Chapter 35: Purchasing a Sword

Mu Wenfeng turned and walked away, leaving Yu Qi to let out a soft sigh.

"Big brother, please don't blame my father; he only has your best interests at heart," Mu Qingnan said, looking at the situation with a sense of helplessness.

"How could I ever blame Uncle Mu? Let’s go, Qingnan. We’ve practiced for the whole day; let’s head back to rest and continue tomorrow." With those words, Yu Qi returned to his room.

Lying on his bed, his mind was filled with Mu Wenfeng’s words. He knew the man had misunderstood him, and if he didn't clarify things, the rift would only deepen. "No, I must go and explain everything to Uncle Mu."

That night, Mu Wenfeng was in the main hall, flipping through a book. Wisps of steam rose from the hot tea on the table, and he took a slow sip.

"Uncle Mu." Yu Qi walked in from outside.

"Yu Qi, have you thought it through?" Mu Wenfeng closed the book and looked at him.

Yu Qi walked over and sat in a chair beside him. "Uncle Mu, I would like to ask you about someone."

"Someone? Speak then." Mu Wenfeng had hoped that Yu Qi had realized his mistake, but upon discovering the boy had only come to ask a question, a flash of disappointment crossed his eyes. He picked up the book he had just closed and began reading again.

Seeing this, Yu Qi smiled inwardly. "Uncle Mu, have you ever heard of Yu Husheng?"

At the mention of that name, the arm with which Mu Wenfeng was turning the pages trembled slightly. Even his eyes betrayed a look of deep longing. "Who in this world, having reached the level of Unity, would not know of Yu Husheng?"

Yu Husheng was the greatest powerhouse of five hundred years ago and the founder of the Yu Clan. He was the ancestor Yu Qi had encountered in the Sword Cage. As the foremost master of his time, his reputation had spread across the land, though with the passage of time, only those at Mu Wenfeng’s level knew anything of him.

It was said that the state of mind he had attained had long since surpassed Unity, making him the first in his era to take that step. Now, the seventeen remaining powerhouses in the world were all striving toward that same goal, yet even after decades, no one had been able to pierce through that barrier. This was why they studied the records of the first master to transcend the state of Unity—in hopes of finding that elusive breakthrough. This was also the reason why only those who had entered the realm of Unity knew of Yu Husheng.

"Why do you ask?" Mu Wenfeng questioned.

"Uncle Mu, in truth, I have not abandoned the Yu Clan's ancestral sword techniques. The martial arts I practice were all passed down by the ancestor himself," Yu Qi said quietly.

Mu Wenfeng pondered for a moment. Combining Yu Qi's words with his own thoughts, he looked at the young man in disbelief. "You mean..."

"Yes, Uncle Mu. The other martial art I practice was also taught to me by the ancestor." Yu Qi recounted the events that had taken place in the ruins of Huajiang City.

After hearing Yu Qi’s story, the shock in Mu Wenfeng’s eyes only intensified. No wonder he felt that the techniques Yu Qi displayed were somewhat similar to the legendary skills of Yu Husheng recorded in ancient texts. He was filled with profound emotion: *To be able to preserve a remnant soul within a sword until death, surviving for five hundred years—he is likely the only one capable of such a feat!*

Mu Wenfeng sighed, his face showing remorse. "Yu Qi, it was I who misunderstood you." Before, he had reprimanded Yu Qi for not practicing the clan's sword techniques. Now, if the skills passed down by the very founder of the clan weren't considered "ancestral," what could be?

Yu Qi smiled. "Uncle Mu, I don't blame you at all. If there is nothing else, I shall not disturb you further." He had only come to clear up the misunderstanding; had he harbored any resentment, he would not have come at all.

Mu Wenfeng nodded. After Yu Qi left, he sank into deep thought. *Soul parasitism... how exactly does one take that step?* Others might not know, but having reached his level, he understood deeply that the gap between that step and other states of mind was as vast as the distance between heaven and earth.

***

The next day, Yu Qi was awakened by the sound of Mu Qingnan knocking on his door. After eating some breakfast, they headed to the training grounds to practice.

Yu Qi began to circulate the methods of the Casting Heaven Clan, and faint, ordinary evil energy began to manifest around him. He then shifted his energy to the Stepping Swallow Clan techniques, drawing the evil energy into his legs and gradually channeling it into his Evil Seed.

After a few hours, Yu Qi ceased his training. He looked at Mu Qingnan, who was struggling to summon a second soldier. Deciding not to disturb him, Yu Qi walked to the weapon rack by the side of the training ground and picked up an iron sword.

With a leap and a sweep of his hand, the blade sliced through the air and struck the wooden dummy. The dummy shuddered slightly, and a tiny mark appeared where the sword had landed. Yu Qi continued to swing the iron sword, and the sharp sound of steel cutting through the air filled the arena.

As he moved, his speed increased. Mu Qingnan glanced over, but as soon as his eyes locked onto the blade, it would vanish and reappear in another direction; he found he could no longer keep up with Yu Qi's speed. The dummy before Yu Qi shook violently as the sword struck it like thousands of needles.

After a continuous barrage, the iron sword, unable to withstand the rapid force, shattered into pieces. Yu Qi stopped, and the dummy came to a rest, its chest riddled with the marks left by the blade.

The sword technique Yu Qi was using was the "Light" style from the *Light Rain Sword*—nimble and fast, leaving the enemy with no room to defend. However, while the "Light" style was quick, it lacked the overwhelming power of the "Rain" style. The "Light" style was more of an attacking method, while the "Rain" style was the true source of destructive power. He would only be able to combine them once he mastered the *Light Rain Sword* to its pinnacle, allowing him to unleash the full might of a top-tier martial art.

"These ordinary swords are simply not suitable," Yu Qi mused with a sigh. For a swordsman, not having a proper sword was a hindrance. While his Demon Seed was impressive, it only manifested a sliver of a blade, far from enough to inflict real damage. He did not want to rely on someone else's sword again, as he had when fighting Shi Mingfeng.

He needed a sword—a high-quality one. Suddenly, he thought of the Wujian Pawnshop in Fenghua City. The second floor sold all sorts of items; perhaps he could find a sword there.

It was already noon. He looked at the still-practicing Mu Qingnan and set off alone. Upon entering the pawnshop, a clerk came to greet him.

"Yu Qi, here to pawn something else?" Zheng Zhiyue asked from behind the counter.

"Do you have any swords here?" Yu Qi asked.

"We do, though whether they suit your tastes is another matter. Go up to the second floor," Zheng Zhiyue replied, turning back to appraise other items.

Led by a clerk, Yu Qi headed to the second floor. It was much quieter than the first, as most people only came to pawn items. As he stepped in, a gaze from the counter locked onto him. "Yu Qi?"

Yu Qi looked toward the counter and smiled faintly. "Long time no see."

Seeing Yu Qi, Meng Po appeared uneasy; he had once been defeated by a single move from this man. "What level is your strength at now?" Meng Po asked, probing to see if there was any hope of catching up.

Yu Qi walked over, and a chilling aura suddenly erupted from him. Evil energy drifted outward, and the surrounding air turned icy, startling the others on the floor into retreating. Meng Po stepped back as well, feeling that the power radiating from Yu Qi was far greater than when they had met in the small town.

In an instant, Yu Qi retracted the energy. The others breathed a sigh of relief; there were ordinary people among them who could not withstand such pressure. Meng Po’s eyes turned dejected; the speed of the other's improvement was terrifying. "What are you looking to buy?" he asked weakly.

"A sword," Yu Qi said calmly.

"The third cabinet," Meng Po replied, looking as if he had been dealt a heavy blow, and turned his attention back to his ledger.

Yu Qi walked to the indicated cabinet and found several swords, ranging in price from one hundred to five hundred taels. He scanned the blades and pulled out a pale blue one. *The texture is decent, but it's about the same as the one Mo Feng had.*

He put the sword back. These were considered good by ordinary standards, but they were not suited for him. They would suffice for basic techniques, but if he were to use them to execute a top-tier martial art, they would likely snap within a few strikes.

After checking them all, he found nothing suitable and left the Wujian Pawnshop. He then made his way to a shop called the Weapon Forging Pavilion, the only place in Fenghua City dedicated exclusively to selling weapons. The swords here were much better than those in the pawnshop, with the most expensive ones reaching a thousand taels.

Even after looking through their stock, Yu Qi still couldn't find a weapon that fit his needs. The clerk, noticing Yu Qi’s furrowed brow, asked, "Young master, are these ordinary swords not to your liking?"

The clerk's question piqued Yu Qi's interest. Most shops would brag about their wares to entice customers, yet this man had dismissed these high-quality swords as "ordinary," suggesting they had something even better.

"That is correct," Yu Qi replied calmly. "Do you have any better swords?"