“What’s so special about a Blood Bone Flower?”
In the marketplace, Shangguan Sheng walked briskly with his chief steward, feeling slightly puzzled.
While it was a Foundation Establishment stage Heavenly Treasure with quite demanding growth conditions and considerable value, it wasn’t exactly rare.
As the Market Master, he had seen it all. Was it really something to get so excited about?
“I wouldn’t dare lie to you, sir. It truly is quite extraordinary.”
Shangguan Jing led the way ahead, speaking with utmost respect.
“Well then, I must go and see it.”
Seeing his insistence, Shangguan Sheng’s interest was piqued.
“By the way, Market Master, the two who brought the Blood Bone Flower—one is a disciple of the Luoshui Sword Sect, and the other is the person I mentioned to you, the one who killed Wu Renyou with a single sword strike.”
Mentioning Lin Zhiwei and her companion, Shangguan Jing’s expression turned complex.
His son was now lying in bed, his cultivation utterly crippled.
In the future, he could only live as an ordinary person in the Mortal World. But at least his severed hand had been reattached, and he was otherwise healthy. He could now focus on expanding the family line, which offered Shangguan Jing some small comfort.
“Oh?”
Shangguan Sheng’s interest grew even stronger, and he followed Shangguan Jing towards the Market Master Residence.
The two soon returned to the residence. Lin Zhiwei and her companion had already been politely escorted to the reception hall. Several servants attended to them as they waited, sipping tea with a hint of nervousness.
“Hahaha! Apologies for keeping you two waiting!”
Shangguan Sheng strode in briskly, his face breaking into a hearty laugh as he clasped his hands in greeting.
Secretly, he sized up the two young women before him.
One was dressed in white, holding a sword that emitted a jade-like glow. An aura of sword dao majesty faintly emanated from her, making her seem like a sword immortal.
The other appeared much more ordinary. Although she also possessed a sharp Sword Intent and looked impressive, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.
‘One is a Luoshui Sword Sect disciple. The other appears to have low cultivation, yet can unleash a vast Sword Intent—a loose cultivator’s disciple.’
He recalled Shangguan Jing’s earlier description and roughly confirmed their identities.
“This esteemed lady must be the distinguished disciple of the Luoshui Sword Sect. Truly worthy of being the leader in the Way of the Sword. For a disciple of such a young age to possess such extraordinary sword presence is indeed living up to the reputation.”
Following his own judgment, Shangguan Sheng clasped his hands towards Lin Zhiwei in praise, complimenting both the person and her sect.
“When our young lady marries into your sect in the future, we hope for your continued support and care.”
His words subtly drew the relationship closer.
“No, that’s not…”
Seeing he had mistaken her identity, Lin Zhiwei hurriedly tried to correct him.
“What’s ‘not’?”
Shangguan Sheng’s cheerful expression stiffened slightly. Did the Luoshui Sword Sect look down on their Shangguan family?
“Outer disciple of the Luoshui Sword Sect, Lin Chengyun, greets the Market Master.”
Lin Chengyun gritted her teeth and announced her name and affiliation.
She naturally understood it was because Lin Zhiwei looked more like a sword cultivator than she did, causing the Market Master to mistake them and praise the wrong person. She felt intensely awkward.
“Uh, oh. This young lady is also… quite extraordinary.”
For the first time, an expression of astonishment appeared on Shangguan Sheng’s usually composed face. He opened his mouth, then quickly tried to recover.
He was also secretly shocked.
Lin Zhiwei looked much younger than Lin Chengyun, yet she was the one with higher cultivation? Could she really be a loose cultivator’s disciple?
Remembering Shangguan Jing’s speculation, he viewed her master with even greater importance—an absolute reclusive expert!
‘If I could make them my allies…’
‘Could I rise even higher once I leave this marketplace?’
A surge of excitement coursed through Shangguan Sheng. His expression grew even more enthusiastic as he praised again.
“To have such attainment at such a tender age—truly, a famous master produces outstanding disciples!”
Hearing him mention her master, the slight embarrassment Lin Zhiwei felt from the earlier flattery instantly vanished, replaced by a cold expression.
Her heart had been in turmoil the entire journey here. There was respect for that mysterious senior and the moving realization that she, too, had someone looking out for her. But more than that, there was the dejection over her own master’s indifference towards her, and even a tiny sliver of jealousy towards her junior sister.
Now, seeing the Market Master still praising her master, as if her achievements were inseparable from Su Xuan, filled her with an inexplicable irritation.
She had practiced the sword techniques her master taught, nearly getting eaten by a leopard in the process. While she could comprehend the things he said, her breakthrough in realm relied on the legacy left behind by that senior’s Sword Domain. What did her master have to do with it?
It was clearly all her own hard work, okay?
“Let’s not talk about that. Please take a look at this flower and tell us what it’s worth.”
Lin Zhiwei’s face remained cold as she took out the Blood Bone Flower from behind her, placing it along with the soil in front of Shangguan Sheng without any further pleasantries.
‘The disciple of an expert is indeed low-key. Such a state of mind is extraordinary.’
Seeing her so “unmoved by praise or blame,” without a hint of the smugness a young person typically shows when complimented, Shangguan Sheng’s estimation of Su Xuan rose several more notches. Only an expert with a transcendent state of mind could foster such composure in a disciple, right?
“This… how is this possible?”
After his silent admiration, he finally turned his gaze to the flower and froze.
The blood essence and Sha Energy it contained were several times more potent than the best specimen he had ever seen before!
‘Hungry… swallow it… hungry… great nourishment…’
A greedy voice abruptly sounded in Shangguan Sheng’s mind, like a beast that had slept for a long time, now drooling with desire.
As the voice echoed in his heart, his body emitted faint cracking sounds, as if it had its own consciousness. His very flesh and blood craved that thing.
‘Go back! Get back!’
His face remained calm, but inwardly he roared incessantly. His will held firm, struggling for a long time before finally suppressing that intrusive consciousness.
“This flower… cough… is extremely useful to me. I’ll trade it for this…”
Shangguan Sheng coughed a few times, took out a storage bag, and retrieved a broken flying sword from within, offering it to the two women.
“This was discovered in the Secret Realm during the last few openings. Although it’s somewhat damaged, its power approaches the Golden Core stage!”
If Su Xuan were here, he would definitely find this object extremely familiar—it seemed quite similar to the broken sword he had dug up.
“A flying sword?”
A gleam shone in Lin Chengyun’s eyes. What sword cultivator could resist a high-quality flying sword Dharma Instrument?
“Sister Lin, you take it. I already have this one.”
Seeing her gaze, Lin Zhiwei waved the jade sword in her hand and said softly.
“Deal!”
Lin Chengyun didn’t hesitate. She gave Lin Zhiwei a grateful look and accepted the flying sword.
Seeing the transaction concluded, the two women prepared to take their leave.
“Please wait a moment, ladies. I have another transaction in mind.”
Shangguan Sheng, suppressing the craving in his body, stopped them.
“In the Secret Realm outside the marketplace, it seems a senior with extremely profound sword dao passed away there. This flying sword was picked up from where he sat in meditation. There’s also a cultivation method, quite extraordinary. I wonder if the two of you would be interested?”
He slowly added.
“I am utterly ignorant of swordsmanship. When the Secret Realm opens again, if you two are willing to lend a hand, all of that senior’s belongings can be given to you.”
To leave Shangguan Yu not a single chance to turn the tables, he decided to rally every person and force he could to his side, ensuring her utter defeat.
“This is the beginning of the cultivation method I happened to copy at the time—only a few sentences. Consider it a deposit, a gift for you both.”
Having made up his mind, he took out a jade slip, his sincerity overflowing.
The two women exchanged a look and nodded in默契 agreement, both very interested in the senior he mentioned.
“We’ll trouble the Market Master to call on us when the time comes.”
Lin Chengyun accepted the jade slip. With the deal struck, the two turned and left.
“Heh… cough.”
Shangguan Sheng watched them leave, a satisfied smile on his face. But as he laughed, he inexplicably coughed a few times. Fleeting streaks of red light flashed across his hearty countenance.
***
Outside the main gate, they returned to Lin Chengyun’s home.
“Zhiwei, do you want to take a look first?”
She clutched the flying sword and jade slip tightly, unable to put them down.
“You go ahead. I still need to contemplate what I gained earlier.”
Lin Zhiwei thought for a moment and decided to first fully comprehend the legacy from the cave.
“Are you sure you want to sleep here tonight? Not going back home?”
Lin Chengyun had prepared a room for her, not understanding why she wouldn’t return home.
“Mm. Home… it’s too noisy. I’ll go back after I’ve finished my contemplation.”
Lin Zhiwei gritted her teeth, not stating the real reason.
“Oh… Well, make yourself at home. I’m going back to do some contemplating myself.”
Lin Chengyun didn’t suspect anything and eagerly returned to her own room, taking out the jade slip to begin her study.
Gradually, the only two lines of text appeared in her divine sense. But it wasn’t a cultivation method; it seemed more like a question and answer.
“What is a sword?”
“A sword is a sword. It is nothing.” (Same as Su Xuan’s, see Chapter 19)
She softly recited the words from the jade slip, completely baffled.
“This makes no sense from beginning to end. What kind of thing is this?”
‘In a couple of days, if I still can’t figure it out, I’ll give it to Lin Zhiwei and let her take a look.’
Lin Chengyun, thinking it was another issue of her own aptitude, made this somewhat defeated decision.