Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 773: Strange Man

Xiao Ju had mentioned this to him before.

The local Loose Cultivator forces of Dragon Pool Mountain would open some special venues for Cultivators from the Chu Kingdom to observe the ceremony.

Among them was a place called the Grand Sacrificial Tower.

"So it’s the Yang Family’s ancestral land?"

Song Yan now had some understanding of Dragon Pool Mountain. The main Loose Cultivator forces were primarily two Cultivation Families.

The Yang Family and the Hu Family.

Although neither Family had the deep resources to rival the Four Great Families, because the Dragon Pool Mountain gathering was held there every session, as the saying goes, ’the near water tower gets the moonlight first.’ These two families were quite prominent in the Chu Kingdom’s Loose Cultivator world.

And these days, it was rumored that the Wan Family of Danyang Prefecture, Chen Prefecture, was now suffering from a decline in talent, with not a single young Cultivator qualified to attend.

Whether it was a Sect or a Family, in most cases, the strength of the younger generation could truly reflect the overall strength of a force.

This was precisely the reason for the Dragon Pool Mountain Grand Gathering.

With the Wan Family now on the verge of collapse, many families were probably eager to try and change the landscape of the Chu Kingdom’s Cultivation World.

"That is indeed true." Yang Yuerong also nodded slightly, saying softly, "The centennial grand ceremony is of extraordinary significance. If you have leisure, it would be my honor if all you fellow Disciples... could come to observe the ceremony."

"Alright."

Song Yan responded, "Thank you, Junior Sister Yuerong, for guiding me. I will now go to the Thousand Forging Hall to try my luck."

"Senior Brother, please make yourself at home."

Yang Yuerong bowed again, her movements gentle and practiced, like the upbringing of a Family daughter.

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

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

As she left, Yang Yuerong slightly turned her head, casting an apologetic glance at Song Yan.

Her eyes were calm and unmoving.

But Song Yan strangely felt a fleeting, suppressed emotion, sinking beneath the surface.

He watched their retreating figures disappear into the crowd.

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

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

Following the direction Yang Yuerong had pointed, Song Yan led Xiao Ju through the crowds of Diequan Square, heading southwest.

The further they walked, the quieter it became. The bustling shops gradually thinned out, and there were fewer Cultivators around.

Finally, at the end of a small bluestone alley, they found the small shop with a worn wooden plaque.

Thousand Forging Hall.

The edges of the three ancient characters were somewhat blurred, clearly having weathered the years.

"I’m not going back. Go, go, go, don’t bother me anymore."

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

The Cultivator’s face was slightly flushed, his brows filled with worry and confusion.

He seemed to have had an argument with someone.

The shop door was slammed shut with a bang.

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

Song Yan was slightly startled. He recognized the young man’s attire.

Indigo brocade robe, small sword pattern.

Isn’t this the standard uniform of the Yan Family of Sword Casting Villa?

During the Flower Festival on Bei Ya Mountain, Yan Xun had invited him as a guest to Sword Casting Villa, and he had seen many such outfits in the Yan Family’s ancestral land.

This person should indeed be a Disciple of the Yan Family of Northern Chu.

It seemed this secluded little shop was not entirely deserted, but perhaps it had some sort of threshold.

Even a Disciple of the Yan Family, renowned for Artifact Refining, had been driven out... Song Yan led Xiao Ju into the shop.

"Grandpa, why aren’t you going back?"

"You brat, your Ancestral Master’s last wish hasn’t been fulfilled, how can I have the face to go back? What’s the point of going back? To be scorned by others!?"

"I think that older brother just now was quite easy to talk to..."

"Are you asking for a beating or what?"

The light inside the shop was dim, and the furnishings were surprisingly simple.

Rather than a shop selling Spiritual Artifacts, it looked more like an abandoned woodshed workshop.

A few Spiritual Artifacts hung casually on the mottled walls, and a bellows and iron furnace were placed in a corner, the firebox cold.

The entire shop was empty, with only an old man and a young boy.

The old man appeared to be about sixty or seventy years old, with gray hair and beard, wearing a worn short jacket stained with oil and coal ash.

He sat there, talking to a boy about ten years old, who was sallow and thin.

Thump-thump.

Song Yan gently knocked on the door, signaling to the shopkeeper that someone had arrived.

Seeing someone enter, the boy stopped speaking.

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

Finally, Song Yan spoke up himself.

"Shopkeeper, does your establishment sell High Grade Flying Swords?"

"High Grade Flying Swords?" The old man snorted, "What do you mean by High Grade? Medium Grade? High Grade? Or Spiritual Artifacts and Spiritual Treasures?"

"..."

Song Yan frowned slightly. This shopkeeper indeed seemed difficult to talk to.

"High Grade Spiritual Artifacts will suffice."

He figured a shop of this caliber probably wouldn’t sell Spiritual Artifacts.

Judging by the Spiritual Artifacts displayed on the wall, it would be a blessing to find even High Grade ones.

He wondered where Junior Sister Yuerong had heard that this shop was good.

"Also, I heard that your establishment might have an ancient heirloom sword. Could I borrow it for a look?"

Song Yan’s requests were very clear, and as a customer, they were all reasonable.

The so-called "ancient heirloom sword" was merely something he wanted to see.

However, this shopkeeper seemed to be in a bad mood and was extremely difficult to communicate with.

The old man didn’t even lift his almost closed eyelids, his cloudy eyes merely sweeping over Song Yan casually.

Especially when his gaze fell on the endless treasury sword box on Song Yan’s back, his lips unconsciously curled, revealing undisguised sarcasm and annoyance.

"Heh, High Grade Flying Swords, ancient swords..."

The old man’s voice was hoarse and dry: "Kid, seeing you carry that little coffin on your back, you’re quite a poser, aren’t you?"

"What, you’ve come here to pick up a bargain?"

Song Yan suddenly understood. It seemed the other party had seen the sword box on his back and mistaken him for one of those people who imitate ancient Cultivators in a crude manner.

"Hmph, my shabby little shop has no treasures, and certainly no broken junk for people like you to admire."

"Hurry up and scram, don’t waste this old man’s nap time!"

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

He had seen many such people.

They usually didn’t Cultivate diligently, but spent their days trying to imitate the attire and daily life of ancient Cultivators, thinking themselves clever, pretending to be devoted to Artifact Refining.

They would come up with such a show just from hearing some rumors.

They only hoped that one day they could pick up a forgotten ancient treasure somewhere and then soar to success.

Greedy and lazy, both foolish and wicked, they filled him with annoyance.

"You..."

Hearing the old man speak disrespectfully of her 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 her.

He frowned slightly, feeling some anger, but decided there was no need to quibble with an old man.

He just found the old man’s temper peculiar and unreasonable.

Since the owner had such an attitude, staying was pointless.

He nodded slightly, then said to Xiao Ju beside him, "Let’s go."

Mainly, he had already lost interest in this shop.

Xiao Ju’s body paused, then she obediently responded, "Yes."

She quickly turned and followed her Master.

As she moved, the "useless" sword box on her back appeared in the shopkeeper’s line of sight.

Hm?

Just then, on the bamboo chair, the slovenly old man’s eyes suddenly widened.

Two piercing rays of light shot from his cloudy eyes, fixed firmly on the sword box on Xiao Ju’s back, without a trace of his previous sarcasm.

"Wait!"

He practically sprang from his chair, his hunched body taking three steps in two, stumbling behind the two.

He reached out to stop them, yet feared his movements would be too sudden and startle them, so he stopped mid-air.

Song Yan glanced sideways, feeling somewhat puzzled.

First telling him to leave, then telling him to stay.

Was he trying to play a trick on him?

Xiao Song was now also a Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm, and his Sword Dao was not to be trifled with.

His anger flared, but the excellent upbringing instilled by his grandfather still made him stop.

"Is there anything else?" Xiao Ju immediately turned around, staring at him with a wary expression.

"This... color and pattern, size..."

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

Even his breathing became heavy, and he mumbled something repeatedly.

"It’s similar! Too similar, but... how could it be here?"

Even the little boy was startled by the old man’s actions, standing by awkwardly.

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

Xiao Ju’s expression was displeased. She didn’t want to answer, but since this item was bestowed by her Master, she looked at Song Yan.

Song Yan’s brows furrowed deeper. He truly felt uncomfortable with the old man’s attitude, so he remained silent and walked towards the shop’s exit.

"Hey, don’t go!"

The old man simply resorted to being difficult, blocking their way.

Song Yan gently pushed the old man aside with a slight exertion of spiritual energy.

However, out of politeness, he still informed the man: "Young Master Yan Xun, the fifth Young Master of the Yan Family from Sword Casting Villa in Northern Chu, gifted it to me during the Flower Festival."

He paused, then added: "At that time, he stated that this box was an unfinished, incomplete item, useless in the old sword forge, so he gave it to me to take away."

"Yan Xun? Fifth Young Master..."

A complex expression appeared in the old man’s eyes, first surprise, then it was replaced by intense disappointment and anger.

Indeed, it still hadn’t been repaired... "This child is truly so poor at judging people."

"Such... such... a relic containing the Ancestral Master’s painstaking effort and skill, just casually given to an outsider?"

Mistaking the branch for the root, the Yan Family will one day decline!

The old man’s face was ashen, his chest heaving.

Learning of this seemed to make it even harder for him to accept.

He let out a heavy snort of exasperation, and the fire of anger, stemming from the Yan Family, burned onto the two of them.

"You two leave."

He scoffed, then turned to walk back to his rattan chair.

His mouth still didn’t let up.

"If the beam above is not straight, the beams below will be crooked. It’s the same everywhere."

"The Yan Family now consists entirely of shortsighted individuals, and the actions of their clan Disciples are even more absurd!"

"The name ’useless’ is quite fitting."

"They treat the Ancestral Master’s legacy as trash and give it away, allowing you pretentious outsiders to pick up a bargain."

"And you even lead a little girl astray, showing off. Such a Master truly misleads his Disciples."

"Shut up!" Xiao Ju finally erupted in uncontrollable fury, letting out a clear shout.

Those eyes, which always carried a hint of timidity, now burned with anger.

The slander against Song Yan was a thousand times more unbearable than insults directed at herself.

Almost instinctively, she brought her sword fingers together and fiercely swung them towards the disrespectful old man!

"Clang—"

A sword cry, rising from the ground!

From within the "useless" sword box, the Lianli Flying Sword flew out in response, piercing directly towards the old man’s ear.

Xiao Ju naturally wouldn’t kill in such a place, but she definitely wanted the other party to know that her Master was not the scoundrel he claimed.

To teach him a lesson, lest he judge people by their appearances!

Facing this sudden sword strike, driven by the will to survive, the old man instinctively dodged.

However, when he felt the spiritual light surging from the sword box, his body suddenly paused.

Not only was there no panic, but his eyes instead burst with even stronger surprise than before.

He didn’t even make any further defensive movements, just stared intently at the Flying Sword that had emerged from the box, and the sword box itself that carried it.

"Completely intact! With inner radiance!"

More importantly, the Qi flow between the box and the sword was smooth and harmonious, forming a perfect whole!

Whoosh.

The Lianli Flying Sword stopped steadily at the old man’s ear, its hovering blade trembling slightly.

It was flawless, without any of the disjointed feeling an incomplete item should have.

"Xiao Ju, put it away."

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

He raised his hand and pressed it down. Although Xiao Ju was still indignant, she obediently retracted the Flying Sword.

The old man paid no heed to the recent danger, his entire attention drawn to the sword box.

"It’s repaired... it’s repaired?"

"Who repaired this box? What method did they use! Tell me, quickly tell me!"

He fired off questions like a machine gun.

As the Flying Sword returned to its sheath, Xiao Ju snorted coldly: "Master’s methods are extraordinary; how could an impolite person like you possibly fathom them?"

Song Yan, however, gave him a cold glance, his expression indifferent, and slowly shook his head.

"No comment."

With that, he turned to leave without hesitation.

"Wait... wait! I beg you..."

The old man no longer had any arrogance, only humble pleading.

He cried out anxiously, "Everything I own! All the High Grade Flying Swords in the shop, take whatever you like! No charge! I only ask for your enlightenment!"

However, Song Yan did not look back, his figure not pausing for a moment, and he left the shop.

Not to mention this person’s rude attitude, no one had the obligation to inform him.

Judging solely by this person’s stubbornness, he did not believe this old man could forge very good Flying Swords.

There was no need to waste time here.

No matter how the old man wailed and shouted, Song Yan turned a deaf ear.

He left the Thousand Forging Hall.

Finally, in another pavilion selling Spiritual Artifacts, he purchased two good quality High Grade Flying Swords.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to buy more for backup; it was simply that his Spirit Stones were running out again.

Previously, in order to achieve Foundation Establishment, he had already depleted most of his Family savings.

"It seems I need to find a way to earn some Spirit Stones."

Qi Refining lacked Spirit Stones, and Foundation Establishment also lacked Spirit Stones.

It was truly a headache, why was every Realm troubled by Spirit Stones... "Don’t panic, don’t panic."

A Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm thus comforted himself: "A thousand pieces of gold scattered will return again."