A sword choosing its master?

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The girl, born with the ability to see the good and evil within people’s hearts, stood at the entrance to the courtyard for quite some time, deeply perplexed. Neither of these two men was speaking from the heart, so why were they talking with such enthusiasm? Perhaps because of this—because the girl possessed an untainted heart, untouched by worldly noise, while also being able to see through the hearts of others—no one had ever advised her to be more wary of people.

Zhang Ling put on an affected cough. “I must ask you to conduct yourself with some restraint, miss. Though the customs of the Chen Kingdom are open-minded, your behavior is rather too uninhibited.”

Seeing him put on such an act, Meng Qian immediately turned to look as well. Chen Ke’er could read people’s hearts, so naturally she would not misunderstand. But White Bear, who had come along with her, was exceedingly simple-minded. Seeing someone trying to steal a man from its master, it instantly lunged forward.

Meng Qian turned sideways, then curled one slender finger around the bear’s head and vaulted over its back in a single motion. Her movements had been deft and effortless, but she was no match for White Bear, whose strength was such that even Song Linjie, who had only just entered the Second Rank, would suffer against it. She fled without looking back, tossing a greeting to the girl who had arrived behind her as she went.

White Bear let out a muffled roar. Zhang Ling reached out and stroked its enormous head, and the bear immediately quieted down as though nothing had happened. It was strange. White Bear had lived alongside the disciples on the mountain for more than a decade, yet for some reason, it was only close to him—a disciple who had just arrived.

Zhang Ling asked with a smile, “Is something wrong?”

Chen Ke’er casually picked up the throwing needles from the table. Each one differed subtly from the others. Her fingers traced every detail of the silver needles, one by one. Then she tossed them into the air.

All twelve needles came to a halt three feet above the table.

Zhang Ling was astonished. Chen Ke’er possessed no inner force. How had she managed this?

He reached out to touch one of the floating needles, but the instant his finger made contact, it dropped. He tried touching several more in succession, yet felt no energy guiding them. He asked, “Is that what you wanted to tell me?”

Chen Ke’er smiled as she explained, “By sensing things through their outward forms, I carve the image of another identical needle in my mind. Then I use the one in my mind to establish a connection with the one in the outside world. This is probably the rudimentary form of controlling objects with the mind. I tried many times before finally succeeding. However, I have no inner force, so I cannot use it to injure anyone.”

Zhang Ling listened carefully, but what shocked him even more was Chen Ke’er’s talent. In only a few days, she had learned to write with both hands; a few days later, she was able to control objects with her mind. With such an innate gift for enlightenment, it was no wonder the old eunuch had wanted to take her as his disciple.

This showed just how much understanding was required to follow the Heavenly Path of cultivation. People like her could certainly become grandmasters even if they chose the path of martial warriors. To cultivate the Heavenly Path was simply to strive for something even greater after already possessing something extraordinary.

Chen Ke’er was thinking of him wholeheartedly, but Zhang Ling still felt little emotion. After all this time, he had finally begun to understand what was wrong with him.

Once, he had not possessed his current ability to remember everything at a glance. He had not had the formidable backing of the Medicine Sage and the Dawn Prince. He had been an ordinary person who, after suffering disappointment again and again, had gradually grown cold and indifferent. Even his desires and fears had faded into something faint and shallow.

That was why, upon seeing the courtyard building filled with dazzling secret manuals, anyone else would have wished to swallow them all at once. Zhang Ling, however, still thought only of proceeding step by step. Even if he stopped moving forward entirely, he would feel no frustration.

When he had first met the Emperor and the Grandmaster, he had felt not the slightest fear before the supreme figures of the imperial court and the martial world.

This troubled Zhang Ling greatly. He knew exactly where the problem lay, yet he could even suppress his own desires. He was not a transcendent expert who had returned to simplicity, and he was still in the prime of youth. He should have been brimming with ambition and spirit.

His condition was truly abnormal.

Unable to bear it, Zhang Ling said, “Ke’er, you really do not need to treat me so well. I may not be the person you think I am.”

Chen Ke’er’s expression did not change. She continued smiling. “Then let us make a wager. If we encounter danger we cannot deal with, I wager that you will not run away first.”

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Seeing a girl so pure of heart, Zhang Ling truly could not bear to shatter her illusions. He said, “Since it is a wager, shouldn’t we stake something?”

Chen Ke’er shook her head. “There is no need.”

Zhang Ling smiled. “Forget it. As long as you are happy.”

Chen Ke’er smiled as well, but said nothing. She climbed onto White Bear and rode away.

Zhang Ling, meanwhile, had gained a few more thoughts. He rose and walked toward the forge.

Hong Siyan was wholly absorbed in smithing. He forged not only ordinary weapons and armor, but also hidden weapons and farming tools. This broad-minded approach resembled that of Mo Tianshu, one of the four great grandmasters of weapon forging. Hong Siyan possessed remarkable talent in this field as well and had forged several divine weapons.

Zhang Ling intended to ask him to make some hidden weapons and armor. Though he had grown cold and indifferent, he had not yet become so careless with his life that he would refuse every possible precaution. Any method that could ensure his safety was worth using.

It was the turn of autumn into winter. Even on Kongyao Mountain, the chill was pronounced, yet the farther Zhang Ling walked toward the forge, the hotter and more oppressive the air became. The rhythmic clang of hammers striking metal rang out one blow after another.

Inside the forge, Hong Siyan was not the only one wielding a hammer. In a place where the sparks had thinned, two identical figures stood side by side.

The twin brothers, Yi Qian and Yi Yue, moved aside the moment they saw Zhang Ling.

When they had first arrived at the academy, no one knew one another well. The brothers had deliberately toyed with the other three martial disciples who had come up the mountain. They would fight one person for a while, then seize an opportunity to leave and switch places with the other. After taking turns like that, even Song Linjie had failed to withstand them.

But when they tried the same trick on Zhang Ling, they clung stubbornly to one target and refused to let go. In the end, when it was discovered that they were actually two people, one brother had just been knocked down, while the other, who emerged to take his place, fared no better.

The brothers squeezed to one side. Yi Qian asked, “What are you doing here?”

Zhang Ling gave him a wicked grin. “What a stupid question. I’m here to have him forge weapons for me, of course. Did you think I came to forge you two?”

Zhang Ling turned to Hong Siyan. “Senior Brother Hong, help me make several hidden weapons. They should be small. I also need knee guards and armor—something light, preferably capable of blocking inner force. That way, when I fight someone, I won’t be beaten numb in a single blow.”

Hong Siyan continued hammering without pause. Breathing heavily, he said, “All right. Let me finish making theirs first.”

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Zhang Ling looked toward the brothers and asked, “Why are you suddenly having weapons made? Are you planning to fight someone too?”

The younger brother, Yi Yue, replied, “Senior Brother Baili and Senior Sister Murong are going to attend a martial arts tournament. We’re going along to have a look.”

Zhang Ling was puzzled. “You didn’t tell Song Linjie about this?”

The elder brother, Yi Qian, said, “We did. But the Chen Kingdom has no martial world to speak of, and there are hardly any Second-Rank experts left to be found. Song Linjie can already fight Senior Brother Baili to a draw, so he said there would be no point in going.”

Zhang Ling nodded. He glanced around idly, then picked up a sword. “Senior Brother Hong, how much is this sword?”

Hong Siyan glanced back and continued hammering. “The ordinary swords and sabers over there cost two ounces of silver. They have no spirit. As for the ones hanging behind me—if you can draw them, I’ll give them to you for free.”

Yi Yue watched Zhang Ling take down a saber and laughed. “You can forget about it. Weapons with spirits recognize their masters. Unless you have reached Principal Song’s level and can forcibly suppress their aura, you won’t be able to draw one. If you can pull one out just like that, then today I’ll—”

Before he could finish, Zhang Ling, merely intending to give it a try, pulled.

To everyone’s surprise, the blade slid smoothly from its sheath without the slightest resistance.

The two brothers stared at him, dumbfounded.

Zhang Ling took down several more and tried them one after another. Every single one came free.

The brothers’ faces went pale.

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