Chapter 296: 305 Viewing

To be fair, the Sword Casting Conference organized by Zhuoyu Villa could not compare to the grandeur and splendor of the Rune Assembly at Longyuan; this was evident in every respect.

However, Zhuoyu Villa itself knew that their financial resources, strength, and foundation could not compare to Longyuan, one of the Seven Great Factions, so they dedicated themselves to finding another way.

The Sword Casting venue was arranged by Xue Yeyu and her two fellow disciples by hand; they did not let Tang Zhao or Jiang Shenyi intervene. Naturally, they did not bring the bustling, commerce-oriented atmosphere of the White Jade Brilliance into the venue either, but instead arranged it to be fresh, elegant, and solemn.

The venue was right by the swamp, built on a platform made of the same wood as the boardwalks. Half of the area below the platform was shallow swamp water, and the other half was a fine white sandbar. In the swamp, aquatic life like fish, shrimp, crabs, turtles, and crocodiles swam freely, while on the sandbar, water birds like white cranes, wild ducks, egrets, and pelicans rested leisurely; the movement and stillness were all natural.

On the platform, small half-moon-shaped tables were placed. The tables and chairs were all made of pine from the mountains, covered with thick brocade cushions, seeking comfort rather than luxury. The tables were not yet set for a banquet; they were first laid with clear tea, fruit platters, and some daily necessities. Besides that, only a small bonsai on the table rack served as decoration.

If there was anything truly unusual about all this, it was probably these bonsais. These were not fresh flowers or fragrant herbs in brilliant colors, but pots of lingzhi and Vermilion Grass. The lingzhi were like umbrellas, and the Vermilion Grass was bright in color. Although they were not necessarily ancient or extremely precious, they were fragrant, mixed with a faint scent of earth, which, when blended with the water vapor from outside the railing, diffused an atmosphere of empty mountains and spiritual rain. The red of the Vermilion Grass also provided a rare touch of festivity.

Everyone sat mixed together on the platform. There were no garish colors to dazzle the eyes, nor any excessive string and bamboo music to disturb the ears. One only needed to look at the water, sip tea, and enjoy the morning Sunlight; it was truly pleasant.

It would have been better if Xue Xianyun spoke a little quieter up there.

"When Azhao was twelve, he was only this tall. At first glance, the child looked silly, like someone who had read books until he became a fool. But I saw at once that he was a clever child, with hidden brilliance, extraordinary talent, and was both resilient and diligent. I said he would surely achieve great things..."

"When he was thirteen, he learned all the Primary Rune Formulas. I said, what are those fools who spend eight or ten years supposed to do? It's a pity your master wasn't bad when he was young. Some people are just dull-witted themselves; even if you gave them a genius, they wouldn't have the face to teach..."

"When he was fourteen..."

"That winter..."

As the Manor Master of Zhuoyu Villa, the originally scheduled main protagonist of the Sword Casting Conference, and the master of the current protagonist, Xue Xianyun certainly had to say a few words after the conference began. Everyone was mostly a worldly person; who hadn't experienced such a scene? Who wouldn't know how to pretend to listen carefully and then applaud to show support?

Who knew he wouldn't just say a few words—twenty sentences, two hundred sentences, and still not stop.

Among them, the most frequent topic was related to Tang Zhao, mostly recalling how genius this disciple was, how diligent he was, and how he himself had taught him. Interspersed were endless boasts, praising both Tang Zhao and himself.

It could only be said that it was fortunate Tang Zhao was a step behind, just talking to Xing Ji and not sitting under the stage listening to him speak, otherwise he would have wanted to dive headfirst into the water.

Moreover, he didn't just boast; he dragged others into it, saying as he went: "Do you know how long it took him to solve this problem? Only three days. Qi, I remember it took you half a year, right?"

An old man sitting below, who had only finished half his tea, stared at him in a daze.

"Actually, you were quite fast. Among that batch, there were plenty of people stupider than you. For example, Li Wu, Cheng, Xiao Du... haha, now he has to be called Old Du. You few were famous back then for..."

He rambled on further and further, and Xue Yeyu had to walk up and cough lightly.

Xue Xianyun finally gave his daughter some face and pulled the topic back, yet he was still gushing. Finally, Xue Yeyu glared at him again, signaling him to stop while he was ahead. Just then, Tang Zhao returned and took his seat. The protagonist had arrived; others should not steal the limelight, and the next segment could proceed.

Xue Xianyun finished up resentfully and hastily, saying: "I also wanted to ask one of Tang Zhao's teachers to come up and say a few words."

Xing Ji, who had just sat down to drink tea:...

Guan Lei, who was listening until he was drowsy:...

Xue Yeyu breathed a sigh of relief and said loudly: "Please invite Sword Master Tang Zhao to come up and place the sword on the Sword Rack. Everyone can come up to view it. If you have any doubts, you may raise them in person. If no one raises any objections, the Sword Casting is considered a success."

This was the most critical segment of the Sword Casting Conference. Logically, the moment the Sword Furnace went out and the sword took shape, the casting should be considered a success. However, that was only a success in the physical sense, not in the social sense. A truly complete success required the inspection of the crowd and the recognition of everyone.

If you say success is success and failure is failure, and I don't need to care about worldly opinions, that's fine too; then you don't have to hold a Sword Casting Conference. Hide alone in the deep mountains, cast your own sword and use it yourself; even the King of Heaven couldn't interfere.

However, a Sword Smith is not a Sword Guest. A Sword Guest relies only on one person and one sword, and strength can naturally determine who is superior. A Sword Smith, however, finds it difficult to compete head-on and requires reputation and resources; it is a proper "profession." Since one holds a Sword Casting Conference to boost reputation and attract more resources and "clients," one must naturally undergo the scrutiny and inspection of the crowd.

It is just that since it relies on the inspection of "people," it cannot be entirely fair. There are certainly friends and relatives who will flatter, and villains who will act out of jealousy.

If you don't want to let jealous villains turn black into white and interfere with the joy of the casting, you might as well screen the inspection targets carefully and eliminate hidden dangers in advance. Logically, this step should be carried out before the Sword Casting Conference. One only needs to invite friends and relatives to boost the atmosphere and then choose a few "sages" of high virtue and prestige to show fairness. It is very rare for an occasion like Zhuoyu Villa's to invite enemies and rivals.

Sure enough, hearing that it was the sword inspection segment, those who had just been mocked by Xue Xianyun's barbed words all perked up, waiting only to go up and find fault, secretly thinking that even if there were no problems, they would find one.

Xue Xianyun had long been watching with cold eyes, arms crossed, not afraid at all.

Tang Zhao saw there was nothing else to say, breathed a sigh of relief, and walked up holding the sword, placing the Initial Sword on the already prepared Sword Rack. After placing it, he stood to the side, his heart still surging.

The Initial Sword had no name, only that wisp of dark golden radiance facing the Sunlight.

Xue Yeyu raised her hand and said: "Please invite the Prefecture Assistant and the Deputy Garrison Commander to come up."

It turned out that several proper officials from Yunzhou were sitting under the stage at this time. Most were the chief assistants of Dongshan County and Jichun City. They did not come from the Reception Hall, but were specially picked up from the foot of the mountain by Jiang Shenyi early this morning. Yunzhou producing a Sword Smith was a big deal; it was actually worth the local Prefecture Governor coming in person. But the chief officials of a county or city could not leave their posts at will, let alone come to a barren mountain like Jiugao Mountain where even birds didn't lay eggs, so they could only send their deputies. As for Jichun City sending the Deputy Garrison Commander of the Land Inspection Division, it was to give Tang Zhao face; after all, the Land Inspection Division had nothing to do with such matters and could have completely skipped it.

The Prefecture Assistant was a scholar in his fifties who looked like an official, and in fact, was an official. He stood up with a smile and said: "Good, this official hasn't seen a sword up close yet." After saying this, he walked slowly with an official's gait to take the lead in viewing it.

Behind him was the Deputy Garrison Commander of the Jichun City Land Inspection Division, surnamed Chi, who was only in his early thirties. Compared to the spirited martial officers of the usual Land Inspection Division, this guy looked decadent and listless. Tang Zhao knew, however, that this was still him giving him face; he had at least tidied himself up and changed into clean clothes. Otherwise, according to his usual temperament, reeking of alcohol, disheveled, and walking with a sway as if he could fall down and be unconscious at any moment, he would be a shameless drunkard.

Deputy Envoy Chi passed by Xing Ji and smiled: "Lao Xing, shall we go up together?"

Xing Ji also smiled: "You old rascal, have you drunk until you've lost count again? Who are you calling Lao Xing? I am a commoner now and am no longer in the same rank as you. You go first; I can see that sword whenever I want."

Deputy Envoy Chi laughed: "You speak as if I can't see it whenever I want. Isn't Xiao Tang a member of our Jichun City Garrison?"

At this time, the Prefecture Assistant had already arrived in front of the sword, his eyes scanning the sword up and down, unable to make heads or tails of it. Finally, he only asked: "Can I touch it?"

Xue Yeyu thought to herself that this person understood nothing and was about to refuse, but Tang Zhao had already smiled and said: "You may."

Xue Yeyu froze for a moment and glared at Tang Zhao, meaning: "Are you crazy? The sword has no Sword Guest now. If he touches it casually, whose will it be if it matches?"

Tang Zhao smiled without a word, and Xue Yeyu could not go back on her word to the Prefecture Assistant. The Prefecture Assistant touched it with curiosity, and nothing happened, because he was just a man of letters and didn't even have Inspiration.

But this touch of his seemed to have opened a switch, and others among the guests couldn't sit still—if the Prefecture Assistant can touch it, why can't I? How about I go up and touch it in a while?

What if it matches?

This was also the reason for Xue Yeyu's anxiety: if you didn't intend to find a Sword Guest for the sword, you couldn't let people touch it casually. Although the possibility was small, what if someone present matched with it?

Naturally, even if it matched, you didn't have to give it to them. As long as they didn't become a Sword Guest, theoretically, it wouldn't count as a success. This sword was cast by Tang Zhao, and he could make the decision. However, the person who matched would become a source of unrest. Before, they didn't know if it could match, and there was only a one-in-a-million possibility, so most people wouldn't take such a big risk to cause trouble. But if it really matched, and there was a sword that could truly change their destiny right in front of them, who could guarantee what these martial artists who licked blood from the edge of a blade would do?

Wasn't this looking for trouble?

However, she had no choice now. Deputy Envoy Chi also came up. He didn't touch the sword, and it wouldn't have mattered if he did, because he was already a Sword Guest. He just smiled at Tang Zhao and said: "Is this your sword?"

Tang Zhao smiled: "Exactly."

Deputy Envoy Chi clicked his tongue and said: "A sword of one's own is like one's own wife; you're too generous to let people touch it casually. Be careful your wife runs off with someone else."

Tang Zhao smiled: "She can't run."

Deputy Envoy Chi said: "That's true. With so many eyes watching for you, where could she run? Bring your sword tomorrow and have a drink with the brothers at the Garrison."