Unsheathed

Chapter 413 (2): Refinement

The commencement of the Thousand Elders Banquet was imminent, but the atmosphere in the capital city of the Great Sui Nation was a little peculiar.

Cai Feng had taken leave with the Ministry of Astronomy, but he was nowhere to be seen in the Cai Manor.

For some unknown reason, the new Zhuangyuan, Zhang Dai, hadn't been seen at the Imperial Hanlin Academy for a very long time.

It was said that Vice Commander Song Shan of the Infantry Commander's Office had paid a visit to the Ministry of Justice.

All types of rumors were running rampant in the imperial court and among the common folk.

One day, late at night, the Great Sui Nation's Minister of Rites, who was also serving as the mountain master of Mountain Cliff Academy, had paid a visit to Assistant Mountain Master Mao Xiaodong. The location for their meeting wasn't Mao Xiaodong's study. Instead, it was the Scholarly Master Hall, where three Confucian sages were being worshiped.

Mao Xiaodong didn't speak to Chen Ping'an about this matter in detail, but a little past midnight, he had departed from the academy with Chen Ping'an to pay a visit to the Confucian temple in the capital city. Compared with their first visit, he had asked for even more from the Confucian temple, and he was able to leave with many ceremonial artifacts that contained scholarly fortune.

After returning to Eastern Splendor Mountain, Mao Xiaodong led Chen Ping'an to the mountain summit, then pulled out that jade tablet to preside over the academy as its sage.

Chen Ping'an pulled out over thirty of the natural treasures that Mao Xiaodong helped him prepare, and the final two items had also arrived, namely a thousand-year-old water ox horn, and a saber that had been used by a martial sage. The martial sage had since passed away and was being revered in a martial sage temple in the capital city of one of the nations in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent's central region.

Mao Xiaodong hadn't hidden any details from Chen Ping'an when it came to the collection of these materials. Instead, from the very beginning, he had readily shared pieces of information such as where the natural treasures had come from, their prices, and any special characteristics that they possessed.

Due to the fact that Fan Junmao had prepared everything for him back when he refined his water seal in Old Dragon City, this was the first time that Chen Ping'an had been made aware of all of this information, and he finally understood why the refinement of bonded items was such an expensive and time-consuming endeavor for Qi refiners.

In order for the average Qi refiner to succeed in this endeavor, not only did they require an immense amount of wealth, they also had to rely on luck. If luck were against them, or they were missing a vital item, then that would result in progress in the refinement process completely stalling. On the path of cultivation, time was always of the essence, so such a delay would undoubtedly be extremely frustrating for Qi refiners.

Even if luck were on one's side, that still didn't mean that the process would be easy to carry out. As an example, once one found a suitable item for refinement, the next step would be to create a list of all of the auxiliary items required for the refinement process.

However, even if they could encounter all of these items, how were they going to make those items their own? Itinerant cultivators mostly relied on taking things from others by force. In order to justify their actions, they would often say that the fact that they were able to claim those items for themselves meant that the heavens wanted them to have those items in the first place.

As for established immortals, they would mostly acquire those items through purchases or by asking favors of others, borrowing immortal currency to fund their purchases, or exchange for items with other items. If they didn't have those favors that they could call upon, then they could purchase items from places like the Ganoderma Inn on Stalactite Mountain or the Cloth Wrapper Shop on Ox Horn Mountain, albeit for rather exorbitant prices.

This wasn't even the worst-case scenario. In some cases, certain items were almost impossible to source, and once an immortal shop came into possession of such an item, they would hold an auction for all potential suitors. If one had to resort to attending one of these auctions, then they would have to spend at least twice the expected sum for whatever they were looking to purchase.

There were even some people who intentionally tried to spoil these auctions for others. Once they identified someone who was absolutely determined to obtain the auction item in question, they would place bids that they had no intention of following through on in order to inflate the final price to an infuriating level just to annoy others.

In those cases, something worth a single lesser heat coin could easily be bid up to three or four. The question would then become whether one was willing to swallow this bitter pill and pay this extremely inflated price. If they didn't, then it was unclear when they would be able to encounter the same item again, and the refinement of their bonded item would be indefinitely delayed.

The closer immortal sects were located to one another, the more fierce their rivalry would generally be. Which sect would be willing to stand by and watch as their rival sect gained a new cultivator of the Middle Five Tiers, particularly an almighty earth immortal? Perhaps the situation wouldn't necessarily devolve into a fight to the death, but there would certainly be a great deal of bad blood accumulated between those sects.

Hence, after Mao Xiaodong finished collecting all of the natural treasures, Chen Ping'an felt both relieved, but also a little concerned.

How was he going to refine his third bonded item?

According to his plan, he would already be on the Northern Complete Reed Continent by then.

Was he going to have to change his plans? Perhaps he should gather up what remained of the Great Li Empire's compensation in the wake of that battle in Old Dragon City, then sell everything in his possession to fund the refinement of his third bonded item on Downtrodden Mountain before traveling to the Northern Complete Reed Continent?

Chen Ping'an heaved a faint, internal sigh, and he could tell himself that this was a concern for another time.

He still hadn't even successfully refined his scholarly core yet, so it was too early to be thinking about refining a third bonded item. The right thing to do now would be to focus his efforts on the task at hand and ensure that he refined this second bonded item as perfectly as possible.

With that in mind, he focused his attention before bringing out the Five-colored Golden Box Cauldron that he had obtained from the Azure Tiger Palace on the Parasol Leaf Continent.

After that, he silently recited the item refinement mantra that had been gifted to him by the Burial River Goddess.

Mao Xiaodong remained silent the entire time.

There was no benefit in speaking excessively.

Cultivation was highly individualized, and even a Dao mentor could only be expected to provide very minimal guidance.

Even a Dao guardian wouldn't interfere with the process. At the very most, they would only do everything in their power to preserve their subject's cultivation foundation if they were to fail in their bonded item refinement.

With all of the natural treasures laid out before him, Chen Ping'an suddenly raised his head, casting his gaze toward Mao Xiaodong as he said, "There's a question that I've always been meaning to ask you, Mountain Master Mao."

"Go ahead," Mao Xiaodong prompted.

"Why are there only seventy-two Confucian academies on the nine continents of the Majestic World instead of, say, seven hundred and twenty? Is it because it's unachievable for the Confucian temple on the Middle Earth Divine Continent, or is it because the Paramount Sage didn't want to do this?" Chen Ping'an asked.

Mao Xiaodong was silent for a moment, then replied, "I'll only give you my personal answer to that question for reference. It may not be correct, but it can serve as a possibility for you to understand this world, is that alright?"

"Of course," Chen Ping'an replied with a nod.

Mao Xiaodong continued, "I've discussed this matter with someone in the past. There most likely aren't many people who still remember this, but a very long time ago, even before the battle between third and fourth, a place that had been revered as a perfect nation at the time was established on the Pure White Continent under the suggestion of a certain old ancestor of one of the four great teachings.

“The idea received strong support from the Liu Clan, and it was also approved by the Second Sage. The nation's population was just over ten million, and there were no Qi refiners, none of the Hundred Schools of Thought, nor even the Three Teachings there. No one was wanting for food, clothing, or shelter, and everyone received an education.

“All of the teachers taught content from the four great teachings and the Hundred Schools of Thought, but they did their best not to divulge any of the foundational tenets of those schools of thought. The material that was taught came primarily from the Confucian classics, while the other Hundred Schools of Thought acted as a secondary source of material."

Mao Xiaodong paused momentarily here.

Thus far, he had been speaking extremely slowly and meticulously, to the point that he was feeling some strain from the endeavor.

"Were all of the schoolteachers carefully selected academy virtuous and noble scholars?" Chen Ping'an asked.

"Of course not," Mao Xiaodong replied with a shake of his head. "That would completely defeat the purpose. In that case, even if the experiment were to succeed, the customs and traditions of that nation would only spread across the continent that it was on at the very most, while the other eight continents were left to starve.

“There would be no point in taking the scholarly fortune of eight continents to support the welfare of a single continent. For this experiment, the Liu Clan prepared in secret for close to forty years under the supervision of many authoritative powers. Everything that they did had to be approved by the representatives of the Hundred Schools of Thought.

“Even if a single person were to object, then the proposed measure could not be implemented. That was the only rule that the Etiquette Sage had mandated, and the only time that he appeared in this entire process was to establish this rule."

"Was the final outcome not a desirable one?" Chen Ping'an asked.

Mao Xiaodong nodded in response.

"If the experiment had yielded a favorable outcome, then the battle between third and fourth wouldn't have happened."

Chen Ping'an fell into deep thought, pondering why the experiment could've failed, but he couldn't think of anything.

"Why is it that between the Paramount Sage and the Etiquette Sage, one placed great emphasis on the importance of virtues and morality, while the other established specific rules to be followed?" Mao Xiaodong asked. "During my discussion with that person, I also asked them why the Paramount Sage and the Etiquette Sage were still willing to tolerate the Hundred Schools of Thought even after Confucianism had solidified its status of unmatched authority in the Majestic World.

“Why didn't they ensure that Confucianism was the only teaching made available to the people? That person's response struck me with a sense of enlightenment and made me realize just how enormous the world was. Their response was that the Dao Ancestor was observing the singularity, and that was why it was possible to move the remnants of that catastrophe to the Sword Qi Great Wall.

“Similarly, our Majestic World hadn't slaughtered all demons, and the Buddha had only left behind a prophecy, stating that an era that's devoid of principles will inevitably arrive. When that time comes, monks will continue to have shaved heads and wear kasayas, but their actions will no longer reflect the rules that they supposedly uphold. What do you think are the objectives of those three?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head in response.

Mao Xiaodong continued, "That person told me that they didn't know the answer, either. However, they speculate that perhaps it's in the hopes of giving all living beings of the world freedom of the truest sense, a type of freedom that can be attained without having to pay any additional price. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I do not," Chen Ping'an replied in a truthful manner.

Mao Xiaodong smiled as he said, "For now, there's no need for you to pursue answers to these types of questions."

He then rose to his feet and raised one foot, keeping it suspended roughly an inch in the air, following which he raised it a little further two more times as he said, "As long as you take the time to absorb the foundational tenets and true meanings behind everything that you learn, and ensure that you're progressing in a patient and steady manner, no matter how high you ascend, your heart will never waver.

“Don't worry about all of the other irrelevant nonsense. At the very least, that's how us scholars should be."

Chen Ping'an thought back to what he had discussed with Yao Jinzhi on that mountain summit in the Great Quan Empire, the conversation about large and small circles, and a knowing smile appeared on his face as he said, "That I do understand."

"Do you really?" Mao Xiaodong asked as he sat back down with a smile.

"I do!" Chen Ping'an reaffirmed with a confident nod.

Mao Xiaodong extended a hand forward as he declared, "The timing, environmental, and human factors are all there, you can begin refining your bonded item now."

Chen Ping'an closed his eyes before taking a deep breath, while the golden scholarly core hovered peacefully in mid-air before him.

As usual, Chen Ping'an didn't rush to "ignite the flame" with his martial artist True Qi. Instead, he began reminiscing about that event that had taken place in his ancestral residence on Clay Vase Alley during his youth.

The second day of the second month on the lunar calendar was said to be the day that the dragon raised its head, also known as the Longtaitou Festival...

That was roughly the starting point of Chen Ping'an's journey.

Back then, he was still yet to encounter many people, but he had since encountered all of those people one after another.

He didn't find his fist technique practice tiresome, and he found reading books to be every bit worth the time and effort.

Upholding a philosophy of speaking sense and reason to others wasn't always the most satisfying thing, but it allowed him to maintain a clear conscience with no regrets.

I really have come a long way, haven't I? Looks like Ning Yao was right to have chosen me!

"Rein yourself in! You're getting too carried away!" Mao Xiaodong scolded in a stern manner, and he was so incensed that he almost swatted Chen Ping'an on the head with his ruler. "Even if you have a girl that you like, you should only think about her after you've successfully refined your bonded item! When that time comes, you can think about her as much as you want, but for now, you need to keep your priorities in check!"

A sheepish look appeared on Chen Ping'an's face as he hurriedly refocused his attention on the task at hand.

————

While Mao Xiaodong and Chen Ping'an were seated across from one another on the summit of Eastern Splendor Mountain, Dong Jing was also seated across from Lin Shouyi elsewhere in the academy.

Heaven and earth had fallen stagnant, and the flow of time was beginning to display signs of materializing. Dong Jing's brows furrowed slightly as he could see that Lin Shouyi's spark of inspiration was about to subside. He swept a sleeve through the air to create a small world, but that was clearly quite a strenuous task for him.

"Don't get distracted," Dong Jing warned in a stern voice. "Just like when it comes to reading books, being able to completely immerse yourself in profound, sagely texts is a good trait to possess, but being able to pull yourself out of that state of immersion is even more impressive. Otherwise, you'll remain a pedantic bookworm for the rest of your life, and you'll never be able to resonate with your sagely predecessors!"

Lin Shouyi nodded in response.

"Don't try to rush things," Dong Jing continued. "Strive to open up two more bonded acupoints, but don't try to rush in making a breakthrough. When it comes to cultivation for followers of Confucianism like ourselves, one's cultivation aptitude isn't the most important thing. Confucianism is already the dominant teaching in the Majestic World, so cultivation for Confucianists ultimately boils down to the accrual of knowledge.

“Let me ask you this, Lin Shouyi: why is it that even though there are so many people in the world who are well-versed with the principles espoused in books, they often still lack a sense of direction and can even go astray?"

"They don't understand the foundations of the principles that they read, so they naturally don't know how to apply those principles in practice," Lin Shouyi replied. "For such people, even the most profound teachings will be wasted on them, and all they'll do is turn around the bite the hand that fed them, complaining about how terrible and incorrect those teachings are."

"That's only half-correct," Dong Jing said. "In reality, many sagely principles were never designed to hold much tangible substance. Instead, they merely aim to provide the reader with a safe harbor in which their hearts can take refuge. Let's discuss one particular sagely quote here."

Lin Shouyi immediately sat up straighter as he prepared for the discussion ahead.

"A sage once said that a man is not a tool. What is the meaning of this? How is this interpreted by the School of Rites? How is it interpreted by the Pure Confucian Chen Clan? How is it interpreted by Swan Lake Academy? How is it interpreted by the Tongcheng School of the Azure Phoenix Nation? And how do you interpret it?"

Lin Shouyi was very confident, and he was just about to answer this string of questions when he suddenly noticed that Dong Jing was looking out the window, seemingly very distracted all of a sudden.

Lin Shouyi hesitated momentarily, but he could tell that Dong Jing had no intention of turning his gaze away from the window, so he turned to look out the same window as well.

As a result, he spotted a head hanging outside the window.

"Cui Dongshan, what are you doing?!" Dong Jing yelled in a furious voice.

An innocent look appeared on Cui Dongshan's face as he replied, "I was worried that Lin Shouyi would raise some questions that you wouldn't be able to answer, and that would be really awkward for you, so I'm here to help you if required."

"Get out of here!" Dong Jing yelled as he pointed a stern finger.

The matter of Dao mentorship was one of great importance, so Dong Jing was naturally furious that the session had been interrupted by a pesky rat!

Cui Dongshan was grabbing onto the windowsill with both hands, and his feet were levitating above the ground as he asked, "Will you beat me if I don't go?"

Dong Jing took a moment to compose himself, and he was just about to threaten Cui Dongshan by bringing up Mao Xiaodong, but Cui Dongshan had already released the windowsill and vanished out of sight.

Dong Jing gave a cold harrumph, yet right as he was about to turn his gaze back to Lin Shouyi, Cui Dongshan jumped up to reappear at the window as he chortled, "I'm back!"

"Cui Dongshan! Are you not ashamed to be doing something so childish as a Nascent Tier cultivator?!" Dong Jing yelled.

"How else am I going to stave off this crushing boredom?" Cui Dongshan countered in a justified manner.

"Are you trying to pick a fight?!" Dong Jing exclaimed as he sprang to his feet.

"A gentleman settles conflicts with words, not actions," Cui Dongshan replied with a shake of his head.

Dong Jing began storming toward the window in a fit of rage.

Very few cultivators of lightning techniques were mild-manner individuals, and Dong Jing was no exception.

Cui Dongshan immediately pushed off against the wall, drifting back through the air as he waved Dong Jing farewell, while Lin Shouyi looked on with a wry smile.

Dong Jing remained standing at the window, waiting for a long while even after Cui Dongshan had departed before finally returning to Lin Shouyi.

As it turned out, Cui Dongshan really had departed this time, and he went to visit several classrooms and dormitories. He caught Li Huai sleeping during one of his lessons, and he woke the little brat up with a few firm flicks to the forehead.

He then stopped the flow of time and sat down onto a table in front of a young woman from a wealthy clan in the Great Sui Nation, then arranged her hair into a style that he felt like was more suitable for her. After that, he went to spy on a beautiful young woman who was sitting in her dormitory, reading through a romantic novel in secret, and he picked up a brush and some ink before blotting out the most spectacular and raunchy parts of the story...

It was abundantly clear that Cui Dongshan really was extremely bored.

After wandering around aimlessly for a while, Cui Dongshan took a glance at the scenery on the summit of Eastern Splendor Mountain, then returned to his own courtyard, where he laid down to sleep on the bamboo walkway.

Shi Rou was able to move around freely, while Xie Xie was struggling to move, even after the final Dragon Restricting Nail had been removed from her body. However, she was still able to sit on the steps and experience the profound intricacies of the river of time.

All of a sudden, Cui Dongshan sprang to his feet from a prone position without any warning, giving both Xie Xie and Shi Rou a massive fright.

He had suddenly recalled the gesture of intimidation that Li Liu had made to him at the entrance of the academy some years ago.

It had seemed like she was a completely clueless young girl that had no idea who she was threatening.

Cui Dongshan laid back down onto the ground with a dull thump, punching the air repeatedly as he murmured to himself, "So she's the ruler of the cultivation world. No wonder she was so arrogant."

Cui Dongshan closed his eyes to continue his nap, while Xie Xie and Shi Rou directed their eyes to the summit of Eastern Splendor Mountain in unison.

For some reason, the flow of time there had taken on a golden hue.

However, Shi Rou only took a fleeting glance at the summit of Eastern Splendor Mountain before turning her gaze back to Cui Dongshan.

On that day, when Chen Ping'an said that he needed more time to think, she had clearly seen tears streaming down Cui Dongshan's face as he stood with his back facing Chen Ping'an.

Cui Dongshan was clearly already sound asleep, but he suddenly snapped his fingers, and Shi Rou's stomach instantly began to rumble like thunder as she was overcome with a sensation that she hadn't felt in several centuries.

Cui Dongshan turned to her with a sly grin as he warned, "You better not go in my courtyard. Hurry up and find a lavatory! Otherwise, either you kill me with your stench, or I'll beat you to death!"

Shi Rou flew away with a look of grief and indignation on her face.

Cui Dongshan rolled back and forth on the walkway over and over again as he mused, "Where else are you going to find such a thoughtful young master that helps you wipe down the walkways, Xie Xie?"

Xie Xie could only humor him as she replied, "Thank you, Young Master."

Cui Dongshan laid on his stomach on the walkway, paddling his arms and legs through the air as he swam from one end of the walkway to the other, then turned back around and began paddling in the other direction.