Unsheathed

Chapter 335: Standoff Between the Imperial Court and the Regional Force

There were all kinds of people in the inns near the border tonight.

Yao Lingzhi's breathing became heavy when the five people walked out of Chen Ping'an's room.

This was simply inconceivable for her.

Her feeling of dread toward the young subordinate was the combination of many complicated emotions. She was a frail young girl facing a man with ulterior motives, she was a lower-ranked person feeling respect and fear toward a higher-ranked person's intangible aura of power and influence, and she was an innately good person who would instinctively distance herself from evildoers.

However, Yao Lingzhi's sense of suffocation was very clear and direct when she faced those five people on the second floor.

It was as if she were a rabbit or deer coming across tigers and bears in the mountain; as if she were a fish or shrimp coming across flood dragons in the river.

Yao Lingzhi had already served as a scout for three years in the border army. Not only that, but she had also engaged in two life-and-death battles. Even so, she had never thought about retreating, not even once. That being the case, she shouldn't be feeling these emotions at this moment.

She was the most prodigious martial arts talent in this generation of the Yao Clan, and had already reached the fourth tier even though she was only fourteen years old. Moreover, she had the chance to advance even further. Regardless of whether she advanced to the fifth tier when she was fifteen or even seventeen, she was still a legitimate prodigy.

Yao Lingzhi was one of the best-quality unpolished jades in the army and the cultivation world, so she could definitely unleash a spectacular radiance once she was slightly carved and polished. No one doubted her ability to easily reach the seventh or eighth tier in the future, and everyone expected her to become a martial arts grandmaster who could watch over an entire region in the future.

The combat power and destructive ability of elites from the army was especially high. No one doubted this fact.

In the cultivation world, grandmasters often battled those at a similar level to them. On the battlefield, however, elites sought to become formidable warriors who could rival hundreds or thousands of enemies by themselves.

Yao Lingzhi tightened her grip on an item that looked like a silver ingot. This was a ludicrously expensive Militarian armor pellet. It wasn't the Dew Armor that Qi refiners from the mountains joked about in disdain and referred to as Puddle Armor. Instead, it was a higher-tier Golden Crow Armor, a kind of Pond Armor. It was a genuine immortal treasure. Judging from this, one could see the lofty hopes and expectations that the Yao Clan's border army had placed in Yao Lingzhi.

The young subordinate looked up at the five people on the second floor, smacking the table in mock anger and questioning, "You're attempting to frighten me through numbers?"

However, a smile was tugging at the corners of his lips as he spoke.

Three tables of his people were inside the inn, and also hundreds of elite cavalry were stationed outside the inn. Perhaps feeling like he was being too shameless at this moment, he eventually couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The two tables of elite soldiers also started to chuckle.

They didn't take the commotion on the second floor seriously at all. Even though the five people all possessed powerful auras—powerful enough to astonish them—what did this matter?

They were nothing more than simple brutes from the cultivation world.

Those in the Great Quan Empire's cultivation world had already lost their spine long ago. They were like servile dogs that lay outside the imperial court and furiously wagged their tails to beg for mercy.

And the person who had personally snapped and shattered the spine of the entire cultivation world was coincidentally sitting in the inn right at this moment.

He wasn't here for a simple holiday.

The innkeeper with the nickname Jiu Niang didn't breathe a sigh of relief because of Chen Ping'an's appearance.[1] Instead, she felt increasingly solemn and anxious.

Third Grandpa had already revealed his identity to these people just then, yet they had still insisted on coming here to force them into submission. It was clear that they were targeting them because of their surname, Yao.

If Jiu Niang and the others entered a conflict with these people, the most frightening outcome would be these people becoming serious and targeting the entire Yao Clan.

Third Grandpa, the hunchbacked old man, stood behind the kitchen curtain and nodded at Jiu Niang.

A bitter smile appeared on her face. It was clear that the young subordinate wasn't acting unreasonably because of the wine. Rather, it was very possible that he harbored ulterior motives and was trying to cause a conflict. He was potentially trying to frame and destroy the entire Yao Clan.

Jiu Niang understood that inaction was the best action for the Yao Clan during these tumultuous and uncertain times. Because of this, she and her inn needed to restrain themselves wherever they could. However, could she persuade the five people on the second floor to retreat at this moment? They were stepping forward to help her, so could she tell them to fall back and shrink into their shells like turtles? Jiu Niang couldn't bring herself to do this.

Zhong Kui, the scholar in azure, appeared slightly puzzled as he asked, "These people are?"

"They're esteemed guests from the capital. We can't afford to offend them," Jiu Niang replied with a bitter smile.

Zhong Kui nodded in understanding, and he hesitated for a long time before opening his mouth to say something.

However, Jiu Niang cut him off and said in helplessness, "Please, Zhong Kui, I'm begging you, don't cause trouble and make things even worse than they are. The situation is already troublesome enough, so I'm not in the mood to entertain you right now."

Zhong Kui sighed in response. Sure enough, however, he didn't say anything else.

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Chen Ping'an looked down at the first floor and asked, "To pick on the innkeeper, a woman, like this... Is this not unfair?"

The young subordinate chuckled and replied, "She's running a business here, so is it unfair to ask her to serve her customers some wine?"

Chen Ping'an pointed at the young man's heart and said, "Ask your own conscience."

The young man faltered upon hearing this. However, he quickly grabbed his wine bowl and drank a large mouthful of wine before wiping his mouth and chuckling, "I would have definitely stopped to ruminate on these words if the Confucian academy's Mr. Chu were the one who had uttered them. You, however? Are you worthy of speaking these words?"

"Principles are principles no matter who speaks them. Is this not the case?" Chen Ping'an asked with a smile. "Does it make a difference whose mouth these words come from? You're simply someone who picks on the weak and fears the strong, aren't you? If someone possesses greater strength than you, I assume you'll listen to them regardless of whether they're right or wrong, am I correct?"

The young man nodded and replied, "I can accept these words. They do indeed make sense."

He then threw his wine bowl aside with a casual toss and raised his hand high into the air, spreading his fingers apart before gently clenching them into a fist. "Then let's have a go and see who's stronger? I want to see how many people dare to challenge me in the territory of the Great Quan Empire."

Jiu Niang was worried about Chen Ping'an being young and reckless, resulting in him attacking first and suffering a big loss as well as being in the wrong at the same time. Thus, she hurriedly said in warning, "Please don't be impulsive, Young Master. These people are here on official duty from the capital, and they're acting under the orders of an imperial decree. Even if you're in the right, you'll still end up in the wrong if you carelessly attack them first."

A dark look appeared in the young subordinate's eyes, and he turned to Jiu Niang and scolded, "Shut your trap! Does a slutty widow like you have the right to interrupt me? Do you know who I am?"

Jiu Niang's expression was livid.

The young subordinate pointed at Jiu Niang before pointing at Chen Ping'an, and he chuckled coldly, "Jiu Niang from the Yao Clan, you're secretly joining forces with a foreign power and attempting to hijack the prisoner carriages. This is a reprehensible crime."

Jiu Niang was filled with grief and indignation, and she finally couldn't suppress her emotions any longer, shouting in fury, "Just who the hell are you, you little bastard?!"

The young subordinate pointed at himself and asked with an innocent expression, "Me? A little bastard?"

He cleared his throat and straightened his collar before smiling faintly and continuing, "According to Lady Yao's accusation, Gao Shizhen is indeed an old bastard. Haha, isn't this funny? I'll definitely repeat this joke to Gao Shizhen when I return home."

Jiu Niang exchanged a glance with the hunchbacked Third Grandpa, with both of their hearts jolting at the same time.

Duke Gao Shizhen!

He was the last remaining duke of the Great Quan Empire, and was a deeply trusted subject of the current emperor.

The Great Quan Empire had enjoyed peace for a long time, with the Imperial Liu Clan having ruled the nation for more than two hundred years already. When founding the empire, the first emperor had bestowed three people with the title of county king and seven people with the title of duke. However, only Duke Gao Shizhen's hereditary title had managed to survive until today. As for the others, the descendants of those clans had already used up the fortune that their ancestors had risked their lives to obtain.

Duke Gao Shizhen only had a single child, and had only gained this son in relatively old age. His son was none other than Little Duke Gao Shuyi, someone who was renowned for his domineering nature in the capital and throughout the imperial court. He had caused huge trouble after huge trouble, yet he had always escaped punishment and remained safe and sound thanks to his ancestral blessings. In fact, the emperor was more lenient toward Gao Shuyi than he was toward the many princes and princesses.

Thus, there was a popular saying in the officialdom of the capital: The earth will shudder and the mountains will shake when the little duke leaves his home.

He was such a notorious good-for-nothing descendant of a powerful person, so how was he sent on this mission to the south? Even though the emperor gave preferential treatment to Duke Gao Shizhen's family, his wisdom meant that he definitely wouldn't treat this mission with such carelessness.

The most fearless troublemaker person in the Great Quan Empire was most likely Gao Shuyi, this unruly young man.

Song Xiao was a brilliant general and the head minister of the Ministry of War, yet he had only been able to scold Gao Shuyi as a troublemaker after his grandson was bullied and harassed by this little duke.

Standing behind Chen Ping'an on the second floor, Wei Xian quietly explained the duke's background and position to the young boy.

Chen Ping'an nodded in understanding. Just as everyone thought that he was going to retreat in the face of difficulty, he immediately used a Land-Shortening Talisman and jumped down from the second floor, arriving before Little Duke Gao Shuyi in an instant.

————

On the road outside the inn, a cavalryman was sitting behind a carriage driver and chewing on some hard-to-swallow rations. He occasionally lifted his canteen to take a gulp of water.

He looked up, and saw a messenger pigeon flying out from the inn. Someone immediately sprinted over and waited for the cavalryman to issue his command. There was a snow-white and majestic-looking falcon on this person's shoulder.

However, the cavalryman waved his hand and said, "Ignore it."

The person silently retreated.

The cavalryman was none other than the messenger who had informed the inn of their imminent arrival just then. The carriage driver was sitting extremely straight, not daring to move at all.

An old man pushed the carriage curtain aside and asked with a smile, "Why didn't you enter the inn with them, Your Highness?"

The cavalryman smiled and shook his head.

Self-discipline was a profound subject.

To descendants of royal families like him, controlling and using other people wasn't very difficult. He had witnessed and experienced this control since a young age, and he could also learn many valuable lessons from the history books.

There were two Qi refiners sitting cross-legged inside the carriage, one old and one young, and they were responsible for guarding one of the most important prisoners and escorting them to Mirage City, the capital of the Great Quan Empire. The person who had posed the question to the cavalryman just then was an old man in his eighties. He was wearing a purple Daoist robe, and there was also fish tail hat on his head. He held the end of a rope in one hand and a fly-whisk in his other.

The prisoner had disheveled hair and was drenched in blood, and his head was hanging low as he remained completely silent. His appearance couldn't be seen clearly.

His golden robes were in tatters, and something similar to golden vajras had been nailed into his wrists and ankles.

Apart from these, there was also a pitch-black rope tied around his neck, with the other end of this rope resting in the old Qi refiner's hand.

However, the most pitiful thing about the prisoner was the fact that a flying sword had pierced through his glabella and was sticking out from the back of his head. Indeed, the flying sword remained in his head just like that.

This important prisoner was an official deity of the mountains and rivers. He had once been a Qi refiner at the peak stage of the seventh tier, and his combat power would rise to at least the eighth tier when he was inside his own jurisdiction. He was like the ruler and sage of an area, and he could even hold his own against ninth tier, Golden Core Tier, immortals. However, he had now been reduced to this miserable state for some unknown reason.

Apart from the old Daoist priest, there was also a young woman sitting inside the carriage and guarding the prisoner. There was affection in her eyes as she gazed at the cavalryman, and her feelings toward him were clear even though she didn't speak.

The young woman could only be regarded as delicate and pretty, yet her disposition was incredible and her skin was paler than snow. Compared to the mortal interpretation of beauty, she was more capable of "withstanding scrutiny." After all, mortal beauty was ultimately nothing more than surface-level beauty in the eyes of cultivators from the mountains. Mortal beauty was the beauty of mortal flesh, one with rough skin, pungent smells, and all kinds of imperfections that couldn't withstand scrutiny.

The cavalryman suddenly turned his head to look toward the inn, with a seemingly surprised expression appearing on his face.

The old Daoist priest was also slightly astonished, and he remarked, "What an astounding martial arts aura! Moreover, there's this many of them? Just how many powerful individuals are hiding in this small inn on the border? Perhaps Little Duke was correct by accident? Perhaps the elites of Northern Jin Nation are truly taking a huge gamble and attempting to rescue the prisoners?"

"Should I leave to warn the duke?" the young woman asked in an uncertain voice.

The cavalryman shook his head and replied with a smile, "The land underfoot belongs to the Great Quan Empire, so how can we face any danger unless the Yao Clan truly decides to rebel?"

An intense glimmer flashed across the old Daoist priest's eyes, yet he remained silent and didn't say anything else.

A moment passed, and he was just about to make another comment. However, the cavalryman had already hopped off the carriage and was directly walking toward the inn.

After the cavalryman walked a fair distance away, the young woman who hailed from an immortal clan in the mountains asked in a soft voice, "Master, Little Duke is forcing those members of the Yao Clan into a corner, yet His Highness isn't restraining Little Duke at all. Will things truly be fine?"

The old Daoist priest waved his hand and dismissed, "Anyone in the world might become a rebel and a traitor, and the only exception is the Yao Clan. They've already been loyal subjects for too long..."

A cold smile tugged at the corners of the old Daoist priest's lips as he continued, "...And they've already grown addicted to this status and sensation."

The prisoner suddenly lowered his head even further, laughing with delight as he exclaimed, "You're actually speaking about loyal officials and pillar border generals in such a mocking tone? So what if your Great Quan Empire is the dominant force right now? Will you be able to maintain this power?"

"You still dare to speak so stubbornly?"

The old Daoist priest flicked his wrist, causing the pitch-black rope to instantly tighten around the prisoner's neck. The prisoner's entire body started to shake, yet he still grit his teeth and refused to make a sound.

Meanwhile, there was a sudden and unexpected turn of events in the inn.

A young boy dressed in white robes suddenly materialized on the first floor.

A sense of foreboding welled up in Little Duke Gao Shuyi's heart, and he was just about to retreat in fright. However, all he saw was a blur as the young boy reached over and grabbed his shoulder.

On the nearby table of three people, the eunuch in bright red official garb continued to enjoy his green plum wine, paying no heed to the commotion on the first floor.

Meanwhile, the esteemed immortal wearing a tall hat and the general suited in silver armor had already shot up from their seats, wanting to rescue Gao Shuyi. However, they quickly stopped in their tracks.

This was because a blood-red sword had flown down from the second floor with its owner. The blade was hovering between the two tables, and the sword tip was directly pointing at the esteemed immortal wearing the tall hat.

The general in silver armor stopped and turned around, only to see someone take several steps on the second floor, a wide smile on their face as they gripped the hilt of their saber. Halting Snow was on the verge of being drawn.

The short man, Lu Baixiang, hopped over the railing and landed near the entrance of the inn. It was as if he wanted to block the small army of several hundred cavalry by himself.

Meanwhile, the hunchbacked Zhu Lian was squatting on the railing and smiling with squinted eyes. He looked down and set his sights on the calm eunuch.

The eunuch in bright red official garb looked to be in his thirties, yet he was actually an old man in his eighties already. He was one of the few martial arts superior grandmasters in the Great Quan Empire, and was widely regarded as the imperial guard of the Great Quan Empire's imperial city. Ever since he shot to fame, the Great Quan Empire, which had once been haunted by many ghosts and spirits, no longer experienced any supernatural phenomena. It was as if all of the ghosts and spirits had gone into hiding.

However, the true power and influence of this eunuch lay somewhere else. Back then, he had recruited a large group of subordinates from the cultivation world to target a dozen or so of the most top-notch martial arts forces inside the Great Quan Empire. He had eradicated them one by one, drowning the entire cultivation world in blood and chaos for three years.

Many people had attempted to assassinate the old eunuch, regardless of whether they were from righteous forces or sinister forces. However, all of them had suffered the same fate, meeting their demise before they could succeed.

Of the two people who had shared a table with him just then, the esteemed immortal wearing a tall hat was called Xu Tong. He was the current leader of the Flora Convent, and he was skilled at lightning-element techniques and also able to summon ghosts and deities to assist him. He was also adept at alchemy, and nobles and officials in the Great Quan Empire would fervently fight over the alchemical pills that he refined.

The general in silver armor was called Xu Qingzhou, and he was one of the most powerful elites serving in the army of the empire. He was yet to reach forty, yet his martial arts prowess had already reached a zenith. The saber by his waist, Modesty, was also an extremely precious Militarian treasure that was incredible at both offense and defense. General Xu Qingzhou would definitely lead the charge in battle, cutting down his enemies and sweeping away all obstacles.

Gao Shuyi channeled his Qi and tried to break free. However, his struggle was a futile one.

He wasn't afraid, however, and the smile on his face grew even wider as he asked, "Is the Yao Clan genuinely trying to revolt?"

Chen Ping'an tightened his grip slightly, causing a sharp pang of pain to shoot through Gao Shuyi's shoulder. However, the little duke still tried his best to maintain his smile.

"I'm merely a passer-by, so I can simply flee to Northern Jin Nation after killing you, someone who likes to provoke me so much for whatever reason," Chen Ping'an said. "As for the Yao Clan and whether they're rebelling or not? You can sling as much mud as you want. It's not like I can stop you or anything."

Who would believe this nonsense?

Gao Shuyi bared his teeth as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. "Heh, then kill me if you're so capable."

Chen Ping'an stared intently at him.

Gao Shuyi's voice was extremely quiet as he whispered to Chen Ping'an, "Do you know what? It's that mother and daughter's fortune that I've taken a fancy to them. Otherwise, they'll be sent to a high-class brothel once the Yao Clan is eradicated, and they'll become prostitutes freely enjoyed by anyone. You can also have a taste of their bodies when that time comes."

Little Duke Gao Shuyi had only just finished speaking, yet Chen Ping'an's fist had already arrived in front of his face.

It directly smashed into Gao Shuyi's forehead. The punch was strong and sturdy, and was much like a boulder slamming into a city wall.

Gao Shuyi's head whipped back.

The jade pendant hanging from his waist glowed with a five-colored radiance that instantly flew up and gathered around his forehead, yet Gao Shuyi still lost consciousness due to the power of the punch, with white froth coming from his mouth.

Cracks appeared on the surface of the life-saving jade pendant.

Chen Ping'an was still gripping Gao Shuyi's shoulder, so this caused the little duke's head to sway back and forth like a swing. Chen Ping'an immediately threw a second punch.

This was a simple attack, yet it was one that would affect the entire situation.

There was a loud slap.

The eunuch in bright red official garb smacked his chopsticks to the table before ordering in an effeminate voice, "That's quite enough, young lad."

Even though his impression of the scheming and cunning little duke was only so-so, he still couldn't allow Gao Shuyi to be ruthlessly beaten to death in front of his very eyes.

Esteemed Immortal Xu Tong and General Xu Qingzhou both breathed a long sigh of relief when they heard the eunuch speak up.

However, Chen Ping'an's punch didn't stop.

Gao Shuyi's ancestral jade pendant shattered into pieces.

Gao Shuyi surprisingly regained consciousness following the disintegration of his jade pendant. His face was beet red and his eyes were bloodshot, and he bellowed with a twisted expression, "Fucking bastard, I'm definitely going to kill you along with the Yao Clan!"

The eunuch in bright red official garb abruptly stood up in rage. Just how many years had it been? Yet, someone still dared to act so wantonly in front of him?

"Stop!" Jiu Niang shrieked.

Chen Ping'an turned his head to look at her, and he could see the deep anxiety in her eyes as she lightly shook her head. She wanted to explain the situation, yet didn't dare to reveal the truth, so she could only say, "Please calm down and discuss things in a civilized manner, Young Master. Let's sit down and talk over things slowly. I'm sure that the little duke is only joking with us."

However, the enraged eunuch ignored her words and directly delivered the final judgment, announcing, "There's no need to discuss any further. The Yao Clan has joined forces with Northern Jin Nation to start a rebellion, so the punishment is death!"

As he spoke, the eunuch held two fingers together and swiped them across the table.

First and Fifteenth burst out from Chen Ping'an's Sword Nurturing Gourd, shattering the two chopsticks that were shooting through the air like lightning.

Chen Ping'an's third punch sent Gao Shuyi flying back. Wei Xian shuffled aside, allowing the little duke to fly out the door and crumple to the ground outside the inn.

The young cavalryman had just arrived near the inn, and was temporarily transfixed with shock as he looked at the corpse on the ground. He was clearly unable to believe his eyes.

Chen Ping'an turned to Jiu Niang and asked, "Do you know why Old General Yao almost fell victim to an assassination attempt? It's because the Yao Clan is too soft. Someone clearly believes that the Yao Clan will only dare to seethe in silent anger even if Old General Yao is killed."

It was as if Jiu Niang didn't hear Chen Ping'an's words, and her expression was dazed as she murmured, "He's dead... You killed him just like that... The duke will definitely go crazy, and the emperor will definitely become furious... The Yao Clan is done for..."

Third Grandpa, the hunchbacked old man working as a cook in the inn, was also at a complete loss.

There was shock and horror on Yao Lingzhi's face.

The inn fell silent bar for the listless sound of the skinny little girl reading in her room on the second floor.

It was also at this moment that the impoverished scholar in azure patted Jiu Niang's shoulder. He clearly had his back to Chen Ping'an, yet his voice clearly sounded in Chen Ping'an's mind, saying, "Feel free to kill as many of them as you want. I'll take responsibility for burying them."

1. Jiu Niang (九娘) literally means Ninth Ma'am. ☜