Chapter 173 Dream: Everything You Do Is for Me

"A flaw?" Lou Cangyu could no longer hold back and hugged Wushuang tightly, his dry lips pressing against hers. "I'm not afraid of any flaws."

"Don't move." Wushuang pulled away from his embrace, and Lou Cangyu opened his arms in a daze, not daring to move again. Wushuang's words seemed to have a magical power; no matter what she said, Lou Cangyu would only do as she said, not daring to disobey or move rashly.

Wushuang's red lips touched the back of Lou Cangyu's neck, leaving perfectly placed marks, like red berries growing on Lou Cangyu's body, one after another, alluring and captivating. Lou Cangyu suppressed his breath, closing his eyes to feel Wushuang's movements behind him, to feel the changes in his body. He was filled with extreme desire, yet dared not show the slightest disrespect to the woman beside him.

He remembered Guan Ye's quiet room, where A Jiu would often stay for a long time. Ji Fang said they were playing with the windmill. Gradually, no one mentioned the windmill anymore. The boys all knew what Guan Ye and A Jiu did in there. Lou Cangyu was extremely envious of A Jiu. A Jiu could do whatever he wanted with the woman he liked. Lou Cangyu hoped that one day he could do the same.

"Wushuang..." Lou Cangyu managed to squeeze out her name, "Save me..."

Wushuang paused, "I'm helping you."

"No." Lou Cangyu's Adam's apple bobbed rapidly. Something inside his body felt like it was about to explode; if no one saved him, he might die in the next moment. "Help me...please help me..."

Wushuang cupped Lou Cangyu's sweat-drenched face in her hands. His eyes were bloodshot, his pupils burning with fury. His bare upper body was soaking wet, and large muscles rose and fell with his panting, displaying the powerful strength of a swordsman. Wushuang knew that as long as she agreed, Lou Cangyu would immediately transform into a ferocious beast, pouncing on her and devouring her without hesitation.

Wushuang lowered her hand, picked up the bronze mirror on the table, and showed it to Lou Cangyu. "How is it?"

In the bronze mirror, Lou Cangyu's back was covered with warm marks, each one carefully sucked out by Wushuang, like blooming red fruits, making Lou Cangyu willingly succumb, even if it meant eternal damnation.

"Why..." Lou Cangyu suppressed his inner yearning and slowly raised his eyelids, "Why do you do all this for me? You could have just handed me over..."

Wushuang put down the bronze mirror, leaned her head down and rested on Lou Cangyu's shoulder, "You did it for me... I know you did everything for me."

Lou Cangyu felt a surge of satisfaction; at this moment, even if he were to die, he wouldn't utter a single word of objection.

"Let's go inside." Wushuang wrapped her arms around Lou Cangyu's narrow waist. "Come with me."

Lou Cangyu shook her head sadly, "I want to be with you, I want to leave, but I can't. I made a blood oath with everyone, to walk together through life and death and never betray them. My mother and elder brother are still on Canglang Island..."

"If you want to leave, you can definitely leave." Wushuang suddenly bit Lou Cangyu's lip, her pearly teeth drawing blood. She pressed her fingertips against the blood and smeared Lou Cangyu's blood on her own lips. Lou Cangyu stared blankly at Wushuang's actions, and, not knowing where the courage came from, suddenly pulled Wushuang into his arms, lowered his head and kissed her blood-stained lips fiercely. The sweet and bloody taste mingled, the silver threads of blood tugged, and the blood oath, from this moment on, was only between him and Wushuang.

"I will enter the inner palace." Lou Cangyu pressed his hand against Wushuang's forehead, stroking her body again and again. "Even if it costs me my life, I will enter the inner palace and be with you."

"You won't die." Wushuang's eyes burned with fervor. "I won't let you die."

"You did it." Lou Cangyu hugged Wushuang tightly, ignoring the bleeding from his wounds. He was afraid that everything before him was just a dream. "You won't let me die."

“You did it.” Wushuang touched the blood seeping through the gauze. “You broke the blood oath with Xingguo Fang. If this wound had been half an inch deeper, it would have pierced your heart, and you would have died without a doubt.”

Lou Cangyu's lips curled into a smug smile. "Pei Yuan wanted me dead, but I didn't give him the chance. I stabbed myself with this sword, and I know the consequences. Why would I let myself die?"

After listening to Lou Cangyu's entire story, Wushuang asked, "Will Pei Yuan make things difficult for your relatives who stayed on Canglang Island?"

"No," Lou Cangyu said with certainty. "Pei Yuan would rather die than go back to Canglang Island. Pei Chu is indifferent to fame and has a grudge against Pei Yuan. He would never make things difficult for others because of his father. As long as I... do not do anything to betray Xingguofang, my mother and elder brother will definitely be safe and sound."

"You call the Pei family father and son by their given names. You call the young master of the Pei family Pei Chu?" Wushuang glanced at Lou Cangyu's arrogant face indifferently.

Lou Cangyu gently stroked Wushuang's hand, then took it and rubbed it against his lips. "Now that I am no longer a swordsman of Xingguo Ward, do I still need to call him Ward Master or Young Master? No one is born a slave. I decide how I will walk my own path in the future."

Seeing Wushuang's pale eyes, Lou Cangyu took her hand and placed it on his chest. Seeing that Wushuang did not resist, he felt a surge of joy. From today onwards, the inner quarters would not only have Wushuang, but also Cangyu.

After resting for a few days, Lou Cangyu stepped out of the Jingwu Pavilion, now dressed in a brand-new brocade robe with a square seal pattern, his hair tied with a gilded crown inlaid with lapis lazuli, holding a fine steel sword, his jade belt cinching his body, his steps swift and confident. He stood proudly in the main hall, surveying his surroundings, his dark eyes gleaming with a dazzling light.

"Excellent!" Shen Ao clapped his hands in praise. "At first glance, you seemed like just an ordinary swordsman. But today, you've shown that a golden carp is not meant to stay in a pond. You must leap over the dragon gate to truly reveal your value. It was worth it for the Imperial Preceptor to personally intervene and force Pei Yuan to relent and release you from Xingguo Ward."

As they spoke, Cui Jinru surged forward like a cloud of black mist. “Manager Shen, you are mistaken. Lou Cangyu was able to enter the inner workshop because of his own abilities. With forty-three stabs waiting, how could an ordinary person withstand it? Lou Cangyu is exceptionally courageous. He took Pei Yuan’s knife and dared to stab him. Pei Yuan himself was terrified. Such a talent is truly worthy of great use. It is Manager Shen’s good fortune that he was able to enter the inner workshop.”

"Of course, of course." Shen Ao hurriedly went to greet Cui Jin, "Grand Preceptor, please take a seat."

Cui Jin wasn't in a hurry to sit down. He scanned Lou Cangyu up and down with his single eye. "You're still young, your injuries are all healed?"

"I'm all better now," Lou Cangyu said respectfully. "Thank you for your concern, Imperial Preceptor."

“So you are truly capable.” Cui Jin smiled wickedly with his one eye, and suddenly pointed a finger at Lou Cangyu’s wound. Seeing that Lou Cangyu stood firmly and did not move, Cui Jin secretly sighed that this person was quite courageous. Cui Jin withdrew his finger and laughed, “The force of that knife was completely under your control. You have great ambitions and will not let yourself die in Xingguo Ward.”

Lou Cangyu showed no embarrassment and humbly invited Cui Jin to take the seat of honor. Chen Ao deliberately brought up old stories about Xingguo Ward, and when he got excited, he would ask Lou Cangyu questions from time to time. The group chatted back and forth, clearly treating Lou Cangyu as one of their own.

Just as Shen Ao was about to add tea to Cui Jin's cup, Lou Cangyu beat him to it, rolled up his sleeves, and filled the cups for the two officials. Shen Ao chuckled softly, tapped the rim of the cup, and said to Cui Jin, "You're a young man, too hasty and clumsy. You don't know the proper way to fill the cups to seven-tenths full. I'm sorry to have made the Imperial Preceptor laugh at you."

"It's alright." Cui Jin blinked his one eye, picked up the teacup, and leisurely drank it.

Lou Cangyu listened to this and poured tea into Wushuang's teacup until it was seven-tenths full. He looked up and saw Wushuang staring at him. Their eyes met, one cold and one warm.

Cui Jin and Shen Ao exchanged a smile, their expressions revealing a subtle meaning.

Shen Ao recalled something and said, "With the New Year approaching, this is the first major festival since Xingguo Fang came to the capital. Before the festival is even over, we have already suffered the loss of a son and a general. For Pei Yuan, this New Year will not be easy."

Cui Jin put down his teacup and slowly closed his single eye. “Manager Shen, don’t underestimate Xingguo Workshop. Last time I went there, I saw the workshop bustling with activity, the foundry was in full swing, and everyone was working with great enthusiasm.”

"Oh?" Shen Ao looked at Lou Cangyu. "They just took on a business of melting down mixed copper swords. Speaking of which, how are they doing with melting down the thousand mixed copper swords?"

When the mention of the mixed copper sword was mentioned, Cui Jin, who was wrapped in a black robe, straightened up slightly. Lou Cangyu was a swordsman who hadn't paid much attention to the affairs of the foundry before. It was only after he met Wushuang that he started to pay more attention to the affairs of the foundry. When he heard Shen Ao ask the question, he looked up and said, "It was completed a few days ago."

Cui Jin opened his single eye, and Chen Ao glared at him, saying, "How long has it been? A thousand miscellaneous copper swords have already been melted down? And the brass molten metal has also been refined to the same extent?"

Lou Cangyu nodded, "That's for sure. The Heavenly Furnace is enormous, and the fire burns fiercely. If Guan Ye hadn't deliberately kept it hidden, it could have been even earlier."

"Still holding back?" Shen Ao glanced at the silent Wushuang. "If Guan Ye goes all out, wouldn't she be unstoppable?"

Lou Cangyu was displeased with Shen Ao's provocation of Wushuang, and said in a low voice, "Guan Ye does have some skills, but they are all amateurish and unorthodox. She is far from being comparable to Wushuang. Guan Ye is nothing to be afraid of."

Shen Ao chuckled softly, "Guan Ye's skills... were they taught by Pei Yuan? Pei Yuan seems to be born into a family of blacksmiths, but I bet he hasn't even forged a single weapon. He's all show and no substance. And that Pei Chu left on the island, he was born crippled. What good is being well-versed in ancient texts? He's just all talk. With his own son crippled and his adopted son gone, the only thing the Pei family has left is the Heavenly Furnace, that's truly nothing to fear."

Wushuang, who had remained silent, had an icy expression, her eyes concealing displeasure. "Judging from what Manager Shen is saying, you've forged weapons? You've read ancient texts? You've been in charge of the inner workshop for over ten years, you must have great skills?"

Seeing Shen Ao's expression gradually darken, Lou Cangyu quickly changed the subject, "Guan Ye often went to listen to Pei Chu explain the 'Casting Classic,' and she even worked as Pei Chu's maid. It's normal that she has some skills under his tutelage..."

Wushuang lightly rubbed her sleeves and bit her lip, saying, "You should be glad that Young Master Pei did not leave the island. He is the most precious treasure that Xingguofang should cherish."

Wushuang's voice was soft and melodious, and it seemed that none of them heard her clearly. Cui Jin raised his single eye and looked at Lou Cangyu, saying, "You just mentioned the matter of melting the sword. Guan Ye was still holding back. It's a good thing that the construction period can be brought forward. If it is completed before the end of the year, the Emperor will be overjoyed. The sword has already been melted down, so why hasn't it been reported to the Salt and Iron Bureau yet?"

Shen Ao laughed and waved his hand, saying, "The Imperial Advisor is an immortal, so naturally he doesn't understand the tricks of ordinary people. The Salt and Iron Bureau ordered Xingguo Workshop to be completed in the first month of the year. It's true that the Emperor is pleased that Xingguo Workshop's construction is completed so far ahead of schedule, but how will the construction schedule be set for the second, third and subsequent phases? If he finishes in half a month, the Salt and Iron Bureau will set a ten-day deadline for him next time. If he finishes in ten days, the next time it will be seven days... Imperial Advisor, Imperial Advisor, we need to be able to do things, but we also need to be able to keep things hidden. Otherwise, if we have to deal with everything, how can we enjoy tea and wine and live a carefree life?"

Lou Cangyu thought that what Shen Ao said made some sense and was about to agree, but when he recalled the expressions of Guan Ye and the others in the foundry, something seemed off. Lou Cangyu opened his mouth to say something, but seeing that Cui Jin had not yet responded to Shen Ao, he had no choice but to swallow his words for the time being.

Cui Jin tapped the tea table with his knuckles. "Wonderful, Manager Shen, is this how the inner workshops are?"

Shen Ao smiled obsequiously, stood up, and poured tea for Cui Jin, "Drink tea, drink tea..."

Cui Jin noticed Lou Cangyu's hesitation and raised his single eye to him. "Lou Cangyu, just say what you're thinking. We're all from the Inner Workshop now, no need to hide anything." He then looked at Wushuang. "I heard that Miss Wushuang swore an oath to cut off her arm. The Xuan Tie sword from the Inner Workshop shouldn't be finished yet, right? In the competition between the two workshops, Xingguo Workshop actually beat the Inner Workshop to it?"

Lou Cangyu frowned, raised his head and said, "Speaking of which, I think the matter of melting the sword is a bit strange."

--eccentric?

"Logically speaking, shouldn't it be a good thing to finish the project before the deadline? But Guan Ye isn't very happy about it," Lou Cangyu continued. "The foundry workers are all hoping to submit the report to the Salt and Iron Bureau as soon as possible, perhaps even getting more bonuses before the New Year. But Guan Ye refuses, claiming that there will be losses when the slurry solidifies, and there's no need to rush to claim credit from the Salt and Iron Bureau. Even so, the workers are somewhat dissatisfied, talking behind her back..."

"What did you say?" Shen Ao pressed.

Lou Cangyu swallowed hard. "He said Guan Ye had ulterior motives and wanted to take credit for herself."

"What a joke." Wushuang suddenly spoke up, "It's just melting swords, nothing to brag about, a trivial achievement that Guan Ye wouldn't care about."

Lou Cangyu interrupted, "Not only that, but they might have actually contributed to it. I heard... there was an excess of brass produced."

—Bracon…refined too much? Wushuang’s brow furrowed, as if he had realized something.