Hall of Sword Transmission

Dustless Sword: Forged primarily from Wind-Eroded Steel, inscribed with twelve arrays, light and agile. Produced in Gluttonous City, priced at three hundred sword coins.

Mountainbreaker Sword: Forged mainly from Earthmother Steel, inscribed with fourteen arrays, heavy and resilient. Crafted by Swordsmith Xuan Chengzi, priced at five hundred sword coins.

Black Ice Sword: Forged from millennia-old Coldiron, inscribed with thirty-six arrays, chillingly sharp. Maker unknown, priced at eight hundred sword coins.

...

It was as if an autumn wind swept up fallen leaves, chilling the heart.

Chu Liang stood before the sword counter in the Sword Transmission Hall, lost in thought.

He had never visited the Sword Transmission Hall before; it was only after seeing Fang Ting’s Thunderclap Sword that he was inspired to buy one for himself.

He thought he’d stumbled upon a small windfall, but compared to the prices of these treasured swords, it was nothing at all. After seeing these prices, he suddenly felt...

The standard Shushan flying sword wristbands were quite handy after all.

They would suffice for several years.

Normally, a Divine Intention realm disciple who frequently went on missions would struggle to earn a hundred sword coins in a month, and that was before deducting their expenses for other magical tools, pills, talismans, and divine abilities...

How long would it take to afford a sword?

As he turned to leave, the attendant disciple at the counter noticed him and greeted him warmly.

She was a tall young woman, all smiles as she caught Chu Liang’s sleeve. “Junior brother, are you looking to buy your very own flying sword?”

“Yes,” Chu Liang nodded.

“So, have you decided on one?” the attendant asked.

“I’m just browsing. I can’t afford any of them,” Chu Liang replied calmly, not at all embarrassed.

“That’s not necessarily so! Tell me your budget, and I’ll help you figure something out,” she said with a friendly grin.

“I only have fifty sword coins,” Chu Liang answered. “But the cheapest one here is three hundred…”

“Hmm…” The attendant’s expression did darken briefly, but she quickly recovered. “No matter! You’re in luck—our Sword Transmission Hall has just launched a new installment payment plan.”

“Installments?” Chu Liang blinked.

Well then.

Even Shushan had this now?

“Yes! You can pay a fifty-coin down payment, then ten sword coins per month for the remaining balance, to be paid off over fifty months. Isn’t that considerate?” the attendant explained.

A fifty-coin down payment, two hundred fifty-coin short. Ten coins a month for fifty months meant five hundred coins in total... Chu Liang quickly did the math.

So, it was a four-year loan at double interest…

Rather cut-throat.

“It sounds tempting, but I’ll pass,” Chu Liang smiled. “I’ll come back another time.”

Better to go hunt a few more monsters—maybe he’d get lucky and a sword would drop.

---

“Oh, don’t be put off by the price! This is your very first personal flying sword—it’s significant! What’s a little extra money?” the attendant persisted.

But Chu Liang had already turned away.

His decision was clear.

Just as he was about to leave, a petite figure nearly bumped into him as she entered.

“Ah!” The newcomer was a pretty girl in a light green gauze dress. Seeing Chu Liang, her eyes lit up. “Brother Chu?”

“Sister Xu?”

Chu Liang was surprised as well. Wasn’t this the junior from Jade Sword Peak, Xu Ziqing, whom he’d just completed a mission with?

“How coincidental to meet you here!” Xu Ziqing’s eyes curved with delight.

“Yes. Are you here to buy a flying sword too?” Chu Liang asked gently.

“Mm! I completed my first mission successfully, so my brother said he’d reward me with a flying sword and let me pick one myself,” Xu Ziqing replied cheerfully.

At this, Chu Liang thought wryly: In the White Pagoda, you had to work hard hunting monsters for rewards, but others’ brothers gave rewards simply and directly.

“Very nice,” he said sincerely.

“So, Brother Chu, which sword did you buy?” Xu Ziqing asked.

“I haven’t bought one yet. The swords here are too expensive, and I don’t have enough coins,” he admitted.

“Oh?” The girl tilted her head, then suddenly offered, “Which one do you like? I’ll buy it for you.”

“I couldn’t possibly accept,” Chu Liang refused her at once. “Flying swords are so valuable—I can’t take that.”

Well now.

The girl was certainly generous.

There was once a wise ancestor of Shushan with the surname Lu who said: “Women only slow my sword-drawing hand... but a rich lady can buy me a finer blade.”

The ancients never lied.

“It’s nothing—we’re good friends!” the little heiress insisted.

“No, I can’t accept rewards for nothing,” Chu Liang shook his head firmly.

For minor things like Essence Condensing Pills, he could accept. But a sword this expensive—never.

“All right…” Xu Ziqing pouted, as if a little upset.

“Take your time choosing, Sister Xu—I’ll be heading back,” Chu Liang said, taking his leave.

“You’re still calling me Sister Xu? You said we’re friends, so call me Ziqing like everyone else,” she replied.

“All right, Sister Xu,” Chu Liang agreed simply.

As they were speaking, another person came down the stairs, and upon seeing Xu Ziqing, immediately called out, “Sister Ziqing!”

Chu Liang turned to see a tall, thin young man with high cheekbones and narrow eyes, dressed in a scholar’s robe, but with not a trace of scholarly elegance.

---

Trailing behind him were two more disciples in similar attire, looking every bit the part of followers.

As soon as Xu Ziqing saw him, her brows furrowed, but she replied politely, “Brother Shang.”

Though she was cold, she couldn’t match his enthusiasm.

Brother Shang hurried over, grinning. “What a coincidence to meet you here!”

“Indeed. Are you here for a flying sword too?” Xu Ziqing replied, her gaze elsewhere.

“Heh!” Brother Shang puffed out his chest. “Just the other day, I led a team to slay the Flower Li River monster. My father said I’d earned a new flying sword, and I get to pick it myself.”

“Very nice…” Xu Ziqing said flatly, then seemed ready to leave.

Brother Shang quickly blocked her way, asking, “Sister Ziqing, which sword have you chosen?”

“I haven’t bought one yet. Just looking,” Xu Ziqing replied.

“Oh?” Brother Shang clapped his hands. “Which one do you like? I’ll get it for you.”

“That’s not appropriate!” Xu Ziqing frowned deeply, shaking her head. “Flying swords are too valuable—I can’t let you spend so much.”

“It’s nothing. Aren’t we… good friends?” Brother Shang grinned slyly.

“No! I can’t accept rewards unearned,” Xu Ziqing replied, her expression showing it was absolutely unnecessary.

“Fine…” Brother Shang had to give up.

“Well then, if there’s nothing else, Brother Shang, we’ll be going!” Xu Ziqing dropped the pretense of choosing a sword, grabbed Chu Liang, and hurried away.

Brother Shang followed, still calling out, “You’re still calling me Brother Shang—how distant! We’re good friends, so just call me Brother Ziliang!”

“Noted, Brother Shang!” Xu Ziqing tossed back the words, already far away with Chu Liang.

“Sigh…” Shang Ziliang heaved a heavy sigh. “Tell me, with my dashing looks and elegant presence, is it reasonable for Sister Ziqing to always be so cold to me?”

“Not reasonable!” “Absolutely not!” his two followers chorused.

“Then why is that?” Shang Ziliang gazed up at the sky.

“Boss, is it possible… that Sister Ziqing already has someone she likes? That would explain her coldness,” one follower suggested.

“Oh?” Shang Ziliang’s brow furrowed. “Is that so?”

“I found the guy beside her rather suspicious,” the other follower said. “Her expression toward him was obviously different.”

“It’s not just her expression—didn’t you sense a strange aura between those two?” the first follower added, hesitant to elaborate.

“Hmph…” Shang Ziliang pondered, then ordered, “Go and find out that boy’s name and which peak he’s from. I want to see who dares to compete with me for Sister Ziqing…”