The Reticent Blade-Chapter 87 - Memories From Three Years Ago

"As long as I kill you... I will be the greatest blademaster in the world!"

The zhanmadao in Lin Jiulao's right hand twitched with excitement. The fervor in his eyes was nearly overflowing.

"Greatest blademaster in the world?" Ye Beizhi tilted his head as he leveled the tip of his blade at Lin Jiulao. "Me?"

Shing!

Lin Jiulao swung his blade, delivering a heavy upward slash!

The two were only a few steps apart, but the zhanmadao in Lin Jiulao’s hand was longer and heavier than Ye Beizhi's Tang blade. Its sharp cutting edge aimed directly for Ye Beizhi's chest.

With Lin Jiulao exerting all his strength, the blade had a fierce momentum. Ye Beizhi did not dare take it head-on, lightly pushing off the balls of his feet a few times to retreat several chi. He stood at a distance while watching Lin Jiulao.

Lin Jiulao had not expected this slash to settle the fight. He had only intended to force Ye Beizhi back.

Seeing Ye Beizhi retreat, Lin Jiulao wiped the sweat from his palm on his clothing. He eyed Ye Beizhi in the distance and said, "Shi Wufeng told me... When it comes to blade techniques, no one in the world can surpass you... Stormqueller Ye Beizhi!"

Upon hearing this familiar name, Ye Beizhi raised his eyes to look at the sky. "Shi Wufeng..."

"Exactly, it's him. The Valley Master of the Millenium Blade Foundry Xuanfeng Valley, Shi Wufeng!" Lin Jiulao let his blade fall at an angle, pointing it diagonally at the ground, while he gazed at Ye Beizhi.

"Those were his exact words... Stormqueller Ye Beizhi! Today, right here, right now! We shall fight to the death to determine who the ultimate blademaster truly is!"

While, Ye Beizhi barely register what Lin Jiulao was saying. The moment he heard the name Shi Wufeng, he began to reminisce on what had happened three years ago

"So it was Shi Wufeng..."

***

The blade is the most aggressive of all weapons.

In the The Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals, the sword is on the left, representing the Azure Dragon; the blade is on the right, representing the White Tiger from [ref]The Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals is an undated work attributed to philosopher Dong Zhongshu. It has survived to the present, though its compilation might have continued past his lifetime into the 4th century.[ref/]

In the jianghu, whenever a sword is mentioned, people cannot help but think of the Grand Succession Sword Sect. When a blade is mentioned, it immediately evokes thoughts of another place, the Millennium Blade Foundry at the Xuanfeng Valley.

Among the legendary blades, nine out of ten came from Xuanfeng Valley.

For generations, Xuanfeng Valley has specialized in the blade forging arts and reached the pinnacle of mastery. The Valley's disciples grew up with blades, wielding them as dextrously as their fingers.

The Valley master is a Martial Sovereign of the blade. By integrating the strengths of various schools with his own understanding of the blade, his blade was agile and unpredictable, as if it has a life of its own. His blade arts were unparalleled...

Until three years ago.

Three years ago, an unexpected guest arrived at Xuanfeng Valley. Just like those who had come before, he sought to have a blade forged. Moreover, he specifically requested that the Valley Master personally operate the furnace.

The people of Xuanfeng Valley disagreed and were about to expel this person.

However, these people were instantly knocked unconscious. They were subdued with the blunt edge of the blade, and no one saw how he wielded it.

It was as if there was a flash in their eyes, and they collapsed. However, their defeat was not entirely pointless. At least they realized that this person was incredibly skilled with a blade.

To their surprise, the blade in his hand was actually nothing more than a standard military-issue blade.

The military blade bore bloodstains accumulated over the years that could not be washed away, and the patterns on the blade had become somewhat worn from long-term polishing and sharpening, but the occasional glimmer reminded people that it was a deadly weapon honed on the battlefield.

However, upon closer inspection, the blade was covered in countless fine cracks. This blade had long since reached the end of its time and was nothing but a shadow of its former self.

"I am looking... for the Valley master." The person holding the blade looked young, but his eyes were void of life. He had the gaze of someone who was truly familiar with the edge of death.

The disciples unconsciously swallowed, but no one spoke.

Seeing no one object, the young man pushed aside those blocking his path and walked straight into the valley.

At this moment, one of the braver souls, seemed to trying to bolster their fellow disciple's courage and shouted, "Who... who exactly are you?!"

The man did not turn back, only softly saying, "Call me... Stormqueller."

In the deepest part of Xuanfeng Valley was a tall pavilion named Sun Seizing.

The Sun Seizing Pavilion was the tallest structure in the entire Xuanfeng Valley. It served as the residence of the Valley Master and ultimately housed the most important forging furnace.

Sun Seizing, as the name suggests, means to steal the sun's fire to forge the blades of the world. This building converts the sun’s fire from the great fireball in the sky into earthly flames that can be used to forge blades.

Shi Wufeng blocked Stormqueller at the entrance of Sun Seizing Pavilion.

"Are you the one who wants me to personally forge a blade for you... and are you also the one who injured my disciples outside the gate?"

Stormqueller looked at the man in front of him and nodded seriously. "Yes, that's me. Are you the Valley Master?"

Shi Wufeng stared at the young man before him, momentarily speechless. "...Yes, that's me."

Stormqueller nodded again, retrieved a package from his back, and began to untie the knot. "I heard you know how to forge a blade... Help me forge a blade."

"Heh... Countless people have asked me to forge a blade for them, but this is the first time I've met someone who has taken my help for granted," Shi Wufeng said with a cold smile, "Besides, why should I—"

Before he could finish, the disdainful look on Shi Wufeng's face was replaced by an astonished expression, and he could not bring himself to say the rest.

The package opened to reveal only one item, a chunk of a pitch-black, unknown metal.

"This... this is...?" The surprise on Shi Wufeng's face was beyond words. He could not help but reach out to touch the metal.

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Stormqueller frowned and placed his hand over the piece of metal.

"What? Can’t you forge this?"

"Uh." Shi Wufeng realized he had lost his composure, awkwardly retracted his hand, and eagerly said, "Yes, I can forge it! Let’s do it now!"

"However, where did you get this material?" Shi Wufeng led Stormqueller into Sun Seizing Pavilion.

Stormqueller followed behind him, holding the package. "It was a gift from a friend," he casually replied.

"A friend gave it to you?" Shi Wufeng glanced at the young man beside him. "What kind of friend would be so generous as to give you this? Do you know what this is?"

"Deep Sea Profound Iron, the hardest substance in the world," Stormqueller answered expressionlessly.

Shi Wufeng nodded.

"Hmm... it seems you are not entirely ignorant." The Valley Master paused and added, "The price for forging this blade will not be low."

"I don’t have money," Stormqueller replied nonchalantly.

"No money?" Shi Wufeng stopped in his tracks. "Then what will you offer as payment?"

Stormqueller looked at the man before him, blinked, and said nothing.

"You!" Shi Wufeng took a deep breath. "Fine! Here’s the deal. Since you are also a blade wielder, you will have a match with me after this blade is forged. If you win, the blade is yours, and I won’t take a wen from you. But if you lose... this blade will remain in Xuanfeng Valley."

Stormqueller tilted his head in thought for a moment and then nodded. "Alright."