Unsheathed

In the light autumn drizzle...

Chen Ping'an took a slight detour and arrived outside the temple of a formal god that the imperial court of the Colorful Garment Nation had just entered into the genealogical records. He confidently strode inside.

It was time for the autumn harvest, and it was very early in the morning as well, so there were few worshippers to the mountain god temple that had been built atop the ruins of an illegal temple.

Chen Ping'an took off his bamboo hat and shook off the raindrops before stepping over the door threshold.

He no longer concealed his fist intent and aura on purpose.

The mountain god immediately appeared in his godly body form, and the tall and burly martial general suited in armor walked out from his painted divine statue. The mountain god was filled with unease as he cupped his fists and bowed in greeting, saying, "This minor god pays his respects to Esteemed Immortal."

Chen Ping'an smiled faintly and said, "Pardon my intrusion, I've come here to ask a simple question. Are any cultivators in the nearby immortal forces coveting the spiritual energy of that estate?"

He didn't speak using the official dialect of the Colorful Garment Nation, nor did he speak using the official dialect of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. Instead, Chen Ping'an spoke using the official dialect of the Great Li Empire.

Due to the current state of affairs, understanding the official dialect of the Great Li Empire was necessary for all of the mountain gods and river gods in the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. There was an awkward smile on the mountain god's face, and he was just in the process of coming up with an acceptable explanation. However, the young sword immortal with a terrifying aura surprisingly put on his bamboo hat and said, "Then I'll trouble Mr. Mountain God with looking after the estate."

The mountain god felt like he had just experienced a brush with death, so he immediately replied in a solemn voice, "I don't dare to say that I'll look after the estate, but please rest assured that I'll maintain a good relationship with Yang Huang and his wife. Better a close neighbor than a distant relative, after all. I understand what I need to do."

Chen Ping'an cupped his fists in thanks before he left, smiling and reminding the mountain god, "Just pretend that I never came."