Chapter 56: Sword-Tempering News
“…” Song Yan was somewhat speechless.
In truth, the price was extremely cheap, but did that mean if he did not buy it, she would force the sale upon him?
He had noticed this young woman earlier as well, because among female cultivators in the cultivation world, most had fair skin and fine features.
This freckled young woman naturally stood out a bit.
Medical texts called this condition “dark stars upon the face.” In some remote and uncivilized regions, people with such facial features were regarded as solitary celestial beings, an omen of misfortune.
“Hey! Xiao Ju, what are you doing?”
The other female cultivators of “Seamless Heavenly Robes” hurried out. One restrained the young woman, while the others apologized to Song Yan.
“Sorry, Senior Brother, she is a bit eccentric…”
“Please do not think poorly of her.”
Song Yan nodded and glanced at her. The young woman wore a stubborn expression, as if she were holding back something.
He hesitated for a moment, then stepped away and departed.
In truth, at the price of three-patterned spirit stones, Song Yan was already somewhat tempted. It was just that a tailored daoist robe was of little consequence to him at present.
If he truly needed one in the future, there would be time to order it.
“…”
Passing an alley in the market district, something seemed to come to mind.
“That Leisure Heart Pavilion… it seems to be right here.”
He relied on his memory and arrived at the pavilion where he had previously bartered with Ke Huai and the others.
The doorkeeper asked: “Are you here to sit and drink tea, or to reserve a private room for discussion?”
“…To sit and drink tea.”
“Very well. Two spirit stones for entry.”
Two spirit stones?!
Song Yan’s first reaction was that it was a bit expensive!
But on second thought.
If spiritual fruits and spiritual tea were included, it did not seem like a bad deal. Moreover, the environment here was elegant and clean, so he immediately paid the spirit stones.
A plate of spiritual fruits, a pot of spiritual tea.
At this moment, the main hall of the building was not crowded with cultivators. Song Yan sat alone at a table, carefully reading through the ancient text in his hands.
“Ancient sword cultivators often accompanied sword gourds, sword cases, and similar containers, specifically designed to nurture their life-bound flying swords…”
Sword gourds were rare in the modern cultivation world.
Some sword cases still remained, but they were typically not actually used to house flying swords. Some cultivators simply collected them as antiques when building their collections.
After all, whether a flying sword magical artifact was drawn from a Cosmos Bag or from a sword case or sword gourd, there was no difference. It even sounded somewhat superfluous.
The line of ancient sword cultivators had been severed, and nowadays sword cases and sword gourds had become mere ornaments.
In the “Strange Tales of Ancient Swords,” it was said that sword cultivators were not uncommon in the past, and that sword cases and sword gourds had many other wondrous uses. However, what precisely those uses were, no one knew.
That era had long since been submerged in the river of history.
“…”
Song Yan suddenly let out a soft sigh.
Ever since obtaining the Twin Jade Pearl, he had read a great deal of materials and texts about ancient sword cultivators.
But he could not help but accumulate a sense of frustration in his heart…
This was because the introductions he encountered always spoke of how powerful sword cultivators were.
“One sword to break ten thousand techniques,” “Defeating the strong through the weak, slaying enemies across realms…”
But if the sword cultivator tradition was truly so powerful, why had it suddenly vanished?
The simple statement that “all things that reach their peak must decline” could not put Song Yan’s mind at ease.
“What exactly happened…”
No one knew.
“Sword cultivators were not all righteous folk who slew demons and upheld justice…”
Hmm?
Song Yan’s gaze sharpened, and he continued reading.
“Ancient, pure sword cultivators devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the single word ‘sword.’ This naturally formed an undisputed consensus within the cultivation world…”
“The sword cultivator path was largely populated by the stubborn and obsessive.”
“Among them, those who strayed down the wrong path and ignored the counsel of family and fellow cultivators were beyond counting.”
“Once a sword cultivator’s Dao Heart was disturbed by demonic thoughts, their fall to the evil path was beyond anyone’s power to reverse.”
“An evil sword was the special flying sword formed when a sword cultivator’s life-bound flying sword was corrupted by the demonic transformation of their Dao Heart and sword intent.”
“The vast majority of evil swords would gradually become dull after the sword cultivator’s fall.”
“As time passed, the Dao Heart, sword intent, and demonic thoughts would all dissipate together.”
Song Yan appeared lost in thought as his fingertip brushed across the next line of text.
“But some evil swords had not actually been corrupted. The life-bound flying sword was merely trapped within the blade by demonic thoughts, with the sword body controlled by those thoughts…”
“…”
“Haa…”
He drew a deep breath.
Song Yan spent roughly half an hour finishing the entirety of the “Strange Tales of Ancient Swords.” It was rather complex…
“Inner demons”… could they produce such a flying sword?
“…”
Closing the book, Song Yan finally had the leisure to gently set down the cup’s lid.
Inhaling the tea’s fragrance, he took a sip.
A considerable amount of time had passed. The tea was no longer hot when it entered his mouth, and it felt quite warm as it flowed into his stomach.
Immediately, a thread of cool sensation rose from his belly.
His divine sense felt refreshed, and the faint weariness produced by reading had vanished without a trace.
“This spiritual tea is truly wondrous…”
“Although it cannot expand one’s divine sense, it seems capable of alleviating fatigue to some degree.”
Riding on this cool sensation, Song Yan let his thoughts wander and began to think through and organize his plans going forward.
He had now set foot upon the path of the ancient sword cultivators, so without question, his priority in the future would be to improve the grade of his sword dao seed and to comprehend and temper his Dao Heart sword intent.
In seven more months, it would be the day he had arranged to meet Rong Xiaofeng and the couple Wu Huaguo.
“Even if that cultivator’s cave dwelling does not contain any Spirit Gathering Substance, this matter should be put on the schedule…”
While Song Yan was mulling things over to himself, the cultivators in the main hall of the Leisure Heart Pavilion gradually grew more numerous.
The noise began to swell.
He checked the time. It was approaching dusk.
Most cultivators who had been setting up stalls or bartering in the market district had packed up by now.
This was not a special day, and the night market was not open. There was no point in staying longer.
He might as well finish his tea and go.
Song Yan ate two spiritual fruits, and a wisp of cool spiritual energy rose within his belly.
“Five-patterned spirit stones. Not a bad deal!”
He was just about to rise and return to his cave dwelling when he overheard several Eastern Abyss Sect disciples chatting nearby.
“Senior Brother Zheng, I feel like there have been quite a few inner sect senior brothers and sisters lately whom I have never met before…”
“Calculating the dates, it must be because the sect’s Sword-Tempering Assembly is about to begin.”
“Oh…”
“Some senior brothers and sisters travel abroad for years on end. Five or six years away is perfectly normal.”
The speaker seemed to be an inner sect disciple who was already somewhat advanced in years.
“The sect’s administrative disciples send out spirit pigeons about a year and a half in advance to the senior brothers and sisters traveling abroad. Those who can make it back in time will return to attend this grand event.”
“I see.”
Song Yan was aware of this matter.
Whether it was at the Cultivation Academy or the Outer Sect Affairs Hall, during these past few days, it seemed that everyone throughout the sect was discussing this very topic.
The reason was simple. For reasons unknown, the Sword-Tempering Assembly to be held next year offered extraordinarily generous rewards.
According to the experienced senior brothers and sisters in the sect, in past years the assembly had been merely a formality to promote the sect’s newly advanced disciples.
This time was entirely different. It seemed that in preparation for some super grand gathering to be held in the Central Region, the rewards this time were exceptionally lavish.
Nearly every disciple traveling abroad who had received the spirit pigeon’s message was hurrying back.
“I wonder if the Sword-Tempering Assembly’s rewards include any Spirit Gathering Substance…”
It could be said that Song Yan could fully imagine how difficult it would be to claim a reward under such circumstances. However…
How would he know if he did not try?
Song Yan retraced his steps and passed by Seamless Heavenly Robes.
The storefront was now empty. The freckled young woman sat on the ground before the shop, her arms wrapped around her knees, her small face buried deeply within them.
“…”
A neatly folded but old and worn daoist robe was placed before the young woman.
On top of it lay three spirit stones.
“?”
The young woman raised her head. Song Yan’s gaze was calm.
“I want a daoist robe. Exactly the same.”
During the previous battle at Silent Valley, his daoist robe had been badly damaged. After much thought, he truly did need a new one.
But no one could force him to buy…
This was Song Yan’s own freedom.