Unsheathed

Chapter 127: Locking Eyes

Wei Jin smiled and asked, "Are you that person from the Mohist Sect?"

The young swordsman standing under the plaque had a displeased expression. Senior A'Liang, couldn't you have at least told them my name?

"Give me a moment," he said to Wei Jin.

The young swordsman turned to face the female ghost whose soul was residing in the plaque, and he said with a frown, "Lady Chu, things have already come to this, so can you please show some sincerity?"

The female ghost nodded, after which the barrier in the sky slowly dissipated. This was a sign that the barrier around her territory was being lowered, akin to how mortals opened their doors to welcome guests.

No matter how secluded and ignorant she was, she had still heard about this man's many achievements. He was a wanderer from the Mohist Sect, and after taking refuge in the Great Li Empire with another leading figure of Mohism, he had immediately been treated as an esteemed guest by the emperor. Right now, he was an honored guardian of the Great Li Empire's capital city and one of the most important figures overlooking the immortal forces.

It was said that he would travel alone to all corners of the world whenever he had time. Every time he came across mountains or other spectacular scenery, he would transform these sights into his own sword intent.

Thus, when the palace minister of the Ministry of Rites and the great river god of the Embroidered Flower River appeared on the street and cupped their fists in respect, the young swordsman merely nodded back in acknowledgment. This was proof enough of his transcendent standing in the Great Li Empire.

The Yin god also stood beside Chen Ping'an, with his murderous aura soaring into the sky. Just then, he had been determined to sever the mountain root of this place even if it meant sacrificing his cultivation base. He had been intent on fighting to the death with the female ghost. Once the mountain root was shattered, the shield of the female ghost would also be destroyed. At that time, she would lose her ability to rival those 10th tier cultivators.

A smooth and jade-like arm reached out from within the plaque, and the red wedding dress swayed as it floated toward this hand. When the female ghost stepped out from the plaque again, she had already dressed herself back in the red wedding dress. Even though she had been cut into four by Wei Jin just then, leaving her teetering on the brink of death, she had still insisted on maintaining the completeness of her wedding dress. It was abundantly clear just how precious this wedding dress was to her. She was completely obsessed with it.

After stepping out from the plaque, the female ghost inadvertently glanced at the small bookcases on the children's back. Her expression instantly changed, and an aura of hostility immediately erupted from her body. Even though she tried her best to suppress it, this was still easily noticed by everyone else.

The young swordsman sighed and turned to glance at the young boy wearing straw sandals whom he had seen once on the ship traveling along the Embroidered Flower River. There was sincerity in his voice as he asked, "Can you children put the three bookcases away first? It was because of Lady Chu's resentment toward scholars that she gave up the opportunity to become a mountain goddess or river goddess at that time. The reason behind this is truly difficult to explain in just a few words. Chen Ping'an, since no significant damage was done, I hope that you and your companions can show some mercy and rest this matter. What do you say?"

The young swordsman pondered for a moment before smiling and adding, "If that's okay, then you only need to agree to let me use an illusion technique."

"Go ahead," Chen Ping'an replied with a nod.

The three small, emerald-green bookcases immediately disappeared from everyone's view. Of course, Qi refiners would naturally be able to see them if they focused their gaze.

The young swordsman returned his gaze to Wei Jin, the youngest cultivator at the Upper Five Tiers in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. Not only that, but Wei Jin was also a swordsman whose strength could be elevated by another level.

He was yet to reach 40, yet he had already reached the Upper Five Tiers. He was a supreme prodigy whose talents would astonish everyone, regardless of which continent he was in. This would be the case even if he were in the vast and magnificent Middle Earth Divine Continent.

Among the "young" cultivators, Wei Jin from Wind Snow Temple and Song Changjing from the Great Li Empire could be considered as the undisputed jade walls of the south and the north. One had broken through the 10th tier and become an 11th tier sword immortal, while the other had reached the legendary 10th tier of martial arts. Sure enough, they had both lived up to their expectations.

One was a "civil official", while one was a "military officer". However, both of them possessed limitless potential for the future.

The young sword immortal smiled and asked, "Apart from resolving the current issue, I wonder if Sword Immortal Wei has any other plans after traveling all the way to the Great Li Empire?"

Wei Jin, who had traveled the world as a chivalrous swordsman the entire time, smiled and countered, "What does it matter if I don't have any other plans? And what does it matter if I do?"

"If you simply plan to sightsee, then you're welcome to visit anywhere apart from the few restricted areas of the empire," the young swordsman replied frankly. "If you don't mind, I'm willing to act as your guide. However, if you have ulterior motives and wish to take advantage of the unrest in the Great Li Empire, then I'll stand here in your way and personally witness just how quick Sword Immortal Wei's flying sword is."

Wei Jin returned his renowned sword, High Radiance, to its scabbard by his waist. "In Wind Snow Temple, I've always been the one who has respected Master Ruan the most. However, various reasons and circumstances have meant that I've been able to meet him. Thus, I accepted the task of accompanying these children to Yefu Pass on the border of the Great Li Empire after receiving the message that Master Ruan sent from Jewel Small World. However, a senior called A'Liang provided me with some guidance regarding swordsmanship while I was traveling here, and it was because of this that I entered seclusion and advanced to the next tier. In other words, you don't need to worry about my trip to the north."

The young swordsman opposite him was treating him with sincerity, and Wei Jin had always been an open-minded person to begin with. Thus, Wei Jin didn't treat the young swordsman's slightly stiff attitude as an act of provocation. Instead, he said with honesty to the young swordsman who possessed the impressive ability to move mountains, "If you want to spar with me, then I'm more than happy to accept your request. I initially thought that there was already no further need to travel around my home continent, the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. After listening to A'Liang's stories about the outside world, I felt a strong desire to visit Stalactite Mountain, the place where A'Liang trained. I want to genuinely hone my skills with the sword."

It was precisely because Wei Jin had traveled to many places and encountered many people that he was increasingly aware of the importance of the word "perseverance".

The blind old Daoist priest was unable to interject and say anything. He didn't dare to either.

Just the widely renowned Wei Jin from Wind Snow Temple alone was able to stifle the old man who belonged to a heretical path.

How rare were Upper Five Tier cultivators in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent? One had to realize that 10th tier cultivators were already powerful enough to become the pillars of nations and empires, with rulers and emperors treating them as esteemed guests who could help safeguard the fortunes of their lands. Which Upper Five Tier cultivator wasn't as elusive as a divine dragon? These were supremely powerful cultivators who were capable of founding their own sects! Many empires and nations existed in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, yet how many immortal clans and forces were able to enjoy the title of "sect"? So few that they could be counted on fingers!

Wei Jin cupped his fists and said to the young swordsman, "Till we meet again in the future."

The young swordsman cupped his fists in reply, saying, "Hopefully news of your feats will travel from Stalactite Mountain to Eastern Treasured Vial Continent in the future."

The two swordsmen exchanged a smile.

Friends till old age, yet still like strangers; friends from a chance encounter, yet already like bosom friends. Such was the meaning of these words.

"Let's go," Chen Ping'an said softly.

Li Baoping, Li Huai, and Lin Shouyi all nodded in reply.

The blind old Daoist priest gritted his teeth and summoned his courage before asking in a careful voice, "Esteemed immortal, the two disciples of this weak Daoist have been... invited into the residence by Lady Chu, so can you please allow me to collect them before I leave? This weak Daoist is simply worried that his crude and naughty disciples will accidentally break Lady Chu's household rules..."

The young swordsman turned to the female ghost and asked in a gentle voice, "Can you let them go, Lady Chu?"

"Since you've already spoken, how could I possibly dare to refuse?" the female ghost replied with a nod.

This guardian swordsman of the capital had been able to block Wei Jin's third strike by simply pushing his sword one inch out of its scabbard. He was far more powerful than he let on, and the female ghost in the wedding dress was keenly aware of just how fearsome he was. To put it simply, he wasn't someone that she could rival. This would most likely be the case even if she were at her peak and had the protection of the surrounding mountains and rivers.

In any case, she couldn't be regarded as a genuine 10th tier cultivator, while it was unknown whether this strange swordsman from the Mohist Sect was similar to Wei Jin, in the sense that he was already an 11th tier terrestrial sword immortal.

She was slightly aggravated as she peered at the young children. If it weren't for one of them preventing her from lighting the lanterns, and if she hadn't seen their detestable appearance as traveling scholars, how could she have possibly suffered such a miserable fate? To say nothing of the fact that she had been slashed apart twice by the attacks of Wei Jin, even the root of the mountains and source of the rivers in her territory had almost been destroyed by that Yin god.

Holding the leash of his white donkey, Wei Jin turned to Chen Ping'an and the others before smiling and asking, "Shall we head off now?"

Chen Ping'an naturally had no issues.

And thus, a new terrestrial sword immortal joined their group on this long journey to the north.

Li Baoping walked up beside Chen Ping'an and said, "Junior Uncle."

"What's wrong?" Chen Ping'an asked softly.

Li Baoping giggled and replied, "Nothing!"

Chen Ping'an patted her head.

The little girl in the red jacket walked next to Chen Ping'an. In reality, she was thinking of her eldest brother.

With a wave of her hand, the female ghost casually plucked the lame young boy and the round-faced little girl from her garden and tossed them in front of the blind old Daoist priest.

Afterward, she glanced out the corners of her eyes in some direction. Coincidentally, she saw the young boy in straw sandals also turning his head to glance back at her.

The two of them locked eyes.

Chen Ping'an's gaze was cold.

For some unknown reason, Lady Chu suddenly felt a slight sense of apprehension at this moment.

However, she quickly dismissed this as preposterous and comical. She quickly retracted her gaze, not willing to waste any more time on this ordinary young boy. She was confused as to why she was suddenly feeling slightly paranoid.

Afterward, she subconsciously glanced back again, yet the young boy in straw sandals had already turned around and slowly walked away. He naturally fell in line at the back of the group.

————

In their fight over the 30-odd dragon kilns in the small town, the Four Families and Ten Clans in Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Alley had schemed endlessly and shed much blood over hundreds upon thousands of years. Now that the small town had become Dragon Spring County and opened up to outsiders, however, they had no option but to form an alliance and combine their powers. However, which of them wasn't privately contacting the imperial court and the immortal forces of the Great Li Empire?

Some rumors spread like wildfire in the outside world, yet the families and clans in Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Alley didn't take them seriously at all. For example, people claimed that the "Dragon, Qilin, and Phoenix" of the Li Clan had become nothing more than jokes following the death of Li Baoping's teacher, the master of Mountain Cliff Academy. Instead, they claimed, it was Zhao Yao and the other young scholars that the powerful families and clans in the small town didn't dare to underestimate. These were youths who had the potential to become immortals.

However, it was said that the second son of the Li Clan's clan leader, Li Baozhen, had encountered a powerful person in the capital. This person had made an exception and accepted him into the imperial academy as a disciple. Here, he studied "Grand Etiquette" with Liu Wenhu, a renowned scholar in the imperial court. This had sent some small waves through the small town.

As for Li Hong's eldest son, the only impression that the seniors in Fortune Street had of him was that he was a bookworm who had become stupid from reading too much. Meanwhile, his daughter Li Baoping was a crazy girl who always ran around outside. She had done so ever since a very young age. Apart from this, there was nothing special about Li Hong's eldest son and only daughter. Only his second son, Li Baozhen, had the chance to bring honor to the Li Clan.

In the study in the Li Clan's residence, a young man with a distant expression handed a letter to his father, Li Hong. This was a letter from the capital city.

Li Hong chuckled and remarked, "Baozhen is the same as his younger sister. He'd rather send letters to his older brother than send them to his own father and mother."

The young man smiled bitterly and replied in a soft voice, "Father, you should mentally prepare yourself for what's written in the letter."

Li Hong's expression instantly became solemn. He pulled the letter out of the envelope, and after skimming over the first few lines of greeting and small talk, his expression became increasingly dark the further down that he read. He stood up and lit an oil lamp, placing it inside the brush washer. He then held the letter over it, and the ashes fell into the exquisite plum-blue brush washer. The man summarized his son's actions with two words, "Absolute farce."

"What do you think about this matter?" Li Hong asked his eldest son. "Should we listen to your younger brother's suggestion and erase the lowly genealogical records of Zhu He and Zhu Lu's ancestors through the county office? Should we help them become commoners?"

If Zhu He and Zhu Lu managed to successfully change their status and erase their names from the lowly genealogical records of servants kept by the Li Clan, then their children and grandchildren would no longer need to become generational servants or maids either. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe this as a carp jumping a dragon's gate and completely changing their fortune.

Those guarding the gate for the prime minister could also be regarded as seventh-rank officials[1]. In terms of who could achieve success and who could only meander at the same level, this was wholly dependent on the abilities of those who cast off the shackles of servitude and obtained freedom. If one were obsequious and untalented, then it would naturally be better for them to rely on more powerful people. If one were knowledgeable and able, then it would naturally be better for them to forge their own path.

The young man smiled bitterly and replied, "Father, you've already made up your mind."

Li Hong leaned back in his chair and raised his hands to massage his temples. "But I still want to hear your opinion. It's unsustainable if everyone in the clan wants to obtain wealth and opportunity from dangers and risks."

There was a bright glimmer in the young man's eyes as he quietly sat there, and he replied, "The most challenging part of this is that one party will feel estranged from the clan no matter who Father chooses to support. Thus, Baozhen's actions were incorrect. His decision to act on his own and leave the clan with no path of retreat is even more incorrect. His actions are unpleasant, and his maliciousness toward Chen Ping'an from Clay Vase Alley is the most incorrect."

Li Hong's expression was complicated as he looked at his eldest son. "As Baozhen's older brother, how could you not be aware of his temperament? Since you already knew that things would end up in such an awkward situation, why didn't you choose to accompany him to the capital at that time?"

"Grandfather has entered seclusion, Baoping has left on a distant journey, and the small town is also undergoing major changes at this moment. Now is a critical time that will decide the future direction of the families and clans. The Li Clan can't give itself a blind spot," the young man replied. "My mind wouldn't be at ease if I left. And even if I do plan to leave, that can only be after the situation here has settled down and become clear. If there's no other option, then I can also choose to not participate in the imperial examination for a while."

Li Hong nodded slightly when he heard the mature and level-headed analysis in the beginning. However, he instantly became worried when he heard the last few sentences from his eldest son. He sat up straight and exclaimed loudly, "You definitely can't do that! Recruiting scholars through the imperial examination is one of the most important policies of the Great Li Empire. This is no inferior to the imperial court's recruitment of immortal forces!

"Li Baozhen is more impatient than you, and before leaving home, he promised your grandfather and me that he would abide by the rules and refrain from using hidden schemes after leaving the small town. He promised that he wouldn't push his luck or take any risks. And what was the result? He's decided to act first and ask later, no? We have no option but to accept his farcical decisions. Since this is the case, your decision to delay participating in the imperial examination will slow the progress of the Li Clan down by at least three years!

The young man silently swallowed the words that had already reached the tip of his tongue.

If he uttered these words, it would signify the end of his already-strained relationship with his younger brother. Their relationship would hit rock bottom, and there would be no possibility of mending it ever again.

Moreover, uttering these words would also be absolutely meaningless. This was because his father had already made up his mind. In the depths of his heart, he didn't disagree with his second son taking risks to seek opportunity and wealth.

To get up early and work hard for three years on an incorrect path, or to lie low and wait for three years on a correct path... The effect that each would have on the clan and its two generations for the next 30 years went without saying.

The young man left the study and walked down the spacious corridor that was decorated with elegantly carved patterns by himself. He suddenly heard the tinkles of a wind chime hanging from the eaves.

He placed his hand inside his sleeves, shut his eyes, and tilted his head slightly upward. As he listened to the ethereal chimes, he murmured, "Having too many smart people around is also a bad thing..."

The scholar in azure was called Li Xisheng.

1. This refers to the fact that even those working seemingly lowly jobs can wield great power if they work for a powerful and influential person. ☜