May 18, 2023 Author: True Person Treading Snow
Chapter 38: Stone-Cutting Sword
The crowing of a rooster from an unknown household woke Gao Xian from his slumber.
Gao Xian lay in bed for a while, waiting for his mind to fully awaken before getting up to check the Yang symbol on the door.
Several Yang symbols were intact, indicating that no evil spirits had visited.
This was within his expectations.
With the True Yang Spear reaching the Grandmaster level, he was highly sensitive to the aura of evil spirits.
If Old Wang were to come, he would surely sense it.
After freshening up, Gao Xian deliberately changed into a new pair of shoes.
The cloth shoes could not withstand his current explosive power; after practicing swordsmanship last night, they were already in tatters.
Today, he was going out and conveniently planned to buy some things along the way.
The morning sun was bright, and many cultivators were coming and going.
Perhaps due to the perfect sunlight, everyone seemed more relaxed and friendly.
Gao Xian felt that he had been too tense before.
Even the Flying Horse Market had its order, and in broad daylight, no one dared to act recklessly.
Moreover, most cultivators had a plain appearance, wearing tattered clothes and emitting weak spiritual energy.
With the Grandmaster-level True Yang Spear, his spiritual sense was sharp and his six senses keen.
He could easily discern the physical condition of others and even sense the fluctuations of spiritual energy on them.
With the Grandmaster-level Thunderous Dragon Hand, he had incredibly fast reaction speed.
With a single thought to activate the Thunderous Dragon Hand, everyone around him would become unusually sluggish.
With more confidence, Gao Xian became composed and started seeing others as good people.
At least, there didn't seem to be any threats.
As he walked, Gao Xian also received enthusiastic and fiery gazes from several female cultivators, which further lifted his mood.
It wasn't until he saw the black dried corpse at the intersection that his good mood was instantly shattered.
His keen senses allowed Gao Xian to observe many details on the corpse.
Such as the agonizing and grim expression on the dead face, and the irregular hole in the chest of the corpse...
Gao Xian realized at this moment that having overly sensitive senses was not good.
These details were deeply imprinted in his memory, and he couldn't forget them even if he wanted to.
Yesterday, Zhu Qianniang had mentioned that there was a corpse at this intersection, clearly killed by an evil spirit, as the deceased's body was as dry as wood and as black as charcoal, a very distinctive feature.
Several bold cultivators were pointing and discussing the horrors of the evil spirit around the corpse.
Gao Xian sighed inwardly, feeling sorry for this unfortunate brother!
He didn't look any further.
This corpse reminded him that one must be cautious in this world in order to live longer.
Gao Xian's wandering mind settled down, and he no longer looked around, hastening his steps to cross the intersection.
Upon reaching the main street, Gao Xian carefully bypassed the Changsheng Hall pharmacy; he didn't want to run into Manager Zhu.
In the late morning, there were no customers at the Hundred Soldiers Hall, only a distracted assistant in the hall.
Seeing Gao Xian enter, the assistant forced a smile and said, "What would you like to buy? We have all kinds of knives, spears, swords, and various magical tools..."
"Is Manager Huang here?" Gao Xian asked.
The assistant didn't recognize Gao Xian and looked him up and down before asking with a forced smile, "What business do you have with our manager?"
"Please inform her that Gao Xian is here to see her," Gao Xian said.
The assistant hesitated before saying, "Please wait a moment."
He walked to the back door and shouted, "Manager, someone is here to see you."
In no time, Huang Ying lifted the curtain and walked out from the back.
When she saw Gao Xian, her eyes lit up, and she greeted him with a joyful smile, "Little brother is here, what a rare guest!"
Today, Huang Ying was still wearing a bright red robe, the fabric delicate and soft, accentuating her figure perfectly.
The bright red color matched her fair skin, exuding warmth and richness, easily showcasing her charm.
Huang Ying glared at the assistant, "This is my little brother. Next time he comes, let him in directly to the backyard. Understand?"
The assistant was startled.
Huang Ying was very welcoming to guests, but allowing someone to enter directly like this indicated an extraordinary relationship.
He nodded quickly, "Understood, understood."
Huang Ying led Gao Xian to the main room in the backyard, holding his hand and smiling, "Why do you have time to visit your sister today?"
"I'm here to deliver medicine to Sister Ying and to buy a sword," Gao Xian said.
He took out the worn Longitudinal Pattern Sword from his waist and placed it on the table. "This sword is no longer usable."
Huang Ying picked it up and examined it, "Indeed, not only has the sword deformed, but there are also fine cracks inside the blade, making it prone to breakage. This sword is useless."
Although she wasn't skilled in refining, she dealt with weapons and magical tools every day, and her eyes were sharp, immediately spotting the issues with this Longitudinal Pattern Sword.
"Ordinary steel swords are not good enough; weapons must be of good quality," Huang Ying said as she stood up. "Wait here, I'll bring a few swords."
In no time, Huang Ying returned with two assistants, carrying over a dozen long swords, all placed on the tea table.
She said confidently, "Feel free to choose, and I'll give you the best price."
"Thank you, Sister Ying," Gao Xian expressed his gratitude sincerely, fearing that Huang Ying might not accept payment.
Free things often come at a high cost.
Doing business with Huang Ying, he didn't want to mix money and favors, as it could get complicated!
Long swords, short swords, wide swords, narrow swords, all kinds of swords were displayed together, making Gao Xian dizzy with choices.
Huang Ying leaned in and introduced, "For close combat weapons, the first thing to consider is the feel. Pull them out and try them; use the one that feels right, and you can't go wrong."
"As for the material and forging techniques of the sword, the differences aren't significant for low-level weapons..."
Gao Xian found her reasoning sound.
He tried each one and eventually chose a long sword similar in style to the Longitudinal Pattern Sword.
The blade gleamed with a cold light, looking sharp, and had a moderate weight.
Swinging it casually, Gao Xian felt it was quite handy and asked, "How about this sword?"
"The Stone-Cutting Sword, forged from Cold Iron, with added Sharp Gold Runes. It can cut stone and gold without damaging the blade, a good sword. However, it weighs about seventeen catties, a bit heavy. Does it suit you?" Huang Ying was surprised; Cold Iron-made weapons were usually heavy, easy for low-level Qi cultivators to pick up but challenging to wield skillfully.
Generally, only Qi cultivators in the middle stage, with ample Qi and strong bones and muscles, could handle the Stone-Cutting Sword skillfully.
Gao Xian twirled a few sword flowers and then sheathed the long sword precisely.
Satisfied, he nodded, "This sword is good. How many Spirit Stones?"
Seeing Gao Xian's agile and nimble swordplay, Huang Ying knew he had great strength and could easily handle the sword.
As a Qi cultivator in the early stage, Gao Xian had obviously practiced Body Refining techniques to have such strong bones and muscles.
She praised with a smile, "Little brother, your Body Refining is impressive. You can handle such a heavy sword with ease."
"The quality of the Stone-Cutting Sword is excellent, but the rune integration is simple, making it a first-grade intermediate weapon. The price for outsiders is one hundred Spirit Stones. You can have it for fifty Spirit Stones."
"Thank you, Sister Ying."
Gao Xian picked up the Stone-Cutting Sword with a happy smile.
Even without the enhanced runes, the weight and hardness of this sword alone would be more than enough for his needs.
He said to Huang Ying, "Put it on my tab for now, and we'll settle the bill together later."
He and Huang Ying sold Tian Gui Pills together and agreed to settle their accounts at the end of the month.
Bringing this sword to offset the bill would make things easier for both parties.
"Brother has come a long way. Let's have lunch here. My treat," Huang Ying said warmly. "The Old Li Wine Shop on the street serves delicious monster meat dishes. I'll order some good dishes, and we can have a drink and chat..."
"Sure, let Sister Ying treat me."
Gao Xian didn't refuse.
He had other matters to discuss with Huang Ying this time, so a good chat was necessary.
Sour and spicy pickled tendons, fragrant lung slices, stewed elbow, big bone soup, along with several plates of dried fruits and candied fruits as side dishes, and a jar of Spirit Rice brewed rice wine.
The meat dishes were all well-seasoned and flavorful.
The rice wine was mellow and smooth.
It was the first time Gao Xian had eaten so well since crossing over, and he felt hot and sweaty all over, thoroughly enjoying the meal.
Huang Ying's cheeks were rosy, her eyes misty, and as she sat closer to Gao Xian, her body gradually leaned against him.
Gao Xian wasn't drunk from the wine, but seeing Huang Ying's inviting appearance, his head felt a bit dizzy, as if he was slightly intoxicated...
(End of Chapter)