Unsheathed

Mi Yu withdrew his bonded flying sword, but didn’t return his longsword to its scabbard.

He knew that he was completely and utterly screwed.

Unless his brother could somehow save him, he was almost definitely going to be thrown into the same prison as the old deaf guy.

Lu Zhi hurriedly raced onto the scene atop her flying sword, looking absolutely livid.

”You useless piece of shit!” she spat through gritted teeth, while Mi Yu remained standing still on the spot in a daze.

Lu Zhi immediately made a hand seal to try and gather the remnants of Chen Ping’an’s soul, hoping against hope that she could somehow save him, but it was all completely futile.

Lie Ji had sacrificed himself without any hesitation, and in doing so, he had ensured Chen Ping’an’s demise beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Lu Zhi turned her gaze to the thatched cottage in the distance, then consulted the old great sword immortal through her mind’s lake.

”Have Chou Miao select three swordsmen to enter the Hidden Official’s branch alongside him,” Chen Qingdu said.

”That’s it?!” Lu Zhi snapped.

”You’re asking me what to do after you’ve failed in your duties?” Chen Qingdu countered.

”What was I supposed to do, follow Chen Ping’an around everywhere he goes?” Lu Zhi hissed. ”What about the other swordsmen of the Hidden Official’s branch then? Who’s going to protect them? And what should I do with Mi Yu? Kill him?!”

”We’ll make a decision on Mi Yu later; just leave him be for now,” Chen Qingdu said.

Lu Zhi could only suppress the killing intent raging in her heart as she returned to the section of the carriageway where the Hidden Official’s branch was gathered with Mi Yu.

After returning to the Hidden Official’s branch, she displayed a rare moment of hesitation, then broke the bad news.

”The Hidden Official has been killed by traitor Lie Ji, who also died during the attack. Mi Yu is going to be temporarily detained on suspicion of malfeasance. Chou Miao will be joining the Hidden Official’s branch along with three others. All of you are to leave this place right away and move to the summer palace.”

Guo Zhujiu immediately burst into laughter. ”You have a great sense of humor, Sword Immortal Lu!”

Lin Junbi and the others were also exchanging disbelieving glances with one another.

”That’s all I have to say,” Lu Zhi sighed. ”Make sure to look after yourselves.”

With that, she departed without another word.

”Alright, now that Lu Zhi’s gone, you can tell us the truth, Sword Immortal Mi,” Guo Zhujiu said with a wide grin. ”It was kind of funny when Lu Zhi said it, but I’m going to get angry if you repeat the same joke...”

Even though she was grinning from ear to ear, tears were already swimming in her eyes. Her face puckered up as she spoke, and in the end, she trailed off into a heartbroken silence.

Lin Junbi heaved a forlorn sigh.

The mantle of the Hidden Official really was heavy.

Unpolished Jade Tier Sword Immortal Lie Ji was ranked very far back in Secondary Book A, only separated from Mi Yu by a few pages, but that was exactly why he had been able to catch Chen Ping’an and Mi Yu completely off guard.

As for why he had done what he did, only the heavens knew the answer to that question.

Dong Bude’s complexion had turned quite pale, and she was clearly struggling to come to terms with this outcome.

Gu Jianlong and Wang Xinshui’s fists were tightly clenched, and they refused to believe that Chen Ping’an was truly gone.

All of the other swordsmen had also fallen into a dejected silence.

Before long, a sword immortal with a youthful appearance arrived on the scene. He was an Unpolished Jade Tier sword immortal who was only just over a hundred years of age, and he was said to be the Unpolished Jade Tier sword immortal with the most solid cultivation foundation that the Sword Qi Great Wall had seen in three thousand years.

It was Chou Miao, the boy who had ventured deep into the Savage World with A’Liang once upon a time.

He was accompanied by a female Nascent Tier swordsman by the name of Luo Zhenyi. She was of a similar age to Chou Miao, and she had many single sword immortal admirers on the Sword Qi Great Wall for her stunning beauty.

In addition, there was also a young Golden Core Tier swordsman named Xu Ning, who possessed two bonded flying swords, White Silk and Mountain Scenery.

Then there was the young Dragon Gate Tier swordsman, Chang Taiqing.

”Mi Yu can stay with me. Everyone else, move to the summer palace,” Chou Miao instructed. ”Zhenyi, Xu Ning, Taiqing, I’ll get the three of you to help everyone out.”

A wry smile appeared on Mi Yu’s face.

Clearly, Chou Miao was instructing him to stay by his side so that he wouldn’t be able to do anything.

The original swordsmen of the Hidden Official’s branch began silently packing up their things, and while they didn’t harbor any animosity toward the new additions to the group, they didn’t exactly welcome them with open arms, either.

Before they knew it, they had grown accustomed to Chen Ping’an’s presence.

Guo Zhujiu remained seated behind her desk in a daze as she murmured, ”I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying here to wait for Master.”

”Alright, just come to the summer palace when you feel like it then,” Chou Miao said.

From there, Chou Miao and everyone else departed from the top of the city walls, making their way to the summer palace, while only Guo Zhujiu remained behind.

As everyone arrived on the plaza outside the summer palace, they were greeted by a rather unexpected sight, one that immediately explained to Chou Miao why he hadn’t been appointed the new Hidden Official.

In Chou Miao’s eyes, it didn’t really matter whether he became a swordsman of the Hidden Official’s branch or remained outside the city to do battle. Both were forms of cultivation in themselves.

Luo Zhenyi’s trio was certainly very surprised, while Mi Yu was so relieved that he almost burst into tears.

Lin Junbi also heaved a sigh of relief.

Compared with Chou Miao, whom he didn’t know anything about, Lin Junbi still much preferred working with Chen Ping’an, who had somehow miraculously risen from the grave.

Sure enough, Chen Ping’an was standing at the entrance of the summer palace, watching everyone with a smile on his face.

His complexion was deathly pale, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.

”Come take a walk with me,” Chen Ping’an said as he beckoned to Mi Yu.

He then turned to Chou Miao and said, ”When I’m not around, I want the four of you to listen to Lin Junbi’s opinions and advice.”

”No problem,” Chou Miao replied with a nod.

Chen Ping’an led Mi Yu down a walkway on a stroll elsewhere, while everyone else entered the main hall of the summer palace.

Upon their arrival, they discovered that all of the secret documents previously stored in the winter palace had already been transferred here. They were stacked up against the three walls of the main hall in an orderly fashion, and many of them had slips of paper attached to them, making them easier to identify and browse through.

Judging from the neat, compact script handwriting on those slips of paper, it was clear that this was Chen Ping’an’s handiwork.

Chen Ping’an didn’t say anything, and Mi Yu also remained silent.

Chen Ping’an removed his Sword Nurturing Gourd from his waist, then also pulled out a flagon of Bamboo Sea Small World wine that he offered to Mi Yu.

”I’ll pass. I’m too spooked to drink after what just happened,” Mi Yu sighed with a wry smile.

”Countless types of people drink wine, but the wine itself is always faultless,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile. ”Go ahead and drink, and if you have any questions, go ahead and ask.”

”What happened?” Mi Yu asked. ”If you’re here, then who did Lie Ji kill just now?”

”It was a Substitution Talisman of a very high caliber adhered to a puppet that truly possessed the physique of a Vajra Body Tier martial artist,” Chen Ping’an explained. ”On top of that, the old great sword immortal also cast some illusions to make it more convincing. However, just that alone definitely wouldn’t have been enough to fool you, which means that it also wouldn’t have been able to fool Lie Ji, so I also planted a part of my soul into the puppet.

“Every single step and every single breath that the puppet took was meticulously controlled by me from this summer palace, and while I sustained some pretty substantial injuries from the puppet’s destruction, it was certainly worthwhile, considering we managed to weed out a traitor and a sword immortal, at that.

“I was actually initially intending for someone else to take the bait. As for who that person is, you’ve been with me this entire time, so I’m sure you had some ideas, but I presume you’ve most likely already forgotten.”

”When you were provoking Yang Zhi and Huang Luan earlier, was that also in preparation for this?” Mi Yu asked.

”The swordsmen on our side are able to send messages to the Savage World in secret, so the reverse is definitely also true,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile. ”As for why Lie Ji turned traitor, that’s something that we’ll never know. Perhaps he resented the Majestic World, perhaps he resented the old great sword immortal, perhaps he resented the Sword Qi Great Wall, or perhaps it was some combination of those things. In any case, I’m sure he had his reasons.

“Otherwise, he wouldn’t have carried out the assassination with so much resolve and finality. However, I’m not really interested in finding out his reasons. He’s already dead anyway. It’s a good thing that we managed to weed him out so early. Otherwise, if he had turned traitor at a more damning moment, then he could’ve easily taken down one or two sword immortals with him.”

”Is this the sole reason why I was dragged into the Hidden Official’s branch?!” Mi Yu asked as he stopped in his tracks, looking both furious and resigned.

Chen Ping’an made no attempt to deny it, smiling and nodding as he replied, ”Not only that, but Lu Zhi was also called upon for the same purpose. If we didn’t put on a sufficiently convincing act, then we wouldn’t have been able to fool the potential traitors among us. All of the sword immortals who decide to betray the Sword Qi Great Wall immediately become very cunning and devious.

“With Lu Zhi protecting everyone in the Hidden Official’s branch, only an Immortal Tier sword immortal who manages to somehow get close to me would have any realistic chance at killing me under her watch. Anyone else who tries would only be throwing their lives away for nothing. When I’m away from Lu Zhi, it creates a sense of urgency, like this is a brief window of opportunity that they must capitalize on before it slips away.

“Hence, Lu Zhi is really just there for show. At the same time, I couldn’t make it too obvious. For example, I couldn’t just leave Lu Zhi without your accompaniment. If I did that, it would be abundantly clear that there’s something suspicious going on.

“I am already not carrying Sword Immortal and not wearing Golden Sweet Wine; if I went wandering around without your protection on top of that, then all of the potential traitors on the Sword Qi Great Wall would be too suspicious to make a move.”

Mi Yu took a long swig of wine and didn’t say anything.

”Now that everyone thinks the Hidden Official is dead, there’s undoubtedly going to be a drop in morale,” Chen Ping’an continued. ”Our sword formations are going to be negatively impacted as a result, and that’s simply an unavoidable outcome. However, at the same time, this also makes it easier for us to throw out more bait and set more traps, and I actually value that more than simply weeding out a traitorous sword immortal.”

Mi Yu could only stare at Chen Ping’an in a stunned silence.

”I’ve been thinking a lot ever since I became Hidden Official, but most of the things I’ve thought of have been completely useless and impractical,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

”If you were to hold a grudge against someone on the Sword Qi Great Wall, I bet they would end up dead before they even knew how or why they were being killed, isn’t that right?” Mi Yu sighed.

Chen Ping’an considered the question for a moment, then nodded and replied, ”I should be able to pull that off, but I’ve never considered such a thing because it’s simply not worth it. The purity and sanctity of one’s Dao Heart is a very precious thing, and it’s not worth tarnishing something so important just to settle something as trivial as a personal grudge.”

”Is that really what you think?” Mi Yu asked as a sharp look appeared in his eyes. ”What about everything that the Qi Clan did to the Ning Clan? Do you not resent them at all for what they did? Do you truly have no selfish desires? Now that you’ve become Hidden Official and read through all of the secret documents, I’m sure you know all of the filthy secrets that have never seen the light of day. Is all of that really something that you can just stomach and be fine with?”

”Why don’t you take a guess, Brother Mi?” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

However, Mi Yu continued to stare at him intently, waiting for an answer to his question.

”I don’t know what to tell you.” Chen Ping’an shrugged. ”I’m just not the type of person to hold grudges.”

All of a sudden, Mi Yu seemed even more dispirited than Chen Ping’an, despite the fact that it was the latter who had just suffered spiritual damage instead of the other way around.

”Guo Zhujiu is still on the carriageway,” Mi Yu sighed. ”When should we notify her to come here?”

”Let’s wait for a bit longer,” Chen Ping’an replied.

”You’re constantly calculating and trying to manipulate everyone!” Mi Yu exclaimed with an exasperated shake of his head. ”Guo Zhujiu is just a little girl, and she’s your disciple! Even if you have her best interests in mind, do you not feel guilty at all for doing this? Don’t you ever get tired of being so calculating all the time?”

”You think it’s enough just to have a clear conscience?” Chen Ping’an countered. ”Do you think Lie Ji had a completely clear conscience? Why would a sword immortal like him just throw away his life like that? How much resentment did he harbor to make him go to such extremes?”

Mi Yu had no response for this.

The two of them returned to the main hall of the summer palace, and Mi Yu sat down at the spot reserved for him.

However, instead of doing the same, Chen Ping’an sat down on the steps outside.

”In the near future, no one is allowed to set foot outside of the summer palace,” Chen Ping’an said. ”None of you are permitted to see anyone in private, and if caught doing so, you will be executed on charges of treason. Messages can only be sent out via flying sword. The contents of all flying sword messages that are sent out by Chou Miao and the other new additions to our group must be known to Lin Junbi and the original twelve swordsmen of the Hidden Official’s branch, and vice versa. Furthermore, those contents must be recorded on paper by Sword Immortal Mi Yu.”

”If you don’t trust us, then why bring us into the Hidden Official’s branch?” Xu Ning asked.

”Before you speak to me, you must first refer to me as Lord Hidden Official,” Chen Ping’an said.

Xu Ning did as he was told, respectfully referring to Chen Ping’an as Lord Hidden Official before repeating his question.

Only then did Chen Ping’an reply with a smile, ”How can you expect me to trust any of you when I don’t even trust myself?”

Xu Ning fell silent, while Luo Zhenyi and Chang Taiqing both turned to Chen Ping’an with angry expressions.

Xuan Can and Cao Gun held Chen Ping’an in very high regard in their hearts, and they glowered directly at the three swordsmen with hostile expressions, making no effort to hide their allegiances.

”Focus on your duties, do as you’re told, and speak as little as possible,” Chou Miao said. ”The four of us have been chosen to join the Hidden Official’s branch, so we are obligated to follow the Hidden Official’s instructions.”

Chen Ping’an turned to him with a smile and said, ”If I die, Sword Immortal Chou Miao and Junbi are the best candidates to take my place as Hidden Official.”

Lin Junbi pretended not to have heard him, as did Chou Miao.

In the darkness of the night, a messenger flying sword was sent to the top of the city walls. Shortly thereafter, a heartbroken little girl flew slowly to the summer palace atop her flying sword, weeping inconsolably the entire way.

However, after arriving at the summer palace and seeing her resurrected master, a jubilant smile immediately broke through her tears.

She was so ecstatic that she began jumping up and down on the spot in front of Chen Ping’an, her arms and eyebrows raised in celebration as she proudly declared, ”I was the only one out of everyone who was convinced that you weren’t dead, Master! I just wasn’t expecting you to have already come here. This is why you’re the master, and I’m the disciple; I clearly still have much to learn!”

”I already told you that as long as I’m around, none of you have to think about matters related to life and death, and that promise still stands,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile as he pulled a little bamboo bookcase out of his minimization treasure. ”This is for you. If you don’t think it’s too much of a burden, you can carry it on your back, but you’re not allowed to show it off to anyone.”

Guo Zhujiu immediately put the little bamboo bookcase on her back and exclaimed, ”This little bamboo bookcase must’ve grown legs and come running to you, Master! The little bamboo bookcase that my senior sister gave me must’ve turned into a spirit and come to you. Next time, you can make an ordinary bookcase that hasn’t grown legs and give it to my senior sister, and I’ll keep this one.”

”You can work that out with Pei Qian yourself the next time you see her.” Chen Ping’an chuckled with a shake of his head. ”Rest assured, I won’t play favorites.”

He then patted Guo Zhujiu on the head and urged, ”Get to work now. We can’t afford to slack off in our duties.”

Guo Zhujiu skipped her way up the steps, then jumped up into the air and turned around so that her back was facing everyone. She stood like that for a moment, then turned back around and entered the main hall.

Instead of following her inside, Chen Ping’an continued to stroll through the summer palace, and everywhere he went, he was inside his own small world.

He pulled out an azure talisman, then began speaking into it. ”I wouldn’t make you deliver the bamboo bookcase to me for nothing, old great sword immortal. If there are any sword immortals who try to snoop around the summer palace while we’re here, then kill them. Those who are willing to take such risks are far too impatient, and they have no further value to our Sword Qi Great Wall. If there really are any sword immortals who come here to throw their lives away, then mark the contributions of killing them under Sword Immortal Mi Yu’s name.”

Even though Chen Ping’an was speaking inside his own small world, Chen Qingdu was able to hear him as clear as day.

He didn’t agree to or refuse Chen Ping’an’s request, but his intentions were already conveyed through his silence. He had chosen Chen Ping’an to be the new Hidden Official, and he would allow Chen Ping’an to do as he pleased.

”Let me ask you this one more time: have you really made up your mind?” the old great sword immortal asked, changing the subject. ”Will you really not regret it if it turns out to be you? You’re not going to explain things to Ning Yao in advance?”

”How is my senior brother doing?” Chen Ping’an asked, also choosing to change the subject.

Chen Qingdu told him that Zuo You was doing fine.

Chen Ping’an tucked the azure talisman up his sleeve, then pulled out a new talisman before chanting an incantation, and in the blink of an eye, he had already arrived in the winter palace.

Chen Ping’an walked alone in the otherwise deserted winter palace.

The interiors of both palaces were very simple and unadorned, and there were almost no extra pieces of decor at all.

Chen Ping’an wanted to familiarize himself with the environment here.

Prior to leaving the winter palace to return to the summer palace, he murmured to himself, ”I’ve made up my mind. I’ll do it.”