Chapter 33 Inner Demon: Do You Have a Hidden Ailment?
In the Lou family's courtyard, Aunt Lou was washing her son's wet clothes. Her heart felt heavy, as if a huge rock was pressing down on it. All she could see were good things, yet she couldn't feel happy. Strange, truly strange. Thinking this, she grabbed a handful of soapberry powder, then suddenly realized something, slumped to the ground, and began to ponder even more.
"Mother, you should pack your things." Lou Cangyu rummaged through the house and leaned over to call out, "The Imperial Advisor has instructed the head of the workshop to choose an auspicious day to leave the island. We should be leaving in ten days at most."
"Where...where to?" Aunt Lou loosened her grip and dropped her wet clothes.
"Has Mother lost her mind?" Lou Cangyu asked irritably. "Go to Rongdu! The imperial city, Rongdu! Isn't that what Mother has been longing for, wanting to see it for herself?"
"That's because we miss you," Aunt Lou said bitterly. "Your mother and your older brother never thought about it."
Lou Cangyu slowly approached, "Haven't you thought about the whole family going to the capital to live a good life?"
"I never thought about it." Aunt Lou picked up the clothes and buried herself in washing them. "I'm old. I was born and raised here. I don't want to make a fuss anymore, and I can't make a fuss anymore. It's alright. If you miss us, just take the big boat back to visit. I'll have Big Stone save the sweet fruit on the tree for you."
"Mother," Lou Cangyu squatted down opposite her, "Steward Pei is also going to Rongdu, you and him..."
Before she could finish speaking, Lou Cangyu had already given her a slap on the forehead. "You speak so recklessly, what nonsense are you spouting?" Aunt Lou was both ashamed and angry. "Even you're looking at your own mother like everyone else?"
"Isn't that right?" Lou Cangyu scratched his head. "The earthenware urn that Father left behind is still with him."
"If that damned man knew that the three of us, mother and daughter, were doing alright, he would crawl out of his grave and make us ten or eight earthenware jars, let alone one!" Aunt Lou said angrily, rubbing her hands together. "Shut your mouth and go back inside."
"Mother," Lou Cangyu murmured timidly, "Mother..."
"Go back inside!" Aunt Lou rolled up her sleeves to grab his ear, but suddenly saw a figure approaching and paused for a moment.
“Mother…” Lou Cangyu covered her head, “Steward Pei is here… I’ll… I’ll go back to my room right now.”
Lou Cangyu scrambled away, leaving only a middle-aged couple silently gazing at each other in the small courtyard, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas from the fruit trees.
Pei Bi handed over the earthenware urn. "Thank you for your trouble, Steward Pei. You haven't forgotten to return the earthenware urn so late at night." Aunt Lou deliberately raised her voice, her tone loud and clear. Her expression was very calm, but her eyes, which were gradually turning red, still betrayed her surging emotions. Her hand trembled as she took the earthenware urn, but she steadied it just in time before it slipped from her grasp. Her fingertips pressed against the rim of the urn, as if she wanted to press a deep imprint on it.
"The shop owner has already set a date," Pei Bi said in a hoarse voice, "Ten days from now, we'll go to Rongdu."
"That's great news." Aunt Lou's chest felt heavy, but her expression remained unchanged. "Once you go to Rongdu, you'll rise to the top. There are plenty of women in the capital, so Steward Pei will definitely be able to find a good one."
"The shopkeeper also praised you for being capable, handling all matters, big and small, perfectly." Pei Bi's Adam's apple bobbed. "I came to tell you to hurry up and pack your things, and come with us to Rongdu."
"The shopkeeper is praising me," Aunt Lou chuckled proudly. "That must be because you put in a good word for me."
"The shopkeeper has discerning eyes; she doesn't need my praise." Pei Bi dared not meet her defiant gaze. "Your little stone is promising; he deserves the shopkeeper's favor..."
"There are plenty of women and even more capable people in the capital; they don't need me." Aunt Lou lowered her eyes and stopped looking at him. "But this island needs someone like me. There are still quite a few people who will stay on the island. If I leave too, won't it all turn into chaos?"
“I will take care of the others,” Pei Biqiang said.
“You can’t take care of everyone.” Aunt Lou put down the earthenware pot, squatted down and started washing clothes again. “There will always be things you need someone else to do for you.”
“If you’re worried about the big rock,” Pei Bi insisted, “I’ll go and beg the shop owner to let your whole family go to Rongdu.”
"It's not like nobody wants to go," Aunt Lou muttered, fiddling with something. "Or... if they go, they'll never come back?"
Return? Pei Bi knew how the caged bird fought against the mighty heaven. The return of Xingguo Ward to Rongdu was fraught with peril; a single misstep could lead to the same fate as the other wards of the past. But the ward master's mind was made up. Even if he were to fall, he would never flee into seclusion like his ancestors. If he were to die, he would die in Rongdu. Return? He probably wouldn't return alive.
"My Cangyu," Aunt Lou's eyes reddened again, "I still need to ask you for help."
"Little Stone is ambitious; he'll surely amount to something." Pei Bi's hand reached out uncontrollably. Usually, the woman in front of him would cling to him, and he couldn't get away. It seemed he didn't want to get away at all, but he was afraid of being seen by busybodies and causing gossip. If there was too much gossip, he would worry about what the shop owner would think of him. Now, he wanted to take her with him, but that was just wishful thinking. Pei Bi's hand froze in mid-air, his palm slowly tightening before falling down helplessly. He sighed inwardly at his own cowardice; even now, he was still the same.
“I’m telling you this seriously.” Aunt Lou looked up. “When we got to Rongdu, I found someone to recommend a wife who was almost forty. People didn’t know that and thought you had some kind of hidden illness.”
"Who's talking nonsense!" Pei Bi's face turned red with anger.
Aunt Lou chuckled, and Pei Bi realized that she was playing a trick on him. A helpless expression appeared on his weathered face.
"Why isn't Mother leaving? Steward Pei has already agreed to take Eldest Brother with him." Lou Cangyu watched his mother packing his belongings. He had thought everyone was eager to leave, but Ji Fang and his sister didn't want to, nor did his mother. Even Pei Bi—Lou Cangyu peered into the inner room at his expression—was reluctant to leave. He couldn't bear to leave his mother, nor could he bear to leave Canglang Island, where he had lived for forty years. Not only was he reluctant, but the once fierce man now had a look of fear of the unknown in his eyes.
What was he afraid of? Regardless of what they were afraid of, Lou Cangyu lovingly stroked his sword. Being able to go to Rongdu, walk the main road, and do great things was a blessing for everyone, and he himself had to seize this blessing.
Rongdu Zetian Hall, a thousand miles away
The sword case opened, revealing intricately carved sun and moon runes. The bronze hilt gleamed with a rustic, aged patina, its dragon scales lifelike, as if one could roam freely between heaven and earth upon drawing the sword. Even before the sword was sheathed, Mu You was already mesmerized, standing motionless like a statue. Upon hearing that the meteorite had been forged, Mu Chenbi rushed from the East Palace. Seeing his father at the door, as if his soul had been ripped from his body, Mu Chenbi's steps slowed, wondering what was inside the sword case.
"Is it really... a meteorite?" Mu Chenbi asked Cui Jin in a low voice. He was anxious but dared not disturb his father. "Does Xingguo Fang have such ability? Could it be... just a way to deceive people?"
"Whether it is or not, the Crown Prince will know after he sees it."
“No one has ever seen a real Meteor Sword.” Mu Chenbi flicked aside his embroidered blue dragon robe. “So how can you tell the difference?”
Cui Jin smiled dismissively and gestured for Mu Chenbi to look at Mu You again. "The Emperor has judged countless swords, but has the Crown Prince ever seen one that could captivate him to this extent?"
Mu You gripped the sword hilt with trembling hands, almost effortlessly drawing it from its sheath. The sword flashed like a shooting star, a kaleidoscope of colors, with streaks of blood trailing along the blade—a sight that horrified all who saw it. As if possessed, Mu You lightly traced the blade with his fingertip. Before even touching the edge, blood appeared on his finger, congealing into a bead that fell onto the blade. Before Mu You could react, the blood bead slid away, disappearing in the blink of an eye, seemingly seeping into the blade.
Mu You tried his best to see more clearly, but the dazzling divine light had already blurred his eyes. With a casual wave of his hand, the nanmu table in front of him was split in two, startling everyone in the hall who retreated one after another, and shouts arose.
"Father!" Mu Chenbi exclaimed in surprise, "Is it really the Meteor Sword?"
Seeing that Mu Chenbi seemed to be about to step forward, Mu You pointed his sword directly at his beloved son. Although they were still more than ten feet apart, the chilling sword energy was already rushing towards them. Mu Chenbi suddenly stopped, feeling a chill pass through his body.
"Have someone bring ten bolts of silk." Mu Chenbi raised her arm. "Whether it is or not, I will only know after I try it myself."
A strange glint flashed in Cui Jin's single eye, like a cold, sharp needle piercing Mu Chenbi's heart. He stood to the side as if no one else was there, as if he had complete confidence in controlling everything.
The silk was brought out and folded on the floor of the hall. Mu Chenbi knelt on one knee and looked directly at his father, who was standing stiffly still. "Father, please allow me to try this sword."
"It was forged from meteorite." Mu You looked away with difficulty, turning the hilt of the sword in disbelief. "A peerless treasure, could it really be achieved? I didn't believe it, but I have no choice but to believe it."
"Father," Mu Chenbi said loudly again, "please allow your son to give it a try."
Mu You turned the sword around and nodded. Mu Chenbi stepped forward quickly, bent down and took the hilt. At first glance, he was dazzled. Upon closer inspection, he saw flowing light and swirling colors. The bloodstains were like the tail of a snake, impossible to follow. The spiritual energy flowed, as if it were alive. To search further was like being pulled by a demon in one's heart, about to fall into an abyss.
At the critical moment, Mu Chenbi suddenly straightened up and regained his senses. Fortunately, he had been self-disciplined since childhood and was resolute by nature, so he was not blinded by the sword.
Mu Chenbi swung his sword down, severing ten bolts of silk with a clean, sharp cut, leaving not a single thread. And that wasn't all; the white marble bricks in the hall were also slashed by the sword's energy, leaving a half-inch mark. The mark was straight and unbroken, demonstrating the sword's immense killing intent.
The Casting Classic records: Meteorite absorbs the essence of the sun and moon, casting weapons that are indestructible, blades that can cut through anything, sever cloth and sever silk, and swords that strike like lightning, causing fallen leaves to crumble.
"Your Majesty and the Crown Prince have examined all the famous swords in the world. Is there any that can surpass this sword?" Cui Jin asked with a half-smile, scrutinizing the surprised and doubtful expressions on the faces of Mu You and his son.
"It's the Meteor Sword!" Mu You strode down from the main hall, pointed at the sword tightly held by his son, flung aside his dragon robe, and laughed heartily. "Heavens above, the meteorite can actually be melted! What no other workshop could do, Xingguo Workshop has accomplished after all the twists and turns! A century of ups and downs, finally fulfilling our ambition! Xingguo Workshop, when will you return to Rongdu?"
"It'll be soon." Cui Jin calculated the time. "It should be this month."
"The title 'Blade Master' belongs to none other than the Pei family." Mu You's face lit up with ecstasy. "Chen Bi, don't you like this sword? Or are you so enamored with it that you're mesmerized?"
Mu Chenbi brought the sword blade close to his nose, as if inhaling the scent of the meteorite. He had handled that meteorite countless times, and the sword in his hand indeed smelled the same as the meteorite. But… Mu Chenbi inhaled deeply again. The lingering scent of iron had an indescribable strangeness, like the pure, pristine coolness of ice and snow. When his fingertips touched it, it seemed to retain the faint warmth of the swordsmith's body. Savoring it more closely, Mu Chenbi's phoenix-feather eyelashes drooped heavily. A stench filled the air, like flowing blood, yet the sword gleamed coldly, without a trace of blood. Mu Chenbi felt worried. Seeing the expectation in his father's eyes, he could only raise the sword in a flourish, sheath it, and respectfully present it again.
"Your Majesty, I have tested it. This sword is indeed forged from meteorite. Congratulations, Father!"
"Hahahaha." Mu You laughed heartily. "Chen Bi is proficient in casting. If you say so, then it must be. It seems that the heavens are truly blessing the Great Jin. Even the heavens are helping you achieve your wish and strengthen the military industry of our Great Jin."
Unable to contain himself, Mu You drew his sword again, his eyes deep as he looked at it inch by inch. After a long silence, he slowly raised his eyes. His face, weathered by time, was slightly pale, and his hawk-like eyes revealed a complex emotion that even he himself could not perceive.
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Author's Note: Due to a minor issue, I decided to make this story available for purchase today. Thank you for your support, my little angels.
The full text of "Double Dimples" is still available. Although the data is not good, I will update it properly after it becomes a paid novel. Please feel free to follow the story. Thank you again.
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