Unsheathed

Chapter 350 (3): The Blade of a White Ape, the Words of a Noble Person

Back then, the old Daoist priest’s senior brother had insisted on bestowing one of the four ancient immortal swords to Bai Yuan, and he had opposed this decision the most vehemently. Because of this, the relationship between the two of them had been ruined, and they ended up treating each other as strangers.

Not only that, but an outsider with the same seniority as him and his senior brother had taken things even further, publicly accusing him of being jealous of a demonic beast's fated opportunity.

The Immortal Tier old ancestor of Peace and Tranquility Mountain held the radiant jade mirror in his hand, a mirror that looked like it could rival the bright moon in the sky. After searching for a moment, he finally found the white ape that had already fled many kilometers into the distance.

The voice of the Golden Dao Manifestation boomed like thunder, roaring, "Ungrateful beast! I'm going to hack you into ten thousand pieces!"

The words that he uttered were like laws that would be upheld.

The three ancient immortal swords of Peace and Tranquility Mountain formed three dazzling streaks of light that illuminated the surroundings thousands of kilometers as they shot through the sky and pursued Bai Yuan, who was fleeing for his life after committing a grave crime.

The sword-carrying white ape was truly a resolute demon, and he drew the ancient immortal sword from the scabbard on his back before charging toward one of the green streaks of light.

Bai Yuan simply needed the three immortal swords from Peace and Tranquility Mountain to falter for a brief moment.

However, the old ancestor of Peace and Tranquility Mountain was even more resolute and ruthless, and he surprisingly allowed the two ancient immortal swords to collide and destroy each other. A devastating explosion occurred in the sky, yet the old Daoist priest remained determined and unfazed as he continued to control the two remaining swords. One sword directly pierced into Bai Yuan, who couldn't avoid the sword in time no matter how he tried to evade it. However, the white ape was ultimately able to prevent the immortal sword from directly piercing through his head, having it pierce through his back instead.

This forced the white ape to summon his Dao Manifestation, which measured hundreds of meters in height. He forcefully planted his feet in the ground before grabbing another ancient immortal sword with all his might.

The hands of the colossal white ape became mangled and bloody, and he was also pushed further and further back by the might of the immortal sword. In the end, the ancient immortal sword broke free from his grasp and pierced through his heart, with its tip poking out from his back.

Bai Yuan was no longer able to maintain his Dao Manifestation after suffering two severe wounds. After reverting back to his original form, as tall as a human, the white ape drew on all of his power to continue fleeing south. The foundations of his Great Dao had been wounded.

Before the Dao Manifestation of Bai Yuan completely vanished, he smiled wickedly and roared, "Are you not going to save Zhong Kui?! You still have a sliver of a chance if you act now. So, what are you going to choose? Are you going to save Zhong Kui, or are you going to pursue me? If you pursue me, then that's as good as sentencing Zhong Kui to death. Haha!"

After the great demon fled for another few hundred kilometers, the two ancient immortal swords once again caught up to him and pierced through his body. However, the ancient immortal swords also revealed their true appearance because they were too far away from Peace and Tranquility Mountain at this moment.

The old Daoist priest heaved a soft sigh. He had initially planned to forcefully move the so-called Dao Manifestation of Peace and Tranquility Mountain several hundred kilometers forward even if it meant altering and weakening the fortunes of Peace and Tranquility Mountain. This would allow the two surviving ancient immortal swords of Peace and Tranquility Mountain to maintain their might.

If he did this, however, then the noble scholar lying in a pool of blood beside the well prison would truly lose even that last sliver of a chance at survival. After all, the old Daoist priest's physical body had remained in the same spot and helped Zhong Kui to gather his remnant soul when he had summoned the Golden Dao Manifestation just then. The old ancestor of Peace and Tranquility Mountain was attempting to reverse destiny and bring Zhong Kui back to life.

This was a heaven-defying act, one that would elicit incandescent fury from the underworld. Thus, if the fortune of Peace and Tranquility Mountain was weakened, it was entirely possible that the underworld would seize this opportunity to sneak in and directly snatch away the last few wisps of Zhong Kui's remnant soul.

It was because of this that the vile demonic beast claimed there could only be one of two options—either to save Zhong Kui or to pursue him.

Perhaps it was also part of Bai Yuan's plans to not comprehensively shatter Zhong Kui's soul.

Close to the well prison, an unsteadily swaying yin soul appeared in front of the old Daoist priest. It was none other than Zhong Kui, the deathly pale noble scholar in azure.

"Peace and Tranquility Mountain is to blame for this, Mr. Zhong. I'm too ashamed to face Great Subduing Academy," the old Daoist priest said in a solemn voice.

As an old Daoist priest at the Immortal Tier, the old ancestor of Peace and Tranquility Mountain was an immortal who stood in the clouds at the highest peak of the mountain, regardless of whether it was in the context of his sect or the entire Parasol Leaf Continent. Thus, it was a huge acknowledgment and recognition for him to refer to the young noble scholar as Mr. Zhong.

However, Zhong Kui had already died, and only a feeble wisp of his yin soul remained in the world, a wisp that might vanish into heaven and earth at any moment. That being the case, what use was this acknowledgment?

At any rate, the words and actions of this old ancestor of Peace and Tranquility Mountain reflected his status as a Spiritual Master of the Daoist Sect.

Zhong Kui's yin soul smiled faintly and shook its head. His lips moved slightly, yet his voice didn't travel into Majestic World. Even so, the old Daoist priest was naturally able to decipher his words. "There's no need to feel guilty, Old Spiritual Master. I was destined to face this tribulation, and it wasn't something that I could flee from. If I didn't face the tribulation in Peace and Tranquility Mountain, then I would have faced it in Great Subduing Academy or elsewhere in Parasol Leaf Continent."

A young Daoist nun appeared next to the well prison.

Her lips were tightly pursed, and there was a trickle of blood seeping out from the corner of her mouth.

She was none other than Huang Ting, that Daoist nun who should have remained in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land for another sixty years. Of course, one could also refer to her as Mirror Heart Hall's Fan Wan'er or Tong Qingqing.

She was more furious than anyone else in the entire Peace and Tranquility Mountain.

That sword-carrying white ape had once been a fated opportunity on her path of cultivation, teaching her a sword-carrying technique that wasn't recorded in the scriptures of the sect. Huang Ting had committed this technique to memory, and she had even brought it with her to the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. It was because of this that a popular saying had appeared in the cultivation world of the blessed land: "There are two Fan Wan'ers in the world, one who carries a sword and one who doesn't."

The old ape had brought her into the depths of the well prison many times, allowing her to temper her sword heart and advance her cultivation.

Huang Ting wanted to personally capture and kill that white ape. She wanted to ask him whether he regretted betraying Peace and Tranquility Mountain!

As for why he had done it? Huang Ting wouldn't ask this. She wasn't willing to ask this!

A gigantic black whirlpool appeared above the peak of Peace and Tranquility Mountain following Zhong Kui's death. Inside this black whirlpool, one could see the vague outline of a giant figure wearing the crown of an emperor and coldly peering down at Peace and Tranquility Mountain.

Zhong Kui's yin soul looked up and smiled tragically.

The old Daoist priest had initially wanted to retract his Golden Dao Manifestation, yet upon seeing this black whirlpool, his Golden Dao Manifestation bent its knees slightly before immediately leaping into the sky, using its fists to shatter the black whirlpool.

However, the old Daoist priest's Golden Dao Manifestation also crumbled because of this.

This was an unimaginably huge price to pay.

Zhong Kui was just about to say something.

However, the old Daoist priest waved his hand and said with a carefree smile, "When it comes to cultivation, cultivation base and whatnot aren't worth squat. At the end of the day, the most important thing is keeping yourself satisfied!"

After saying this, the old Daoist priest's expression became slightly forlorn.

To say nothing of Mr. Zhong's status as a quasi-sage and his profound potential to become the mountain master of a Confucian school, just his noble personality and demeanor as a person alone were admirable and made him not deserving of such an early death.

Huang Ting turned around and spat out a mouthful of blood before saying to the old Daoist priest, "Old Ancestor, I'm going to leave the mountains to hunt him!"

The old Daoist priest nodded and replied, "Huang Ting, you're not allowed to return to Peace and Tranquility Mountain unless Bai Yuan is killed. Either you return with his head, or you die trying to kill him. You can borrow the two mountain-protection ancient swords for sixty years. Afterward, you'll have to rely on your own abilities to hunt that white ape."

"Peace and Tranquility Mountain's Huang Ting accepts Old Ancestor's command!" Huang Ting said in a solemn voice.

The young Daoist nun transformed into a streak of light as she dashed toward the south.

The old ancestor of Peace and Tranquility Mountain wasn't a great or articulate speaker, and he was also feeling an extremely deep sense of guilt at this moment. Thus, he quickly fell silent.

Zhong Kui also felt a sense of guilt in the depths of his heart.

A look of surprise suddenly appeared in the old Daoist priest's eyes.

He saw two wisps of refreshing wind slowly flow toward Zhong Kui from near the well prison, lingering around the surroundings.

Not only that, but a small and crystalline calligraphy brush also materialized in front of Zhong Kui. This was a projection rather than a physical item.

There was also a bright red robe that looked like the garb of an ancient official, and this robe slowly fluttered down from the place where the black whirlpool had dissipated.

Zhong Kui looked at the Wind and Snow Awl and hesitated for a brief moment before gently grabbing it with his hand.

The bright red official garb landed on Zhong Kui.

The two wisps of autumn wind rushed into his large sleeves.

At the same time...

At the bottom of the well prison, the restless demons and fiends who had been baying for blood a moment ago suddenly became as obedient as dogs. Not only did they retreat back into the well prison, but they suddenly and involuntarily stumbled back in retreat as well, all the way until there was nowhere else to retreat.

Zhong Kui recalled that prophecy about him.

No longer a scholar in azure, the yin soul of Zhong Kui was now dressed in red garb as he murmured, "The myriad ghosts in the world have nothing to fear if Zhong Kui doesn't leave the mountains."

He turned to the well prison and said, "Go ahead and kowtow."

The sound of countless heads thumping against the ground reverberated around the well prison.

The old Daoist priest stroked his beard and smiled. By the looks of it, he hadn't fallen from the Immortal Tier to the Unpolished Jade Tier for nothing.

Zhong Kui fell silent for a long while as if he were contemplating something.

In the end, he opened his mouth and said, "Old Spiritual Master, I have one request I want to make."

The old Daoist priest nodded and replied, "I'm happy to satisfy your request as long as you're not asking me to kowtow to you."

Zhong Kui couldn't help but chuckle in speechlessness. In the end, he bowed in respect and remarked, "I may be a ghost now, but Peace and Tranquility Mountain has a genuine Spiritual Master."

The old Daoist priest was slightly surprised. However, he quickly broke into hearty laughter and replied, "Such satisfying words of flattery!"

————

Later that night, Chen Ping'an suddenly felt agitated for no apparent reason. That being the case, he left his room and walked to the garden of the relay station to practice his sword techniques.

However, he was unable to calm himself down no matter what.

He suddenly raised his head. An imperceptible ripple appeared in the distance.

Chen Ping'an retreated several steps, and First and Fifteenth rapidly flew out from his Sword Nurturing Gourd.

However, Chen Ping'an quickly breathed a sigh of relief.

As it turned out, it was Noble Scholar Zhong Kui, now dressed in strange red robes as well as an elderly and gray-haired Daoist priest.

The old Daoist priest glanced at Chen Ping'an, smiling and greeting him with a nod. He then turned to Zhong Kui and said in a soft voice, "I'll let the two of you chat. After you finish chatting, remember to give me a heads-up. I need to bring you away as soon as possible, you can't stay in the mortal world for too long in your current state."

Chen Ping'an was immediately struck by a sense of anxiety.

Zhong Kui smiled and said, "Don't ask any questions yet. Allow me to eloquently recount the events to you."

While roughly explaining the conflict that had occurred in Peace and Tranquility Mountain, Zhong Kui spoke as if he were an outsider who was completely uninvolved in the situation. His narration wasn't thrilling, and he recounted the events in the most boring manner possible.

Moreover, there was a wide smile on his face as he explained how he had lost to the great demon due to his inferior skills. In the end, the white ape had killed him with two sword strikes and one hand strike, transforming him into a wandering soul. Because of this, he could no longer keep his position as a noble scholar of a Confucian academy.

He regarded this as eloquently recounting the events?

"That's it? You died just like that?!" Chen Ping'an fumed.

He pointed at Zhong Kui's face and exclaimed, "You died and became a ghost just like that? Aren't you a noble scholar from a Confucian academy? Aren't you able to release your yin soul and your yang soul?"

In the end, Chen Ping'an's voice started to trail off, with his expression also becoming slightly dazed as he asked in a soft voice, "How could you die?"

After murmuring this question, Chen Ping'an was already unable to say anything else.

As if he were riding a galloping horse and looking at lights, many past events flashed through his mind. In the end, his mind settled on a single scene.

There was an unrestrained person squatting on top of Burial River and tugging at a female ghost's hair simply because he thought she was pretty and wanted to have a look at her.

Why were so many of the people important to him dead?

Chen Ping'an subconsciously grabbed his Sword Nurturing Gourd. Upon noticing this, however, he quietly retied it to his waist.

The Wind and Snow Awl hovered in front of Zhong Kui, and it was clear that it had now become one with Zhong Kui's yin soul.

"Chen Ping'an, let me say this first," Zhong Kui said in a careful voice. "I genuinely wasn't trying to scam you out of this Wind and Snow Awl. However, feel free to scold or hit me as you see fit!"

"The words of a noble person... What comes after this?" Chen Ping'an asked.

"A promise that must be kept?" Zhong Kui replied in a guilty voice.

Chen Ping'an walked over to sit on the stone stool beside the stone table. Zhong Kui scratched his head and sat down beside the young boy.

"But you've died anyway, and you're also no longer a noble scholar," Chen Ping'an said.

Zhong Kui felt increasingly uneasy.

Chen Ping'an looked up at Zhong Kui and said slowly, "However, I'll definitely keep my promises to other people. I'll keep my promises to Mr. Qi, and I'll also keep my promises to you!"

"Hmm?" Zhong Kui was slightly befuddled.

The rims of Chen Ping'an's eyes became red as he continued, "I said that I would let you borrow the Wind and Snow Awl. Borrowing it for one year is borrowing, and borrowing it for one hundred years or a thousand years is also borrowing."

Zhong Kui remained silent.

In the end, Chen Ping'an asked, "If one thousand years isn't enough, is ten thousand years enough?"

Zhong Kui nodded lightly.

He stood up, upon which Chen Ping'an also stood up.

A dazzling smile reappeared on Zhong Kui's face as he exclaimed, "I'm Zhong Kui, a ghost from Parasol Leaf Continent! I have a friend called Chen Ping'an!"

Chen Ping'an shot a glare at him before smiling and saying, "I'm Chen Ping'an, a swordsman from Eastern Treasured Vial Continent! I'm acquainted with a righteous noble scholar called Zhong Kui!"

In the distance...

The old ancestor from Peace and Tranquility Mountain stroked his beard and nodded. "Maybe in a hundred or a thousand years, their encounter in the relay station will become a beautiful story praised and talked about by everyone!"