Chapter 279: Raising a Hand and Killing a Sword Immortal
The bright moon went into hiding, and the radiant sun rose as normal.
It was a new day again.
It was rare for Ning Yao to enjoy such a good sleep, and she wiped her mouth after she woke up. She stood up and stretched lazily, after which she directly jumped on her sword and flew down the great wall, heading back to the city in the north in a carefree manner.
Even though Chen Ping'an had seen many immortals flying through the sky in a dashing manner before — Ning Yao in the very beginning, Wind Snow Temple's Wei Jin afterward, Liu Baqiao, and many more immortals on the kun ship — he still felt like Ning Yao's figure was extremely refreshing when she flew on her sword, no matter how many times he looked at her. Of course, he felt envious of her as well.
Chen Ping'an returned to the small thatched cottage and ate some breakfast. Afterward, he walked along the northern parapet from left to right, practicing walking meditation and fist techniques as he did so. He was very adept at this already, and he could complete this training with his eyes closed the entire time.
Before leaving, Ning Yao had told him that she might not have the time to visit him on the city wall today. Thus, Chen Ping'an brought some food with him and planned to walk further down the wall this time.
Perhaps because he had been too close to the old sword immortal's cultivation space before, there had been very few sword cultivators in the area. While training near the thatched cottage, Chen Ping'an had only come across the old sword immortal with the surname Qi and Lord Hidden Official, the little girl who had killed the most Middle Five Tier demons on the Sword Qi Great Wall.
After walking down the right side of the great wall for an entire day, Chen Ping'an came across many more sword cultivators, old and young, male and female. Some were youths coming to the great wall to absorb sword intent and temper their Sword Dao, and these individuals would often practice sword techniques by themselves or silently comprehend Dao. There were also some sword cultivators who patrolled the great wall in groups.
However, without exception, not a single person greeted Chen Ping'an when they saw the young boy with a sword case on his back practicing fist techniques. There was only indifference in their eyes.
Only after experiencing this did Chen Ping'an finally understand the old sword immortal's words somewhat. Here on the great wall, it was best not to cause trouble for others or oneself.
Noon arrived, and Chen Ping'an sat on the parapet and ate the dried meat and desserts that Ning Yao had given him. He chewed slowly, and he saw a group of twenty or so young boys and young girls walking over from the distance. Their sword strikes were intense and orderly, and their movements agile and energetic. Their sword techniques were artful yet simple, and their sword intent leaned toward deadly and dark.
There was a middle-aged sword cultivator with a single arm nimbly walking behind the formation of youths and providing them with guidance. They were most likely young descendants from the same clan cultivating and training together.
Chen Ping'an didn't dare to look at them for too long, lest he be accused of trying to steal some other clan's secret sword techniques passed down by their ancestors.
The middle-aged sword cultivator with a single arm glanced at Chen Ping'an and pondered for a brief moment. He then gestured with his hand, causing the group of young sword cultivators to cheer with joy as they rapidly stopped their cultivation. They broke up into smaller groups of two or three and sat down on the city wall.
Another group of people who had been following the young sword cultivators from a distance immediately removed the bags from their backs and brought lunch over for the young boys and young girls. They were extremely respectful, and everything seemed natural and justified.
Ning Yao had told him that there was a very strict hierarchy at the Sword Qi Great Wall. People placed heavy emphasis on clan lineage and meritorious service.
An example of this was Lord Hidden Official. "Hidden Official" was obviously not a surname; instead, it was a strange official position with an ancient history that no one really knew about. In any case, the title of "Hidden Official" was hereditary, and those with the title were responsible for supervising the army, convicting criminals, rendering punishment, and so on.
However, many clan leaders in the past had been weak and incompetent, becoming nothing more than a long shadow dragging over the north of the Sword Qi Great Wall. Very often, these clan leaders would be reduced to yes-men for the large clans in the city. However, the current Lord Hidden Official was very different.
She was publicly recognized as the fourth-in-command in the Sword Qi Great Wall.
During the thirteen battles with the demon tribe, this short-tempered "little girl" had participated in the first battle and caused her opponent, a powerful great demon with extraordinary combat power, to directly surrender and leave the battlefield. Enraged by this result, the little girl had chaotically smashed and pummeled the battlefield for fifteen minutes. However, the Sword Qi Great Wall and the demon tribe had done nothing as they watched her vent her anger. Both sides were already accustomed to her antics.
After Ning Yao told him a few things about the events of the thirteen battles, Chen Ping'an committed all of the powerful cultivators from both sides to memory. The Naturalist cultivator from the Lu Clan stood out from the rest, with the Naturalist teaching described as one that influenced half the results.
Both sides had only found out their opponent's order of cultivators at the very last moment. However, another silent yet turbulent battle had most likely been taking place the entire time beforehand.
Lord Hidden Official had made a good start for the human tribe. However, the Sword Qi Great Wall had fallen apart during the battles in the middle stages, almost collapsing once and for all. Fortunately, A'Liang had swooped in and saved the day, bringing the battles to a victorious end.
After eating lunch, Chen Ping'an stood up and continued to walk forward as he practiced his fist techniques. During this time, he saw the old man with the surname Qi again. However, there was a handsome middle-aged man beside the old sword immortal, and the latter's aura was concealed while the former's aura was flourishing. On the surface, it looked as if the middle-aged man were superior to the old sword immortal.
Chen Ping'an didn't walk over to speak with them. Instead, he simply stopped his walking meditation before slightly bowing his head and cupping his fists in greeting.
The old sword immortal smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. However, he didn't engage in idle chatter with the young boy from outside of town either.
Afterward, Chen Ping'an came across two young and strong sword cultivators who were drinking on the parapet, as well as a single-armed young girl standing on the parapet with an extremely large sword in hand. She was standing there unmoving.
Chen Ping'an silently jumped down the parapet when he saw them, taking a detour along the carriageway. When he walked far away enough, he jumped back onto the parapet and continued to walk forward while practicing walking meditation.
When dusk fell, Chen Ping'an saw several sword cultivators flying up from the southern side of the great wall. They soared over the carriageway and flew on their swords toward the north.
Chen Ping'an glanced at the sky and had a quick dinner. He then turned around to return to the thatched hut.
When he arrived, it was already deep into the night. However, after opening the hut door, what he saw was the moonlight shining upon that little girl, Lord Hidden Official. She was currently feasting on his food. Chen Ping'an stood there unmoving, and the little girl with twin braids turned around with her cheeks absolutely stuffed.
However, she didn't react like a thief caught in action, and she instead flipped the script and looked at Chen Ping'an with an expression of disapproval and vigilance. It was as if she were interrogating him and asking him why he was at her home.
She wasn't a thief sneaking into someone's house. Rather, she was a bandit trying to occupy his place!
Chen Ping'an could only retreat out of the small thatched cottage in silence, lightly closing the door behind him.
He was afraid that he would be minced into a pulp by the powerful and eccentric Lord Hidden Official if they had a disagreement.
Chen Ping'an went to the northern parapet behind the small thatched cottage, sitting there and drinking wine.
After a while, he suddenly heard someone clapping behind him. Turning around, he saw the little girl put her hands down before pointing at the small thatched cottage. She then turned around and left.
She's telling me that I can return to clean up the mess?
Chen Ping'an felt a slight headache forming. Out of an abundance of caution, he remained seated on the parapet until the little girl with large sleeves walked far away. Only then did he return to the small thatched cottage to survey the situation. Barely anything was left of the food that Ning Yao had brought him.
Chen Ping'an sighed and started to clean up the hut that had been completely trashed by the little girl. When he finished, he returned to the parapet and started to practice the 'Proper Sword Scripture' that Zheng Dafeng had given him.
Same as always, he visualized holding a sword in his hand. He didn't hold a real sword, and his main focus was on practicing the Avalanche Technique and the Deity Suppression Technique.
Ning Yao didn't come to the city wall to visit Chen Ping'an today.
Thus, Chen Ping'an returned to the small thatched cottage during the latter half of the night, lying down and enjoying a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, Chen Ping'an saw Lord Hidden Official not long after waking up and walking out of the small thatched cottage. There were several young boys and young girls walking behind her as she strode over and entered the thatched cottage.
However, the little girl with twin braids quickly walked out with a fuming expression. Her eyes were wide open as she tried her best to glare at Chen Ping'an in a fierce and intimidating manner. She was most likely questioning him about why there were no snacks to steal in the thatched cottage today.
The youths behind her — each with an extraordinary aura — all seemed to be feeling a slight sense of schadenfreude.
There was an awkward expression on Chen Ping'an's face, and he was left with no option but to play dumb.
If it weren't for Lord Hidden Official's title and status, Chen Ping'an truly wanted to walk over and pinch her cheeks.
The little girl with twin braids was genuinely a little angry this time. The Sword Qi Great Wall shuddered loudly under her feet, after which she took to the air in her loose black robe, disappearing in a flash.
"Don't mind them," Ning Yao said in exasperation.
Chen Ping'an nodded with a smile.
Ning Yao controlled her sword and carved a beautiful arc in the air, saying, "I still have matters to attend to, so I'll visit you again tomorrow."
Just like yesterday, Chen Ping'an only arrived back at the thatched cottages late into the night. This time, however, the old sword immortal was standing on the northern parapet for some unknown reason. It was as if he were gazing at the city without a city wall in the distance.
Chen Ping'an briskly walked over and greeted Grandpa Chen. The old man looked away and nodded in acknowledgment before pointing toward the north and saying, "There are only this many people, and perhaps the size of this city is even inferior to a state city in Majestic World. Yet, it's kept the demon tribe out of the Sword Qi Great Wall for so many years. Even I find this a little strange."
Chen Ping'an didn't know how to reply, so he decided to remain silent.
The old sword immortal turned around and looked at the young boy with a smile, asking, "Chen Ping'an, the two of us get along quite well, don't we?"
Chen Ping'an nodded in response.
The old sword immortal smiled and asked, "But what if I tell you that I get along better with Cao Ci and have higher hopes for him?"
Chen Ping'an still didn't know how to reply.
The old sword immortal wasn't in a hurry to receive an answer from the young boy. Instead, he simply looked at Chen Ping'an's eyes. Through this, he was more importantly looking at the mind's realm of the young boy.
The old sword immortal sighed with slight emotion.
This time, the old man whom A'Liang referred to as the old great sword immortal even went as far as to use his sword technique mystical powers. The was a mystical power that could see into one's mind and peek into the depths of one's soul.
So this is how it is.
He was quite a good cultivation talent before, so it wouldn't have been difficult for him to become an earth immortal in Majestic World on the side of Stalactite Mountain if everything had gone smoothly and his fortune had been good. However, it's a shame that his potential was completely pulverized by someone very early on. It's like pieces of shattered porcelain. He suffered an even greater calamity long before his bridge of immortality was severed.
Mind's realm, mind's mirror.[1]
The mirror shards came in varying sizes of large and small, and the old sword immortal saw all kinds of different scenes on the few largest shards.
If Confucian sages with profound cultivation bases witnessed the scenes in his mind's realm, they would perhaps see more things and naturally find them more bizarre as well.
Thus, the old sword immortal discovered many more clues.
To put things bluntly, this was a process similar to raising poisonous insects[2] Not only did the weak have to revere and submit to the strong, but they would even have to sacrifice themselves to the strong and disappear once and for all.
Chen Ping'an had most likely been exerting all of his effort to piece these shards of shattered porcelain back together all these years. However, he was unaware of his own actions.
To put things more nicely, this process was quite a lofty and wondrous one. The young boy's actions could be considered striving for betterment and continuous self-improvement. He was aiming to become a powerful individual who sought to grow more powerful. In the end, one or two shards would grow more and more dazzling, becoming like the sun and moon in the sky that suppressed the radiance of the stars.
When it came to battles between mental states, one's cultivation base didn't play a major role. Thus, these battles were incredibly vicious and dangerous. Qi refiners had many theories and secret techniques — examining one's conscience, testing one's heart, performing three self-reflections a day, defeating the demon in one's mind, and so on.
Because of this, there were also many heretical teachings and demonic branches. These groups of people took advantage of all kinds of low-level cultivation techniques to take shortcuts. In the eyes of sect-level immortal forces, these people were heretical cultivators who had strayed from orthodoxy. In any case, there was profound knowledge behind all of this, and the theories involved were incredibly complicated just like the undulating mountain ranges that contained peaks of all heights.
Among all of the teachings, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism were the three largest teachings. They were the largest mountains with the most profound founders.
The School of Military Thought was a mountain that had lost its head. It was only a step away from succeeding.
Once regarded as a member of the four great teachings, the Mohist Sect was also in a similar situation to the School of Military Thought.
It was like a large river that ultimately couldn't flow into the sea regardless of how wide it was. It was only a step away from becoming a large river that connected to the sea.
Chen Ping'an was still unable to give an answer.
However, the old sword immortal had already received an answer.
He smiled faintly and said, "I accidentally heard everything when you and Ning Yao were chatting about reason just then. Do you want to hear some ramblings from a person who has experienced many things?"
Chen Ping'an resolutely nodded in response.
The old sword immortal smiled and offered, "I can tell you a secret that's both reasonable and can allow you to lead a decent life. You definitely won't stifle yourself to death in the future."
Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Please tell me, Old Senior."
The old sword immortal chuckled softly and said, "Okay, listen carefully. When you encounter situations like this, you should tell yourself..."
The old sword immortal paused for a moment before continuing, "I, blah blah blah... Mhm, for example, I, Chen Qingdu — you can say, I, Chen Ping'an..."
After saying this, the old man started to chuckle to himself.
Chen Ping'an also started to chuckle.
In the end, the old sword immortal clasped his hands behind his back, slightly hunched as he gazed at the peaceful city with a calm expression. "I've spoken reason everywhere, and I've spoken reason regarding all matters. I've already spoken enough reason in my life. I have a clear conscience. However, you people are still so pathetic. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to speak reason with you people this time."
Chen Ping'an quietly listened to the old sword immortal's words.
The old sword immortal squinted his eyes and said in reminder, "Of course, you can't do this too many times. However, it's definitely okay to do this once or twice every hundred years. For example, like this."
The old sword immortal slowly extended a hand toward the north. It was only a casual motion, yet it was as if the colossal night sky above the Sword Qi Great Wall were being torn apart. A brilliant radiance instantly erupted, and then shrunk to the size of an extremely thin ray.
This ray of light was incredibly bright, and it descended from the sky and smashed into someplace in the city, causing countless rays of golden light to explode from the earth. From a distance, it was as if the golden body of an Upper Five Tier sword immortal was crumbling at this moment.
Chen Ping'an's jaw dropped when he saw this.
The old sword immortal chuckled and said, "Drink some wine to calm down."
Chen Ping'an dazedly grabbed his wine gourd and offered it to the old sword immortal.
Chen Qingdu was only teasing the young boy beside him, so he didn't reach over to grab the Sword Nurturing Gourd. He turned around and bobbed his head as he slowly walked forward. He then lightly jumped down the parapet and murmured to himself, "A silly girl has found herself a silly boy... What a perfect match."
1. Mind's realm (心境) and mind's mirror (心鏡) are homonyms in Chinese. ☜
2. Refers to 养蛊, a practice where poisonous insects such as centipedes scorpions, spiders, etc. are placed together without food and forced to kill and eat each other. The last insect standing is the 蛊, the most poisonous insect. This insect can then be used to harm others. ☜
