Xingtie: Starting with an in-depth analysis of the Yellow Springs

"You weren't sent by Grandpa to find me, were you?"

"You must be."

Xing crossed her arms and said, "You've even learned to answer first."

Yun Li patted her chest, "Let's make this clear first, I'll stay here and intercept the demon sword when the guards aren't looking, then melt it before anyone can react! You can't stop me, no one can stop me."

"That's a demonic sword. Have you ever heard of a demonic sword?"

Xing: "A sword with magic? A demon's sword?"

The Demon Sword—even those who have never been trained can conjure up profound and mysterious sword techniques in their minds simply by grasping the hilt; even the weakest person, who is powerless, can wield the sword with astonishing strength and speed beyond the reach of the naked eye.

Xing: "Learning swordsmanship on March 7th might allow me to graduate in just one day."

[March 7th: Hey, you know what, if that's true, wouldn't I be a genius?]

[Yanqing: Miss Sanyue, how can there be shortcuts in swordsmanship? The Demon Sword is powerful, but it's not your own power.]

[Yun Li: Don't even think about slacking off. Using the Demon Sword will only get you killed.]

Yun Li looked at Xing seriously: "I'm not joking with you, and what I'm about to tell you isn't some absurd or outlandish story..."

"There is a price to pay for all of this."

"With each swing of the sword, the swordsman's blood and marrow are drained by the sword in his hand, day after day, until the oil is exhausted and the lamp is extinguished."

[Kaeya: Evil Eye! They all rely on exploiting people's life force to obtain power that doesn't belong to them.]

[Silver Wolf: Does that mean Blade can disregard the cost?]

[Kafka: Physically, that's true, but it might accelerate his descent into demonic darkness.]

"Before long, people will no longer be wielding swords, but rather becoming walking corpses driven by swords, their minds filled with all sorts of bloodthirsty and murderous thoughts."

Xing: "This situation sounds very familiar..."

Suiyang… has a passion for absorbing human emotions and memories, and is keen on manipulating flesh and blood.

The Demon Sword is like that; it forged the essence of the sun into the metal, making the weapon a sentient being.

Chapter 168 Open your heart

“I know I did something wrong during the sword-giving ceremony. But I’ve thought it through carefully, and if I don’t cause trouble, it won’t be long before that demonic sword does—so let me be the one to cause trouble!”

Yun Li's obsession with the Demon Sword goes much deeper than we realize.

[Xiao Suiyang: We have no objections?]

[Robin: Miss Yun Li's intentions were good, but they were a bit too extreme.]

March 7th: Sunday?

After staring at it for a while, Yun Li asked in confusion, "Didn't they plan to send the sword to the Imperial Workshop for repairs? Why hasn't anyone come out yet... Do you have any clues?"

Xing: "Perhaps the Sichen Palace has more than one front gate..."

It seems we won't be able to wait here.

While Yun Li was thinking, her body had already taken action, and she secretly slipped away and sneaked into the Bureau of Works.

She would never allow that sword to fall into anyone's hands.

Xing had promised Huaiyan to keep an eye on Yunli, so she also prepared to go to the Bureau of Works.

I encountered two craftsmen on the road.

During their conversation, they learned that Yun Li had asked them for directions. The craftsman, who had never seen such a confident young girl before, assumed she was someone from above and, in a moment of weakness, pointed out the way to the warehouse.

However, those are all Master Gongshu's precious golden statues, so Yun Li must not get carried away.

[Master Gongshu: Oh no! My golden statue!]

[March 7th: Given Master Yunli's personality, she's probably already fighting those mechanical creations.]

I hope the golden statue is alright.

After listening to the craftsman's words, Xing quickened his pace and ran towards the warehouse.

At Yun Li's feet lay many ingenious guards, and two tall golden figures stood poised to attack directly in front of her.

"Why did you come? I'd rather be the one causing trouble than drag you into it."

Xing said he promised your grandfather to keep an eye on you.

Yun Li didn't refute, but directly picked up the old iron and smashed it at the golden man, and even invited Xing to help her deal with it.

[Master Gongshu: If you want to go, just say so! Don't break my precious treasure.]

[March 7th: No? Star, why did you come along too!]

[Star: I won't let any opportunity pass me by.]

After defeating all the standing golden figures here, Yun Li still couldn't find a place to put the swords.

Looking at Xing beside her, Yun Li asked, "You're here to stop me, right?"

Xing: "This demonic sword isn't just your problem."

"Yes, Grandpa is a man of his word. He would not only break his promise to the foreign delegation, but he would also have a hard time explaining it to Luofu."

However, Yun Li also had her own logic: "If we leave the Demon Sword here, it will be difficult to explain to Luo Fu. After weighing the options, it would be better to melt the Demon Sword down and let me bear the consequences alone."

[Yanqing: No, no, Miss Yunli, this is not something you can handle alone. In the end, it will fall on General Huaiyan.]

[Yun Li: What should I do then? This won't work, that won't work.]

[Yanqing: I used to think I could handle things on my own, but after being slapped awake by my master, I realized... some things are simply beyond my capacity to bear alone.]

[Jingyuan: Your words are substantial, and your actions are principled. Yanqing, you've done very well.]

[Yun Li: ...Then I'll try to consider Grandpa's feelings more in the future.]

[Huaiyan: Luofu, this old man's trip has not been in vain. Haha... I'm in a good mood today, so I'll have a small drink. Jingyuan.]

[Jingyuan: So is I.]

Xing still only has a vague understanding of what Yun Li's obsession with the Demon Sword is all about.

Why is it that everyone I meet always seems to only say half of what they mean? Kafka is no exception.

Yun Li sighed and decided to take Xing to another place to explain things clearly.

The two arrived at a high platform, where Xing sat on the edge with her legs hanging down naturally, looking at the night sky above the fairy boat.

Yun Li stood quietly to the side with her hands on her hips.

Gu Yun is one of the demonic swords forged by Yun Li's father, Han Guang, using the essence of the sun.

Yun Li rarely mentions the name Han Guang to outsiders, usually referring to him as "that person" instead.

Taking this opportunity, Yun Li also plans to share her story with Xing.

"Han Guang. I may have been avoiding talking about him, but as long as I'm still hunting for the Demon Sword, I can't avoid the topic..."

"I don't know why, but when I'm with you, I really want to open my heart..."

[March 7th: Star... You're so charming. Every time I meet someone with a story, they almost always end up talking about their past with me.]

[The Galaxy Succubus.]

[Xia Die: But she's really charming.]

[Star: As expected of me.]

*Alicia: Alicia is very charming too, everyone likes me, right?

Zhe: Little sister, why are you more popular than me? I knew some of your friends before you did.

[Rin: Hehe, it's a secret.]

Paimon: The Traveler too, she's the best to me.

The scene shifts to her childhood, where the innocent and adorable Yun Li, with her starry eyes, looks expectantly at the Lone Cloud Sword held by her father, Han Guang.

"Back then, the Flame Wheel Forging Palace was bustling with activity. Foreign travelers would break down the threshold, all for the sake of a sword. They would vie to praise Han Guang as the master craftsman of the sword after Yingxing."

[Huaiyan: Yingxing...]

[Qingque: Yingxing seems to be a short-lived species, but his forging talent is terrifying, even surpassing that of long-lived species.]

[Silver Wolf: Ah Ren...]

"Although I don't remember what they talked about, I do remember that when Han Guang forged the peerless divine weapon, the foreign traveler who sought an audience smiled—I once thought that craftsmen were a profession that brought happiness to people."

"The swords forged by the Flame Wheel Forging Palace are renowned throughout the starry sea, their sharpness unstoppable and their invincible power unmatched. Anyone who obtains your sword, even a commoner in the wilderness, can cut through iron like mud and be invincible."

"Han Guang, greedy for the fame of a swordsmith, constantly tested the edge of taboo, forging hundreds of demonic swords that should not exist in the world, and those with twisted desires came and went in an endless stream."

"However, my grandfather once said that a person who is good with a sword will inevitably be injured by it."

In the scene, Xiao Yunli's eyes lost their color, and the world became dark. Before her eyes, the demonic sword pierced Han Guang's chest, gushing out blood.

"Foreign travelers are like mud and sand, some seeking a sword but not obtaining it, others possessing a sword but not getting what they desire... In the chaos forged by Han Guang himself, a sword's edge pierced towards him."

"It all happened so suddenly. In an instant, all other sounds seemed to be filtered out, leaving only the amplified sounds of bones shattering and blood gushing out—"

"I couldn't take a single step. Only when my mother pushed me away from the slashing magic sword could I stagger and run."

"All I remember are the sound of heartbeats, gasps for breath, and the screams of countless people."

"I could only keep running until I collapsed in a pool of blood..."

"...If General Huaiyan hadn't arrived in time, I might not be here talking to you today."

The memories faded, and the scene returned to the conversation between Yunli and Xing.

"After that, General Huaiyan adopted me, and we addressed each other as grandfather and grandson. But to me, he was better than that wicked father, Baibu. My grandfather not only taught me forging, but also swordsmanship."

At this point, Yun Li's eyes became resolute.

"Han Guang reaped what he sowed, but the problems he left behind cannot be ignored. Han Guang forged a total of 1,3082 Sui Yang Demon Swords over the years, of which 182 were of special design."

"Since I made this vow, I have hunted 312 swords. And Gu Yun is the 313th one."

"It will be like other demonic swords—the Sun will be completely separated, and the sword body will be turned into molten iron and cast into the molten iron sword skeleton."

Chapter 169 The Childish Little Yun Li

Yun Li looked down at the stars. "I've said what I needed to say. Although I feel a little bad for Grandpa, I still have to melt this sword down."

[Ya: The Demon Sword... the Hoshimi family's inherited demon sword also gained its power by paying a price, but I will not let it continue like this.]

[From the moment the first demonic sword is born, countless more will follow. What's the point of melting them down? They can never be eradicated.]

[March 7th: Are we just going to leave the Demon Sword to its fate? Although Master Yunli can't solve the root cause, she's taking real action, which is far better than those of you who only talk the talk.]

[Yanqing: Miss Yunli, I support you. But I don't agree that all demonic swords are born for bloodlust.]

[Huaiyan: Sigh, Yunli is doing this to atone for the sins committed by Hanguang. This matter has been too much of a blow to her.]

[Yun Li: Smelting the demonic swords is also a way of giving them new life, washing away their sins with flames and melting them into molten iron spirit liquid.]

[Jiaoqiu: Yunli and Yanqing, those two children, have really suffered.]

[Nicole: Having witnessed my mother and father die by the demonic sword they forged, I understand Yun Li's obsession now.]

Wendy: Don't try to persuade others to do good if you haven't experienced their suffering.

[Yun Li, I admit I spoke a bit too loudly earlier. I'm so awful.]

[Fireworks: Hoshi was unusually well-behaved in the video this time; you didn't even try anything abstract?]

[Star: What do you mean? I can tell the situation from a different perspective. Someone is confiding in me and feeling upset, so of course I should be a good listener.]

[Firefly: Actually, Xing is a really good person; she used to be very gentle.]

[Rin: Before? There's a melon... I want to eat it.]

Xing suggested, "I think you'd better have a talk with General Huaiyan."

Yun Li: "You mean... Grandpa knew about the Demon Sword, but still gave it as a prize, which means there's nothing wrong with it?"

After saying that, Yun Li shook her head and denied it, "No, no matter how I think about it, Grandpa is the one with the problem. He didn't tell me anything about this sword, he must be hiding something from me."