Unsheathed

Her name was Yu Juanfu.

The Yu Clan of the Middle Earth Divine Continent was a top-tier clan with an extremely long history.

It had once single-handedly given rise to the Great Clear Empire, an empire even more powerful than the Shaoyuan Empire. After the fall of the Great Clear Empire, it took no more than a hundred years for the Yu Clan to support the founding of the even more massive Profound Secret Empire.

Yu Juanfu and her fiance, Huai Qian, were both among a small handful of the Middle Earth Divine Continent’s top young prodigies, and both of them had rather interesting stories. In order to escape her marriage arrangement with Huai Qian, Yu Juanfu had fled to a set of ancient ruins on the Golden Armor Continent, where she had practiced her fist techniques on her own for many years.

Huai Qian had also gone out of his way to avoid the marriage arrangement, traveling to the Northern Complete Reed Continent specifically to hunt earth immortal swordsmen and collect their bonded flying swords. Apparently, the patriarch of the Huai Clan had made a rare appearance last year to seek out a good friend of his, who was also one of the top ten cultivators of the Middle Earth Divine Continent, but the reason for this was unclear.

Ku Xia’s senior uncle, Zhou Shenzhi, was also among the top ten cultivators of the Middle Earth Divine Continent, and he was even ranked ahead of the patriarch of the Huai Clan. He was said to be someone whose arrogance was outmatched only by his swordsmanship. On the Middle Earth Divine Continent, Zhou Shenzhi was renowned for being a pain to deal with. Even as his junior nephew, Ku Xia was still treated with nothing more than disdain and hostility.

Their branch had been on very good terms with the Yu Clan for generations, and Yu Juanfu was the junior whom Ku Xia liked most, without exception.

Zhou Shenzhi had once candidly declared that all of the descendants of his clan were utterly useless, and that not even a single one of them could hope to match Yu Juanfu.

This was quite a scathing remark, considering the abundance of exceptional prodigies among Zhou Shenzhi’s descendants.

Zhou Shenzhi was so fond of Yu Juanfu that during the latter’s first three-year-long journey on the Middle Earth Divine Continent, Zhou Shenzhi had secretly accompanied her the entire time, serving as her Dao guardian. Unsurprisingly, her direct and foolhardy personality eventually got her into big trouble, and she was targeted by an Immortal Tier cultivator.

Zhou Shenzhi immediately intervened, severing one of the Immortal Tier cultivator’s hands, and the latter was forced to flee back to his ancestral hall, where he sought refuge in a small world and refused to come out. Zhou Shenzhi casually followed him back to his sect and forced the entire sect to kneel before him.

He then strolled his way to the mountain summit from the foot of the mountain, and along the way, anyone who dared to speak, raise their heads, or display even the slightest hint of anger or indignation was instantly killed.

However, not only was Yu Juanfu not grateful to Zhou Shenzhi for standing up for her, but she also complained that he had gone overboard. She told him that it would’ve sufficed for him to simply scare off the enemy, and that she should be the one to settle her own vendettas. Not only was Zhou Shenzhi not enraged by her ingratitude, but he also continued to escort her all the way to the Golden Armor Continent before finally returning to the Middle Earth Divine Continent.

In the face of the approaching Ku Xia, Yu Juanfu stopped in her tracks, then cupped her fist in a salute as she greeted, “Yu Juanfu pays her respects to Senior Ku Xia.”

Ku Xia smiled and nodded, then asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to practice my fist techniques,” Yu Juanfu replied.

She may as well have not replied at all.

However, Ku Xia wasn’t bothered at all, and his response was just as dry and devoid of substance. “I can see that you’ve already reached the Vajra Body Tier. Keep it up.”

Both fell silent, but neither found it uncomfortable or awkward in the slightest.

Ku Xia wasn’t a calculating individual, and he certainly wasn’t hoping to win Zhou Shenzhi’s affection by looking after Yu Juanfu. Instead, he was simply truly very fond of this exceptionally talented young woman.

Yu Juanfu was jokingly referred to as the junior who had claimed all of Zhou Shenzhi’s affection, and it was proclaimed that this was why Zhou Shenzhi had no affection left for anyone else.

Yu Juanfu and Huai Qian’s marriage agreement had been made when they were both still children. The patriarch of the Huai Clan wasn’t fond of the bullheaded and foul-tempered Huai Qian, so he wasn’t actually unhappy at all that Yu Juanfu had run away to get out of the arranged marriage.

Not only was the Yu Clan not criticized for not keeping her on a tighter leash, but many of the seniors of the Huai Clan also consoled their good friends in the Yu Clan by telling them that it was a good thing for young people to see more of the world, and that there was no hurry to go through with the arranged marriage.

Huai Qian was a cultivator, and even though Yu Juanfu was a pure martial artist, given her aptitude, she was sure to live a long life, barring any mishaps, so they could afford to take things slowly.

The two of them returned to where Ku Xia was teaching his lesson, and Ku Xia gestured for Yu Juanfu to take a seat on one of the vacant cushions. Yu Juanfu was happy to oblige, and she removed her bag from her back and resumed her meal of flatbread and water.

Lin Junbi opened his eyes and flashed her a smile; she had clearly noticed him but pretended not to have seen anything.

***

Qi Jinglong was slowly walking along with his disciple on the street outside the Ning Manor.

“I hear that Chen Ping’an is a real big shot these days,” Bai Shou said in a hushed voice. “People around these parts call him Second Shopkeeper, and his wife is also really well-known on the Sword Qi Great Wall. Sword Immortal Li once told me in private that she can’t bear to see Ning Yao because whenever she does, she feels frustrated and inferior.”

Qi Jinglong didn’t say anything.

They knocked on the door, which was opened by Nalan Yexing.

Qi Jinglong introduced himself, and a peculiar look appeared on Nalan Yexing’s face, but he then smiled and led the two of them to the Dragon Slaying Cliff.

Chen Ping’an had been cultivating diligently just now, but he had already left the pergola and made his way down from the Dragon Slaying Platform to welcome Qi Jinglong and Bai Shou.

Bai Shou was finally able to heave a sigh of relief after seeing Chen Ping’an. Otherwise, every day on the Sword Qi Great Wall felt like torture. However, his joy was fleeting, and it was quickly dashed by the thought that Chen Ping’an was a certain someone’s master. With that in mind, Bai Shou immediately hung his head in dejection.

Nalan Yexing had already departed.

Chen Ping’an led the two of them into the pergola, then smiled and asked, “You didn’t get enough recognition on the Northern Complete Reed Continent after your three battles, so you had to come to the Sword Qi Great Wall to show off, is that it?”

“I had nothing better to do, so I came to see our sect leader and Sword Immortal Li, and I thought I may as well pay you a visit too,” Qi Jinglong explained.

Chen Ping’an tucked his hands up their opposite sleeves as he leaned against the railing, and only then did he notice that Bai Shou seemed a little despondent.

In the pergola, Bai Shou sat down next to Chen Ping’an.

Qi Jinglong wasn’t bothered by this. He knew that his disciple was a little closer to Chen Ping’an.

“We paid a visit to Downtrodden Mountain prior to coming here,” Qi Jinglong revealed with a smile. “After hearing that your first disciple has only been training fist techniques for a year, Bai Shou offered to fight her with only one hand while also restricting his cultivation base to the Lower Five Tiers.”

Chen Ping’an could already guess the outcome of the battle.

“That disciple of yours was still scared, so she asked him if he could use only a single leg as well,” Qi Jinglong continued.

“And he agreed?” Chen Ping’an asked as he turned to Bai Shou with an amused expression.

“He did,” Qi Jinglong confirmed with a nod. “And he was really pleased with himself, too. He told Pei Qian that he would stand still on the spot and allow her to attack as she pleased.”

“You don’t even need to tell me the outcome.” Chen Ping’an chuckled with a shake of his head.

He then pulled out a flagon of Bamboo Sea Small World wine that he had recently freeloaded off someone at the wine shop and declared, “Let’s drink to Sword Immortal Bai Shou’s resounding victory!”

Qi Jinglong waved a hand to refuse the wine, while Bai Shou spat through gritted teeth, “I am absolutely certain that she definitely hasn’t been training martial arts for just a year or two! Be honest with me, Chen Ping’an! How many years has she been training in martial arts? Ten?!”

Despite Qi Jinglong’s refusal, Chen Ping’an still tossed him the flagon of wine, then pulled out another one for himself. He had gotten these flagons of wine for free anyway, so he could afford to be generous. He removed the clay seal, then took a sip to discover that this flagon of wine seemed to taste particularly good.

He sat with his legs crossed, resting one hand on the railing as he asked, “Was that disciple of mine wounded by your sword qi? Even if she was, it’s fine. In a sparring match, she deserves to be taught a lesson if she’s inferior to her opponent.”

Bai Shou was glowering at Chen Ping’an with such intense fury that his eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets, and his hands clenched up into tight fists before he slammed them down onto the bench with a heavy sigh.

Qi Jinglong set the flagon of wine down beside himself, then smiled as he recounted, “Even though Bai Shou was the one who was sent flying, that disciple of yours seemed even more dumbstruck than him! For some reason, she was also really sheepish, and she crouched down beside him with a concerned expression, as if she were worried that he was going to die.

“She then ran away to meet up with her two friends, and they began discussing how they were going to get themselves out of trouble. I only listened in briefly on their conversation, and I overheard Pei Qian saying that she couldn’t use the excuse that someone tripped again. She said that you didn’t really believe her the last time that she used that excuse, so she had to make up a more convincing story this time.”

Bai Shou felt utterly humiliated as he leaned back against the railing with his hands over his face.

“I promised Pei Qian not to tell you about this, so you’re not allowed to punish or reprimand her over this,” Qi Jinglong warned. “Otherwise, I’ll never be able to set foot on Downtrodden Mountain again.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded in response.

He wasn’t planning to say anything to her about this anyway.

“I don’t care what happens; I’m never going to Downtrodden Mountain again,” Bai Shou grumbled. “If Pei Qian has the guts to come to the Great Emblem Sword Sect, then I’ll face her again there! As long as I don’t get complacent next time and use even half of my cultivation base—”

“Alright, I’ll tell Pei Qian that your next sparring match together will be on Graceful Peak,” Chen Ping’an interjected with a nod and a smile before Bai Shou had a chance to finish.

All of Bai Shou’s bravado immediately disappeared, and a pitiable look appeared on his face as he complained, “Why do you have to show me up like that? Just let me talk some smack while Pei Qian isn’t around!”

That kick from Pei Qian had been a truly vicious blow.

Not only was Bai Shou knocked to the ground with blood flowing out of all of his orifices, but even after he forced his eyes open, he felt completely drunk. In his eyes, it was as if there were several Pei Qians crouched down before him, swaying back and forth in his field of view.

What was even more infuriating was what she said to him. At the time, he had been absolutely livid. His lips were trembling, and his limbs were spasming uncontrollably.

Pei Qian seemed to have noticed that his eyes were a bit out of focus, so she called out to him in a “kind-hearted” fashion and said, “Here! Here! I’m over here! Please be alright; I didn’t do it on purpose. You were bragging so much just now, so I didn’t expect you to be so weak. It’s a good thing I was worried I would be harmed by your sword qi, so I held back and used only about 70% to 80% of my strength. Otherwise, how am I going to explain this to my master? Get up! Quit playing dead! If it makes you happy, I can let you get a free hit on me as well, and we’ll call it even…”

Bai Shou didn’t hear what she said next because he fell unconscious.

“What a coincidence!” Chen Ping’an exclaimed with a smile. “Before you two came, I just so happened to send a letter to Downtrodden Mountain, telling Pei Qian that she could come to the Sword Qi Great Wall right away if she wanted.”

Bai Shou immediately turned to Qi Jinglong and asked, “When are we going back to our sect, Master? With both of us away from Graceful Peak, the thatched cottage is completely exposed to the elements, and just the thought of that hurts me deeply.”

This was the first time that Bai Shou had referred to Qi Jinglong as his master outside of the Great Emblem Sword Sect’s ancestral hall, and he did so in an extremely sincere fashion.

Qi Jinglong thought about it for a moment, then replied, “We have to at least wait until Pei Qian gets here.”

All of the color was instantly drained from Bai Shou’s face.

“By the way, I heard that there’s an exceptional martial arts prodigy from the Middle Earth Divine Continent called Yu Juanfu who wants to challenge you,” Qi Jinglong continued.

“Not interested,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

“Don’t be fooled by the name; it’s a chick,” Bai Shou said in a feeble voice.

Chen Ping’an was rather taken aback to hear this.

“She is indeed a woman,” Qi Jinglong confirmed with a nod. “She’s about the same age as you, and she’s also a Vajra Body Tier martial artist with an extremely solid foundation.”

Bai Shou’s eyes instantly lit up at the sight of the peculiar look that had appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face, and he mused, “I don’t know if she’s good-looking or not, but you can always take a few extra glances at her when you’re fighting. In a fight between martial artists, there’s sure to be some physical contact, so…”

Bai Shou’s voice trailed off into a suggestive silence, but all of a sudden, he felt an unprecedented sense of peril that chilled him to the bone, as if he had been plunged headfirst into a glacial pit. He turned around in a stiff manner to see a woman slowly making her way into the pergola.

She didn’t say anything, and there wasn’t even any displeasure on her face, nor was she specifically targeting Bai Shou, but he felt as if a tremendous weight were pressing down upon him, and he could sense that this woman seemed to have the Great Dao of the entire Sword Qi Great Wall on her side.

He felt like if she were to display even the slightest bit of displeasure, then the entire Sword Qi Great Wall would become hostile to him.

With that in mind, an anxious look appeared on his face as he turned his gaze back to Chen Ping’an and said, “Make sure you don’t try any funny business! Rules must be followed in sparring matches between martial artists, and it’s not an opportunity for you to get all touchy-feely! Of course, I’d say the best thing to do is to turn down her challenge altogether. There’s no need to fight her at all.”

Chen Ping’an pressed a hand down onto Bai Shou’s head as he smiled and warned, “I’m going to twist your head off if you keep talking.”