Chapter 116 Guan Ye, infuriatingly, changed her clothes.

Inside the inner workshop, following Wushuang's instructions, the inner workshop's foundry also lit its furnaces, and a large quantity of black iron was forged into refined steel. Dozens of blacksmiths worked day and night to finish the work, and then placed the prototype swords forged from the refined steel into a gentle fire for several days to prevent the refined steel from becoming brittle.

Wushuang approached the warm fire, picked up a rough steel sword that had been placed in the warm fire for three days with iron tongs, flicked it lightly with his fingers to feel the changes in the material, and held up two fingers to the blacksmith next to him. The blacksmith understood and said that the sword needed to be placed in the warm fire for two more days.

"Miss Wushuang," someone reported, "that person is looking for you again."

Wushuang handed the iron tongs in her hand to the blacksmith, "Please invite him in."

"He... is a swordsman from Xingguo Ward." Seeing Wushuang's expression darken, the man dared not say another word and hurriedly went to invite Lou Cangyu with a pale face.

Although only a few days had passed since their last encounter at the night market, Lou Cangyu's longing for her was already unbearable. Normally, when he was feeling down, he would practice his sword in the courtyard for half a day, and all his troubles would disappear. But these past few days had felt like an eternity. Sword practice? With the beauty lingering in his mind, Lou Cangyu could barely hold his beloved sword when he thought of Wushuang's starry eyes that night.

If Lou Cangyu doesn't come to see Wushuang soon, he'll probably become a useless person who can't do anything.

"I haven't even come looking for you yet, and you're already coming to find me?"

Wushuang greeted him with a smile, and her words put Lou Cangyu at ease. He had come to her door rashly, and was worried that Wushuang would be displeased. It turned out that she also wanted to see him.

Lou Cangyu's handsome face flushed with a youthful red as he approached Wushuang, who was dressed in a blue robe and white fur. He noticed a fallen leaf on her shoulder and gently brushed it away. Seeing that Wushuang was gazing at Lou Cangyu with a passionate and open expression, regardless of whether anyone was watching, Lou Cangyu's cheeks burned. He had never been so annoyed by his own nervousness and helplessness, and he still felt this way at this moment.

"What do you want with me?" This mouth is usually so eloquent, why is it spouting such nonsense now?

Wushuang looked around the bustling forge and said, "Look at our fine steel swords."

A fine steel sword? Lou Cangyu examined each furnace, and every furnace was forging the same sword. Lou Cangyu had seen fine steel swords before; on the Lingbo Platform, the one that had severed his golden sword was a fine steel sword. Lou Cangyu's heart skipped a beat, the blush on his face vanished, and he instantly turned pale.

Wushuang seemed oblivious to Lou Cangyu's sudden change in expression, "In another ten days or so, one hundred fine steel swords will be forged..."

One hundred swords? Lou Cangyu knew, of course, that Xingguo Workshop was also rushing to forge swords—one hundred precious swords for the Eagle Guard Battalion. This was Xingguo Workshop's first order since returning to Rongdu, and its significance was self-evident. Having failed in the imperial sword trial, Xingguo Workshop had found a way out of a desperate situation; this order had to be a success. Pei Yuan had ordered Guan Ye to supervise the work, and he personally checked the progress every night. But why… was the Inner Workshop also forging swords, also one hundred? Judging from the style of these fine steel swords… they were exactly the same as Luo Yichen's… Could it be…

"What are you thinking about?" Wushuang interrupted Lou Cangyu's silence. Seeing that he was still staring blankly at the furnace fire, she stood on tiptoe and leaned close to his ear, whispering, "Is my fine steel sword your nightmare?"

Wushuang's breath was as fragrant as orchids, and the light in her eyes flickered. It was a scene that had appeared countless times in Lou Cangyu's dreams. For a moment, Lou Cangyu thought that everything before him was an illusion, until he could truly feel Wushuang's warmth approaching and her faint, refreshing fragrance. Wushuang's piercing gaze forced Lou Cangyu to look up, and their eyes met in a burning gaze, igniting a dazzling fire in their hearts.

“It’s not a nightmare.” Lou Cangyu shook his head obsessively. “It’s a dream that’s out of reach.”

Wu Shuang laughed heartily, her eyes filled with deep expectation, reflecting the surrounding flames. In her bright eyes, Lou Cangyu saw the sparks spreading and gradually becoming a prairie fire.

"Guan Ye still dares to forge the Flowing Gold Sword?" The turbulent emotions in Wu Yan's eyes suddenly subsided. "She's bold enough, isn't she afraid of being cut down by my sword again?"

“She…” Lou Cangyu stammered, “She is different from ordinary people. She has the word ‘courage’ written on her chest, and it seems that there is really nothing that can frighten her.”

"Did you see the character 'courage' on her chest?" Wu Shuang stared at Lou Cangyu's face.

"I didn't." Lou Cangyu stood up straight with a start. "I was just making things up."

The light in Wu's eyes gradually brightened again. "Guan Ye will not forge another hundred broken swords. If I'm not mistaken, she should have readjusted the proportions of the molten iron."

Lou Cangyu nodded, then shook his head. “Some people in the workshop questioned why we should recast the Golden Broken Sword. Guan Ye said that while the fine steel sword is good, the swords from Xingguo Workshop are also fine. When two swords clash, it’s not necessary to determine a winner. Each sword has its own strengths, and as long as they are used in the right place, they can both be powerful weapons for the country.”

Wushuang listened intently, “Xuan Tie is good at heavy strikes, Liu Jin is good at sharp stabbing. The Eagle Guards are the royal guards in the palace, and their weapons must be light and good at stabbing. Is that what she said?”

"Yes." Lou Cangyu nodded. "Guan Ye is just like you said."

"Her intelligence... doesn't seem to come from Xingguofang at all." Wushuang's eyes roamed freely over Lou Cangyu's face as she murmured in a low voice.

Lou Cangyu bit her lip, momentarily unsure of what Wushuang meant. Wushuang twirled her hair with her finger and gave Lou Cangyu a sly smile, "It's only interesting when the opponent is a worthy opponent, and only the winner truly deserves the title. It would be truly boring if Guan Ye were a mediocre talent."

"What are your hundred fine steel swords for?" Lou Cangyu couldn't help but ask.

"Guess?" Wushuang teased.

Lou Cangyu looked around again and shook his head at Wushuang.

Wushuang raised a finger and pressed it against Lou Cangyu's dry lips. After just a few words, the young man's handsome face flushed red again. "I won the sword trial, but they won't let me forge the sword. I'm not satisfied."

Wushuang's deep, unparalleled eyes gazed at Lou Cangyu's flushed face. "The more you forbid me from doing something, the more I want to do it. Guan Ye forged a hundred golden swords, so I forged the same fine steel swords. Since the swords are both national treasures, what she can do, I can do too."

"Of course you can," Lou Cangyu blurted out hastily.

The winter wind rose again, scraping against Lou Cangyu's thin, blood-tinged skin. His face twitched involuntarily. Wushuang's ardent gaze made Lou Cangyu's heart pound. He wanted to return the same look, but he dared not. How could a little stone from the Lou family of Canglang Island possibly invite a goddess from the heavens? It was already a blessing from heaven that the goddess would even glance at him a few more times.

Wushuang lifted Lou Cangyu's cold hand, feeling the pulse in his veins, and raised her fox fur to shield him from the rising winter wind. "What kind of person is Guan Ye in your eyes?"

Lou Cangyu hadn't expected her to suddenly ask about Guan Ye. After a moment's thought, he said, "She was originally a little sword slave. It's said that she read the 'Forging Classic' and learned forging techniques from Young Master Pei... She's on good terms with Ajiu, who says she's an extraordinary woman."

"Did she also forge the Meteor Sword?"

The Meteor Sword? Lou Cangyu's convulsing body was seen by Wushuang. "No one dares to forge the Meteor Sword..." Lou Cangyu seemed to see the scene from that day again: the crowd staring at the eerie molten iron and flesh in the box; just a moment's gaze felt like being sucked into it. Even someone as powerful as Pei Yuan lost his composure before the molten iron. Lou Cangyu was itching to see, yet dared not approach. "The old blacksmith said the Meteor Sword can only be forged once; he needs someone to help him... someone to help him..."

Lou Cangyu recalled, "Although no one said it, I can guess... this person is..."

—"Guan Ye?"

Lou Cangyu looked at Wushuang, "After thinking it over, I can only think of her. She took care of the young master every day during that time, so the young master must have taught her what to do. I didn't expect... Guan Ye actually did it."

"How could Young Master Pei teach Guan Ye to forge the Meteor Sword?" Wushuang sneered, releasing Lou Cangyu's hand and turning her back to him.

Lou Cangyu lowered his hand in confusion, not knowing what he had said wrong. "My young master is learned and knowledgeable. He can recite the ancient books in the Sword Pavilion by heart. If he were a healthy man, it wouldn't be Guan Ye's turn to forge the Meteor Sword."

"That's enough," Wushuang snapped. "You can leave now."

Leave? Lou Cangyu thought he had misheard and stood there dumbfounded.

"You can leave now." Wushuang softened her tone. "I'm not in a good mood today. The steel sword will be fully forged in half a month. Come find me again in half a month."

Lou Cangyu was filled with remorse and wished he could slap himself for saying too much about Guan Ye. Watching Wushuang's departing figure, Lou Cangyu suddenly shouted, "I will never tell anyone what I saw in the inner quarters today."

Wushuang seemed not to have heard what Lou Cangyu said, her steps were resolute and without the slightest hesitation.

Lou Cangyu waited until Wushuang's figure disappeared from sight before she turned around. Lou Cangyu sighed softly, turned around with his sword, and froze on the spot when he saw who was behind him.

A man dressed in blue, driving an oxcart, arrived. His face was covered in ash, but his features were still clearly recognizable. Lou Cangyu recognized the car and the face: Song Mian. It was Song Mian.

Lou Cangyu didn't know how long Song Mian had been there, or whether he had overheard his conversation with Wushuang. But regardless of whether he had heard it or how much he had heard, the fact that Song Mian had discovered he was in the inner quarters was already a major taboo in the neighborhood.

Song Mian wiped the sweat from his face, his sunken eyes scrutinizing the swordsman before him. He vaguely felt that the man looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before. "Have you ever eaten fried dough cakes on West Street?" Song Mian gestured as if frying dough cakes. "This gentleman has bought dough cakes from me, hasn't he?"

Lou Cangyu did not answer, but cautiously walked past Song Mian toward the inner gate. "I don't like sweets, you've mistaken me for someone else."

"Oh." Song Mian gnawed on the back of his hand, squinting as he pondered. He still felt like he'd seen this person somewhere before. A swordsman? How many swordsmen could there be in Rongdu? Besides the inner workshop, there was Xingguo workshop... Xingguo workshop?

Song Mian was startled to realize that he had reunited with Guan Ye at the West Street night market, and the boy beside Guan Ye and A Jiu... seemed to be this person. Song Mian turned his head to look again, but the young swordsman had disappeared.

In Xingguo Ward, Feng Shisan had recently discovered a sinister secret. His keen observation revealed that Guan Ye and Xiao Ma were behaving strangely. For instance, A Jiu was back in the palace, Lou Cangyu wasn't in the ward, Ji Fang was at the foundry watching the craftsmen forge swords, Guan Ye was the supervisor, and Xiao Ma should have been chatting and laughing with him or practicing swordsmanship… but Xiao Ma was ignoring him. He'd gone to the foundry early that morning and called Guan Ye out, the two of them chatted for a while, then changed their clothes and slipped out of the ward!

Note: She even changed her clothes!

Guan Ye usually wore a neat, short-sleeved outfit, but when she went out with Xiao Ma, she was dressed in a bright red dress—an outfit she only wore when welcoming the Imperial Preceptor and when meeting the Emperor. Xiao Ma? He didn't deserve it! Something was definitely amiss. Feng Shisan clenched his fists. If he hadn't disappeared in the blink of an eye, he would have followed him. If he was right, he wouldn't even need A Jiu to lift a finger; he would have killed Xiao Ma with a single sword stroke. "A friend's wife is not to be trifled with," he thought. "Xiao Ma, do you want to die?"

What's even more infuriating is that when Feng Shisan asked Ji Fang if he felt something was off between the two of them, Ji Fang replied: "What's wrong with us? Everyone's busy with their own things. It's just that you're too idle, that's why you think others are acting strangely."

"Hey?" Feng Shisan blurted out, "What are you busy with?"

Ji Fang pointed to the furnace, saying, "I'm busy learning casting techniques."

Feng Shisan almost blurted out: You and I are both illiterate, how could you possibly understand the "Casting Classic"?

Ji Fang grinned, revealing his white teeth: "I don't know many characters, so I can't read books. I just watch how my master does it. I watch every day, and one day I'll be able to learn it too."

These words were all reasonable, and Feng Shisan was unable to refute them. Even Ji Fang had found the way to go, which was even more infuriating.