Chapter 757

Well, since someone invited us, that couldn't be better. Xing, let's go, let's go see together.

……

The two quickly arrived at Si Chen Palace; as soon as they entered, they spotted a flash of fiery red hair from afar.

Yin Zhi somehow also arrived at the sword-giving scene; seeing Yun Li, she couldn't help but start praising: "Please allow me to sincerely compliment you, miss; your beauty is like that of a pure, white oriole-tail flower."

Saying this, Yin Zhi lifted her eyes and turned to the other person beside Yun Li—

"Isn't this my close friend? Long time no see!"

Yun Li had never before seen someone start praising without even knowing their name; curious, she asked, "Who is this weird person?" She quickly realized her remark was rude and hastily corrected herself, "Ah, I mean, who is this knight..."

——

Assassin Wu Liuqi.

"Huh? Why is Yin Zhi appearing here? Is that reasonable?"

The one who just raised the question, Wu Liuqi, quickly reacted, "…No, why does Yin Zhi always suddenly appear anywhere?! When he first appeared on the Astral Express, he just showed up out of nowhere, and also in Pinokangni…… Is this guy really that elusive?"

"Hmm… If that's the case, then I know the conditions for summoning Yin Zhi."

Ji Daobao stroked his chin, then suddenly bellowed at the sky: "Pure beauty goddess Idelira, unmatched beauty——!"

The sudden sound startled Wu Liuqi so much that his barbecue almost shook off his hands.

"Wow! What are you doing?" Wu Liuqi rubbed his buzzing ears, unconsciously stepping back a few steps toward Ji Daobao, "And who can hear you shouting like that? They're currently busy on the Xianzhou; they have no time to reply to you."

Ji Daobao pushed up the small glasses on his nose, cleared his throat, and said: "Ah Qi, you wouldn't understand this, would you? The Pure Beauty Knights aren't just Yin Zhi alone; if any of the other Pure Beauty Knights heard us and were summoned, we could maybe ask them to directly take out the leader of the assassin organization."

The sky was clear as a mirror; besides a few birds flying across, nothing happened.

"If you think shouting for the Pure Beauty Knights will make them hear you, that's just ghost talk." Lan Minghua rolled his eyes at the two speechlessly, continued flipping his own barbecue, "To forge iron you need to be strong yourself; the simplest way to defeat an enemy is to improve yourself, instead of always thinking about asking others for help—if they don't come… aren't you going to blow up?"

——

"My name is Yin Zhi, I come from the Pure Beauty Knights, invited to join the Kalevala envoy as a member, escorting the sword 'Mika·Qiwasha' back to the Xianzhou." Yin Zhi bowed politely and said, "May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

Yin Zhi's courteous manner actually made Yun Li feel a bit embarrassed.

"... My name is Yun Li."

"What a beautiful name!" Yin Zhi placed her hand on her chest and immediately began preaching: "Have you ever heard the holy name of the pure and flawless Goddess Idelira?"

"Ah, Yun Li, you've come. Your news is quite timely… Anyway, in this situation, you must remember not to be rude." General Huaiyan, presumably having already learned this beforehand, quickly changed the subject.

Yun Li crossed her arms and let out a soft hum: "Rude, rude… I just got here, what rudeness could there be? Goodness, where in the world would you find a granddaughter as well-mannered as me?"

General Huaiyan couldn't argue with her, shaking his head repeatedly: "Forget it, forget it, as long as you notice this is a solemn occasion."

After saying that, he turned to the man in a suit and said, "Mr. Pavol, thank you for waiting; let's begin the sword-giving ceremony."

Pavol nodded and said to everyone, "Before the ceremony begins, please allow me to thank Knight Yin Zhi. Thank him for letting us learn the sword's origin, and for escorting it all the way, enabling us to fulfill our mission and arrive safely."

"I, Pavol Karasaga, on behalf of the Kalevala envoy, hereby return the sword 'Misha·Qiwasha' to the Xianzhou League; it originally came from the Xianzhou and should return to its homeland."

——

Harry Potter.

"This sword can choose its own king, and Yun Li happens to have the talent to communicate with the sword."

Ron narrowed his eyes, his body unconsciously leaning toward the lounge fireplace, "Would she possibly chat with that sword when she's bored, asking things like 'How to become a king' or 'What qualities are essential for a king'… Given time, she might even become a candidate for the Zhu Ming general."

"Don't dream about it; Yun Li's ambitions lie nowhere near here." Hermione said lightly, "She and Yan Qing are the same type—sword fanatics, with nothing but swords on their minds and in their hobbies; such people could never become leaders like a king."

"Besides, Ron, this sword is a treasure only a sword-duel victor can possess, and the way you're talking makes it sound like Yun Li could actually beat Yan Qing."

Although Yun Li may not necessarily win in the end, one can imagine she would certainly love such a "story-rich" sword; it's just unknown which Xianzhou craftsman forged it, yet it somehow has the ability to choose a king.

"Speaking of which, I actually find it a bit strange." Hermione narrowed her eyes, carefully examining the exquisite sword case in the sky canopy, "Can the Zhu Ming Xianzhou forge swords with self-awareness? I always feel their weapons differ from those of other Xianzhou… including that broken blade Ri once had, it feels almost alive."

——

"Thank you, Kalevala, for the righteous act of returning the sword, and thank you, Pure Beauty Knights, for your righteousness and valor; Huaiyan hereby borrows the treasure land of Luofu to formally welcome the sword back to its homeland."

Huaiyan gazed at the sword case beside him with a complex look: '"Mika·Qiwasha" is a fine name, surely related to all it has endured. Yet I still remember the inscription etched on it since its forging—"Lonely Cloud." It was crafted by the artisan "Guangming" of the Zhu Ming Xianzhou's Flame Wheel Casting Palace.'

"Wait… Guang, Guangming?"

Upon hearing that name, Yun Li's face changed with a swish.

"Although the blade is dust-covered and riddled with cracks, its core is as steadfast as the Xianzhou cloud riders, unbroken through countless battles. All it needs is a skilled artisan from the Gong Zao Si to repair and polish it, and it will regain its former glory."

Finally, General Huaiyan solemnly declared: "I decide to entrust this Lonely Cloud to the Luofu Gong Zao Si for repair, as the prize for the victor of the Luofu martial arts ceremony's defense of the ring. It will be used to slay fiends and protect the homeland, thus not failing the Kalevala envoy's earnest effort to return the sword."