When Xie Nandu and Wei Xu climbed up the mountain, the Dean had already left Sword Qi Mountain. As the leader of scholars under the heavens, this academy dean's departure from the Divine Capital was naturally not as simple as just to help his final disciple request for some flying swords. He had other matters to attend to. He was heading further south to meet someone.
Waiting in front of the mountain pass gates, Xie Nandu and Wei Xu lookked at the dense forest before thei eyes. Xie Nandu and Wei Xu both felt somewhat surprised.
It was their first time visiting Sword Qi Mountain and they discovered that it was very different from the mountain that they imagined. This place seemed very ordinary—the mountain pass gates lacked grandeur, and they could not even see the mountain path beyond it. It was just an ordinary limestone path, with stone slabs of varying sizes that looked like it was paved with limestone randomly found on the mountain.
Sword Qi Mountain really did not look like the so-called holy land for sword cultivators, it looked more like an ordinary sect, and definitely not a large one.
After waiting for who knows how long, as the two were sizing up their surroundings, a lean middle-aged man emerged from the depths of the forest.
He walked along the mountain path and arrived at the mountain pass gates. Glancing at Wei Xu, he said softly, "Greetings, Mr. Wei."
Wei Xu had already stepped into Nepenthe Realm now. Regardless of the situation, he needed to be respected. Even on Sword Qi Mountain, this rule was no exception.
Wei Xu nodded slightly, showing a hint of a smile.
On this trip up the mountain, they were here to seek a sword. So naturally, they needed to have a humble attitude.
"This must be Fellow Daoist Xie?"
The middle-aged man looked at Xie Nandu, not waiting for her response before praising, "Indeed a fine sword."
In the eyes of these swordsmiths, everything in the world could be a sword. They forged swords and had extremely sharp eyes, especially when it came to sword cultivators; they had a very accurate understanding. Therefore, with just one glance, he knew that Xie Nandu was an excellent sword.
Xie Nandu did not speak, she just looked at that person quietly.
Her purpose for coming was probably already known to this middle-aged man.
The man continued, "The Mountain Lord wishes to meet with Fellow Daoist Xie."
Wei Xu was slightly taken aback, knowing well that the Mountain Lord was the renowned Yang Furen; the most amazing swordsmith in the world.
Hence, he glanced at Xie Nandu.
Xie Nandu nodded her head.
"Mr. Wei, please wait for a bit. Actually, since Mr. Wei isn't a sword cultivator, not going up the mountain isn't a big deal either."
Although these words sounded friendly, they were actually very direct.
Sword cultivators had straightforward personalities and these swordsmiths who forged swords did not seem to be inferior as well.
Wei Xu did not say anything and turned around, walking down the mountain.
While Xie Nandu followed that person and walked deeper into the mountain.
Yang Furen was waiting outside the Sword Pool.
When Xie Nandu arrived here, she felt a bit dazed.
The scenery before her eyes was a massive pool, filled with countless swords standing upright in the pool, exuding dense sword qi and overflowing sword intent.
This was the Sword Pool of Sword Qi Mountain, filled with countless flying swords.
Any sword cultivator who came to this place would likely be stirred emotionally.
Who could remain unmoved by this pool full of flying swords?
Xie Nandu was rather silent. Then, she sensed several streams of sword intent approaching her.
A sword cultivator choosing a flying sword and the flying sword choosing a sword cultivator was a mutual process.
This was like a man and a woman; there would only be a future when both parties reciprocated.
Xie Nandu frowned slightly, not particularly fond of some of the sword intents, so she waved her hand.
A gentle breeze arose between heaven and earth, brushing past the sword intents.
A sorrowful aura lingered in the air.
That was the sorrow of the flying swords.
As Sword Qi Mountain's mountain lord, although Yang Furen had not personally forged many of the flying swords here, he could still sense the emotions of these swords.
He found it somewhat strange but quickly understood.
It was merely rejection.
In this world, nothing was perfect. There was no guarantee that if you loved someone, they would definitely love you back.
Yang Furen beckoned with his hand, comforting these flying swords.
Then, he looked toward the young girl.
Xie Nandu stood beside the Sword Pool, looking at the flying swords.
The Sword Pool had no water, but sword intent surged, rippling out like the surface of spring water.
Standing beside the Sword Pool, the young girl's hair danced in the wind, like a flower swaying in the wind.
But she was not delicate, possessing resilience.
The sound of sword cries reverberated between heaven and earth.
It resembled the cries of cicadas.
Now that midsummer had passed, cicada cries would be that of autumn cicadas.
Not just one of them.
Yang Furen originally had many words to say, but after hearing these sword cries, he could only let out a sigh and remain silent.
Turns out that this young girl was indeed as the Dean had said: an embryo very suited to cultivate in the sword.
However, with such a girl coming to Sword Qi Mountain, and he also accepted the Dean's request, how many swords would be taken away from the mountain?
Was this not a painful situation?
The emotions in Yang Furen's eyes were very complicated.
……
……
Wei Xu walked down the mountain with light footsteps. Being blocked from ascending the mountain might be a big deal for others, but it was not a big deal for him. He had always been known for his calm demeanor in the academy, so he cared even less about these trivial matters.
However, thinking about how Junior Sister was retrieving a sword on the mountain, she might descend at any moment. After Wei Xu went down the mountain, he stopped at the foot of the mountain and surveyed the surroundings. When he went up the mountain earlier, he noticed many blacksmith workshops around here.
Sword Qi Mountain had the best and the most flying swords in the world, but not every sword cultivator could climb up the mountain and obtain a flying sword that belonged to them. As a result, these blacksmith workshops at the foot of the mountain came into being. They would forge swords at the foot of Sword Qi Mountain without claiming to have any connections with Sword Qi Mountain, and Sword Qi Mountain would not care as well. But since they were forging swords here, if it was said that they really had no connection with Sword Qi Mountain, it was likely that no one would believe it.
Many sword cultivators who could not go up the mountain would also choose to try their luck here.
After so many years, this place would naturally have some ambiguous stories.
Wei Xu was not a swordsman, so he naturally would not choose to try his luck here. The reason he walked towards a blacksmith workshop was because he saw an old book lying under the table of one of the blacksmith shops.
The ground here was a little uneven, so many people would choose to use something to level it out.
This old book was naturally one of the objects.
Wei Xu arrived in front of the middle-aged blacksmith and took out the skygold currency he obtained previously from selling the horse carriage.
The blacksmith looked at him and asked, "Which sword do you want, Customer?"
There were naturally many swords in the blacksmith's shop. It was just that they all seemed unremarkable. So naturally, they were quite affordable as well.
Wei Xu shook his head and pointed to that old book, saying, "I want this book."
Hearing this, the blacksmith took another look at Wei Xu and realized that this young scholar in front of him exuded a scholarly air. Coupled with the fact that he wanted a book rather than a sword, the blacksmith learned that he misunderstood and quickly said, "Customer, if you want a tattered book, there's no need to spend so much money."
Wei Xu replied, "This is the only copy. It's most likely written by the previous dynasty's Great Scholar Song. Even the library of the academy doesn't have it. I didn't expect to find it here."
He spoke candidly. The words 'only copy' and 'academy' was enough to make the blacksmith increase the price. Wei Xu originally could have kept it to himself, then he might have acquired the book for a much lower price.
However, he still said it.
The blacksmith was not dumb either. He just sighed and said, "Turns out that it's so precious. I've always treated it as an ordinary item."
As he said, he picked up that old book. Because it was pressed under the table for a long time, this book appeared worn and tattered.
He handed it to Wei Xu and said seriously, "Sir, are you a teacher from the academy?"
Wei Xu nodded and shook his head, saying, "I'm just a scholar, but I am indeed studying at the academy."
"Your teacher must be an extraordinary person."
The blacksmith lamented, "That's a great place, it's just too far away. I'm afraid I won't have the chance to see it in this lifetime."
He was just an ordinary blacksmith. To travel across mountains and go to the academy was a very difficult thing. There were too many demons along the way. For him, he would probably die before he reached the academy.
Wei Xu gently brushed that old book and said softly, "If you want to go, I can bring you to have a look."
The blacksmith listened to this, but quickly shook his head and said, "Although the academy is good, for people like us, there seems there's no reason we must go there."
Wei Xu smiled, nodding to show his understanding. He did not say anything further and started to flip through the book in his hands, reading it seriously.
Except, not long after, the sound of sword cries reverberated from the mountain, one after another, lingering incessantly.
Wei Xu raised his head. The temperature in the blacksmith's shop was too high, resulting in the air being filled with heat waves. Raising his head to take a look at this moment, it seemed as if there were layers of ripples in the air.
But that could not stop the gaze of a Nepenthe cultivator. He looked up and his gaze landed far away.
A blacksmith exclaimed, "Did another sword cultivator go up the mountain to take a sword?!"
Having forged swords at the foot of the mountain for so many years, he was naturally very clear what the sound of sword cries meant.
"But why would there be so many sounds?!"
The blacksmiths lifted their heads one after another, somewhat in disbelief as they said, "Just how many sword cultivators came?!"
There had always been signs when the flying swords of Sword Qi Mountain acknowledged a master.
Often, when a flying sword was brought away from the Sword Cleansing Pool by someone, there would definitely be sword cries that sound out, without exception.
Furthermore, each flying sword's sword cry would be different.
During that grand gathering of sword cultivators back then, everyone was waiting for the emergence of that Hundred Year Sword called Wild Grass. After that Wild Grass really came into being, its sword cry spread for thousands of miles.
Presently, these sword cries were not as loud, but there are more of them.
Many more.
How many swords were there?
The swordsmiths on the mountain stopped their work one after another. Everyone looked towards the direction of the Sword Pool.
They naturally knew who came up the mountain.
It was precisely because they knew, that they were rather surprised at this very moment.
That young girl on the mountain, just how many swords was she going to take away?
……
When Xie Nandu and Wei Xu climbed up the mountain, the Dean had already left Sword Qi Mountain. As the leader of scholars under the heavens, this academy dean's departure from the Divine Capital was naturally not as simple as just to help his final disciple request for some flying swords. He had other matters to attend to. He was heading further south to meet someone.
Waiting in front of the mountain pass gates, Xie Nandu and Wei Xu lookked at the dense forest before thei eyes. Xie Nandu and Wei Xu both felt somewhat surprised.
It was their first time visiting Sword Qi Mountain and they discovered that it was very different from the mountain that they imagined. This place seemed very ordinary—the mountain pass gates lacked grandeur, and they could not even see the mountain path beyond it. It was just an ordinary limestone path, with stone slabs of varying sizes that looked like it was paved with limestone randomly found on the mountain.
Sword Qi Mountain really did not look like the so-called holy land for sword cultivators, it looked more like an ordinary sect, and definitely not a large one.
After waiting for who knows how long, as the two were sizing up their surroundings, a lean middle-aged man emerged from the depths of the forest.
He walked along the mountain path and arrived at the mountain pass gates. Glancing at Wei Xu, he said softly, "Greetings, Mr. Wei."
Wei Xu had already stepped into Nepenthe Realm now. Regardless of the situation, he needed to be respected. Even on Sword Qi Mountain, this rule was no exception.
Wei Xu nodded slightly, showing a hint of a smile.
On this trip up the mountain, they were here to seek a sword. So naturally, they needed to have a humble attitude.
"This must be Fellow Daoist Xie?"
The middle-aged man looked at Xie Nandu, not waiting for her response before praising, "Indeed a fine sword."
In the eyes of these swordsmiths, everything in the world could be a sword. They forged swords and had extremely sharp eyes, especially when it came to sword cultivators; they had a very accurate understanding. Therefore, with just one glance, he knew that Xie Nandu was an excellent sword.
Xie Nandu did not speak, she just looked at that person quietly.
Her purpose for coming was probably already known to this middle-aged man.
The man continued, "The Mountain Lord wishes to meet with Fellow Daoist Xie."
Wei Xu was slightly taken aback, knowing well that the Mountain Lord was the renowned Yang Furen; the most amazing swordsmith in the world.
Hence, he glanced at Xie Nandu.
Xie Nandu nodded her head.
"Mr. Wei, please wait for a bit. Actually, since Mr. Wei isn't a sword cultivator, not going up the mountain isn't a big deal either."
Although these words sounded friendly, they were actually very direct.
Sword cultivators had straightforward personalities and these swordsmiths who forged swords did not seem to be inferior as well.
Wei Xu did not say anything and turned around, walking down the mountain.
While Xie Nandu followed that person and walked deeper into the mountain.
Yang Furen was waiting outside the Sword Pool.
When Xie Nandu arrived here, she felt a bit dazed.
The scenery before her eyes was a massive pool, filled with countless swords standing upright in the pool, exuding dense sword qi and overflowing sword intent.
This was the Sword Pool of Sword Qi Mountain, filled with countless flying swords.
Any sword cultivator who came to this place would likely be stirred emotionally.
Who could remain unmoved by this pool full of flying swords?
Xie Nandu was rather silent. Then, she sensed several streams of sword intent approaching her.
A sword cultivator choosing a flying sword and the flying sword choosing a sword cultivator was a mutual process.
This was like a man and a woman; there would only be a future when both parties reciprocated.
Xie Nandu frowned slightly, not particularly fond of some of the sword intents, so she waved her hand.
A gentle breeze arose between heaven and earth, brushing past the sword intents.
A sorrowful aura lingered in the air.
That was the sorrow of the flying swords.
As Sword Qi Mountain's mountain lord, although Yang Furen had not personally forged many of the flying swords here, he could still sense the emotions of these swords.
He found it somewhat strange but quickly understood.
It was merely rejection.
In this world, nothing was perfect. There was no guarantee that if you loved someone, they would definitely love you back.
Yang Furen beckoned with his hand, comforting these flying swords.
Then, he looked toward the young girl.
Xie Nandu stood beside the Sword Pool, looking at the flying swords.
The Sword Pool had no water, but sword intent surged, rippling out like the surface of spring water.
Standing beside the Sword Pool, the young girl's hair danced in the wind, like a flower swaying in the wind.
But she was not delicate, possessing resilience.
The sound of sword cries reverberated between heaven and earth.
It resembled the cries of cicadas.
Now that midsummer had passed, cicada cries would be that of autumn cicadas.
Not just one of them.
Yang Furen originally had many words to say, but after hearing these sword cries, he could only let out a sigh and remain silent.
Turns out that this young girl was indeed as the Dean had said: an embryo very suited to cultivate in the sword.
However, with such a girl coming to Sword Qi Mountain, and he also accepted the Dean's request, how many swords would be taken away from the mountain?
Was this not a painful situation?
The emotions in Yang Furen's eyes were very complicated.
……
……
Wei Xu walked down the mountain with light footsteps. Being blocked from ascending the mountain might be a big deal for others, but it was not a big deal for him. He had always been known for his calm demeanor in the academy, so he cared even less about these trivial matters.
However, thinking about how Junior Sister was retrieving a sword on the mountain, she might descend at any moment. After Wei Xu went down the mountain, he stopped at the foot of the mountain and surveyed the surroundings. When he went up the mountain earlier, he noticed many blacksmith workshops around here.
Sword Qi Mountain had the best and the most flying swords in the world, but not every sword cultivator could climb up the mountain and obtain a flying sword that belonged to them. As a result, these blacksmith workshops at the foot of the mountain came into being. They would forge swords at the foot of Sword Qi Mountain without claiming to have any connections with Sword Qi Mountain, and Sword Qi Mountain would not care as well. But since they were forging swords here, if it was said that they really had no connection with Sword Qi Mountain, it was likely that no one would believe it.
Many sword cultivators who could not go up the mountain would also choose to try their luck here.
After so many years, this place would naturally have some ambiguous stories.
Wei Xu was not a swordsman, so he naturally would not choose to try his luck here. The reason he walked towards a blacksmith workshop was because he saw an old book lying under the table of one of the blacksmith shops.
The ground here was a little uneven, so many people would choose to use something to level it out.
This old book was naturally one of the objects.
Wei Xu arrived in front of the middle-aged blacksmith and took out the skygold currency he obtained previously from selling the horse carriage.
The blacksmith looked at him and asked, "Which sword do you want, Customer?"
There were naturally many swords in the blacksmith's shop. It was just that they all seemed unremarkable. So naturally, they were quite affordable as well.
Wei Xu shook his head and pointed to that old book, saying, "I want this book."
Hearing this, the blacksmith took another look at Wei Xu and realized that this young scholar in front of him exuded a scholarly air. Coupled with the fact that he wanted a book rather than a sword, the blacksmith learned that he misunderstood and quickly said, "Customer, if you want a tattered book, there's no need to spend so much money."
Wei Xu replied, "This is the only copy. It's most likely written by the previous dynasty's Great Scholar Song. Even the library of the academy doesn't have it. I didn't expect to find it here."
He spoke candidly. The words 'only copy' and 'academy' was enough to make the blacksmith increase the price. Wei Xu originally could have kept it to himself, then he might have acquired the book for a much lower price.
However, he still said it.
The blacksmith was not dumb either. He just sighed and said, "Turns out that it's so precious. I've always treated it as an ordinary item."
As he said, he picked up that old book. Because it was pressed under the table for a long time, this book appeared worn and tattered.
He handed it to Wei Xu and said seriously, "Sir, are you a teacher from the academy?"
Wei Xu nodded and shook his head, saying, "I'm just a scholar, but I am indeed studying at the academy."
"Your teacher must be an extraordinary person."
The blacksmith lamented, "That's a great place, it's just too far away. I'm afraid I won't have the chance to see it in this lifetime."
He was just an ordinary blacksmith. To travel across mountains and go to the academy was a very difficult thing. There were too many demons along the way. For him, he would probably die before he reached the academy.
Wei Xu gently brushed that old book and said softly, "If you want to go, I can bring you to have a look."
The blacksmith listened to this, but quickly shook his head and said, "Although the academy is good, for people like us, there seems there's no reason we must go there."
Wei Xu smiled, nodding to show his understanding. He did not say anything further and started to flip through the book in his hands, reading it seriously.
Except, not long after, the sound of sword cries reverberated from the mountain, one after another, lingering incessantly.
Wei Xu raised his head. The temperature in the blacksmith's shop was too high, resulting in the air being filled with heat waves. Raising his head to take a look at this moment, it seemed as if there were layers of ripples in the air.
But that could not stop the gaze of a Nepenthe cultivator. He looked up and his gaze landed far away.
A blacksmith exclaimed, "Did another sword cultivator go up the mountain to take a sword?!"
Having forged swords at the foot of the mountain for so many years, he was naturally very clear what the sound of sword cries meant.
"But why would there be so many sounds?!"
The blacksmiths lifted their heads one after another, somewhat in disbelief as they said, "Just how many sword cultivators came?!"
There had always been signs when the flying swords of Sword Qi Mountain acknowledged a master.
Often, when a flying sword was brought away from the Sword Cleansing Pool by someone, there would definitely be sword cries that sound out, without exception.
Furthermore, each flying sword's sword cry would be different.
During that grand gathering of sword cultivators back then, everyone was waiting for the emergence of that Hundred Year Sword called Wild Grass. After that Wild Grass really came into being, its sword cry spread for thousands of miles.
Presently, these sword cries were not as loud, but there are more of them.
Many more.
How many swords were there?
The swordsmiths on the mountain stopped their work one after another. Everyone looked towards the direction of the Sword Pool.
They naturally knew who came up the mountain.
It was precisely because they knew, that they were rather surprised at this very moment.
That young girl on the mountain, just how many swords was she going to take away?
……
