Chapter 182: The Truth Lies in the Sword Scabbard
When Chen Ping'an returned to the ancestral home on Niping Alley, the pink-skirted little girl was holding a broom and sweeping the courtyard, while the green-clad boy was lying on the edge of the small water vat. He opened his mouth wide, and even though it was still two feet away from the water surface, a water spout flowed upward against gravity and was sucked into his mouth. This scene was like a dragon drawing water.
Chen Ping'an sat on the threshold. The pink-skirted girl noticed that her master seemed a bit different, but she wisely didn't interrupt. In truth, the courtyard had long been cleaned thoroughly by Ruan Xiu, but the pink-skirted girl always felt that if she didn't do something, her conscience would trouble her, failing to repay her master's generous gift of the snake gallstone.
Chen Ping'an's mind wandered thousands of miles away. Suddenly he remembered what Cui Dongshan had said about Song Jixin. He stood up, took out the string of keys that Song Jixin had secretly tossed into his yard when leaving the town, and ran to open the gate and door of the neighboring house. Sure enough, on the study desk, he saw three stacked books: *Elementary Learning*, *Rites and Music*, and *Observing the Sublime*.
Chen Ping'an moved a chair over and sat down to flip through *Elementary Learning*.
During the latter part of his long journey for study, he had traveled with Cui Dongshan and often heard him recite the classics. Only then did he realize that *Elementary Learning* was no simple matter. Just looking at the title, one might think it a "very minor study." But according to Cui Dongshan's casual remarks, among secular schools and teachers, *Elementary Learning* would never be treated as a primer for children's education. Probably only Teacher Qi could explain such abstruse and profound wisdom of the sages in such a straightforward way, so much so that Li Baoping and the others never felt the greatness of that book.
Chen Ping'an didn't take the three books back to his ancestral home. After flipping through a dozen pages of *Elementary Learning*, he felt that with his meager knowledge, he couldn't even manage half-understanding. If he deliberately tried to delve deeper, he only felt lost in all directions, his head buzzing, as if falling into clouds and mist with no place to stand.
Chen Ping'an had to close the book. He took the silver sword embryo from his sleeve, gently gripped it in his palm, and continued sitting on his own threshold, staring blankly, just as before.
Twice he had passed by the stone arch bridge without any sensation. In the depths of his intuition, Chen Ping'an realized that she would truly disappear for an entire cycle of sixty years, using half of the Dragon-Slaying Platform to hone her sword's edge. As for the Dragon-Slaying Platform, it had long been split into three parts, divided among the three powers of Ruan Qiong, the Snow Wind Temple, and the True Martial Mountain. Whether her acting this way would cause trouble, Chen Ping'an had no way to guess, let alone interfere.
Back then, on that snowy night in the dead of winter, the girl had fainted at his family's gate. Chen Ping'an had saved her, but in the end, she became Song Jixin's maidservant, renamed Zhigui from Wang Zhu, and finally followed Song Jixin, whose true identity was the Great Li Crown Prince, to the capital.
The Kiln Affairs Supervisor's office, the covered bridge with its plaque "Flourishing Wind and Water," the bottomless Dragon-Trapping Well, the old locust tree where every leaf carried ancestral blessings, the Immortal's Grave on the Old Porcelain Mountain...
Not to mention all the local powerhouses and transient experts in the town.
A tangled mess.
No wonder Old Man Yang had said, "One day, you, Chen Ping'an, will discover just how big this town really is."
Thinking of that old man from the medicine shop who advocated fair trade, Chen Ping'an's expression darkened. He gently exhaled a breath of stale air, instinctively tightening his grip on the sword embryo in his palm. He stood up, hid the sword embryo back in his sleeve, and left the house abandoned by Song Jixin. Returning home, he handed the pink-skirted girl the keys to Liu Xianyang's house, telling them to move there, since the house on Niping Alley was really too small.
The green-clad boy hadn't drunk his fill of well water yet. He stood up from the vat, chattering endlessly, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Master, didn't you trade a common snake gallstone with me for a pile of junk... I mean, precious bottles? Since you're so close with Miss Ruan, why not give her those Cloud-Mist Vases and Moonlight Vases as gifts? Master, based on my rich experience roaming the martial world for centuries, women everywhere, no matter how high their status, all love flashy trinkets—better than a broken bamboo slip, right?"
The green-clad boy smirked slyly. "What, could it be that Master can't bear to part with that treasure stash of bottles and won't give them to Ruan Xiu? Then I must boldly say a few things to Master: Ruan Xiu is the only daughter of a military sage. Even if Master gave away all ten thousand bottles, it would still be a worthwhile deal!"
Chen Ping'an helped the pink-skirted girl strap on her book case and said irritably, "Couldn't you tell that Master Ruan doesn't like me?"
The green-clad boy recalled the scene at the time. Sure enough, that stuffy sage master had indeed been cold toward Chen Ping'an. The green-clad boy, feeling indignant, said, "He's blind! Can't he see Master's bright future? Don't get angry, Master. Getting angry isn't worth it..."
Suddenly remembering that Ruan Qiong was the master of this realm—within his domain, it was like the emperor sitting on the dragon throne: "All under heaven is the king's land"—and thus possessed countless unimaginable Daoist powers, the green-clad boy quickly slapped himself on the face. "Childish words, no offense! The sage master is dozing off, heard nothing. If he did hear, don't take offense..."
The green-clad boy then asked, "But what does giving bottles to Ruan Xiu have to do with whether Saint Ruan likes Master or not?"
Chen Ping'an explained offhandedly, "If I'm going to give bottles, I'd give them all at once. But then Miss Ruan would go home carrying a pile of jars and bottles, and Master Ruan would most likely find out. That would make me even more disliked. He might even misunderstand my intentions as ill-motivated. And if Miss Ruan and her father ended up quarreling over it, that wouldn't be good."
The pink-skirted girl nodded in realization. "Master thinks very thoroughly."
The green-clad boy looked stunned. "Master, what do you mean 'misunderstand as ill-motivated'? Isn't your intention toward Ruan Xiu obviously suspicious?"
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Chen Ping'an slapped the green-clad boy on the back of the head, sending him stumbling across the threshold. The boy ran into the courtyard, stood by the gate, turned around, and grinned cheekily. "Master, don't kill me to silence me! I swear I'll keep my mouth tighter than Li Baoping's bottle, tighter than Raoliang's bottle!"
Chen Ping'an covered his forehead with his hand, feeling too embarrassed to show his face.
The pink-skirted girl looked out at Niping Alley beyond the gate and felt her horizons expand once more. The first time was when she felt the abundant spiritual energy of Longquan Prefecture. The second was when she witnessed the hidden mountain-like potential of Luopo Mountain. The third was when she saw the extraordinarily handsome Wei Bo. The fourth was when she entered that beautiful bamboo tower that could condense the luck of mountains and rivers.
Now, for the fifth time, what appeared in the pink-skirted girl's eyes was a scholarly figure with an ethereal bearing, standing in the dimly lit alley. At this moment, the scene was like the rising sun at dawn.
The man in the blue robe asked with a smile, "What's wrong with my Baoping?"
The green-clad boy suddenly tensed up, his body stiff. He turned his head slowly and saw the young man. He looked left and right—no one else. Full of suspicion, he thought this scholar looked utterly ordinary in terms of aura.
The pink-skirted girl blinked hard. This fire python, who had grown up in the Zhilan Cao Family's Book Tower, now found that the scholar seemed to have instantly lost all his brilliance and extraordinariness. No matter how she looked, he was just an ordinary clansman.
The green-clad boy had learned his lesson from past mistakes. Even though he couldn't detect any clues about the young man, he didn't blurt out nonsense. Instead, he smiled and feigned ignorance. "Li Baoping is my master's best friend, so I admire that little girl very much. May I ask who you are?"
"Brother Li, why are you here?"
Chen Ping'an had already guessed the answer. Afraid the green-clad boy would cause trouble, he walked to the gate.
Li Xisheng said with a hint of guilt, "I forgot to mention—those books I gave you earlier, I wrote many of my personal insights and questions in the margins. The black ink are some shallow annotations and reflections; the red ink are questions I've always wanted to ask the sages in person. The reason I came this time is to tell you that you don't need to pay attention to those writings for now. If you can avoid reading them, don't. And if you do read them, just let them go. Don't let my thoughts lead you to misinterpret the original purpose and essence of a book."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "I'll remember."
Li Xisheng smiled and turned to the green-clad boy, saying softly, "Joking is fine, but remember: too many words lead to mistakes. Every single character in this world has power. Characters combine into words, words string into sentences, sentences form articles. The Great Dao lies within."
The green-clad boy stared up at this inexplicably appearing scholar, his mind full of sneers and ridicule, but he held them back. It was a struggle. If not for the lesson he'd just learned at the blacksmith's shop, he might have asked, "You're so fond of preaching, why don't you go become a sage in the Confucian academies or schools?"
Li Xisheng seemed to see through the green-clad boy's thoughts and even heard his inner voice. He smiled warmly and explained patiently, "Buddhism has the concept of progression; Daoism speaks of the Longevity Bridge step by step and the Heavenly Ladder rung by rung; we Confucians have the rule of gradual advancement. So first, I must participate in the imperial examinations. As for whether I can become a Confucian sage in the future, that's too far off—I dare not hope for it."
The green-clad boy looked utterly defeated. He didn't dare look at the scholar anymore. Instead, he turned to Chen Ping'an with a pleading expression, as if complaining to his master: "Longquan Prefecture is too terrifying! Anyone can just walk over and sit on a bamboo chair—a military sage. Anyone can just stand in the alley—a Confucian gentleman or worthy who can read my mind! So next time, will someone just casually punch me to death?"
The pink-skirted girl's face turned red. She gathered her courage and asked loudly, "Sir, why is it that when we read, we suddenly don't recognize certain characters? Even though they're right in front of our eyes, sitting still on the page, we still feel very unfamiliar with them?"
Li Xisheng was slightly surprised. He looked at the petite pink-skirted girl and understood something. A hint of admiration appeared in his eyes. The Li family scholar bent down, winked at her, and lowered his voice, half-jokingly, "Because at certain moments, certain characters are secretly borrowed by certain sages."
The pink-skirted girl grew a little angry. When it came to books and knowledge, she had a peculiar stubbornness. For once, she dared to reprimand someone else: "If you don't know the correct answer, don't just make up explanations! How can there be such unreasonable things in this world? 'To know what you know and know what you don't know—that is knowledge'..."
The more she spoke, the weaker her voice became, until it was as faint as a mosquito's hum, probably inaudible even to herself.
Chen Ping'an smiled and patted the pink-skirted girl's head. He said to Li Xisheng, "Brother Li, don't be angry. She's not usually like this."
Li Xisheng laughed heartily and said cheerfully, "That's good."
Hearing that Chen Ping'an was going elsewhere, Li Xisheng followed him out of Niping Alley.
Chen Ping'an suddenly noticed standing in the alley ahead a young man with his hands behind his back—a swordsman?
On the side near Chen Ping'an, at the swordsman's waist hung a short sword only slightly longer than a dagger. On the other side hung a sword much longer than an ordinary longsword.
The short sword's scabbard was pure white; the longsword's scabbard was jet black.
The young swordsman's profile was feminine, and the corners of his mouth naturally turned up as if he were always smiling, giving his features a somewhat fox-like appearance. At this moment, he squinted as he stared at the old house that was far more intact than he had imagined. Instead of feeling fortunate or pleased, this made him rather displeased.
The young swordsman turned his head, "smiling" at Chen Ping'an and the others. His tone was gentle, his voice warm. "Do you know who repaired this house?"
Chen Ping'an's expression showed no change. "What's the matter? When a house is broken, shouldn't it be repaired?"
The young swordsman shook his head with a smile. "Whether it was repaired well or not is beside the point. But do you people in Great Li's Longquan Prefecture have a saying about 'daring to disturb the Tai Sui's peace'?"
Although the young swordsman kept smiling, Chen Ping'an didn't dare let his guard down at all. He even felt a chill rising in his heart.
This seemingly easygoing young outsider was very dangerous!
Li Xisheng suddenly stepped forward, raising his hand to shield Chen Ping'an and the two children behind him. He said softly, "Stand behind me. Don't say or do anything from now on. Just watch."
The young swordsman's smile deepened. He placed his hands on the hilts of his two swords, one long and one short, and tilted his head, trying to look past the blue-robed scholar to see Chen Ping'an. Finally he stopped moving. "What a coincidence—I ran into the very person I was looking for? As for you, what do you think you're doing? Looking for death?"
Li Xisheng smiled. "Principles can be discussed properly. A sword doesn't need to be drawn so casually."
The young swordsman shrugged, putting on an innocent smile. "But my principles are right here in my scabbard."
Li Xisheng let out a faint "oh," then pointed at himself with sudden realization. "So the drinker's true interest is not in the wine, but in me?"
The young swordsman laughed. "It's not as complicated as you think. I don't even know your name. I just didn't like the look of you the moment I saw you. And after hearing all that nonsense you spouted, I feel even more irritated. It just so happens that I can kill two birds with one stone—teach both you and that little brat a lesson. Wouldn't that be perfect?"
The young swordsman pressed the hilt of his short sword and said with a laugh, "Don't worry. When I, Cao Jun, draw my sword, I rarely kill people."
Li Xisheng frowned. "Is your ancestor the Sword Immortal Cao Xi?"
The young swordsman sighed, evading the question. "You, a scholar—why do you have to stick your neck out? With my status and cultivation, even if I did want to bully that boy, at most I'd just shatter his martial foundation. But you insist on being the heroic one. If your skills were great enough, or too weak, it would be fine. But if you're only half a step behind me, then when I take out my anger on the boy, aren't you the one harming him?"
After saying this, the young swordsman grinned, revealing white, gleaming teeth. "Alright, no more beating around the bush. I'll be honest: I, Cao Jun, have a special talent—I can sense certain unusual things, like... a sword embryo. As for the rest—him touching my ancestral home, you annoying me—all of that is true too. But don't worry. As for the sword embryo, I'll make an offer, and the price won't be low. Whether you think it's a forced sale or not, that's none of my concern."
Li Xisheng asked, "Before you make your move, may I ask you one question: what is your current realm?"
"Who asks that before a fight? But since you're so interesting, I don't mind answering." The young swordsman narrowed his eyes into slits and sneered. When it came to swordsmanship and realms, his usually flippant speech became terse. "Between the Eighth and Ninth Realms of the Sword."
Li Xisheng nodded. "I understand."
The sword embryo in Chen Ping'an's sleeve gradually grew hot. Chen Ping'an moved his left hand behind his back, twisted his wrist, and gripped it tightly.
---
Ruan Qiong had taken to coming to the Dragon Beard River frequently lately, dipping his hand into the water to gauge the weight of the yin energy within it.
The long-eyebrowed boy often followed the man.
Today, Ruan Qiong crouched by the riverbank. Suddenly he poured out the water in his palm and snorted coldly. "Relying on a good ancestor to dare break my rules? Courting death!"
On the river's surface, the confrontation in Niping Alley gradually appeared.
The long-eyebrowed boy pointed at the young man with the two swords of different lengths. "Master, is it him?"
Ruan Qiong nodded and revealed some heaven's secrets. "Among his ancestors was a Sword Immortal named Cao Xi. Together with your ancestor Xie Shi, they are among the few notable figures in our Treasure Bottle Continent. They could even gain a foothold in other continents, establish sects, and rule over territories. Truly remarkable."
The long-eyebrowed boy didn't seem very interested in that. He just stared at the scene on the water. "Master, what say you? Will you stop that Cao clan member?"
"Stop him, my ass!"
Ruan Qiong sneered. "After he injures someone, I'll beat him to death. That's following the rules."
The long-eyebrowed boy asked about the cause of the conflict. After Ruan Qiong roughly explained, the boy asked in surprise, "Right under your nose, Master, Cao Jun sees a treasure and tries to force a sale? Are outsiders always this unreasonable and domineering?"
Ruan Qiong said expressionlessly, "To seek a heavenly treasure, one must use worldly wealth. What's so strange about that? That sword embryo—even I couldn't see its mysteries before, yet Cao Jun values it so highly. It shows his keen eye, and once the sword embryo reveals its true form, it will be extraordinarily shocking. If not for this place, Cao Jun would have shown some restraint. He wouldn't even bother to make an offer—he'd just kill and take it."
The long-eyebrowed boy, who had only just begun his cultivation journey, found this world utterly baffling. "Master, how can such an evil person become such a powerful Qi refiner?"
"You haven't studied books, so what do you know about good and evil? Remember—the mountains don't play by those rules."
Ruan Qiong stood up, left a remark, and vanished in a flash.
---
In the Li Family Mansion, an old man was teasing a caged bird, but his mind was elsewhere. His eyes were full of eager amusement, as if he couldn't wait for chaos. He muttered to himself, "Fight, fight! Push through in one go! The carp leaps over the dragon gate—who under heaven won't know your name?"
---
Atop Piyun Mountain, Wei Bo in his white robes sat cross-legged on a cloud of mist, less than three yards above the ground. He was fast asleep, his head occasionally drooping like a chick pecking at rice.
Beneath the cloud, the ground was crowded with flying birds and running beasts, all hoping to get close to the cloud and the white-clad deity with a golden ring dangling from his ear.
A figure landed heavily, and the animals scattered in all directions.
Wei Bo, groggy and half-asleep, looked around in confusion. Seeing the man's figure, the cloud dispersed. He floated down to the ground. "A rare guest! What an honor!"
Ruan Qiong said in a distant tone, "Just reminding you: the Sword Immortal Cao Xi might kill his way here sometime soon. You can stand by and watch, but don't add fuel to the fire."
Wei Bo glanced toward the town's Niping Alley. "Is someone deliberately using Cao Xi to play a game between you and Great Li? The Gao Clan of Great Sui? Guanhu Academy? Southern Brook Kingdom? Or some other hidden master?"
Ruan Qiong's face grew grave.
Everything else was manageable—just deal with it as it comes. But what he feared most was something targeting his daughter.
Ruan Qiong looked toward the town, but not at the imminent conflict in Niping Alley. Instead, his gaze fell on the Yang Family Shop.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Ruan Qiong came and went in a hurry.
Wei Bo said petulantly, "How annoying! Scheming back and forth—never any peace!"
He vanished too, reappearing a moment later in the bamboo tower on Luopo Mountain, lying down on the second-floor corridor to continue his deep slumber.
As the water receded, the rocks emerged, and a coiled flood dragon was revealed. At the rustle of wind through the grass, a tiger was already watching with hungry eyes.