Chapter 53 Strange Circumstances: There are no feelings without a reason, nor are there any without a reason...

Royal Palace

Inside Cheng'en Hall, the oil lamps had run out and were dim. The eunuch Chang Lu added another oil lamp, and the flickering light illuminated Mu You's bewildered face. He remained lost in thought, unaware of Chang Lu's arrival.

Chang Lu secretly watched. Ever since returning to the palace after testing the sword, Mu You had locked himself in Chengen Hall. From the moment he entered until now, he had maintained this posture—his hands behind his back, gazing at the old sword hanging high on the wall.

That sword… was brought back by Mu You after he quelled the rebellion in Xiguan, more than ten years ago. Chang Lu didn't know the sword's origin, only that Mu You loved it dearly. There was something even Empress Shen didn't know: one day, a newly arrived palace maid, being ignorant, saw the old sword covered in dust, took it down, wiped it clean, and returned it to its original place. Mu You returned to the palace that night and immediately noticed that the sword had been touched. In a fit of rage, he smashed many things in the palace. Chang Lu had served him for so long, and this was the first time he had ever seen him lose his temper like that. From then on, no one in Cheng'en Palace dared to even glance at that sword.

It's just an ordinary sword, no different from the ones those soldiers have. Chang Lu withdrew his gaze and was about to leave when Mu You suddenly called him back.

"Chang Lu."

"Your servant is here."

—Do you believe that there are two people in the world who look extremely alike?

Chang Lu was stunned, and thought for a moment, "This servant has a younger brother who looks just like me since he was a child. I wonder if that counts?"

"You have a younger brother?" Mu You turned around. "How come I've never heard you mention him?"

"I only found out later," Chang Lu said honestly. "When I was a child, my family was poor, and my younger brother was given away after he was born. Later, I entered the palace to work, and my family's life improved. My brother, who had been given away, was found by my parents. Two years ago, my father passed away, and the emperor graciously allowed me to go back for the funeral. That's when I saw my brother."

"Oh." Mu You recalled that this was indeed the case. "Your younger brother, is he the same as yours?"

Chang Lu laughed and said, "Even twins can't be born the same, let alone two brothers who are a few years apart. They do look somewhat alike, and you can tell they are brothers at first glance. But, at first glance, I recognized him as my younger brother, after all, we are related by blood."

“Yes,” Mu You said thoughtfully, “But if… there is no blood relation, would they still look alike?”

Chang Lu didn't know why he suddenly asked this question, and blinked as he said, "This servant is stupid. There are all kinds of wonders in this world. It's not surprising that people look alike."

“Cui Jin said that the Daoist way reveres nature, encompassing all things, governing all through non-action, and possessing all things. It is natural, liberating, natural, and joyful.” Mu You looked at the old sword again, “If that is so, what am I troubled by?”

At this point, Chang Lu could hardly understand anymore. Seeing Mu You fall silent, he bowed and quietly withdrew.

“There is no affection without a reason, nor hatred without a reason. A face that seems to have no cause…” Mu You murmured to himself, “Everything has a cause and effect. What kind of affection and hatred created this face…”

Mu You took down the hanging sword and caressed it repeatedly with his palm. At the age of his son Chen Bi, he was also obsessed with swords, even more so than Mu Chen Bi.

The blade was drawn, and in the groove of the hilt, the words carved by that person were faintly visible. Mu You's eyes widened in surprise, as if she could see the person she had been longing for again. A flash of silver light appeared in her sleeve, and the hilt of the sword was already in her hand. Between her slender fingers, the silver light transformed into various shapes with her movements. The moonlight was bright, but it lost its luster under the light of her sword. The sword was like frost and snow, and she was enveloped in silver light, like a goddess descended from the heavens.

"Don't go..." Mu You reached out to the phantom, only to see the sword suddenly turn and pierce straight towards his heart.

"Don't go!" Mu You cried out in alarm. "Don't leave me!"

Chang Lu seemed to hear something and suddenly stopped. He tilted his head to look back but there was no movement. Seeing the rain pouring down like beans being sifted through a sieve, he figured he must be hard of hearing and had misheard.

Crown Prince

Midnight had passed, but the study in the East Palace was still brightly lit. The eagle guards standing at the door looked at each other in bewilderment. The Crown Prince had gone into the study as soon as he returned to the palace. Several hours had passed, and the food that was brought in was brought out the same way. It was as if he had been bewitched. After watching the sword test, he was full.

Mu Chenbi sat upright at the table, closing his eyes to recall the two swords he had seen during the day. The steel was white and hard, while the gold sand was deep and tough. Both had their strengths, but the difference was not that great. There was also the swordsman on Lingbo Platform. It was true that the woman's swordsmanship was exquisite, but as a woman, no matter how good her swordsmanship was, her strength could not compare to that of a man. She was able to cut the sword of Xingguo Ward.

Mu Chenbi was obsessed with weapons and studied forging techniques. He could see it with his own eyes during the day, but he really couldn't understand the reason behind it.

"Chief Luo is back."

Hearing the commotion outside, the door was pushed open, and Luo Yichen strode in. "What do you mean?" Mu Chenbi suddenly opened his eyes.

"What Your Highness wanted..." Luo Yichen breathed heavily, "is gone."

"Gone?" Mu Chenbi suddenly stood up. "The things aren't in the storeroom?"

Luo Yichen looked dejected. "Your Highness, you've found so many good things, but how many of them are actually usable by the Imperial Workshop? And yet they're all gone now. Your subordinate is... incompetent."

"It's none of your business." Mu Chenbi sat down stiffly again. "If something is missing, we can look for it again."

Luo Yichen lowered his voice, "Your Highness, Xingguo Ward suffered a defeat before the Emperor. This time... is there any explanation? Are we going back to Rongdu after just arriving?"

"You also want Xingguofang to fail?"

Luo Yichen knelt on one knee, his face pale. "Your subordinate dares not. Xingguofang returned to the capital to maintain balance. If we slink back, wouldn't that be playing into the hands of others?"

Mu Chenbi pressed his palm on the table, his brow furrowed with doubt. Even when he sparred with Xingguo Fang, he wasn't confident he could cut his opponent's sword. How could that female swordsman from the inner workshop, whom he had never seen before, do that?

The sword trial a century ago… Mu Chenbi recalled what his father had told him… Pei Chong's Golden Sword from Xingguo Ward, forged entirely from diamond sand, fought several powerful enemies without a scratch, yet it was cleaved in two before the Emperor by Lu Wenting of Tianhu Ward… Today's scene is exactly the same as back then… Is it fate? Or…?

“Xingguo Fang will not leave.” Mu Chenbi said slowly, word by word. “There is something strange about this. I… need more time to investigate.”

"A speck of dust".

"Your subordinate is here."

"Tomorrow, I will go to the Ghost Market again."

The next day Xingguofang

In the east wing, Lou Cangyu was still fast asleep. Ji Fang's hands were wrapped in thick white cloth, and he was so clumsy that he couldn't even hold a bamboo chopstick. Xiao Ma could only feed him bite by bite. Ji Fang swallowed the food and opened his mouth to signal Xiao Ma to give him some more.

"Little Ma," Ji Fang pleaded pitifully, "please don't go."

Looking at the room full of defeated soldiers, Xiao Ma sighed sadly. Leave? If we're going to leave, it can't be now. "If we don't leave, where can we go?"

“I want to go back to Canglang Island.” Ji Fang glanced at the sword on the table. “Right now, I can’t even lift a sword… Will the sect leader let me go back?”

“I’m afraid… even if we wanted to keep him, we couldn’t.” Feng Shisan glanced out the window. “Grand Preceptor Cui arrived in the neighborhood early this morning. I wonder if he’s talking about returning to the island…” Before he could finish speaking, he saw Pei Bi leading his men in a hurry toward the east wing. Feng Shisan pushed open the door blankly, and when he saw Cui Jin following behind, his face suddenly changed color. He shook Xiao Ma’s arm and said, “Get up, Grand Preceptor is here.”

Ajiu, who was lying on her back on the couch, rolled over and jumped up. Seeing that the person who came was indeed Cui Jin, she picked up the precious sword on the table and went out of the room to greet him.

"A-Jiu greets the Imperial Preceptor."

Cui Jin scrutinized A Jiu's sharply defined face. "I originally thought that the swordsman from Xingguo Ward would be you."

"Thank you for your kindness, Imperial Preceptor." Ajiu said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Lou Cangyu's swordsmanship is superb, and he is the best in the neighborhood."

"Didn't they still lose?" Cui Jin glanced into the inner room with his one eye, saw Lou Cangyu lying sick in bed, frowned and shook his head, "It seems he's not up to the task."

Ajiu glanced at Pei Bi, who sighed and rubbed his hands together, saying, "The Imperial Advisor has come to summon us to bring yesterday's swordsmen to the palace to meet the Emperor for instruction. The Master of the Workshop is so anxious that he can't get out of bed, and Lou Cangyu is so ill... How can we get to the palace to meet the Emperor? It's really... so disappointing."

Cui Jin glanced at Ajiu with his single eye, "Have you tried the Meteor Sword?"

"Yes." Ajiu nodded.

Cui Jin pondered for a moment, "Since the Emperor has ordered me to summon you, I cannot return empty-handed. Since you have tested the Meteor Sword, you should go to the palace to meet the Emperor on behalf of your shopkeeper and this Lou Cangyu."

Ajiu turned her head to Pei Bi's expression, "Me?"

"What? You don't dare?" Cui Jin raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face.

Ah Jiu stood upright and said sternly, “It’s not that I’m afraid to go, it’s just… I don’t know if I’m qualified.”

"If you can test the Meteor Sword, you must have some skill. Change your clothes and come with me to the palace." After saying this, Cui Jin turned and left, leaving the stunned group looking at each other, not knowing what to do.

“Since they can still summon our people to meet the Emperor, perhaps…” Pei Bi clenched his fist, “perhaps… there’s still a reason.”

"Ah Jiu." Feng Shisan punched him on the shoulder. "You'd better listen carefully when you're receiving instruction from the Emperor, and find an opportunity to say a few good words for our neighborhood."

"Do you need to tell me?" Xiao Ma's eyes lit up, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope to stay.

"Steward Pei..." A-Jiu's dark eyes were heavy, "If His Majesty brings up other things..."

Pei Bi gestured for him to stop talking, "Things have come to this point, could things get any worse? Be careful what you say, just listen."

Ajiu looked at the closed door of the quiet room not far away. Xiao Ma could see that he was worried. "Don't worry, we're watching over her."

On the bed, Lou Cangyu, who had been sleeping soundly, quietly opened her eyes at some point. She rubbed the mattress beneath her with both hands, and two lines of suppressed tears silently streamed down her face.

Ghost Market at the Entrance of Fairy Cave outside Rongdu City

The Ghost Market opens after noon. Guan Ye sneaked out of the market before dawn and had been waiting outside the cave for most of the day, listening intently to the sounds coming from inside. She knew that the vendors were preparing their goods. Guan Ye took out the fox mask and put it on. The one who tied the knot must untie it. The mystery of the broken sword could only be solved in the Ghost Market.

The passageway was pitch black, and Guan Ye clenched her fist to encourage herself. Following her memory of the previous two times, she carefully made her way forward. The water flowed gently, and the ferry was just ahead. The old woman paddling the canoe recognized Guan Ye and leaned the pole against her feet. Guan Ye jumped onto the bow of the canoe. Seeing that the old woman wasn't paddling, she held up one finger to indicate that she was the only one there today.

The old woman slowly shook her head, her pale eyes glancing at the figure approaching through the passageway. Wasn't there another person there?

Guan Ye turned around blankly, a "A-Jiu" stuck in her throat, her red lips parted and closed again, but the fear she felt at their first meeting was gone. Looking into the distance, she met the dark eyes of the person who came, as if an old friend had returned.

Mu Chenbi also saw it; Guan Ye's clear eyes met his own, much like the deep lake in the Immortal Cave, gazing at her yet unable to see through her.