Chapter 27 Thorn Ink, Do You Like This New Name?
A month later, Guan Ye saw the great treasure ship sailing against the wind and waves again. This time, however, it was not a stormy day, but a sunny day that made people feel comfortable. The man in black standing at the bow of the ship was not wearing a straw raincoat or a mask. What remained unchanged was his sharp single eye and his face covered with mysterious and terrifying tattoos.
As the sun began to set, Pei Yuan and his entourage finally saw the treasure ship sailing towards the island. He was dressed in a green robe that fluttered in the wind, his spirits soaring, a picture of triumph. Behind him stood five young men carrying swords, their hair tied with silver crowns, their bodies clad in black robes. Each of them was valiant and handsome, their heads held high as they gazed into the distance, gleaming in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Guan Ye pushed the bamboo chair, and Pei Chuhou stood beside her. The treasure ship gradually approached. The evening glow filled the sky, making the tattoos on the man's face at the bow of the ship even clearer. Ajiu said: "The tattoos on Cui Jin's face are not words, but Taoist runes."
"Guan Ye, in Dao Cang Xin, do you know why he tattooed it on his face?" Pei Chu asked in a low, hoarse voice. Receiving no response from Guan Ye, Pei Chu sneered, "Unless, he harbors demonic desires and seeks the righteous path through runes. This man possesses an evil nature, yet he is valued by the Emperor?"
As the treasure ship docked, before Cui Jin could disembark, Pei Yuan strode forward, opened his robes, and knelt on the sand. Cui Jin didn't rush down either, his one eye sweeping over Pei Chu, who was sitting on a bamboo chair. Pei Yuan turned to look at his son and hurriedly said, "My son, Pei Chu, heard of the Imperial Preceptor's visit and came to greet him. My son has difficulty walking... I hope the Imperial Preceptor will not take offense."
“Young Master Pei.” Cui Jin looked at Pei Chu’s swaying figure with interest and nodded. “When I visited several months ago, your father welcomed me with all his might, but the young master was the only one missing. It seems that today is a good day. Master Pei has finally decided to bring his son out.”
Pei Chu raised his jade-like face, clasped his hands in a respectful yet humble manner, and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency, the Imperial Preceptor. Last time, due to the violent storm, Pei Chu was crippled in his legs. Although I longed to greet you, I was unable to do so. I apologize to you here."
"Young Master, you flatter me." Cui Jin stepped onto the sand at a leisurely pace and saw a maid-like girl standing behind Pei Chu's chair. The girl was dressed in a neat blue dress, about seventeen or eighteen years old, tall and slender, with an elegant and unblemished face. Her large eyes were clear and bright, and she did not show the fear that ordinary people would have when they first saw the ghost face. It was as if she had known him for a long time.
"Guan Ye," Pei Bi snapped, "haven't you paid your respects to the Imperial Preceptor yet!"
"Guan Ye from Xingguo Ward greets the Imperial Preceptor," Guan Ye replied calmly.
"Have you seen me before?" Cui Jin stared intently at him.
Guan Ye bowed to him. "Several months ago, the lord of the village and the islanders welcomed you, and I was among them. I was fortunate enough to see the Grand Preceptor's true face. It was as if a god had descended, and I still remember his grace to this day."
Cui Jin chuckled a few times, “Pei Yuan, Xingguo Fang is Xingguo Fang indeed. It has remained a grand workshop for three generations. Even a lowly sword slave has such demeanor. You were so humble before. Now, the Meteorite has been forged, and the Emperor was overjoyed upon hearing the news. He immediately ordered me to bring the sword back to the capital. From now on, Xingguo Fang will rise to prominence and its future is limitless.”
Cui Jin looked around, "Where is the Meteor Sword?"
Pei Yuan gently raised his palm, and A-Jiu, carrying the red box, respectfully stepped forward, held the box high above her head, and then bowed to present it to Cui Jin. Cui Jin placed his large hand on it, scrutinizing it inch by inch with his single eye. Suddenly, he looked up at A-Jiu, stunned, and said, "He is…"
“He is a swordsman from Xingguo Ward,” Pei Yuan replied. “He was also the one who tested the Meteor Sword after it was forged.”
“A swordsman.” Cui Jin looked closely at the dashing young man before her. “What’s your name?”
"A-Jiu." Facing the one-eyed national teacher before her, A-Jiu remained expressionless as always.
"No name or surname? So you're called A-Jiu?" Cui Jin asked again, pressing on.
“Let’s call him Ajiu.” Pei Yuan was afraid of being discovered. “We are just stranded on a deserted island. It’s already hard enough to survive. We’re used to being called by cats and dogs. It’s a blessing to have a name.”
“He tested the Meteor Sword, so he must be skilled.” Cui Jin examined A Jiu’s young and cold face more closely, his single eye fixing on the newly grown skin on the wound between his eyebrows. “Your wound?”
"It's nothing." Ajiu handed the red box closer. "It's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about. Please, Imperial Preceptor, appraise the sword."
Cui Jin glanced at Pei Yuan's fearful expression and said in a deep voice, "Is this the Meteor Sword?"
"It is indeed the Meteor Sword." Pei Yuan's voice was firm and resolute. "Please, Imperial Advisor, open the box."
"No weapon workshop in the world can melt down a meteorite from outer space." Cui Jin's single eye was as sharp as a hawk's, staring intently at Pei Yuan like a dagger piercing his bone. "Even the Heavenly Swan Workshop couldn't do it. Pei Yuan, whether it is true or not, there's still a chance to decide before I open the box. If it isn't, then it's a crime of deceiving the emperor." Cui Jin leaned close to Pei Yuan's ear, "It'll mean the extermination of nine generations of your family."
Pei Yuan glanced at his son, bowed his head and said, "My son Pei Chu is here, how dare he deceive the emperor? Whether it is true or not, the Grand Preceptor will know at a glance."
Before he finished speaking, Cui Jin had already opened the red box. Looking at it with his single eye, the blade shimmered with five colors, its gaze fixed like a white snake spitting out a red tongue, hissing as it leaped out of the wind. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to carry an overwhelming rage, the red tongue weaving up and down, bewitching and captivating. Cui Jin closed the box, and in the blink of an eye, he could already feel that the sword had been tempered with blood, and an ominous feeling was emanating from it.
With just one glance, Cui Jin already knew the answer in his heart.
"A furnace that can melt anything, a workshop that can forge anything." Cui Jin pressed Pei Yuan's shoulder. "I wonder which extraordinary forger created this treasure, or did you, the workshop owner, forge it yourself?"
"This humble subject dares not claim credit." Pei Yuan's voice trembled slightly. "This sword was created by the combined efforts of the entire workshop. The Imperial Advisor saw that everyone contributed and everyone deserves credit."
"Hahahaha." Cui Jin laughed heartily, "Everyone contributes, everyone benefits, so naturally we are all in the same boat and share the rewards. On an auspicious day, Master Pei can lead Xingguo Workshop back to Rongdu, take root in the city of the Son of Heaven, and spread the might of our Great Jin!"
"Pei Yuan, along with everyone from Canglang Island, kowtows in gratitude for the Emperor's grace!"
Before nightfall, Cui Jin took the Meteor Sword with him. He declined Pei Yuan Island's invitation to stay overnight and took the generous gifts prepared for him by Xingguo Fang. Guan Ye watched as boxes of gifts were loaded onto the ship, along with the red sword box held in Cui Jin's hands. Guan Ye looked at Pei Chu with concern. He tried his best to maintain a sitting posture, but the bulging veins on his forehead betrayed his pain. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, his nostrils flared as he breathed rapidly, and his hands gripped the chair armrests tightly, his skin trembling and revealing the white of his bones. The moment Cui Jin boarded the ship, his sunken eyes suddenly widened, his eyeballs almost bulging out. He bit his lower lip hard, drawing blood but not feeling any pain. He was clearly in excruciating pain, yet he had to force himself to remain calm. He had to fight to live and wait for the day when Jiang Muyun would return.
The treasure ship did not linger and sailed away. Cui Jin said that they would meet again soon in the bustling imperial city. From then on, Xingguo Ward would no longer exist. The emperor bestowed upon them a new name—Yuren Ward.
"Yurenfang," Guan Ye murmured, referring to a name she had never heard before.
"Do you like this new name?" Ajiu asked softly.
Guan Ye shook her head. The Emperor's blade is not what people desire, but it is the only path they have to take now.
The ship's silhouette gradually blurred, and only a few people remained on the beach. Guan Ye wiped her eyes and suddenly saw Lou Shitou. He appeared out of nowhere and ran towards the large ship that was about to disappear from sight.
"Jiang Muyun!" Lou Shitou waved the handkerchief, shouting the words they couldn't utter, "Jiang Muyun!"
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