Chapter 83 Even if it means death, the adopted son will never admit defeat.

Mu You seemed to be pulled by an unseen force, swaying his body and almost falling into the furnace.

It was the Meteor Sword. Guan Ye and A Jiu exchanged a glance. A Jiu secretly gathered her energy, pushed off the furnace with her feet, and leaped heavily onto the furnace wall. In a flash, she appeared on top of the furnace. A Jiu grabbed Mu You's body as he was about to fall, "Your Majesty, be careful."

"My sword." Mu You mumbled, swaying like a withered tree shaking in the wind, his gaze wandering as if searching for something.

Ajiu snatched the Meteor Sword from Mu You's hand and held it horizontally in front of him. "The Emperor's sword is right here."

"My sword..." Mu You saw the Meteor Sword before him clearly, his cloudy eyes gradually clearing. "A-Jiu? It's you..." Mu You steadied himself, still confused as if he didn't know what had just happened. "Why are you here too?"

“Ah Jiu, you’ve come to protect the Emperor.” Pei Yuan glanced at Ah Jiu.

Ajiu nodded calmly, took half a step back, and bowed respectfully. "The fire on the furnace is burning brighter and brighter. Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance."

Mu You pressed down on the Meteor Sword that Ajiu was holding up. "How did the Meteor Sword end up in your hands?"

Ajiu remained calm and composed, saying, "His Majesty entrusted the Meteor Sword to me for safekeeping so that he could see the Heavenly Furnace more clearly."

Mu You seemed to believe it but not quite. He tried his best to recall what had just happened. In the thick smoke, what did he see, or perhaps he saw nothing at all? He remembered that the Meteor Sword was hanging upside down on the top of the furnace, but the sword was right in front of him. Looking back at the top of the furnace, there was nothing there.

"The Heavenly Furnace..." Mu You murmured, "It truly is an object from beyond the heavens..."

Ajiu waved her clothes to scatter the flying sparks for Muyou. Muyou took a few steps, then stopped and looked up at the top of the furnace. Seeing Ajiu shielding him from the fire with her body, Muyou felt a little relieved. Looking closely at her stern face, he opened his mouth as if to speak but then stopped.

Meteor Sword, it's Meteor Sword again. Guan Ye lowered her eyelashes. Mu You wasn't the first person to lose his mind in front of the Meteor Sword. Jiang Muyun forged the sword with his own body, his flesh and blood fused into the meteorite. Had he already transformed into a sword spirit, trapped within the blade?

Guan Ye's fingers intertwined, her heart suddenly pounding—"Have you seen her?"

Guan Ye, she's right there, watching us. Do you see Jiang Muyun?

Pei Chu's deep-set eyes flashed with a sickly yet bright light at that moment. His emaciated body stiffened as he forced himself to look out the window. He curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a faint smile of triumph. He reached out his hand towards the unseen entity outside the window. Guan Ye met his gaze and felt a chill run down her spine.

Just like myself right now.

“Chen Bi,” Mu You called out his son’s name.

"Your subject is here."

"We've already arrived at Xingguo Ward, and the Heavenly Furnace is right in front of us. You've been longing to go up and take a look for so many days, don't you want to?"

Mu Chenbi glanced at Tianlu, then glanced at Guan Ye beside him out of the corner of his eye. “There is plenty of time in the future. There is no need to rush. Tianlu is already in Rongdu. I can come whenever I want. Master Pei, I will be visiting you often in the future.”

"I couldn't ask for more," Pei Yuan said hastily. "I couldn't ask for more!"

Mu You brushed aside his bright yellow embroidered dragon robe, sat upright on a nanmu chair in the courtyard, and said as if remembering something, "I heard from the Grand Preceptor Cui that the Heavenly Furnace is completed today, and there is another important event in the workshop."

"A big deal?" The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what the Emperor meant.

Cui Jin looked at Pei Yuan and said in a deep voice, "I also heard from Master Pei that he wanted to choose an adopted son for the Pei family to inherit the great cause of the country's prosperity."

"My adopted son," Mu You stroked his beard and nodded. "I've also heard the Grand Preceptor mention Young Master Pei, who stayed on Canglang Island. Grand Preceptor Cui has very high standards; I rarely hear him speak well of others. This Young Master Pei, I've heard the Grand Preceptor mention him more than once—a genius of heaven, Young Master Pei is a gem, it's a pity about his legs..."

"The Heavenly Furnace has returned to the City of the Emperor," Mu You added. "Rongdu is home to many renowned doctors; why not bring Young Master Pei here?"

These words touched a nerve with Pei Yuan, and a look of sadness appeared on his grimacing face. "Everyone has their own destiny. Canglang Island is Chu'er's destiny."

“Everyone has their own ambitions,” Cui Jin said. “Let him be.” As he spoke, he glanced at the standing swordsmen and asked, “I wonder if Master Pei has chosen a son to adopt?”

A flicker of fervor crossed Lou Cangyu's eyes, which quickly dimmed. Since stepping into Rongdu, he had been filled with ambition but had accomplished nothing. Not only that, he had almost ruined a major event in the neighborhood. The choice of the adopted son could not possibly be him. Lou Cangyu thought to himself, and couldn't help but glance at Pei Yuan again. If it could be him... he would die for it.

"Replying to the Imperial Preceptor," Pei Yuan glanced at his own dashing swordsmen, who, apart from Lou Cangyu, all avoided his gaze, "this adopted son of the Pei family will one day be the heir of the Pei family. The Pei family bears the great responsibility of revitalizing the country. Today, the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Imperial Preceptor are all here, so they can serve as witnesses for Xingguofang."

“Then someone has been chosen.” Cui Jin clicked his tongue in admiration. “I see that these young men are all exceptionally brave and heroic. I wonder who will be fortunate enough to be chosen.”

“Chen Bi, guess who it is?” Mu You leaned forward with great interest.

Mu Chenbi stood with his hands behind his back like a jade pillar in a long corridor, saying, "It couldn't possibly be that person named Ajiu."

"Oh?" Mu You chuckled.

“Even if Pei Yuan had the guts of a leopard, he would never dare to adopt someone who looks like the current crown prince as his godson.” Mu Chenbi smiled slightly, as if he had already guessed who the lucky one would be.

—Lou Cangyu.

Lou Cangyu stared blankly at his sword sheath with his head drooping. The sound of a name rang in his ears, but he mistook it for a whistling wind. He didn't move at all, as if someone had acupunctured him.

"Lou Cangyu!"

"Cangyu, he's calling you." Ji Fang nudged him with the hilt of his sword in a hurry. "Lou Cangyu? The brothel owner is calling you."

"—Here!" Lou Cangyu was pushed out of line by the hilt of his sword. "Lou Cangyu is here!"

Lou Cangyu pinched his leg, forcing himself to stand up straight. "What are your orders, Master?"

“This person…” Mu You sized up the young man in front of him, “He looks somewhat familiar, as if I’ve seen him somewhere before.”

Mu Chenbi nodded and whispered, "Lingbo Terrace in the inner workshop, he was the swordsman from Xingguo Workshop that day."

Pei Bi stared at the somewhat dazed boy. He already knew Pei Yuan's choice. Lou Yuan's competitive and ambitious little stone was willing to risk everything for Xingguo Fang, even Lou Cangyu, and was determined to be seen. Today, he could finally achieve his wish and be adopted by Pei Yuan as his godson, inheriting the Pei family's century-old ambition to revitalize the country.

Pei Bi had watched Lou Cangyu grow up. This child, who had been frail in his childhood, was not suited to learn martial arts. Most importantly, Lou Cangyu bore the surname Lou, and the shame of the Broken Sword still lingered. How could a descendant of the Lou family be worthy of wielding the sword of Xingguo Ward? That night, Aunt Lou knocked on her door, carrying a large bag of fruit from her own tree. Seeing that he was standing there without moving, Aunt Lou wiped the fruit clean with her sleeve, took a bite, and handed it to him. "These are homegrown, they're so sweet, have a taste?"

Why wouldn't you taste fruit offered to you? Pei Bi was genuinely thirsty. The Lou family's fruit trees were the best on the island, planted by Lou Cangyu's father himself the year Lou Cangyu was born. Growing for over a decade, how could the fruit not be delicious? After tasting it, Pei Bi couldn't bear to part with any more.

Within days, Lou Cangyu was chosen as a swordsman. He trained diligently for years in the old house, while his mother and elder brother lived in Xingguo Ward. As a teenager, he gritted his teeth and never went back to see them. He trained harder and harder, and finally, Lou Cangyu could stand tall under the Heavenly Furnace, his sword held firmly in his hand, visible to everyone.

He said his name was Cang Yu. He thought he could hide his surname, but it was already etched in everyone's memory. Cang Yu was Lou's little stone.

The stubborn stone eventually became a beautiful jade, but Pei Bi felt no joy. He knew that the higher Lou Cangyu climbed, the further he would be from Canglang Island, until he could never return. Pei Bi longed for the fruit on the Lou family's tree; he hoped that in his lifetime he could taste it again.

"Where is Lou Cangyu?!"

Lou Cangyu raised his head, his gaze sharp as a sword. He vaguely sensed that something big was waiting for him, but he dared not hope for it. Under the Heavenly Furnace on Canglang Island, the workshop owner said he remembered what he looked like. He was Lou's Little Stone, and once he was, he would be for life. He had even broken Xingguo Workshop's sword. Although he was framed, he had lost face before the emperor and could not turn back. The deep desire in his heart was something he could only dream of, but could not achieve.

"The Heavenly Furnace shines brightly, reflecting the sun and moon. With the ancestors of the Pei family above, I, Pei Yuan, wish to adopt Lou Cangyu as my godson." Pei Yuan stretched out his arms, gazing at the furnace, flames igniting in his pupils, his eyes bloodshot. "Lou Cangyu, are you willing?"

"—Cang Yu? Adopted son?" Several swordsmen looked on in astonishment, exchanging glances and whispering among themselves. "It's actually Lou Cang Yu?"

Lou Cangyu was suddenly startled, gasped for breath, and his lips twitched involuntarily. Half-dazed, he shuddered and immediately took half a step forward, then knelt down on the ground with a thud. "Cangyu...is willing."

“It was him?” Feng Shisan murmured. “Shouldn’t it be…” Feng Shisan glanced at Ajiu.

"Shh." Xiao Ma glared at him. "Don't talk nonsense in front of the Emperor."

"Cangyu, I'm willing!" Lou Cangyu cried out hoarsely, "Master, Cangyu is willing!"

Pei Yuan looked up at the blazing furnace, seemingly oblivious to Lou Cangyu's response. Through the smoke, he saw Pei Chu sitting on a bamboo chair. Pei Chu's lips curled into a strange smile, his eyes filled with disdain and mockery. Pei Chu said he was willing to make a bet with his father for the rest of his life, betting that one day he would return to Canglang Island.

Pei Yuan left his son without looking back. He accepted the bet and would never admit defeat, even if it meant death.

"Cang Yu, I'm willing!"

Pei Yuan finally turned around, his crimson eyes flashing with light. "Alright, from now on, you are my adopted son, Pei Cangyu."

Lou Cangyu's heart surged like molten iron boiling in a furnace, his eyes gleaming like burning silver embers. He was so happy he almost cried out, "Pei Cangyu! Pei Cangyu! Lou Cangyu, the adopted son of the Pei family of Xingguo Ward, has finally done it!"

"From now on, I will be called Pei Cangyu. I am the adopted son of the Pei family of Xingguo Ward, Pei Cangyu." Lou Cangyu bowed deeply to Pei Yuan.

"Good, good!" Cui Jin clapped his hands and said, "Today we not only celebrate the completion of the Heavenly Furnace, but also witness a major event for the Pei family. Master Pei has adopted a fine son. I, Cui, congratulate Master Pei." He then looked at the kneeling Cang Yu, "Lou? No, it should be Pei Cang Yu. Why don't you call him godfather?"

"Pei Cangyu pays respects to his godfather." Pei Cangyu shouted loudly.

“Good, good.” Pei Yuan gestured for him to stand up. “From today onwards, I will have two sons, Chu’er, and you, my good younger brother. Let us, father and son, work together to revitalize the Pei family.”

"Cangyu, I will be your godfather, and for the Pei family, I will go through fire and water, even at the cost of my life!" Pei Cangyu's eyes were filled with tears.

Mu You stroked his beard and nodded, "It's just casting weapons, why talk about dying ten thousand times? Pei Yuan, you are indeed a loyal adopted son."

Hearing the Emperor praise him, Pei Cangyu's heart surged even more. He stood up and knelt down before Mu You, kowtowing and saying, "This humble subject, Pei Cangyu, will certainly assist my adoptive father and Xingguofang in shouldering the great cause, and will dedicate myself to the Emperor and the Great Jin Dynasty until my dying breath."

"Hahahaha." Mu You laughed loudly, "I had some impression of you on Lingbo Platform that day. The person that Master Pei has taken a liking to must be extraordinary. I will remember you, Pei Cangyu."

Seeing Ji Fang standing tall and proud, seemingly a little envious, Feng Shisan poked him with the hilt of his sword and said in a low voice, "What? Getting jealous? Are you going to change your surname too?"

Ji Fang sniffled, still watching intently. "Who wants to change their surname? I'm just happy for Cang Yu. The Lou family has been lying low for three generations; it's time for him to take over."

"That's more like it." Feng Shisan snorted. "What if I change my surname to Pei? I wouldn't even want it if you gave it to me, Thirteenth Young Master."

Ji Fang flicked his nose. "From now on, can we still call him... Cang Yu?"

"Otherwise what?" Feng Shi asked.

Ji Fang blinked, swallowing back the words that were about to come out.

Guan Ye wasn't too surprised that she adopted Lou Cangyu as the Pei family's godson. Everyone else had their own burdens, but only Lou Cangyu truly wanted to become a swordsman, to bring fame and fortune to Xingguo Fang. The Lou family had been wronged for many years by the Broken Sword, and it was Lou Cangyu's turnaround that he deserved.

If she were to adopt someone else as her godson… Guan Ye glanced at the people around her; she doubted that any of them would want him.

"Taking advantage of the auspicious occasion of the completion of the Heavenly Furnace," Mu You's deep gaze swept over the faces before him, "Master Pei has taken in a fine adopted son, and I, too, wish to bestow a reward upon someone."

"A reward?" The crowd looked at each other, unsure of what he meant.

Mu Chenbi's heart skipped a beat. The moment he raised his eyebrows, his eyes met Ajiu's. Their eyes locked, both exuding an unstoppable sharpness. Mu Chenbi's heart was in his throat, and neither of them would back down.

Guan Ye subconsciously looked at A Jiu, but was then drawn by Mu Chenbi's gaze. She peered at the expressions of the two of them and seemed to smell the burning heat. Sparks from the furnace were dancing on their faces, and the atmosphere in the foundry suddenly froze.