Chapter 136 Lou Shitou also saw it and was about to die.

—Is it…Jiang Muyun…?

Guan Ye also saw Wu Shuang's face under the mask. Her breath caught in her throat at that moment. Unlike the others, Guan Ye was not panicked. She had long felt a sense of familiarity with Wu Shuang and had guessed more than once who Wu Shuang was... But when Wu Shuang's face was revealed to everyone, it was as if a hand had gripped Guan Ye's heart, and the world seemed to spin in her eyes.

Guan Ye saw the wild deer that had rushed out of the cell on Canglang Island again. Inside the cell, Guan Ye sharpened her short blade and cut the ropes binding her. The wild deer struggled and kicked its way out. Its powerful hooves pounded across the long bluestone road and along the long, high wall of Xingguo Ward, like an arrow released from a bow, it rushed towards its place of life without the slightest hesitation.

Pei Chu told Guan Ye that in the bluish-white smoke of the Heavenly Furnace, he saw Jiang Muyun break through the sky-covering barrier and rush towards him. Pei Chu thought that Jiang Muyun would stop for him, but she only left Pei Chu with one last glance before disappearing at the end of the bluestone road.

"Jiang Muyun, why did you leave me?" The echo lingered, but no one answered.

Pei Chu also said: Lou Shitou saw it too.

Lou Shitou said: She's gone.

The treasure ship took away the Meteor Sword. Lou Cangyu, waving a silk handkerchief, stepped into the deep sea, roaring as he chased after the ship. He shouted words that no one else could utter: Jiang Muyun, don't go! Chase her! Chase her…

Lou Shitou said: She is not dead. You die... then you all should die.

Yes, everyone watched as Jiang Muyun leaped into the furnace and vanished into ashes. The molten liquid that emerged was dazzling and colorful. Everyone watched in amazement, forgetting that the liquid contained Jiang Muyun's flesh and blood. This was not a sword, but a living life.

Lou Shitou was right: You are the ones who should die. The waves were deep and shallow, and Shitou remained obstinate. Everyone thought Lou Shitou was wrong, but little did they know, he was the one who was most clear-headed.

—Jiang Muyun, is that you?

Pei Yuan also saw Wushuang's face, a face that showed no fear in the face of death, a face like jade with eyes that shone like pearls, calm as the deep sea, and resilient as a rock, just like Jiang Muyun under the Heavenly Furnace, confronting him with a mocking expression, not at all inferior.

Pei Yuan's pupils dilated suddenly, his face trembled violently, and his burly body swayed a few times. He gritted his teeth and tried his best to avoid staggering and losing his composure. Terror surged like waves, and Pei Yuan's vision blurred. Everything around him suddenly became indistinct.

"Who are you..." Little Ma, sword in hand, dared not be careless, his throat tightening with rapid breaths, "Who are you..."

“She is Wushuang.” Lou Cangyu stood in front of Wushuang, “Wushuang from the inner quarters.”

“She’s not.” Xiao Ma shook his head violently and took a few steps closer. “Her face… Lou Cangyu… Lou Cangyu, you…” Xiao Ma realized, and an incredulous expression appeared on his pale face. “You knew all along?”

Lou Cangyu's eyes darted around, avoiding Xiao Ma's gaze. "It was just a sword test at Lingbo Terrace, what do you know? She's Wushuang, just Wushuang. What are you all doing, acting like you've seen a ghost?"

Xiao Ma turned his sword and pointed it at Lou Cangyu. "You knew all along, why didn't you tell us? Is this the scene you wanted to see? We've lost... we've all lost, Lou Cangyu, is this what you wanted to see?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lou Cangyu dodged Xiao Ma's sword and said in a low voice, "This is in the palace, the emperor is watching us. Under the emperor's nose, if you keep holding onto your sword, don't take us with you if you want to die."

Emperor Jin, Mu You… Xiao Ma took a deep breath, looking up at the emperor as if he were assassinating a king, but this time, Xiao Ma was no longer afraid. He turned to look at Mu You, who was dressed in yellow robes. Their eyes met, and Mu You seemed to be sizing up this young man from Xingguo who had just won, stroking his beard as if admiring his skills. Xiao Ma saw Mu You clearly, and finally slowly lowered his sword, his handsome face as pale as silk. Looking at Feng Shisan and Ji Fang, in the freezing cold, cold sweat kept seeping from Feng Shisan's forehead and flowing down his cheeks. Ji Fang gripped his sword and stood firmly on the ground, struggling to support his swaying body. Ji Fang hadn't seen Jiang Muyun die in the furnace with his own eyes. He was timid by nature, how could he have witnessed such a scene? Afterwards, others talked about how Jiang Muyun died a heroic death, even smiling at everyone.

Laugh? Ji Fang didn't believe it at first. When you're about to die, you don't even have time to cry. Who would laugh? Either they're scared out of their wits, or... they're possessed by a ghost.

Everyone says she's dead, and she really is dead. So who is this person in front of me? Could it be that Jiang Muyun has been resurrected? The more Ji Fang thought about it, the more frightened he became. Fear pressed down on his chest like a mountain, and if he wasn't afraid of being beheaded for disrespecting the emperor, he probably would have burst into tears.

"What's going on?" Mu Youyao asked, looking at the strange behavior on the sword-testing platform. "Is she unable to believe that she lost to a female swordsman from the inner quarters?"

“Master Pei?” Cui Jin’s single eye gleamed strangely. “Surely the swordsmen of Xingguo Ward are not this bad.”

Pei Yuan knelt down trembling with fear, "Your subordinate... has failed in his upbringing, your subordinate is guilty, guilty indeed."

Mu You frowned. "It's just a sword test, why make such a fuss? Pei Yuan, you're exaggerating. I already said it was just a test of the inner workshop's Xuan Tie sword, I didn't say that Xingguo Workshop's swords were inferior. What, are you a sore loser?"

Pei Yuan trembled, at a loss for words. Guan Ye stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and bowed her head, saying, "Your Majesty, my master has high hopes for the swordsman. He must be quite annoyed that he lost. But my sword can withstand the test. Your Majesty may test it however you wish."

"Look at you, quite the big talker." Mu You was amused by her, and glanced at A Jiu with his pale eyes, "Of course I know that the sword you forged is extraordinary. I will definitely try it out when I have the chance. Help your workshop master up."

Guan Ye got up to help Pei Yuan, but Pei Yuan was as soft as mud, even heavier than the drunken Song Mian. A Jiu took a few steps forward, put her arm around Pei Yuan's stiff arm, and whispered in his ear, "Master, you must not lose your composure in front of the Emperor. We'll talk about everything when we get back to Xingguo Warehouse."

Pei Yuan regained some of his senses and struggled to his feet. He didn't know how he managed to take a step, and Guan Ye and A Jiu helped him to the side.

"Fellow swordsmen, please speak further," Cui Jin called out loudly.

Wushuang took a few steps, then turned to look at the group of people from Xingguo Ward behind her. It would have been better if she hadn't looked, because a single glance startled Ji Fang, who took several steps back, slipped, and almost fell. Feng Shisan's sweat, which had just stopped, started dripping again. He wiped it away with his sleeve, revealing a patch of sweat on his cuff.

"The Emperor is calling us, what are you all standing there for?" Wushuang said with a smile.

Jiang Muyun died a truly heroic death, and he was even laughing at everyone...

Wushuang's smile was even more terrifying.

Mu You observed each swordsman with great interest, his pale eyes finally settling on Wan Qixi's face. "They say heroes emerge from among the young. Although you are no longer a young man, your footwork is solid and your swordplay powerful. You are not a swordsman, yet your swordsmanship is no less than theirs. Your name is... Wan Qixi..."

"This humble citizen is Wan Qixi." Wan Qixi clasped his hands in a fist salute and lowered his eyes.

Cui Jin extended his hand to Wan Qixi, who quickly presented the Xuan Tie sword. Cui Jin displayed the sword horizontally, and it was evident that the Xuan Tie sword, forged by Wushuang, was not only undamaged after the fierce battle, but its azure light seemed even brighter. Mu Chenbi gently stroked it with his fingertips and nodded to Mu You.

Mu You stroked his beard. "People from the Western Regions also have such skill. When you tested your sword, you were dazzling. I was standing in front of you, yet I didn't dare to look up at you?"

Wanqi Xi kept his head down, saying, "Looking up at the emperor would be like assassinating the king; this humble subject dares not do so."

"I command you to raise your head," Mu You ordered.

Mu You gazed at Wan Qixi, who slowly raised his head. His face was quite different from the exotic appearance Mu You had imagined. His features were angular, and his eyes were long and deep. The warm sun shone on his face, and a bright light swept across Wan Qixi's slightly dark face. The vicissitudes at the corners of his eyes showed that he was no longer young. The wind carrying snow blew his messy black hair. Wan Qixi's narrow eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a cold and fierce look. This fleeting expression was not quite in line with his handsome appearance. Mu You saw it and vaguely felt that he had seen this face somewhere before—a visitor from the Western Regions. Mu You recalled the past. Mu You had never seen a person from the Western Regions before.

"You speak Chinese quite well," Mu You praised. "Are all the people in the Western Regions as fluent as you?"

Wanqi Xi raised his lips and said, "If everyone were like this, would it be my turn to meet the Emperor? The road beneath my feet is full of thorns, so I must cherish it and do my best for the Great Jin and Your Majesty."

"Great!" Mu You said happily. "Reward him."

"This humble subject kowtows to thank Your Majesty."

Seeing the emperor's delight, Lou Cangyu straightened his back a little more. Mu You glanced at Lou Cangyu with his light eyebrows, then fixed his gaze on the corner of his eye. "What's your name?"

After a long silence, Feng Shisan glanced at Mu You, then gave him a sharp elbow poke, startling Ji Fang so much he almost jumped up. "I'm talking to you!"

“It’s you.” Mu You looked at Ji Fang’s twitching face. “Since you’re the youngest, what’s your name?”

Ji Fang licked his lips until they were raw. "Ji Fang... my name is... Ji Fang... replying to the Emperor's words." Ji Fang's mind was racing, and he was rambling incoherently, not even knowing what nonsense he was spouting.

Mu You said in a deep voice, "You are agile and your swordsmanship is excellent, but I don't understand why you were at a disadvantage after just a few moves? You shouldn't be like this."

A chill ran down Ji Fang's spine; he was about to die. He couldn't very well tell the emperor he'd seen a ghost. After a long while, receiving no response from Ji Fang, Xiao Ma and the others' hearts leaped into their throats. Ji Fang was timid; if he'd been startled by Mu You, he might have blurted something out…

"Are you afraid to perform before the Emperor?" Mu Chenbi intervened at the opportune moment.

Ji Fang's eyebrows shot up in alarm. He quickly grasped at this straw, "Yes! I was scared." Ji Fang swallowed hard and knelt on the ground. "This humble subject is useless and is notoriously timid... To perform before the Emperor... I never even dared to dream of it. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."

Mu You waved his dragon robe, his figure majestic as if a god had descended. "Rongdu gathers imperial aura, it is the city of the Son of Heaven. Now that you have drawn your sword before the Son of Heaven, your surging power should be like mountains and seas. Fear? What is there to be afraid of?"

Ji Fang had never seen such a scene before. Mu You's voice was like thunder, making his heart tremble. Although he was still afraid, his heart suddenly felt hot, as if something had been awakened by Mu You, and his eyes suddenly shone brightly.

"Little Ji Fang," Mu You smiled kindly at him, "If there's a next time, you mustn't be afraid." Ji Fang's throat tightened, and he couldn't utter another word.

Cui Jin, with a hint of disdain for the terrified swordsman, coughed and said, "Why don't you present your sword?"

Ji Fang was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly looked for his sword. He fumbled on the ground with his left hand and realized that the Xuan Tie Sword was in his right hand. Cui Jin shook his head, reached out and took the sword, and handed it to Mu Chenbi, saying, "Your Highness, please take a look."

Mu Chenbi could tell at a glance that the blade was damaged. He glanced at Chen Ao's face and said, "Pathetic. Truly useless."

Shen Ao's frail body swayed slightly, but his expression remained calm and composed, as if he could not hear what Mu Chenbi was saying.

"—Inner Palace, Wushuang." Mu You didn't reply, but turned to look at Wushuang. "Your swordsmanship uses skill to overcome strength, which has broadened my horizons."

Wushuang smiled slightly, neither humble nor arrogant, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. My skills are but trifles and not worth mentioning."

"If you call this a trivial skill, then what about others?" Wan Qixi glanced sideways. "A win is a win. Being too humble is just insulting others."

Mu You was not annoyed by Wan Qixi's interruption. He looked at Wushuang and said, "Since you are skilled in forging and swordsmanship, where did you come from and where are you going? Are you like a golden carp in a pond, destined to stay in the inner workshop forever?"

Her peerless eyes were like a bottomless black pool. With a flutter of her eyelashes, snowflakes fell from them, and when they landed on the corners of her lips, they melted into glistening water droplets, giving her a sharp edge to her faint smile.

"Where I came from is not worth mentioning, and the journey home is right under my feet." Wushuang's voice was clear and melodious. "If Wushuang can draw her sword and appear before the Emperor, she will surely fulfill the Emperor's wishes."