Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an sat down on the small stool, and he was surrounded by a large group of children in no time.

He continued to tell a fantasy story about gods and ghosts that he hadn’t completed last time, and just like before, he finished off at a critical cliff hanger, smiling widely as he told the children to come again next time.

The children grumbled in complaint.

The young boy who had wanted to learn fist techniques from Chen Ping’an even earlier than Guo Zhujiu squatted beside Chen Ping’an’s feet and retrieved a copper coin from a ceramic pot, saying, “Keep going, Chen Ping’an, I’ll give you a tip. I can give you more if this isn’t enough.”

Chen Ping’an reached over and pushed the little boy’s head away. “Scram.”

He then retrieved a rubbing from his pocket, gently shaking it open and asking the children, “Are there any characters here that you don’t recognize? Are there any characters you want to learn?”

“There are heaps of characters that I don’t recognize. What’s the point of learning this?” a young boy replied in unhappiness. “This is boring as heck, and I don’t want to listen. Continue telling the story, or I’m going to leave.”

Chen Ping’an looked around, and it was much the same attitude from the other children. These children who had grown up in poor families were indeed uninterested in learning characters. It was difficult to keep them engaged once the initial interest wore off.

Learning how to read wasn’t useless at the Sword Qi Great Wall, and it was naturally very useful for those who were fortunate enough to become sword cultivators.

For the impoverished families living in the streets and alleys over here, however, learning how to read was merely a way to stave off boredom. If it weren’t for wanting to know what those illustrated characters in the novels were saying, the children would actually be fine with never learning how to read and never interacting with the characters on those stone tablets.

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “There’s no rush. I’ll only explain a single character today, and I’ll continue to tell the story after I’m done.”

Chen Ping’an picked up the bamboo branch on his knee and wrote a single character on the ground: Steady.

“Who recognizes this character?” he asked with a smile.

Someone responded by reading the character aloud.

Chen Ping’an then raised the verdant green bamboo branch that was vaguely surrounded by spiritual energy as he continued, “I’ll give this bamboo branch to whoever can help me explain this character today. Of course, the explanation must be good. For example, you need to at least tell me why the character ‘steady’ includes the character ‘urgent’ even though it implies ‘not quick.’[1] Is this not a conflict? Perhaps the sages fell asleep when they were creating characters back then, so they were muddle-headed as they randomly created this character for us?”

The large group of children exchanged blank looks with each other.

Being able to recognize this character as “steady” was already very impressive, so who would understand all these further complexities?

A young girl who was stealthily hiding among the group of children said in a quiet voice, “I can explain the meaning, Future Master.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied with a smile, “No, you’ve attended school from a young age, so it will be unfair to the others if I allow you to explain this character.”

Guo Zhujiu was very interested in her master’s bamboo branch. If she obtained it, just how magnificent and imposing would she appear when she returned to the streets near her home? The young girl was slightly annoyed as she exclaimed, “I wouldn’t have attended school if I knew this.”

Whether purposely or subconsciously, the other children all stepped back and distanced themselves from Guo Zhujiu when they noticed her. This wasn’t purely because of fear and envy, and there was also a hint of inferiority, as well as the closely attached sense of pride.

The young girl didn’t think anything about this, and as she squatted alone on the ground, she didn’t care about the small inkstone by her waist resting on the unpaved ground either.

An impoverished young boy with bright eyes and slender eyebrows, who was wearing patched clothes, mustered his courage and pointed at the character written on the ground in front of Chen Ping’an, his face slightly red and his voice quivering as he said quietly, “The character ‘steady’ is composed of the grain radical and the character ‘urgent.’ Grains actually grow very quickly, yet they also grow slowly at the same time. There’s a small stone tablet on Spirit Rhino Alley where my house is located, and the inscriptions on this stone tablet read: Rice husks and chaff gathered together, wealth comparable to emperors and nobles.

“I asked Big Sister Die Zhang about this, and she understood the meaning of this inscription. However, Big Sister Die Zhang said she’s never actually seen husks or chaff either. I feel like the character ‘steady’ is fundamentally characterized by grain, but outwardly characterized by the character ‘urgent.’ This is similar to the wine shop opened by you and Big Sister Die Zhang. You’re making money quickly, but you’re spending money slowly, allowing you to accumulate wealth. That way, Big Sister Die Zhang can buy a bigger house in the future.”

Chen Ping’an had kept an eye on this young boy for a long time, seeing that he was one of the children who paid the most attention when listening to stories and learning new characters.

He was also an apprentice who had been involved in repairing the broken street.

However, Chen Ping’an discovered that this young boy possessed a frail physique, not only letting slip the optimal time to practice fist techniques, but also being relatively unsuited to practicing martial arts. His situation was also slightly different from that of Zhao Shuxia. It wasn’t that he couldn’t practice fist techniques, but it would be very difficult for him to advance. Indeed, he wouldn’t be able to overcome the painful barrier of the third tier.

Chen Ping’an hadn’t been willing to give up, but after asking Ning Yao, she had also shaken her head after glancing at the young boy from a distance, saying that he didn’t possess the aptitude for learning sword techniques. He couldn’t complete the first step, and as a result, becoming a sword cultivator would be impossible. There was no way to brute force this. Only after hearing this did Chen Ping’an give up.

Perhaps it wasn’t the case that the young boy genuinely liked to learn new characters, but having grown up in poverty and with nothing to do, he needed to find a way to entertain himself without spending any money. Perhaps the impoverished young boy liked to focus on activities that were free and could slightly differentiate him from the other children.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said with a nod, “Your explanation of the character is half correct, Zhang Jiazhen, so I’ll give this bamboo branch to you.”

He offered the bamboo branch to Zhang Jiazhen, but the young boy, who was surprised about Chen Ping’an actually knowing his name, flushed beet red and vigorously shook his head in a flustered manner, replying, “I don’t want this.”

Chen Ping’an retracted the bamboo branch and asked with a smile, “What’s wrong? Perhaps you want to learn fist techniques?”

Zhang Jiazhen shook his head and replied, “That will affect my work.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Possessing a specialized skill is the most important foundation for a person, or else it’s very difficult to enjoy a good life. At that time, people will have all kinds of reasons to blame heaven and earth, feeling like they’re being wronged even though they’re a good person. That will be very frustrating indeed.”

The young boy vaguely understood this, but even though he recognized the most characters out of all the children in the nearby streets and alleys, could he truly understand those legitimate principles? Chen Ping’an’s words ultimately didn’t reflect the principles and teachings of the sages, and they were instead the most basic teachings of the mortal families. As such, Zhang Jiazhen was somewhat able to understand Chen Ping’an’s remark, for example, Chen Ping’an’s approval of him working to make money and feed himself. This allowed the young boy to feel much more at ease.

Receiving the approval of other people, no matter how minor, was no small matter for children like Zhang Jiazhen.

“I don’t want to become a bricklayer!” the little boy carrying a ceramic pot hollered. “It’s a lowly job, and it won’t be possible to get a good-looking wife!”

Chen Ping’an reached over and placed a hand on the little boy’s head, gently pushing it around as he said, “Yes, yes, and you have the grandest ambitions out of everyone, okay? When you return home, remember to ask your dad whether your mom is beautiful, okay? If you possess the courage and dare to ask, then I’ll tell you another story about gods and ghosts. Do we have a deal?”

“Am I itching for a beating? You’ll continue to tell stories, and they won’t grow legs and run away. However, if my mom gets angry, then my dad will push me forward to take the beating,” the little boy replied.

He then raised the ceramic pot and huffed, “Chen Ping’an, are you going to teach me fist techniques or not?! Do you not want to earn money? Are you an idiot?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “I’ll teach a basic fist technique after I finish the rest of the story today. Everyone can learn, but let me say this first. This fist technique is very boring, and you definitely won’t achieve anything great if you learn it. At most, you’ll feel slightly less cold when it snows in winter.”

The little boy nodded in response, feeling like this outcome was acceptable. It would be a waste not to learn. And thus, he embraced his ceramic pot tightly.

Chen Ping’an looked at the little boy and chuckled, “You’re not going to give me your money pot?”

“Chen Ping’an, you’re shameless enough to steal money from children?” the little boy asked. “An elite like you is truly embarrassing. I’m not going to learn fist techniques from you, and I definitely won’t become like you when I become an elite in the future.”

Laughter broke out around the small stool.

Even the slightly older children like Zhang Jiazhen felt envious of this little boy’s courage, what with his daring to speak to Chen Ping’an like this.

Chen Ping’an finished off the story about ghosts causing troubles and cultivators vanquishing demons, after which he stood up and placed the bamboo branch on the small stool. The children shuffled aside to give him space, and they looked at the young man in azure slowly performing the six-step walking meditation.

Chen Ping’an stood still and asked with a smile, “Did you all get that?”

Guo Zhujiu’s eyes were firmly fixed on Chen Ping’an. His fist technique was unparalleled, and he possessed the demeanor of a grandmaster!

“Is that all?” the little boy carrying the ceramic pot asked in a dumbfounded voice.

“Yeah,” Chen Ping’an replied with a nod.

The little boy gently put the ceramic pot on the ground and stood up, baring his teeth as he swung his arms around. Panting and retracting his fists, the little boy fumed, “This is the fist technique you used to defeat those little sword immortals before. Who are you trying to trick, Chen Ping’an?! You’re walking one step at a time as slowly as you can. Even I feel impatient for you!”

Chen Ping’an pointed at the character on the ground and asked with a smile, “Have you forgotten already?”

He then performed the six-step walking meditation again, just as slowly as before. Unhurriedly throwing punches as he walked forward, he continued, “All fist techniques are rooted in the notion of steadiness, and when the fist techniques are eventually mastered one day, a single fist unleashed can…”

Chen Ping’an stopped after completing the final step, with his fist moving diagonally upward and facing the sky.

The children looked at the sky with their eyes wide open.

Chen Ping’an quietly retracted his fist, grabbed the bamboo branch and the small stool, and prepared to leave.

“This punch didn’t cause any boom?” the little boy asked in a daze.

The other children nodded in agreement, feeling like this wasn’t interesting at all.

“I didn’t throw an actual punch,” Chen Ping’an explained with a smile.

The atmosphere became slightly awkward.

Guo Zhujiu took a deep breath before shouting, “Boom!”

Chen Ping’an placed a hand on his forehead. This was slightly embarrassing, but he couldn’t hurt the feelings of the young girl. Thus, he went against his conscience and squeezed out a smile, raising a thumb at the young girl.

The large group of children exchanged baffled looks with each other.

This was very uninteresting, so it was time to disperse and go home. They were better off waiting for the next storytelling session.

Chen Ping’an called Zhang Jiazhen over, and the young boy was extremely puzzled and uneasy as he walked to Chen Ping’an’s side.

In his eyes, the young man called Chen Ping’an was… a lofty person from the heavens.

Chen Ping’an slowly walked forward, flicking his wrist and silently retrieving a bamboo leaf. He pushed it into Zhang Jiazhen’s hand and said in a quiet voice, “This is for you. You can carry it with you, and just like the fist stance, it’s also not very useful. I’m not trying to purposely test you or anything, and I’m simply telling you the truth. However, as long as you’re willing to learn fist techniques and can perform the fist stance a few times each day, then that and this small bamboo leaf can indeed help you against the biting cold. It’s about to snow soon, and this will make things slightly easier when you work outside.”

Zhang Jiazhen held the bamboo leaf tightly, remaining silent for a moment before asking, “Do I truly not possess the talent to learn martial arts and sword techniques?”

“That’s correct,” Chen Ping’an replied with a nod.

The rims of the young boy’s eyes became red as he silently lowered his head.

Chen Ping’an looked straight ahead and commented, “Being able to feed yourself and look after yourself at such a young age is a very impressive feat. Don’t look down on yourself, Zhang Jiazhen.”

The young boy looked up.

Chen Ping’an smiled and asked, “Did you give yourself the name Jiazhen after looking at the many stone tablets and choosing these two characters?”

The young boy nodded and replied, “My parents passed away early, and my grandpa isn’t literate, so I only had a nickname in the beginning.”

Chen Ping’an looked at him and said, “Jia means beautiful, and Zhen means determination — this is a very good name. Life is full of hardships at the Sword Qi Great Wall, but this is something beyond your control, so you can only accept your fate. However, how you live life is something you can control. It’s difficult to say whether things will improve in the future, and you might face even more difficulties and hardships. Or perhaps your skills will improve in the future, and you’ll earn more money at work, becoming a craftsman respected by everyone in this neighborhood.”

After saying this, Chen Ping’an turned around and continued with a smile, “At the very least, however, I might mention to other people that there’s a craftsman called Zhang Jiazhen at the Sword Qi Great Wall’s Spirit Rhino Alley when I tell stories about mountains and rivers in the future. Perhaps this person doesn’t have any skills apart from his craft, but he has always liked to observe stone tablets and learn characters from a young age, with his diligence no inferior to scholarly students.”

Guo Zhujiu had remained silent from the beginning to the end, but after Zhang Jiazhen left, she simply looked up at the young man who would become her master in one and a half years. Her big eyes were filled with anticipation at this moment.

However, Chen Ping’an performed some calculations on his fingers before saying, “I still need to wait one and a half years before taking you as a disciple.”

Guo Zhujiu heaved a heavy sigh.

Chen Ping’an continued to walk forward, looking at the bustling wine shop where money was flowing into his pockets like water. It looked delightful even from a distance, and Chen Ping’an was in a fairly good mood as he casually asked, “Have you heard of this saying before? Only a world rife with evils can nurture a poet whose works are remembered for eternity.”

Guo Zhujiu shook her head and replied, “Future Master is very knowledgeable, while this future disciple lacks knowledge. I’ve never heard this saying before.”

Chen Ping’an was quite puzzled. Had the atmosphere of his Downtrodden Mountain already spread to the Sword Qi Great Wall? This surely couldn’t be the case. His opening disciple — the main culprit — as well as Zhu Lian and the others were all very far away from here.

“Is there more to this saying?” Guo Zhujiu asked in curiosity.

Chen Ping’an nodded and replied, “The most celebrated and timeless poems are nothing much, and all of you who have lived here for tens of thousands of years, generation after generation, bring enough shame to embarrass to death all of the poems in the world.”

“Master, should I help you shout this saying across all of the streets and alleys?” Guo Zhujiu asked. “This disciple of yours can shout this saying as I practice walking meditation and fist techniques. I won’t feel tired.”

“Please don’t,” Chen Ping’an replied in exasperation.

Guo Zhujiu felt secretly delighted. She had spoken tactically just then, referring to herself as a disciple and referring to Chen Ping’an as Master. She had enjoyed a huge win today.

When they arrived at the wine shop…

Ning Yao looked at the young girl who was about to run away, and Guo Zhujiu giddily ran over to Ning Yao and chuckled. “Big Sister Ning looks especially beautiful today.”

Ning Yao shot a glance at Chen Ping’an.

“I didn’t teach her these things,” Chen Ping’an said with a bitter smile.

Seeing that Big Sister Ning wasn’t going to beat her up today, Guo Zhujiu seized this rare opportunity to pipe down and go home.

When one was little, one would feel like there were many big matters to worry about.

When one grew up, one would completely forget about these past worries.

Ning Yao and Chen Ping’an returned to the Ning Residence.

“Do you really plan to take her as a disciple?” Ning Yao asked.

Chen Ping’an nodded and replied, “Unofficially for the moment. The Guo Clan has been kind and sincere, and this is a rare chance for me to do something for the Ning Residence.”

Wei Jin had entered the wine shop to drink at some unknown time, and he seemingly remembered something at this moment, turning around to look at Chen Ping’an’s back as he chuckled and said using his mind’s lake, “I was too focused on drinking the previous few times, so I forgot to pass along a message that Senior Zuo tasked me with delivering a long time ago. When are you going to start sword technique training?”

Chen Ping’an turned to Die Zhang and hollered, “Shopkeeper, remember to give Great Sword Immortal Wei negative ten percent off whenever he comes here to drink in the future!”

Wei Jin retrieved a grain rain coin and placed it on the table, saying, “Easy done.”

“What’s wrong?” Ning Yao asked.

“I need to visit the Sword Qi Great Wall straight away,” Chen Ping’an replied with a wry smile. “Ask Grandma Bai to prepare a medicinal bath for me, and if I still haven’t returned late at night, then you need to come over and carry me back.”

————

Over at the Sword Qi Great Wall, Zuo You was facing south as he sat cross-legged, with his eyes closed as he rested his mind.

There were many things that Zuo You didn’t understand, and even if he understood some of them, he wasn’t willing to accept them.

And thus, he ultimately chose solitude, choosing to distance himself from the matters of the mortal world and flying toward the sea on his sword.

This wasn’t an act relating to the carefree and dashing demeanor of a sword immortal, and in reality, it wasn’t relaxing and leisurely at all.

At this moment, there was an additional matter that Zuo You didn’t understand: How was his junior brother still so daring, even though their master wasn’t present?

1. This refers to the character “steady” (稳), including a component meaning urgent (急). ☜