novelapdf Chapter 278 Appraising the Sword
Chapter 278 Appraising the Sword
"The sea opens up in the rain, the waves fly over the river platform. The sound drives a thousand horses swiftly, the breath sweeps in from ten thousand mountains."
The Tide-Watching Sword Competition was held on the white jade platform in the river.
As the day of the sword tournament drew near, the city of Qiantang was filled with dashing young men in fine clothes, riding spirited horses and carrying swords.
The people of Wu cut their hair and tattooed their bodies, valuing their promises above all else, somewhat resembling the saying "cutting off a piece of flesh to drink with others, their laughter startling even ghosts and gods," causing considerable chaos in the Qiantang area.
That night.
On the banks of the great river, the sound of the tide is like thunder, and people are moving about. Lanterns and decorations are everywhere, and tens of thousands of people have gathered.
The nine-tiered white jade platform was brightly lit, with countless maids and servants moving about inside.
Occasionally, streaks of light would descend, and the once rare sword immortals and extraordinary individuals, while not ubiquitous, had become indistinguishable from the crowd.
Outside the White Jade Terrace.
"Wuxin, haven't you always wanted to challenge all the heroes under heaven? Why haven't you gone in yet? This Jade Platform has nine levels; if you're late, you'll probably just be standing there watching the show..."
One of the Yun family Daoji laughed.
This man appeared to be middle-aged, with a handsome face and his hair tied up with a blue turban, which was not the common short hair style among people from Wu. He also carried an ancient blue sword on his back.
"Uncle Hao... I promised a fellow Daoist that I would enter the White Jade Platform with him. We swordsmen keep our promises, even unto death."
Yun Wuxin said.
"Haha... Then let's wait. Anyway, my family isn't good enough to get into the core group, so it's fine to just look around from the outside."
Yun Jiadao laughed heartily.
Before long, Fang Qing, still dressed in a green robe, floated over: "Brother Yun, thank you for keeping me waiting..."
"Haha, Brother Fang, there's no need for such formalities. Let me introduce you. This is an elder of my family."
Yun Wuxin solemnly introduced Fang Qing: "Uncle Hao is already a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Back in the day, he had a reputation in the martial arts world, and was revered as 'The Sword of Green Pine'..."
"So you're the Swordsman of Green Pine Trees, I've heard so much about you..."
Fang Qing cupped his hands in greeting, causing the Yun family Dao Foundation cultivator's eye to twitch. It was clear that he had never heard of this before, and his response was very perfunctory.
The three of them rode on the light of the sword towards the Jade Terrace.
Then, another exclamation came from the shore: "Three more sword immortals have arrived..."
Fang Qing landed on the white jade platform, and immediately a maidservant came forward. Yun Wuxin took out an invitation card, and the three of them were allowed to pass through without any hindrance.
"The emperor has not yet moved his carriage, and the tide-watching ceremony has not yet begun..."
Yun Wuxin looked around excitedly: "Brother Fang...look, they've already started fighting. It's the 'Feather Sword Immortal'!"
Fang Qing looked over and saw that Gongzi Yu was confronting another swordsman.
The sharp aura emanating from both sides caused the ordinary servants to cry out in alarm and scatter, creating a tense atmosphere reminiscent of a battle about to erupt.
"Gongsun Qing...you want to duel me with swords?"
Gongzi Yu's expression was aloof as he gently stroked the "Three Thousand Snows" in his hand.
"Of course, do you still remember that day when you debated swordsmanship amidst the snow, freezing three hundred people to death by the roadside?"
Gongsun Qing gently stroked the long sword in his hand.
His sword was entirely black, with three sharp edges on the blade, gleaming with blood.
"I never imagined that you, the ruthless swordsman, would be such a sentimental person?"
Gongzi Yu raised an eyebrow.
"No... Even if you killed three thousand passersby, I wouldn't even bat an eye... But on that day, a little girl happened to give me half a steamed bun."
Gongsun Qing said, "I promised her I would avenge her. We swordsmen keep our word."
"Come up and face your death!"
Gongzi Yu's expression was as cold as ice that had never melted for millennia, and he responded.
"Wait a minute!"
Just then, a gentle breeze blew, and several elderly men dressed in fine clothes drifted in.
Their aura was extraordinary, indicating they were all high-level cultivators, some even at the late or peak stages of the Foundation Establishment stage: "With the Lord not yet here, it would be impolite to engage in sword fighting... Today, with all the wise men gathered, we have set three questions to test the young talents of the martial world. Each question comes with a prize; let's see who wins in the end..."
"How about we settle this with a sword duel at the very end, with His Majesty providing the judgment?"
Rumble!
Rows of armored soldiers stood in neat rows, forming a subtle battle formation, guarding each gate.
The financial backer is ruthless!
An aura of solemnity and killing intent instantly enveloped the entire nine-tiered white jade platform.
"So it was one of the Three Dukes."
Gongzi Yu bowed and said, "In that case, we will naturally comply..."
"Hmph, I'll just let you live a little longer."
Gongsun Qing also sheathed his sword.
Upon seeing the crowd gather, the tallest of the three elders, with a thin face, smiled slightly and took out a bright pearl from his bosom.
The moment this pearl appeared, it eclipsed the brilliance of countless lights, and a cool, yin energy emanated from it.
"This 'Moon Soul Mystic Pearl,' although merely a Dao Foundation Spiritual Object, is superior because it belongs to the Taiyin... In this world, such Taiyin Spiritual Objects are still quite rare, so let's use it as the prize for the first round."
"It's actually a Yin Spiritual Object? This lineage is truly rare. Even if it's only at the Foundation Establishment level, it's comparable to an ordinary Purple Mansion Spiritual Object, isn't it?"
There was a subtle commotion among the crowd.
The Yun family Dao Foundation expert stared intently at the spirit pearl, not even blinking.
Clearly, such spiritual objects are extremely precious even to a Dao Foundation Lord family.
"The first challenge is sword appreciation... The sword is the king of all weapons. The quality of a sword can reveal the temperament and character of its owner... Young heroes, please proceed."
The other one of the three spoke up.
"I'll go first!"
Fang Qing was watching the commotion when Yun Wuxin rushed out beside him, causing him to unconsciously rub his forehead: 'He really is a hothead...'
The monk beside him revealed a malicious smile.
"Among all the famous swords in the world, which one can surpass the 'Great Xia Dragon Sparrow'? The Great Wu is clearly trying to elevate its own Eighth Prince..."
"This young man isn't a fool; he might just be putting on an act, deliberately offering himself up to Li Lu's humiliation. He's quite clever..."
……
Then Yun Wuxin leaped onto the platform, holding his sword aloft with both hands: "The sword is named 'Wan Jun' (Ten Thousand Jun), forged from East Sea Cold Iron and Xuanzhong Stone. It is four feet and one inch long and weighs as much as a thousand jun (a unit of weight)..."
"I've come to take a look."
Grand Marshal Wu Su stepped forward, a golden light, about an inch long, emanating from his eyes and landing on the 'Wan Jun' sword.
"The way to appreciate a sword is not only to observe its shape, but also to examine its quality, listen to its sound, feel its rhythm, and observe its spirit... Only when all five are present can one truly appreciate the essence of a sword."
"The sword of the young master of the Yun family is fierce and upright, implying that the person who wields the sword has a pure heart. Its quality is outstanding, as smooth as water overflowing in a pond, as firm as a rock, and as radiant as ice melting... If it is classified as a nine-rank sword, it should be ranked in the top three ranks, and be a famous sword of the third rank."
Wu Su had barely finished speaking when he realized he had overlooked something. He took the giant sword from Yun Wuxin's hand, raised it with one hand, and gently infused it with his magic power. A seven-foot sword light burst forth, and he couldn't help but chuckle: "I almost misjudged it... This sword is simple yet ingenious, concealing another sword within. Judging from its design, it was forged by the Yue Maiden... You lad have won the favor of the Yue Maiden, concealing a sword called 'Qingxin' (倾心). With the two swords combined... This sword can be classified as second-grade."
When Wu Su tossed the sword back, Yun Wuxin caught it blankly and returned to the crowd, his face still somewhat dazed: "The Yue woman who forged the sword has feelings for me? How come I didn't know?"
Seeing this, Yun Jiadaoji, standing to the side, could only cover his face with his sleeve, not wanting to see his nephew.
"I have a sword; please, Grand Marshal, appraise it."
Seeing that even the clumsy heavy swordsman Yun Wuxin had achieved such a ranking, the other swordsmen nearby couldn't contain their excitement.
A monk who looked like a prince immediately offered his sword.
The sword rested in its black scabbard, which was inlaid with eighteen bright pearls.
Wu Su raised his hand and drew it, revealing a three-foot-long green blade, exuding a chilling aura.
"This sword of mine is forged from millennia-old cold iron, and the scabbard is made from the skin of the sea monster 'Black Blood Shark,' and it is also adorned with eighteen Qi-cultivating beads..."
The monk said smugly.
"Why adorn a sword with precious objects when it is inherently a weapon of killing?"
Wu Su shook his head: "This sword is all show and no substance, but rotten inside. The sword reflects the man, which is quite telling..."
He threw the sword back, and the cultivator was immediately filled with shame and fled in a sorry state.
Upon seeing this, Fang Qing secretly shook his head.
With the Grand Minister of Works, Grand Marshal, and Grand Minister of Education all in power, being evaluated in this way is tantamount to social death. Forget about ever entering officialdom again, and even the reputation of your family will suffer a great blow...
I wonder if I'll be beaten to death by my elders when I get back?
"But Wu Su isn't just blindly flattering people; she's actually quite objective in her words..."
Fang Qing watched coldly as swordsmen entered the arena, and countless famous swords competed to display their sharpness.
There are greatswords, dual swords, one-handed swords...
There are also jade swords, peach wood swords, bronze swords...
The ruthless swordsman Gongsun Qing also went down the same path, using his "Severing Evil" sword, and also received a second-grade evaluation.
"Judging from this situation, this fool might actually have a chance to compete for the 'Moon Soul Pearl'?"
Fang Qing couldn't help but glance at Yun Wuxin beside him.
At this moment, Gongzi Yu raised his hand, and white feathers fluttered all around, like heavy snow, with a chilling aura.
The "Three Thousand Snows" sword had already come into Wu Su's hands.
"What a fine sword! Its light is like the ethereal, its quality like a swift swan..."
Wu Su's eyes shone brightly: "'Three Thousand Snows', the sword is two feet six inches and eight-tenths long, the hilt is eight inches long, it weighs fourteen ounces, with 'Cloud White Mystic Essence' as the guard and 'Snow Falling Feathers' as the hilt. The sword's light is like falling feathers and splitting snow, it can be considered a first-grade sword!"
"well……"
Beside him, Yun Wuxin sighed, "After all, it is a famous sword forged by Master Ou Yeyue... He forged a sword for me... That person said that the Ou Ye family has produced sword-making masters for generations, and Ou Yeyang was once famous throughout the world, having forged one of the ten most famous swords in the world, 'Rotten Iron'... As his successor, Ou Yeyue is indeed quite skilled."
Judging from his appearance, although he was quite disappointed, he did not harbor any resentment.
Gongzi Yu sheathed his flying sword, his expression remaining indifferent.
quack!
At that moment, the sound of crows cawing rang out.
A flying sword landed in front of Wu Su without anyone noticing, and a voice laughed, "Grand Marshal, what do you think of this 'Nine Crow Sword'?"
Wu Su did not answer, his gaze seemingly drawn to the flying sword. He couldn't help but exclaim, "What a fine sword... This sword, this sword... I can hardly even appraise it, but it must have earned its place on Sword Cliff. I wonder which master craftsman forged it?"
"Where should my name be inscribed on the Sword Cliff of Sword Mountain?"
"Doesn't that mean... the dual cultivation of form and substance has already reached the seventh level?"
"Could it be the sword of the Purple Mansion Immortal?"
Everyone was shocked. Looking again at the sword's owner, he was unremarkable in appearance, draped in a black feathered robe, and his cultivation was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage. He laughed loudly, "This sword was forged by me, 'Zhang Yajiu,' to let you all know that besides the Ouyang family, there are also master swordsmiths!"