Chapter 51 A broken sword shouldn't make one believe in fate.
Wushuang picked up the sword hilt, and just as her fingertips were about to touch it, Lou Cangyu hurriedly stopped her, "This sword is too sharp, be careful not to hurt your hand."
"You're really interesting." Wushuang smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons. "I'm a swordsman too, how could I not understand this?" As she spoke, she ran her fingertips over the blade inch by inch, closing her eyes to feel its thin yet resilient texture. She swung it a few times before putting it back in its sheath. "Indeed, it's a fine sword."
“The ones cast in this workshop are naturally of the highest quality.” Lou Cangyu blushed and dared not look at her again.
Outside the inner chamber, the sound of carriage wheels approached, and the powerful neighing of horses interrupted the boy's whispers. Leading the procession were four tall and imposing yellow horses, their hooves clattering powerfully, kicking up large clouds of sand. They pulled a magnificent carriage made of Lingnan ebony, with two gilded bells hanging in front of the carriage door. As the carriage approached, the bells swayed gently, their clear sounds carried on the wind. A royal guard in golden armor shouted "Whoa!" and raised his whip, bringing the well-trained imperial horse to a steady stop. Judging from this display, even without Chen Ao's prompting, it was clear at a glance that the carriage contained members of the royal family.
The golden-armored guards lifted the carriage curtain, and Mu You, wearing a golden-embroidered dragon robe and a crown, calmly stepped down from the carriage. Chen Ao and Pei Yuan bowed their heads in unison. Sunlight shone through the layered eaves onto Mu You's face, its golden light dazzling and almost blinding. Before Mu You could even take a step, the people on the street had already knelt on the ground, shouting "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
"Shen Bi," Mu You whispered.
Mu Chenbi leaned out. Compared to Mu You's dragon robe, his black brocade clothes looked more casual. Pei Yuan mustered up his courage and secretly raised his eyes, just in time to meet Mu Chenbi's deep eyes. In just one glance, a heavy sense of oppression came over him. Pei Yuan's legs twitched, and he forced himself not to move.
Mu Chenbi stood proudly beside his father, his body imposing, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. He exuded an aura of authority without anger, a kingly presence that even Chen Ao had to admit he possessed.
"Your subordinate and Master Pei have met Your Majesty and the Crown Prince."
"—Greetings, Your Majesty…Crown Prince." Pei Yuan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he could barely speak. Just now, he saw him so much like him…so much like him. Pei Yuan was surprised to realize that A-Jiu was also in the crowd today. He glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't know where he was hiding.
Mu Chenbi responded softly, raising his head to look into the inner gate, "Have the swordsmen gone in?"
"Your Highness," Shen Ao bowed and led the way, "both swordsmen have arrived."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Mu Chenbi was already impatient. He had just taken a step when he suddenly remembered something. He was about to turn around to look for it when he suddenly stopped. "Let's go inside first."
"The Crown Prince is always like this when he hears about testing swords," Shen Ao said to Pei Yuan with a smile. "We subordinates are used to it. Come, take the distinguished guests from the workshop, let's go to the foundry for tea." Pei Yuan dared not speak, and after mumbled a few words, he dared not respond again.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has arrived!"
She sheathed her sword and saw that Lou Cangyu was motionless as if his pressure points had been struck. She poked his shoulder with her jade finger and nudged him, saying, "Are you deaf? Aren't you going to pay your respects to the Emperor and the Crown Prince?"
Lou Cangyu's throat felt dry and parched. Upon suddenly hearing "Your Majesty," he turned around and knelt on one knee, bowing his head and daring not to move. Wushuang suppressed her laughter and slowly knelt down with her sword in hand.
"No need for formalities during the imperial sword-testing; please rise." Mu You's voice carried a rare ease as he and Mu Chenbi settled into the nanmu chairs prepared below the stage. "Has the Imperial Advisor arrived?"
"Your subject is here."
At the corner of Lingbo Terrace, Cui Jin, draped in a black robe, suddenly appeared. No one knew how long he had been in the corner, nor what he had seen. Although Cui Jin only had one eye, that eye contained everything, including all things that existed or did not exist.
The black robe was wide, completely covering Cui Jin's not-so-muscular body. He revealed his face, which was obscured by ink, and slowly walked to Mu You with a smile, meeting everyone's gaze. He then shook off the black robe, turned around arrogantly, and looked up at the swordsman still kneeling on one knee at Lingbo Terrace. His one eye showed no emotion.
"The Emperor has summoned you to rise," Cui Jin reminded them in a low voice.
Wushuang stood up gracefully, and seeing that Lou Cangyu was still kneeling and dared not move, he tapped the hilt of his sword lightly, "Get up."
Lou Cangyu was nearly twenty years old, and the biggest spectacle he had ever witnessed was the time he tested the Meteor Sword, when a hundred or so people surrounded him. The shop owner, who was used to calling him "Little Stone," praised him for the first time. At that time, he thought it was the peak of his life. Today, although there were only a few people below the stage, they were all top figures in the Jin Kingdom. Although they were too far away to see their faces clearly, their supreme majesty made people feel awe. The entire testing platform shone brightly, and Lou Cangyu's cheeks burned, and his heart was ablaze.
"Present the sword!"
The golden-armored guard took Lou Cangyu's and Wushuang's swords and respectfully presented them to Mu You. "There are three ways to appraise a sword: look, smell, and touch. Look at its color, smell its aroma, and touch its texture. The quality of a sword is primarily determined by this one word, 'look.'" Mu You gestured for the swords to be presented to Mu Chenbi. "Since you initiated the sword-testing, it is up to you to judge."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Mu Chenbi rose, picked up the inner workshop's precious sword, and examined it closely in the sunlight. He lightly pressed it with his fingertip and then flicked it to hear the sound. After a moment of thought, he said, "It is made of black iron, but it is not a black iron sword. The new helper in the inner workshop is indeed extraordinary. This must be refined steel."
“Your Highness has a keen eye. This sword is made of fine steel. The black iron was forged and fired for several days to melt the coarse iron and refine it into fine steel. Fine steel is extremely hard, yet it is much lighter than an ordinary black iron sword. This sword weighs exactly five jin.” Wushuang answered calmly and respectfully.
"Turning black iron into steel is commendable." Mu Chenbi put the sword back in the inner workshop. "So you're the swordsman that Manager Shen hired?"
"This humble woman is unparalleled." Wushuang, dressed in a simple blue robe, spoke with a clear and bright voice. Mu You squinted at her and clicked his tongue in admiration.
"Is this sword box from Xingguo Workshop?" Mu Chenbi covered the sword box with his palm and caressed it tenderly.
“Exactly.” The golden-armored guard nodded.
The sword case was opened, and at a glance, it touched the desire in Mu Chenbi's heart. The sword's luster was deep and rich, and its sword energy was sharp and resilient. Mu Chenbi took a deep sniff and smelled it—it was the scent of diamond sand.
The sword's blade gleamed, reflecting the girl's radiant cheeks. Guan Ye, it was Guan Ye's sword. She must be among the crowd outside the brothel; had she already seen me...?
"What do you think of this sword?" Mu You interrupted in a low voice when he saw Mu Chenbi staring at it in a daze.
"Corundum?" Mu Chenbi asked.
"Yes." Lou Cangyu lowered his head, not daring to look directly at the two people below the stage. "Your Highness, this sword is indeed made of black iron and gold, and is forged by fusing the two together."
"Vajra sand from the northern desert?" Cui Jin flicked his sleeve and approached the sword case, examining the rare black-gold blade with his one eye. "I've heard that vajra sand is rare. Xingguo Fang has only been in Rongdu for a few days, yet they've already managed to acquire this."
Cui Jin's words were terrifying, and Lou Cangyu was filled with fear. He swallowed hard, unable to utter a word, "The ghost market... I bought things at the ghost market."
"The Ghost Market?" Cui Jin asked doubtfully. "After lying low on Canglang Island for so many years, Pei Yuan even knows about the Ghost Market?"
“The swordsman from Xingguo Ward is right.” Mu Chenbi closed the sword box. “I have also been to the Ghost Market, and I have stored three hundred catties of it in the inner treasury.”
Mu You shook his head and chuckled softly, glancing at Cui Jin with a helpless expression. Cui Jin waved his robe and walked to the side of the chair, not asking any further questions.
"Just by looking at them, both swords are exceptionally fine. It seems we'll have to wait and see on the Lingbo Platform to decide who wins." Mu Chenbi gestured for the sword to be returned to the platform, and then unfolded his black robes to indicate that he was about to begin testing the sword.
Wushuang gripped the fine steel sword and gestured for Lou Cangyu to join her. Lou Cangyu picked up the sword sheath, leaped several feet, caught the sword steadily, and pushed the hilt with his palm. The scabbard popped open, revealing a sharp blade, its golden hue like sunlight piercing the eyes of everyone present.
Wushuang held his sword horizontally in front of him, his eyes suddenly sharpening. Before Lou Cangyu could react, the green-clad figure was already pressing down on his face. Lou Cangyu gritted his teeth and met the attack head-on. In an instant, the green and blue intertwined, and the two swords moved as if dragons and phoenixes were soaring through the air. The moves were both dangerous and urgent. Lou Cangyu was eager to win, and the sword tip went straight for Wushuang's face. Wushuang nimbly turned his head to the side, and the sword tip grazed his cheek, only managing to pierce through empty air.
"The swordsmen from Xingguo Ward seem to lack any sense of chivalry," Mu You chuckled. "The female swordsman's moves are ethereal and skillful. Chen Bi, what do you think?"
"The sword trial before the emperor, though no solemn oath was made, still carries a lot of weight. Is it to show mercy to women?" Mu Chenbi frowned. "If he wants to show mercy to women, Xingguofang is a great disgrace, so he must fight hard to win the championship."
After more than ten moves, the two took a few steps back and stood firm. Wu Shuang smiled and looked very relaxed, as if it was not a life-or-death sword test, but just an ordinary sparring match. In contrast, it seemed that Lou Cangyu was aggressive and had lost his manly demeanor.
Wushuang took a step closer, sword in hand. Her skin was as white as jade, her lips as red as blood, and her eyes were dark and shimmering. Lou Cangyu stared at her and felt that the corners of her lips seemed to be mocking him. Looking at her calm expression and the unwavering hand holding the sword, Lou Cangyu was struck by her extraordinary elegance beneath her green robe. Lou Cangyu was breathless and momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
"Come on." Wushuang raised an eyebrow as if to speak.
In a daze, Lou Cangyu was forced to the edge of a cliff. He felt that Wushuang's murderous aura was hard to resist. Before he could recover, her sword came down like a storm. Lou Cangyu narrowly dodged, but before he could regain his footing, Wushuang's sword was aimed straight at his throat again. A woman seemed to have inexhaustible strength. Her sword was precise and continuous. Seeing that Lou Cangyu was already struggling to defend himself, Wushuang bit her lip and used a tricky angle to attack his sword-wielding hand.
Lou Cangyu hurriedly stepped back, slipped and almost fell off the stage. At the critical moment, Wushuang grabbed his wrist and pulled him back onto the stage, sheathing her sword and turning it to her side.
Again? Her unparalleled dimples reappeared.
Enraged, Lou Cangyu turned and slashed at Wushuang with his sword held horizontally. As if anticipating his move, Wushuang raised his sword high with both hands and cleaved it with all his might towards Lou Cangyu's blade. Lou Cangyu raised his sword to block, but with a crisp sound, the sword in his hand broke in two, leaving only half of the hilt in his hand. The blade was cleaved off the stage by Wushuang and rolled down in front of the nanmu chair.
Wu Yanbo sneered, sheathing his sword and no longer looking at Lou Cangyu. Lou Cangyu was stunned and pale, staring at the broken sword in his hand with disbelief. He gasped and almost fainted, "How could this be... how could this be... impossible, impossible..."
Cui Jin's single eye narrowed suddenly, a moment of surprise flashing across it. Mu Chenbi was startled and picked up the broken sword in front of the chair. Seeing that the broken edge was clear and deep gold, he knew that there was no problem with the material. Since it was a sword forged by fusing black iron and diamond sand, how could it be... cut to this point by a black iron and steel sword?
"Could it be!" Mu You paused for a moment, seemingly deeply shocked by the scene before him. The imperial sword trial, which he had only heard about from his father's generation, the unprecedented duel between two heroes... had unfolded with the same ending before his eyes. "Could this be fate!"
"—Chen Bi, did you see that!" Mu You slowly raised his eyes.
"Crown Prince?" Cui Jin whispered, "The Emperor is calling for you."
Mu Chenbi released his grip, and the broken sword suddenly fell to the ground. "It shouldn't be like this... a sword from Xingguo Workshop shouldn't be like this."
"Your Highness doesn't believe that Xingguo Workshop, which can forge meteorites, could actually forge a sword that can be cut in two?"
“It shouldn’t be like this,” Mu Chenbi repeated. “Black iron is hard and solid, and diamond sand is tough. The two are fused together and complement each other. It should not be so fragile. It shouldn’t be like this.”
Cui Jin looked back at Lou Cangyu, who was on the verge of collapse on Lingbo Platform, "Whether it should have been or not, it's already a fact. Xingguofang's swords are no match for the inner workshop. Xingguofang... has lost."
"Impossible!" Lou Cangyu murmured, at a loss. "Guan Ye said... the inner palace... is nothing to fear... nothing to fear!"
"Guan Ye?" Wushuang recognized the name. "Is she the swordsmith?"
"Yes...no...she's not..." Lou Cangyu roared to the sky, "How could this be! Impossible! The sword is broken? How could the sword be broken...Heavens above, is it that Heaven does not protect Xingguo Fang, does Heaven not protect me, Lou Cangyu!"
"You're asking God for help?" Wushuang sneered. "People shouldn't believe in God. The only one you can believe in is yourself. If God had eyes, there would be no sorrow, no regrets, and no hatred in the world. Your ambitions are unfulfilled, so you shouldn't believe in God."
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