Morning.
The bright sunlight spilled onto the streets of the southern part of the city.
The southern part was the most bustling area in Chuyun City, with shadows of people scattered along the long street, hustling and bustling; between the white walls, rooftops extended with upward-curving eaves, each shop hanging long banners used to attract customers, dancing lightly in the wind.
You Su carried a steaming bun, purposefully weaving through the street, aiming to retrieve his sword before heading home for breakfast.
"Wang's Iron Shop," though small, was the best iron shop in Chuyun City, only because its sole blacksmith, Mr. Wang, not only came from a prestigious school with exceptional sword-forging skills, but was also a master of the Condensed Water Realm.
Thus, his iron shop could boldly open in a busy district, and prominent figures in Chuyun City were eager to support his business, despite Mr. Wang's notoriously eccentric temperament.
You Su was not a notable figure; he had only visited once as a child, when his master brought him to buy his first sword, which he had used until now.
Wondering if Mr. Wang would recognize the sword he reforged was originally his work, You Su felt a sense of time fleeting.
Upon entering, the heavy scent of raw iron wafted over him, causing You Su to wrinkle his nose. The wall displayed various extraordinary weapons, reflecting a dangerous and sharp glint.
Mr. Wang lounged in a rocking chair behind the counter, a dark-skinned old man with a squarish face, thick lips, and deep wrinkles on his face, yet his arms were robust beyond his years.
Seeing You Su enter, Mr. Wang glanced at You Su's attire, then took a puff from his pipe, "A rare guest, here to buy a sword?"
"Mr. Wang, I'm here to retrieve my sword."
As if expecting this, Mr. Wang stood up, went to the back room, and brought out a long, ancient sword of pitch black tone, casually tossing it to You Su, who caught it steadily.
"Take a look, see if it satisfies you." Mr. Wang then lay back down.
You Su drew the sword, gently caressing his oldest friend, the nicks and wear had vanished without a trace, leaving nothing but a smooth and delicate glaze.
Holding the hilt, You Su couldn't help but rotate it slightly, the feeling of wielding it as an extension of his limb comforted him. Joyfully, he called its name silently in his heart, Mo Song, and the Mo Song Sword seemed to respond, trembling faintly.
Mr. Wang had forged countless swords, but he remembered each one. Yet when he received Mo Song from that girl's hands, he barely recognized it as his masterpiece.
He recalled that morning, proudly admiring his creation, when that person barged in with a blind child and took it, leaving only an aphorism in exchange for gold. That person grandly claimed that a good sword suits a good person, and this child would bring fame to this sword across the Five Continents. Unable to defeat that person, Mr. Wang sullenly accepted it.
Later, the aphorism helped him break through to the Condensed Water Realm, extending his life by decades, and his anger faded, only feeling pity for his sword. Now seeing the mottling on Mo Song, he finally understood the truth of those words, realizing how difficult it was to use the Mo Song Sword in such a way.
He charged the girl thirty silver coins because she only had thirty silver coins, and the materials for Mo Song's reforging were beyond mere earthly coin measurement. The Condensed Water Realm was his limit, and in his remaining years, he wanted to see to what heights this sword and its owner would ascend.
You Su resisted the urge to continue playing with it, sheathed the sword, and respectfully saluted, "Mr. Wang, my junior sister's thirty silver was just a deposit, I'll settle the remaining amount now."
You Su understood swords, knowing thirty silver could never achieve such reforging results.
Mr. Wang raised an eyebrow, dismissively, "You're clever, but you can't afford it."
You Su initially wanted to claim he had money, but realized that no matter how much money he had, it was earthly silver coins, and a true Immortal Sword couldn't be measured by worldly wealth.
Seeing You Su hesitating, Mr. Wang smiled wryly, "Of course, I'm not Kaiji Hall, if you're to receive the sword, you must promise me one thing."
You Su tightened his grip on the sword, then suddenly relaxed, he was struggling to protect himself, let alone promise others.
"Don't be quick to decline, you haven't even heard what it is," Mr. Wang exhaled a puff of smoke, "A sword crafted by the Refining Treasure Sect is unparalleled, and swords forged by Sect Leader Ye Qing Venerable are snatched up by thousands of cultivators. I humbly had some friction with Ye Qing Venerable, and you merely need to promise me you'll defeat a cultivator wielding a sword crafted by Ye Qing Venerable."
You Su hadn't expected such connection between an old blacksmith in a remote city and someone like Ye Qing Venerable. It was known that only powers of the Void Realm could be revered as Venerables, absolute experts of the Cultivation Realm.
Seeing You Su hesitate, Mr. Wang sat up, coldly snorted, "I'm not asking you to fight Ye Qing Venerable, what's there to fear? Among the cultivators are many incapable, relying on their background to attain a Venerable's sword, what's there to worry about fighting them?"
"But..."
Fearing You Su might refuse, Mr. Wang hurriedly added, "Besides, I don't have many years left to live. You promise me, when I'm dead, how will I know if you've done it?"
"Please don't say that, I agree." You Su indeed couldn't bear to return the sword, moreover he couldn't find such a handy sword in a short time, "Rest assured, I will keep my promise."
Mr. Wang nodded, satisfied, puffing on his pipe.
At this moment, two well-dressed, dignified youths entered the shop, their faces initially ingratiating, but suddenly turning vicious upon seeing You Su in the shop. One smaller youth pointed at You Su, preparing to question him, but was stopped by his companion, reminding themselves this was that old eccentric's iron shop.
Through their unique and familiar aura, You Su sensed them as the ones who regularly harass him, the shorter one was Wu Ping, the taller one Wu Cheng. They were disciples from the largest sect in Chuyun City—the Shouxi Sect.
Unwilling to stir trouble, You Su secured the Mo Song Sword and took his leave from Mr. Wang.
"Mr. Wang, I'll be leaving now."
"Go ahead." Mr. Wang nodded, then shifted his tone, unpleasantly asking Wu Ping and Wu Cheng, "You're not leaving?"
Though Wu Cheng wondered why this blind person received cordial treatment from the old eccentric, he maintained politeness outwardly, smiling obsequiously, "Mr. Wang, please don't get upset, we were sent by our master to inquire about an important matter."
"What matter?"
"Mr. He from the sect has been missing for five days. Although he's eccentric and solitary, sometimes he's seen, but now there's no trace, our master sent disciples to investigate. Has Mr. Wang seen him recently?"
"Haven't seen him, now leave." Mr. Wang tapped his ashes, coldly dismissing them.
Haven't walked far, upon hearing "Mr. He," You Su hastened his steps, leaving quickly.