Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an put away his talismanic boat as he landed on the city wall.

Whether intentionally or not, Zuo You restrained his sword qi.

There were only ten paces between the two of them.

Zuo You opened his eyes and looked at the vast world beyond the city wall, asking, “Have you thought about some matters that are certain to happen?”

Located to the north of the Sword Qi Great Wall, that city with profoundly deep foundations and secrets exuded a sense of strict rules, yet it also appeared lawless at the same time.

There was a sword immortal who killed countless enemies in battle, yet he would live like a mortal emperor, indulging in drinks and dreams during the breaks in battle. There was even an intercontinental ship that was especially used to traffic female Qi refiners from this continent, with those that suited the sword immortal’s taste being accepted into the extravagant palace to work as maidservants, and those that didn’t suit the sword immortal’s taste being beheaded by his flying sword. Even so, the sword immortal would still pay for the unsatisfactory goods.

There was a sword immortal who liked to look after some small vegetable fields and an orchard, living as a farmer year after year.

There was a sword immortal who liked to wander around the markets, using an illusion technique as he hung out with the delinquents in the alleys all year round.

There were descendants of large clans who yearned to leave the Sword Qi Great Wall to seek knowledge in the Confucian schools and academies, and there were also young masters from wealthy clans who were unrestrained and eccentric, willing to spend lavishly but also finding joy in brutally killing their servants.

The previous Confucian sage overseeing the Sword Qi Great Wall had complained about this phenomenon, but Old Great Sword Immortal Chen Qingdu had simply stated that they could talk after a fight. And thus, the Confucian Sage had engaged in three battles in a row, winning two and losing one. Following this, he had left the Sword Qi Great Wall in despondence and returned to the Majestic World. He had defeated two local sword immortals but had lost to the Lord Hidden Official.

The rights and wrongs involved weren’t as simple as he had imagined.

Zuo You could clearly detect the overwhelming killing intent even when he had simply heard about this matter afterward.

When it came to worldly matters, the most frightening thing was not having a firm position, which led to utter confusion between right and wrong. At the same time, the most frightening thing was stubbornly maintaining one’s position, treating everything as black and white.

Zuo You was most afraid of those smart people who didn’t speak reason and only believed in taking sides.

“Are these matters distant or near?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Zuo You pushed aside his disorderly thoughts and replied, “They’re matters in the city, right beside us and right in front of our eyes.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Senior Brother, you reminded me before, and I’m also aware of the environment in the city. People speak without restraint, so it won’t be long before dark undercurrents sweep through the city, with gossip and rumors gradually rising to the fore.

“Me winning four battles in a row is a reason, me staying at the Ning Residence is a reason, and me being the Scholarly Sage’s disciple and your junior brother is also a reason. Things have only been delayed due to Old Sword Immortal Dong and the other sword immortals visiting Die Zhang’s wine shop to enjoy a drink, forcing many people to shut their mouths and swallow the words that were already on the tips of their tongues.”

“Let’s focus on the results,” Zuo You said.

“Many people are afraid of the matters pertaining to the Ning Residence being brought up again, so they’re not very willing to see the relationship between the Ning Residence and the Yao Clan return to an amicable state,” Chen Ping’an said. “With my presence, the initially pure relationship between Ning Yao, Chen Sanqiu, Dong Huafu, and Yan Zhuo will become extremely murky in the eyes of some people. Perhaps they didn’t care in the past, but they’ll be quite displeased now.

“We might have to include the Guo Clan as well, so the situation will become even more complicated afterward. It’s very likely that Guo Zhujiu will be grounded and forced to stay home in the near future because it won’t be long before some grating comments reach the ears of the Guo Clan. For example, the Guo Clan is very good at forging relationships for their own benefit, and the sword immortal of the clan has even sent a young girl over to build this relationship.

“Regardless of what people say, there can only be a single outcome, that being the Guo Clan temporarily distancing themself from the Ning Residence. The Guo Clan is larger than just Sword Immortal Guo, and the one hundred or so people in the clan still need to make a living at the Sword Qi Great Wall.”

These outcomes were still acceptable, and Chen Ping’an was actually afraid that people would become even more ruthless and debauched. For example, orchestrating the sudden death of a child from the impoverished alleys near the new wine shop. However, he didn’t voice this fear to Zuo You.

“This is unless Chen Qingdu personally comes forward and helps you propose marriage to the Ning Residence,” Zuo You said.

Chen Ping’an nodded in response.

“Why aren’t you in a rush?” Zuo You asked.

“I neither dare to, nor am I willing to, rush the old great sword immortal. In any case, I have plans for both cases, whether this proposal happens earlier or later,” Chen Ping’an replied.

“Care to explain?” Zuo You asked.

“They’re only words, so I won’t concern myself with them. It’s not like I’ll be able to suppress them anyway. If they get physical, then I have my fists and my swords. If these aren’t enough, then I’ll borrow more from you, Senior Brother,” Chen Ping’an replied.

Zuo You nodded, and a smile played on his lips as he said, “Not bad. I can’t be bothered asking about your specific plan, so you can think it through carefully on your own. The unexpected surprises at the Sword Qi Great Wall are often surprisingly simple and direct, making them appear even more unexpected.

“Do you know how many sword cultivators from the Sword Qi Great Wall are tempering their Sword Dao in the Savage World right now?”

“I’m not privy to such top-level secrets,” Chen Ping’an replied with a shake of his head.

“Then what are you privy to?” Zuo You asked with a smile.

“I know the names and the rough backgrounds of the Upper Five Tier sword immortals as well as the earth immortal sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall,” Chen Ping’an replied. “I also know about 121 important individuals belonging to the Dong, Chen, Qi, and a dozen or so other clans. This information isn’t significant, but something is better than nothing.”

“You have this much spare time?” Zuo You asked in puzzlement.

“This is a habit that has become second nature, and I’m relatively familiar with these matters to begin with. Rest assured, Senior Brother, this definitely won’t affect my cultivation and my fist technique training.”

“You fancy Commercialism and Foretellers?” Zuo You asked.

Chen Ping’an faltered for a moment before shaking his head and replying, “I’ve never come into contact with the scriptures and tenets of these two schools of thought.”

Zuo You shot a glance at Chen Ping’an and chuckled. “Even though the teachings of these two schools of thought languish at the bottom of the many teachings and schools of thought, having also been rejected and looked down on by the Confucian Sect for a long time, I feel like it shouldn’t be a problem for you to peruse some of their works. However, you shouldn’t become too stuck in them.

“Many principles in the world appear especially breathtaking to begin with, yet they’re actually basic and shallow in the long run. Many principles appear vast and boundless at first glance, yet they’re actually covered in large patches of weeds. You’ll feel like these principles are only so-so after you gain a full understanding of them, but it’s still important to read and study them first.

“The main thing to watch out for is being able to accept these principles but not being able to spit them back out. Anyhow, being able to obtain a fundamental principle from a sagely scripture of the Hundred Schools of Thought would be a huge gain.”

Chen Ping’an cupped his fists and bowed in respect, saying, “Thank you for enlightening me.”

Zuo You stood up and said, “Sword immortals generally won’t use immortal observation techniques to keep an eye on the movements in the city unless they’re observing battles taking place in the city to the north. This is an unwritten rule. There are some matters you need to resolve by yourself, and also bear the responsibility alone. However, there is one matter where I can help you take a few extra glances. Which matter do you think this is? Which matter do you hope it is?”

“I hope Senior Brother can keep an eye on the children living in the streets and alleys near the wine shop, making sure they don’t die because of me,” Chen Ping’an replied without hesitation.

Zuo You didn’t offer a response, instead asking, “Isn’t this a most minor matter? Is it worth my attention?”

“There are no small matters in the eyes of scholars,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

Zuo You sighed with emotion. “Chen Ping’an, it would have been quite good if you had become Master’s disciple earlier. Master wouldn’t have felt frustrated and anxious for one hundred years, and you could have taken my position to look after Master’s finances and chat with him. I’m not good at either of these things.”

Chen Ping’an adamantly refused to comment on such remarks.

“When Master became a sage back then, there were still some people who criticized him for being a sly old scholar, saying that he was seemingly like a fox that had cultivated into a spirit. Moreover, they claimed that Master’s cultivation base was drawn from a vat of ink. When Master heard this, he simply commented, ‘How wonderful,’” Zuo You suddenly revealed.

“The citizens of the Great Sui Nation were furious after the emperor of their nation signed a mountain alliance with the Great Li Empire, and some of them insulted Senior Brother Mao and accused him of being a scholastic parasite,” Chen Ping’an said. “Looking back now, Senior Brother Mao most likely felt happy at the time.”

Zuo You didn’t say anything else.

Chen Ping’an also fell silent. He was trying to delay the sword technique training as much as possible. After all, there was no doubt that he would train until he could barely move anymore.

He suddenly wanted to say something, but he couldn’t help but hesitate. He turned his gaze toward Zuo You.

Zuo You nodded in response, gesturing for Chen Ping’an to speak freely.

Chen Ping’an used his mind’s lake to ask, “Senior Brother, might there be sword immortals in the city secretly spying on the Ning Residence?”

Zuo You thought for a moment before replying, “Even if there are, they won’t be spying continuously or long-term. They’ll only be spying occasionally. Nalan Yexing isn’t a powerless decoration, after all, and not only is he a masterful assassin, but he’s also one of the most underestimated sword cultivators at the Sword Qi Great Wall. Since he’s a capable assassin, he’s naturally skilled at concealment and investigation as well.”

Chen Ping’an’s expression was solemn as he revealed, “Regarding the Eighteen Stops Technique that A’Liang taught me, not only did I teach it to my disciple, Pei Qian, but I also taught it to an ordinary young boy in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, a boy by the name Zhao Gaoshu. His character is exemplary, and there are definitely no issues there. However, Zhao Gaoshu has yet to make his way to Downtrodden Mountain, so I’m worried that… What if…?”[1]

“I’ll deal with this matter,” Zuo You said.

Chen Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief. Having a senior brother around indeed made things a little different.

“We’ve discussed many things, but none of these are reasons for you to delay your sword technique training,” Zuo You added.

Chen Ping’an was rendered speechless.

Even that bastard, Wei Jin, screwing him over, couldn’t be viewed as a legitimate reason. With Senior Brother Zuo You’s temperament, he most certainly wouldn’t regard this as an acceptable excuse.

If Chen Ping’an tried to use this excuse, he would only end up suffering more when he practiced sword techniques in a bit.

Perhaps people couldn’t understand the reasoning behind this unless they were from the Scholarly Sage’s lineage.

Zuo You sat back on the parapet, unmoving as he continued to nurture his sword intent.

“How should I practice sword techniques?” Chen Ping’an asked in an uncertain voice.

“What, do you think you’re unparalleled just because you’re a Vajra Body Tier martial artist? Do you need me to draw my sword first?” Zuo You scoffed.

Chen Ping’an understood Zuo You’s message, and he asked in a careful voice, “Then I’ll launch a punch now?”

Zuo You completely ignored his question.

Chen Ping’an was a little hesitant about whether he should use the Deity Drumming Technique for his first punch.

“If you can advance thirty paces within one hundred punches, also allowing cooperation from your flying swords, then I’ll call you senior brother in the future,” Zuo You unexpectedly said in a slow voice.

He no longer restrained his sword intent, allowing it to seemingly expand outward like a small world. Chen Ping’an was instantly pushed back twenty paces. No more and no less, there were exactly thirty paces between Zuo You and Chen Ping’an.

Sword intent rushed over, appearing like countless tangible flying swords sweeping through the air. If it weren’t for Chen Ping’an’s fist aura naturally pouring outward and blocking the countless wisps of sword intent seeping from Zuo You’s sword qi, it was very likely that he would have already been riddled with wounds at this moment. Chen Ping’an was forced to retreat several steps, yet his fist intent soared to great heights as he stepped back.

“If I feel like you’re holding back after one hundred punches, then you can get ready to complain the next time you see Master,” Zuo You commented with a faint smile.

Chen Ping’an squeezed out a smile and said, “I’m not that kind of person, Senior Brother.”

“After the training sessions, you’ll become that kind of person even if you aren’t,” Zuo You said.

1. Zhao Gaoshu refers to Zhao Shuxia. ☜