Chapter 62 The Path of Argumentation Must Be Walked, But One Cannot Walk Alone

Xingguofang

In the backyard foundry, Guan Ye's newly forged sword was beginning to take shape. Guan Ye took the blade out of the hissing, steaming ice water, attracting the attention of the passing swordsmiths. Hearing that Guan Ye had forged a sword, the old blacksmiths in the workshop also rushed over to take a look. They squinted at it for a long time and said that although it was a bit rough, it was still quite good for a novice.

However, the old swordsmith didn't quite understand why he would bother forging another identical sword when it was already broken.

Guan Ye didn't answer, but instead wrapped the coarse cloth around the hilt of the sword layer by layer. The old blacksmith laughed and said, "You're really an amateur. I'll make you a sword hilt."

Guan Ye tightened the coarse cloth, raised the sword blade, and shook her head, saying, "My sword is not for fighting, and I don't use the hilt."

"Then what are you going to do with it?" a sword slave asked.

"I just want to know..." Guan Ye slowly lowered her hand, "...how could our sword break?"

"Lou Cangyu lost the sword test!" someone shouted. "He overestimated himself and insisted on testing his sword, and he even lost to a woman. It's not that our swords are bad, it's that Lou Cangyu's skills are inferior."

"It's just a small stone from the Lou family. A stone is just a stone. A small stone is not as good as a big stone." Everyone laughed as they said this.

At the courtyard gate, the group of people who had come to watch the commotion were suddenly stunned. Ji Fang tugged at Feng Shisan's sleeve and said, "I told you not to come. Couldn't you just stay inside and lie down? It's just a blade without a hilt. Let's go."

Hearing people mock him, Lou Cangyu's face twitched, his pale face turning blue. This matter was already over, and even the workshop owner had recovered and no longer mentioned the broken sword. Why was Guan Ye forging a sword again? Did she have to lash out at him in front of everyone again?

"Cangyu, let's go." Ji Fang waved his white paw at him. "What's there to see?"

Lou Cangyu shoved Ji Fang aside and rushed to Guan Ye's side. The guys who were making fun of him quickly shut up and scattered when they saw the person in question had arrived.

"Guan Ye!" Lou Cangyu's eyes blazed with fury. "Do you want me to slit my throat with this sword?"

Ajiu pulled Guan Ye behind her, "You've misunderstood. Guan Ye forged this sword to prove that it's not that your skills are inferior, but rather..."

"Or is it that there's something wrong with the sword she forged?" Lou Cangyu sneered. "Would she be so kind? Everything's over, and everyone can stay in Rongdu. Why would she give up a peaceful life and go to the trouble of proving the problem was hers? I heard it clearly just now; they were laughing at me, Lou Cangyu!"

"Lou Cangyu." Guan Ye flashed forward, appearing directly in front of him. "On the sword-testing platform, you fought with the people from the inner circle. Whether it was because your skills were inferior, or there was something else going on, you should know better than anyone else. Do you really think your own sword is inferior to others, or that female swordsman's swordsmanship is truly superior to yours? If something is amiss, instead of clamoring to slit your own throat, what is there to fear in death? If you're going to die, at least die knowing why."

Guan Ye's words were a wake-up call. Lou Cangyu, still stubbornly defiant, seemed ready to devour her whole. But upon reflection, Guan Ye's words made sense. Lou Cangyu recalled the events of that day. Wushuang's swordsmanship was not weak, and her agility surpassed his own. However, Wushuang was, after all, a frail woman. In terms of strength, she could never defeat a man. When their swords clashed, her breathing became rapid, clearly indicating that she had exhausted all her strength. In that case, how could she have broken his sword in one fell swoop?

If the sword from Xingguofang really had a problem, there was no need to wait until the end; it should have been damaged during the competition. Lou Cangyu, you've practiced swordsmanship for many years and have achieved some success. Can't you tell if a sword is good or bad yourself?

Lou Cangyu's chapped lips parted slightly, and he tried to speak several times but couldn't utter a word. Guan Ye raised her head even higher and took a few more steps forward, forcing Lou Cangyu to say something.

"You...you can die knowing the truth just by forging an identical one?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Lou Cangyu wanted to slap himself. Wasn't that just sending him to Guan Ye's death trap?

"What if it really is possible?" Guan Ye raised an eyebrow at him.

“Then I’ll call you Grandma Guan.” Lou Cangyu retorted forcefully. He had already decided that it didn’t matter what she called him; it wouldn’t cost him anything to just use his tongue. Most importantly, he didn’t believe Guan Ye could prove anything.

“You said it!” Guan Ye pointed her sword at the group of people. “You are all witnesses, Grandma Guan.”

"Wait a minute." Lou Cangyu suddenly realized, "What if we can't get to the bottom of this? You're calling me grandpa? I don't care to hear that."

Ajiu frowned. "Lou Cangyu, that's enough. Guan Ye is doing this for Xingguo Ward..."

Lou Cangyu didn't even look at Ajiu, his provocative eyes fixed on Guan Ye. "They all laughed at me for losing the sword to Xingguo Workshop because of my inferior skills. Today you've forged the same one. I don't care what method you use. If you can't prove anything, then... it's Guan Ye's sword that's the problem. It can't be blamed on me, Lou Cangyu."

"Fine." Guan Ye wasn't afraid of him at all, and deliberately brandished her sword as if she was about to slit her throat. "Anyway, I didn't tell the shop owner that if you lose, you have to pay with your life. If you're not afraid, why should I be?"

"You!" If Guan Ye hadn't been a woman, Lou Cangyu was afraid he would have lost control and thrown a punch. "You're something else!" Lou Cangyu turned away angrily, threatening her, and didn't forget to yell at Ji Fang again, "Come on, isn't there nothing to see?"

Seeing that Feng Shisan was standing there with no intention of leaving, Lou Cangyu stomped his feet so hard he wanted to crush the stone slabs. Ji Fang looked left and right, but in the end he couldn't leave Lou Cangyu behind, so he waved his white claws and chased after him.

Feng Shisan drew the sword from Guan Ye's hand and casually brandished it a few times. He saw that the sword's aura was fierce and its edge sharp. It was not only no less than the one made by the old blacksmith, but with each strike, the blade flashed like a meteor, and it seemed to be even better. Feng Shisan lightly flicked the sword and glanced at Guan Ye, "The 'Forging Classic,' is it really that useful? Can you really learn this just by reading the book?"

"You must be kicking yourself now," Guan Ye said without changing her expression. "If you had known this would happen, shouldn't you have learned more characters?"

Feng Shisan chuckled dryly a few times, "I've felt something was wrong for a long time."

Guan Ye's heart skipped a beat as she spoke. Although they were partners in adversity, they weren't yet intimately familiar with each other. What if Feng Shisan really saw through something...?

"How could there be anything wrong with our swords!" Feng Shisan exclaimed thunderously, slapping his thigh as he spoke. He even drew his own sword and tapped it against Guan Ye's blade. "Look at this! It's more likely to kill me. Lou Cangyu, that pig-brain, is all cunning on his face. He's been tricked and doesn't even realize it. We need to understand this completely!"

Guan Ye secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but before she could speak, Feng Shisan interrupted, "Tell me, shall we have another duel with the inner workshop using this sword? This time, I'll be the one to go."

“The head of the inner quarters, Shen Ao, is the emperor’s brother-in-law. The Sword Testing Platform is a settled fact, how can it be changed so easily?” Ajiu interjected, a worried look appearing between her brows. “Even if there is a trick involved, I’m afraid it will just be swept under the rug. Guan Ye, what do you want to do?”

Guan Ye hesitated, then the man named Mu Chenbi said that even if the truth were revealed, to save face for the court, the evidence couldn't be presented openly. All he wanted was to restore justice to Xingguo Ward. Pei Yuan only wanted to stay in Rongdu, Lou Cangyu only hoped to bring glory to his family, Feng Shisan had a lot of pent-up anger and nowhere to vent it, and Ajiu was worried that the disaster caused by the broken sword would be blamed on her.

Can a justice that only exists in people's hearts truly fulfill everyone's wishes? If the outcome is exactly as they desire, what can Xingguo Ward do? It will only intensify everyone's grief and anger. The Inner Ward probably dared to act because they knew that even if the Pei family discovered the truth, they would be powerless to change it.

Looking again at Feng Shisan gripping the sword blade, ready to leap and test it, with the Kunwu Stone in hand, Guan Ye ultimately did not tell them.

"Steward Pei is back! Hurry up and collect the money."

Feng Shisan put down his sword and rushed out. Ajiu gently stroked the sword, and noticing Guan Ye's complex emotions, she handed the sword back to her. Guan Ye stood up, looked at Ajiu intently, and then turned and went to her quiet room.

Today was the day Guan Ye and Mu Chenbi had agreed to go to the Ghost Market again. The sun was so bright it was blinding, but Guan Ye was still too lazy to get up. One should be true to one's word, but... doing something you know is useless would only cause more trouble, so... Guan Ye turned over and decided to go back to sleep.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the sword blade on the table. Since the sword had neither hilt nor sheath, a beam of light pierced Guan Ye's eyes, making her see stars even with her eyelids closed. Guan Ye scrambled to her feet, glaring angrily at the product of her own foolishness, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't very well take it to the inner workshop and have the female swordsman cut it down again.

What infuriated her most was that ever since she had the idea of ​​not going to the ghost market, Mu Chenbi's words kept echoing in her ears: "Guan Ye, don't forget, don't forget..."

Did I even reply to myself, "I can't forget, Xingguofang, West Street. If you forget, come find me here?"

Oh no! Guan Ye sprang to her feet, thinking that if she didn't go, Mu Chenbi might really come knocking on her door. Not only him, but also those men in black. If those men stood in a row at the entrance of Xingguo Ward with long faces, the ward master would probably be scared to death again.

Guan Ye splashed some cold water on her face haphazardly, found an old garment to wrap the sword blade, took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and strode towards the gate of the neighborhood.

"Look, Guan Ye is carrying something and is about to go out." Ji Fang heard the noise and used his white claws to pry open the window.

"You're just bored out of your mind." Feng Shisan didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. "Ajiu was summoned to the palace by the Emperor again early this morning, and Xiao Ma is helping the steward check the storeroom. The three of us are going to get moldy if we just stay here. Don't you use your brain to think about what you can do? All you do all day is meddle in other people's business."

Ji Fang looked aggrieved. "I...I'm injured, aren't I?"

"A-Jiu has been summoned to the palace again?" Lou Cangyu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. "What is she going to the palace for?"

"I'm not the emperor, how would I know?" Feng Shisan ignored him. "Perhaps the emperor... has something to tell us? He's asking Ajiu to pass on a message."

Lou Cangyu, his face grim, had already changed into his usual dark-colored martial arts attire without a word. He raised his sword and nudged Feng Shisan in the back. "Let's go practice our swordsmanship."

"Hey?" Feng Shisan's hands had been itching for days, and he was just worried about not having anyone to relieve his pent-up desire. "How are you? Are you feeling better?"

"You're the one who's sick." Lou Cangyu's lips curled into a provocative smile. "Go practice."

"Alright." Feng Shisan slung his sword over his shoulder. "Let me show you what I, Young Master Shisan, am capable of."

Ji Fang's swordsmanship was mediocre, but he loved watching others spar. Hearing that the two were going to have a match, he immediately perked up. Feng Shisan focused on power, while Lou Cangyu focused on technique. They twisted their bodies and drew their swords. One was strong, the other elusive. The sword light flashed, and the moves changed. The back-and-forth was very exciting. Ji Fang was so engrossed in watching that he forgot that his hand was still injured. He couldn't help but clap and cheer for the two. The word "good" slipped out, and he cried out in pain. Lou Cangyu was at the crucial moment of the match. Hearing Ji Fang's cry, he hurriedly stopped his move and turned around. Feng Shisan had found an opening. He secretly gathered his strength, tensed his muscles, and focused his power on the tip of his sword, thrusting it straight at Lou Cangyu's shoulder.

"Cangyu, watch out!" Ji Fang shouted, his eyes wide.

Before Lou Cangyu could turn around, Feng Shisan abruptly stopped, swung his sword over Lou Cangyu's shoulder, and unleashed a gust of sword wind in the air, dazzling Lou Cangyu. Lou Cangyu covered his eyes with his hands, and through his fingers, he could see countless sword shadows flickering before his eyes.

Feng Shisan laughed heartily, "What, do you think I, Young Master Shisan, really intend to take advantage of someone's misfortune and win unfairly?"

Ji Fang let out a sigh of relief, "If you really do that, I will never forgive you."

Feng Shisan sheathed his sword, took a few steps, and then looked at Lou Cangyu, who was still standing there. He placed his rough palm on Lou's shoulder and said, "You were in the lead when Ji Fang shouted. Why are you looking at him?"

Lou Cangyu stared dejectedly at the sword in his hand, "His hand was injured while saving me, it's my fault..."

"What are you saying?" Ji Fang heard what he said clearly and charged over, waving his white claws. "We're brothers, and even if I lose these hands, I, Ji Fang, will never regret it."

Lou Cangyu felt a surge of warmth in her heart, looked up at Ji Fang's sincere face, and suddenly turned her back to hide her reddened eyes.

“Next time, don’t do that.” Ji Fang still felt lingering fear when he recalled Lou Cangyu slitting his throat. If he had hesitated even a little bit back then, the man in front of him would have been bleeding on the spot. “Cangyu, when we come to Rongdu, we take the main road. We can’t make the road narrower and narrower. If one road is blocked, we can take another one.”

Lou Cangyu nodded emphatically, and Feng Shisan put his arm around one of them, saying, "If you're tired of competing, go ask Steward Pei for some meat and wine."

"Then you two have to feed me." Ji Fang raised his white paws above his head.

"Lou Cangyu wants to repay your kindness, so he feeds you."

Lou Cangyu leaned on Feng Shisan's broad back, thinking that once he arrived in Rongdu, he would have a broad road to walk on. Only today did he realize that while one can walk the broad road, one cannot walk alone.