Chapter 155: 149 The Sword Smith Has Arrived

The young and handsome Sword Smith, accompanied by one male and one female attendant, followed the lackey to the foot of the mountain. A lackey who had been keeping watch at the foot of the mountain was already waiting on the road, and he said respectfully, "Honored guest, please ascend the mountain."

The Sword Smith lifted his chin slightly, flicked his sleeve, and said, "I ascend the mountain? With no one to receive me, how am I to ascend?"

Just as he was speaking, a light suddenly lit up on the mountain.

The light originated from the mountaintop, traveling all the way down, getting closer and closer, and becoming increasingly dazzling.

It was the most blinding light in the world—the light of gold!

A road paved with gold was seen spreading down from the mountain, resembling a winding, flowing river of gold, flowing all the way to the feet of the Sword Smith.

The golden road undulated, forming steps, and the final step stopped precisely in front of the Sword Smith's feet. Each step was piled together from individual small gold ingots.

Paving the road with gold—what kind of display was this? Even the old Emperor might not have enjoyed such a thing.

Then, someone on the mountain called out, "Young Master, you have finally arrived. You have kept this Ai waiting for quite a while!" A man was seen running down from the golden steps as if flying, cupping his hands in greeting from afar.

The Sword Smith scrutinized the man approaching. He saw that the man was thin and tall, with a haggard appearance, and seemed to have little Spirit. Although his face was piled with smiles, no matter how one looked at it, it was a forced smile. His clothes were incomparably luxurious, with brilliant brocade, dangling gold beads, and gold trim inlaid on his hat. The golden light reflected on his face, making his complexion look sallow and his state of health even worse.

Ai Xin also sized up this Sword Smith whom he had invited with a heavy price. He saw that the Sword Smith was very young, looking less than twenty years old. His handsome features carried a hint of arrogance, his eyes were bright and flowing with brilliance, and his spirit was soaring. He could not help but nod secretly. Aside from being too young, he was basically the image of a mysterious and noble Sword Smith family young master that he had imagined.

The young master returned the greeting nonchalantly, examined Ai Xin, and suddenly said, "Your complexion is quite poor. To think you can still hold on until now."

It was as if Ai Xin had been punched in the face. His teeth chattered, bloodshot veins filled his eyes, and he was almost about to lash out. But, thinking of this person's identity, he forcibly held it back and chuckled dryly, "That is why I have invited you here to resolve my worries and difficulties."

The young master said calmly, "Whether I can resolve your difficulties depends on your situation." He paused and added, "And your sincerity."

Ai Xin said hurriedly, "I have sincerity, I have sincerity. It has long been prepared for you."

Although his expression was sincere, the bloodshot veins in his eyes had not faded in the slightest, as if they had been painted with a layer of fresh blood. The hand inside his sleeve was tightly clenched into a fist, his fingernails digging into his flesh.

The young master did not look at him and walked upward.

Upon reaching the mountain, he saw golden light shining before his eyes; a golden mountain stronghold had been built against the mountain.

Looking closely, the stronghold was not entirely pure gold. Instead, every wall and every tile was covered in mottled golden scars. From afar, it looked like a sheet of golden light, oppressively wealthy, but up close, it felt ugly and eerie, as if a perfectly fine house had been splashed with several buckets of gold paint from head to toe.

Seeing this, the young master turned his head and said, "Was this also built specifically for me?"

Ai Xin was speechless for a moment. The young master shook his head and said, "To have lost control to this extent, and yet you still..."

Ai Xin suddenly flew into a rage and roared, "Shut up!"

With a *swish*, a long, golden-glittering sword was unsheathed. Ai Xin pointed it at the young master and hissed, "I spent a fortune to invite you here, not to have you throw cold, sarcastic remarks at me left and right! Even if you are a Sword Smith, I am a Sword Guest! You... you better cure me... otherwise I..."

The young master was completely indifferent to the long sword and said slowly, "Otherwise, you just 'retire the sword,' what else can you do? What, are you waiting to become a Power Sword? I'm afraid you don't have that ability." He casually pushed the blade aside with his bare hand, causing Ai Xin to shrink back. The young master continued, "You also know how difficult it was to find me. If it weren't for the fact that it was on the way to the Spring Talisman Assembly, would you have been able to see me? If you miss this opportunity, you can say goodbye to your sword."

Having said that, he flicked his sleeves and walked inside. Ai Xin trembled slightly on the spot, finally panting as he followed. Such a big Sword Guest, yet after walking a few steps, he seemed like an unexercised fat man, gasping like an ox.

Inside the great stronghold, there was not a single living person, only golden statues, each in different forms, mostly with strange postures and even more uneasy expressions. Anyone who saw the expressions of those gold statues head-on would naturally feel a sense of terror.

The young master paused slightly and said, "Are there any living people left in the stronghold?"

Ai Xin said, "They all ran away. I wanted to keep one to serve me, but unfortunately, they were too afraid." He glanced at the young master and, after a great effort, swallowed a sentence:

"If you cannot help me, these people will be your fate."

The two of them spent a great deal of effort to find a room that had not been polluted by gold, and they sat opposite each other.

The young master reached out and said, "Let me see your sword."

Ai Xin's expression shifted. He held the long sword in his hand and was about to turn the hilt toward the other party, but he was unwilling to let go. Finally, he said, "Tell me first, can you fix it?"

The young master reached out, grabbed the golden blade, and said, "If you don't let me see it, how would I know?"

His speech always carried an unquestionable tone, and his actions were without hesitation. This high-and-mighty posture really made Ai Xin afraid to act rashly.

As soon as he grabbed the blade, the blade immediately emitted golden light, and viscous golden water flowed out, wanting to spread onto the young master's hand. The young master's hand was covered with a layer of white-gold Sword Essence, like armor, keeping the golden light at bay.

Seeing this, Ai Xin was both disappointed and secretly delighted. He was disappointed that he hadn't taught this arrogant Xiaobai a lesson, but secretly delighted that this young master had real ability; he was indeed worthy of being a renowned Sword Smith from one of the world's seven great Sword Smith factions.

The young master held the sword edge and said, "Release the Sword Image and let me see."

Ai Xin said nothing. With a slight shake, a flash of golden light appeared at the blade, and a gold ingot popped out.

The gold ingot was brilliant with golden light; its shape, color, and quality were exactly what people loved most. Moreover, after jumping out, it hopped around in the air, very lively, as if the ingot had become a spirit.

Suddenly, the gold ingot paused in the air, and a crack appeared on its golden surface.

Almost simultaneously, one could hear the "Crack!" sound of the ingot splitting.

Seeing the crack widening, Ai Xin hurriedly shook his hand and retracted the ingot.

From the descent of the Sword Image to its retraction, it only lasted for a short three breaths.

This was even worse than before. Ai Xin felt incomparably frustrated and turned to glare at the young master. Seeing him about to curl his lip, he thought that if this young master uttered one more sarcastic remark, he would risk offending him and punch that handsome face.

Who would have thought that the Sword Smith, after seeing this, would turn his head very calmly and say to the two male and female attendants behind him, "You two go out first and close the door." He then looked at Ai Xin and said, "Is it still safe outside? My people will stay out there for a while, don't let the golden trash you've created contaminate them."

Ai Xin tried hard to calm down and said, "No problem... I can still hold on for a while. I will solidify the overflowing golden water now, you all can go out with peace of mind. If your Master can cure me, all the gold outside will be rewarded to you."

The two of them showed no sign of gratitude; they just bowed to the Sword Smith and exited on their own. Thus, in the vast stronghold, only two attendants and a lackey remained outside the room, while inside the room remained the composed Sword Smith and a half-mad Sword Guest.

It was now near evening, and the sunset shone in from outside. The afterglow reflected on the young Sword Smith's face, and he said calmly, "Since you sought me out, you must know your own state. To put it bluntly, it's nothing much. A sword and a Sword Guest are not always in harmony. Sword Intent is innate to the sword, while the Sword Image is born because of the Sword Guest, but it is also influenced by the Sword Intent. Therefore, the state of the Sword Image mostly reflects the relationship between the sword and the Sword Guest. Some Sword Images are full of vitality, some are mediocre, and some are on the verge of shattering. And once the Sword Image shatters, your fate with the sword is at an end."

The so-called "fate is at an end" basically results in a few outcomes: either the Sword Guest voluntarily retires the sword, retaining a portion of Sword Essence and perhaps even inheriting some Sword Art, with strength between a Loose Practitioner and a Sword Guest, but never being able to advance further, while the sword loses its Sword Image and seeks another Sword Guest. Or, the Sword Image shatters, and both parties suffer a backlash; the Sword Guest is severely injured, the sword body is mostly damaged, and the two have no further connection. The most tragic is that both perish together, becoming a Power Sword.

Ai Xin certainly knew the serious consequences. He had asked many people on Baixiong Mountain, and not only did he fail to solve the problem, but he also made his predicament known to everyone. Baixiong Mountain was a place where the strong preyed on the weak; once he showed weakness, he naturally could not stand his ground, so he had to make a desperate gamble and run to Jiming Mountain. He pulled strings to invite a Sword Smith to help him repair it, and the gifts he had prepared had already exhausted his entire fortune. If he couldn't succeed, then simply let no one have a good time, and let them all perish together.

The Sword Smith remained unhurried and said, "To adjust back to the right track, either the person changes, or the sword changes. But although a sword has spirituality, its essence is a dead object and cannot be easily changed. It is more convenient for the person to change."

Ai Xin gritted his teeth and said, "I... I cannot change."

The Sword Smith said, "How do you know you can't if you haven't tried..."

Ai Xin flew into a rage again, slammed the table, and roared, "Stop talking nonsense! How do you know I haven't changed? How much have I tried, how much have I changed, and what a great price I have paid—how would you know?"

The Sword Smith said, "You don't look like you've tried hard. What is your Sword Intent?"

Ai Xin was stunned. He stared at the young man in front of him, his eyes filled with murderous intent, clearly considering whether the other party was asking out of pure stupidity or malicious probing.

One must know that all information regarding a Sword Guest's sword should be kept confidential. Although the Sword Image is kept secret, it is inevitably exposed during combat, so it is not considered particularly classified, and it doesn't matter if others know. But Sword Intent is the foundation of a sword and must never be easily told to others. Too much information can be inferred from Sword Intent, and it might even involve life and death. Having stayed on Baixiong Mountain for a long time, Ai Xin absolutely knew the principle that "without secrecy, one loses their life." His vigilance was extremely high. If someone had suddenly asked this on the mountain, he would have definitely slashed them with his sword.

This Sword Smith came from a great family; surely he couldn't be ignorant of the rules. Could it be that he was probing on purpose...

He heard the Sword Smith holding the sword edge, saying calmly, "Is it Joy?"