The two demonic cultivators had said that Mister Huanqing had taken possession of the sword case. Mister Huanqing’s residence seemed to be surrounded by some enchantment of romance and desire. Qian Xuelang disliked the prospect, but for the sake of the sword case, he had no choice but to pay him a visit.
The Impermanence Market looked much as it had before. Qian Xuelang no longer had a bamboo hat or veiled hat to hand. Remembering the trouble he had caused last time, he brushed a hand over his face and used spiritual power to obscure his features. Now ordinary cultivators who looked at his face would see it as though through mist, and forget it as soon as they turned away.
Sure enough, no one paid attention to Qian Xuelang on his return to the Impermanence Market. He still remembered the direction Ren Yijue had taken him on their last visit. After orienting himself, he headed toward Mister Huanqing’s carriage.
Qian Xuelang had only just entered the carriage when he felt himself impeded. He understood that Mister Huanqing probably had a guest and was not receiving other visitors just now.
At first he meant to wait outside, but then another thought occurred to him. Although the sword case Wei Wenfeng forged is not as precious as the Demon-Slaying Sword itself, it is still a rare and excellent object. The sword rested inside it for so long that its sword qi remains there, forcing other blades to snap of their own accord. If Mister Huanqing passes the case to someone else, there will only be more trouble.
Having decided this, Qian Xuelang disregarded the barrier set around the carriage and walked straight through. There he saw Mister Huanqing embracing a beautiful and seductive woman. The pair wore flirtatious expressions, half reproachful and half delighted, and had evidently exchanged no end of sweet nothings. Only when the intruder stood before them did the amorous look vanish from their faces, leaving them staring in astonishment.
The carriage’s barrier had been breached, and Qian Xuelang had appeared with extraordinary speed. Naturally Mister Huanqing was shocked, his arms still wrapped around the woman.
The woman, by contrast, looped her arms around Mister Huanqing’s neck and regarded the newcomer with leisurely amusement, not the least bit alarmed. “What a rude guest. Marching straight in like that! How coarse and overbearing.”
Mister Huanqing asked cautiously, “May I know who you are?”
The obscuring spell over Qian Xuelang’s face vanished. A flicker of admiration passed through the woman’s eyes. Her feet were propped on the zither table; she released one hand and cast a sidelong look at Qian Xuelang, while her free hand slid teasingly down to Mister Huanqing’s chest.
“So it is…” Mister Huanqing’s breath faltered at her touch. He almost called the visitor “my sister-in-law” again, then coughed. “It’s our fellow Daoist, the Jade Beauty.”
The enchanting woman burst into a giggle at the title. “What a fine Jade Beauty! Whoever chose that name chose well. He truly does look like someone carved from jade.”
Her eyes moved toward Qian Xuelang’s face.
Hearing the nonsensical address, Qian Xuelang knew it must be another consequence of Ren Yijue’s ridiculous talk.
Ordinarily he paid little attention to such trifles. But perhaps he had spent too long in the Earth-Mother Womb Pool, his spirits growing dull. Now even this insignificant title struck him as novel and amusing, and he could not help smiling faintly.
The pair had each been busy with their own schemes. But the sight of Qian Xuelang’s smile made them hold their breath and stare. His expression was ordinarily as cold as ice and snow. He resembled a divine statue, exquisitely carved but so solemn and severe in the eyes and brows that it inspired fear and reverence. The sudden gleam of pleasure lent him a trace of living warmth. Against his pale face, his bright-red lips seemed to come alive, drawing their undivided attention.
Mister Huanqing stared in a daze, remembering the other’s soft, husky murmurs when they had first met. Even before Qian Xuelang had ever smiled at him, Huanqing had thought Ren Yijue had stumbled into an extraordinary stroke of fortune. Now, seeing Qian Xuelang’s face light up, he realized he had greatly underestimated that good fortune.
After a moment, he remembered the beauty in his arms and hurriedly glanced at her. Fortunately, she was staring even more intently than he had been and still had not recovered her senses.
He could not resist teasing her. “Enough. Come back to yourself before you make a spectacle of it. If you start drooling, I certainly won’t wipe your mouth.”
“Don’t be jealous,” the woman said sweetly, patting his cheek before turning back to Qian Xuelang.
The two were behaving with extraordinary intimacy. Anyone else would either have looked away or grown embarrassed. Qian Xuelang was completely unmoved. Their flirtation had nothing to do with him, so he did not react at all.
Qian Xuelang had been about to say, Was it Ren Yijue who filled your head with such nonsense?
But what would come after that? Was he supposed to exchange pleasantries with Mister Huanqing, reveal his real name, and grow a little closer to him because of their connection to Ren Yijue?
What would be the point? Talking about Ren Yijue would be tolerable, but speaking of other people and matters would only be tedious.
Somewhat irritated, he returned to his usual impassive expression and said coldly, “Yes, it is I. I heard you recently acquired a sword case.”
Heard it from someone? Who? But the affair of the sword case had caused a tremendous stir throughout the city. There was nothing unusual about hearing the rumor from anyone at all.
Both felt a chill when his voice and expression turned cold and distant. Mister Huanqing in particular felt his heart sink.
To judge a person, one must first judge their heart; to understand a remark, one must listen to its undertones. Mister Huanqing studied Qian Xuelang carefully and remembered the questions Ren Yijue had asked him before.
The case was Wei Wenfeng’s work. Mister Huanqing had seen the forgemaster’s creations before and recognized it at once. The two men had once borne a bitter grudge against one another. Now one of Wei Wenfeng’s creations had appeared in Liuyanzhu, perhaps as a warning. That was precisely why he had acquired it and examined it closely.
But what had brought this unfeeling Daoist to his door?
It was quite a coincidence that Ren Yijue had asked about Wei Wenfeng. Looking back, his claim to be seeking a suitable weapon had probably been an excuse. Most likely he had only wanted to make this supposed sister-in-law happy.
Alas, abandoning one’s friends at the sight of a pretty face is the most fatal weakness of men everywhere. An incontrovertible truth!
“Give it to me,” Qian Xuelang said evenly.
His request was so direct that even Mister Huanqing and the woman, both of whom were thoroughly worldly and tactful, were left gaping, almost unable to utter a word.
They looked at each other, unable to decide whether Qian Xuelang was being polite or rude. Measured by the standards of a savage thug, Qian Xuelang was positively courteous. Judged by a gentleman’s standards, however, Qian Xuelang was being outrageously coarse and overbearing.
The difficulty was determining which sort of man Qian Xuelang was.
A gentleman had his methods; a petty man his calculations; a brute his schemes; and a merchant his interests.
The seductive woman licked her lips, studied Qian Xuelang’s face for a long while, and held back Mister Huanqing with one hand before he could speak.
Most things in the world were governed by rules. Those powerful enough to disregard them were inevitably more troublesome than ordinary people. She had once suffered terribly at the hands of someone of that sort. Nearly having her face ruined had been the least of it: she had almost lost an arm, and to this day a dreadful sword scar ran from her left shoulder to her waist and abdomen, refusing to fade.
The memory made the wound throb. After considering for a moment, she leaned against Mister Huanqing and asked in a cloying voice, “May I ask what you intend to do with the sword case?”
“Store a sword,” Qian Xuelang answered.
“That case won’t accommodate just any blade,” the woman said with a beguiling smile. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. We’ve tried every sort of famous blade. Ordinary iron swords break on their own, and even better-quality treasured swords tremble in fear and dare not enter it. If Huanqing hadn’t wanted to stop those people from quarreling, he would never have paid such a high price for this extravagantly expensive and useless treasure.”
Qian Xuelang cast her a sidelong glance that unsettled her slightly. “I know,” he said coldly.
Know? What did he know?
The woman’s expression stiffened before she changed tack. “Well, now I’m curious. Would you honor me by showing me the beloved sword you wish to put inside the case?”
Qian Xuelang shook his head. “It isn’t my sword. As things stand, it belongs to no one.”
The woman and Mister Huanqing silently wondered, Such a proud and lofty person, yet he’s capable of speaking so modestly?
That only deepened their curiosity about what divine weapon he could possibly be carrying. The woman thought, This man has extraordinary cultivation. If even he praises the weapon so highly, I wonder if it could rival that strange sword at Shadowed Spring.
She found the notion laughable, until she looked more closely at the sword Qian Xuelang was taking from his back. It was unmistakably the very weapon Bai Wujin had warned everyone not to approach.
The woman sprang to her feet, startling Mister Huanqing. “What’s wrong?” he asked hurriedly.
“Y-you… you managed to pull that sword free?” Her voice shook, and her body trembled in disbelief.
Qian Xuelang took her alarm for the same ignorance he had seen in the demonic cultivators earlier. He said mildly, “The sword and its case weren’t originally made as a pair. But only that case can barely withstand the power of this sword. The sword qi left behind inside it is so strong that ordinary blades break apart. Without its case, this sword grows more powerful by the day. Eventually it may injure innocent people. That is why I’ve come to request the case.”
The woman quickly steadied herself. All she wanted now was to get this dangerous visitor to leave. If he truly was allied with Wei Wenfeng, the two together would be a terrible threat. After thinking briefly, she said abruptly, “Go and fetch the case.”
Mister Huanqing did not delay. He turned and went into an inner room, returning with the sword case in his hands. Only now did Qian Xuelang realize that the carriage contained another room.
The woman gestured for Mister Huanqing to place the case on the zither table, then rested her hand on it. “For something of such importance, an illustrious righteous sect would naturally consider it its duty to help. Unfortunately, this is Liuyanzhu. If we aren’t discussing a business transaction, then we’re discussing a personal favor.”
She paused, her eyes shifting, before asking suggestively, “Which would you prefer?”
Qian Xuelang looked indifferent. “What would a transaction involve? And what would a favor involve?”
“If a deal falls through, there’s still friendship. As a favor, we’d become friends, and whenever one of us needs help in the future, we could ask the other. We’d share bonds of affection and loyalty.” The woman spoke slowly. “As a business transaction, on the other hand, payment and goods would change hands and settle the account. I’m willing to give you the sword case, but you would have to do some things for me in return.”
“What do you need my help with?” Qian Xuelang asked coldly.
The woman stepped in front of Qian Xuelang, tilting her head to gaze up at Qian Xuelang’s face in fascination. “Wait. I said some things. I never said how many.”
Qian Xuelang frowned faintly. “Insatiable greed and a poor heart despite great wealth can invite deadly trouble. I urge you to be cautious, young lady.”
The woman hid a smile behind her hand. “Do I truly look so unreasonable? My demands aren’t excessive. Huanqing and I are offering this case in exchange. Since you haven’t simply seized it by force, you must be an honorable gentleman. We are willingly parting with a treasure we cherish, so surely…”
Before she could finish, Qian Xuelang interrupted. “Didn’t you say the sword case was useless?”
“How many useless things are there in the world? Does that prevent someone from treating them as treasures? If a person cherishes something, a stone by the roadside or a fallen leaf in the mud can be just as rare and precious as any treasure.” The woman was cunning enough to keep her composure. “As the saying goes, better a handful of earth from home than ten thousand taels of foreign gold. Isn’t that the same principle?”
Qian Xuelang was about to argue, but remembered the dispute long ago between Taishu Sheng and the Five Eccentrics. He sighed inwardly and said coldly, “You merely want me to acknowledge the favor of your giving up this object. Very well, but no more than that. I agree to do two things for you.”
Delight immediately lit up the woman’s face.