Chapter 134 Choosing: I Need Your Help
—Sword testing, yet another sword testing. Guan Ye was almost traumatized by these tests. She thought that presenting the sword to the emperor would be the end of it, but who knew that Xingguo Workshop had to put in effort and send people. Although it was testing the peerless Xuan Tie sword, if Xingguo Workshop's swordsmen lost, it would still be Xingguo Workshop's loss of face... Cui Jin, Cui Jin, can't you just let everyone live in peace?
“That sounds interesting.” Mu Lexiu clapped his hands and said, “Father, I think it’s good. I also believe that Wushuang’s sword is superior.”
Mu You remained silent for a moment, then looked intently at Mu Chenbi with his pale eyes, "What does the Crown Prince think?"
Mu Chenbi looked troubled and said, "The method proposed by the Grand Preceptor is not unacceptable, but the Inner Palace only brought Wushuang as a swordsman today. Since it is a simulated battlefield sword test, if it is still one-on-one, wouldn't it be no different from an ordinary sword test? In my opinion, we should discuss it further and postpone it to another day..."
"What's so difficult about this?" Mu You interrupted Mu Chenbi, strode away with his hands behind his back, and looked down at the crowd below the white marble steps. His yellow robes made him seem like a mountain pressing down on him. "If I remember correctly, there are several swordsmen in Xingguo Ward. Look, aren't they all here?"
Mu Lexiu counted them one by one, his voice filled with joy, "Five people from Xingguo Fang, plus Wushuang, that's six. Three against three, how about that?"
Mu You's gaze was fixed on A Jiu's face. Every time he thought of the deep scar on A Jiu's brow bone, Mu You felt lingering fear. If this sword had gone in half an inch deeper, A Jiu would have lost an eye. Swords have no eyes. Mu You had sworn to protect A Jiu for the rest of his life. Testing the sword... Mu You glanced at Cui Jin, his eyes full of meaning.
Cui Jin understood and said, "There's no need for Xingguo Workshop to send out all its swordsmen. There was one more person waiting for the Emperor's summons today. He also knows swordsmanship and can help the inner workshop test their swords."
“Oh,” Mu You said, recalling, “it’s the Western Region merchant that the Imperial Advisor mentioned to me before, the one who can find rare minerals all over the world.”
—Wan Qixi. Guan Ye's heart stirred.
Cui Jin nodded. "His name is Wan Qixi, and he has been waiting outside the hall for quite some time."
“But,” Guan Ye blurted out again, “Wan Qixi is skilled with a knife.”
Cui Jin smiled knowingly, "Have you ever seen Wan Qixi's horizontal sword? Who says someone who wields a sword can't also be a swordsman? Guan Ye, just because you can forge swords doesn't mean you can't make knives."
Guan Ye was speechless for a moment, then pursed her lips and stopped arguing.
—"It is said that Wanqi Xi has come to pay his respects."
Wan Qixi is here too? Ajiu turned to look. In a corner of the palace wall, Wan Qixi, dressed in black, had been standing there for who knows how long. His angular face was expressionless. When he heard someone call his name, he narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing in them. Noticing Ajiu's unreadable gaze, Wan Qixi stared intently at Ajiu, a playful glint in his eyes, and lazily straightened up and walked down the jade steps.
"This humble subject, Wanqixi, pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!" Wanqixi roared, his knees thudding as he kowtowed three times to Mu You in the main hall.
"What is he doing here?" Ji Fang sensed something was wrong; the situation had developed beyond his comprehension. "Isn't this person... supposed to be hauling goods for the neighborhood?"
Feng Shisan chewed on the back of his hand, remaining silent, but inwardly he was also feeling uneasy. It was not a good time to talk too much, as it would make him seem guilty. Feng Shisan was a man of integrity and strength; he couldn't possibly be a mere figurehead.
Mu Lexiu tapped his palms, pondering, "Wushuang and Wanqixi, even in a two-on-two fight, seem to be lacking something?"
Cui Jin glanced at Wushuang with his single eye, "Miss Wushuang, the swordsmen from Xingguo Ward are right below you. You can choose one to fight alongside you and give your Xuan Tie sword a good test."
"I can choose either one?" Her peerless eyes sparkled.
Cui Jin smiled at Mu You, "It seems that Miss Wushuang has already chosen a swordsman."
Amidst laughter and conversation, Mu You and the others outside the hall descended the white marble steps. Guan Ye, carrying a sword box, walked at the very end. Wu Shuang slowed his pace, his green robe brushing against Guan Ye's red robe, and said softly, "Neither of us intends to compete for it, so why do those people insist on us fighting over something? Guan Ye, we can't let them succeed."
Guan Ye kicked at the snowflakes on the jade steps, her head down. "You keep saying you're not competitive, yet you forged a sword to meet the Emperor. Wushuang, who exactly are you, and what... do you want?"
"Who am I?" Wushuang laughed like a silver bell. "You know I am Wushuang. I have great ambitions and naturally I want to do great things. What Xingguofang can do, I can do. What Xingguofang can't do, I can still do. I don't want to compete with you. It's just that Xingguofang has exhausted all its tricks except for the Heavenly Furnace. Guan Ye, you don't belong to Xingguofang. Why don't you... come with me?"
Guan Ye's ears were buzzing. She had heard storytellers say that when two armies were facing each other, there were feigned surrenders, defections, and offers of amnesty. Wushuang had heard too many storytellers and had come here by subtly instigating her defection.
“I know you are under the protection of Xingguo Ward.” Wushuang seemed to see through Guan Ye’s thoughts. “Is it a great favor or something else? Guan Ye, don’t let favors blind you.” Wushuang waved his sleeve across the endless white snow eaves. “With your talent and skills, once you leave Xingguo Ward, you will have a wider world to explore.”
Guan Ye tilted her head. "You want me to enter the inner quarters? If I enter the inner quarters, won't you lose your place? That... isn't a good idea."
Wushuang froze, and before she could speak, Guan Ye continued, "A person's life is not just about favors, but also about loyalty and affection. Favors can be repaid, but affection is priceless. Wushuang, you said I was shallow, but you're even more shallow than me."
Stepping onto the snow-covered ground, Wushuang said nothing more.
"Today, there will be a grand sword test." Cui Jin spread his dark robe sleeves and pounced on the crowd like a black eagle hunting its prey. "Three people from each workshop will try out the Xuan Tie sword from the inner workshop."
"Testing the sword again?" Xiao Ma took a half step back, a hint of unease flashing across his handsome face.
Feng Shisan gripped his sword tightly, trying his best to stand taller, hoping to be chosen to test his sword. Ji Fang's legs trembled as he tried to hide behind others, but seeing that everyone else was as still as stone statues, no matter how timid Ji Fang was, he couldn't tarnish the reputation of Xingguo Ward, so he could only grit his teeth and hold on.
Cui Jin glanced at the swordsman's young and spirited face with his single eye, and waved his arm, saying, "Wushuang, you are the only swordsman in the inner quarters, so you can choose first."
The swordsmen exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of Cui Jin's meaning. Wushuang pointed at one person, "I want him to be my swordsman."
"—Cang Yu!"—"Lou Cang Yu?"
Lou Cangyu's mind went blank. He looked incredulously at the eyes on the mask of the peerless woman. In front of the emperor and everyone else, she actually... pointed at him and asked him to be her swordsman?
"Him?" Cui Jin looked at Lou Cangyu suspiciously. "I remember he's Pei Fangzhu's adopted son. He fought you on Lingbo Platform and was defeated by you. Wushuang, are you sure you want him to help you?"
"I'm sure." Wushuang's voice was firm. "I want Lou Cangyu."
Wan Qixi scratched his head in suspicion, "Something seems off. There are three people in each of the two wards. Miss Wushuang chose this young hero, so there are only two people in the inner ward. Who is the other one?"
Wushuang smiled, her eyes crinkling. "It's you. Otherwise, why would the Emperor summon you?"
"Me?" Wan Qixi pointed to his face, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "I'm here to present good things, not to shout for war. This..." Wan Qixi clicked his tongue a few times and frowned, "Can I not compete?"
The sword case slipped from her grasp, so Guan Ye used some force to lift it higher. "Of course we have to compete! If we're lucky enough to win, the inner court will definitely reward us handsomely, Manager Shen, isn't that right?"
Although Shen Ao didn't know what had happened, he still hurriedly said, "Of course, just do whatever Grand Preceptor Cui and Wushuang say, and you'll definitely get a reward."
"Alright." Wanqi Xi stretched out his hand to Wushuang. "Where's the sword? Give it to me."
Wushuang clapped her hands, and the inner workshop sword servant took out three newly forged black iron swords from the carriage. She raised her eyebrows and gestured for Wanqixi to choose one. Wanqixi rubbed his palms together and took a few steps forward. Afraid that others would compete with him for the sword, he crossed his arms to block the sword and stared at it, determined to choose the best one.
Mu Lexiu looked at him with disdain and said sarcastically, "You, a mere seller, know how to appraise swords? These three are all good items; any one of them would be enough for you."
"No, no." Wan Qixi picked up the sword he had chosen, tapping the blade with his knuckles, and even put his ear close to it to listen carefully to the echo. A satisfied expression appeared on his face. "Even if you don't know how to judge swords, you should still put on a show so you don't get bullied." As he spoke, he glanced at Guan Ye with narrow eyes, and grinned to reveal a mouthful of white teeth.
Cui Jin strolled toward the group from Xingguo Ward, and smiled at Pei Yuan, saying, "I wonder which three people Xingguo Ward has sent to test their swordsmanship?"
Pei Yuan's face showed a hint of struggle. He composed himself and looked at the people behind him. Just as he was about to speak, Mu You's husky voice suddenly rang out: "A-Jiu, stay."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression subtly changed. Mu Lexiu glanced at Mu Chenbi, who was trying to remain calm, and a strange glint flashed in his eyes. Cui Jin spread his hands and smiled slightly, "Perfect timing, Xingguo Ward still has three swordsmen. Lou Cangyu, step forward."
Lou Cangyu's eyes flickered, and he lowered his gaze, avoiding looking at Pei Yuan and his companions. The cold wind was biting, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Lou Cangyu's forehead. His steps were labored, as if his hidden secrets had been seen through. "But..." Lou Cangyu squeezed out the words, "I am a swordsman from Xingguo Ward... how can I test swords for the inner ward? This... isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
Guan Ye said loudly, "It's just a swordsmanship contest, not a fight between two schools, what's wrong with that?" Guan Ye's words were like a lifeline for Lou Cangyu. Lou Cangyu covered his head and stepped forward, so nervous that he didn't even dare to breathe.
Feng Shisan stepped out of the queue, lightly twisting his wrist to hold his sword horizontally, and asked, "What swords shall we use for our duel?"
Mu Chenbi gave Luo Yichen a look, and Luo Yichen turned around, took down two Eagle Guard swords, and walked towards the group in Xingguo Ward. Meeting Feng Shisan's curious eyes, Luo Yichen took off his own sword and handed it to him, "You guys use the Eagle Guard's Xuan Tie sword. Here, this sword has been with me for several years, so don't look down on it."
Feng Shisan and Luo Yichen became acquainted after a fight last time, and now they are friendly to each other. Feng Shisan generously accepted the sword, drew out half of it and looked at it in the sun, saying, "It's not a bad sword."
There was no way to avoid it now that things had come to this. Xiao Ma drew a black iron sword, weighed it in his hand, and asked, "May I ask, Grand Preceptor, how shall we compete?"
Cui Jin closed his eyes and opened his arms, saying, "At this moment, you are not in the palace, but on a battlefield littered with corpses. To survive, you must fight to the death, using the swords of terror in your hands to carve a path to your own survival." He then suddenly opened his eyes, "Do you understand?"
Wanqi Xi leaped far away, stroking his sword and saying, "Swords have no eyes. What if someone gets hurt or killed?"
“They won’t die,” Wushuang replied. “They are swordsmen, swordsmen born to test their skills, so they naturally know how to use their swords.” Wanqi Xi breathed a sigh of relief, clutching his chest and remaining silent.
Ji Fang nervously accepted the Xuan Tie sword, almost kneeling and bowing to Mu You as he slipped. A Jiu grabbed his arm and whispered in his ear, "Everyone practices martial arts together in the back mountain. What they know, you know too. Win this match, and you can talk to the sect leader about returning to the island. A Yuan is still waiting for you on the island."
Upon hearing A Yuan's name, Ji Fang's body tensed, his blood surged, and the trembling in his hand gripping the sword hilt stopped. He turned to A Jiu and nodded gratefully, his chest puffed out. In order to return and see A Yuan, he had to use all the knowledge he had acquired in his life.
Lou Cangyu walked stiffly toward Wushuang, his fingers almost tearing the hem of his clothes. He made eye contact with Wushuang nervously, then quickly glanced away, his handsome face flushed red.
The three men from each neighborhood stood still. Lou Cangyu fidgeted with his sword hilt, his gaze shifting uneasily. Finally, he couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Why me?"
Wushuang stood motionless, saying, "I need your help with what I need to do."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
