Unsheathed

Dawn arrived, and Chen Ping'an and the others finished packing their luggage and prepared to leave the Purple Sun Residence.

Sect Master Huang Chu and two elderly Dragon Gate Tier immortals personally saw them off, accompanying them all the way to the bank of the Iron Plate River. The river god of the incense temple had already prepared an immortal ship for them, and they needed to travel downstream for fifty or so kilometers before disembarking at a ferry station and continuing their journey to the border of the Yellow Court Nation.

Chen Ping'an expressed his gratitude to Huang Chu, after which Huang Chu retrieved a newly crafted sandalwood box — one that adopted the style of renowned study room antiques in the Yellow Court Nation — saying that it was a small gift from the old ancestor.

Pei Qian had a stern expression, pretending that she didn't care about this at all.

Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment before eventually deciding to accept the small box that contained four valuable treasures from the Purple Qi Palace, saying, "Sect Master Huang Chu, you definitely need to visit Downtrodden Mountain if you go to the Dragon Spring Prefecture in the future."

Afterward, Chen Ping'an raised the box of valuables and joked, "I won't have any valuable gifts for you, nor will I have Old Flood Dragon Yearning Wine like those served in the banquet at the Vast Snow Hall. I'll only have some home-style cooking to offer you. Perhaps Sect Master Huang Chu won't want to say hi to me even if he visits the Dragon Spring Prefecture."

Huang Chu smiled faintly and replied, "If I have the opportunity to visit the Great Li Empire, I'll definitely find a chance to visit Young Master Chen even if I don't visit the Dragon Spring Prefecture."

They happily chatted with each other, and Huang Chu accompanied Chen Ping'an and the others all the way to the immortal ship docked at the bank. Huang Chu initially wanted to board the immortal ship and accompany them all the way to the ferry station, yet Chen Ping'an insisted again and again that this wouldn't be necessary. Only then did Huang Chu give up on the matter.

Chen Ping'an walked to the bow of the immortal ship after boarding, and the Sword Nurturing Gourd by his waist was filled with Old Flood Dragon Yearning Wine as the ship slowly sailed downstream. This was a wine brimming with spiritual energy. Chen Ping'an cupped his fists in the direction of the Purple Qi Palace.

Standing on the top floor of the Purple Qi Palace was a tall and slender woman who had activated an illusion technique. She was none other than the Cave Spirit True Lord Wu Yi, and after seeing Chen Ping'an's gesture, she smiled and remarked, "Inviting him was easy, and sending him off wasn't too difficult either."

She was in a fairly good mood.