Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an paid a visit to the Sword Qi Great Wall on his own and personally witnessed the challenge that was laid down.

Who could possibly challenge the Sword Qi Great Wall to a battle of the sword? If the immortal sects of the Majestic World were to catch wind of this, they would likely immediately dismiss it as an absurd joke. However, the Savage World really had laid down a challenge to the Sword Qi Great Wall, and it began on a dark night where the moon was almost completely absent.

Initially, Chen Ping’an could only see some specks of sword light emerge on the southern battlefield. However, the specks of light quickly increased in number, and it felt just like back when he saw all those lotus flower lanterns rising up into the sky during his earlier travels through the Majestic World. Eventually, there were so many specks of light that their collective radiance outshone even that of the celestial bodies.

Finally, a series of bonded flying swords began to race toward the Sword Qi Great Wall, leaving trails of resplendent light behind them that formed an incredibly spectacular river of radiance. Looking down from the top of the city walls, one felt as if they were an immortal looking down at the lights of the mortal world. It was truly a breathtaking visual spectacle.

As the Hidden Official, there was no need for Chen Ping’an to fight, and he couldn’t fight even if he wanted to because he had to return to the summer palace soon.

It wasn’t that the swordsmen of the Hidden Official’s branch weren’t doing a good enough job. Instead, Chen Ping’an simply couldn’t bring himself to leave them unsupervised for long. This type of near-obsessive urge to oversee everything himself was a double-edged sword, and even if he wanted to kick the habit, this wasn’t the time to do it.

”This is a challenge of unprecedented magnitude, and I doubt we’ll ever see anything like this again,” Chen Ping’an mused as he stood atop the city walls near the thatched cottage.

”It’s likely true that we’ll never see anything like this again, but this is not exactly unprecedented,” the old great sword immortal disagreed with a smile. ”In the past, the swordsmen of the mortal world once raised their swords to challenge the heavens, and in response, the heavens rained down swords in a storm of golden light that was even more spectacular than what you see now.

“At the time, the human camp had been led by the Paramount Sage, the Dao Ancestor, the Buddha, and the forefathers of close to half of the Hundred Schools of Thought. All of them were completely selfless, and they regarded death as a badge of honor.”

Chen Ping’an thought back to the journey that he had embarked on with Cui Dongshan as his only companion. On the way back, Cui Dongshan had said many strange things to him.

”I heard that at the time, the concept of the Three Teachings and the Hundred Schools of Thought didn’t even exist,” Chen Ping’an said. ”All of the teachings and schools of thought were in a very rudimentary state, and everyone, including swordsmen, Qi refiners, and even the flood dragons, joined forces on a united front. Even the Savage World called for a temporary ceasefire, and while they didn’t help us, they didn’t hinder our efforts, either.”

”Indeed,” Chen Qingdu replied with a nod as a rare look of reminiscence appeared on his face. ”Long Jun, Guan Zhao, and I were all present, alongside many other swordsmen of our generation who have since already been long forgotten, and we lashed out at the heavens over and over again.”

Chen Ping’an crouched down to rest a hand against the slightly cool ground atop the city walls, then cast his gaze toward the southern battlefield and said, ”Back then, everyone struggled for survival, and if they didn’t, then they would die. I’m not downplaying your feats. I wouldn’t dare to do such a thing, nor is that something I want to do. Over ten thousand years have passed since then, and I’ve seen quite a bit of the current world over the course of my journeys across three continents.

“From what I’ve seen, I daresay that the Majestic World is still good and stable overall. You are like the old senior of a large clan. You can clearly see all of the merits and transgressions committed by your juniors, and you’ve already been very lenient, but I still hope that you won’t be disappointed. If even you become disappointed, then the juniors below you will have far fewer chances to realize the mistakes of their ways and make amends.”

Chen Qingdu remained silent.

Chen Ping’an wanted to say something, but he couldn’t help but hesitate.

”Go ahead,” Chen Qingdu prompted with a smile. ”You’re the Hidden Official now, so you should have the courage to speak your mind.”

”I still feel like the state of the world is improving over time,” Chen Ping’an said. ”Please don’t think of the past ten thousand years as a complete waste. The Majestic World has had peace for ten thousand years, and during that time, everyone has developed their own goals and aspirations, whether big or small. Even someone like me, who welcomed death as a child, went on to become an apprentice at the dragon kiln and began trying to earn money and live a good life.

“While the Majestic World may seem barren and hopeless to you, even the most barren land still has soil, and as long as there’s soil, there are countless possibilities. Do whatever it is that you need to do, but all that I ask is that you don’t become disappointed and disheartened. Can you do that for me?”

The old great sword immortal crouched down to press a hand down onto Chen Ping’an’s head, and he chuckled. ”You are still but a young man who hasn’t seen and experienced anywhere near enough. All of the swordsmen my age had to crawl out of the deepest and darkest pits of despair. The world that we came up from was far bleaker than the current Majestic World, so there’s nothing for me to be overly disappointed about.

“Of course, I’m a little disappointed, but it’s nowhere near the extent that you think. Over the past ten thousand years, I’ve seen much more hope than despair. Even if that hope doesn’t grow on the Sword Qi Great Wall, I can still smell its sweet fragrance from all the way in the Majestic World.”

Chen Ping’an was rendered speechless for a moment, then smiled in amusement and said, ”I never imagined you would say something like this. It’s very... poetic!”

”I’ll tell you a couple more interesting tidbits, but make sure you don’t tell anyone else too soon,” Chen Qingdu said with a smile.

”Please go ahead,” Chen Ping’an prompted with a serious expression.

However, Chen Qingdu changed his mind, and he shook his head and said, ”I’ll tell you later.”

Chen Ping’an was just about to leave when Chen Qingdu suddenly remarked, ”You may be a swordsman now with two bonded flying swords and a pure martial artist at the pinnacle of the seventh tier, but that’s still not enough.”

”You really shouldn’t ask so much of me.” Chen Ping’an sighed in a resigned manner. ”I’m already doing very well among my peers. As a martial artist, at the very least, I haven’t completely lost sight of Cao Ci, and as a Qi refiner of the Lower Five Tiers, I am now serving as the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall. I can’t say I’ve made any significant contributions up to this point, but surely at least my effort is to be commended! Maybe if I continue accumulating karma and fortune, I can—”

”Don’t even think about it,” Chen Qingdu warned with a shake of his head, cutting Chen Ping’an off mid-sentence. ”You don’t have the makings of someone who can glean the Cultivator Trapping Tier, so don’t even consider trying to reach the Upper Five Tiers in one go.”

”Couldn’t you have waited until I reached the fourth tier before you told me that?” Chen Ping’an complained with a wry smile.

”There’s still one more spot to be filled for the roster of three sword immortals; have you decided on who it should be?” Chen Qingdu asked.

”I’m struggling to make up my mind,” Chen Ping’an replied with a shake of his head.

”You can’t even figure out something this simple? What a useless Hidden Official you are!” Chen Qingdu scoffed with a dismissive wave. ”Piss off back to the summer palace, and don’t come back out until you’ve reached the Abode Tier and the Far Roaming Tier!”

Chen Ping’an stood up to depart, but before he left, he asked Chen Qingdu’s permission for something, and it was granted to him.

He had asked Chen Qingdu if the swordsmen of the Hidden Official’s branch could leave the city to battle against the demons. Chen Qingdu told him that he didn’t care. As long as they didn’t shirk their duties, they could go out and battle as they pleased.

Chen Ping’an summoned his talismanic boat, and as he did so, he took a glance at the nearby thatched cottage. Zuo You was still in seclusion, recovering from his injuries. Xiao Xun hadn’t held back at all, and if someone like Yue Qing had been in Zuo You’s place, they would’ve already perished. Even the likes of Lu Zhi and Nalan Shaowei would’ve suffered a drop in cultivation base from such a devastating blow.

Chen Ping’an’s talismanic boat had only just left the city walls when someone drifted onto it.

”Are you leaving?” Chen Ping’an asked.

”Probably sometime in the next couple of days,” Liu Xianyang replied with a nod. ”The coastal defenses of the Southern Whirl Continent need to be bolstered, and there’s a bunch of stuff that needs to be done.”

”Make sure to wait for me before you challenge Sun Scorch Mountain,” Chen Ping’an warned. ”This is not something to be taken lightly.”

”I would understand your trepidation if you hadn’t seen me in action, but is there really a need to be so cautious about Sun Scorch Mountain?” Liu Xianyang asked with a puzzled expression.

”Trust me, my caution is very much warranted,” Chen Ping’an insisted with a nod.

”Li Tuanjing alone was able to keep Sun Scorch Mountain in check for several hundred years; why are you taking them so seriously?” Liu Xianyang asked.

”The Sun Scorch Mountain from back when Li Tuanjing was still around is completely different from the current Sun Scorch Mountain,” Chen Ping’an said. ”Not only has Sun Scorch Mountain finally revealed the power that it’s been hiding all along, but its strength is also now bolstered by its association with the Light Breeze City Xu Clan.

“On top of that, Sun Scorch Mountain will be claiming the majority of the Luminous Vermilion Empire’s Sword Dao fortune, something that even the Dragon Spring Sword Sect wasn’t able to accomplish because no matter how much reverence the emperor of the Great Li Empire has for Master Ruan, there’s no way he could allow the Dragon Spring Sword Sect to become the sole dominant force on the continent.

“In addition to the Luminous Vermilion Empire’s Sword Dao fortune, Sun Scorch Mountain will also get to claim all of the empire’s most talented swordsmen. Right now, Sun Scorch Mountain has already become intertwined with the fortune of the Great Li Empire, and it’s not to be taken lightly. I can’t reveal anything more to you beyond that, but what you have to understand is that Sun Scorch Mountain is a very important and indispensable part of the Great Li Empire’s future plans.”

Liu Xianyang looked back at Chen Ping’an with a blank expression.

”Did I say something wrong?” Chen Ping’an asked.

”I think you’ve misunderstood my intentions,” Liu Xianyang said with a smile. ”Who said that by challenging them, I have to succeed the first time? I can prod their arse cheek with my sword today, then run away before they can retaliate. The next day, I’ll go back and stab them in the crotch. Doesn’t that also count as issuing a challenge? Why do I have to aim to take them down in one go? Do you see something like that as too shameful and beneath you now that you’re a cultivator? You were never like this growing up.

“Are you not familiar with how I like to do things? I may say some outlandish stuff sometimes, but I’d say I’m fairly reliable when it comes to the important stuff, wouldn’t you agree? Whenever you do something, you always strive to do it the right way, but does that guarantee that what you do is right? Maybe what you think is right is actually incorrect, but you simply don’t realize it. Compared with you, I’m much less pedantic about right and wrong.

“I can handle myself, just as I can handle my enemies. You can live like a pedant, or you can be more carefree. You can lead a life of suffering, or you can enjoy life. You really need to learn a thing or two from me when it comes to turning suffering into enjoyment. I’m not saying that you’re wrong. If we look at things solely from the angle of right or wrong, then you are much more correct than I am.

“However, you have to learn to slack off a little sometimes and give yourself a chance to breathe. That’s a useful little trick that you won’t be able to learn from any sagely scripture, but I’ve already figured it out a long time ago even without reading any books; I just haven’t had a chance to tell you about it. ”

This time, it was Chen Ping’an’s turn to stare back at Liu Xianyang in a daze.

”Gu Can may no longer be the little snot-nosed brat of old, but I’m still as smart as ever,” Liu Xianyang chuckled.

”I see,” Chen Ping’an replied with a nod.

”Make sure to remember that,” Liu Xianyang insisted.

”Whatever you say,” Chen Ping’an conceded with a smile.

The two of them sat facing each other in the talismanic boat. Life was always full of separations.

”Have you done it yet?” Liu Xianyang asked after a brief silence.

Chen Ping’an looked back at him with a puzzled expression.

Liu Xianyang took a quick glance at his surroundings to make sure that there was no one around, then extended his two index fingers before touching their tips to one another.

Chen Ping’an hurriedly slapped his hands away and snarled, ”If you want to die, then you can go die on your own! Don’t try to get me killed too!”

Liu Xianyang looked back at him with a stunned expression.

”You haven’t even held hands yet? Are you being serious right now?”

Chen Ping’an was completely rooted to the spot.

”Man, you’re even worse off than me,” Liu Xianyang sighed with a sorrowful expression. ”You’re not single anymore, but you may as well still be single.”

”Come talk to me again once you’ve found someone for yourself,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

Liu Xianyang shook his head, then lay down in the boat and sighed. ”Women can never look past my handsome looks to see me for who I really am.”

The talismanic boat stopped at the entrance of the summer palace. According to the rules of the Hidden Official’s branch, all outsiders were strictly prohibited from entry. The two of them drifted down to the ground, and Chen Ping’an stowed his talismanic boat up his sleeve, but Liu Xianyang didn’t immediately leave.

He stood in front of Chen Ping’an, helping him smooth down his collar before patting him on the shoulder, and he said, ”Alright, I’m going now. Make sure to look after yourself when I’m gone.”

”Same to you,” Chen Ping’an replied with a nod.

Liu Xianyang was just about to leave when Chen Ping’an tossed a seal at him with a smile and said, ”That’s a unique seal, so make sure to keep it safe. You might be able to sell it for an astronomical price someday.”

Liu Xianyang tucked the seal up his sleeve without even bothering to look at it, then flew away into the distance, while Chen Ping’an remained on the spot, continuing to stare into the distant sky even after Liu Xianyang was long gone.

The gates of the summer palace had been wide open this entire time, and there was no gatekeeper.

Chen Ping’an made his way into the main hall, where he was approached by Chou Miao, who reported, ”All of the plans have already been finalized. Observing the battlefield from afar isn’t as good as experiencing it for oneself, so we have decided that three people will be sent to the top of the city walls at a time to join the battle. We’ll make sure that this doesn’t get in the way of their duties.”

”Who’s going to be in the first batch of three?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Chou Miao was joined by Mi Yu and Dong Bude.

”You two can go, but I’ll have Deng Liang take Sword Immortal Mi’s place this time,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile. ”Make sure you don’t just stay there and don’t come back. You must return after ten days, and Sword Immortal Mi, Pang Yuanji, and Lin Junbi will take your place. After that will be Song Gaoyuan, Cao Gun, and Xuan Can, followed by Luo Zhenyi, Xu Ning, and Chang Taiqing. The final group of three will consist of Gu Jianlong, Wang Xinshui, and Guo Zhujiu, and I may go with them as well.”

Out of the four newest members of the Hidden Official’s branch, Chen Ping’an had no reservations about Chou Miao, who was a young sword immortal that both the old great sword immortal and A’Liang thought very highly of.

However, he still had some doubts about Luo Zhenyi’s trio, and that was why he had placed them after Deng Liang and Song Gaoyuan’s groups of three. However, if he were to put the three of them at the very end, after even Gu Jianlong’s trio, then that would be excessive. Furthermore, grouping the trio together without splitting them apart was a minor form of compensation for them.

Hence, it made sense that Luo Zhenyi’s trio harbored some gripes toward him, but as long as their personal feelings didn’t get in the way of the big picture, then Chen Ping’an didn’t really care about how they felt about him. On a personal level, Chen Ping’an actually really admired these swordsmen who had previously ventured into the heart of the Savage World, but he still had to be wary of them. If Luo Zhenyi’s trio resented him for it, then so be it. Someone who was too eager to please and overly concerned about being liked by others was unfit to be the Hidden Official.

Chou Miao’s trio left the main hall and departed from the summer palace atop their flying swords.

Most of the swordsmen of the Hidden Official’s branch were very young, but possessed wisdom beyond their years, and they knew that this war wasn’t going to end anytime soon. At the very least, it would rage for three to five years, and it could even last over a decade. In any case, it was undoubtedly going to be an extremely brutal and grueling affair.

With Huang Luan at the helm, the demonic cultivators continued to throw a vast wave of immortal treasures at the Sword Qi Great Wall, and they were assisted by a formidable army of tens of thousands of demon swordsmen under the leadership of the current Lotus Flower Nunnery Master.

After these two battles, millions of demons were going to be leaving the Savage World to embark on a march toward the Sword Qi Great Wall, whether it be against their will or not. It was said that the road leading to the northern battlefield was lined with piles of remains.

After enduring this challenge from the Savage World, the swordsmen on top of the city walls would have to go into battle on the southern battlefield.

Instead of immediately entering the main hall, Chen Ping’an began taking a stroll on the plaza outside.

The swordsmen of the Hidden Official’s branch were already accustomed to seeing him performing walking meditation in the courtyard outside. It seemed to help him think, and whenever he thought of something, he would issue an instruction to the swordsmen inside.

All of a sudden, Mi Yu, who was looking more and more like a door god, asked, ”Lord Hidden Official, have you already become a swordsman?”

”Why do you say that?” Chen Ping’an asked.

”I just had a feeling,” Mi Yu replied.

Instead of giving a definitive answer, Chen Ping’an smiled and said, ”It’s a real shame that you aren’t a guest elder on my mountain, Sword Immortal Mi.”