Unsheathed - Chapter 552 (1): Not Only Bidding Farewell to Others
Chapter 552 (1): Not Only Bidding Farewell to Others
Zhang Shanfeng stood up and closed the oil-paper umbrella when he saw Chen Ping’an walking over, and he also walked toward Chen Ping’an before walking backward and asking in concern, “Are you okay?”
Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “Yes, but also no.”
“Say something that I can understand!” Zhang Shanfeng exclaimed in frustration.
“Then I’m okay,” Chen Ping’an said with a faint smile.
“For real?” Zhang Shanfeng asked.
Chen Ping’an nodded and reassured, “Even more real than immortal coins.”
Zhang Shanfeng felt a headache after hearing this, and he grumbled, “This Water Dragon Sect is so unkind, charging one lesser heat coin just to enter the Dragon Palace Small World.”
“I currently have a debt of more than two thousand grain rain coins,” Chen Ping’an chuckled.
Zhang Shanfeng counted on his fingers, and just as Chen Ping’an told him to stop, he had already blurted out in shock, “More than two million snowflake coins?!”
Chen Ping’an reached up and rubbed his face.
When he earned money, he was very fond of converting grain rain coins into snowflake coins. When he owed money, on the other hand, he truly wasn’t fond of making this conversion at all.
“Chen Ping’an, there are some matters that even friends can’t help with, and one can only rely on themselves to think these matters through,” Zhang Shanfeng suddenly said.
During his first trip outside the mountains to vanquish demons and eliminate fiends, the young External Heavenly Master from Mount Longhu had almost failed to endure the challenges and hardships, and it was because of this that he had gritted his teeth and directly traveled to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, where he became acquainted with Chen Ping’an and Xu Yuanxia. Only then was the knot in his heart slowly untied, and he had even comprehended a very mediocre fist technique.
Chen Ping’an nodded lightly in understanding.
Examining the depths of one’s heart was most heart-wrenchingly painful.
Chen Ping’an’s current mental state was naturally nowhere near as relaxed as he let on.
Zhang Shanfeng retrieved a porcelain bottle from his bag and said, “This bottle of water elixir is a gift from one of my master’s friends at the Middle Earth Divine Continent’s Mirage Lake. My master said I needed to return the favor after receiving the Heavenly Master Seal and the True Martial Sword from you.”
Chen Ping’an faltered for a moment, but he wasn’t hesitant or excessively polite as he accepted the bottle of water elixir. Not only was it cool to the touch, but it even elicited a slight reaction from his water palace. He couldn’t help but ask in curiosity, “Was this a gift from the water god of the Middle Earth Divine Continent’s Mirage Lake?”
The lake lord of Verdant Bamboo Lake had gifted Chen Ping’an water elixir before, and some time before that, he had also seen Liu Chongrun’s secret collection of elixirs and alchemical pills in the water residence. However, these pills and elixirs were nothing compared to the bottle of water elixir from Mirage Lake.
The immortal book from Stalactite Mountain made mention of Mirage Lake, describing it as a large lake in the Middle Earth Divine Continent. This water elixir wasn’t refined from the bonded water fortune of Mirage Lake’s lake lord, was it?
Zhang Shanfeng nodded and replied, “Yes, this is water elixir from Mirage Lake, but Master said that its grade isn’t overly high. Master said that his relationships with the various water deities in the world are only so-so, so he’s not able to obtain the highest grade water elixir.”
Chen Ping’an didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. The so-called highest grade in Spiritual Master Fire Dragon’s description would genuinely be the highest grade in the entire Majestic World. Equally, a so-called grade that wasn’t overly high would definitely be very high already.
Mirage Lake was extremely renowned in the Middle Earth Divine Continent, with an Upper Five Tier deity overseeing the vast body of water. The water residence of the lake lord was the hugely famous Mianchi Palace, and it was said that the subjugation treasure stored in the palace was the largest Dragon King Basket in the world.
There were many ancient tales and legendary stories relating to Mirage Lake, with one pertaining to an unnamed Daoist priest who had been drifting around the lake on a boat under the bright moon. A flood dragon had dived into Mirage Lake to flee from a heavenly tribulation, eventually jumping into the Daoist priest’s sleeve to escape from the thunderous lightning that was blotting out heaven and earth. The Daoist priest had casually dispersed the heavenly tribulation with a wave of his hand, helping the flood dragon escape from calamity. It was based on this legend that future generations had composed the beautiful line: No place to hide from the falling lightning, seeking safety in a gentleman’s sleeve.[1]
Chen Ping’an held the hefty bottle of water elixir and turned around, saying in a soft voice, “You have a good master, Zhang Shanfeng.”
Zhang Shanfeng chuckled in reply. “I knew that ages ago.”
“The old spiritual master has a good disciple,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.
Zhang Shanfeng shook his head and replied, “There are many disciples like me at Ground Lying Peak.”
“I say there aren’t a lot,” Chen Ping’an retorted.
Zhang Shanfeng smiled widely and remarked, “Stop speaking the nonsensical truth.”
Chen Ping’an wrapped his arm around the young Daoist priest’s shoulders, and Zhang Shanfeng lowered his head and bent over slightly as he attempted to do the same and wrap his arm around Chen Ping’an’s shoulders.
They were playfully messing around.
Chen Ping’an led Zhang Shanfeng into his room in the residence.
Zhang Shanfeng saw the green hiking pole and Sword Immortal, which was hanging on the wall, and he chuckled as he said, “You’re truly the same as always.”
Chen Ping’an carried a chair over for his friend, with the two of them sitting down opposite each other.
Zhang Shanfeng started to recount his and his master’s experiences in the Middle Earth Divine Continent and the Southern Whirl Continent, and in the end, he mentioned Liu Xianyang, who was currently studying at the Pure Confucian Chen Clan.
Chen Ping’an quietly listened to Zhang Shanfeng’s recollection, with his mind tranquil and its ripples gradually subsiding.
Zhang Shanfeng then started to talk about his return journey, but at some point in time, he suddenly discovered that the young man sitting opposite him had surprisingly fallen asleep while listening to his story.
He felt slightly helpless, and he carefully stood up and quietly left the room, gently closing the door behind him before squatting under the eaves, with his mind becoming adrift.
The world was a very strange place. There were some people who only focused on what other people had, never stopping to think why these people possessed what they did. His master had described this as missing the forest for the trees, saying that the even stranger thing about the world was that thinking in such a manner wouldn’t necessarily be all bad.
Zhang Shanfeng had always felt like he didn’t fit in with this world at all, a feeling that had little to do with his cultivation base.
Only when he was slowly cultivating at Ground Lying Peak, traveling with Chen Ping’an and Xu Yuanxia, or all by himself and facing the silent mountains and waters far away from the bustling cities, where he wouldn’t make mistakes and harm others, and where heaven and earth wouldn’t harm him, would Zhang Shanfeng feel slightly better.
With this in mind, he had asked his master whether there was something seriously wrong with his Dao Heart.
Spiritual Master Fire Dragon had responded that everything was okay, even saying that the Confucian Sect was engaging in so-called addition, attempting to cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the nation, and bring peace to the world. If one managed to succeed in all four areas, then one could be honored in the scholarly temples.
On the other hand, the Daoist Sect was engaging in so-called subtraction, attempting to draw clear boundaries and explicitly disassociate oneself with various matters, blurring the line between self and matters, and eventually reaching a space of tranquility.
The Buddhist Sect involved changing from the self-deliverance of Hinayana to the act of providing enlightenment of Mahayana, shifting from gradual enlightenment to instant enlightenment. It wasn’t the wind moving but the heart moving, and there were the three studies of morality, concentration, and wisdom. In reality, these were all processes of addition and subtraction.
It appeared on the surface that the Three Teachings were vastly different, with their paths leading in completely different directions, but at its core, cultivation was essentially a process of people walking along these paths. In this sense, the Three Teachings were still similar to each other.
Zhang Shanfeng squatted on the steps and glanced back at the closed door.
His master was right. Each person was like a small world, and after closing the door, outsiders wouldn’t be able to see the true scenery inside.
It was at this moment that Chen Ping’an quietly called Zhang Shanfeng’s name from inside the room.
“I’m here; I’m right outside,” Zhang Shanfeng hurriedly replied.
Only after hearing this did Chen Ping’an say in a slightly exhausted voice, “Then I’ll sleep for a while longer. I didn’t notice it before, but I’m actually feeling a little tired.”
“Sleep well,” Zhang Shanfeng replied.
Zhang Shanfeng placed his hands inside his opposite sleeves, gently rocking back and forth as he squatted on the steps with a smile on his face.
————
Some children outside the mountains were extremely clever from a very young age. However, it wouldn’t be strange regardless of whether they eventually became cultivators in the mountains or not.
What was truly strange was being able to host two completely different teachings, with one’s mind continuing to fight, yet being unable to decide a victor no matter what. In Spiritual Master Fire Dragon’s eyes, this was a case of true cultivation and true tempering of the mind.
When it came to one’s pure and connate disposition, what was difficult was how to nurture and maintain it. When it came to one’s postnatal sincerity, what was difficult was being able to find it. Those who were sincere could display utmost sincerity and earnestness, allowing them to move others. Upon achieving paramount sincerity, one would glow as bright as the sun and shine as radiant as the moon.
His disciple, Zhang Shanfeng, and his disciple’s friend, Chen Ping’an, had two different dispositions. As such, they required two different types of techniques to nurture their dispositions.
In reality, Spiritual Master Fire Dragon had a slight bone to pick with the Scholarly Sage and Qi Jingchun. Since they had acknowledged Chen Ping’an as their disciple and junior brother, respectively, why couldn’t they put in some more effort into guiding him? Why did they allow Chen Ping’an to wander around by himself? Were they truly not afraid of him dying, just like that? Were they not afraid of him venturing down stray paths, or perhaps directly letting go of everything and becoming a monk? Or truly thinking things through and becoming a Daoist priest?
In fact, this was something that even Spiritual Master Fire Dragon wasn’t able to understand. Why hadn’t the Scholarly Sage chosen to take Chen Ping’an along with him, teaching him through both words and actions? Even though Qi Jingchun was destined to die, he could have clearly done more to guide Chen Ping’an with his knowledge and capabilities. Yet, why hadn’t he done so?
They were truly very relaxed and open-minded.
Spiritual Master Fire Dragon felt like he was already open-minded enough, yet compared to those two scholars, he still had much room for improvement.
A surprised expression suddenly appeared on Spiritual Master Fire Dragon’s face, and he scanned his surroundings as if he had come across something else that he didn’t understand. However, the old spiritual master thought for a moment before deciding to let the matter slide.
At the bottom of the lake between White Armor Island and Gray Beard Island, a horse-drawn carriage was stopped in the water, with Water Official Li Yuan and the Southern Fragrance Water Palace’s Lady Shen Lin standing next to each other.
“This person is actually acquainted with Spiritual Master Fire Dragon?” Shen Lin exclaimed in astonishment.
“Aren’t I acquainted with that old man as well?” Li Yuan asked with a cold chuckle.
Shen Lin smiled and thought to herself, Of course, you’re acquainted with him. And Spiritual Master Fire Dragon even used a water-element immortal technique to suppress you at the bottom of the Plenty River for more than one month.
Even though everyone in the Northern Complete Reed Continent staunchly believed that Ground Lying Peak’s Spiritual Master Fire Dragon was the most masterful and peerless fire element cultivator in the world, only very few people were aware that the old spiritual master was also exceptionally skilled at water element immortal techniques.
Shen Lin was preoccupied with many thoughts.
Li Yuan’s skin suddenly started to crawl at this moment.
As it turned out, that old spiritual master was standing at the shore, smiling with squinted eyes as he waved his hand at the horse-drawn carriage.
Li Yuan was just about to transform into golden light and scatter away, but he immediately abandoned this thought because Spiritual Master Fire Dragon had already arrived at the horse-drawn carriage, standing on the back of a majestic snow-white horse.
Shen Lin immediately bowed in respect and greeted, “The Southern Fragrance Water Palace’s Shen Lin pays her respects to Spiritual Master Fire Dragon!”
Spiritual Master Fire Dragon was relatively polite toward the water goddess, and he said with a smile, “All things are natural, and following the path of nature will allow everything to naturally fall into place.”
The heart of the water goddess, whose face was like a shattered celadon ware, shuddered, and she said in a quivering voice, “Thank you for your guidance, Spiritual Master.”
Spiritual Master Fire Dragon smiled and didn’t say anything, after which he glanced at Li Yuan and remarked in amusement, “Oh? Isn’t this Esteemed Water Official Li Yuan from the middle shrine of the Plenty River? I’m running into the esteemed water official everywhere, and this is truly fate that can’t be pushed away.”
Li Yuan put on a stern expression and played deaf and mute.
What’s this? You think you’re amazing just because your Dao power is higher? You can’t get physical and hit me just because you don’t like the look of me, can you?
Spiritual Master Fire Dragon smiled and proposed, “Water Official Li, you have nothing better to do anyway, so how about the two of us have a chat?”
“I’m busy. I’m very busy,” Li Yuan replied with a baffled expression.
Spiritual Master Fire Dragon flicked his sleeve and replied, “Oh?”
“I can make some time first,” Li Yuan immediately said.
The old Daoist priest and the young man left the carriage and walked through the lake.
Shen Lin activated a mystical ability and steered the carriage back to the summer palace.
1. This is a line from Su Shi’s poem, 次韵子由清汶老龙珠丹. Su Shi is one of the most accomplished figures in classical Chinese literature. ☜
