Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 251 Strange People

Xiao Ju had mentioned this to him before.

The local independent cultivators of Longtan Mountain will open some special venues for the Chu Kingdom cultivators attending the ceremony.

One of them is called the Sacrificial Shrine Enclosure.

"So this was the territory of the Yang clan?"

Song Yan now has some understanding of Longtan Mountain. The main forces of independent cultivators are the two great families of immortal cultivators.

The Yang family and the Hu family.

Although neither family has reached the strength and foundation of the four major families, since the Dragon Pool Mountain Gathering is held here every year, they have the advantage of being close to the source of the benefits. As the saying goes, "the first to get the moon is near the water tower," so these two families are considered to be well-known in the Chu Kingdom's rogue cultivator world.

Furthermore, I have heard these days that the Wan family of Danyang Prefecture in Chenzhou is now depleted of talent, and there is not a single young cultivator qualified to attend the meeting.

Whether it's a sect or a powerful family, the strength of the younger generation is often a good indicator of the overall strength of an organization.

This is precisely why the Longtan Mountain event is held.

The Wan family is now teetering on the brink of collapse, and many other powerful families are probably eager to try and change the landscape of the cultivation world in the Chu Kingdom.

"It is indeed true." Yang Yuerong nodded slightly and said softly, "The centennial ceremony is of extraordinary significance. If any of you fellow disciples have the time, it would be my honor to attend the ceremony."

"it is good."

Song Yan replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Junior Sister Yue Rong. I'll head to the Thousand Forging Hall to try my luck now."

"Please make yourself at home, senior brother."

Yang Yuerong curtsied again, her movements graceful and skillful, like the upbringing of a daughter from a noble family.

Gu Qingqing still held her arm: "Then we won't disturb Senior Brother Song's treasure hunt! Yue Rong, quickly take me to try that shop you just mentioned!"

She grabbed Yang Yuerong, and the two turned and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

As she was leaving, Yang Yuerong turned her head slightly and gave Song Yan an apologetic look.

His eyes were calm and expressionless.

But Song Yan strangely felt a fleeting sense of oppression, which then subsided and sank to the bottom of the water.

They watched as the two figures disappeared into the crowd.

Song Yan composed himself and turned to walk in the direction Yang Yuerong pointed.

Xiao Ju looked at the girl thoughtfully, then followed Song Yan step by step.

Following the directions pointed out by Yang Yuerong, Song Yan led Xiao Ju through the crowds in Diequanfang and headed towards the southwest corner.

The further they walked, the quieter it became, the fewer bustling shops there were, and the fewer cultivators were around.

Finally, at the end of a narrow alleyway paved with bluestone, we found this small shop with an old wooden plaque hanging on it.

Thousand Forging Hall.

The edges of the three ancient characters are somewhat blurred, clearly indicating the passage of time.

"I'm not going back. Go away, don't bother me again."

Just as Song Yan paused to observe, a slightly thin young cultivator was "invited" out.

The monk's face flushed slightly, his brows furrowed with worry and confusion.

It looks like he's had a fight with someone.

The shop door was slammed shut.

He glanced back at the shop, his expression shifting for a moment, but in the end he just sighed dejectedly and left quickly without looking back.

Song Yan was slightly taken aback; he recognized the young man's attire.

Indigo brocade robe with a small sword pattern.

Isn't this the standard robe of the Yan family of Sword Forging Manor?

During the Flower Festival at Beiya Mountain, Yan Xun invited him to visit the Sword Casting Manor. He had seen many such outfits in the Yan clan's territory.

This person should indeed be a disciple of the Yan clan of Northern Chu.

It seems that this secluded little shop is not entirely deserted, but perhaps it has some barriers to entry.

Even the Yan family disciples, renowned for their weapon crafting skills, were expelled...

He led Xiao Ju into the shop.

"Grandpa, why don't you go back?"

"You brat, you haven't even fulfilled your ancestor's last wish. How can I have the face to go back? What would I do there? Go back and get scorned by everyone?!"

"That guy seemed pretty easy to talk to..."

"You want to be beaten, don't you?"

The shop was dimly lit and its furnishings were surprisingly simple.

It's less of a shop selling religious artifacts and more of an abandoned woodshed workshop.

Several ritual implements were casually hung on the mottled wall, and the bellows and iron furnace were placed in the corner, their fireboxes cold.

The shop was empty except for an old man and a young boy.

The old man appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, with gray hair and beard, and wore a tattered short jacket stained with oil and coal dust.

He sat there talking to a boy who looked to be about ten years old, thin and pale.

dong dong.

Song Yan gently knocked on the door to indicate that someone had arrived.

The boy stopped talking when he saw someone come in.

The old man seemed to be in a bad mood and completely ignored Song Yan, his only customer.

In the end, he asked the question himself.

"Shopkeeper, does your shop sell any high-quality flying swords?"

"A top-quality flying sword?" The old man snorted. "What do you mean by top-quality? Mid-grade? High-grade? Or a magical artifact?"

"..."

Song Yan frowned slightly; the shopkeeper did seem difficult to talk to.

"A high-quality magic weapon will suffice."

Shops of this caliber should not sell magical artifacts.

Judging from the magical artifacts displayed on the wall, having even a high-grade spiritual artifact is already a blessing.

I don't know where Junior Sister Yue Rong heard that this shop was good.

"Furthermore, I've heard that you may possess some legendary ancient swords. Would you be so kind as to lend them to me for a look?"

Song Yan's demands were very clear, and as a customer, these requests were all reasonable.

The so-called "legacy ancient sword" was just something I wanted to take a look at.

However, the shop owner seemed to be in a bad mood and was extremely difficult to communicate with.

The old man's eyelids were almost closed, and he didn't even lift them. His cloudy eyes just casually swept over Song Yan.

Especially when his gaze fell on the endless sword box behind him, the corner of his mouth unconsciously curled up, revealing an undisguised sarcasm and annoyance.

"Ah, a fine flying sword, an ancient sword..."

The old man's voice was hoarse and dry: "Young man, look at that little coffin you're carrying on your back, you're putting on quite a show."

"What, you've come here to pick up bargains?"

Song Yan suddenly realized that the other party had seen the sword box behind him and regarded him as someone who imitated ancient cultivators in a strange and incongruous way.

"Hmph, my little shabby shop has no treasures, much less the junk you're imagining for people to admire."

"Get out of here, don't disturb this old man's nap!"

He waved his hand, his tone full of disdain and impatience.

He'd seen plenty of people like that.

Instead of focusing on quiet cultivation, he spends his days scheming to imitate the clothing and lifestyle of ancient cultivators, thinking himself clever and pretending to be someone who is passionate about weapon crafting.

Just because of some rumors, they have to pull this stunt.

I just hope that one day I can find some forgotten ancient treasure somewhere, and then soar to great heights.

He was both greedy and lazy, stupid and wicked, which disgusted him.

"you……"

Hearing that the old man had spoken rudely to his master, Xiao Ju was naturally very indignant and was about to step forward to argue with the shopkeeper.

But Song Yan raised his hand to stop him.

He frowned slightly, feeling a bit angry, but thought it unnecessary to argue with an old man.

I just felt that the old man had a strange temper and was unreasonable.

Since the host had such an attitude, there was no point in forcing him to stay. He nodded slightly and then said to Xiao Ju beside him, "Let's go."

The main issue is that he has already lost interest in the shop.

Xiao Ju paused for a moment, then obediently replied, "Yes."

He quickly turned around and followed his master.

With a swift movement, the useless sword box on her back came into the shopkeeper's view.

Ok?
Just then, the disheveled old man on the bamboo chair suddenly opened his eyes wide.

Two piercing beams of light shot from his cloudy eyes, fixed on the sword box on Xiao Ju's back, all traces of his previous mockery gone.

"Wait!"

He practically sprang up from his chair, his hunched body stumbling and falling as he caught up with the two men.

He reached out to stop them, but was afraid that his movements would be too big and disturb them, so he stopped in mid-air.

Song Yan glanced sideways, feeling somewhat puzzled.

They both wanted me to leave and wanted me to stay.

Are you trying to mess with me?

Xiao Song is now a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and his swordsmanship is not something made from dough.

Anger rose in his heart, but the excellent upbringing he received from his grandfather made him stop in his tracks.

"Is there anything else?" Xiao Ju immediately turned around, staring at him warily.

"This...the color and texture, the size..."

The old man's entire attention was completely absorbed by the "useless" sword box.

His breathing became heavy, and he kept muttering something to himself.

"So alike! So very alike, but... how could it be here?"

Even the little boy was startled by the old man's actions and stood aside at a loss.

The old man suddenly looked up, staring intently at Xiao Ju, his voice carrying an unquestionable tone: "Woman, where did you get this sword box?"

Xiao Ju's expression was unfriendly. She didn't want to answer, but since this item was given by her master, she looked at Song Yan.

Song Yan's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. He felt really uncomfortable with the old man's attitude, so he walked out of the shop without saying a word.

"Hey, don't go!"

The old man simply cheated and blocked their way.

With a slight exertion of his spiritual power, Song Yan gently pushed the old man aside.

However, out of politeness, he still told the person: "It was given to me by Yan Xun, the fifth young master of the Yan family of Bei Chu Sword Casting Manor, during the Flower Festival."

He paused, then added, "At that time, he made it clear that this box was an unfinished piece and would be useless if left in the old sword hut, so he gave it to me to take away."

"Yan Xun? Fifth Young Master..."

A complex expression flashed in the old man's eyes, first surprise and doubt, then intense disappointment and anger.

As expected, it's still not fixed...

"This child is so bad at judging people."

"These...these...relics that contain the painstaking skills and dedication of our predecessors, are they just going to be given away to outsiders so casually?"

By neglecting the essentials and pursuing the trivial, the Yan family is destined to decline one day!
The old man's face was ashen, and his chest heaved.

Upon learning of this, it seemed even more difficult for him to accept.

He snorted heavily, his anger stemming from the Yan family, and then directed it at the two of them.

"You go."

He chuckled and turned to walk back to his wicker chair.

They wouldn't let it go with their words.

"If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too; it'll be the same everywhere."

"The Yan family is now full of short-sighted people, and the behavior of the clan members is even more absurd!"

"This useless name is quite fitting."

"They're throwing away the legacy of their predecessors like garbage, letting you pretentious outsiders get the benefits."

"He even corrupted a little girl by following him around. What a teacher he is, misleading the students."

"Shut up!" Xiao Ju finally lost her temper and shouted.

Those eyes, which always held a hint of timidity, now blazed with fury.

The slander against Song Yan was a million times more unbearable for her than the insults directed at her.

Almost instinctively, he brought his sword to his fingertips and swung it fiercely at the rude old man!
"Chong-"

A sword rang out, rising from the ground!

From the useless sword box, the Lianli Flying Sword flew out and pierced straight towards the old man's ear.

Xiao Ju would never kill someone in such a place, but she was determined to let the other party know that her master was not the coward he described.

Let him learn his lesson, so he won't look down on people like that!
Faced with this sudden sword strike, driven by the will to survive, the old man instinctively dodged.

However, when he sensed the spiritual light surging within the sword case, he suddenly stopped.

Far from being alarmed, his eyes blazed with an even stronger joy than before.

He didn't even make any defensive moves, but just stared intently at the flying sword that had been unsheathed and the casket that held it.

"Perfectly intact! Radiant within!"

More importantly, the energy between the box and the sword flows smoothly and harmoniously, forming a unified whole!
Whoosh.

The flying sword came to a steady stop near the old man's ear, its hovering blade trembling slightly.

It is flawless, without any of the disjointed feeling that a defective product should have.

"Xiao Ju, put it away."

Song Yan's voice was calm and even, as if the old man's previous insults were just a gentle breeze.

He raised his hand and pressed down, and although Xiao Ju was indignant, she still obeyed and withdrew her flying sword.

The old man ignored the danger he had just faced, his attention completely drawn to the sword case.

"It's fixed...it's fixed?"

"Who repaired this box? What methods did they use? Tell me, tell me now!"

He fired off a barrage of questions.

With her flying sword sheathed, Xiao Ju snorted coldly: "Master's methods are extraordinary, how could someone as rude as you possibly fathom them?"

Song Yan glanced at him with a cold gaze, her expression indifferent, and slowly shook her head.

"No comment."

Having said that, he turned and left without hesitation.

"Wait...wait! Please..."

The old man had lost all his arrogance and was now reduced to humble pleading.

He cried out anxiously, "All my things! All the top-grade flying swords in the shop, take whatever you like! I won't charge you a penny! I just want you to answer my question!"

However, Song Yan left the shop without looking back or pausing for a moment.

Don't say this person has a bad attitude; no one, regardless of who they are, has an obligation to inform you.

Based solely on this man's stubbornness and obstinacy, he didn't believe the old man could forge a particularly good flying sword.

There's no need to waste time here.

No matter how much the old man cried out in anguish, Song Yan paid no heed.

They left the Thousand Forging Hall.

Finally, in another attic that sold magical artifacts, he purchased two high-quality flying swords.

It wasn't that he didn't want to buy more as a backup; it was simply that he didn't have enough spirit stones anymore.

He had already emptied most of his savings in order to build his foundation.

"Looks like I need to think of a way to earn some spirit stones."

Both Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment are lacking in spirit stones.

This is really a headache. Why is it that people of all cultivation levels are worrying about spirit stones?

"Don't panic, don't panic."

A Foundation Establishment cultivator comforted himself with this thought: "What is lost will come back."

(End of this chapter)