Chapter 80: Blades and Swords Have Eyes

"Hmm." He Chunhua shook the notebook in his hand. "A trophy scavenged from his body."

With the help of the Great Wind Army spirits and the monsters, the Black Water City army had finished off Sun Fuping, and He Chunhua would never pass up the chance to loot the former State Preceptor's relics.

He Yue asked curiously, "What else is written in the notebook?"

"Supernatural arts, elixirs, and strange objects—the so-called demonic arts." He Chunhua put the notebook away. "I had hoped to see if there were any records of military secrets."

He Lingchuan was also curious: "Were there any?"

"No."

Once he had eaten his fill, He Lingchuan stood up to take his leave.

Just as he walked out of the garden, Uncle Hao followed him and said sincerely, "Many thanks, Young Master."

He Lingchuan knew he was thanking him for killing Nian Songyu and avenging the Kite Demon, so he waved his hand dismissively. "A small matter! That dog-bastard surnamed Nian wanted to kill me too, but unfortunately, he didn't get his wish."

The days that followed were calm and peaceful.

He Lingchuan went back to being an idle rich kid, with people treating him to food and drink, surrounded by a crowd of fair-weather friends. Whenever he went to a teahouse or opera house, people would inevitably crowd around to praise Young Master He for his peerless bravery—daring to enter the forbidden zone, saving his teammates, and killing the rebels; every feat was something an ordinary person could never accomplish.

In these past few days, Zeng Feixiong and the other officers who returned from the adventure had all received generous rewards. Once they had money, they naturally wanted to go out and spend it in the city; after all, it's better to share the joy than to enjoy it alone. Thus, the story became increasingly bizarre and fantastic as it passed from mouth to mouth.

Naturally, the two men, Sun and Nian, were described as lecherous and cunning, the type with sores on their heads and pus on their feet, while the He father and son were described as brilliant and heroic, leading the Black Water City army to challenge the Wild Sand Season and battle the vengeful spirits of Panlong City, only to return in triumph.

He Lingchuan was certain that the number of young maidens and wives casting flirtatious glances at him on the street had increased by more than twofold.

Heroes love beauties, and how could beauties not love heroes? It was a pity, though, that the cultivation technique he practiced did not allow him to break his vows.

This day, Zeng Feixiong introduced him to a blacksmith shop. It was said that this shop had been passed down for five generations, and the weapons of the Black Water City officers were all customized and maintained here.

He Lingchuan went in and placed the broken blade on the counter: "Can you fix this?"

The proprietor of the shop was a red-faced man with a thick beard. He picked up the broken blade and was moved at first sight: "A good blade, and a vicious one! In the ten-plus years I've been in this trade, this is the first time I've seen such a vicious weapon. Even broken in two, it still looks like it wants to devour someone."

Seeing that the two were a bit bewildered, he explained, "This is the blade's heart refusing to die. It's like a toothless tiger; it still has sharp claws and a powerful frame, and ordinary people still can't beat it."

He didn't touch the edge, but sniffed it twice: "This blade has eaten at least several hundred people."

"Probably five or seven hundred," He Lingchuan laughed. "This is the personal blade of Zhong Shengguang, the Commander of Panlong City."

Only then could Zeng Feixiong get a word in: "This is the eldest son of the He household."

Young Master He's heroic deeds had spread throughout Black Water City as if on long legs. Who would have thought that the blacksmith, not knowing this, would wave his hands repeatedly after hearing it: "Forgive me, but I cannot repair this treasure. Not just me, but the entire Black Water City—no, the entire Qiansong Prefecture—probably no one can do it."

He Lingchuan's expression darkened: "What do you mean?"

Perhaps because their temperaments matched, the more he looked at this blade, the more he liked it, and he didn't want it to sit idle.

To put it bluntly, just based on the label of "former possession of Zhong Shengguang," once repaired, it would be worth a fortune.

"Legend has it that divine artifacts have spirits. Although this blade hasn't reached that level, it has drunk so much human blood that it is entangled with vicious energy, and over time, it has developed a tiny bit of dim consciousness. This is called the blade's heart, or the blade's eye." The blacksmith picked up the precious blade and pointed to the broken edge for the two to look closely. "Look at the cross-section; isn't it smooth and moist, as if mercury were flowing?"

He even shook the blade slightly.

Zeng Feixiong stared without blinking, then nodded repeatedly: "Indeed!"

He had handled dozens of weapons, but this was the first time he had seen a cross-section like mercury.

"The saying 'blades and swords have no eyes' refers to ordinary weapons. If they break, they break; you just heat and forge them again, or at worst, melt them down and recast them." The blacksmith smiled bitterly. "But once this precious blade of yours is melted down, the blade's heart cultivated over time will be gone. If you only repair it, it will never accept ordinary iron; it requires not only the owner's blood but also Yu Gold."

"Yu Gold?" He Lingchuan felt the name sounded familiar. He carefully searched the original owner's sea of consciousness and actually found relevant information. "The Yu Gold that legend says is only produced in the Kunyu Mountains and is used exclusively for casting divine weapons?"

The original owner had heard storytellers talk about it in the teahouse, more than once or twice.

"Exactly. I haven't heard of any place in Qiansong Prefecture that has such a treasure."

He Lingchuan tapped his fingers on the table, looking troubled.

Just as Zeng Feixiong thought he was going to give up, Young Master He pulled a short pestle from his robes: "Take a look, will this work?"

Zeng Feixiong was shocked: "Isn't this State Preceptor Sun's personal staff?" Did this young master want to destroy one intact treasure to repair another?

He cautiously reminded him: "Young Master, this staff is worth a fortune." The Prefect had been reluctant to give it away.

He Lingchuan scoffed: "So what if it's worth a fortune? If I can't use it, why keep it?"

He and He Yue had carefully read and tested the instructions provided by He Chunhua, but the staff was too arrogant and completely unresponsive to any commands.

Its previous owner was a State Preceptor; having seen the best, its standards for choosing a new master were naturally high. Given Sun Fuping's abilities, if not for the fact that his status as State Preceptor had been nullified, if not for the Panlong Secret Realm suppressing his cultivation, if not for being ambushed several times by He Lingchuan and his group with city-defense crossbows, and if not for the Great Wind Army spirits joining the battle, how could the Black Water City army led by He Chunhua have taken him down? As for the treasure choosing a new master, it clearly didn't want these two weaklings as its masters.

He Lingchuan certainly wouldn't indulge such a high-and-mighty, foul habit.

If he couldn't have it, he would destroy it. Wouldn't it be better to use it on the broken blade that he felt a connection with? He shoved the pestle into the blacksmith's hand. "Look closely, is this beast head made of Yu Gold?"

On the expedition, Sun Fuping's followers had boasted that the head of the State Preceptor's staff was cast from Kunyu copper, a treasure that money couldn't buy. He Lingchuan guessed that this must be Yu Gold.

Of course, those followers had already been hacked to death by He Chunhua, but their words still rang in his ears.

The blacksmith was also astonished by Young Master He's wealth; he had casually taken out something that was a small goal commoners couldn't achieve in several lifetimes.

He took the precious pestle and observed it carefully, then took out some medicinal liquid from somewhere, dripped a few drops on it, and rubbed it repeatedly. After appraising it for a long time, he finally looked up and said, "Young Master, this is indeed Yu Gold, but I cannot use it here."

"Are you messing with me?" First he said it couldn't be repaired without Yu Gold, and now that he had the Yu Gold, he still couldn't repair it.

(End of chapter)