Unsheathed

If it were Chen Ping’an instead, then Zhu Quan would’ve definitely been much more open and straightforward. Even if she couldn’t offer up ample compensation even after requesting funds from the Flax Robe Sect’s upper sect, then she would just have to owe a debt to Chen Ping’an, and she wouldn’t have felt guilty in the slightest.

However, Chen Ping’an was Chen Ping’an, while Cui Dongshan was Cui Dongshan, even if they were teacher and student, and both of them called Downtrodden Mountain their home.

There were certain lines that simply couldn’t be crossed.

In the Flax Robe Sect, Zhu Quan didn’t seem like a very fit or worthy sect leader. Her cultivation base was decent, but it wasn’t quite enough to lead her sect, so she could only choose the least favorable option, personally stationing herself in Green Cottage Town to oppose Skeleton Wall City.

However, the entire continent was aware that the Flax Robe Sect was very easy to work with and had clear lines between friend and foe.

This ubiquitous, positive reputation was equivalent to an immense sum of wealth for the Flax Robe Sect.

During Chen Ping’an’s journey across the Northern Complete Reed Continent, he had learned many principles that couldn’t be gleaned from books from two places, namely Zhu Quan’s Flax Robe Sect and Spiritual Master Fire Dragon’s Ground Lying Peak.

Chen Ping’an pulled out two flagons of rice wine, one each for Cui Dongshan and himself, and this time, both of them drank quite slowly.

Now that Downtrodden Mountain was relatively established, there were naturally many things that they had to deal with.

They had to take care in their dealings with Governor Wei Li, as well as the provincial city god, and this wasn’t something that was made any easier by the fact that Cui Dongshan was the leader of the Great Li Empire’s Green Ripple Pavilion.

Meanwhile, Lu Baixiang and Liu Chongrun were already on the way back to Ao Back Ridge after securing the water palace and the dragon boat. Once Lu Baixiang arrived on Downtrodden Mountain, it would be time for his two direct disciples, Yuan Bao and Yuan Lai, to be included in the genealogical records.

However, what was rather awkward was that even now, Downtrodden Mountain still didn’t have an ancestral hall. This was because there were many occasions where Chen Ping’an had to be present as the master of Downtrodden Mountain, and the establishment of an ancestral hall was certainly one such important occasion.

Hence, he would have to stay on Downtrodden Mountain for a while, until Lu Baixiang and Zhu Lian returned from Old Dragon City.

During this time, another matter that he had considered was whether Zhou Mili’s official appointment as the right-hand guardian of Downtrodden Mountain would evoke displeasure and indignation from certain people.

“I’m going to Dragon Riding Alley,” Chen Ping’an suddenly declared as he rose to his feet.

“On foot?” Cui Dongshan asked with a smile.

“Pei Qian has a sword talisman from the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, but I don’t,” Chen Ping’an replied. “I don’t want to trouble Wei Bo in the middle of the night, and I can also pay a visit to Zheng Dafeng on the way to check on how he’s recovering from his rolled ankle.”

“In that case, I’ll come with you,” Cui Dongshan said.

As the two of them descended the mountain, they just so happened to run into Cen Yuanji, who was practicing her fist techniques as she scaled the mountain.

Chen Ping’an and Cui Dongshan stepped to the side to allow her through.

Cen Yuanji remained silent, completely immersed in her own fist intent as she performed her walking meditation up the mountain.

The two of them continued their descent.

“That girl is as stubborn as they come,” Cui Dongshan chuckled. “Somehow, she has eyes only for Zhu Lian.”

“That shows that Zhu Lian has a good eye for picking disciples,” Chen Ping’an replied with a nod. “You’ve transformed the entire Downtrodden Mountain into a bunch of insincere suck-ups, and Cen Yuanji is the only exception, so she must be cherished.”

“If it makes you happy to think of me in such an unfavorable light, then I suppose I can take the blame.” Cui Dongshan sighed in a resigned manner.

After reaching the foot of the mountain, Chen Ping’an knocked on the door, but even after a long wait, there was no response. However, he didn’t intend to let Zheng Dafeng off the hook, and he began pounding the door, making a huge commotion.

Only then did Zheng Dafeng limp to the door before opening it in a bleary-eyed fashion, and he feigned a look of surprise at the sight of Chen Ping’an as he exclaimed, “I didn’t know you were back, Mountain Master! Why didn’t you tell me? Is it because you couldn’t be bothered? You have no regard for a mere gatekeeper like me, is that it?

“In that case, why are you visiting me all of a sudden? My heart has truly been broken. Clearly, I’m just an eyesore to you, so I may as well go back to sleep and spare both of us this unwanted meeting. What if you decide to kick me out, and I have to leave the mountain? What would I do then? I’d have to sleep on the streets! It’s about to be winter soon; surely you wouldn’t be so cruel as to kick me out now!

“If you have something to say, then let’s discuss it another time. I’m sure you have nothing important to discuss with a lowly gatekeeper like myself anyway, so I won’t take up any more of your precious time…”

With that, Zheng Dafeng turned to close the door, giving one long and continuous spiel that didn’t allow Chen Ping’an the chance to get even a single word in.

Chen Ping’an pressed a hand firmly against the door, keeping it open as he smiled and said, “I heard you injured your leg. This is a very pressing concern, so of course I had to come and check on you.”

Zheng Dafeng put on a brave expression as he said, “It’s no big deal. As a man, as long as you don’t injure your third leg, anything else can be considered a minor injury.”

One person was trying to close the door, while the other was keeping it open, resulting in an impasse.

“So you’re just going to start bullying me after making a breakthrough?” Zheng Dafeng complained. “If that’s how it’s going to be, then I’m going to have to resort to some shameless tactics to protect myself!”

“I really do have to talk to you!” Chen Ping’an said in an exasperated manner.

“Who do you want to talk to me about?” Zheng Dafeng asked.

“Not Pei Qian, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Chen Ping’an snapped with a roll of his eyes.

Zheng Dafeng immediately extended a bow of apology, and all of a sudden, his limp was completely gone as he wound an arm around Chen Ping’an’s shoulder and eagerly ushered him inside, as he invited, “Please come in, Mountain Master! I wish I could offer you a better welcome, but there’s only so much I can do with this tiny house of mine. Look at this place!

“I’m not one to level accusations and badmouth others, but Zhu Lian has truly been far too stingy here! This house is so tiny, it’s pathetic! To think that the gatekeeper of the esteemed Downtrodden Mountain has such an unsightly abode. I’m too ashamed to even go buy wine in the town, and I don’t even dare to tell anyone that I’m from Downtrodden Mountain.

“Zhu Lian is a good friend and very easy to get along with, but when it comes to official matters, he’s far too much of a miser!”

Cui Dongshan grinned. “How unfortunate. I am on the verge of tears from your sobering story.”

“As you should be!” Zheng Dafeng said in an earnest manner, seemingly completely oblivious to Cui Dongshan’s sarcasm. “I almost got into a fight with Zhu Lian and Wei Bo for your sake over the splitting of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land! We got into a massive argument, and in order to convince those two to give you a share, I placed myself in such severe peril that I was only just barely able to avoid a beating!

“Unfortunately, it didn’t amount to anything in the end, so all I can do is drink my days away in frustration, and that’s how I ended up rolling my ankle.”

“You have my utmost gratitude,” Cui Dongshan said with a smile and a nod, then stopped in his tracks and told Chen Ping’an that he would wait for him at the entrance of the mountain.

After that, he stepped outside and gently closed the door behind himself.

Chen Ping’an and Zheng Dafeng sat down, and the former told the latter about the matter of the soul and the mortal form that he had heard about from Li Liu.

“It’s true, but I no longer have the mental willpower required to pursue such a thing,” Zheng Dafeng confirmed with a nod. “Why are you bringing this up? Are you worried that Downtrodden Mountain is lacking in capable fighters, so you want me to make an effort to recover my former cultivation base? You think I’m an embarrassment to Downtrodden Mountain, is that it?”

“You know I would never think that,” Chen Ping’an said with a shake of his head.

“I knew you wouldn’t; that’s why I asked,” Zheng Dafeng said with a smile. “It’s called making conversation where there’s none to be made. If I didn’t have this skill, then I would already have been relegated to live out my days alone in the old house.”

“I came to tell you that if you want to go somewhere for a change of scenery, then you can make some frequent trips to the Lotus Root Blessed Land,” Chen Ping’an said. “However, that’s just a suggestion from me. Ultimately, it’s still up to you.”

Zheng Dafeng seemed rather tempted by the idea, stroking his own chin as he nodded and said, “Old Man Cui intentionally left half of his martial fortune in the Lotus Root Blessed Land, and it’s also recently been elevated to a mid-grade blessed land, resulting in a sharp increase in spiritual energy, so it has indeed become a place worth visiting. I’ll consider it.”

Maybe I can open a lucrative brothel over there?

A wide grin appeared on Zheng Dafeng’s face as he waved a hand to dismiss the idea. He couldn’t do something so morally bankrupt. Instead, he could open a wine shop and hire a few elegant saleswomen. Perhaps they would be too shy to bring in much business, so he also had to hire a few voluptuous and talkative hostesses to drink with his customers. Only then would he be able to guarantee a good number of return customers.

Otherwise, it would not be a very lucrative business idea, and he would only be bringing more shame to Downtrodden Mountain. It would essentially be a carbon copy of the role that he played back in that shop in Old Dragon City, where he would officially be shopkeeper, but his job would simply be to do nothing but ogle his pretty female employees all day.

Chen Ping’an didn’t know what Zheng Dafeng was plotting, but the wide grin on his face and the sly look in his eyes were rather off-putting for Chen Ping’an, so he stood up to depart.

Zheng Dafeng escorted him to the door, and had he been given permission by Chen Ping’an, he would’ve most likely been willing to accompany the latter all the way to the small town.

Chen Ping’an and Cui Dongshan departed together.

Zheng Dafeng heaved a forlorn sigh to himself. Earlier, he had intentionally brought up the matter of Cui Cheng’s martial fortune, in response to which Chen Ping’an had displayed no reaction.

This was a good thing, but also not a good thing.

There was simply no helping it. Different people were bound to be bogged down by different concerns.

As for Cui Dongshan, that was someone that Zheng Dafeng didn’t like to interact with much because he found the former far too calculating.

Instead of returning to bed, Zheng Dafeng went out for a walk, making his way to the entrance of the mountain under the moonlight, where he leaned against a white jade pillar.

There were no clear-cut factions on Downtrodden Mountain, but one would be able to see some if they were to look closely enough.

There was one surrounding Cui Dongshan, and the same applied to Lu Baixiang and Wei Xian, as well as Shi Rou.

Cui Dongshan could easily introduce many new faces to his faction and make it the most powerful one on Downtrodden Mountain overnight if he pleased.

However, that didn’t make Zheng Dafeng feel like he was an expendable member of Downtrodden Mountain. If the people around Cui Dongshan wanted to enter Downtrodden Mountain, especially if they wanted to be included in the genealogical records, then they had to at least go through the entrance first, and he just so happened to be the gatekeeper.

With that in mind, Zheng Dafeng immediately realized that he was an extremely important figure, one who was truly indispensable for Downtrodden Mountain. After waiting in silence for a long while, he suddenly stomped his foot in frustration. He had seen Cen Yuanji scaling the mountain during her walking meditation earlier in the night, but why wasn’t she coming down again?

***

Shi Rou opened the doors of the shop, and a rather awkward look appeared on her face at the sight of Chen Ping’an and Cui Dongshan.

It would’ve been fine if it were only Chen Ping’an, but Cui Dongshan’s presence immediately had Shi Rou feeling very uneasy.

They made their way into the backyard to find Chen Lingjun yawning as he stood next to the skywell.

Chen Ping’an instructed Shi Rou to open the door of a side room, then lit the lamp on the table before pulling out a large stack of notes, as well as maps from both the authorities and drawn by himself. From there, he began outlining the journey that Chen Lingjun would have to take along Plenty River. As he did so, he pulled out a bunch of black and white Go stones that had the names of various people and factions engraved upon them.

For example, Li Yuan of the Water Dragon Sect and the Southern Fragrance River Goddess were represented by white stones, and the same applied to the likes of Tan Ling, Tang Xi, and Song Lanqiao of the Spring Dew Garden, as well as factions like Cloudtop City, the Rainbow Sparrow Residence, and Duckweed Sword Lake.

As for the relatively few black stones, those mostly represented members of the Esteemed Mystery Department Yang Clan. With regard to these stones, Chen Ping’an explained with a smile that they may have been black and white, but human nature was not so clear-cut, so the stones could only serve as a rough guide.

He told Chen Lingjun that once he embarked on his journey, he couldn’t solely rely on what these black and white stones represented without thinking for himself. Otherwise, he was likely going to find himself in a lot of trouble.

Looking at the white line of Go stones on the table, Chen Lingjun grappled with an internal conflict for quite some time before finally bringing himself to blurt out a single word, “Thanks.”

Chen Ping’an was rather taken aback, and he smiled as he jibed, “You’re thanking me? What’s next? The sun’s going to rise in the middle of the night?”

“I already thanked you, so I’ve done my part! If you wanna mock me for it, then suit yourself!” Chen Lingjun grumbled.

Chen Ping’an was in a good mood, and he was planning to go into extensive detail about the route that he had marked out for Chen Lingjun, and by his estimates, it would be morning by the time he was done.

“I suggest you focus and listen carefully,” Cui Dongshan urged with a threatening tone in his voice. “Your master here put his life on the line to scout this route for you. No one has ever had a more meticulously considered route planned out for them prior to their river journey!”

An anxious look appeared on Chen Lingjun’s face as he tightened his grip around the stack of notes in his hands.

“It’s not that serious,” Chen Ping’an said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “My top priority for this trip to the Northern Complete Reed Continent was my own journey, and mapping out this route was only a secondary objective, so there’s no need to be grateful to me. However, do remember at all times that this is the foundation of your Great Dao, so if you don’t take it seriously, then you’ll be doing yourself a massive disservice.

“As a flood dragon, I understand that there’s no point for you to cultivate on Downtrodden Mountain, so I’ve never tried to urge you to be more diligent in your cultivation. However, you must change your lazy ways and regard this journey as one of the utmost importance.

“If I find out at any point that you’re treating this journey like a joke, then I’d rather send someone to capture you and bring you back to Downtrodden Mountain than allow you to wander around like a fool. I’m warning you now: If you treat this like a game, you will pay with your life.”

“I understand the severity of the situation,” Chen Lingjun assured with a nod.

“I trust you,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

Chen Lingjun looked up at Chen Ping’an, and he was very much reassured by the latter’s earnest eyes and warm smile.

Chen Ping’an smiled as he pulled out some writing supplies, then set them down onto the table as he said, “Writing stuff down is always more reliable than banking solely on memory. I’ll be going into a lot of detail, and I suggest you write down anything that you feel is of significance. That way, you’ll have notes that you can examine during your journey.”

“You’ve only stopped just short of completing the journey for him,” Cui Dongshan scoffed.

Chen Lingjun was just about to sit down, but he instantly froze upon hearing Cui Dongshan’s disdainful remark, and he lowered his head as he held onto the notes in his hands in a white-knuckled grip.

Chen Ping’an took a glance at Cui Dongshan, and the latter immediately raised his hands in surrender as he said, “Alright, I’ll go sit outside.”

With that, Cui Dongshan left the room and closed the door behind himself, then carried a stool over to the skywell before taking a seat.

He leaned back with his hands cupped behind the back of his head, then suddenly yelled, “Shi Rou, where are the sunflower seeds?”

“Coming!” Shi Rou replied in a timid manner, so panicked that she even forgot to disguise her female voice.

Having stayed on Dragon Riding Alley for so long, she had almost completely forgotten about her own female form, but a demanding yell from Cui Dongshan was all it took to jog her memory.