Chapter 24 Ji Guang, you are the swordsman of the Meteor Sword
Upon seeing the completed Meteor Sword, Pei Yuan showed little surprise. It was as if he had already anticipated that fate was helping Xingguo Workshop this time, or as if he knew there were hidden talents on the island, and he would keep their secrets. You help others, and others help you. We cross the river together, and when we reach the shore, we go our separate ways.
Outside the Pei family ancestral hall in Xingguo Ward, a considerable number of master swordsmiths and servants had already gathered. Five swordsmen stood proudly at the forefront. Everyone knew that the Meteor Sword was complete, and today, the ward master was to display this treasure, which would change the fate of Xingguo Ward, to everyone in his own ancestral hall. Guan Ye squeezed into the crowd of onlookers. Tall as she was, she could barely see her eyes through the dense crowd. The sword was made by her own hand, and logically, she shouldn't have cared about joining in the excitement. However, Guan Ye felt as if a hook was pulling her along, and she felt reluctant to part with the Meteor Stone.
With a single glance from Pei Yuan, Pei Bi bowed and picked up a long, red box from the table. The box was decorated with gold patterns, clearly containing an extremely precious item. Pei Yuan slightly raised his eyelids, and Pei Bi, carrying the box, walked to the swordsmen, opened the red box, and a flash of blue light streaked across their eyes, dazzling them. The swordsmen couldn't help but shield their eyes, and through their slits, they glimpsed a sword over two feet long, gleaming with a brilliance they had never seen before.
Guan Ye squinted and saw that, after the old blacksmith's skillful touch, the scabbard was engraved with ancient sun and moon runes. The old blacksmith said that only the stars and the sun and moon could suppress the things from beyond the heavens. The hilt was made of bronze and wrapped in comfortable and durable dark brown cowhide. The leather was embossed with dragon scale patterns, highlighting the nobility of the future owner of this peerless sword.
She also saw Ajiu's expression. Last night, Ajiu tried her best to suppress her desire for the Meteor Sword. Today, when she saw him again, her face showed a hint of disdain. It was as if she had seen through everything overnight, or as if the finished product was not what she had imagined. It was just a way to please those good-for-nothings in the capital who didn't know anything about swords.
Guan Ye knew, of course, that what she had forged last night was enough to be passed down through generations. The handle was wrapped in a white cloth, and the treasure was hidden inside. It was enough to travel the world with a sword. But the people in the capital who loved swords did not want the object to be properly placed. They only wanted to show off their status.
Father said: "The great art of forging lies in the fact that everyone can make such a weapon. It doesn't require state craftsmen. Even nobles can have one, and commoners can also use it." Guan Ye recalled the joy she felt when she forged the first short sword. She still remembered that joy to this day. The exhilaration she felt last night when she forged the Meteor Sword was fleeting. What good are mere fragments of brilliance if they are only for people to admire and play with? In the end, it would be a waste of talent.
"Anyone want to try out this Meteor Sword?" Pei Yuan's voice was filled with excitement, his red hair gleaming as if it had been tempered in fire.
"Your subordinate, Lou Cangyu!" Lou Cangyu said in a trembling voice, "I am willing to give it a try."
"Little Stone from the Lou family." "It's Little Stone..." The crowd stirred. Acquaintances spotted Aunt Lou and pushed her to the front. "Your Little Stone is going to try out some good stuff."
Aunt Lou's face flushed red with excitement, and she kept rubbing her hands on her clothes, as if she was annoyed that she had rushed to see the excitement and forgot to wash her face and change into clean clothes. Even when her son was at the height of his fame, his mother couldn't give him any dignity.
"Lou Cangyu." Pei Yuan stood up and slowly approached, his large, copper-bell-shaped eyes scrutinizing Lou Cangyu's young face with an ambiguous expression. Seeing the beads of sweat dripping from Lou Cangyu's nervousness onto the ground, he let out a low, mocking laugh. "Your hands are so weak, can you even grip the hilt of a sword?"
Those who heard this burst into laughter. Aunt Lou, momentarily distracted, didn't hear clearly and nudged someone with her elbow, asking urgently, "What did the shopkeeper say? Why is everyone laughing?"
"I'm praising your little stone's swordsmanship."
“Of course,” Aunt Lou straightened her back. “Don’t you even know who gave birth to them?”
Lou Cangyu rubbed his hands together, saying, "I can do it."
"Who else wants to try?" Pei Yuan scanned the remaining swordsmen.
Feng Shisan glanced at Ajiu out of the corner of his eye, "Your swordsmanship is the best among us, so you should be the one to try out the Meteor Sword."
"Think about who arrested Jiang Muyun," Xiao Ma said indignantly. "Lou Cangyu dared to do that?"
"It's just a test of the sword." Ajiu's eyes seemed to be shrouded in mist again. "Since it doesn't belong to you or me, it doesn't matter who tries it."
"A-Jiu," Pei Bi called out his name, "You're the most skilled swordsman among us. What, don't you want to try your sword?"
Pei Yuan turned to look at the young man who had left an impression on him by the Heavenly Furnace. The young man in front of him, A Jiu, did not even have a surname. His arrogant demeanor made him impossible to underestimate. "Since Pei Bi has recommended you, why don't you have a contest with Lou Cangyu? The winner will be the swordsman of the Meteor Sword."
"A sword fight!?" The crowd gasped. Xingguo Ward had been a name for decades, but no one living on the island had ever seen a real sword fight. Pei Yuan's words excited the islanders, and the more enthusiastic ones rubbed their hands together, eager to show off their skills.
Aunt Lou was stunned. She remembered that Little Stone had said that among the swordsmen, Ajiu and she were the most skilled. It didn't matter whether Little Stone could test his sword or not, but what if he got hurt? This kid has been strong-willed since he was a child. He should follow the rules of slavery and shouldn't have this damned pride.
Guan Ye squeezed next to Aunt Lou, "Ah Jiu knows what she's doing, Aunt Lou, don't worry."
Aunt Lou grasped Guan Ye's hand tightly and nodded gratefully.
Lou Cangyu drew his sword, the tip pointing directly at Yi Feng. The blade was aimed at A Jiu in front of him, whose sword was still sheathed. The two drew closer and closer, but neither of them made the first move.
Pei Yuan sat upright in the nanmu chair in front of the hall, watching the two confront each other with great interest. He was also curious about the skill level of the swordsmen from his Xingguo Fang, whether they could meet his standards, and whether they could amaze everyone in Rongdu in the future.
Seeing that Ajiu had no intention of drawing her sword, Lou Cangyu's eyes suddenly sharpened as he probed. He held the sword horizontally and thrust it straight at Ajiu. Ajiu parried with her sword, then deftly flicked her wrist, turning the blade upwards into a downward slash. The scabbard came off, and Xiao Ma stepped forward half a step and caught it with his arm, nodding and smiling at Ajiu.
Lou Cangyu lowered his stance, raised his sword to parry, and the two swords clashed. He was forced back several steps by the blow. Lou Cangyu was secretly annoyed. Ajiu seemed calm and collected, but she harbored a deep desire. He thought it was just a show to please him, but she actually wanted to compete with him in front of everyone. Lou Cangyu steadied his footing, ran two fingers along the blade, and a murderous aura flashed in his dark eyes.
In the blink of an eye, Lou Cangyu swiftly countered with a second sword strike. His attack was extremely fast, and before Ajiu could even react, the two forces combined, catching Ajiu off guard. She held her breath and braced herself to barely manage to grip the trembling sword in her hand.
Ajiu raised an eyebrow at Lou Cangyu, as if she couldn't believe he could exert such force. Lou Cangyu chuckled softly, a proud smile playing on his lips.
“My little stone,” Aunt Lou tugged at Guan Ye’s hand, “do you think… isn’t he better than that girl named A-Jiu?”
Guan Ye didn't understand swordsmanship and hadn't witnessed many fights outside. Judging from what she saw, A Jiu didn't seem to be using her full strength, yet she didn't want to lose too badly. Her moves were concealed and deliberate, seemingly helping Lou Cangyu. Also... Guan Ye looked at Feng Shisan and Xiao Ma. These two were frowning, wishing they could fight themselves. They had long disliked Lou Cangyu, and if A Jiu were to gain the upper hand, they wouldn't have such expressions.
"Ah Jiu..." Pei Yuan looked at Pei Bi, the recommender, "Is that all you've got?"
"Master, it's too early to say who will win or lose. It's still hard to say." Pei Bi stared intently at the fight between the two, and the slight trembling of his fingers holding the box betrayed his nervousness.
Ajiu paused briefly to catch her breath, then slightly tilted her sword to the left, assuming a diagonal slash. Lou Cangyu met the sword head-on, recognizing Ajiu's move, and attempted to block the descending blade.
Lou Cangyu blocked the sword with a slight smile, his wrist twisted lightly, and the blade changed direction like a gust of wind, the thin blade suddenly changing direction, stabbing straight towards Ajiu's neck. This move was ruthless and swift, and there was no hesitation when changing direction. Ajiu's face did not change at all, the sword was sharp and fierce, and life and death were only a hair's breadth apart.
"Damn it!" Feng Shisan angrily pointed at Lou Cangyu, "You tried to kill me!"
"It's over..." Little Horse roared with wide eyes.
Guan Ye hadn't expected Lou Cangyu to use such a deadly move during the sword test. He abruptly pulled his hand away from Lou's aunt's grip and took a few quick steps forward. In a fleeting glance, Ajiu caught a glimpse of Guan Ye's panicked face. His body instinctively tilted, and the sword moved swiftly like lightning. Ajiu tilted his head and slashed at the sword coming towards his neck. The sharp blade grazed his brow bone, splashing a drop of salty blood. Blood splattered from his left eye. Ajiu reached out and touched it, his palm stained crimson.
"A-Jiu!" Guan Ye called his name softly. Seeing that A-Jiu's left eye was bright and he glanced at her, she felt relieved.
"Lou Cangyu!" Feng Shisan shouted, "It's just a sword test, there's no need to risk your life. If you have the guts, fight me and see how I, Young Master Shisan, teach you a lesson!"
Ajiu's face was half-covered in blood, but his expression remained calm and unchanged, without even a trace of resentment. Lou Cangyu took it as a mockery of him, just like everyone else. He let out a low growl and swung his sword at Ajiu with both hands. Ajiu dodged to the side, and as the two swords clashed, Lou Cangyu suddenly changed his move. He released his grip on the hilt of the sword with his right hand and struck the back of the sword with a heavy punch. The force on the sword immediately increased. Ajiu never expected that his partner of several years would take his life for the qualification to test his sword. Caught off guard, the blade was deflected by Lou Cangyu, and his three-inch opening was completely exposed to Lou Cangyu's eyes.
Life and death hung in the balance. Pei Yuan, who had been sitting and watching the sword strike, couldn't help but stand up. His dark green satin robe billowed in the wind, and his eyes burned like fire.
"You're going to die!" Feng Shisan drew his sword and was about to rush out, but Xiao Ma grabbed the hilt of his unsheathed sword and shook his head fiercely.
Ajiu's elbow struck Lou Cangyu's sword hilt, deftly dodging the blade that was about to pierce his heart. Enraged, Ajiu swung his sword, striking Lou Cangyu's heart with his elbow. The force of the blow was so great that Lou Cangyu staggered back more than ten steps before barely managing to keep his balance. His sword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground, broken and broken like a withered branch.
"Bravo!" "Great!" Several swordsmen clapped and shouted their approval. The islanders were stunned into silence. After a long while, they came to their senses and cheered loudly.
Aunt Lou's face was pale, and she clutched her chest, repeatedly saying, "It's alright, everything's alright, everything's alright..."
“Alright.” Pei Yuan walked towards Ajiu. “Well done, Ajiu. You are the swordsman of the Meteor Sword.”
Ajiu picked up Lou Cangyu's sword, carefully wiped it clean with her sleeve, and handed it to him. With every movement, large drops of blood would seep from the wound on his brow bone, sliding down his sharp face and soaking into his clothes, blooming like red flowers.
"Your eyes..." Lou Cangyu asked, feeling both ashamed and guilty. "Are you alright?"
"It's alright." A-Jiu blinked suddenly. "Even if I lose an eye, I'm still alive, aren't I?"
Lou Cangyu took his sword, held it, and bowed deeply to Ajiu and Pei Yuan, saying, "This subordinate... was presumptuous, and hopes that the sect leader will forgive me."
Pei Yuan, unusually, personally helped Lou Jia's little stone up. His cloudy eyes were unfathomable. "Your swordsmanship is superb. You will be a pillar of Xingguo Fang in the future. May the heavens bless the Pei family and my Fang."
Lou Cangyu's eyes filled with tears, and he sheathed his sword. Even if he were to die for Xingguofang, he would never say no.
"Is your injury... serious? Can you still try the Meteor Sword?" Pei Yuan stared at A Jiu's blood-covered face.
Ajiu slightly raised the back of his hand, and Xiao Ma understood and stepped forward to take his sword. Pei Bi presented the red box. Ajiu's blood-stained eyes lifted slightly, but in that instant, Guan Ye still saw through his deep desire for the Meteor Sword.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
