Chapter 226: Two Swords in the Case, Subdue Demons and Exorcise Evil
(Regarding this month's updates, I can only guarantee reaching 120,000 characters, no less than the first month of Sword Coming's upload. That averages out to about 4,000 characters per day. There will definitely be a few more leave requests, so please bear with me.)
At the inn, the night passed without incident.
Chen Ping'an stayed alone in the room at the end of the corridor. Before sleeping, he practiced the Six-Step Stake Standing and Sword Furnace Stake Standing for one hour each. Finally, he took out the porcelain bowl painted with the True Form Diagrams of the Five Sacred Mountains and the charcoal-like ebony wood, turning them over and over, studying them carefully for a long time, but he couldn't make heads or tails of them.
Hoping that the two items might be worth a hundred or two hundred Snowflake Coins, Chen Ping'an put away the heavy ebony wood, poured the strong local liquor from his Sword-Nurturing Gourd into the small white bowl, and then sat under the lamp flipping through the two travel notes on mountains and rivers that Liu Gaohua had given him. Occasionally taking a sip, he found it quite enjoyable.
After extinguishing the lamp and lying down on the bed, Chen Ping'an closed his eyes and began to replay the battle in the small alley with Ma Kuxuan, reflecting on the gains and losses of each punch. The few fist techniques taught by the barefoot old man—how would Chen Ping'an dare to hold back at that time? In the heat of battle, with life and death hanging in the balance every moment, he had to pour out everything he had. Unconsciously, his understanding of those techniques, including Iron Cavalry Breaking Formation, deepened. The most regrettable thing was the Divine Being Drumming Style, of which he had only thrown fifteen punches. Intuition told Chen Ping'an that if he could throw twenty punches in one breath, like when he dealt with the tree demon scholar clad in the Armor Pill's Radiant Light Armor at the old mansion, Ma Kuxuan would most likely have conceded defeat early on.
But after thinking it over, Chen Ping'an felt that letting Ma Kuxuan think he had won by a narrow margin was the best choice at the time.
Still, to have barely fought to a draw with this pride of Heaven from Zhenwu Mountain, Chen Ping'an actually had no particular feelings beyond victory or defeat. For one thing, he had no idea what it meant for Ma Kuxuan to break through three realms in a year. For another, Ma Kuxuan detested Chen Ping'an from Mud Vase Alley, and Chen Ping'an equally disliked this peer from Apricot Flower Alley.
Between people, fate truly plays a role. For some, one glance inspires fondness, like sunlight in the cold of late winter, for instance, Mr. Qi, Li Xisheng, and Zhang Shanfeng. For others, one glance is like the sun in the height of summer—no matter how you look, it's blinding, like Ma Kuxuan, or Fu Nanhua from Old Dragon City, or the Xu woman from Clear Wind City.
Chen Ping'an's last thought before falling asleep was that the Divine Being Drumming Style was definitely his most trump card fist technique for now. But he wondered if he could throw fifty or a hundred punches in one breath, whether that would split a great river in half and carve a path through it, or even cut a canyon straight through a great mountain.
At the break of dawn, Chen Ping'an got up and practiced the Six-Step Stake Standing in his room. Soon after, he heard someone reciting aloud in a courtyard with rockeries and green trees. It was that scholar surnamed Liu, who had a bit of a studious air about him, intoning the teachings of the sages with cadence and rhythm.
Chen Ping'an continued his fist practice. As expected, soon guests from various rooms in the inn began cursing loudly. Some hot-tempered martial travelers, bare-chested, jumped out of bed, grabbed bowls and dishes from the tables, pushed open the windows, and hurled them down. Chaos erupted. The scholar surnamed Liu, stubborn as he was, dodged around while his recitation of the classics grew louder and louder. This enraged everyone even more. Some guests, unable to block out the noise even with their quilts over their heads, grumbled as they dressed and got up, leaning out the windows to curse the scholar's ancestors back eighteen generations.
Bedlam ensued.
An incense stick later, Chen Ping'an and the big-bearded man sat in Zhang Shanfeng's room. The young Taoist was busy bandaging the head of the scholar surnamed Liu.
The innkeeper had just walked out with a dark face, grinding his teeth in frustration. Having such a clueless bastard of a guest, and unable to scold or hit him since he was a distinguished guest brought by the prefectural magistrate's son, the innkeeper was like a mute swallowing bitter herbs—utterly aggrieved. The problem was that the guests staying at this inn were no ordinary folk; they were wealthy merchants from all over or bold wanderers of the martial world—all formidable dragons crossing rivers. With this scholar causing a commotion so early in the morning, how could business continue? Would there ever be repeat customers?
The scholar surnamed Liu was named Liu Chicheng, a native of Baishan Kingdom. When introducing his hometown, he emphasized the phrase "near Lake-Viewing Academy," as if that title was even more glorious than the prefix "Chen Clan of Dragon Tail Creek."
Afterward, with nothing much to do at the inn, Liu Chicheng would still sneak out, no doubt to rendezvous with Liu Gaohua's sister for a spring outing. The big-bearded man took Chen Ping'an and Zhang Shanfeng to visit the famous historical sites in the prefectural city. The Civil and Military Temples were must-sees, and they also attended the gathering at the Prefectural City God Pavilion in Yanzhi. When they returned, Xu Yuanxia had a somber look on his face. When Zhang Shanfeng asked, he only said it was due to travel fatigue.
This time, disembarking at the Nanjian Kingdom ferry, the journey southward would take Taoist Zhang Shanfeng toward Old Dragon City, so he was traveling with Chen Ping'an. The big-bearded man was heading to Qingluan Kingdom in southeastern Bottle Gourd Continent, saying he was escorting an item for a friend he had met in the martial world and gotten along well with. He would travel with them for now, and when they would part ways depended on the destination of the next immortal ferry.
They waited a full three days in Yanzhi Prefecture, but the group of old and young immortals from the Shengao Sect, who were said to be descending the mountain for training, never showed up. Instead, they encountered the old woman from the old mansion. She had tracked her way to the prefectural magistrate's residence, met Liu Gaohua, and then Liu Gaohua led her to the inn. She brought them good news. For some unknown reason, the feng shui of the area around the old mansion had undergone a complete reversal—the turbid qi had all been replaced by pure, clear qi. The mistress of the house had not only permanently eliminated her affliction, no longer needing to fear becoming a malevolent ghost, but her body and skin had also begun to heal. Through feeding the ghost Yang Huang, the master of the house had also started to warm and nourish his spirit, gradually rising in realm. There was even a glimmer of hope for him to break through a bottleneck and enter the Middle Five Realms. Indeed, one good thing followed another.
As for the reason, the old woman only speculated that it was the covert intervention of some elder of the Shengao Sect.
The big-bearded man and the young Taoist thought there was no other explanation.
Chen Ping'an listened throughout, though his heart was in turmoil, his expression remained calm.
Before leaving, the old woman said she had brought Chen Ping'an a jar of fine wine she had bought on the road. The two returned to Chen Ping'an's room. As soon as he closed the door, the old woman, tears streaming down her face, knelt down. Startled, Chen Ping'an quickly helped her up, refusing to accept such a grand gesture. Because he had deliberately revealed a hint of the truth when filling his gourd with wine in the kitchen, the old woman had some inside knowledge and had formed certain conjectures, which was not surprising.
The old woman did not ask many questions, and Chen Ping'an did not say much either.
Before leaving, she took out a package wrapped in silk, carefully placed it on the table, and said softly, "That surname Qin, the unauthorized shrine mountain god, had his golden body shattered to pieces. That pestilence of a deity, who plagued the land, is no more—a great blessing indeed. My master rushed over upon hearing the news and, before those Shengao Sect immortals arrived, secretly picked up most of the fragments of Qin's golden body. In total, there were eight pieces, large and small. According to my master, an unauthorized shrine mountain god shouldn't have had so many golden body remnants. It seems Qin had some strange fortune in his lifetime. Regardless, these golden body fragments are fine things, hard to come by. Even a national treasury might not have many such treasures stored away. Young Master Chen, please accept them as a token of gratitude from us three, master and servants."
Speaking thus, the old woman's eyes reddened again. "In truth, Master Chen's great kindness could never be repaid with a few golden body fragments. But our residence currently has little to offer. My mistress has set up a shrine to you as a living deity and earnestly invites you, Master Chen, to visit the mansion whenever you pass through Caiyi Kingdom..."
Chen Ping'an could only nod.
The old woman finally whispered, "My mistress is now akin to a half-deity of an unauthorized shrine. Gazing from afar at the Yanzhi Prefectural City's aura, she has noticed that every night for the past two days, wisps of yin qi have been rising faintly within the city, making her restless. I hope you, Master Chen, will leave the city soon. No matter how great your powers are, my master often says that on the path of cultivation, caution is a ship that sails for ten thousand years. Do not meddle in everything. Even if you escape danger each time, it inevitably hinders your cultivation—never a good thing."
Chen Ping'an agreed without hesitation.
He escorted the old woman to the inn's entrance, and she smiled, "I wish you a smooth journey, Master Chen, safe and peaceful."
From beginning to end, the old woman never looked at the vermilion wine gourd at Chen Ping'an's waist.
Chen Ping'an watched her figure disappear into the crowd, then turned and jogged back to the big-bearded man's room, calling for Zhang Shanfeng. He explained roughly what the old woman had noticed about the unusual aura in Yanzhi Prefectural City. The man gripped the hilt of his saber and nodded. "This is what I was most worried about. I didn't tell you earlier because I was afraid you two hot-blooded youngsters would get caught up and insist on wading into this muddy water. If it really is demons and monsters causing trouble, and they dare to act openly in a prefectural city, completely disregarding the three deities including the City God Pavilion and the Civil and Military Temples, then they must be formidable demons. With the three of us and our level of cultivation, we might not even be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth. However, a prefectural city of a kingdom often hides crouching tigers and coiled dragons, and there are experts stationed here. If it comes to a fight, with the advantage of terrain and timing, we might not be without a chance. In the end, it depends on the relationship between the Caiyi Kingdom's court and the mountain sects."
Chen Ping'an asked, "How far are the nearest river god and mountain deity from Yanzhi Prefectural City? If something happens, can they arrive in time?"
The big-bearded man thought for a moment, calculating. "The river god is three hundred li from here, and the southern mountain deity is about seven hundred li. However, the mountain deities of Caiyi Kingdom won't be too powerful, because the kingdom's territory is too small compared to those vast dynasties. At most, they'd be at the Cave Dwelling Realm of the Middle Five Realms."
Zhang Shanfeng frowned. "So once they leave their mountain domain, their combat power would only be equivalent to a Fifth Realm Qi refiner?"
Xu Yuanxia said helplessly, "That's the rule of heaven and earth—no way around it."
Zhang Shanfeng asked, "Could we inform Liu Gaohua's father? He is the prefectural magistrate, after all. And that General Ma stationed near the city also seemed to be a cultivator. If we prepare in advance, we might make the lurking demons and evil spirits think twice and retreat."
Xu Yuanxia sighed. "It's not that I want to scare you, and I absolutely don't mean that I, Xu Yuanxia, am afraid of death. But this matter is very tricky. Not to mention that the prefectural city won't believe us—even if the magistrate and the general believe and take the huge risk of falsely reporting a military situation and losing their official hats, they'd have to notify the court immediately. Do you know how long it takes for a message to go from the prefectural city to the capital of Caiyi Kingdom, then go through the review of the six ministries and the decision of the imperial study, and finally for the court to issue an imperial edict secretly ordering the mountain and river gods to rescue the prefectural city? And even if the edict is issued, by the time the nearby mountain cultivators and water deities leave their domains and rush over, if the demon gets wind of it and acts early, plundering the city and fleeing, then in the end, who will be held accountable?"
Xu Yuanxia pointed at the young Taoist and the wooden-box-carrying youth. "Do you believe that the three of us would then be treated as accomplices colluding with the demons? The ones who expose and impeach us would be none other than Magistrate Liu or General Ma. Worse yet, the demon might have planned this as a diversion. While we're on high alert here, some immortal sect or another major city in a different prefecture gets turned upside down. Then the three of us won't even need anyone to expose us—we'll become wanted criminals of Caiyi Kingdom, to be killed without mercy."
Taoist Zhang Shanfeng was dumbfounded, unable to believe it.
Xu Yuanxia poured himself a glass of wine and said emotionally, "Don't think I'm exaggerating. I've not only seen such infuriating things happen, I've experienced them myself. Several friends of mine died because of the word 'kindness'..."
Xu Yuanxia pointed at a nearby bundle and said calmly, "I won't go into details, but of four friends, only I, Xu Yuanxia, survived. One of them didn't even leave a body. The other two at least allowed me to collect their remains. Two urns of ash—one I already returned to his family. The remaining one is the reason I'm going to Qingluan Kingdom."
That explained why, at the old mansion, the big-bearded man twice urged Zhang Shanfeng and Chen Ping'an to leave immediately.
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked a question, "Xu Daxia, do you regret that choice?"
The man lowered his head, drinking his wine in silence. When he looked up, he twisted his lips. "The dead—who knows? But the living... he's almost dead from regret."
This might have been the first time this bold and heroic swordsman was so unheroic.
Chen Ping'an did not plainly say whether to stay or leave.
Back when he took Li Baoping and the others on their study tour to Great Sui, Chen Ping'an made every decision because he had to, and could not afford to show any cowardice or hesitation.
Now, traveling the martial world alone, he no longer had to do things for others.
Zhang Shanfeng was clearly at a loss. He looked around and asked, "Then what do we do?"
Xu Yuanxia fell silent, drinking cup after cup without pause.
Chen Ping'an asked again, "If we stay and something happens, and we three force our way in, is it highly likely we can't even protect ourselves?"
Xu Yuanxia carefully chose his words, speaking slowly, "I'm afraid the enemy will have inside help, striking with intent against our complacency. If I were them, I would definitely find a way to suppress the deities of the Civil and Military Temples. Moreover, it seems that the civil and military deities here have already been weakened by the influences of the old mansion's formations and the unauthorized shrine mountain god, so they're prone to failure. Fortunately, I visited the City God Temple earlier, and judging by its incense, architecture, and aura, it doesn't seem too bad..."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Could we go directly to see this City God and explain the situation to him? The magistrate and the general don't understand the danger of these supernatural matters, and if something happens, they might just use official excuses to shirk responsibility. But the City God's fate is tied to the safety of the prefectural city. To put it bluntly, Magistrate Liu could hide, General Ma could stay put, but the City God absolutely cannot run. And if the demons really have a plan, the City God will be their first target. So the City God will certainly care more than the officials."
The big-bearded man's eyes lit up. He slapped his thigh heavily and said in a low voice, "That's feasible!"
Taoist Zhang Shanfeng smiled and gave Chen Ping'an a thumbs up.
Just then, a knock came at the door. Chen Ping'an opened it and saw Liu Chicheng and the three—Liu Gaohua and his sister—looking panicked. Liu Gaohua sat down heavily, poured a full cup of wine, and said, "Isn't it strange? Just now, the statue of the Celestial Official at the City God Pavilion cracked halfway down its body, and blood seeped out, pooling on the floor. Not only that, but inside the City God Temple, the ground was covered with snakes, rats, and scorpions—disgusting. My father has already sent people to close the temple gates so the commoners won't be frightened."
The big-bearded man's face grew grim. He said nothing, exchanging glances with Chen Ping'an and Zhang Shanfeng.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Any trouble at the Civil and Military Temples?"
Liu Gaohua was taken aback and shook his head. "Not really. We locals don't like going there—nothing much to see."
Facing Chen Ping'an, the young woman was still uncomfortable. She only dared to sit next to her Liu, who was as far from Chen Ping'an as possible, and said softly, "Once, when I was serving tea, I happened to overhear my father talking with an old Taoist who was visiting the residence. The old Taoist said that although the incense at the two temples was flourishing, it was like having offerings no one ate. He was quite resigned, saying the court was helpless about it—Caiyi Kingdom only had so much share, and couldn't have another mountain deity stationed here. He also said that if someone from Yanzhi Prefecture could become a scholar and enter Lake-Viewing Academy, then the feng shui here might improve. My father sighed and shook his head, saying such a scholarly seed wasn't something Yanzhi could hope for."
Liu Chicheng looked confused. "What are you all talking about? What Civil and Military Temples? What mountain deity? I'm familiar with Lake-Viewing Academy—it's right on the border of our Baishan Kingdom. I've even visited it a few times. Does that count as half a scholarly seed? Miss Liu, rest assured, Lake-Viewing Academy recruits one scholar from Baishan Kingdom every year, a privilege for us. Maybe one day I, Liu Chicheng, can..."
Liu Gaohua rolled her eyes. "Oh, give it a rest. The little learning you have in your belly isn't much more than mine."
Liu Chicheng fell silent, looking crestfallen.
His hodgepodge of miscellaneous knowledge worked on women, but not so much on scholars.
After some small talk, the siblings left. Before going, Liu Gaohua remembered something and warned, "At the City God Pavilion, I heard my father say that starting tomorrow, Yanzhi Prefectural City will be placed under martial law—easy to leave, hard to enter. But the day after tomorrow, even leaving might become difficult. So Liu Chicheng plans to leave today. What about you three? Let me tell you now: if the martial law really goes into effect, General Ma will take personal charge. Then I, the magistrate's son, won't be able to bend the rules for you. If you want to leave, do it by tomorrow at the latest."
Liu Chicheng had already taken Liu Gaohua's sister out of the room; they were bidding a reluctant farewell in Zhang Shanfeng's room. With Liu Gaohua waiting nearby, the young couple didn't dare to be too lovey-dovey.
After closing the door, Xu Yuanxia tapped the table with his fingers. "The City God Pavilion is almost certainly in trouble. It seems these demonic cultists have big plans. I just don't know whether the City God of Yanzhi has had his power diminished and is being detained in the pavilion by some underhanded means, or if he has already been killed. The situation is bad, but it's also becoming clearer. The magistrate's residence and the nearby garrison should be on alert. If we tip them off now, our credibility will be much higher."
The young Taoist looked at Chen Ping'an and asked tentatively, "Should we inform the magistrate's residence and then leave the city?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "You and Xu Daxia go with Liu Gaohua and his group to his home. I'll go to the City God Pavilion to scout things out. The sooner we know the truth, even just a part of it, the better our decision will be."
Zhang Shanfeng wasn't confused about why they were splitting up, but he wondered why Chen Ping'an was going to the dangerous City God Pavilion instead of him.
Chen Ping'an smiled and explained, "You and Xu Daxia—one needs to draw his saber and let the blade sing to show your masterly bearing; the other needs to fly peachwood swords around to prove you're a Celestial Master from Dragon Tiger Mountain, best at subduing demons and exorcising evil. What would I do? Show the prefect a fist performance?"
The big-bearded man laughed heartily. Zhang Shanfeng also understood the logic. He told Chen Ping'an to wait, then went to his room, took three talismans from his bundle—two were the cheapest but most practical Evil Wind Fire-Starting Talismans, which would ignite on their own in the presence of evil yin qi. The third was a Divine Travel Talisman, also called a Horse Talisman; when infused with spiritual or true qi, it would allow one to run like a horse for an incense stick's time, skimming the wind without tiring.
Chen Ping'an didn't refuse. He tucked the three talismans into his sleeve and teased, "Aren't you afraid I'll just run off?"
The young Taoist glared. "Chen Ping'an, you can't run!"
Chen Ping'an quickly waved his hands.
Zhang Shanfeng laughed to himself.
If Chen Ping'an ran off alone, Taoist Zhang Shanfeng wouldn't mind losing the expensive Divine Travel Talisman as much as he would miss having a good friend.
The three parted ways at the inn's entrance. Xu Yuanxia and Zhang Shanfeng followed Liu Gaohua to the magistrate's residence in the west of the city.
Chen Ping'an happened to share the road with the scholar surnamed Liu, who was heading east out of the city—one going straight to the eastern gate, the other to the City God Pavilion in the northeast.
With Miss Liu not around, the scholar surnamed Liu shed his scholarly reserve, bending low and walking close to Chen Ping'an, asking curiously, "Master Chen? Are you a legendary martial arts grandmaster? Though young and newly emerged, with exceptional talent and from a famous sect, are you actually one of the top experts in the martial world, so rare that that slap the other night could be so ethereal? I didn't even see your hand move—not a trace of worldly aura. Could it be that you've reached the state of perfection?"
Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "Any trained fighter could land a punch on you without you seeing it."
The scholar felt greatly insulted. "Impossible! Master Chen, you must be a hidden grandmaster of the martial world. I suspect you might even be the Sword God of Caiyi Kingdom, renowned across several nations, his personal disciple. Why else would someone carry two swords when traveling? One of them is the sword he used when he roamed the world back then, 'Zhuyang,' right? Just let me touch it!"
Chen Ping'an admired the man's imagination. Unwilling to argue, he put on a stern face and nodded. "Yes, yes, it's Zhuyang. But be careful—the scabbard is filled with fierce sword qi. If you draw it, you'll be sliced open instantly. Are you afraid?"
"Not afraid."
Liu Chicheng shook his head. His hands, which had been reaching for the sword case, were now meekly placed behind his back.
After they parted, Liu Chicheng continued along the street toward the city gate. This frail scholar suddenly looked up and glanced at a figure standing atop the city wall. It was that old immortal from the lake-center platform. He was accompanied by General Ma in full armor and two unfamiliar older faces. The old immortal was pointing here and there at the city.
Liu Chicheng clicked his tongue. "Inviting the enemy in, unaware of it."
Meanwhile, Chen Ping'an soon arrived at the square outside the City God Pavilion. He concentrated his gaze. Not being a Qi refiner, he couldn't discern any overt signs, but his intuition as a pure martial artist told him that the City God Pavilion, with its red walls, green tiles, and dragon-fire glazed roof, had acquired a tinge of bloody gloom compared to the peaceful quiet of his previous visit. It was like someone had thrown a piece of charcoal onto a snowy ground—an ordinary passerby might not notice, but if a traveler had good eyesight, he would see it, and it would be jarring.
At the entrance of the City God Pavilion, soldiers and constables from the yamen stood guard, no longer allowing worshippers in.
Chen Ping'an took a deep breath, looked around, and found a relatively secluded wall. He quietly walked over, simultaneously pulling out a Evil Wind Fire-Starting Talisman.
At the spot, when he saw no one around, he lightly stamped his foot, vaulted over the wall, and landed inside. The moment his feet touched the ground, the talisman in his hand burned to ash.
That settled it—no need to test any further. This was unmistakably the work of demons and monsters.
Chen Ping'an grabbed his Sword-Nurturing Gourd with one hand and took a large gulp of strong liquor.
With the other hand, he reached behind his head and patted the wooden case on his back. The locust wood sword had been named Demon-Subduing, and the one forged by Master Ruan was temporarily named Demon-Exorcising.
No matter how much the green-clad boy and pink-dressed girl looked down on these names, calling them ordinary or vulgar, Chen Ping'an still thought the names of these two swords—Subdue Demons and Exorcise Evil—were very good.
Since he had given them such good names, he couldn't let them down.
Chen Ping'an lightly flicked a venomous snake that lunged at him, seemingly casual, but the snake shattered into bones and flesh in midair.
Most of Chen Ping'an's attention was still on the two painted clay statues of the Celestial Officials standing on either side of the vermilion gate. They were covered in flowing blood, with countless colorful venomous snakes coiling and writhing around them. Giant scorpions as big as palms perched on the statues' heads and arms, pitch-black and threatening. Even rats burrowed in and out of the broken bellies and faces of the statues, bold beyond measure.
Chen Ping'an was suddenly reminded of the desolate scene at the Immortal Grave back home, and his temper flared. He walked slowly along the base of the wall, trying to keep his mind clear and his breathing steady. After all, the strength of his punches, the thickness of his true qi, and the speed of its circulation had nothing to do with how angry he was—not even half a copper coin's worth.
As he walked, he silently chanted in his heart: "Chen Ping'an, if you're sure you can't win, make sure you run fast enough!"