Unsheathed

The Skeleton Shoal immortal ferry station was an important central hub of the Northern Complete Reed Continent's southern region. It was a bustling place where business was thriving, and Chen Ping'an couldn't help but look forward to the future of his own Ox Horn Mountain ferry upon seeing this.

As the ship began to approach the ferry station, the more impatient passengers were unable to wait for even a moment as they began flying off the ship en masse. According to the rules, passengers disembarking at the ferry station had to do so on foot, regardless of their cultivation base or status.

This rule applied to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, the Parasol Leaf Sect, and even Stalactite Mountain, yet things seemed to be different here. Even those who were following the rules were pushing and shoving those ahead of them, and the majority of the passengers were simply disembarking aerially atop flying swords, immortal treasures, or flying steeds, resulting in a chaotic rabble.

The administrators on the ship and those at the ferry station began swearing profusely at these people who were blatantly disregarding the rules, and a Sea Observation Tier cultivator with a particularly short temper at the ferry station lashed was unable to resist the urge to lash out, striking down a Qi refiner that was flying directly over him.

Chen Ping'an could only look on in shock and exasperation. If these people were behaving this way right under the Flax Robe Sect's nose, how lawless and chaotic were things going to be elsewhere?

Chen Ping'an wasn't in a hurry to disembark, and the old shopkeeper was still telling him about some places that he had to visit on the Skeleton Shoal. The shopkeeper was extending him the courtesy of introducing these places to him, so it would've been rude for Chen Ping'an to cut him off and leave. Hence, he continued to listen patiently.

He was intrigued by the chaos unfolding from the passengers disembarking from the ship, but ever since he was a child, he knew that it was rude to look around while someone was speaking to you in earnest, so he only took a few glances before returning his attention to the old shopkeeper.

Having run this shop for close to three hundred years, the old shopkeeper had seen countless people and developed a very sharp eye.

He quickly moved on from the previous subject, smiling as he explained, "Our Northern Complete Reed Continent appears very chaotic, but once you stay here for some time, you'll come to like it. It's true that you could end up with inexplicable vendettas, but there are also many people here willing to lay down their lives for friends that they've only just met. You'll come to find out all of that for yourself as you explore this continent."

A hint of irrepressible pride appeared on the old shopkeeper's wizened face as he spoke.

Chen Ping'an was reminded of someone upon seeing this, and a pang of sorrow welled up in his heart.

There had once been two women who had taken great pride in the fact that they lived on the Northern Complete Reed Continent, even though they had only been a pair of cultivators of the Lower Five Tiers and were only maidservants on the Ceremony Mountain immortal ship.