Unsheathed

Chapter 120 (1): Long Journey

After the huge commotion, the owner of the ship who was snobbish to the poor and obsequious to the rich immediately ran over and offered these "esteemed guests" a top-quality private room on the second level. He told them it would be fine even if they wanted to bring the donkey inside. It was his humble ship that was honored by their presence.

Many other passengers visited them after hearing of their exploits, and most of them were wearing a saber instead of a sword by their waist. It was clear that they wanted to cotton up to Chen Ping'an and the others. Chen Ping'an wasn't familiar with this kind of thing, so it was Lin Shouyi who stepped forward to help them politely decline these requests to visit.

Lin Shouyi had grown up in an official residence, after all, so his actions and manner of speech were naturally elegant and refined. Even though he was declining them, the visitors still left with happy smiles on their faces.

The swordsman who the old man had referred to as "Baijing" was a relatively renowned lone cultivator in the southern regions of the Great Li Empire. His sword, Spirit Void, was a legitimate artifact, and it was an impressive weapon from the Talisman Branch of the Daoist Sect. According to legends, a mighty figure had once left the mountains to cultivate his mind. After passing and being hacked apart by sabers in the wilderness, this sword was a relic that he had left. Afterward, the swordsman in white had come across it by chance.

Relying on his already-impressive sword skills, the swordsman had eventually comprehended the true meaning of the sword. It was from that moment that he started to gain renown. However, he didn't like being restrained, and it was because of this that he hadn't accepted the invitations from the governments and armies of the Great Li Empire. Instead, he liked to travel around the world. To have his name remembered in a region where beasts lay hidden and powerful cultivators were abundant, this white-robed swordsman was indeed a very impressive person.

However, he had been toyed with and defeated before he could even draw his sword from its scabbard. He had suffered a humiliating defeat. Perhaps this was a defeat that would even cast shadows on his sword heart and leave contamination in his sword intent. After considering this, one could ponder just how much power Chen Ping'an and the others could wield.

There were many knowledgable scholars, experienced merchants, and adventuring cultivators on the ship, and regardless of whether they were good-intentioned or ill-willed, few of them could be regarded as fools.

When he saw that there were no more visitors, Lin Shouyi massaged his temples in slight irritation. If it wasn't for the fact that he could personally see his emerald-green bookcase slowly taking form in Chen Ping'an's hands during his brief periods of rest, perhaps the aloof and taciturn Lin Shouyi would have truly abandoned his politeness and vented his frustrations at the visitors.

Chen Ping'an felt slightly sympathetic toward him, and he said, "Don't worry, I'll definitely make a bookcase that you're satisfied with."

There was exhaustion on Lin Shouyi's face as he sat down and crossed his legs. He revealed his true thoughts in a rare turn of events, saying softly, "I truly want to find a tranquil place with beautiful mountains and limpid waters to cultivate in seclusion. I'll only need to worry about my years in the mountains, and I won't need to care even if hundreds or thousands of years have already passed in the outside world. However, A'Liang told me that this method of cultivating the mind is called a 'deserted gravemound' method.

"This method is indeed feasible, but only for Qi refiners who have already reached a certain level in cultivation. I've only just set foot on the path of cultivation, so if I try to follow this method, I'll definitely suffer Qi deviation and fall to a heretical path without knowing."

Chen Ping'an nodded and replied, "Then you do need to be careful."

Squatting beside them with his face resting in his hands, Li Huai chuckled giddily, "Lin Shouyi, maybe A'Liang was just scaring you. If you ask me, I'd say that Go Table Mountain looks quite nice. It's a suitable place for you to become an immortal. When you get bored, you can even chat and muck around with that mountain lord Wei Bo. You can ride the big turtles, or you can ride that black python. Just how impressive will that be?

"However, if this is the case, it will mean that you're not coming to Great Sui Nation with us anymore. So, why don't you give this bookcase to me? I might not be able to carry it now, but when I grow taller and stronger in a few years, this big bookcase will be a perfect replacement for my small bookcase. I'll remember your kindness, and I can even return the bookcase to you when we return from Great Sui Nation in the future."

Lin Shouyi shot a sideways glance at the scheming Li Huai. He smiled coldly and said, "I won't give my bookcase to you even if I leave and cultivate in Go Table Mountain."

"Oh, then you might as well stay with us and go to Great Sui Nation together," Li Huai replied.

Lin Shouyi rubbed his glabella. He felt like only A'Liang could keep Li Huai under control.

No, Li Baoping could as well, and so could Chen Ping'an.

Hang on... Was he the only one who couldn't deal with Li Huai?

Lin Shouyi was in a fairly bad mood, and he kept his gaze fixed on Li Huai. The little boy's hairs stood on end, and he hurriedly pledged his loyalty by saying, "What's wrong, Lin Shouyi? I actually do want you to come to Great Sui Nation with us. It's just that I'm a bit envious of your bookcase. I won't deny this. But what can I do about this? Your bookcase is bigger than mine, after all.

"However, if you genuinely decide to disembark the ship and head back to Go Table Mountain, I definitely won't be happy. Just think about it. Of the four of us, only you're sanctimonious and filled with evil schemes. If we come across bad people who don't have evil written all over their faces in the future, then only you'll be able to see through them with a single glance. Isn't that right, Chen Ping'an, Li Baoping?"

Li Huai looked around for reinforcements.

Chen Ping'an's head was lowered as he continued to earnestly make the bookcase. It was as if he hadn't heard Li Huai's words at all. Meanwhile, Li Baoping's mind had wandered to someplace tens of thousands of kilometers away as she pondered some strange and peculiar questions. She was completely absorbed in thought.

Lin Shouyi's mind was heavy, and he said, "Do you think our journey to Great Sui Nation will be easy? Apart from the dangers and obstructions posed by the mountains and rivers, we'll definitely encounter many troubles that we can't even imagine."

Li Huai blinked as he listened to this.

"The Great Li Empire is founded on martial arts, so the factions and forces in these lands can't be underestimated. There are few renowned scholars, and before our teacher founded Mountain Cliff Academy, the Great Li Empire was derided by everyone else in the continent as a land of barbarians," Lin Shouyi continued slowly.

Li Huai nodded and said, "I already know this. Mr. Qi never shied away from talking about these things. It's not like he never told us about the Great Li Empire's situation before."

Lin Shouyi sighed and continued, "I remember the kiln supervision official Master Song telling me some things when I was young. Many years ago, a scholar from the Great Li Empire finally managed to pass the exam and enter Lake View Academy after much difficulty. However, what welcomed him was a barrage of humiliation from all sides. Not only was he verbally abused, but according to Master Song, he was even subject to a scheme set up by two scholars from Great Sui Nation's Gao Clan and Lu Clan.

"The scholar from the Great Li Empire suffered a mental collapse because of this, and he became crazy for a great number of years. When he finally managed to recover, he was brutally stabbed in the heart again due to a matter pertaining to love. In the end, he jumped into a river and committed suicide.

"The imperial court of the Great Li Empire was enraged by this, and this was one of the sparks that ignited the full-scale war with the Lu Empire. This was a war where the Great Li Empire gambled the fortune of the entire nation. You have to realize that before this, the Great Li Empire had only been a subordinate empire to the Lu Empire. Thus, we could only suppress our anger and tolerate the harassment and obstacles thrown at us.

"However, the situation has already changed a lot. There are more and more scholars in the Great Li Empire now, and the Qi refiners cultivating in the mountains have also started to come out and serve in the imperial court of the empire, or courageously slay enemies on the borders."

"This has led to a completely different scenario. The scholars in the Great Li Empire enjoy a lofty status, and once they become officials, they'll naturally feel like they're superior to everyone else. For example, the person who claimed to be the county magistrate of Wanping County just then was most likely a scholar from the capital, someone who passed the imperial examination and was deployed to a local area.

"Right now, I'm worried that he'll choose to target us when we disembark the ship in an area under his jurisdiction. Perhaps he'll target us because of his temperament as a scholar, or perhaps he'll target us as a new official looking to make sweeping changes."

Lin Shouyi smiled and continued, "Fortunately, he's only a scholarly official. However, there's an 'immortal' among us who has yet to show himself. Perhaps he'll be able to deter this official. After all, scholars are still unable to compete with Qi refiners regardless of how precious they are in the Great Li Empire. The only fear is if the county magistrate isn't smart enough. Or more accurately, if he doesn't understand the true might of a Qi refiner. If that's the case, then we'll still be plagued by a string of troubles."

Li Huai was filled with anxiety, and he turned around to slap the white donkey that was lying on its side. "Troublemaker donkey!" he scolded. "Do you think you're a beautiful young lady or something? Was there any need to lose your temper after being touched a little?"

"That old man is definitely an esteemed guest of the county magistrate now," Li Baoping suddenly interjected. "They can both pour their grievances out to each other. However, I believe that the higher the old man's status and the more skillful the swordsman's swordsmanship, the less likely the county magistrate will dare to target us openly. My eldest brother told me that scholars often fail their rebellions even after many years[1].

"As for secretly targeting us with small schemes, this isn't something that we need to be afraid of. We'll deal with whatever they throw at us, as long as they don't utilize the power of the imperial court. What are you afraid of, Lin Shouyi? Don't lose your composure and fall into disarray!"

Lin Shouyi pondered this carefully before nodding and saying, "This is most likely the case."

After voicing her opinion, Li Baoping turned to Chen Ping'an and asked with an earnest expression, "Is that right, junior uncle?"

"How would I know about the long-winded thought processes of these scholars and officials? In any case, you and Lin Shouyi can discuss the plans if we come across any trouble," Chen Ping'an replied.

During the incident where Mr. Ma was killed, the group of children had not only managed to return to the small town safely, but they had even managed to trick the coach driver who had referred to himself as a spy from the Great Li Empire. In reality, it was Lin Shouyi who had come up with the idea and Li Baoping who had formulated the plan. Lin Shouyi had then double-checked the plan to ensure that there were no issues. The minds of these two children were far more mature than others at the same age.

Chen Ping'an suddenly stopped his movements. After thinking for a moment, he decided to put his machete down next to his feet.

If his mind wasn't calm, then Chen Ping'an wouldn't do anything. He would rather do nothing than do something wrong. This had been the case when firing pottery in the dragon kilns, and this was still the case when practicing his fist technique now.

Li Baoping, Li Huai, and Lin Shouyi all noticed this at almost the exact same moment. Even Li Huai hurriedly fixed his sitting posture.

Upon seeing the slightly paranoid response from the three children, Chen Ping'an smiled bitterly and said, "What are you guys doing? It's just that there's something on my mind. There's no need for you three to be so anxious."

"What's wrong? Why don't you tell us, junior uncle?" Li Baoping said.

"I was just thinking, in addition to learning characters from you guys, should I also learn some of the knowledge written in the books?" Chen Ping'an replied with a smile.

Li Baoping faltered for a moment before saying, "But we've only learned some elementary principles from Mr. Qi. We haven't learned anything grand or lofty. Moreover, we're only children who have just started school, so how can we possibly teach junior uncle? Even Mr. Qi was unable to answer many of my questions pertaining to the phrases in the elementary texts, so how can we teach them? Answering questions randomly isn't good!"

"It wasn't that Mr. Qi couldn't answer them, it was just that you were unwilling to listen to him if he answered your questions a little too late," Li Huai mumbled.

Li Baoping suddenly turned around and punched Li Huai on the head.

This wasn't a painful punch, but Li Huai still wrapped his arms around his head and wailed, "I can't live like this anymore! I also want to practice a fist technique! Li Baoping's becoming stronger by the day, so if I don't do something, she'll definitely kill me by accident one day!"

"Chen Ping'an, why do you want to learn the knowledge written in the books?" Lin Shouyi asked in curiosity.

"I'm afraid that I'll speak facts and reason to someone one day, but I'll realize afterward that my facts and reasons were actually incorrect," Chen Ping'an replied slowly. "So, in addition to the things that Old Man Yao and A'Liang taught me, I also want to learn some of the principles written in these books for scholars."

Li Huai was extremely baffled. He had a stunned expression, and he exclaimed, "Chen Ping'an, you're already so good at fighting, and you also work so diligently to practice your fist technique every day. Is this not so that you can be unreasonable with others?"

Lin Shouyi hesitated briefly before shaking his head and saying, "Chen Ping'an, I feel like there's no need to speak reason for everything. After all, everyone in the world has their own unique path to walk. It's fine as long as we can guard our own conscience. Otherwise, we'll only be bogged down by endless matters. Sometimes, doing too much is just as bad as not doing enough."

Li Baoping's expression was serious as she said, "Don't worry, junior uncle. Let me think about this for a while. I feel like this is a very important matter, so it's crucial that I treat it with utmost seriousness."

This was the response that Li Baoping would often receive from Mr. Qi back when she was studying in the private school in the small town. Whenever she asked some seemingly simple question, Mr. Qi would instead fall into deep thought. When this happened, it would take Mr. Qi several days to finally give her an answer.

Chen Ping'an became increasingly exasperated, and he looked up at the clear blue sky. However, he retracted his gaze after a short while, and a smile suddenly appeared across his face for some unknown reason.

"There's actually a selfish reason for why I'm going to so much trouble. Maybe the three of you haven't experienced this before because you're not genuinely practicing the fist technique. But after obtaining that fist technique, I've always had a nagging feeling whenever I face an opponent. I'm not afraid of you guys laughing at me, but as long as I feel like my actions are reasonable — regardless of whether I can voice this reason or not — it's as if there's someone in my mind telling me that my punch can be very fast!"

When they heard this, it was as if the three children were all looking at an unfamiliar Chen Ping'an.

The impoverished young boy from Clay Vase Alley was glowing with exuberance, and his fists were tightly clenched on his knee as he continued in confidence, "Moreover, the voice in my mind tells me that my next punch can even be faster! It can definitely be faster! I can throw this punch no matter who's standing in front of me!"

Lin Shouyi had a dazed expression as he murmured softly, "This can't be regarded as falling into a heretical way, right? He seems fairly righteous and awe-inspiring. In fact, he genuinely seems a bit like... Mr. Qi when he described the most exquisite principles of the sages."

Li Baoping was still mulling over the question from before.

Meanwhile, Chen Ping'an had already grabbed his machete and started to work on the small bookcase for Lin Shouyi again.

1. This is a saying that refers to scholars or intellectuals failing their rebellions due to their timid and indecisive nature. ☜