[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-borrowing-the-sword":3,"chapter-borrowing-the-sword-borrowing-the-sword-chapter-1":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Borrowing the Sword",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":18,"prevChapterSlug":19,"totalChapters":20,"novelImage":21},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":12,"translator":16,"content_hash":17},2214201,3888,"Chapter 1: The Year of Gengxu","borrowing-the-sword-chapter-1",1,"\u003Cp>The Year of Gengxu\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the year of Gengxu, a great drought struck Song Guo. For a thousand miles, the earth was scorched, and the rivers ceased to flow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, no one found this strange. After all, it had not rained in Song Guo for seven hundred years; no matter what year it was, the drought remained the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that what the Empress said? Then... what were the Crown Prince's instructions?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His Highness said nothing.\" Second Madam did not hide the worry between her brows. \"He seemed very sorrowful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Ruan residence in Yongkang Ward of the Song capital, a husband and wife sat facing each other with furrowed brows. Second Madam stood up and paced behind her husband, gently pounding his shoulders and back. \"Master, what do you think... is this marriage proposal truly impossible to decline?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Master Ruan pondered for a long time before sighing, \"I fear the visitors have ill intentions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This matter still needs to be discussed with the Eldest Master,\" Second Madam said in a low voice. \"If we could entrust the Immortal Master Chen to mediate, there might still be room for negotiation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You see the surface but not the underlying reason,\" Second Master Ruan shook his head and sighed. \"The three great Immortal Sects jointly guard our great Song, and they must maintain each other's face. If it were the high Daoists from the Pan Immortal or Jade Creek sects, Immortal Master Chen’s word would naturally carry weight. But now, the one meditating in the Song capital is the High Master Liu of the Lingxiao Gate. Immortal Master Chen has rarely come to the capital since High Master Liu took office. If we entrust this to Immortal Master Chen, I fear it will only be counterproductive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Madam naturally understood the logic and could not help but stomp her feet in a long sigh. \"Must we really marry Rong-gu off?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Master forced a smile. \"This is not necessarily a bad thing. Rong-gu is talented and beautiful, and the Crown Prince is of immortal grace and jade bone. The two have known each other since childhood and are fond of one another. Rong-gu is your daughter; you know in your heart that there is no one else in her heart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Madam had no patience for the affections of young children. She shook her head. \"No, no. Even if it is a perfect match, it cannot be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pulled her husband along to find Eldest Master Ruan. As it happened, Eldest Master Ruan was teaching Ruan Ci to read. Second Madam said, \"Ci-gu, you are a good girl. Why haven't you gone to hold the talisman yet?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Ci blinked her eyes, showed the wooden talisman on her chest to Second Madam, and smiled. \"My talisman power is still sufficient. Thank you for thinking of me, Aunt.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Guo had not seen rain for seven hundred years; the rivers were dry and the crops had failed, so people had to hold talismans to avoid dust and boil jade to drink. These were the two most important things for the people of Song. Every village had to be established near a spiritual jade mine. As soon as children learned to speak, they were taught to hold talismans first, then to learn right from wrong. The Ruan children held their wooden talismans every three days. Second Madam calculated that it was just about time for them to go, but she did not expect Ruan Ci's wooden talisman to be filled with green light. She felt a slight surprise, but it was a small matter, so she laughed it off. \"Then go find your sister Rong to play—wait, come back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She plucked a piece of spiritual jade from her purse, placed it in Ruan Ci's hand, and smiled. \"Eat it. This is a fine thing bestowed by the palace. It tastes sweet when dissolved in the mouth. It is called sweet jade.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual jade dissolved upon entering her mouth, turning into a pool of sweet, clear water that seeped into her throat, feeling exceptionally nourishing. Ruan Ci ate one piece but dared not ask for more. She walked and stopped along the pavilions until she reached Ruan Rong's residence. Entering the room, she smiled. \"Sister Rong, where are the others? Why are only you and Brother Qian here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is exactly the time for holding the talismans, so they have all gone to the Talisman Shrine.\" Ruan Rong had been sitting cross-legged, chanting scriptures. Seeing her arrive, she called her to her side and made a gesture for silence. \"Be quiet. Brother Qian has already felt a sense of Qi—look at his talisman.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Ci looked closely. The wooden talisman on Ruan Qian's chest flickered with green light, gradually strengthening. It was indeed a sign that his talisman power was growing. Ruan Qian sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, observing his nose and heart. His handsome face seemed to be shrouded in a layer of green light, a mystery difficult to describe. She could not help but feel envious and asked softly, \"Is this what you call the sense of Qi?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably, how would I know?\" Ruan Rong was also a bit confused, then quickly held up a finger and shushed her. \"You are not allowed to speak of this to outsiders—I do not want to be a Talisman Master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Ci thought, what is wrong with being a Talisman Master? Every year in Song Guo, countless people went out, and when their talisman power was exhausted, they could not get a Talisman Master to hold the talisman for them, and they were sucked dry to death by the fierce fire miasma. The great merchants of Song Guo all supported Talisman Masters; without a Talisman Master accompanying them, merchant caravans could not go out to trade. Even in a great family like the Ruan family, if a child became a Talisman Master, it would surely be a source of pride. Sister Rong probably did not want to be a Talisman Master because Talisman Masters never married. Sister Rong was determined to be the Crown Princess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she became the Crown Princess, she could eat the sweet jade from the palace. Thinking this way, Sister Rong's intentions were reasonable. Ruan Ci took a piece of spiritual jade from her purse and held it in her mouth. This water jade, used daily, did not dissolve like sweet jade but slowly seeped out water. Ruan Ci said with a mouthful of jade, \"It seems something has happened at home again. Just now, Second Aunt came to find Eldest Uncle with a very urgent expression. As soon as she arrived, she sent me to find you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Rong frowned. \"Did you hear anything?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They didn't say anything. Second Aunt stared at me until I walked far away before turning back. You know, Sister Rong, your mother doesn't like me very much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Rong said it was nonsense, but Ruan Ci did not care. She looked around, not seeing any box for sweet jade in the room. She sighed in disappointment and said, \"The day before yesterday, in the school, I vaguely heard that someone wanted to make a move against our family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a major event should not have reached the ears of a young girl like Ruan Ci, but Ruan Rong did not find it strange. Song Guo had been in a great drought for seven hundred years; spiritual jade mines were dug and replenished, but they appeared here one year and there the next, and there were always times when the supply could not meet the demand. For hundreds of years, great families had been trampling on each other. Children like Ruan Rong and Ruan Ci had lived in such turbulent situations since birth, and the turbulence had become their stability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard that the spiritual jade mine of the Zhou family in the north ran dry this year,\" she said in a low voice. \"The Zhou family invited an Immortal Master to investigate, but even if they set off now, they won't make it in time for this year's harvest. The three northern provinces have had no harvest this year... I'm afraid the Zhou family has taken a fancy to our family's Earth Jade Pendant and wants to borrow it without returning it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Ci exclaimed, forgetting about the sweet jade for a moment, her brows furrowed with no solution. \"This... what should we do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both young girls were only in their early teens. Ruan Rong was two years older, but she had also grown up in the deep boudoir; how could she have any ideas? They just discussed it in low voices, becoming more panicked the more they talked. Ruan Ci was tearful and made Ruan Rong swear that if something happened, she would definitely take her along to escape—in the struggles of the great families of Song Guo, losing meant the destruction of the entire clan, and few survivors could escape. Even if they did escape, one only needed to guard the local Talisman Shrine; without talisman power to protect the body, the fire miasma would strike, and they would die all the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Rong was even more frightened by Ruan Ci's words. As the two were entangled, Ruan Qian finished his cultivation and stood up, laughing. \"What are you two chirping about? It's all nonsense. Wait until I complain to Uncle and Aunt, and you'll be punished—why haven't you gone to hold the talismans? Even if your talisman power is sufficient, you still have to go through the motions. Otherwise, if the Talisman Master Lady asks, how will you explain?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he was from a side branch, he was a few years older than the two girls and had the air of an elder brother. He took the two young girls to the Talisman Shrine, not forgetting to relieve their worries on the way. \"Why worry about the Zhou family's affairs? Everyone in the world knows that our Ruan family is different from others. The Ruan bloodline is the most precious, and we have intermarried with the Heavenly Family for generations, our bloodlines fused—have you forgotten what plaque hangs in our ancestral hall?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven hundred years ago, when Song Guo was founded, the Ruan ancestor was the sworn brother of the founding Emperor. When the Emperor was plotted against and his heart was dug out, and the situation was critical, the Ruan ancestor cut off the Emperor's left arm and his own right arm, connected their bloodlines, and irrigated the Emperor's heart pulse with his own heart blood until the high-level protectors retrieved the heart. This story became a celebrated tale known to all under heaven. After the founding, the Emperor bestowed the plaque \"Left and Right Arm, Bloodline Connected,\" and the Ruan family also took pride in their own bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew that the Ruan family's bones and blood were the most precious, and this was also the Ruan family's ancestral teaching. Although the Ruan family's main branch was not populous, the Ruan blood was noble. Regardless of closeness, the side branches were chosen based on talent. Ruan Qian was from a side branch, but because he was capable and had extraordinary talent, he was looked upon differently and taken into the inner courtyard to study. For hundreds of years of family struggles, the Ruan family had relied on these endless bloodline talents to remain prosperous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Ruan blood is noble, a drop is worth a thousand gold,\" Ruan Qian said enthusiastically. \"The ancestor and the founding Emperor were blood-sworn brothers. As long as the two families' bloodlines continue and the alliance remains unchanged, what family could threaten our Ruan family's status? It's nothing more than pulling and tugging, wanting to plot some benefits from our family. These are all matters for the elders; don't worry about it anymore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the two young girls were Ruan daughters and had heard of their ancestors' glory since childhood, Ruan Qian spoke in such detail that they were both captivated. Ruan Ci said hesitantly, \"This... is it all true? I don't really believe it. How can there be such strange things in the world? If there were, why haven't we seen them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had grown up only hearing of Talisman Masters, not Immortal Masters. The Talisman Masters of Song Guo could only do one thing: make talismans and infuse them; there were no other wonders. Ruan Ci had vaguely heard that there were Immortal Masters with deeper cultivation in the palace, but what could Immortal Masters do? She could never imagine it, thinking in her heart that they were probably just more powerful Talisman Masters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These things naturally exist!\" Ruan Qian said affirmatively, but he could not explain why those mysterious methods were no longer seen in the world, so he had to blame it on time. \"It's probably because talisman power has gradually weakened, and the Talisman Master's classics have slowly been lost, leaving only the most important 'Pure and Dust-Avoiding Scripture' to be passed down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Pure and Dust-Avoiding Scripture\" was a scripture that everyone in Song Guo had to study. This scripture concerned the fate of the entire country. If one could comprehend talisman power from it, at the very least, one could protect oneself, and at most, benefit the local community. Children in Song Guo read the \"Dust-Avoiding Scripture\" after learning to read, and it often took ten or more years of chanting to comprehend a trace of talisman power. Ruan Rong and Ruan Qian were both like this. Ruan Rong had other aspirations and did not want to be known, while Ruan Qian was steady and would not show himself without full confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Ci had also read the scripture for ten years and had never felt a trace of anything unusual. She walked behind her brother and sister, feeling unhappy. Ruan Qian used the Earth Pendant passed down through the Ruan generations as an example, saying, \"Besides, one can see from this treasure that there must be great Talisman Masters. This Earth Pendant is probably a different kind of jade talisman.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Earth Pendant could gather earth energy and harmonize the heavens. The Ruan family's annual bumper harvests were all due to the protection of the Earth Pendant. This was naturally a good thing, but Ruan Ci always felt that things would not be so simple. Now that the world had become so bad, a treasure like the Earth Pendant would naturally become more and more coveted. Even if the Ruan family had deep roots, they were not the Emperor after all. In her opinion, she feared that even the Royal Family coveted such a treasure. The stories Ruan Qian told were pleasant to hear, but they were things from seven hundred years ago. Seven hundred years, thirty generations, who could still remember the friendship of their ancestors?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words were too discouraging; she did not want to say them, but she could not smile either. Judging from the expressions of her brother and sister, they probably also knew that this was just self-comfort. But the fate of the Ruan family was not something that a few young boys and girls could decide. Saying too much only increased anxiety, so they had to talk about some ethereal past. Ruan Ci did not answer, and the few walked silently for a while. Ruan Qian suddenly shouted, jumping in place a few times, and said, \"Sigh! Why be so worried? What the ancestors left behind is not just some plaque or jade pendant! The Ruan blood is noble, not because we saved some founding Emperor. Our Ruan family was originally just farmers in Song Guo, daring to fight and struggle, keeping our promises, only then did we make a career in troubled times. All of this flows in the blood of our Ruan children. In all the states and prefectures under heaven, who doesn't say our Ruan family is the most fair, and who doesn't want to work with our Ruan people? Even if there are more hardships ahead, our Ruan children will just have to charge forward! Sighing and sighing, it's a disgrace to the ancestors' blood flowing in our bodies!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Rong could not help but shout \"good\" upon hearing this, but Ruan Ci felt a mix of emotions and forced a smile. Fortunately, the Talisman Shrine was ahead, so the three stopped talking and walked in, holding their breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>#\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can you hold the precepts?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can you hold the laws?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can you hold your heart?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lying before the Talisman Master and saying \"I can\" three times, her shoulder was touched by a whisk, and the wooden talisman on Ruan Ci's chest shone brightly. The Talisman Master said, \"You came early.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not care, however, and waved his hand at Ruan Ci. Ruan Ci found a meditation cushion, sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and muttered the \"Pure and Dust-Avoiding Scripture,\" \"Vague and indistinct, dark and mysterious...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After chanting for a while, she could not help but let her mind wander. She wondered how Ruan Rong and Ruan Qian found talisman power from this nonsensical scripture. She also thought about what the three questions of the Talisman Master meant. What precepts, what laws, and what heart? Did the Talisman Master really know what she was thinking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably not. Talisman Masters in Song Guo all had to apprentice to learn, holding precepts and laws to make talismans, acting all mysterious. But Ruan Rong could use talisman power just by reading the scriptures herself. When she infused talisman power for Ruan Ci, even the Talisman Master did not notice anything wrong. This showed that the three questions were probably all fake. Who knew what ulterior motives were behind them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a young girl, her mind full of rebellious thoughts, Ruan Ci lowered her head and muttered the scripture, her head gradually nodding. She did not know how much time had passed when the sound of a bell came from afar. She nodded violently, almost falling to the ground. Fortunately, she supported herself with both hands, hurriedly rubbed her eyes secretly, turned her head, and craned her neck to look. \"Who is here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems like a distinguished guest has arrived,\" Ruan Rong whispered, then said, \"Sit properly, you have no manners.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of bells, drums, and chimes lasted for a full half-quarter of an hour before stopping. Everyone knew that a distinguished guest must have arrived, and their hearts were somewhat restless, only pretending to chant scriptures. Ruan Ci counted the bell tolls in her heart—every spring, the Royal Family sent envoys to celebrate the spring, and at that time, the bell would toll ninety-one times. Today, the bell tolled a full one hundred and eight times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the arrival of an Imperial Envoy would require the mansion to prepare for several days. With such high status and such a sudden arrival, something major must be happening. Ruan Ci's imagination ran wild, and she wished she could crawl into the Eldest Master's mind. She was an adopted daughter of the Ruan family, with no one to rely on in the mansion, and only because the Eldest Master loved her could she grow up in the inner courtyard with the direct descendants like Ruan Rong. The Eldest Master treated her very well, teaching her to read and understand reason. Ruan Ci thought that although these things would not be told to the children, perhaps the Eldest Master would reveal a hint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as she was thinking this, footsteps came from afar. Several stewards walked quickly with their hands hanging down and asked loudly, \"Is Ci-gu here? The Master invites you, hurry, hurry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Ci was confused and, unable to help herself, was surrounded by stewards and servants, taken back to her room to dress up, and brought to the main hall to kneel and receive the decree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Congratulations to Ci-gu! Pure gold and unpolished jade, flower-like face and moon-like appearance, the Crown Prince has personally selected you to be appointed as a concubine in the palace!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Ruan Rong had been selected, she would definitely be the Crown Princess, and the ceremony would probably be several times more grand than it was now. Ruan Ci was an adopted daughter, and her status was different, so she could only be a concubine. She had met the Crown Prince, but she was not as familiar with him as Ruan Rong. Ruan Ci was very surprised. She thought in her heart, I'm afraid Second Aunt will like me even less. She always felt that I stole the limelight from Rong-gu. Now that her dream of being the Empress was shattered, how should she face her in the future?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Updated, so happy! I have been reading cultivation novels for so many years, and cultivation novels are one of my favorite categories. Finally, I have started writing my own cultivation novel!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It will probably be updated daily around 12 o'clock. Although there are many saved chapters, this story will be written for a long time, and there will always be times when I cannot write, so let's not squander the saved chapters easily. And each chapter is very long, so I hope everyone can enjoy reading it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the new novel, please comment and subscribe~ I think the most charming thing about cultivation novels is the free, romantic, and magnificent imagination, and the focus of this novel is probably on this. To be honest, I really hope to see everyone's comments when I write, which is more important to me than the money earned from subscriptions. In short, I hope everyone will discuss more~~ This is a great motivation for me! There will be red packets for comments within 24 hours of this chapter!\u003C\u002Fp>",3639,"2026-06-17T08:12:04.341Z","Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","e691725eafb0d72004ee23539592825426a02cf068540332188b2a1d6b29c466","borrowing-the-sword-chapter-2",null,286,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fborrowing-the-sword-cover.jpg"]