Chapter 00080: The Sword and Blade Have Eyes
# The Sword and Blade Have Eyes
Chapter 80
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 80: The Sword and Blade Have Eyes
“There really is something?” He Lingchuan took the item with a mix of doubt and curiosity.
As soon as he saw the handwriting on it, he let out a surprised sound, “Is this written by Sun Fuping?”
“Yes,” He Chunhua shook the notebook in his hand, “It’s a spoil of war I found on him.”
With the help of the spirits of the Great Wind Army and the demons, the Blackwater City army had killed Sun Fuping.
He Chunhua would never miss the chance to loot the former state preceptor’s belongings.
He Yue asked curiously, “What else is written in the notebook?”
“Divine arts, magical techniques, elixirs, and rare items—basically, what you’d call demonic arts,” He Chunhua put the notebook away. “I wanted to see if there were any military secrets recorded in it.”
He Lingchuan was also curious, “Were there?”
“No.”
After eating and drinking his fill, He Lingchuan stood up to take his leave.
As soon as he stepped out of the garden, Uncle Hao followed him and said sincerely, “Thank you, young master.”
He Lingchuan knew he was thanking him for killing Nian Songyu and avenging the sparrow demon.
He waved his hand dismissively, “It was nothing! That dog Nian wanted to kill me too, but he didn’t get his wish.”
The days that followed were peaceful.
He Lingchuan returned to his life as a carefree rich second-generation heir, with people treating him to food, drinks, and entertainment, and a large group of friends to hang out with.
Whenever he went to teahouses or entertainment houses, people would flock around him, praising Young Master He for his bravery—venturing into forbidden zones, saving his comrades, and killing traitors—all feats that ordinary people couldn’t accomplish.
During these days, the soldiers who had returned from the adventure, like Zeng Feixiong, received generous rewards.
With money in hand, they naturally went out to enjoy themselves in the city.
As the saying goes, happiness is best shared, so the story of their adventure became more and more fantastical as it spread by word of mouth.
Of course, Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu were described as despicable and cunning, the kind of people who had sores on their heads and pus on their feet.
Meanwhile, the He father and son were portrayed as wise and heroic, leading the Blackwater City army to challenge the Sandstorm Season, battle the vengeful spirits of Panlong City, and return victorious.
He Lingchuan was certain that the number of women giving him flirtatious glances on the streets had more than doubled.
Heroes love beauties, and beauties love heroes too.
Unfortunately, the cultivation technique he practiced forbade him from indulging in such pleasures.
One day, Zeng Feixiong introduced him to a blacksmith shop.
It was said that the shop had been passed down for five generations, and the weapons of the Blackwater City officers were all custom-made and maintained here.
He Lingchuan walked in and placed the broken blade on the counter, “Can you fix this?”
The owner of the shop was a red-faced man with a thick beard.
As soon as he picked up the broken blade, his expression changed, “What a blade, what a fierce one! In my ten-plus years in this business, this is the first time I’ve seen such a ferocious weapon. Even broken into two pieces, it still feels like it wants to devour someone.”
Seeing the two men’s confusion, he explained, “This is what we call the blade’s spirit not being dead. It’s like a toothless tiger—it still has claws and strength. Ordinary people still can’t defeat it.”
He didn’t touch the blade but sniffed it twice, “This blade has tasted the blood of at least a few hundred people.”
“Probably five to seven hundred,” He Lingchuan laughed. “This was the personal blade of Zhong Shengguang, the commander of Panlong City.”
Only then did Zeng Feixiong manage to interject, “This is the eldest son of the He family.”
The heroic deeds of Young Master He had spread like wildfire throughout Blackwater City.
Surprisingly, the blacksmith not only didn’t know about it but also waved his hands repeatedly after hearing it, “I beg your pardon, but I can’t repair this treasure. Not just me, but no one in Blackwater City—no, in the entire Qiansong County—could do it.”
He Lingchuan’s expression darkened, “What do you mean?”
Perhaps because their auras matched, he had grown increasingly fond of this blade and didn’t want to leave it unused.
To put it bluntly, with the label of “formerly owned by Zhong Shengguang,” once repaired, this blade would be priceless.
“Legend has it that divine weapons have spirits. Although this blade hasn’t reached that level, it has drunk so much human blood and is so steeped in ferocity that it has developed a faint,懵懂的灵性 (懵懂的灵性:懵懂 means"ignorant"or"naive,"and 灵性 means"spirit"or"spiritual nature."Together, it refers to a naive or rudimentary spiritual awareness.) This is what we call the blade’s spirit, or the blade’s eye,” the blacksmith picked up the blade and pointed to the broken edge for the two men to examine closely. “Look at the cross-section. Doesn’t it feel warm and moist, as if there’s mercury flowing inside?”
He gently shook the blade a couple of times.
Zeng Feixiong stared without blinking, then nodded repeatedly, “Indeed!”
He had handled dozens of weapons before, but this was the first time he had seen a cross-section that looked like flowing mercury.
“When people say ‘swords and blades have no eyes,’ they’re talking about ordinary weapons. If they break, they break. You can reforge them, or even melt them down and recast them,” the blacksmith smiled bitterly. “But if this treasure of yours is melted down, the blade spirit it has nurtured will be lost. If you just try to repair it, it won’t accept ordinary metal. It needs the blood of its owner and also requires the use of 铻金 (铻金: a rare metal used in forging divine weapons).”
“铻金?” He Lingchuan felt that these two words sounded familiar.
He searched through his memories and actually found relevant information. “The 铻金 that’s said to only be found in the Kunwu Mountains and is used exclusively for forging divine weapons?”
He had heard storytellers in teahouses talk about it more than once.
“Exactly. Such a treasure—I’ve never heard of it being found anywhere in Qiansong County.”
He Lingchuan tapped his fingers on the table, his face showing a troubled expression.
Just as Zeng Feixiong thought he was about to give up, Young Master He pulled out a short staff from his pocket, “Take a look. Can this be used?”
Zeng Feixiong was shocked, “Isn’t this State Preceptor Sun’s personal staff?” Was this young master planning to damage one intact treasure to repair another?
He cautiously reminded him, “Young Master, this staff is priceless.” Even the prefect had been reluctant to part with it when he gave it away.
He Lingchuan scoffed, “What does it matter if it’s priceless? If I can’t use it, why keep it?”
Both he and He Yue had carefully read and tried the instructions He Chunhua had given them, but the staff was too proud and didn’t respond to any commands.
Its previous owner was the state preceptor, and it had high standards for choosing a new master.
With Sun Fuping’s abilities, if it weren’t for the loss of his state preceptor status, the suppression of his cultivation in the Panlong Secret Realm, the repeated sneak attacks by He Lingchuan and the others using the city defense ballistae, and the intervention of the Great Wind Army spirits, how could He Chunhua’s Blackwater City army have defeated him?
The treasure was choosing a new master, and it clearly didn’t want these two weaklings.
He Lingchuan wasn’t about to indulge such arrogance.
If he couldn’t have it, he’d destroy it.
Why not use it on the broken blade that resonated with him?
He shoved the staff into the blacksmith’s hand, “Take a good look. Is this beast head made of 铻金?”
During their expedition, Sun Fuping’s attendants had proudly mentioned that the head of the state preceptor’s staff was cast from Kunwu copper, a treasure that couldn’t be bought with money.
He Lingchuan guessed that this was 铻金?
Of course, those attendants had been executed by He Chunhua, but their words still echoed in his ears.
The blacksmith was also shocked by Young Master He’s wealth.
He casually pulled out something that was a life goal unattainable for ordinary people even after several lifetimes.
He took the staff and examined it carefully, then pulled out some kind of liquid from somewhere and dripped it on the staff, rubbing it repeatedly.
After a long time of appraisal, he finally looked up and said, “Young Master, this is indeed 铻金, but I can’t use it here.”
“Are you messing with me?” Earlier, he said he couldn’t repair it without 铻金, and now that he had 铻金, he still couldn’t repair it.
(End of Chapter)