Unsheathed-Chapter 454 (2): Bright Moon in the Sky

There was a knock on the door, and a worker from the immortal inn constructed on the bank of the Spring Flower River delivered another immortal report compiled and published by the Plum Glaze Nation itself. The report was freshly printed, and one could still smell the fragrance of the ink that was unique to immortal forces.

Chen Ping'an thanked the inn worker before starting to read through the report. After reading both sides, he handed it to Ma Duyi and said in helplessness, "Su Gaoshan has started to launch a full-scale invasion on the Plum Glaze Nation, and all of the border regions near Staying Pass have already fallen to his army."

There was a detailed description of the events on the immortal report.

Zhou Mi, one of the three naval commanders of the Plum Glaze Nation responsible for guarding the upstream region of the Spring Flower River, had already defected to the heavy cavalry of the Great Li Empire. He had intended to defect with his troops, contacting the Great Li Empire in secret to discuss these matters. However, the emperor of the Plum Glaze Nation managed to see through Zhou Mi's schemes before he could proceed with his defection, and the emperor had dispatched several imperial guest elders to work together to assassinate Zhou Mi.

Zhou Mi had been with the several accompanying cultivators of the Great Li Empire at the time, and three of the cultivators had died during the conflict, with one of them being a Golden Core Tier earth immortal. Su Gaoshan was enraged, and he had instructed his three subordinate generals to immediately issue military orders to attack three different regions of the Plum Glaze Nation within one month, surrounding the capital of the stubborn vassal state. Su Gaoshan also claimed that he would slice off the emperor's head and use it as a wine pot, using it to offer wine at his subordinates' graves during the next Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Zeng Ye watched on for the atmosphere. He didn't understand these matters anyway, so he simply sighed with emotion and exclaimed that the heavy cavalry of the Great Li Empire was truly very powerful and domineering.

Cultivators from the mountains often didn't have very strong feelings for their home countries. The more one cultivated and the longer one was detached from the mortal world, the more nonchalant one would feel about these mortal conflicts.

These cultivators would watch on coldly from the sidelines.

Of course, there were also those cultivators with insufficient cultivation bases, meaning that they were not yet able to truly stand at the peaks of the mountains. As such, these cultivators would also be swept up by the unstoppable trends, forcing them to leave the mountains and enter the mortal world.

It was because of this that Chen Ping'an felt a sense of respect for the middle-aged Daoist priest whom he had met by the stream. The Daoist priest had voluntarily left the mountains to help the mortal people from dangers and hardships. However, the internal demons that arose during cultivation could bring about unspeakable difficulties, difficulties that outsiders could do little to help resolve. Chen Ping'an didn't think that the only correct choice for the middle-aged Daoist priest was for him to muster his willpower and determination and continue to do good deeds in the mortal world. To think this would be to stoop to a low level.

Ma Duyi could see further and deeper than Zeng Ye, and she asked in puzzlement, "Why is Su Gaoshan so desperate to conquer the Plum Glaze Nation as quickly as he can? Even though I know nothing about military affairs, I was at least able to gather through our travels in the Plum Glaze Nation that the waterways here are criss-crossing and complicated. This makes things very difficult and unsuitable for the heavy cavalry of the Great Li Empire."

Chen Ping'an smiled and replied, "We always refer to them as heavy cavalry from the Great Li Empire, but it's naturally not the case that the army genuinely only consists of cavalry. However, the heavy cavalry of the Great Li Empire is renowned throughout the world, so it's very easy for people to mistakenly think that the infantry units of the Great Li Empire are only so-so.

"During the southward expedition of the Great Li Empire's heavy cavalry, which nation and vassal state hasn't suffered at the hands of the heavy cavalry's might? It's an inevitability of the unstoppable trend for the Great Li Empire to conquer the Plum Glaze Nation. However, what you said is correct. Compared to the price that Su Gaoshan paid for conquering the Stone Brush Nation, he'll have to pay a heavier price to conquer the Plum Glaze Nation so quickly.

"Both the Great Li Empire and the Plum Glaze Nation will suffer more casualties, and perhaps Su Gaoshan is the only person aware of the secret reasons behind this need for speed. I believe that someone is most likely pressing Su Gaoshan and Cao Ping to act with force and swiftness. For example, Song Changjing, the true backbone of the Great Li Empire's heavy cavalry."

Ma Duyi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Why does Mr. Chen seem slightly nonchalant about the wars? Do you care less about the death of the soldiers on the battlefields than you do about the lives of the ordinary people?"

Chen Ping'an pondered for a moment before using his finger to draw a circle on the table, saying, "There's a saying from my hometown: Ceramic containers used to fetch water often break on the well opening, and generals at war often die on the battlefield. To join the army and head to war is to stick one's head out and wait for death.

"Take, for example, the military officer yin entity in the Daoist enforcer temple. Do you think he regretted dying for his nation? And what about those wandering soldiers and mercenaries who were pillaging the small county cities for food? Even though so many of his fellow soldiers died, was that young soldier truly willing to point his blade at the common people?"

Chen Ping'an drew a bigger circle and continued, "The two of you might not be aware, but I visited a dog meat shop in the Stone Brush Nation and stopped a young dog spirit from the mountains from killing other people. I also gave him one... immortal coin. But what if the demon tribe launches a full-scale invasion on the Majestic World one day? If that day truly comes, what will I do if I come face to face with the fox spirit from that ancient temple and the dog spirit who abandoned his plan to kill other people? What should I do as I stand in front of the human cities and the common people? Should I stand on the battlefield and interrogate the demon tribe, asking them why they're trying to kill us? Should I ask them if they're willing to not kill us?"

Chen Ping'an calmly answered his own question, saying, "Since I've chosen to stand in front of them on the battlefield, then that means I've already prepared myself to die at any moment. Since the demon tribe has charged over from the Savage World, they're presumably prepared to die at any moment as well.

"Militarian sages keeping guard over the ruins of ancient battlefields is an act of keeping guard over the world. This is the same notion as Confucian sages keeping guard over Confucian academies and Daoist True Lords keeping guard over Daoist temples. Why are there such favorable conditions for us regarding timing, geographical location, and human condition? Perhaps this is part of the reason. When the demon tribe arrives in the Majestic World, they have no option but to conform to these conditions as outsiders.

"Does this explanation of mine make sense?" Chen Ping'an asked.

Zeng Ye shook his head in honesty.

"I roughly understand these principles, but another problem then arises. What if outsiders can forcefully shatter the world overseen by sages? Does this imply that the original principles of the world were incorrect?" Ma Duyi asked.

Chen Ping'an shook his head and replied, "Your question tells me that you're yet to understand why the sages are able to oversee the world. This is the starting point of the different paths and the starting point of sequential order. After understanding this, we can ask in puzzlement why the world can be destroyed by outside power. Why are the seemingly unreasonable outsiders able to use their brute strength to defeat reason?

"I used the word 'seemingly,' and the reason for this is even more complicated. I'll explain this to the two of you in more detail if we come across a more concrete example in the future. Otherwise, you'll only become more and more confused about these matters. It seems like principles exist everywhere, yet everyone ignores these principles and refuses to speak reason."

Ma Duyi nodded and said, "Okay, I look forward to it."

However, Chen Ping'an smiled and remarked, "But I hope that there never arises a need for me to explain this in more detail."

Ma Duyi felt increasingly confused.

"We witnessed with our own eyes the tragedy suffered by the Stone Brush Nation, and only the poets, heroes, songs of grief, words of indignance, and martyrs of the nation will live on through the history books," Chen Ping'an said slowly. "We also traveled through the Plum Glaze Nation, and the majority of what we saw was hard-working people and grouchy literati living in relative peace and stability. Between the Stone Brush Nation and the Plum Glaze Nation, which nation do you think is more fortunate?"

The answer was apparent.

Being unflinching in the face of death was ultimately a necessity rather than a choice, and not regretting one's choice didn't imply not being disappointed. On the other hand, being able to live on was the simplest and most fundamental wish of the common people, even if it was a less comfortable life.

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "We don't know many simple principles, so it's very difficult for us to empathize with the hardships of others. However, is this not because of how fortunate we are?"

Regardless of how good a person was, they would still be unable to genuinely empathize with other people's heart-wrenching pain.

Back in the Colorful Garment Nation's Blusher Prefecture, the little boy called Zhao Shuxia had held a hatchet and staunchly protected that little girl. In the end, however, why had he been willing to trust Chen Ping'an? This was because young children were often more innocent and pure, also showing more sensitivity and less resistance toward hardships, and the little girl called Luanluan had sensed a familiar feeling of sorrow and joy from Chen Ping'an who had experienced similar hardships to her in the past. It was because of this that they had been willing to trust Chen Ping'an, not because they necessarily viewed him as a better person than the young girl who had been standing beside him.

Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye exchanged a glance at this moment.

In the end, Chen Ping'an's expression was calm as he continued, "Many people don't know how fortunate they are, but where does this fortune actually come from? Should we not seek to understand this and cherish this? When no one is unwilling to seek out this answer, does anyone have the right to complain about their misfortunes and hardships when calamity suddenly befalls them? The heavens most likely won't listen to their complaints and heed their pleas, right? And this is most likely the reason for that Bodhisattva on the divine altar facing the opposite direction, right?[1]

"However, I feel like scholars should show some responsibility at times like these. They've read more books than the common people and enjoy more wealth and prosperity thanks to their academic achievements, so they should also pick up more responsibilities when the going gets tough."

Chen Ping'an lightly rested his hands on the armrest.

If everyone sat in wonky postures that they found comfortable, and if all the mortise and tenons were loose and the chairs were wobbly, then how could the world possibly become peaceful? This was the reason why the Confucian Sect talked about scholarly pursuit and the cultivation of oneself. It was of great importance for people to sit upright and remain morally vigilant even when alone.

Observing Bamboo Scroll Lake had made Chen Ping'an feel incredibly disappointed.

After Chen Ping'an left Bamboo Scroll Lake, traveling around the world more and pondering about more, however, he surprisingly started to feel less disappointed in Bamboo Scroll Lake.

After resting for two short days, they departed the immortal inn and set off for the southernmost region of the Plum Glaze Nation.

While traveling south, Chen Ping'an came across a dejected scholar whose clothes and manner of speech all revealed the impressive prosperity of his clan.

The scholar from the Plum Glaze Nation felt disillusioned regarding his scholarly pursuit, but he wasn't short on silver coins, so he recruited some servants and horses and started to travel around the mountains and rivers. He became the target of a servant who coveted his wealth, however, and the ill-intentioned servant hatched up a plot with the two other servants to kill their master and run away with his wealth.

They almost succeeded in pushing the scholar off a cliff, and if it weren't for a good-hearted porter doing everything in his ability to stop the servants, it was very likely that the scholar who liked to noisily recite poems would have died before Chen Ping'an could step forward to help. If the scholar was pushed off the cliff and killed, his clan might struggle to even find his corpse afterward.

After stopping the servants, Chen Ping'an asked the scholar how he was going to deal with the servants and horses. The scholar was a peculiar person, and not only did he give the servants their agreed-upon pay, but he even allowed them to leave just like that. The scholar also said that he remembered their names and addresses, so if they dared to commit crimes again in the future and if he learned of it, he would punish them for both their current crimes and their future crimes — they might even be punished by death. The scholar only retained the porter who had saved him.

Afterward, he insisted on traveling with Chen Ping'an, changing his initial plans and traveling south with the group of three steeds.

It was love at first sight for the scholar when he saw Ma Duyi.

Chen Ping'an wasn't blind, and even Zeng Ye could sense the scholar's attraction to Ma Duyi.

Moreover, the scholar was very amateurish as he tried to cozy up to Ma Duyi, and he always looked for something to talk about even when there was nothing to talk about. He would purposely discuss profound matters with Chen Ping'an and criticize the current state of things, or he would compose poems with emotion as he gazed at lofty mountains and churning rivers.

Ma Duyi was extremely annoyed, and the scholar's actions caused her to consider asking Mr. Chen to summon her back inside the Fox Skin Beauty Talisman and place the talisman inside his sleeve for the first time. That way, she wouldn't need to see and hear the scholar anymore.

If it weren't for the scholar still keeping a modicum of decorum and not revealing or bragging about his background, Ma Duyi would have let loose a torrent of abuse and told the scholar to shut his mouth and keep his nonsense to himself.

The scholar was clearly from a noble clan in the Plum Glaze Nation, or else the sense of pride that was displayed through his speech and manners wouldn't be so mature. He wasn't someone who had become a champion scholar in the imperial examination in his twenties, and he had instead trained for three years in the Imperial Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Revenue in the capital before working as an official in the regions, working to correct all types of shortcomings in the officialdom of a county.

He had genuinely wanted to become a good official and be praised as incorruptible.

To say nothing of becoming an umbrella for the people, however, it was a shame that he was left with nothing but a bad reputation after he resigned from his position. His subordinates in the county office scolded him for being stubborn behind his back, what with his inability to obtain any benefits for the county office and its officials. All he ever did was put them through more work and hardships. Meanwhile, the wealthy clans and individuals in the region scolded him for being unfamiliar with the general affairs, while the commoners also scolded him for fishing for fame and reputation and wasting manpower and resources in the process.

The scholar had too much to drink as he lamented about things one day, and there were surprisingly tears brimming in his eyes as he forgot about pretending to be knowledgeable and successful in front of Ma Duyi.

Chen Ping'an didn't say too much about this.

He simply expressed his rough understanding of what he viewed as an incorruptible official or a good official. He roughly talked about the positives of the former and the challenges faced by the latter.

The scholar was dead drunk as he listened, and he was filled with indignation as he claimed that keeping a low profile in the officialdom was not the way to go. If things were taken a step further and he was forced to collude with others as they performed dirty deeds, then what was the point of becoming a scholar? What was the point of becoming an official?

A true scholar needed to rely on their knowledge and practical abilities to climb the ranks of officialdom one step at a time, eventually reaching pillar positions where they could flush out the filth and inspire change. Only this could be truly regarded as cultivating oneself and governing the nation. If a scholar failed to hold such ambitions, then they might as well give up on trying to become an official. Otherwise, they would fail to live up to the principles expounded in the sagely scriptures.

Chen Ping'an smiled and said that this was also a reasonable point of view.

He didn't try to persuade the scholar and change his views.

It wasn't that Chen Ping'an felt like his principles and reasons wouldn't get through, nor was it because he felt like the scholar's outlook on life was too childish and naive.

Rather, Chen Ping'an had personally witnessed the struggles and hardships faced by these types of scholars before.

Wu Yuan was the disciple of Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan, yet when he first became the county magistrate of Dragon Spring Prefecture, he still came across challenges and obstacles no matter what he tried to do. Were the large clans not afraid of Cui Chan? They were naturally afraid.

However, many people acted amicably on the surface and caused trouble in secret, giving Wu Yuan huge headaches as he tried to do his job as county magistrate. In the end, he had no option but to move out of the small town, making way for the direct descendants of the Yuan Clan and the Cao Clan.

Afterward, Dragon Spring County was elevated to Dragon Spring Prefecture, so Wu Yuan was naturally promoted from county magistrate to prefectural overseer along with this change. However, Chen Ping'an dared to say with certainty that Wu Yuan's image in the imperial court of the Great Li Empire had already fallen to a huge low.

Wu Yuan had a good background and a powerful master, so it naturally hadn't been difficult for him to enjoy a smooth sailing journey in the beginning. Yet, it was without a shadow of a doubt that he wouldn't enjoy a smooth sailing journey forever. Regardless of whether one was wealthy or influential, one would also feel frustrated and pained if one were to suffer the same difficulties as Wu Yuan.

In reality, Wu Yuan had also spoken from the bottom of his heart when talking to the descendant of a wealthy clan in the capital back then, explaining to that scholarly secretary the difference between asking people to write plaques for the scholarly temples and martial sage temples and asking clans to break the deadlock in Dragon Spring Prefecture. Goodwill didn't exist between just friends, and it also existed between descendants of the same clan. Moreover, this was a finite resource, so one would do well not to waste it away.

If the present Chen Ping'an were to hear this, he would perhaps sit down with Wu Yuan and enjoy a few drinks. Just this remark alone was worth a pot of fine wine.

Chen Ping'an had come across many hereditary officials in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, and these officials were confident that they could do well when they were sent out to the regions. In reality, however, many of them went from fame to mediocrity and eventually to complete obscurity.

Of course, there were also some who broke the rules and took shortcuts, allowing themselves to make short-term gains. The local officials would pinch their noses and accept the situation, but they would often resist in silence and increasingly discriminate against the hereditary officials from the capital. Their schemes became increasingly mature and sinister, and they treated the hereditary officials as fools to toy around with.

As such, Chen Ping'an felt apprehension toward Su Gaoshan who had gone from an impoverished country bumpkin to a great general, but he wouldn't look down on Cao Ping who hailed from a wealthy clan and had enjoyed an easy run through the officialdom either.

Ma Duyi was angered to death, and she was finally unable to contain herself any longer. She was just about to say something, yet Chen Ping'an shook his head and signaled for her to remain silent.

In reality, Chen Ping'an could understand the challenges faced by the scholar.

It was the same as what he had experienced in Bamboo Scroll Lake.

How should he treat Liu Zhimao, someone who should have been a mortal enemy whom he fought to the death? Should he become allies with this dangerous person? Should he work together with Liu Zhimao to establish new rules for Bamboo Scroll Lake? Things would naturally be much easier if he refused to work with Liu Zhimao. If he chose to work with Liu Zhimao, however, then he would definitely feel unhappy on the inside disregarding everything else that happened.

Indeed, there were some times when he stayed up late at night, questioning his own conscience and asking himself whether he was losing some of his conscience. Would there come a day in the future when he became the same as Gu Can, taking a single misstep and eventually walking down a path of no return? Would he unknowingly become the type of person that he once detested the most?

Chen Ping'an respected the scholar's choice.

He was a champion scholar who had a prosperous clan behind him, so perhaps studying and teaching for several decades to spread his principles throughout the world would be a better way to influence and change things than serving as an official?

Indeed.

That beautiful possibility was sitting right in front of the scholar.

Could Chen Ping'an bring himself to tell the scholar that he was wrong, and that he must work for the short-term benefit of the people in his small jurisdiction? Should the scholar go against his conscience and serve as a good official of the nation, yet strip the nation of a true scholar and teacher? There were many trade-offs between the two options, so Chen Ping'an didn't dare to say with certainty which option was correct.

These were complicated matters that Chen Ping'an had read in books and come up with during his contemplations.

Once upon a time, there were many principles that Chen Ping'an simply knew were good, yet didn't know why they were good. These were principles from Mr. Qi, A'Liang, Old Man Yao, and so on. They were recorded on his bamboo slips, and they were principles given to the world by all kinds of people. As time went on, these principles became clearer and clearer, and it was as if someone had located the starts and ends of these strands and made them increasingly evident and tangible.

Gatherings would naturally end in farewells.

Regardless of how much the scholar liked Ma Duyi, and how accepting he was of Ma Duyi's coldness and apathy, he still needed to return to the capital. After all, traveling around the world to indulge oneself wasn't befitting of a scholar.

Only when he bid farewell did the scholar mention his clan and background. After all, Mr. Chen naturally needed this information if he were to visit the scholar and share a drink with him in the future.

As it turned out, the scholar was the grandson of the head minister of the Plum Glaze Nation's Ministry of Works.

To enjoy drinks if there existed rapport, and to meet for drinks in the future if there was an amicable farewell — this was probably the ideal state of the cultivation world.

Zeng Ye was still unable to fully understand why Mr. Chen was willing to waste so much time with a dejected scholar, taking a detour of more than fifty kilometers to accompany him.

What did it matter even if the scholar was the grandson of a powerful head minister? Zeng Ye didn't feel like Mr. Chen needed to go out of his way to become acquainted with these mortal individuals.

It wasn't worth it.

To say nothing of Mr. Chen, even Zeng Ye himself wouldn't go out of his way to become acquainted with these people. Zeng Ye was a vagrant cultivator who was yet to reach the Middle Five Tiers, yet this attitude of his had nothing to do with his pride as a cultivator. Rather, this was due to his personality. If he came across the same people and the same matters, he would at most save the scholar and share a drink before bidding farewell.

However, Zeng Ye quickly accepted this outcome since it was Mr. Chen, after all. Hadn't Ma Duyi said to Mr. Chen's face before that he was too hesitant and indecisive? Zeng Ye also felt the same way, but in contrast to Ma Duyi, he felt like Mr. Chen was good just the way he was. When he reached the same cultivation base and achieved the same mental state as the current Mr. Chen in the future, perhaps he would also be willing to accompany that scholar for longer if he came across him again?

Zeng Ye's cultivation mindset underwent a formless transformation. In the beginning, he had insisted on holding onto Mr. Chen's sleeve as tightly as he could for the sake of living on. Now, however, he wanted to enjoy a fulfilling life even if he were to leave Mr. Chen's side in the future. He wanted to lead a slightly different life to those senior vagrant cultivators in Thatch Moon Island and even in the entire Bamboo Scroll Lake.

For example, show more patience to those mortals outside the mountains?

Zeng Ye definitely didn't have a thorough understanding of these matters right now, but he was at least starting to think about them.

The tall young boy most likely didn't know that the young man from Clay Vase Alley had also experienced the same journey, allowing him to become the bookkeeper that he was today.

1. This refers to statues of Guanyin sitting with his back facing the mountain entrance. This is to lament the inability of people to turn around and change their incorrect ways. ☜