Unsheathed

Lu Tai was busy taking advantage of the spiritual energy from Golden Sweet Wine to treat his wounds, so he didn't notice the expression of sadness on Chen Ping'an's face. He humphed coldly and said, "My five-colored rope was severely damaged when I fought to the death with Ma Wanfa, and one of my defensive immortal treasures was also completely destroyed. Disregarding the cost to repair the five-colored rope, do you know how much that immortal treasure was worth?"

Lu Tai blinked and continued, "In addition to those formation flags from the old formation cultivator, I can roughly break even and perhaps make some small gains if everything in the pocket treasure belongs to me."

"You forgot to add Silk Fish Talismans, the book you can place in your clan's scripture library," Chen Ping'an said with a stern expression.

Lu Tai feigned a look of realization and remarked, "Oh, haha, I forgot about that."

Chen Ping'an pointed at the pocket treasure in Lu Tai's hand and said, "There's also this ritual baton. Taking a step back and assuming that we genuinely split its value in half, how much is half this ritual baton worth? A pocket treasure isn't cheap, is it?"

"Chen Ping'an!" Lu Tai exclaimed in anger. "I've suffered such severe wounds, so can you at least let me cry poor?"

"I already said that everything belongs to you apart from this sword, so why are you still lamenting about this and that? What are you trying to achieve?" Chen Ping'an asked.

Lu Tai sighed and replied, "It's naturally because I feel like I'm getting the better end of the deal and not being very kind to you, so I need to come up with some way to both accept this huge profit and feel at ease at the same time."

Chen Ping'an didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. "Just how bored are you?" he exclaimed.

He then tugged Deep Infatuation out from the ground and handed it to Lu Tai, roughly describing the peculiar scene he had witnessed when the sword had pierced through the burly man's heart. Lu Tai waved his hand and didn't accept the sword, directly replying, "I don't need to examine the sword at all to know that this is the doing of some heretical technique."

Chen Ping'an faltered for a moment before asking, "Oh, that's right, what did that person mean by 'becoming one' before?"

Lu Tai smiled with squinted eyes and replied, "You'll understand once you visit more brothels and drink more flower wine in the future."

Chen Ping'an ignored his teasing remark and placed the sword horizontally in front of him. He then slowly drew the sword from its scabbard, revealing its blade that was as clear as autumn water. In fact, it was so clear that it was slightly chilling, and it was as if all of the surrounding light were gathering on the blade of the sword.

"In any case, this sword is worth a lot of money," Lu Tai commented.

Chen Ping'an nodded in agreement. He didn't doubt this.

The grandson of Water Combing Nation's Sword Saint Song Yushao had especially traveled to an immortal ferry station located on the border of two nations once and spent 900 snowflake coins to purchase a short sword forged in the mountains. He had exhausted a large amount of Sword Water Villa's wealth.

Moreover, Senior Song possessed a similar martial arts cultivation base to Dou Zizhi.

However, the cultivation foundation and the sword true intent of Song Yushao and Dou Zizhi were vastly different even though they were both top-notch sword practitioners in the martial arts world.

As a grandmaster sword practitioner whose might was renowned throughout the cultivation world, Song Yushao relied on nothing but his sword.

In this sense, Dou Zizhi was much the same, focusing all of his attention on only his sword.

There was indeed a huge gulf between them and Qi refiners who always lamented a lack of immortal treasures.

Meanwhile, sword cultivators from the mountains were even more direct. They strived to reach a level where they could shatter all techniques and matters with a single blade.

Chen Ping'an started to ask about the old formation master again, specifically about the substitution technique he had used after shattering his hidden talisman. This was also the first time Lu Tai had witnessed such a talisman in action, but it wasn't the first time he had learned of its existence.

The knowledgeable descendent of the Lu Clan started to eloquently explain this talisman to Chen Ping'an. Borrowing this opportunity, he also explained how some talismans and formations could be used together to complement each other. Only at this moment did Chen Ping'an learn that using two Land-shortening Talismans at once could lead to some surprising results.

Immortal techniques and mystical abilities from the mountains were indeed infinite in variety and fantastic in nature.

"Alright, I'm almost done here. I've already stabilized my wounds, and I simply need to recuperate in peace after this," Lu Tai announced.

He stood up and also used two fingers to peel the golden Dao robe from his body. He casually tossed it back to Chen Ping'an, who stretched his arms out and allowed the Dao robe to automatically slide onto his body as if it were being helped by a maidservant.

Lu Tai placed the green ritual baton inside his sleeve before smiling and asking, "What's the biggest fear when sharing spoils?"

He answered his own question, continuing, "It's having an unfair distribution that leads to severe internal conflict. So, I performed some calculations just then, and I now owe you half a ritual baton pocket treasure. Translating this into snowflake coins..."

Lu Tai suddenly sighed and clutched his heart, furrowing his brows in worry and remarking, "Just the mention of this causes my heart to ache."

Chen Ping'an immediately smacked Lu Tai's head and scolded with a smile, "How naughty."

Back in Downtrodden Mountain, Wei Bo always punished the little boy in azure like this.

Lu Tai faltered in surprise, but he didn't make a fuss about this.

"I'll survey the surroundings first. There's no hurry to set off," Chen Ping'an said.

After saying this, he leaped onto a tall branch and gazed into the distance.

Lu Tai looked up, and he hesitated for a moment before leaping up and mustering his courage to stand on a tall branch. However, he didn't forget to rest a hand on the tree trunk, and only then did he feel slightly more at ease.

Holding Deep Infatuation in one hand and his Sword Nurturing Gourd in the other, Chen Ping'an finally drank another mouthful of wine in a rare sight. "Lu Tai, I'm actually well aware that there would have been endless troubles if you didn't kill Ma Wanfa just then. The rest of our journey would have been filled with dangers. I once experienced the troublesome nature of a Qi refiner stalking me in Water Combing Nation. So, this sword is already enough for me. You don't need to give me any extra snowflake coins."

Lu Tai was just about to say something.

However, Chen Ping'an had already turned around and said with a smile, "After becoming acquainted with you, however, I've become increasingly aware of the fact that I can't insist on following my own reasons and principles all the time. The most terrifying thing in the world is to become too extreme. If you genuinely feel uneasy, then here, hand me some money. I'm more than happy to accept it."

Lu Tai didn't say anything, and he decided to directly lean his back onto the trunk of the tree. He smiled and retrieved a copper mirror, checking himself out from all angles as he started to carefully fix his hair while humming a joyful tune.

Horses didn't grow fat without feeding at night, and people didn't become rich without striking great fortune.

Chen Ping'an averted his gaze from Lu Tai, unable to endure his feminine behavior. However, he suddenly frowned and warned, "People are making their way over here."

Lu Tai followed Chen Ping'an's gaze, yet he quickly turned his attention back to his makeup mirror and said, "They're nothing more than a bunch of brutes from the cultivation world. They're most likely people from that castle. Since you're wearing Golden Sweet Wine, you'll remain unscathed even if you stand there and let them hack at you a few dozen times."

"The less trouble the better," Chen Ping'an replied. "If your body is feeling okay, we should get moving and continue to travel north."

Lu Tai hesitated for a moment before asking in an uncertain voice, "Can we stop here and rest for a few days?"

"That's fine with me," Chen Ping'an replied with a nod.

————

A group of strong and agile people entered the mountain forest from the castle, each of them a cultivator with a strong foundation.

However, their foundation was only strong relative to ordinary martial artists in the cultivation world.

The leader was an elder in azure who had long sideburns and an elegant bearing. His breathing was calm, and his footsteps were light. He was most likely an elite at internal martial arts.[1]

There were two youths around 20 years old behind him, one male and one female. Both were dressed in luxurious clothes, with the young man appearing handsome and the young woman appearing gentle. Their appearances were slightly similar, and it was very likely that they were siblings.

The young man carried a composite bow on his back, while the young woman was wearing embroidered martial arts boots and carrying an exquisite snake-shaped golden bracelet. They were like a pair of powerful and refined youths.

There was a group of a dozen or so strong and solidly built subordinates further behind them, and all of them were dressed in simple and tight-fitting clothes.

However, they suddenly saw two young males walking over from the distance. They all stopped and grabbed their weapons, their expressions filled with alertness and apprehension.

The old man leading the group smiled and cupped his fists, saying, "I'm He Ya, the administrator of the Flying Eagle Fortress. Young masters, have the two of you seen any esteemed immortals or demons nearby?"

Lu Tai smiled with squinted eyes and replied, "Since when have immortals and demons ever existed in the world? Perhaps you're joking with us, old mister?"

The old man was rendered speechless.

Meanwhile, the eyes of the young woman lit up when she saw Lu Tai, someone who looked like an immortal from the stories. She became full of energy and enthusiasm.

Her older brother was relatively more cautious, sweeping his gaze across the two uninvited guests and sizing them up.

There were no renowned sceneries within a 50-kilometer radius of the Flying Eagle Fortress, and there were only the most ordinary mountains and rivers. Moreover, there were only two mountain paths that led toward the Flying Eagle Fortress, one wide and one extremely narrow. However, the former would reach a dead end a good distance from the fortress. The intention was to prevent outsiders from following the wide path and finding the fortress that was secluded from the world.

Approximately three to four decades ago, the Flying Eagle Fortress had still been a dominant martial arts force in the Agarwood Nation. After suffering a huge calamity, however, the fortress had started to seclude itself from the outside world. It purposely destroyed the wide path that led to the fortress, and people from the fortress rarely ventured out.

However, the Flying Eagle Fortress wasn't necessarily isolated from the outside world, as there was still a stream of necessary trade between the fortress and other cities. Members of the cultivation world who had a good relationship with the fortress would also visit occasionally to relax or test out their martial arts skills.

It was already quite strange that the young boy and the young man had appeared here. Just then, the fortress had discovered a terrifying battle between immortals near this area. There were churning clouds of black smoke, and there were also dazzling rays of light. In the end, a dignified golden Dao Manifestation had surprisingly materialized in midair and towered over the mountain forest.

The large majority of people in the Flying Eagle Fortress had never witnessed such kinds of astounding scenes before. Thus, the fortress was instantly filled with apprehension and spirited discussions.

After a series of discussions, the lord of the fortress asked Administrator He Ya to venture out and examine the situation. As for the young man and the young woman, they had secretly sneaked out without receiving prior approval. After meeting up with He Ya halfway to the destination, the old administrator had no option but to bring them along with him.

However, he purposely slowed down and took some detours before belatedly arriving at this location. In the end, he came across these two people who were seemingly enjoying the scenery in a leisurely manner.

He Ya appeared calm on the surface, yet he was actually feeling extremely tense on the inside. He was afraid that the two immortal-looking young masters would suddenly bare their fangs and attack their group.

Apart from elderly people like He Ya who had a wealth of experience in the cultivation world, even the current lord of the Flying Eagle Fortress had little understanding and appreciation of those strange and secretive things that existed in the cultivation world but not in the mortal world.

However, this was only natural since the fortress lord had only heard about these things before but never witnessed them himself. He Ya was different, as he had journeyed across the cultivation world in the past. He had visited the so-called waist of the mountain several times.

Because of this, the old administrator insisted on creating many rules that the youths in the Flying Eagle Fortress found extremely strange. For example, the Flying Eagle Fortress had to plaster talismans written in red ink and purchased from external Daoist temples on several important gates whenever it was New Year, the Double Ninth Festival, and so on.

There was also the soul-calling ceremony that was performed after young children received frights, the incense and fruit that elderly residents would often offer on fork roads, and so on. Many people were oblivious to the deeper meaning behind these things.

Whenever someone died an unnatural death in the Flying Eagle Fortress—for example, drowning, accidents, and other kinds of causes—the old administrator would insist on following even more rules. Which young and strong men carried the coffin and buried the deceased, where the deceased was buried, which people born at which hour of the day were responsible for wake-keeping on what days, who was responsible for offering incense during the first seven days, and so on and so forth... There were enough rules to annoy the young people to death.

Lu Tai first asked the old man whether he was from the fortress. After receiving an affirmative answer, Lu Tai smiled and asked whether they could head over to stay in the fortress for a few days as it had been far too unbearable camping in the wilderness for the past while.

The old administrator was extremely hesitant, yet the young woman with the golden bracelet had already nodded in agreement.

Chen Ping'an subtly shook his head in disapproval.

This young woman was far too careless. Was she truly not afraid of inviting wolves into the fortress?

Looking at the young man in azure who was gazing at him with a smile, the old administrator suddenly smiled in a carefree manner and replied, "Those who come here are all guests. The two of you have traveled here from far away, so it's only right for the Flying Eagle Fortress to warmly welcome you now that we've met."

Lu Tai and Chen Ping'an followed the group of people to the Flying Eagle Fortress which was located five to six kilometers away.

However, the winding mountain paths meant that they needed to walk for much more than five to six kilometers.

As they walked, it was the young woman who continued to engage in idle chatter with Lu Tai the entire time. Walking in front of them, Administrator He Ya kept his ears pricked the entire time, not willing to miss a single word.

The surname of the fortress lord was Huan.

The young woman was Huan Shu, and her older brother was Huan Chang.

According to the genealogical records of the Huan Clan, they had moved from Lasting Yi Nation to Agarwood Nation over 600 years ago in order to escape the flames of war. Their ancestral hall was called Zhongying Hall.

Chen Ping'an didn't understand these things at all. However, Lu Tai was able to talk about anything, and he referenced many other sources and books as he discussed the impressive nature of the surname "Huan" with the young woman. Chen Ping'an was still unable to understand their conversation.

A flat and neatly paved path appeared underfoot when they neared the Flying Eagle Fortress. Lu Tai looked up and smiled.

A shivering woman dressed in a fur coat stood in front of a railing located on the highest building in the fortress. She appeared anxious as she watched the path outside the fortress, and only felt a sense of relief after she vaguely caught sight of her daughter in the distance.

However, the woman herself was unaware of something, and no one in the Flying Eagle Fortress had ever been able to see this either. Blood was flowing from all seven orifices on her face, murmuring along and making her appear as pitiful as could be.

The sun was shining brightly outside the railings, yet the atmosphere was slightly dark and gloomy inside the railings. If one stood near the woman for too long, one would feel a slight chill on their skin as if they were submerged in a cold river.

Thus, the woman had already gone through many maidservants during the past few years. Without exception, all of these maidservants became sickly and feeble after serving her for a while. However, the majority of them would recover after leaving the woman's side.

As time went on, this no longer seemed strange and it instead became accepted and natural.

1. Internal martial arts (内家拳) refers to martial arts occupied with spiritual, mental, or Qi-related aspects, as opposed to external martial arts that focuses on physiological aspects. ☜

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