundaries of the rules and regulations?”

Qi Jinglong smiled and replied, “The former is difficult to achieve, and this is one reason for my choice. The other reason is that I’m not particularly willing to pursue absolute freedom either. So, to answer your question, I seek the latter. You mentioned ‘accepting new principles and reasons while maintaining one’s conscience and true self’ before, and this is a notion that resonated deeply with me. People are changing, the world is changing, and even the so-called indomitable mountains are ever-changing.

“Seeking relative freedom and following the heart’s desire without overstepping the boundaries of propriety has always been a sagely state revered and advocated by the Confucian Sect. Fundamentally speaking, however, this is unfortunately still a form of limited freedom. On the other hand, many cultivators in the mountains — especially those closer to the pinnacle of the mountains — are tirelessly chasing after absolute freedom. I don’t believe that all of these cultivators are necessarily bad people. Things are never so simple. In reality, those who are truly able to achieve a state of absolute freedom are all genuinely powerful beings.”

Qi Jinglong sighed with emotion and continued, “These powerful beings who enjoy absolute freedom all possess incredible resilience and profound cultivation, no exception. In other words, they’ve reached the pinnacle of both mental cultivation and physical cultivation.”

After receiving this answer, Chen Ping’an asked a question that he hadn’t been able to ask Sui Jingcheng before, saying, “If the world can be represented by a loose and severely shaking table, yet cultivators are no longer restricted to the vicinity of the table and its chairs, then what should be done at that time?”

“Reach over and temporarily stabilize it first,” Qi Jinglong replied without hesitation. “If one has the will and possesses the power, then one can carefully install one or two nails. Alternatively, one can squat down to repair the table.”

Qi Jinglong continued to express his thoughts after being emotionally moved, sighing, “Achieving immortality is definitely an outstanding feat. However, is achieving immortality truly very interesting and meaningful? I’m not so sure.”

It wasn’t the case that only good people spoke reason.

Bad people also spoke reason, and oftentimes, they were actually even better at speaking reason.

In order to avoid battle and save his own skin, Lake Lord Yin Hou of Verdant Bamboo Lake had summoned a sea of clouds and threatened to flood his own jurisdiction.

Being afraid of this threat, Chen Ping’an had been left with no option but to hold back and spare Lake Lord Yin Hou.

This was Lake Lord Yin Hou’s reason, and Chen Ping’an had been forced to listen.

Following the commotion at the pavilion, Sui Jingcheng had gambled that Chen Ping’an would definitely follow them the entire time.

This was a case of Sui Jingcheng speaking her reason.

Chen Ping’an had also been listening.

In the pavilion, Old Assistant Minister Sui Xinyu and the Turbid River Flood Dragon Yang Yuan — two people with completely different identities and statuses — had subconsciously made remarks with largely similar meanings.

Sui Xinyu had said, “This is the territory of the Five Mountain Nation,” warning the bandits from the cultivation world not to cause trouble. His remark had been a manner of seeking the formless protection of the rules and regulations.

These rules and regulations contained the dignity of the Five Mountain Nation’s emperor and imperial court, and they also contained the righteousness of the nation’s cultivation world, formlessly borrowing the might of Wang Dun’s fist — the most powerful martial artist in the Five Mountain Nation.

Chen Ping’an had stood by without acting two times, once in the Golden Gate Nation and once in the small town located at the peak of Magnificent Peak. A sword immortal had silently observed this, essentially acknowledging Chen Ping’an’s principles and reasons. Thus, Chen Ping’an had survived both times.

Back at Imperial Accompanying City, the deity of the fire god shrine had still chosen to charge to his death and provide extremely minor help to Chen Ping’an even though he knew that it would be pointless. The reason for this was simple, and the fire god had simply felt like Chen Ping’an’s actions were reasonable and were an act of upholding the rules and regulations.

Was the Parasol Leaf Sect’s Du Mao powerful? However, he had also needed to adhere to the rules and regulations when he had wanted to leave the Parasol Leaf Continent. More precisely, he had needed to take advantage of the loopholes in the rules and regulations in order to travel to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent.

Was Hu Xinfeng of the Five Mountain Nation’s cultivation world powerful? Yet, before his death, he had mentioned the rule of not extending punishment to one’s family. Why had he mentioned this? Indeed, this was a legitimate rule of the Five Mountain Nation. Since Hu Xinfeng had mentioned it before his death, this rule had naturally safeguarded countless elders, youths, and infants in the cultivation world for year after year.

Why did the new and vigorous members of the cultivation world always experience many bumps and hardships? Why did they need to pay a heavier price even if they managed to eventually forge a path forward after an almighty struggle? This was a silent reciprocation from the rules and regulations to their fists. Those who were fortunate enough to reach the peak of the cultivation world would one day also transform into elders who voluntarily upheld the existing rules. They would become the older generation of the cultivation world who “stuck to the old ways.”

There was a riverside pavilion up ahead.

Chen Ping’an stopped and cupped his fists, saying, “Thank you for clearing up my uncertainty, Mr. Liu.”

Qi Jinglong smiled faintly and replied, “And thank you for approving my thoughts, Mr. Chen.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, with his eyes remaining limpid and pure as he said in a sincere voice, “My thoughts on many of these matters were nowhere near as clear as Mr. Liu’s explanations.”

Qi Jinglong waved a hand and replied, “What one thinks and how one acts are two completely different matters.”

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment before asking in a tentative manner, “Can I treat you to some wine?”

Qi Jinglong thought for a moment before shaking his head in exasperation and saying, “I don’t drink wine.”

Chen Ping’an felt a little awkward.

Sui Jingcheng found the current situation much more entertaining than the sometimes lofty and sometimes basic conversation between the two people just then. Chen Ping’an grabbed Qi Jinglong’s arm and persuaded, “It’s okay. As long as you drink once, you’ll be free from the restraint of heaven and earth in the future.”

“No, it’s really okay. If Mr. Chen insists, then you can drink wine and I can drink tea,” Qi Jinglong replied with a troubled expression.

The three of them arrived at the riverside pavilion built atop the river.

Chen Ping’an and Qi Jinglong sat opposite each other on long benches, and Sui Jingcheng stood outside the pavilion with the hiking pole in her hand, choosing not to enter. Gusts of river breeze rushed through the pavilion.

“I have a friend called Lu Zhuo, and he’s a disciple of Sweeping Villa’s Senior Wang Dun. He sent a letter to me, saying that I might be able to get along well with you. Seeing this, I rushed over here to test my luck,” Qi Jinglong explained.

Chen Ping’an took off his bamboo hat and put it to the side, nodding and asking, “How did you and that Daoist nun get into a fight at Temper Mountain? I feel like the two of you should have gotten along quite well, and you shouldn’t have engaged in a life and death battle even if you didn’t become friends.”

Qi Jinglong smiled and replied, “It was just a misunderstanding. She came across a group of cultivators committing evil outside the mountains, and she wanted to kill every last one of them. However, I felt like some of them didn’t deserve death for their wrongs, so I stepped forward to stop her, leading to that battle at Temper Mountain. It was only a small matter, but neither she nor I was willing to take a backward step regardless of how trivial the disagreement. As a result, we mysteriously ended up having a battle that almost led to a fight between our Great Dao. There was nothing we could do about it.”

Qi Jinglong paused before asking, “Why does Mr. Chen ask? Are you friends with her?”

Chen Ping’an nodded and replied, “I once went to a blessed land to undergo training.”

“Mr. Chen won’t beat me up for the sake of his friend, will he?” Qi Jinglong asked in a joking manner.

Chen Ping’an smiled and shook his head, replying, “Who said that friends would always be correct regardless of what they did?”

He respected Senior Song Yushao greatly, but hadn’t he also been willing to kill an innocent spirit while vanquishing many mountain spirits and ghosts near the rundown temple back then? Hadn’t he said that it would be better to kill the spirit rather than to spare them and allow them to cause future harm? Indeed, Senior Song Yushao had wanted to kill that innocent fox spirit with a single sword strike.

Chen Ping’an had stepped forward and blocked Senior Song’s sword strike at that time.

As for Bamboo Scroll Lake’s Gu Can, there was no need to say anything more.

There were many principles that would allow one to feel at ease, but there were also many principles that would weigh one down.

There were signs of imminent rain outside the riverside pavilion, with a hazy mist hanging over the surface of the river.

Qi Jinglong had said that he would drink tea instead of wine, but this was nothing more than an excuse. He never carried a pocket treasure or a minimization treasure on him, and he was only ever accompanied by a single bonded flying sword when he left the mountains.

Seeing that Qi Jinglong was unwilling to drink wine, Chen Ping’an felt like his own ability to persuade others to drink wine was still lacking. With this in mind, he didn’t forcefully insist that Qi Jinglong make an exception today.

Qi Jinglong looked toward the surface of the river and remarked with a faint smile, “A drizzle ambles over, the thick clouds difficult to clear.”

Chen Ping’an took a sip of wine as he turned around and said, “The rain always clears to reveal the blue sky.”

Qi Jinglong nodded and looked up, saying, “But I’m afraid that the weather might be changing.”

Chen Ping’an smiled faintly and replied, “There are two in this small riverside pavilion, and perhaps there might be three including the person standing outside. In any case, heaven and earth are vast, so what is there to be afraid of?”

Qi Jinglong sat upright, lightly placing his hands on his knees. His eyes lit up at this moment, and he extended a hand and exclaimed, “Pass me some wine!”

Chen Ping’an tossed a pot of wine over, putting his legs on the bench and sitting cross-legged as he said with a dazzling smile, “This pot of wine can be treated as an early congratulations for Mr. Liu advancing to the Upper Five Tiers.”

“The battle with her on Temper Mountain was extremely beneficial, so there is indeed some opportunity for me to advance to the Upper Five Tiers,” Qi Jinglong replied.

Qi Jinglong also crossed his legs like Chen Ping’an, taking a sip of wine before frowning and commenting, “Sure enough, I was right to refrain from drinking wine.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “If you drink a few pots of wine and still don’t like the taste, then I’ll admit defeat.”

Qi Jinglong shook his head in response, but he still took two small sips of wine.

Chen Ping’an suddenly smiled and asked, “How old is Mr. Liu this year?”

Qi Jinglong smiled and replied, “If I were in the mortal world, then I would be regarded as someone in my eighties.”

Standing outside the riverside pavilion, Sui Jingcheng was astounded when she heard this response. The senior sword immortal had roughly explained to her the cultivation bases of immortals in the mountains before. Yet, this person was already a pseudo-Unpolished Jade Tier cultivator at such a young age?!

This was strange, yet it also wasn’t strange at the same time.

This was because the so-called scholar in the riverside pavilion was Sword Cultivator Liu Jinglong, the terrestrial flood dragon of the Northern Complete Reed Continent.

He was someone who had once caused Yang Ningzhen, the strongest sixth tier martial artist in the world, to feel a sense of despair.

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment before praising, “Impressive, quite impressive indeed.”

There was a strange look on Qi Jinglong’s face, and he surprisingly took a large swig of wine before wiping his mouth and chuckling, “Coming from someone who’s yet to turn thirty? Are you insulting me?”

It was as if Sui Jingcheng had suddenly transformed into the fox spirit lady whom they had encountered by chance back then — it was as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. She turned around to face the riverside pavilion, asking with a dazed expression, “Senior, didn’t you tell me you were three hundred years old?”

Chen Ping’an blinked and replied, “Did I say that?”

Sui Jingcheng’s expression became serious as she exclaimed in a solemn voice, “At least twice!”

Chen Ping’an drank a sip of wine and replied, “That’s not good at all.”

Qi Jinglong also drank a sip of wine, looking at the sword cultivator in azure sitting opposite him before taking a glance at the young woman wearing a veiled hat and standing outside the pavilion. “Indeed not too good,” he concurred with a chuckle.

1. Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) and Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle) describe two different approaches to Buddhism. Mahayana focuses on the Bodhisattva path to achieve enlightenment for all beings, while Hinayana focuses on achieving enlightenment and salvation for oneself. Hinayana represents earlier forms of Buddhism and adheres more closely to the teachings during Buddha’s time, while Mahayana was developed later around the 1st and 2nd century. ☜