Unsheathed

Chapter 620 (1): We’re All Scholars

After Ning Yao sat down, Liu’e hurriedly brought over a pot of the best Azure Divine Mountain Wine, quickly walking away after she put down the wine and wine bowl. Of course, she didn’t forget to bring a new wine bowl over for the relatively hot-tempered young man.

Liu’e didn’t dare to hang around for too long, and she didn’t dare to ask Liu Xianyang for compensation either. To say nothing of her, even Tao Ban, who cared most about the business performance of the wine shop, didn’t dare say anything to Liu Xianyang.

The three shop attendants hid inside the shop. The second shopkeeper and the outsider had been speaking in a foreign dialect just then, so none of them had understood the details of the conversation. However, they could all tell that the second shopkeeper was in a very strange state today.

And now, they couldn’t hear the conversation at all after Ning Yao sat down at the table.

Ning Yao poured herself a bowl of wine and said directly, ”The old great sword immortal said before that no one can be guaranteed the right to stay alive, but he didn’t say that any specific person definitely has to die. Even I don’t feel like I must die here to live up to the Ning Residence and the Sword Qi Great Wall, so it’s preposterous to think that it’s your duty, Chen Ping’an.

”I like the current you, Chen Ping’an, not some future Great Sword Immortal Chen Ping’an. It’s naturally best if you can become a sword cultivator, but it doesn’t matter in the least even if you can’t. If you have the ambition, then you can continue to cultivate as a pure martial artist. Or if you have the desire, then you can continue as a scholar.”

”I understand,” Chen Ping’an said with a nod.

However, Liu Xianyang shook his head and lowered his voice, seemingly speaking to himself as he muttered, ”You don’t understand at all.”

Ning Yao frowned and glanced at the great wall, saying, ”The old great sword immortal didn’t allow me to say too much before, explaining that he would keep an eye out for you. He was intentionally letting you think a bit more, or else you would have wasted this trip to the Sword Qi Great Wall.

”Seeking survival among perilous danger and managing to survive thanks to your own abilities is the best way to temper your Dao Heart and nurture your sword talent. Things would have been slightly lacking if you received help from other people, even if it were only very minor support or guidance.”

Liu Xianyang continued to shake his head, saying, ”Pathetic. Utterly pathetic. I knew things would be like this. They all look like they have no desires or requests, but it’s none other than these people beside Little Ping’an who like to demand the most of him.”

Ning Yao ignored Liu Xianyang as she continued, ”Don’t feel like you’re alone because of your treatment and experiences, and don’t feel burdened because of this. The old great sword immortal has taken care of many young sword cultivators over the past ten thousand years, some of whom he spoke with and some of whom he never said a word to, with the latter group of sword cultivators remaining completely oblivious to his care.

”Truth be told, I felt like this was quite pointless in the beginning, and I didn’t agree to the old great sword immortal’s proposal. However, he persuaded me again, saying that he wanted to take another look at your heart and character to determine whether you were worthy of him returning that locust wood sword case.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, ”I thought the old great sword immortal already forgot about this matter, just like he forgot about the marriage proposal.”

Liu Xianyang extended a finger and lightly twirled his wine bowl on the table, muttering, ”His sword skills are so lofty already, so he might as well be more generous if he’s going to give things to the younger generations anyway. At the very least, his actions need to match his status and his sword skills.”

Under the table, Chen Ping’an forcefully stomped on Liu Xianyang’s foot.

Liu Xianyang put his index finger and middle finger together in front of his body, appearing like he was forming a sword seal as he exclaimed, ”A tortoise under its shell, this doesn’t hurt, and I won’t yell!”

In reality, Ning Yao wasn’t very fond of talking about these matters. Many thoughts would simply spin around her mind once before disappearing into the ether, just like how the unneeded aspects of her sword training and sword tempering would be rendered non-existent. Meanwhile, the important aspects would naturally be woven into her subsequent thoughts, eventually becoming an actionable item that was ultimately reflected through her sword skills, sword intent, or Sword Dao. It was as simple as this, and she seldom needed to explicitly voice her thoughts.

But today was different.

Ning Yao thought for a moment before saying, ”There aren’t many things for the old great sword immortal to think about right now, so how can he forget these matters? He once told me that he isn’t afraid of anything, besides owing debts.”

Ning Yao paused for a moment before adding, ”Only by having fewer matters to think about can one’s thoughts become broader and loftier. This is the mental state that sword cultivators should strive to achieve, striding forward on the path of the Great Dao with their sword light remaining radiant.

”However, I’m worried about how I’ve always thought about very few things, while you’re the complete opposite and always think about a myriad of things, yet you’ve managed to barely put a foot wrong. I’m worried that this mental state I’m talking about isn’t suitable for you, so I’ve restrained myself from mentioning it this entire time. Now that Liu Xianyang has clearly explained things to you, whether they were fair comments, selfish comments, or well-intentioned comments, I felt like I could finally ignore the old great sword immortal’s warning and mention this matter to you.

”In any case, my thinking is simple. We need to stay alive regardless of whether the Sword Qi Great Wall falls or not. Neither of us can die! In the future, we’ll only throw more punches and unleash more sword strikes because we’re not the type of people to forget things. Regarding this point, you don’t need to prove yourself to anyone, not even to the old great sword immortal or Zuo You. It’s enough for me to know. So, what do you feel guilty about? If anyone dares to criticize you for this in the future, you like to speak reason, but I’ve never liked to speak reason, so I’ll treat it as a direct challenge to me.”

”I truly understand this time!” Chen Ping’an said with a dazzling smile.

Liu Xianyang smacked the table and exclaimed, ”Beautifully put, Sister-in-Law! As expected of Ning Yao, someone who can utter the words: Striding forward on the path of the Great Dao with their sword light remaining radiant. Sure enough, this is Ning Yao, whom I immediately knew would become my sister-in-law upon first glance in the small town!”

”Liu Xianyang, here’s a toast to you! Coming here late is better than not coming at all.”

Ning Yao downed the contents of her wine bowl in a single gulp, after which she placed the wine pot and wine bowl inside her minimization treasure. She then stood up and said to Chen Ping’an, ”You can accompany Liu Xianyang and continue to drink wine. Only after you recover from your wounds can you ascend the city wall to kill demons.”

Liu Xianyang stood up together with Chen Ping’an, chuckling and saying, ”I feel much more at ease after hearing Sister-in-Law’s words. It’s my fault for leaving home too early, or else it would have been difficult to say who’s referring to you as Sister-in-Law and who’s referring to you as Darling.”

Chen Ping’an threw an elbow into Liu Xianyang’s chest.

Ning Yao smiled and asked, ”That young lady from Clay Vase Alley who likes to say strange things and shoot sideways glances at people — how is she doing now?”

Liu Xianyang grimaced and clutched his chest, putting on a bitter expression as he said, ”It’s not good to expose people’s shortcomings, just like it isn’t good to hit people’s faces. This was the number one rule in the streets and alleys of the small town.”

Ning Yao jumped on her sword and flew away, leaving a trail of sword qi in her wake.

Liu Xianyang clicked his tongue in wonder and remarked, ”The hesitant and indecisive Chen Ping’an has found himself such a frank and direct wife. What a strange matter!”

Chen Ping’an retracted his gaze and sat down. He didn’t drink any wine, and he put his hands inside his opposite sleeves and asked, ”How is the learning culture at the Pure Confucian Chen Clan?”

Chen Ping’an wasn’t very familiar with the Pure Confucian Chen Clan, and apart from the old lunar almanac in the Jewel Small World and the widely renowned Chen Chun’an from the Southern Whirl Continent, the only descendant of the Pure Confucian Chen Clan he had genuinely interacted with was the young woman called Chen Dui.

Many years ago, Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao had once entered the mountains together with Chen Dui, the Dragon Tail Creek Chen Clan’s Chen Songfeng, and the Wind Lightning Field’s Liu Baqiao, searching for the model tree growing from the grave, something that was of great significance to scholarly clans.

Chen Ping’an’s impression of Chen Dui had been quite neutral.

Liu Xianyang didn’t like to drink wine, so he asked for a bowl of yangchun noodles and a plate of pickled vegetables instead, placing a foot on the chair and mixing the two dishes together before finishing it in a few bites. He then faltered as he looked at the empty bowl, and he paused for a moment before turning around and asking, ”Are you going to charge me for this bowl of yangchun noodles?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, ”Besides the wine, everything else is free of charge.”

Liu Xianyang came to a realization and remarked, ”Now that makes more sense. Otherwise, you would have been hacked to death a long time ago.”

He recalled Chen Ping’an’s question from earlier and said, ”Studying over there is extremely calm and stable. I received several valuable gifts upon first arriving, things like book-flipping wind, ink-devouring fish, and so on. I sent all of these things to the snotty little kid afterward. There were no roadblocks at the Pure Confucian Chen Clan to speak of, and I would listen to the teachings and explanations of the scholars and teachers every single day. We would occasionally travel afar, and these trips would be very smooth-sailing as well.

”I often made my way onto a large rock cliff beside the river to enjoy the scenery, and I had no option but to do this. The Pure Confucian Chen Clan is renowned as an archway that assembles the characteristics of all teachings, but there wasn’t a single place there that resembled our hometown. Only the rock cliff beside the river was slightly similar to Azure Cow Ridge, where the three of us often played when we were young.

”I can’t complain or act pitiful in front of you even if I want to. Sure enough, I was still more fortunate compared to you, and I hope this can continue in the future.”

Chen Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Xianyang smiled and continued, ”Even if I do have some minor grievances, would I need you to stand up for me? If you ask your conscience, which of us has been looking after the other ever since we became friends?”

Chen Ping’an raised his wine bowl and replied with a smile, ”You were almost killed by that old bastard from Sun Scorch Mountain back then, and wasn’t it me who helped you slightly vent your anger?”

There was truly no need to care about face when speaking with Liu Xianyang. When it came to acting shamelessly, Chen Ping’an felt like he was at most only halfway to Liu Xianyang’s level.

Liu Xianyang kept his foot on the bench, using his chopsticks to tap the table as he feigned profundity and said, ”So you’re still unaware, huh? That was carefully planned by me, and if it wasn’t for my purposeful suffering, could you, a skinny and tanned bumpkin from Clay Vase Alley who wasn’t even half as handsome as me, have had the chance to meet Ning Yao? Tell me honestly, who was the biggest matchmaker for the two of you?”

Chen Ping’an chuckled coldly in response.

Liu Xianyang appeared slightly upset as he remarked, ”Disregarding the rice wine from our hometown, I never imagined that my first time drinking wine would be with someone other than my future wife. I’m truly a loyal and faithful brother. In fact, I wonder if my future wife has even been born yet? If she has, then is she anxiously waiting for me now?”

Chen Ping’an continued to drink wine. It was most likely true that Liu Xianyang hadn’t drunk any wine after leaving home.

”Most of the people at the Pure Confucian Chen Clan are good people, but it’s naturally unavoidable for the younger generations to possess some of the problems typical of younger people.”

Liu Xianyang smiled and continued, ”I made a few friends there, and one of them also came to the Sword Qi Great Wall this time. He’s called Chen Sho, and he’s the younger brother of Chen Dui. He’s a very decent person, and he’s already a virtuous Confucian scholar, so he naturally doesn’t lack a bookish aura. He’s also a descendant of the Chen Clan, so it’s normal for him to possess the aura of a young master as well. Of course, he also has the immortal aura of someone from the mountains.

”These three auras represent three different temperaments, which are sometimes displayed alone, sometimes displayed in pairs, and rarely displayed all at once. He’s impossible to stop when these three temperaments are all displayed together.”

”What’s your current cultivation base?” Chen Ping’an asked.

He couldn’t determine Liu Xianyang’s cultivation base, and he could only gauge that the sturdy young man was most likely a Middle Five Tier Qi refiner.

Liu Xianyang shook his hand and replied, ”Don’t ask. Otherwise, you’ll wrap your hands around your head and cry in embarrassment and anger.”

”If news related to me spread to the Spring Banner Inn, then it definitely isn’t about me opening this wine shop or whatnot. Haven’t you already heard about my several fights?” Chen Ping’an asked in exasperation.

”Are you a sword cultivator?” Liu Xianyang asked.

Chen Ping’an could only shake his head.

”What tier Qi refiner are you?” Liu Xianyang asked.

Chen Ping’an didn’t want to say anything.

Liu Xianyang pointed at the ground and remarked, ”Are you not going to squat down to speak with Lord Liu?”

”No matter what, I’m at least a seventh tier martial artist,” Chen Ping’an snapped.

”You still have the face to say this after fighting with a girl?” Liu Xianyang asked with an astonished expression.

”Are you a Middle Five Tier sword cultivator?” Chen Ping’an asked in curiosity.

Liu Xianyang raised his hands and adjusted his collar, after which he shook his sleeves and cleared his throat.

Chen Ping’an changed the topic and asked, ”Apart from your friend, who else from the Pure Confucian Chen Clan came this time?”

”Why do you care about these things?” Liu Xianyang replied with a smile.

Chen Ping’an also shook his sleeves as he said in a joking manner, ”I’m a direct disciple of the Scholarly Sage, while the clan leader of the Pure Confucian Chen Clan is a direct disciple of the Second Sage. According to the Daoist orthodoxy of the Majestic World, how should the seniority between us be viewed?”

”What a coincidence,” Liu Xianyang replied with a chuckle. ”The clan leader of the Chen Clan has also come to the Sword Qi Great Wall this time, and I’m coincidentally acquainted with him, seeing that I frequently ask him for guidance. As for how the seniority between us should be viewed, let me ask this senior first.”

Chen Ping’an retracted his smile and purposely put on an awkward expression, lowering his head to drink wine as he compressed his voice into a thread and secretly said to Liu Xianyang, ”Don’t rush to return to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and it’s fine even if you stay in the Southern Whirl Continent. Just don’t go to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and definitely don’t go to the Parasol Leaf Continent and the Circling Ascension Continent.

”Our grudges against Sun Scorch Mountain and Light Breeze City can wait for a few more years, or until the time you become an Upper Five Tier sword immortal. Otherwise, how will you breach the mountain-protection formations of Sun Scorch Mountain? I’ve thought about this before, and if we don’t use some schemes, it will be very difficult for us to challenge Sun Scorch Mountain even if we both possess the combat power of Unpolished Jade Tier sword cultivators.

”The sword formations of Sun Scorch Mountain can’t be underestimated, and it now has a powerful Nascent Tier sword cultivator as well, someone who has kept a low profile and cultivated in seclusion for nine years already. Judging from the situation, it’s quite likely that this sword cultivator will successfully advance and exit seclusion.

”The tides of fortune turn, and Sun Scorch Mountain is finally able to breathe easy and have its way following the death of the Wind Lightning Field’s Li Tuanjing. If it wasn’t for this sword cultivator still being in seclusion, Sun Scorch Mountain would have exacted revenge on the Wind Lightning Field a long time ago, especially with the temper of those elders in Sun Scorch Mountain’s ancestral hall. They definitely wouldn’t have allowed Huang He to enter seclusion, nor would they have allowed Liu Baqiao to successfully advance to the next tier.

”The Wind Lightning Field is different from Sun Scorch Mountain, with the latter having a very close relationship with the imperial court of the Great Li Empire. Regarding these relationships outside the mountains, Huang He and Liu Baqiao have inherited their late master’s habits, never interacting with the imperial courts of mortal nations and only traveling through the martial world. Because of this, the Wind Lightning Field is far inferior to Sun Scorch Mountain when it comes to its relationship with the Great Li Empire’s Imperial Song Clan.

”Even though Master Ruan is the chief guest elder of the Great Li Empire, meaning that the empire will respect him and try to win him over both in private and in public, hence giving the Dragon Spring Sword Sect another large piece of land afterward, one has to understand the mindset of a ruler. Will the young emperor allow the Dragon Spring Sword Sect to slowly grow larger and eventually become the dominant force in the Great Li Empire? Will he allow Master Ruan to recruit the large majority of innate sword talents in the continent?

”He’ll at most draw a line at Lake View Academy, creating a scenario where the Dragon Spring Sword Sect and Sun Scorch Mountain dominate the south and north, respectively, forcing them to keep each other in check. So, if there’s an opportunity for Sun Scorch Mountain to produce an Upper Five Tier sword cultivator, the Great Li Empire will definitely assist Sun Scorch Mountain with all its power. Meanwhile, the empire will continue to constrain the Dragon Spring Sword Sect. This will allow the Great Li Empire to more easily suppress the fortune of the Luminous Vermilion Empire.

”Both of us bear grudges against Sun Scorch Mountain, but we have to concede that the cultivators of this immortal force are extremely capable both inside the mountains and outside the mountains. Disregarding everything else and only focusing on that pitiful woman — we’ll ignore the complicated relationships as well and only look at the results — she was ultimately able to trap Li Tuanjing through a romantic relationship and prevent him from advancing to the Upper Five Tiers.

”During this time, the ancestral hall of Sun Scorch Mountain definitely said many solemn things to the woman. Something as simple as the woman’s character being poor or her betraying their deep feelings for each other definitely wouldn’t have been enough to damage Li Tuanjing’s Sword Heart and Dao Heart. With Li Tuanjing’s judgment skills and open-mindedness, he definitely wouldn’t have become despondent because of these things.

”Thus, it’s extremely likely that Sun Scorch Mountain allowed Li Tuanjing to discover the truth. It was indeed true that the woman had deep feelings for Li Tuanjing, yet she ultimately chose to side with her immortal force despite this. Or perhaps she did some things that Li Tuanjing couldn’t accept and get over. And it was due to this that Li Tuanjing continued to feel furious even hundreds of years after her death.

”How can we judge the cultures and environments of different clans and immortal forces? We can look at the choices the elders make on major matters, and we can also observe the temperaments of the young descendants and disciples that these forces have raised and taught. Lastly, we can look at how those belonging to the lowest rungs of these forces make trade-offs between different gains and losses. By looking across the spectrum from those in high positions to those in low positions, it will be difficult for us to make an incorrect assessment of these forces.

”Back then, that woman from Light Breeze City’s Xu Clan was allied with Sun Scorch Mountain’s mountain-moving ape, but they were also scheming against each other at the same time. But what’s the situation now? They’re still firm allies with each other, aren’t they? At the end of the day, they share the same values and outlooks, and on the surface, those who seek nothing but benefits often have more friends.

”As long as your sword doesn’t truly cut to their core and foundation, the surface-level friends of Sun Scorch Mountain will remain as surface-level friends. In fact, many cultivators who initially had slightly poor impressions of Sun Scorch Mountain might end up becoming its friends, even going as far as to speak up for them.

”In any case, what were the personalities of that little girl with the surname Tao and the son of the Light Breeze City Xu Clan’s clan leader backer? If you’re willing to listen, I can recount more than a dozen matters to you right now. Their actions were influenced by the atmospheres of their clans, so I wasn’t surprised in the least.

”The current Sun Scorch Mountain is different from the Sun Scorch Mountain that existed during Li Tuanjing’s lifetime, and this isn’t solely due to the fact that there’s no one suppressing it following the death of Li Tuanjing. The current environment is one where a single empire represents an entire continent, so what you and I need to consider is how we can sever the relationship between the Great Li Empire and Sun Scorch Mountain, as well as how we can cut Sun Scorch Mountain off from its many allies.

”We need to make sense of the potential conflicts over benefits that exist between the three tiers of cultivators in Sun Scorch Mountain before we challenge it, and we need to clearly understand the characters of the elders in its ancestral hall. At the same time, we also need to understand the trump cards available to Sun Scorch Mountain when it’s facing a powerful enemy.

”By considering all of these things, our sword strikes will feel one hundred times worse for our opponents compared to if we didn’t consider anything at all. Our swords will strike not only their bodies, but also their hearts. This is a huge difference. Physical wounds only require cultivators to nurture in seclusion, and it might even allow Sun Scorch Mountain to unite against a common enemy.

”If our sword strikes are precise, however, we can wound the hearts of many people beyond the one or several people we physically hit. At that time, we can sheathe our blades in satisfaction, having already unleashed sword strikes to our heart’s content. Those in Sun Scorch Mountain will naturally battle mental scars for decades or even one hundred years, and there will naturally be dozens of cultivators who continue to unleash sword strikes in our stead, cutting deep into Sun Scorch Mountain’s heart each time.”

Liu Xianyang chuckled as he looked at the young man who had unknowingly transformed from a mute into a chatterbox, and he suddenly said something a little strange, remarking, ”As long as you’re willing to live and no longer keep the mindset you had when I first met you, thinking that death is no big matter, then your decision to leave the Jewel Small World is an extremely correct decision. This is because you’re more suited to living in a chaotic world than anyone else. If your mindset has changed, then I’ll truly be at ease.”

Chen Ping’an appeared slightly anxious as he fumed, ”Were you listening to me at all?!”

Liu Xianyang smiled and nodded, saying, ”Yes, I was listening to you. I’m not deaf, after all.”