Chapter 222 The True Name Sword Technique and the Arrogant Person
"What a madman!"
Inside the hut, Wei Shaoxuan stood there stunned for a long time, then muttered curses under his breath.
He picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp.
Even with the deep composure and shrewdness of the sixth young master of the Wei family, it was difficult for him to maintain his calm and elegance.
The mad emperor Sui, who has been buried in the dust of history and condemned by historians, was even more insane and outrageous than he had imagined.
"When the Southern Dynasty royal family forged a single cauldron sword, they had already exhausted all the resources and strength of the Southern Kingdom. But the Mad Emperor has gone too far, adding another one to the Butterfly Creek sword furnace, forging two cauldron swords at the same time?"
Wei Shaoxuan suddenly felt that compared to Emperor Sui Feng, he and his father were too merciful, and so was the current emperor.
It seems that everything needs to be compared.
Happiness comes from diversity.
"History records say that the Northern Dynasty almost exhausted its national strength by casting that 'Emperor Wen' statue. The world had just been unified. Instead of pacifying his generals and ministers and winning over the hearts of the people, and taking things slowly, this mad emperor is obsessed with Qi cultivation and casts two more cauldrons and swords. If this man doesn't bring about the downfall of the country, who will?"
Wei Shaoxuan sneered. In truth, he didn't think it was wrong for the Mad Emperor to exploit the people, but the key was that being wicked was acceptable, but not stupid. His methods were too ugly and lacked elegance; even exploitation required elegance.
"Ha, a madman who drains the pond to catch all the fish."
Qiu Shenji nodded:
"The stolen cauldron sword should be the one that the Southern Kingdom royal family failed to forge back then. The Southern Kingdom royal family forged most of this sword, and Emperor Sui should have prioritized forging it."
"However, whether the sword had been forged before it was stolen is unknown."
“My ancestor from the Qiu family, who rose to the rank of General of Chariots and Cavalry, once said that the Mad Emperor was furious that day. He blocked the news and had many people involved executed in the court, including many precious swordsmiths. Their blood and heads rolled into Butterfly Creek, staining the river red for half a month, and it still couldn't be washed away…”
"Why would this madman kill a swordsmith?" Wei Shaoxuan asked curiously.
"It seems that the swordsmith and the thief colluded to cause the loss of the cauldron sword."
"A coordinated attack from within and without?"
Wei Shaoxuan's face showed a thoughtful expression.
These secrets, long hidden in the dust of history, may not even be recorded in the secret treasury of the Wei King's mansion. They were probably only passed down orally from families of military strategists and qi practitioners like my adoptive father.
"Does Godfather know who this thief is? He even dared to steal the Mad Emperor's sword."
Qiu Shenji glanced at him and shook his head:
"Sixth Brother, don't overthink it. It happened almost a hundred years ago. There are many Qi cultivators who know about this. All the clues that could be found have already been searched by clever people. That cauldron sword, whether it was ever forged or not, has long since disappeared, and no one knows who stole it."
"However, they must be Qi cultivators with considerable cultivation. The Mad Emperor offended quite a few Qi cultivator forces in the mountains back then, not to mention those top Qi cultivator forces that once supported the Southern Kingdom's royal family."
At this point, Qiu Shenji glanced out the window to the south, where there was a secluded sect.
Wei Shaoxuan nodded, sighed, and didn't ask any more questions.
He pondered for a moment and said:
"So, the cauldron and sword prototype that the Liu family is currently overseeing is a new cauldron that the Mad Emperor sought after losing his sword?"
Qiu Shenji nodded slightly:
"When I was reading history books back then, I also had doubts about why the Mad Emperor was slow to forge the sword. Later, after hearing this secret, I suddenly understood. Sure enough, there was a hidden change in the middle of the process."
Wei Shaoxuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled and softly recited:
"Poor thing, she spends year after year embroidering gold thread, only to make wedding gowns for others..."
He turned his head again, his face full of emotion:
"However, Godfather, imagine if there hadn't been this sword theft incident. With the Mad Emperor's Qi cultivation level back then, and the Sui army possessing multiple Ding swords, even if heroes rose up, it's uncertain who would ultimately rule the world."
"After all, the mere mention of 'Emperor Wen' was enough to strike fear into the hearts of heroes throughout the land at that time. Even Emperor Taizong, the Wen Emperor, had to temporarily evade his wrath on the battlefield..."
"However, history has no ifs. In the end, dust returned to dust, and the destiny of the Great Sui Dynasty and the Ding Sword all belonged to the Great Gan Dynasty."
"Emperor Wen" was also given a name by a different emperor, who added a character to his name and changed it to Emperor Wen... It's truly a cruel twist of fate."
"By the way, godfather, you've been serving in the northern border army for many years. Have you ever seen that 'Emperor Wen' sword? What does it look like?"
Qiu Shenji nodded slightly.
Upon hearing this, a stern look flashed in his eyes.
That's right, the Great Zhou Dynasty, or rather the previous Great Gan Dynasty, also had the Dingjian sword.
Although Emperor Taizong of the Great Han Dynasty forbade his descendants from forging tripods and swords again, he did not say that swords already forged in history could not be used.
The most famous sword and cauldron in the Great Zhou Dynasty, which has inherited the great legacy, is that of Emperor Wen.
However, it is difficult to find a swordsman who meets the "condition of abundant qi" for this sword. At the same time, this item is already a national treasure and does not belong to any family or private individual. There is already a very mature official qi cultivator system surrounding its use.
When necessary, it can execute any Qi cultivator who dares to offend the imperial authority, and borrow the most elite battle formations of the surrounding armies to sweep across thousands of troops and expand territory.
Even the powerful Wei family could not embezzle the funds without authorization.
Qiu Shenji still remembers that day in the northern frontier, the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly. Yellow sand filled the sky and the enemy cavalry was densely packed in front of him, like a black tide surging from the horizon, about to engulf Gan Jun's right wing.
At a certain moment, a sword came from the east.
The originally surging black tide was cut in two by a straight steel wire laid horizontally, as plainly and simply as cutting tofu. The black tide was cut into two pieces of tofu, which fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Looking out, it was a straight line of death. Anyone who dared to cross it even halfway would be torn in half, their upper and lower body separated, and they would fall over. Even the sandstorms that passed by were broken in two.
Even after more than a decade, Qiu Shenji still vividly remembered that fresh, strong smell of blood carried by the west wind, and he could still faintly smell it at this moment.
It was called the "Emperor Wen," but its killings were anything but elegant, just like the once invincible Emperor Taizong Wen.
If the Wei family had been able to use a cauldron sword to suppress the rebellion in Yingzhou not long ago, none of this mess would have happened!
Furthermore, the Wei Prince's Mansion strongly suspects that the rebellion in Yingzhou was not only a rebellion by mutinous soldiers, but may also have been secretly aided by Qi cultivators, and may even be related to the forces of their rival, Prince Xiang... although there is no evidence yet.
Qiu Shenji remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly and said:
"The true appearance of the 'Emperor Wen' is somewhat unusual. For some reason, ever since the swordsmiths of the Daoist craftsmanship lineage finished forging that 'Humble Scholar' sword in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the swords they forged began to deviate from the norm. It is said that they are neither swords nor cauldrons, and it is hard to describe them..."
"However, Liu Lang will soon have the opportunity to see him. This time, when you carry the sword back, you will need to borrow the rare sword technique of the 'Emperor Wen'. The prince has made arrangements for you to go back and observe it... This opportunity was obtained by the prince's mansion at the cost of a lot of personal connections."
The man carrying the box said coldly again:
"There are two things we must obtain on this trip to Dragon City: the sword itself and its true name. Only the swordsmith who forged the sword knows its true name, so it is of utmost importance."
That's why I told Liu Lang not to offend that old gentleman for the time being.
"I understand."
Wei Shaoxuan nodded slightly, as if he already knew all of this, and then suddenly asked:
"Why is Godfather so certain that a sword technique is necessary to subdue this cauldron sword? What if I happen to be one of its closest, more impulsive individuals? Could I bypass..."
"Maybe."
Qiu Shenji said casually, turning his head to glance out the window.
Seeing his godfather's expression, Wei Shaoxuan's lips twitched; his tone was clearly perfunctory.
However, he felt that his adoptive father's reaction was normal. His adoptive father was always cold and realistic, so why would he place his hopes on the identity of a fickle and highly improbable person?
It's better to stick to the other, more reliable method that Qi practitioners have developed over the past thousand years.
Wei Shaoxuan let out a long breath, got up, paced around the room, and murmured:
"What should I call that old swordsmith? I remember he had a name, he called himself 'Wu Ming' or something like that."
Qiu Shenji shook his head: "It sounds like an alias. Most swordsmiths are eccentric and have strange personalities."
Wei Shaoxuan smiled and said:
"I think so too, but this old gentleman's identity and experience are quite interesting."
"According to Liu Ziwen's original revelation, before the Mei family was wiped out, this old gentleman was a disciple of the Guyue Sword Shop, and had come into contact with some of the Mei family's sword-making techniques. However, later, it seems that he had a quarrel with the Mei family's masters, a dispute over certain ideologies, which led to a complete break. He left the sect and never returned. Of course, now it seems that this quarrel was related to the Dingjian sword."
"But godfather, the interesting part is yet to come."
Wei Shaoxuan clapped his hands with his folding fan, turned his head and said leisurely:
"More than a decade ago, Liu Ziwen devised a vicious plan to wipe out the entire Mei family, who refused to comply. However, despite his meticulous planning, one member of the Mei family escaped through the underground passage with the embryo of the Dingjian sword. Liu Ziwen was extremely anxious and offered a large reward in the martial arts world to search for him everywhere. However, he could not find him for a long time. But then, Father, guess what happened?"
Qiu Shenji glanced sideways, his eyebrows raised slightly.
Wei Shaoxuan grinned, revealing three white teeth, his smile radiant:
"Liu Ziwen did nothing. The old man returned alone with the head of the escaped Mei clan member and the embryo of the sword. He found Liu Ziwen to cooperate with him and agreed to three rules: he would not concern himself with worldly affairs and would only focus on forging the sword. Liu Ziwen saw that he was very sincere and agreed to cooperate."
"What a sword-making fanatic! What a traitor to his master! No wonder he's a nameless, uncivilized savage. The old man's personality is just my type. I must meet him properly the day after tomorrow!"
Wei Shaoxuan clapped his hands and laughed.
Qiu Shenji looked thoughtful.
...
Liu Zian and Boss Li left the hut together and went directly down the mountain from the temple.
However, he did not immediately return to the Liu family mansion or the Guyue sword shop.
Inside the carriage, Liu Zian chatted and laughed with Boss Li all the way, and they became familiar with each other.
In the afternoon, Liu Zian specially took Boss Li to Zheyi Canal.
The Liu family also has investments here, though they seem like a huge traitor.
Liu Zian took Boss Li to inspect the new canal and also made arrangements for inviting distinguished guests from all over Jiangzhou on the fifteenth of this month. He was very humble and sincere when he met with the representatives sent by the county government, showing no trace of the ferocious indignation he had shown in front of Wei Shaoxuan at Donglin Temple not long ago.
Liu Zian bid farewell to everyone and returned to the carriage. Boss Li, who was waiting there, stared at him with a rather strange look in his green eyes.
The Persian merchant seemed to be recalling the arrangements made for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"The Liu family head and your brother are truly close, like brothers. Even now, when it comes to revenge, they are so patient, restrained, and meticulously planning. It's clearly just a matter of Mr. Qiu's little finger, eh."
Liu Zian smiled gently but did not reply.
As evening approached, Liu Zian waved goodbye, finally seeing off the Persian merchant who seemed to be there but wasn't, and who appeared to be supervising him.
The moment he boarded the carriage, the smile vanished from the face of the new head of the Liu family.
It was so gloomy it could drip water.
"Hurry back to the sword shop!"
A whispered command came from inside the carriage, and the carriage immediately sped up...
The old swordsmith has been quite relaxed these past few days, as if he has nothing to do and has much less to do. He often comes to the lawn outside to enjoy the breeze and drink wine.
The old swordsmith's alcohol tolerance has also increased recently. The yellow wine he asks Sister Cheng at the breakfast stall to buy every day has quietly increased from one jar to three jars.
This morning, the kind-hearted Sister Cheng brought him a bowl of hot soup and gave him a special reminder that drinking alcohol is bad for his health.
The old man ignored him, his dark, wrinkled face remaining aloof and unapproachable.
Halfway up Little Lonely Mountain, the old swordsmith, carrying two jars of yellow wine, walked out of the forge room and came to the edge of the grassy cliff.
He tilted his head back and drank alone from the jar.
A jar of water was slowly poured onto the grass in front of him.
The old man gazed intently at the Butterfly Creek flowing endlessly below the mountain and the small Jiangnan town with its myriad lights on the opposite bank.
He grew up here, worked as an unofficial apprentice at the sword furnace, and was about to forge a sword that would defy his master's teachings.
As people get older, they tend to reminisce and feel nostalgic.
The old swordsmith's withered, gray lips murmured:
"What a beautiful Butterfly Creek! During the pre-Qin period, the Yue maiden slew a dragon at the Dragon Head Terrace on the west bank. Later, the mad emperor almost beheaded all the swordsmiths of the Daoist lineage, their heads rolling into the surging waves... Does this creek really enjoy watching living beings lose their heads?"
"Sir, something terrible has happened!"
At this moment, Liu Zian hurriedly arrived halfway up the mountain and said to the old swordsmith, who seemed to be sobering up from a hangover:
"That young man from the Wei family in Luoyang seems difficult to deal with, and he's even brought along a high-ranking military strategist who cultivates Qi to act as his protector..."
The old swordsmith composed himself, raised his wine cup, and stepped aside.
"Oh." He nodded.
"Old sir, am I truly not destined for this? Am I not a person of strong character?" Liu Zian suddenly asked.
"no."
The old swordsmith took a sip of wine, glanced at his slightly gloomy face, and asked:
"What, scared? You want to give up on the plan you agreed on?"
"How could that be?"
Liu Zian smiled slightly, then asked in a serious tone:
"Does the old sir truly possess a sword manual to bestow upon me?"
The old swordsmith said calmly, "I once acquired a copy; I gave it to you."
A look of joy appeared in Liu Zi'an's eyes, but then his tone became somewhat strained: "Why is the old gentleman so generous in his help?"
"It was agreed long ago that if you kill Liu Ziwen, I will give you a sword. I have only ever forged swords in my life. I don't care who wields the sword, whether it's a member of the Wei family or you."
The old man told the truth.
Liu Zian looked at him and let out a soft sigh.
His eyes flickered slightly.
According to Liu Zian's understanding of the past, those grudges and entanglements were between the old swordsmith and Liu Ziwen.
Liu Zian only returned to Longcheng from outside to supervise the forging of swords later, and he also killed someone for the old swordsmith. The grudges really did not involve him.
Liu Zian pondered for a moment, then suddenly frowned: "Where did the old gentleman get this rare sword manual?"
The old swordsmith glanced at him, and with his little finger holding the wine jug, casually pointed to the distance.
Liu Zian turned his head, his face frozen in shock:
"this……"
The direction the old man pointed was the Donglin Temple on Dagu Mountain, which Liu Zi'an had visited that day.
(End of this chapter)
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