Chapter XI: The Decisive Battle in the State of Wei Section 16: The Demonic Sword, Crimson Rain

Section 16: The Demonic Sword Crimson Rain

"I am." July lightly flicked the sword body with her fingertip, unable to tell whether it was good or bad, only finding its design peculiar and interesting.

The burly man took a weapon out of one of the chests July had previously opened, handed it over, and said, "Then I'll give this sword to you."

"I don't use swords." July merely found it interesting; she did not use weapons herself and had no interest in accepting gifts.

Just as the man was about to speak, a voice came from the cave entrance. "I think the Martial Venerable would do well to accept it. This weapon is extraordinary. There are too many scoundrels in the world—why should the Martial Venerable sully her hands killing them? Wouldn't having a sword at hand make things much simpler?"

Hearing the voice, July instantly knew it was the Northern Monarch. She silently thought that he had finally finished dealing with the Wei soldiers and had tracked her down.

"Since it's a gift, just take it. This is a good sword!" The man's attitude was so enthusiastic that July had no choice but to accept it.

"Does it have a name?"

The man pondered for a moment, his eyes suddenly lighting up as he said with a joyful smile, "It does now. Let's call it Crimson Rain."

"Crimson Rain?"

The man hastily took back the sword, drew it from its scabbard, and used a fire striker to ignite some charcoal. Raising the sword body over the flames, he urged July to look.

"Look, what is on the blade?"

Only then did July notice that under the illumination of the firelight, the patterns on the blade faintly revealed a scenery of rain falling all across the sky, except that the streaks of rain emitted an eerie, dark red glow.

"Quite interesting."

Upon hearing this, the man beamed with displeasure and shouted, "More than just interesting! Did you think I made it just for looks out of boredom? Take it, take it! You certainly possess internal energy; point the blade at this log and channel a trace of your internal energy into it."

July did as she was told. She watched as the red rain streaks on the sword gradually bloomed with brilliance, and numerous red dots fell onto the log, which instantly caught fire.

"Oh?" July was extremely surprised, finding the sword even more fascinating now.

The man laughed triumphantly. "This sword is forged from meteoric iron and mixed with my family's ancestral Heavenly Fire Precious Bead. When you engage enemies with it, day or night, as long as there is the sun or the moon, it will generate thermal and illusory light, blinding people within ten paces and scorching their eyes, skin, and flesh within three paces. If used by a master of internal cultivation, even in pitch-black caves, the red glow from the blade can set people ablaze. Your name is July, and July has much rain—naming this sword Crimson Rain is a perfect match. If you use it to slaughter the Wei soldiers, wherever you pass, red rain will scatter, turning everything into a sea of fire!"

The man gestured wildly as he spoke, seemingly visualizing that shocking and awe-inspiring scene, which in turn validated the infinite power of his creation and filled him with a profound sense of achievement.

Unexpectedly, July's words poured a bucket of cold water over him.

"Really interesting. It will be very convenient for making fires and cooking when camping in the wild from now on." As she spoke, July channeled her internal energy and used the sword to ignite another log.

With a stiff expression, the man stood frozen for a long while before remarking sourly, "To think you are the Martial Venerable, yet you actually think of using such a fine weapon to make fires and cook!"

"Why did you give me such a good weapon?" July didn't mind the man's complaints.

"This sword is currently my proudest creation, so naturally I hoped to match a fine blade with a hero. Since you are the Martial Venerable, it won't be disgraced. Old Zhao begged me for it for years, and I wouldn't agree. Giving such a fine weapon to an ordinary person would be a waste."

Bu Jingxian had been watching the weapons all along without interrupting. The man noticed him at this moment and asked quite expectantly, "Do you understand weapons?"

"I don't."

The man instantly lost his spirit. "You don't understand weapons, yet you kept staring at them?"

"Although I don't understand them, I can still tell that these weapons are exceptionally outstanding. Their designs look eccentric, yet they combine the advantages of both sabers and swords; their actual combat power must be astonishing."

The man immediately brightened up with joy. "Correct! At least you have an eye for this. Look, the unsharpened side is used for blocking weapons. Ordinary swords dread having their edges damaged the most, and the brilliant sword techniques of wandering martial artists rely on agility because swords are unsuited for parrying. But in actual combat, what happens when you are vastly outnumbered or facing a crowd? Where is there so much space for people to display agile footwork and maneuver? In such situations, the combat effectiveness of a sword falls short of a saber's. But my sword is different..."

Once the man started talking about weapons, he became eloquent and unstoppable, flowing like a rushing river. He paid no attention to who Bu Jingxian was, nor did he ask. He didn't even ask where the Wei soldiers who brought him had gone or what had happened to them.

Bu Jingxian merely listened. Finally, waiting until the man paused, he spoke up, "Why does a master swordsmith as remarkable as you stay here? Don't you feel it's a waste not to spend your time forging weapons?"

"I was brought here by Old Zhao to hide from the Divine Soul Army and the Zheng Army. I found it stifling too, so I've just been sleeping ever since I arrived." The man asked in return, "Are you from the Divine Soul Army or the Zheng Army? Did you come chasing the fleeing Wei soldiers?"

"The Divine Soul Army. I've come specifically to invite you."

"Invite me?" The man looked utterly dismissive. "To forge weapons for your Divine Soul Army? The Divine Soul Army is dirt poor—where would they get the money to forge fine weapons? Which blacksmith doesn't know how to make standard military weapons? I have no interest in wasting time on such things."

"Naturally, having a master craftsman like you make standard military weapons would be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Although the Divine Soul Army lacks money, the State of Zhou is not exactly poor, so we would like to invite you to the Zhou capital to forge weapons."

"The Zhou capital..." The man pondered for a moment. "Princess Bai of the State of Zhou does have some understanding of weapons. Although her forging techniques cannot compare to her father's, she does have some skill after all and wouldn't be unable to appreciate my craftsmanship." The man then sized up Bu Jingxian for a moment and asked hesitatingly, "Does that mean you are the Northern Monarch?" He muttered to himself, "You really don't look like it. You're not wearing yellow robes, you don't have any valuable pearls or jades on you, and even your scabbard is ordinary."

Bu Jingxian laughed, drew the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss from his waist, and handed it to the man. "I have no interest in jewelry; I am interested in swords."

At the sight of the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss, the man's eyes went wide. He received it with trembling hands and inspected it with boundless enthusiasm and fascination. After a long while, he looked up and asked, "The ancient divine sword Seven-Star Dragon Abyss! Now this looks like the Northern Monarch! This truly looks like the Northern Monarch!" As he spoke, he lowered his head to examine the sword repeatedly, clicking his tongue in endless wonder.

Bu Jingxian let the man look his fill, packed the weapons July had taken out back into the wooden chests, and asked her, "Do you want them?"

"No." With that, July sheathed the precious sword Crimson Rain given to her by the man and carried it casually.

Bu Jingxian hoisted the chest onto his back. "How about we look as we walk?"

The man agreed, cradling the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss as he followed him. "I haven't asked your name yet."

The man casually replied, "Just call me the Demonic Swordsman!"

Recalling the special ability of the sword July was holding and the peculiar designs of those weapons, Bu Jingxian couldn't help smiling. "A fine name."

Upon descending the mountain, the Demonic Swordsman discovered there was only one horse and exclaimed, "How is there only one horse?!"

"Please mount. I will lead the horse for you."

"That's more like it." The Demonic Swordsman mounted unceremoniously, still absorbed in studying the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss.

"Thank you for the sword, farewell." At this moment, July cupped her fists in a salute of thanks to the Demonic Swordsman and, without waiting for his parting words, dashed away with the speed of a howling wind using her lightness skill. Even after walking far away, July still found herself thinking of the white umbrella on Bu Jingxian's back, feeling that he was a strange person—how could a man carry such a pretty umbrella around with him everywhere...