Unsheathed

Chapter 23: Shade of the Locust Tree

After saying this, the scholar chuckled at himself in a mocking manner. Right now, were Qi Jingchun's disciples worth anything? This was a room full of elementary children. Each student only needed to pay a measly 300 coins, and those who came from poorer families only needed to pay three strings of cured meat.

Qi Jingchun looked at the young boy who was unwavering in his views and unwilling to loosen his grip. "Deep down, you don't actually want to kill him. The issue, however, is that it looks like this person is determined to kill you no matter what. Thus, killing him will be the easiest solution, and you'll also be able to ensure your safety, at least temporarily. You want to deal with future problems as they come up? Or are you hoping to make concessions to avoid trouble, reducing a major problem to a minor one and a minor one to nothing at all? Am I correct?"

The young boy who often listened to his neighbor reciting books and poems immediately replied, "Mr. Qi, can you please enlighten me?"

Qi Jingchun smiled and said, "Chen Ping'an, why don't you try loosening your right hand first? Then you can decide whether you want to take a stroll around with me. Some things I can't escape blame from, so I must give you an explanation."

Chen Ping'an hesitated for a brief moment before releasing his grip. He suddenly realized that Fu Nanhua had become motionless, with his eyes, hair, and even breathing all frozen.

After Qi Jingchun activated the formation, the small town returned to a frozen state.

Qi Jingchun said in a soft voice, "Follow me closely, and try to stay within 10 steps of me."

The middle-aged scholar's robes fluttered as he gracefully walked toward the end of the alley. Chen Ping'an followed closely behind him, glancing down at the palm of his left hand as he did so. His flesh was mangled and bloody, and even his bones could be seen. However, the clearly visible blood somehow refused to keep flowing.

Walking in front of the young boy, Qi Jingchun smiled faintly and asked, "Chen Ping'an, do you believe in the existence of immortals, spirits, demons, and ghosts?"

Chen Ping'an nodded and replied, "I do. When I was little, my mother would often tell me some old stories. She wanted me to believe that good deeds would be rewarded, while bad deeds would be punished. My mother repeated this phrase the most, so I remember it extremely clearly.

“There were also stories about a water ghost in the creek that would drag away children, and stories about the underworld king who would try cases at night near the rundown ancestral hall in the town's north. Mother also said that the door gods plastered on the doors would actually come to life at night, helping us to protect the house. In the past, I didn't really believe these things. Now, however, I feel like most of it is true."

Qi Jingchun softly said, "Some of the things she told you are true, and some of them false. As for good deeds being rewarded and bad deeds being punished, this is truly difficult to say. After all, everyone has a different definition of what's good and what's bad. The common people, kings and officials, and immortals, all have different views on this. Thus, the conclusions that they reach will naturally be very different as well."

Chen Ping'an hid away the shard of porcelain as he quickened his pace, walking side-by-side with the scholar. He raised his head and asked, "Mr. Qi, can I ask you a question?"

As if reading the young boy's thoughts, Qi Jingchun calmly explained, "This small town is the burial place of the last true dragon in the world. Countless flood dragons and their kin all believe that this place has the most prosperous opportunities and is destined to birth a dragon someday. In reality, no such thing has happened in the past 3000 years.

“Instead, the children who are born in this small town all possess aptitudes, dispositions, and opportunities that are indeed far greater than those in the outside world. Even the children of the most renowned cultivators in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent aren't any superior. Of course, not every child in this small town possessed such astonishing aptitude."

Qi Jingchun smiled and didn't delve into this topic anymore. He was most likely afraid of hurting the young boy's feelings. He changed the topic, saying, "Almost all of the cultivators who participated in that dragon-slaying calamity were severely wounded. Many of them thus decided to settle here, building houses and cultivating. There were those who unflinchingly battled to their last breath, while there were also dao partners who survived in strokes of great fortune. There were also those whose fates intertwined after battling against that dragon side-by-side.

“After 3000 years of labor and inhabitance, we have the small town that exists now. On the map of the Great Li Empire, this land was initially referred to as Great Marsh Village. Afterward, a sage personally picked up a brush and renamed this place Dragon Den. Later again, in order to avoid the taboo of having the same character as in the name of the Great Li Empire's emperor, this place was renamed—"

The young boy finally couldn't hold in his words anymore, softly interrupting Qi Jingchun's explanation. He clasped his hands in respect and asked with an eager and yearning expression, "Mr. Qi, I actually wanted to ask you about my parents. What kind of people were they?"

Qi Jingchun fell deep into thought. "Since that traveling Daoist has already revealed some secrets to you, I can also take advantage of the opening that he's made and tell you some things. From what I remember, your father was an honest and gentle person. His talent was mediocre, so he wasn't chosen to be brought out of this small town. As a result, he naturally became worthless in the eyes of those who had invested in him and was viewed as a financial loss. Perhaps they were angered, or perhaps they were faced with some predicament... In any case, the porcelain buyers tampered with your father's bonded porcelain. After that, not only did he face many setbacks in life, but he even caused your mother and you to live in misery as well.

“Due to some unknown reason, your father later inadvertently discovered the secrets of the bonded porcelain. He discovered that once someone was led outside the small town, they would become a puppet on a string forever. Thus, he secretly smashed the bonded porcelain that belonged to you. If I remember correctly, it was a porcelain paperweight."

Qi Jingchun continued in a solemn voice, "You have to realize that all of the children born in this small town have a code name that's recorded in a secret document. There are also specific people in this small town who will extract a drop of their heart's blood through a special secret technique, and place this drop of blood in the bonded porcelain that they produce at a later date. The bonded porcelains of females need to be fired for six years, while the bonded porcelains of males need to be fired for even longer. The kiln fire has to burn for nine years, and it can't be stopped for a single day.

“The talent and aptitude of these children is also just like the quality of the porcelain pieces — everything is decided by fate and fortune. However, those who bet on porcelain have to pay a huge sum. Even though your talent is only mediocre, your father's resolute decision to smash that porcelain paperweight enraged the porcelain buyers outside the small town.

"As for your mother, she was a refined and gentle woman."

Qi Jingchun suddenly smiled as he continued, "When your mother got married to your father, a lot of people around their age were extremely gloomy. Although to be honest with you, you're truly putting me in a tough spot if you want me to tell you the details of your parents' lives. After arriving here, I've had many other things to do apart from teaching."

Chen Ping’an replied with a soft "m-hm". He then silently turned around and used his hands to wipe his cheeks. However, he had most likely forgotten about the miserable state of his left hand, so his face was left with streaks of blood. Even so, he was genuinely reluctant to clean his face with his sleeves.

The two of them passed the archway with 12 stone pillars.

Qi Jingchun didn't look at the young boy as he truthfully recounted the events of the past. "When the true dragon was slain here, the four sages personally showed up to form a contract — they would guard this place in rotations of 60 years each, and they would observe the remnant aura of that true dragon. In fact, people dispute whether the dragon was truly killed or not. However, revealing too many of these secrets to you will only bring you calamity.

“Roughly speaking, this land is ruled by four main forces — Confucianists, Buddhists, Daoists, and Militarians. The other forces of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, the various schools of thought, the myriad blessed lands, the numerous immortal sects, and the countless great clans, all have a certain amount of power and opportunity to obtain some benefits from this small town. It may sound funny, but whether or not one has purchased a bonded porcelain within the past 100 years has almost become synonymous with whether a sect or a clan is a first-rate power."

"I don't really understand Mr. Qi's explanations, but I've committed all of it to memory," Chen Ping'an said. "However, I'm already content with learning that my parents were good people."

Qi Jingchun smiled and said, "Nor do I expect you to understand any of this at this moment. However, this is just some background information. Otherwise, you definitely won't listen to me if I simply persuade you not to kill Fu Nanhua. I'm not doing this because I want to protect a fellow cultivator, nor is it because I'd be saddened by his death. It more so isn't because I want Fu Nanhua or Old Dragon City to feel grateful toward me and grant me favors in the future. That is not the case. In fact, it's the complete opposite.

“Disciples of Confucianism advocate cultivation by engagement with society. Thus, we're most opposed to those cultivators who act with wanton disregard. The two sides have clashed openly and in secret for countless years, and if it were me from the past who had just gone to study in the Mountain Cliff Academy, how could any of them still be alive, be it the River Severing True Lord Liu Zhimao or Old Dragon City's Young City Lord Fu Nanhua? I would have smashed them into oblivion long ago."

Mr. Qi was still speaking in a gentle tone, and he was still walking in a graceful manner, but the young boy felt like he was a completely different person at this moment.

This was similar to when Old Man Yao would get drunk and boast about how their chinaware was made for the emperor, so who could compare to them?

Even though Mr. Qi's tone was different when he said he would have smashed them into oblivion long ago, his expression was exactly the same as the drunk Old Man Yao.

Qi Jingchun furrowed his brows as he looked up at the opposite end of the Clay Vase Alley. It was as if he were listening to someone else's conversation. There was no hint of disgust on his face, but the displeasure in his eyes wasn't hidden at all.

In the end, he said in a cold voice, "Make haste and leave!"

Chen Ping'an wore a puzzled expression.

Qi Jingchun explained, "It's the storyteller. His true name is Liu Zhimao, and his title is the River Severing True Lord. In fact, he's an unorthodox cultivator, and even though his cultivation is decent, his character is lowly. The conflict between you and Cai Jinjian and Fu Nanhua was mostly caused by his meddling as well. In the end, he even planted a sinister talisman in your mind — that was a script with four words, ‘seek death with resolve’. He secretly carved this in your mind, a truly sinister and vicious act."

Chen Ping'an silently committed Liu Zhimao's name to memory.

Qi Jingchun sighed before asking, "Aren't you curious about why I didn't interfere?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head in reply.

Qi Jingchun answered his own question anyway, saying, "This land is like an old piece of chinaware that has been subject to the harsh elements for 3000 years, bringing it close to shattering. You people are ultimately outsiders, and you're also protected by that large formation. Thus, as long as your actions aren't too excessive, there's almost no way you people can cause the chinaware to shatter. However, I'm the person holding the chinaware. Everything I do will influence the cracks on this chinaware. In reality, these cracks and fractures will continue to grow and spread no matter what I do. If the chinaware shatters, then so be it. However, what of the 5000 or 6000 lives in this small town? Their fate is in my hands, so how can I be so careless?"

However, Mr. Qi's voice was extremely soft as he spoke these words that had weighed on his mind for many years. Chen Ping'an pricked his ears up, yet he was still unable to hear it clearly.

Qi Jingchun looked at the young boy who would wipe his face with his right hand from time to time. The two of them had already walked near the Apricot Blossom Alley's Iron Lock Well where there were women bending down and fetching water. Qi Jingchun asked, "Suppose a stranger falls in the well, and suppose you'll die if you try to save them. Knowing this, will you still try to save them?"

Chen Ping'an pondered for a moment before asking, "I want to know, is it truly possible to save that person?"

Qi Jingchun didn't answer the young boy's question. Instead, he smiled and said, "Remember this — a noble person won't save them."

The young boy faltered upon hearing this. "Noble person?" he asked in confusion.

Qi Jingchun hesitated for a moment before squatting down and helping the young boy fix his collar. He then used his hand to help the young boy clean away the blood on his face, saying in a gentle voice, "When encountering misfortune, one must first have a heart of compassion. However, a noble person isn't equivalent to a stubborn and pedantic person. A noble person will attempt to save the unfortunate person who has fallen into the well, yet they definitely won't allow themself to face the risk of death."

It was as if this question stirred up something in the young boy's mind.

He asked with a serious expression, "Mr. Qi, am I still able to live? If I can, how much longer can I live for?"

Qi Jingchun carefully considered this question. He then slowly stood up and replied with resoluteness, "If you aren't afraid of the rough and bumpy road ahead of you, and if you aren't afraid of facing great hardships, you can definitely live on."

A beaming smile spread across the young boy's face, and he said as a matter-of-fact, "I'm not afraid of hardship!"

Thinking of the young boy's calm and composure all this time, Qi Jingchun felt a sense of relief. "Let's go, I'll bring you to a place. Even though I can't help you with much, helping you overcome this calamity definitely won't count as breaking the rules since things have come to this. In fact, it's only right that you're compensated with a fated opportunity."

The young boy seemed slightly befuddled.

The two of them arrived before the old locust tree. Even though the small town was deathly silent and still, this old locust tree seemed to be an exception for some unknown reason. Its branches swayed, and its leaves flittered.

After standing still, Qi Jingchun wore a solemn expression, cupping his hands and bowing at the tree. He then raised his head and asked, "Can Qi Jingchun ask you for a locust leaf? One to allow this young boy to leave the small town peacefully and remain safe from calamity for three years?"

The old locust tree of several thousand years didn't respond.

Qi Jingchun tried again, saying, "I've guarded this place for 59 years, so I should at least be given some credit for hard work if not for merit. Can I not even ask for a single locust leaf with ancestral blessing? Not to mention, this young boy is a member of your small town. Esteemed predecessors, is there any need to be so miserly?"

The old locust tree still remained silent.

It was as if it were replying with a silent taunt.

Qi Jingchun may have been powerful, but he was still nothing more than just another person in this land. In fact, he was more so the pitiful person who had to control the large formation of this place. Thus, even if the locust tree was unwilling to show charity and give him a locust leaf with ancestral blessings, what could he do?

Qi Jingchun's expression became dark and gloomy. In the end, he could only sigh and look down, his face filled with remorse and guilt.

However, the young boy cracked a grin, and it was instead he who started to console Qi Jingchun. "Daoist Lu said that I'll have a chance to live as long as I go to the small town's south and become the disciple of a blacksmith by the surname of Ruan. Mr. Qi, I'm sure I'll be fine even without a locust leaf!"

Qi Jingchun smiled and asked, "From the bottom of your heart?"

The young boy scratched his head and replied bashfully, "No..."

Qi Jingchun smiled in understanding.

Suddenly...

A tender and verdant green locust leaf floated down from high up in the crown of the tree.

The young boy simply reached out, and the leaf automatically fell in his hand.

There was a golden word on the leaf, though this disappeared in a flash.

Qi Jingchun was slightly astonished. After a brief moment, he said solemnly, "The word was Yao. Chen Ping'an, are you willing to repay the Yao Clan's kindness, regardless of life or death?! Truth be told, you might have had a sliver of a chance to live even without this leaf. I can tell you this definitively. So, you definitely have to think this through!"

"Is this the same Yao as Master Yao?" the young boy asked.

Qi Jingchun nodded in confirmation, saying, "Indeed."

The young boy put his palms together, lightly holding the locust leaf between them. He then looked up and said loudly, "As long as I'm alive, and as long as it's a member of the Yao Clan related to you, I'll do just like Mr. Qi said just then! Even if they fall into a well, and even if I'll die trying to save them, I, Chen Ping'an, will still definitely save them!"

The surroundings remained silent.

Qi Jingchun smiled and said, "Let's go."

As he walked away with the young boy, Qi Jingchun silently looked back at the crown of the locust tree, an expression of ridicule on his face.

Locust leaves with the surname "Chen" did indeed exist. In fact, there were more than just a few. In the end, however, they still insisted on looking for different owners even though they knew that this land was facing imminent destruction. They didn't care even if their chosen owner didn't share the surname "Chen". Even at this moment, not a single locust leaf with ancestral blessings of the Chen Clan was willing to give the young boy in straw sandals a chance.

Qi Jingchun turned back around and stroked the young boy's head, teasing him by saying, "If that vow had been spoken by Song Jixin, Zhao Yao, or Gu Can, perhaps they would have triggered the resonance of heaven and earth."

The young boy wore a radiant smile. "That's not something I can control. I can only try my best."

Qi Jingchun asked again, "From the bottom of your heart?"

The young boy smiled and replied, "Yes!"