Chapter 68
While obediently stretching out her arms to let Shen Zheyan remove her outerwear, Jun Zishu looked up at Shen Zheyan and asked, “Do you want to rest together, Big Sister?”
“Okay.”
Shen Zheyan initially wanted to say that it wasn’t necessary, but when she saw Jun Zishu looking at her, the words that reached her mouth suddenly changed.
After removing her outerwear, Jun Zishu laid down onto the soft bed and patted it, signaling for Shen Zheyan to get in as well.
Thus, Shen Zheyan removed her outerwear and joined Jun Zishu on the bed.
The two of them hadn’t gotten much rest these past two days since they were in a hurry to get out of the cold winter weather. So, when Shen Zheyan laid down on the bed, a wave of exhaustion immediately hit her.
Meanwhile, Jun Zishu placed an arm around Shen Zheyan’s waist and clung to the other party like usual. Shen Zheyan wasn’t opposed to the close contact, either. On the contrary, she even returned Jun Zishu’s embrace.
When Shen Zheyan closed her eyes, her mind had initially been filled with some thoughts. However, these thoughts quickly grew blurry, and she found herself falling asleep in no time.
When Shen Zheyan woke up, Jun Zishu was still asleep beside her. The girl’s cheeks were dyed with a tint of red, and her mouth was slightly opened.
Shen Zheyan did not get out of bed. Instead, she quietly observed the adorable sight before her.
Strangely enough, she didn’t grow tired of the sight no matter how long she looked at it.
A person was at their most relaxed and defenseless state when they were sleeping. It was also the time when one was in their most gentle state.
Shen Zheyan propped up her head with one hand and used her other hand to curl Jun Zishu’s long hair, mimicking the actions the girl typically did to her.
When the lock of hair slipped from her fingertips, Shen Zheyan’s eyes fell on Jun Zishu’s countenance. Then, she fell into a daze, mesmerized by the girl’s face.
When the sky outside gradually darkened, Shen Zheyan noticed Jun Zishu’s eyelashes trembling slightly, so she knew that the girl would be waking soon.
Shen Zheyan hurriedly retracted her hand and laid back down on the bed. She even rubbed her eyes to make it look like she had only woken up recently.
At this moment, Shen Zheyan still wasn’t aware that this would be the last time she would get to see Jun Zishu’s sleeping face before their relationship would take a sharp turn for the worse…
“What time is it now, Big Sister?”
Jun Zishu sat up from the bed and lazily stretched. Her movements were large, so the cotton shirt she wore lifted together with her arms, exposing her thin waist and cute navel.
Shen Zheyan snuck a glance at Jun Zishu’s waist before she looked outside and said, “We will probably be having dinner soon.”
Jun Zishu leaned against Shen Zheyan for a while before she climbed out of bed and got dressed.
Shen Zheyan also followed suit.
After the two got dressed and had a servant bring them some water to wash their faces, a maidservant came to inform them that dinner would be starting soon.
“I wonder what the Coldwater Blade looks like? It’ll probably be a brilliant weapon,” Shen Zheyan said while caressing the sheath of her sword, her voice carrying a hint of expectation.
“It is known as the best sword in the world, so it must be extraordinary,” Jun Zishu said. Although she had never seen what the Coldwater Blade looked like, it was described as something out of this world in the plot description. So, it must be an exceptional blade.
“I wonder if the rumors are true? The sect master has never stated that he would display the Coldwater Blade. What if it simply ends up being a false rumor?” Shen Zheyan said worriedly. She would be greatly disappointed if everything only turned out to be a rumor.
“It shouldn’t be a baseless rumor,” Jun Zishu said, comforting Shen Zheyan. In reality, she already knew the actual answer in her mind.
The Coldwater Blade would appear. However, it would only be for a short moment.
Shortly afterward, this sword would go “missing.”
…
Amidst everyone’s anticipation, dinner began.
Many well-known figures in the world of martial artists sat in the exquisitely decorated dining hall. Bigshots such as the Martial Arts Alliance’s Alliance Master and sect leaders of powerful sects sat together around the same table.
Shen Zheyan and Jun Zishu naturally didn’t get to sit with the various bigshots. Instead, they sat together with the other youths attending the dinner. Everyone chatted merrily with each other, and the atmosphere around the table was excellent.
This time, Shen Zheyan was visiting the Sword Mountain Sect in a personal capacity; she wasn’t here to represent the Heavenly Spirit Sect.
The Heavenly Spirit Sect wasn’t interested in the so-called “number one sword.” It was also a relatively hidden sect. Thus, despite receiving an invitation, the Heavenly Spirit Sect did not send anyone to the Sword Mountain Sect on its behalf.
As to why Shen Zheyan had maintained such a high profile while wandering the world of martial artists, it was because she wanted to train herself and that she wasn’t the type of person who liked to hide her identity. Another reason was that her sect needed someone to let others know that the sect still existed.
The Heavenly Spirit Sect used to be a prosperous sect. However, after facing a decline and coming across some problems on top of that, the sect chose to remove itself from the public eye.
In the current day and age, not many people in the world of martial artists know about the Heavenly Spirit Sect. Those ignorant of the sect would even assume that it was a small sect. Once those who actually knew about the Heavenly Spirit Sect passed away or retired from the world of martial artists, even fewer people would know of the Heavenly Spirit Sect. Thus, to avoid an awkward situation where others assumed the Heavenly Spirit Sect to be some backwater sect, the Heavenly Spirit Sect had tasked Shen Zheyan to raise the sect’s fame.
…
As everyone in the dining hall was a martial artist, they didn’t place too much emphasis on formalities when dining. After wishing the Sword Mountain Sect’s sect leader a happy birthday, everyone began feasting happily.
Before Shen Zheyan started eating, she took a glance at Jun Zishu. In response, Jun Zishu nodded and expressed that the food was safe to eat. Only then did Shen Zheyan pick up her chopsticks.
Unlike everyone else, Shen Zheyan did not eat much. Moreover, apart from the congratulatory toast, she didn’t have any alcohol throughout the meal.
Jun Zishu, however, was the exact opposite. She had been famished even before arriving at the dining hall. So, she ate to her heart’s delight. Though, like Shen Zheyan, she didn’t have a single drop of alcohol, either.
…
After dinner ended, the much-anticipated session finally began.
“Fellow warriors,” the old sect leader, standing on the podium at the end of the dining hall, said before clearing his throat. Then, he continued, “I’m sure many of you have already heard the rumors, but I have invited everyone here tonight not just to celebrate my 60th birthday but also to witness the Coldwater Blade making its reappearance on the public stage once more.”
Upon hearing the old sect leader’s words, many of the younger guests in the dining hall cheered in celebration.
“I believe that most of you present should’ve more or less heard about the Coldwater Blade’s history.
“When our sect’s First Sect Leader crafted this sword, treacherous people had targeted it and caused our sect to suffer heavy losses. However, after much deliberation, I have eventually decided to take it out and show it to everyone.
“Swords are forged to be used, not to be kept. If a sword is constantly sealed away, it will rust and break sooner or later.”
“Well said!” someone in the crowd responded excitedly.
“However, the Coldwater Blade is too sharp and dangerous to be used by just anyone. If given to a benevolent person, it will merely become the icing on a cake. If given to an evil person, it will become a tool to carry out heinous crimes. Thus, I have always been worried about choosing an owner for the Coldwater Blade,” the old sect leader rambled.
Murmuring voices also appeared in the crowd, with most people in the room agreeing with the old sect leader’s words.
“What are your plans then, Sect Leader Qian?” a person seated at the table for bigshots asked.
“Nothing in particular. I merely wish to use this opportunity to see if there is someone destined for the Coldwater Blade,” the old sect leader said, causing the crowd to grow even more excited.
Shen Zheyan also found this situation interesting, so she paid close attention to the old sect leader’s words.
“Now, please feast your eyes on the Coldwater Blade, everyone,” the old sect leader said as he clapped his hands. Immediately, a disciple of the Sword Mountain Sect carefully brought a rectangular box up to him.
After the disciple set down the box on the table beside the old sect leader, the old sect leader opened it, revealing a longsword to the crowd below. The longsword had a snowy-white hilt with intricate patterns engraved onto its pommel and crossguard. As for the blade of the sword, while it might have a simple and unadorned appearance, it looked radiant and extraordinarily sharp under the glow of the candlelights in the room.
At a glance, one could tell that this was a good sword.
The old sect leader did not let everyone admire the sword for very long, closing the box only a minute after opening it.
The moment the lid was closed, disappointment appeared on many people’s faces. They all hoped to take a few more looks at the Coldwater Blade.
Shen Zheyan was in a good mood. Her trip here was not wasted since she managed to fulfill her wish of seeing the Coldwater Blade.
Naturally, just like everyone else, Shen Zheyan also wished she could become the Coldwater Blade’s owner. However, her senses told her that something was amiss.
How could the Sword Mountain Sect be willing to give its precious treasure away to someone else? No matter how Shen Zheyan thought about it, she couldn’t help but find it strange.
Although the old sect leader’s words also sounded on point and befitted a person who loved swords, Shen Zheyan couldn’t help but feel that the situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed.
After the banquet continued for another two hours, everyone separated and returned to their respective rooms.
…
Around midnight, a sudden cry broke the peaceful silence. Following it, a loud commotion occurred.
Many people woke up to the noise and left their rooms to check out what was going on.
Jun Zishu also sat up from the bed, a calm expression on her face.
“What happened?” Shen Zheyan asked as she stopped a passing warrior outside their courtyard.
“Someone stole the Coldwater Blade and killed the disciples guarding it. Even the old sect master got injured. Everyone’s heading over to check on the situation right now,” the person said before hurriedly leaving.
As for Shen Zheyan, she quickly returned to the room and informed Jun Zishu of the matter. Afterward, the two of them also left for the scene of the crime.
When they arrived, they came across a heavy atmosphere.
The old sect leader was gripping his chest with his hand, an ugly expression on his face. The other Sword Mountain Sect members standing around him also wore similar expressions.
“I should’ve never hosted a banquet and brought out the Coldwater Blade!” the old sect leader said with a face full of regret. “How fast and cruel those bastards were!”
“Sect Leader Qian, did you see what the culprit looked like? What is the culprit’s origin? Do you have any clues?” the Martial Arts Alliance’s Alliance Master asked as he scanned everyone present with his eyes.
“The culprit wasn’t alone! How could one person kill so many of my disciples? As for clues, of course I have some!” the old sect leader said, sneering as he struggled to stand up. “I fought against one of the thieves when I arrived. The thief is a man with a medium build. Although he injured me, I injured him as well.
“Also, I have spread a special fragrance in the room holding the Coldwater Blade. The scent isn’t known to outsiders, and anyone who enters the room will have the scent cling to them. So long as I release the scent-seeking bugs, I will know who has gone into the room.”
“That’s good. Start the search quickly, Sect Leader Qian, lest the criminal escapes,” the Alliance Master said.
After the old sect leader gave out some instructions, someone quickly left to retrieve the scent-seeking bugs.
When the bugs were released from their cage, they immediately searched for the scent they were familiar with.
Several of the bugs flew around the old sect leader. However, as the sect leader had entered the room before, it was reasonable for some of the bugs to fly to him. This situation also served to prove his claims about the scent-seeking bugs’ ability.
As for the rest of the bugs, they flew in a particular direction and flew around a group of people.
The expression of these people immediately changed when they saw the bugs flying around them, with some trying to swat the bugs away and some turning pale with fright.
“It’s you people! As expected of the Autumn Water Palace! What great ambition you have! Care to explain yourselves?” the old sect leader demanded with a rageful expression.
“You are coming to a conclusion just because of a few bugs? Don’t you think you’re acting a little too sloppily, Sect Leader Qian?” the Autumn Water Palace’s Palace Lord said.
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