Unsheathed

The boy slowly sat up, then removed his mask as he said, “I have an agreement with Liu Jinglong. If you find me, then my assassination attempt has failed, and I have to become his disciple and cultivate under him, so don’t kill me!”

“Where is he?” Chen Ping’an asked.

The boy shook his head as he replied, “He told me to tell you that he’s going to make a trip to the capital of the Great Seal Script Empire first, then come and find us after that.”

A look of frustration then appeared on the boy’s face as he slammed his fist into the ground and he grumbled, “This is my first-ever assassination job!”

Chen Ping’an drifted down onto the ground, then made his way out of the reeds, using his hiking pole to clear out a path.

After some hesitation, the boy gritted his teeth and cast his mask aside, then followed Chen Ping’an onto the path.

Chen Ping’an slowed down slightly, and the boy mustered up some courage before catching up to him.

The two of them began walking alongside each other. There were some rumors swirling around within Deer Cutter Mountain pertaining to Chen Ping’an. The boy was deemed a bright prospect by Deer Cutter Mountain and had been receiving training as an assassin from a young age. Furthermore, he had grown up by the mountain master’s side his entire life, so he was privy to some secrets.

From what he had heard, Chen Ping’an appeared like an innocuous and easygoing scholar, but following the first failed assassination attempt on him, another hit was ordered on him almost immediately thereafter.

The mountain master had once told the boy that Chen Ping’an was someone who was prone to getting himself into a lot of trouble, but was also very good at getting himself out of trouble.

“Are you a swordsman?” Chen Ping’an asked.

The boy nodded as he replied, “My master told me that I’m very precious for my aptitude as a swordsman, so he told me to cherish my life and to not be in a hurry when it comes to taking on jobs. Otherwise, he would be making a loss on all of the immortal coins that he spent on me. I’ve always wanted to begin taking on jobs as soon as I can in order to repay my master, but I never thought we’d run into someone like Liu Jinglong.

“He told me my master that he wasn’t going to move, and that my master could attack him however he liked. However, after each attack, he would have to listen to one of Liu Jinglong’s principles. My master attacked him twice, so he had to listen to two principles.”

A dejected look appeared on the boy’s face as he spoke.

In his memory, his master’s sword had never failed to claim the life of its target.

Regardless of their cultivation base, they would be decapitated without fail.

The boy heaved a heavy sigh, but that didn’t do anything to assuage his frustrations, and he continued, “Our Deer Cutter Mountain has always kept to its word, and in the end, my master had no choice but to send me to assassinate you. Not only that, but from now on, I will no longer have any ties with Deer Cutter Mountain. Instead, I have to go to some bullshit Great Emblem Sword Sect with Liu Jinglong.”

Chen Ping’an smiled as he extended a hand toward the boy, who asked in a perplexed manner, “What do you want?”

“Don’t you have to thank me for giving you the opportunity to cultivate in the Great Emblem Sword Sect?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“Are you retarded?!” the boy scoffed. “Who wants to become an official immortal? If only I had a bit more power. I would’ve pierced you through the heart with my sword and put an end to your life!”

Chen Ping’an withdrew his hand with an amused smile as he remarked, “You really should cultivate under Qi Jinglong to rid yourself of some of your killing intent.”

The boy spat onto the ground in disdain as he scoffed, “So what if Liu Jinglong is stronger than my master? Why should I cultivate under him? He’s clearly a nerd! If I have to cultivate under him, I’ll have to refer to him as master, every day, even though just the sight of him pisses me off! How will I ever become a sword immortal under him?”

“Have you considered that perhaps your master actually wants you to cultivate under Qi Jinglong?” Chen Ping’an asked.

The boy was silent for a moment, then replied, “I figured that was likely the case. My master has always been very good to me, and he’s always looked out for my best interests. That’s why I’m planning to refer to Liu Jinglong as master, but in my heart, I will only ever have one master.”

The boy then turned to Chen Ping’an with an uneasy expression, worried that he would relay this message to Liu Jinglong.

For some reason, he couldn’t help but want to share some thoughts from the bottom of his heart to this young man.

Perhaps it was because all of this had happened so quickly that he needed someone to complain to. Otherwise, he felt like he was about to explode!

“It’s good that you think this way, and it’s always the right way to feel,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile. “However, if you change your mind in the future, that doesn’t mean that your current feelings are wrong.”

“Who the hell do you think they are, trying to educate me?” the boy snapped with tightly furrowed brows. “You think you’re a big deal just because I can’t kill you? You think that gives you the right to preach to me, is that it?!”

His personality was certainly a little abrasive.

Chen Ping’an remained unbothered as he countered, “Anyone can preach and espouse principles. I’m stronger than you and willing to educate you. Is that a bad thing? Would you rather I beat you to death, or beat you into submission and force you onto your hands and knees to beg me to preach to you?”

The boy hurriedly raised his hands in an exasperated manner as he groaned, “Stop! I don’t wanna hear it. This is exactly the kind of nonsense Liu Jinglong spouted to my master. In the end, my master was so annoyed that he was forced to tell me to leave, and he didn’t allow me to argue at all.”

A faint smile appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face, and he flipped a hand over to summon two flagons of rice wine.

“Care for a drink?”

The boy’s eyes instantly lit up as he took one of the flagons from Chen Ping’an, then opened it before taking a big swig of wine.

A disdainful look then appeared on his face as he scoffed, “So this is what wine tastes like? I really haven’t been missing out on much.”

Chen Ping’an continued onward at a leisurely pace as he said, “Now that you’ve opened the flagon and taken a drink from it, you better finish the rest. I don’t mind if it takes you some time. If you dare to toss the flagon by the wayside before you finish it, then I’ll teach you a lesson in Qi Jinglong’s stead, and it’s not a lesson that you’ll want to learn.”

A mocking sneer appeared on the boy’s face as he jeered, “See? In the end, you still resort to intimidation by threats of violence. You’re even worse than Liu Jinglong!”

“Make sure to savor your wine before Qi Jinglong gets back,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile. “Once you begin cultivating under him, you won’t get to drink wine for a very long time, even if you want to.”

The boy’s brows furrowed slightly as he asked, “How do you know Liu Jinglong forbade me from drinking wine that you offer to me?”

“I don’t. How could I? I’m not a clairvoyant god,” Chen Ping’an replied with a shake of his head.

The boy raised his arm, then took a hesitant look at the wine flagon in his hand, and in the end, he didn’t dare to toss it away. Instead, he took another sip of wine. He actually enjoyed the taste. There was none of the unpleasant burning sensation that he had been told was the norm for first-time drinkers.

Looks like I was naturally cut out for drinking! As expected of a natural sword prodigy like me!

All of a sudden, a thought occurred to him, and he proposed, “How about you tell Liu Jinglong that you want to take me as your disciple instead?”

Chen Ping’an paid no heed to him.

The boy began trying to persuade him, telling him that he would remember this favor and be sure to repay him in the future. He told Chen Ping’an that once he returned to Deer Cutter Mountain, he would be willing to help Chen Ping’an assassinate his enemies free of charge.

“What’s your name?” Chen Ping’an suddenly asked.

The boy wasn’t the type to answer any question that came his way, but his name was a great source of pride for him, something that he was even more proud of than his aptitude in swordsmanship, and he declared, “My name is Bai Shou! My master gave me that name. In no more than a hundred years’ time, there will be a sword immortal called Bai Shou on the Northern Complete Reed Continent!”

Chen Ping’an raised his flagon to him, and initially, the boy didn’t know what he was doing, but he quickly caught on and touched his flagon to Chen Ping’an’s, following which each of them took a drink.

Bai Shou wiped the back of his hand across his lips, feeling very good about himself. Now that he had learned to drink, he was beginning to feel like a heroic sword immortal.

“You can listen to your master on everything else, but it would be way too much of a pity if a sword immortal didn’t drink,” Chen Ping’an said with an amused smile.

Bai Shou nodded vigorously as he replied, “In the beginning, I found you really annoying, but it seems like you’re not so bad, after all. What’s your name? I’m not going to bother to remember many names in this lifetime, so you should feel honored that I’m asking you for yours!”

“My name is Chen Haoren,” Chen Ping’an replied.

“Don’t try to play me for a fool!” Bai Shou snapped.

“What’re you gonna do about it? Hit me?” Chen Ping’an challenged.

“Of course not. Do you think I’m stupid?” Bai Shou scoffed with a roll of his eyes.

“I do. Are you going to hit me now?” Chen Ping’an challenged again.

Bai Shou could only take a drink to drown his indignation.

This was the second-biggest instance of humiliation he had suffered since leaving Deer Cutter Mountain!

Chen Ping’an turned around to discover Qi Jinglong trailing along behind them. He had most likely already arrived long ago and had been following them for quite some time.

“Is it a compulsive habit of yours to offer drinks to others?” Qi Jinglong asked in a resigned manner.

“Every swordsman remembers the one who first offered a drink to them,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

“Who was that person for you?” Qi Jinglong asked.

“It was another swordsman,” Chen Ping’an replied in a vague fashion.

This entire time, Bai Shou had spoken to Chen Ping’an of Liu Jinglong with a sense of casual disdain and disrespect, but now that Liu Jinglong was actually present, he instantly became as timid and uneasy as a tamed kitten. He was terrified to have been caught drinking by Liu Jinglong, but didn’t dare to cast the unfinished flagon of wine aside for fear of a beating from Chen Ping’an.

The memory of his master’s “battle” against Liu Jinglong was still fresh in the boy’s mind. At the time, Liu Jinglong had truly stuck to his word, standing still on the spot and allowing Bai Shou’s master to attack him.

With nothing more than a casually inscribed formation, he was able to easily ward off the two sword strikes from Bai Shou’s master, and the latter didn’t even have the will to attempt a third attack!

“I’m planning to return to my sect and go into seclusion,” Qi Jinglong declared.

Chen Ping’an nodded as he replied, “Make sure to make a breakthrough as soon as you can so I can go find you. Otherwise, if you take too long, I may have already left the Northern Complete Reed Continent. I’m not going to turn around and make a trip just for you. Of course, I can consider it if you’re willing to have a drink.”

“I’ll pass,” Qi Jinglong scoffed with a roll of his eyes.

“You went to the capital of the Great Seal Script Empire earlier, did you?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“I did,” Qi Jinglong replied with a faint sigh. “Gu You is still yet to reach the capital of the Great Seal Script Empire, but he sent a letter ahead, telling Ji Yue of Ape Call Mountain that there was no need to search for him, and that the two of them could engage in a final showdown next to Jade Seal River. I’m not really interested in seeing their battle, so I chose not to stay, but they should be clashing very soon.”

Chen Ping’an also heaved a faint sigh as he began drinking again.

“A tenth tier martial artist is nothing!” Bai Shou scoffed. “For a mighty sword immortal like Ji Yue, I reckon it’ll only take him a couple of sword strikes to kill his opponent!”

“What do you think of the current state I’m in?” Chen Ping’an asked with a smile.

“You’re in a terrible state, of course!” Bai Shou replied. “Your entire body is riddled with injuries. I’m sure you must be petrified of us Deer Cutter Mountain cultivators after this ordeal!”

Chen Ping’an and Qi Jinglong exchanged an amused smile, and Bai Shou was rather perplexed to see this.

Is that not what happened?

“Let’s go find a peaceful mountain summit before I go, Chen Ping’an,” Qi Jinglong suddenly said. “Once we get there, you’re going to witness a rather uncommon sight that will deepen your understanding of our Northern Complete Reed Continent.”

Chen Ping’an naturally raised no objections.

That night, the three of them stood on the summit of a tall mountain.

Ji Yue stood on one bank of the Jade Seal River, while Gu You stood on the other, and the latter smiled as he said, “Go ahead. I won’t try to attack you.”

“I trust you,” Ji Yue said with a nod.

That night, countless swordsmen across the entire continent sent their flying swords racing up into the heavens.

It was like a radiant reverse waterfall of sword qi.

Among these swordsmen was Bai Shang, the number one sword immortal of the north, and his flying sword was particularly bright, resembling a bright moon among lesser stars as it ascended into the night sky.

All of the swordsmen of the Great Emblem Sword Sect also cast their flying swords up into the sky, led by their sect leader, and the collective sword light was so bright that the entire sect was illuminated to be as bright as day.

Even though Ji Yue was about to engage in a battle of life and death against an End Tier martial artist, he also had to first join everyone in this act of solidarity, paying homage to the sword immortal that had perished in battle in a distant land.

All of the swordsmen of the Duckweed Sword Lake had also released their flying swords, led by Sword Immortal Li Cai, and over at the ancestral hall of the Flax Robe Sect, all of the swordsmen had sent their flying swords racing into the sky, while Sect Leader Zhu Quan stood in a solemn silence with her hand resting on the hilt of her saber.

Pu Rang of the Skeleton Shoal had also drawn his sword, while Gao Cheng threw a punch to the heavens, dispelling the restrictions so that Pu Rang’s sword could ascend as high into the heavens as possible.

Even all of the sword immortals, swordsmen, and sects that were enemies of the deceased sword immortal had also let loose their flying swords to pay homage to his sacrifice.

Countless pillars of light formed by sword qi illuminated the Northern Complete Reed Continent in a stunning display of unity and solidarity.

On the summit of a nameless mountain in the Sacred Lotus Nation, Qi Jinglong was doing the exact same thing.

This time, he was going all out, sending his bonded flying sword as high up into the heavens as it could possibly go.

Qi Jinglong stood with his hands clasped behind his back, observing the long streaks of light rising into the heavens on the horizon.

All of a sudden, he turned to Chen Ping’an with a smile as he asked, “Are you sure about this? If you reveal your trump card here, that could tip off some people who harbor nefarious intentions against you and put you in a lot of trouble.”

However, Qi Jinglong already knew the answer to his question.

Chen Ping’an was already holding Sword Immortal in his hand.

Chen Ping’an raised his head and said, “I’ve thought about so much that others are unwilling to think about precisely so that I can do some things without having to think, is that not the case?”

Bai Shou was struggling to keep his eyes open against the blinding radiance of Qi Jinglong’s sword light, but he opened his eyes as wide as he could to not miss the sight that was to come.

In the next instant, a streak of golden sword light erupted into the heavens, following which two more streaks of sword light, one white and one green, flew out of Chen Ping’an’s acupoints before also rising up into the night sky.

Shortly thereafter, Qi Jinglong withdrew his bonded flying sword, while Chen Ping’an raised his scabbard vertically, and Sword Immortal descended from the sky before returning to its scabbard.

Chen Ping’an replaced Sword Immortal onto his back, and in this instant, Bai Shou felt like being gifted a flagon of wine by Chen Ping’an was something to be proud of.

The two of them parted ways, with Qi Jinglong flying toward the north, and Bai Shou was also capable of flight.

Bai Shou turned to discover Chen Ping’an still standing on the spot, tipping his head back to feign the motion of drinking wine. Bai Shou nodded vigorously in response, and neither of them said anything.

However, Qi Jinglong immediately spoiled his parade, warning, “No drinking wine. That’s non-negotiable.”

“If you keep this up, I’m going to run away and accept your friend as my master,” Bai Shou threatened in an enraged manner.

“You can try!” Qi Jinglong chortled. “He’ll be sure to chase you away.”

“Why?” Bai Shou asked.

“He wouldn’t want to waste money buying wine for you,” Qi Jinglong chuckled.

“That’s nonsense!” Bai Shou scoffed. “There’s no way he could be that stingy!”

“He’s even more stingy than you can imagine,” Qi Jinglong insisted.

“I must’ve been blind! I was planning to accept him as my master,” Bai Shou wailed. “Why are you prohibiting me from drinking wine? Are you worried it’ll be detrimental to my cultivation, or are you also just stingy?”

“Both,” Qi Jinglong replied.

“You’re even worse than him then!” Bai Shou exclaimed.

“When did I tell you I was better than him?” Qi Jinglong asked with an amused smile.

Bai Shou was struggling to suppress his indignation, and eventually, he was unable to hold back any longer as he yelled, “Both you and your friend are scoundrels! I’m completely screwed as your disciple!”

“You’ll be fine,” Qi Jinglong reassured with a smile.

Bai Shou heaved a forlorn sigh, dreading the days to come.

Over on the mountain summit, Chen Ping’an had only just begun his descent down the mountain, and he imagined that Qi Jinglong and his new disciple were most likely praising him right now, talking about how generous and great a person he was.