Unsheathed

Chapter 293 (2): The Eagle Isn't Flying

Lu Tai recounted the bloody battle in two or three casual sentences.

In reality, however, the battle hadn't been anywhere near as relaxing for the two parties involved.

During the rainy night, a young man in black with a pudao by his side had arrived here with a Daoist priest.[1] The two of them had traveled through the night with bamboo hats, one unflinching in the face of death and one wearing an expression of deep anxiety.

After the torrential downpour transformed into a light drizzle, the two of them had walked into an alley and arrived at a rundown house that had already been abandoned for a long time.

His face slightly pale, the young Daoist priest wearing a raincoat had exclaimed, "The murderous aura is especially strong tonight!"

The man holding the pudao was slightly tanned, and he had gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "How many innocent people will die if we keep waiting? We can't drag this on for any longer!"

Very few people lived in this alley, with only three or four of the houses occupied. Moreover, the occupants were mostly elderly people who lived by themselves and seldom communicated with others outside the alley. During their youth, those who practiced martial arts in the Flying Eagle Fortress would often pick this alley as a place to measure their bravery against each other. They would chere late at night to see who dared to walk through this narrow and gloomy alley by themself.

It was said that a bloody battle had taken place in this alley in the past. Before the Flying Eagle Fortress retreated from the martial arts world, and seizing the moment when the old fortress lord had just passed away, a group of people with grudges against the Flying Eagle Fortress had formed an alliance and snuck into the fortress.

They were either elites from demonic forces or masters from sinister heretical paths, so they all had a lot of blood on their hands. Moreover, they were all infamous individuals who had been severely wounded or crippled by the old fortress lord before.

However, their plans had been leaked by accident, so the well-prepared Flying Eagle Fortress had launched a surprise attack on them and trapped them in this alley. The ensuing battle had caused a river of blood to form in the alley, with heads from both sides falling to the ground, be that the heads of demonic cultivators or the heads of elderly martial artists from the Flying Eagle Fortress.

There had almost been no complete corpse, with the mangled limbs and broken bodies of the deceased being strewn across the alley. It was said that after the battle, those responsible for cleaning up the corpses had almost vomited their stomachs out.

The Flying Eagle Fortress could be regarded as a declining force that had enjoyed wealth and power in the past. It had once enjoyed almost one hundred years of fand influence. In fact, the Huan Clan was still relatively renowned among the older generation of martial arts cultivators in Agarwood Nation even though they had already retreated from the cultivation world for several decades.

This was especially the case regarding the old fortress lord who had already passed away. He had once been a renowned and highly respected member of the cultivation world. He had been a gallant individual whom everyone in the imperial court knew about.

However, it was a shthat Huan Yang, the current fortress lord, only possessed mediocre martial arts talent. He couldn't maintain the might and fof the Flying Eagle Fortress. Not to mention, Huan Yang was still very young. As a result, the Flying Eagle Fortress was facing a dismal situation where the young couldn't replace the old.

However, a casual flip through the history books would show that there were far too many remarkable feats that the old fortress lord and the previous two generations of the Flying Eagle Fortress' Huan Clan had achieved.

Because of this, the population of 400 or so people in the Flying Eagle Fortress were all extremely proud.

The Flying Eagle Fortress couldn't be regarded as a naive frog at the bottom of the well even though they were largely isolated from the rest of the world.

Almost everyone in the fortress had grown up listening to the stories of their ancestors' many incredible feats as well as the old fortress lord's identity as one of the four grandmasters of Agarwood Nation.

Of the ten powerful elites who were good friends with the old fortress lord and had once traveled around the cultivation world with him during their youth, three were still alive.

Moreover, it was rumored that the old fortress lord's wife was a princess who had fled into the cultivation world from a neighboring nation after the empire that she had belonged to was overthrown. The two of them had fallen in love at first sight after the old fortress lord had saved her, and they had eventually united in marriage after experiencing many challenges and difficulties. This was a story praised and talked about by everyone.

As for the young fortress lord, Huan Chang, he had displayed extraordinary martial arts talent ever since a young age. His strength was astonishing, and he had spent a decade seeking guidance from powerful martial artists and sparring with those youths who were already renowned in the cultivation world. His talent and attitude were truly praiseworthy.

Meanwhile, it was said that Huan Shu, the fortress lord's daughter, had a marriage agreement with the eldest son of one of the ten powerful elites in Agarwood Nation. This marriage agreement had been made when they were still little children. Right now, they were simply waiting for that young man to cover and wed her.

However, the strongest member of the youngest generation in the Flying Eagle Fortress wasn't Huan Chang. Instead, it was a person with a different surname, Tao Xieyang. He was the direct disciple of Fortress Lord Huan Yang, and he had learned Confucian principles and profound martial arts skills from Administrator He Ya ever since he was little. In terms of relationships with other people, he was even more impressive than Young Fortress Lord Huan Chang.

Tao Xieyang was considerate and warm-hearted, making him extremely well-known and liked in the Flying Eagle Fortress. He was also a very cheerful person, and it was as if he wouldn't be afraid even if the sky suddenly collapsed.

The last group of people who had entered the mountains and stayed in the Flying Eagle Fortress had been led by an extremely famous grandmaster from the martial arts world. There had been a beautiful girl among the group, one whom people praised as a celestial maiden. She had an extremely good relationship with Tao Xieyang, and the two of them would often walk around together both inside and outside the fortress. Moreover, the beautiful girl would still have a mesmerizing smile even when she drank the cheapest wine from sstreet stall with Tao Xieyang.

During the past few years, Tao Xieyang had already started to assist the fortress lord and Administrator He Ya, learning to manage the affairs of the Flying Eagle Fortress. This allowed him to learn about many secrets. However, it also meant that things weren't so relaxing for him anymore.

He needed to flawlessly follow the rules and etiquette when he welcomed guests from the outside, and the relationships forged and passed down by the ancestors of the Flying Eagle Fortress couldn't be allowed to silently extinguish. They had to subtly maintain the flames of these relationships.

Tao Xieyang also had to travel to the capital, to famous forces in the mountains, and to powerful factions in the large cities. Not only that, but he had to bring gifts of silver to influential clans and he also needed to build relationships with dominant forces in the counties. All of these responsibilities were given to Tao Xieyang, someone with a different surnthan the fortress lord. As a result, Tao Xieyang had outstanding knowledge and experience when it cto the cultivation world.

The young man who had entered the narrow alley with a pudao in his hand was none other than Tao Xieyang.

Meanwhile, the young Daoist priest beside Tao Xieyang was a very good friend of his whom he had met in the cultivation world. They had immediately beclike old friends, and Tao Xieyang was now aware of sof the young Daoist priest's secrets. The young Daoist priest was able to see those matters with yin energy, and he was also capable of ssubjugation techniques that were unheard of in the cultivation world.

The young Daoist priest had immediately rushed to the Flying Eagle Fortress without a shred of hesitation after receiving a request for help from Tao Xieyang. However, he had becincreasingly solemn after performing scareful examination. Just as Tao Xieyang had said in his letter, there were indeed ghosts and yin entities causing trouble in the Flying Eagle Fortress. Moreover, they were powerful beings who had directly destroyed the foundation of the Flying Eagle Fortress' feng shui.

The young Daoist priest was well aware of his own abilities. He wasn't a genuine cultivator from the mountains, and he had only studied under the tutelage of his master who liked to travel around for a measly five years. During this time, he had only learned the basics of observing Qi and drawing talismans. Not only that, but the talismans that he drew would also be hit-and-miss.

The copper coin sword on his back was made from a string of forty-nine copper coins, and he was still yet to find an opportunity to use it. Because of this, he had absolutely no idea whether it could truly suppress murderous aura and slay evil.

The young Daoist priest, Huang Shang, was a descendant of a noble clan who had no hope of passing the imperial examination. After practicing Daoist techniques for close to five years, he was still unable to truly embark on the path of drawing talismans. Moreover, his master was often traveling elsewhere and not by his side to guide him.

In the end, Huang Shang had spent almost all of his savings to forge his "Three Treasures" copper coin sword that was made from the copper coins of three previous dynasties. His master had once said that these three types of copper coins with ninefold seal script possessed the most abundant yang energy.

Since the quality of Huang Shang's talismans was inferior, his only option was to make up for them through sheer quantity.

It was truly difficult for a half-assed Daoist priest like him to deal with the ferocious ghosts and evil spirits in the Flying Eagle Fortress. However, his close friendship with Tao Xieyang and his sense of justice meant that he had no option but to grit his teeth and muster up his courage. Since Tao Xieyang was intent on solving this problem for the fortress, he couldn't stand back and watch his friend suffer a young death, could he?

Tao Xieyang and Huang Shang viewed each other as brothers, and this wasn't in the shallow sense of exchanging drinks in the tavern. Instead, they were willing to die for each other.

Before being abandoned, the original owner of this rundown residence had actually been quite well off. The door threshold was quite high, and the courtyard door was also made from premium-grade cypress. There were even ancient and solemn-looking beasts decorating the door knockers.

Huang Shang retrieved a yellow paper talisman from his sleeve. He smiled bitterly as he looked at the large door and the tall courtyard walls that had been soaked by the torrential rain just then, saying, "Neither fortune nor geographical advantage is on our side."

Tao Xieyang nodded in agreement. His eyes remained fixed on the large door, and his hand remained tightly wrapped around the handle of his pudao. He suddenly turned around and forcefully patted Huang Shang's shoulder, saying, "I'm going to head in first. If the situation becomes too dire and it becomes impossible to save me, then you should ignoreand just finda resting place with better feng shui in the future."

Huang Shang was just about to say something.

However, Tao Xieyang had already cracked a brilliant smile and said, "I'm not being polite! If both of us die, then won't we have to fight for wine to drink in the underworld?!"

Tao Xieyang drew his hands in and composed himself before swinging his pudao at the large courtyard door. "Open!"

His strike was vicious, and he surprisingly managed to cleave the large door apart with a single blow. He strode inside the rundown courtyard with a resolute expression.

His footsteps becheavy, and it was as if he had walked into a pool of mud. However, Tao Xieyang was unafraid as he released a soft shout and started to swing his blade, slashing the air in front of him again and again. A menacing glint reflected from the blade of the pudao, carrying with it the hint of an imposing glow. It was clear that Tao Xieyang was making inroads on the path of martial arts.

Tao Xieyang cleared the path with his pudao and marched directly forward.

The two Noble Scholar Talismans hidden near his chest and waist instantly turned black as if they had been dipped in ink. The already small amounts of spiritual energy contained within them vanished without a trace.

Huang Shang was just about to hurry over, yet he immediately felt gusts of wind filled with yin energy rushing out of the door. He had no option but to find a relatively dry area near the door to stick two Residence Protecting Talismans. Only after doing this did he feel slightly better. At the very least, he no longer found his breathing stifled.

He then pinched a talisman in each hand, the Illuminating True Lord Sword Wielding Talisman and the Yellow God Yuezhang Seal Talisman. They were both renowned defensive talismans that had been passed down and spread far and wide since ancient times.

However, Huang Shang only managed to take three steps forward against the gusting yin energy before finding that his two talismans had already becmostly black. It was as if he had just dipped them in a bottle of ink. The young Daoist priest was astonished, and he couldn’t help but yell, "The murderous aura is so concentrated that it's almost tangible like water! The ghosts and spirits here definitely don't belong to those vengeful souls who were killed here in the past! They're definitely malicious ghosts who have wandered around this place for more than one hundred years! Xieyang, hurry up and retreat from the residence..."

However, the door of the main building in the distance opened automatically, after which Tao Xieyang swung his pudao and strode inside. The door then slammed shut behind him.

There was grief and agony on Huang Shang's face as he furiously funneled his measly spiritual energy into the two deteriorating talismans in his hands. "Transfer calamity and remove misfortune!" he roared in fury.

The Sword Wielding Talisman didn't react as it had already been completely infiltrated by the ink-black murderous aura. It was as if Huang Shang's fingers were being seared by flames, and this forced him to hurriedly toss the talisman away.

Fortunately, the Seal Talisman immediately lit up and illuminated the eerie surroundings.

The talisman combusted and burned brightly, rapidly chewing away at the yellow paper base. It also released a pungent azure smoke.

The sounds of uncanny laughter rose and fell around Huang Shang, yet he couldn't see a single person nearby.

At this moment, it was as if a long and ice-cold tongue were running across his neck, causing goosebumps to immediately form all over his body.

Huang Shang tossed the completely burned Seal Talisman aside and was just about to retrieve one of the most powerful talismans from his sleeve.

However, it was as if someone had suddenly stabbed the back of his hand with a needle. Huang Shang shuddered in fright, and it was also at this moment that rain mysteriously started to fall from above his head. Huang Shang looked around, only to see a light drizzle falling in the surroundings. He dazedly wiped his face and looked down at his hand. His palm was surprisingly filled with blood.

In the next moment, Huang Shang instinctively raised his head.

A pale face without eyeballs was millimeters from his face, almost close enough to touch the tip of his nose.

Huang Shang was transfixed with shock and terror.

At this critical moment, someone suddenly placed a firm hand on his shoulder and forcefully dragged him backward, sending him flying out of the terrifying residence. He crashed into the muddy alley outside, dazed and light-headed.

He saw a familiar figure, one that was tall and skinny. It was none other than He Ya, the old administrator of the Flying Eagle Fortress and Tao Xieyang's master.

He Ya held a talisman in each hand, and these talismans most likely weren't created from ordinary yellow talisman paper. They were radiating with a soft and clear glow, and this spiritual glow didn't dissipate even though it wavered in the rain and wind that was permeating with yin energy. The talismans were like two candles that refused to extinguish in the face of strong winds.

The old administrator recited a mantra as he firmly strode forward.

Huang Shang had only just breathed a sigh of relief when his neck was grabbed by a pair of snow-white hands with extremely long nails. He was dragged backward, and his struggle was futile as he frantically swung his arms and legs in the mud. The back of his head forcefully crashed into the wall of the small alley, and it was as if the ghost that had slipped into the wall wanted to drag the living Huang Shang inside as well.

His eyes rolled back as he fell unconscious.

When the young Daoist priest finally woke up again, he found that he had already returned to that guest room in the main building of the Flying Eagle Fortress. Tao Xieyang's room was next door.

Huang Shang shakily climbed out of bed, just in tto see Administrator He walk in with a solemn expression.

He Ya sighed and said, "Xieyang hasn't suffered any severe wounds, but..."

The old man didn't continue.

He Ya initially wanted to scold Huang Shang and say that he shouldn't have been so reckless as to stupidly follow Tao Xieyang to that alley without authorization.

However, the old man couldn't bring himself to say this upon seeing the young Daoist priest's flustered expression and the ink-black finger marks on his neck. An entire night had already passed, yet the finger marks were still as dark as before. He Ya sighed before quickly walking away to brew medicine for his disciple.

Huang Shang wanted to enter his friend's room several times, yet he raised his hand before putting it back down each time. He was utterly despondent.

————

Chen Ping'an and Lu Tai were going to attend a banquet at the Huan Clan's residence tonight.

There was still approximately one hour until the banquet, and the two of them had been wandering around the large streets and small alleys of the fortress the entire day. They had visited all of the wells, ancestral halls, martial arts training grounds, execution platforms, and so on in the Flying Eagle Fortress.

Lu Tai had examined all of the various styles of door gods on everyone's courtyard doors, and Chen Ping'an had occasionally squatted down to grab ssoil to place into his mouth.

Chen Ping'an suddenly remembered something after returning to the small courtyard, and he asked, "Why did Administrator He allow us into the Flying Eagle Fortress? And more importantly, why did he choose this place for us to stay? Does he have personal considerations?"

"He's trying to get one beast to attack another beast," Lu Tai replied with a nod. "It's very likely that the Flying Eagle Fortress already has no other choice. That being the case, he might as well go all in and use everything at his disposal. If we do away with all niceties and challenge them about this matter at the banquet tonight, it's very possible that the Flying Eagle Fortress will cclean and honestly explain the situation to us. They'll simply apologize before throwing money at us, beseeching us to help the Flying Eagle Fortress through this difficult period."

Chen Ping'an sighed upon hearing this. What if they were too weak and unable to rival those wandering ghosts and yin entities last night? Would they have died a painful and violent death for naught? Would their corpses have been rolled up in tattered straw mats and tossed out of the Flying Eagle Fortress, bringing the matter to a close?

As if reading Chen Ping'an's thoughts, Lu Tai smiled and asked, "Are you lamenting the vicious nature of the cultivation world? Then have you considered this before? Perhaps the Flying Eagle Fortress and He Ya are both experiencing painful problems that are difficult to put into words. Perhaps you might flare up in righteous rage and voluntarily step forward to help after you hear their explanation."

Chen Ping'an shook his head and replied in a quiet voice, "There's a notion of order regarding which matter should cfirst and which matter should cafter. There's also a notion of severity regarding whether a matter is right or wrong. The order of things can't be switched, and one should only consider the importance of a matter and its rightness or wrongness on this fundamental basis. Only then can one decide whether or not to proceed."

"This sounds easy, but it certainly isn't easy to put into practice," Lu Tai commented with a chuckle.

"Mhm, it's incredibly difficult," Chen Ping'an concurred.

It wasn't long before the siblings Huan Chang and Huan Shu arrived at the banquet together. Huan Shu had changed into a warm yellow dress tonight, making her appear especially lithe and graceful. Meanwhile, Huan Chang was still dressed in the sclothes as yesterday, minus his composite bow.

Before heading to the banquet, Lu Tai asked Chen Ping'an if he should give the Flying Eagle Fortress and Huan Shu a pleasant surprise. However, Chen Ping'an patted his Sword Nurturing Gourd with a dark expression before Lu Tai could even finish speaking. Lu Tai immediately shut up and put his hands together, pretending to beg Chen Ping'an for forgiveness.

In front of the railings of the tall building in the distance, there stood a spirited woman in a fairly good mood. Her smile was warm and gentle, and she had listened to her daughter talk about the elegant young master who had cfrom another nation last night. He was going to visit with his friend today, so Huan Shu wanted her mother to help appraise his character.

The woman found this quite interesting, so she happily agreed to her daughter's request.

As for the seemingly premature marriage agreement that they had made with someone else before, the Flying Eagle Fortress no longer treated this as a genuine agreement. To say nothing of them, the other party was even more keen to act as if this agreement had never existed in the first place. After all, they didn't want to be dragged down by the continually declining Flying Eagle Fortress.

The virtuous woman felt quite happy upon thinking that her daughter would wear the most beautiful red wedding dress and marry her favorite man during her most beautiful prime, just like her mother. However, she couldn't help but feel slightly sad at the stime.

The rims of her eyes were slightly red, so she lowered her head a little and used an embroidered handkerchief to gently dab her eyes.

However, the woman was unaware—and no one in the Flying Eagle Fortress could see either—that countless crisscrossing cracks had appeared on her face bleeding from all seven orifices. She looked much like a piece of porcelain that was on the verge of shattering.

1. The pudao is a Chinese single-edged infantry weapon that is still used primarily for training in various Chinese martial arts. The blade of the weapon is shaped like a Chinese broadsword, but the weapon has a longer handle, usually around one to two meters. ☜