The firelight flickered, and figures moved about in the vast underground palace.

Two women, who appeared to be dressed in ordinary clothes, walked briskly in the dim light.

The others around them, all dressed in black, stood in an orderly fashion and bowed respectfully upon seeing the two women.

Two young women, in the prime of their lives, walked deeper into the underground palace. The further they went, the more numerous and brighter the torches became.

You can clearly see that although this is a dark underground palace, it is meticulously built and laid out. It is a small space that does not show wealth, but it exudes a sense of refinement.

A woman sat at a stone table, her brows slightly furrowed. She was also dressed in black, which covered her shapely figure. Although she was middle-aged, she still had a charming appearance. Her long hair was as black as ink, and her sorrowful look exuded a captivating allure.

The torches on the rock face made a soft sound, and footsteps approached from afar. Before the two girls could reach the woman, she opened her eyes, and a fierce look appeared on her cold and beautiful face.

"The mission failed," she said coldly.

The two girls looked troubled and lowered their heads. One of them, who looked more immature, seemed very unwilling.

She said with dissatisfaction, "Aunt Xin, this isn't our fault..."

"Mengxin!" another girl shouted.

Aunt Xin sneered, stood up and looked at the two of them: "Ten of the best assassins and the best weapons were assigned to you, and you failed the mission, so you still have something to say."

Mengxin looked like she wanted to say something, but another girl grabbed her arm.

"Guo Yan, you speak," Aunt Xin said sternly.

The girl named Guo Yan didn't rush to speak, but instead took off the small package behind her.

She placed the package on the stone table, unfolded it, and revealed the broken blade inside.

Aunt Xin was slightly taken aback and asked in surprise, "This is..."

Guo Yan looked bewildered: "Aunt Xin, these are our best weapons. We lost two people and two of our top-notch weapons in this mission."

Mengxin pouted, looking aggrieved. Aunt Xin stopped blaming them and remained silent for a long time.

She reached out and picked up the broken blade on the table. The silver blade looked as if it had been cleanly severed, the break smooth and neat, which was chilling.

"What was it that cut it?" Aunt Xin frowned, put down the broken knife, and looked at it with endless confusion and disbelief.

“It is a longsword,” Guo Yan said truthfully.

"A longsword?" Aunt Xin stared at a certain spot, then sat down with a somewhat bewildered expression.

Seeing that she had stopped throwing a tantrum, Mengxin finally couldn't help but say, "That sword looks so special! I've never seen such a beautiful sword before."

Aunt Xin suddenly turned to look at her and asked urgently, "Is the sword covered with cloud-like patterns? And is its color like ice?"

Guo Yan was surprised, and Meng Xin blinked, exclaiming in amazement, "Yes, Aunt Xin, it's as if you saw it with your own eyes!"

Aunt Xin slumped down, a bitter smile on her face: "I never thought I'd see the Cloud Pattern Ice Sword in my lifetime."

"A cloud-patterned ice sword?" Guo Yan asked in confusion.

Aunt Xin said with emotion, "You are young and naturally do not know that the Cloud Pattern Ice Sword is extremely complicated to forge. It is made of hard steel and wrought iron, folded and forged layer by layer. The temperature, strength and amount of materials used are extremely difficult to control. Only the top swordsmiths of our Great Shun Dynasty have ever been able to forge it."

Meng Xin's clear eyes darted around quickly, and she said, "But a girl who is about my age said that she forged this sword."

Aunt Xin suddenly swept the teacups and teapot off the stone table, causing the porcelain to shatter. The abrupt sound instantly broke the tranquility of the underground palace, and Guo Yan and Meng Xin took a step back in fright.

Aunt Xin's cold face turned somewhat ferocious. She said angrily, "She made it? How shameless! It's just a technique she stole from our Great Shun Kingdom, yet she dares to show it off."

Guo Yan and Meng Xin looked at each other, puzzled.

Aunt Xin let out a breath, calming down considerably: "This must have been learned by the Yun people who infiltrated our Da Shun. Now that they have destroyed our Da Shun, they take it for granted that what they stole is for their own use."

Guo Yan and Meng Xin suddenly understood, but another question arose on Guo Yan's lips: "But Aunt Xin, that girl is only about our age. How could she learn things that we don't even know?"

"It must have been her father and mother who secretly learned the skill and passed it on to her. They must be quite capable to have mastered such an exquisite skill," Aunt Xin sneered.

Guo Yan became worried: "Aunt Xin, we failed to assassinate them this time because of this sword. They have this kind of weapon, which is a great threat to us."

Mengxin nodded firmly.

“Even if you don’t say anything, I won’t sit idly by,” Aunt Xin regained her composure, sat down on the stone table, and said coldly, “Go and investigate that arrogant little girl. Remember to find out who taught her this skill and who knows about it. We must take back everything that belongs to our Da Shun.”

Guo Yan and Meng Xin bowed deeply and said in unison, "Yes!"

Guo Yan thought for a moment and said, "Aunt Xin, we saw this girl at the hunting grounds of the palace. If we want to investigate, the deputy sect leader would be a good candidate. If we could get close to that girl..."

Aunt Xin raised her hand to stop her, frowning as she said, "No, although he has finally gained a foothold, he has only just gained a foothold. He is eager for revenge, and if he reveals his true colors, all his efforts over the years will be in vain."

Guo Yan immediately lowered her head and said, "Yes, it was my oversight."

Aunt Xin waved her hand, looking tired. The two exchanged a glance and turned to leave.

On the way out of the palace, Meng Yuxiu said with a smile, "From now on, you will be a true forge master. No one in the military workshop will dare to look down on you anymore. Your achievements are not due to me, but because of your own talent."

As Chang Lili turned to look behind her, she saw a tall, straight figure in black standing in front of the Qianqing Palace, staring intently at her, which made her feel a little uneasy.

Upon hearing Meng Yuxiu say this, she was surprised and felt a mix of emotions.

Her thoughts, which had been drawn away by that cold gaze, snapped back to reality. She looked at Meng Yuxiu blankly and said, "Huh? You..."

"How's the injury on your hand?" Meng Yuxiu asked, picking up her left hand to examine it.

Between her slender fingertips, covered with thin calluses, and her pale red palms, there remained reddish-brown scabs—the marks left when she saved him in the hunting grounds.

He looked somewhat forlorn as he gently touched the wounds.

Chang Lili felt a warm, slightly itchy sensation where he touched her, and blushed as she couldn't help but pull her hand back.

She feigned composure and said, "I'm fine now. It's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about compared to my life."

Meng Yuxiu's usually cold eyes were now like a clear pond softened by a spring breeze, rippling with gentle waves.

“You could have escaped on your own. Coming here like this is too reckless.” His voice was extremely gentle.