vstars Chapter 69 Water-Repelling Pearl, Obtaining the Sword Embryo
Chapter 69 Water-Repelling Pearl, Obtaining the Sword Embryo
The visitor turned out to be the Taoist priest who had been sneaking around yesterday.
Zhao Da slammed the harpoon to the ground, the wooden handle striking the stone slab with a dull thud, and blood seeped from his arm, which was wrapped in coarse cloth.
He gasped in pain.
"You were the one lurking around the village yesterday, weren't you?"
Song Quyou cupped his hands and said, "My name is Song Quyou. I have been entrusted by those two old men to investigate the matter of the mermaids."
Zhao Da's lips twitched, as if he wanted to laugh or curse, but in the end he only let out a snort through his nose:
"Investigate? What's there to investigate? Those two old fools have been bewitched by the merfolk; they'll end up like my brother sooner or later."
"May I see those two mermaids?"
Zhao Da didn't respond, but picked up the harpoon and walked towards the straw in the corner of the yard.
The stone-built pool in the corner of the courtyard was more than twice the size of the others. The black water in the pool had almost dried up, leaving only a viscous turbid liquid at the bottom.
The two mermaids were curled up at the bottom of the pool. The smaller one had completely lost its human form. Its blue scales were dull, its gills twitched weakly, and the torn part of its tail fin revealed white flesh that was no longer bleeding.
The older woman, however, still looked like a pitiful beauty, her autumn eyes shimmering as she looked at Song Quyou with a pitiful expression.
But Song Quyou ignored him and simply cupped his hands to Zhao Da, saying, "Brother Zhao has a chivalrous heart. Although he is not understood by others, he is still willing to protect the fishermen and fight this bloodthirsty mermaid alone."
Zhao Da looked at Song Quyou with surprise, his earlier wariness gone, and respectfully returned the greeting with clasped hands:
"We thought the Taoist priest would be like those others, accusing me of being cruel and vicious, but we never expected that the Taoist priest would actually..."
As he spoke, Zhao's eyes suddenly reddened. He turned his face away, rubbed his eyes hard with the back of his hand, and his voice was stiff:
"Master, you don't need to flatter me. I'm not a chivalrous person. I just want to get justice for my brother. I can't stand seeing these beasts eat people."
"People are often attracted to the beauty of women, and evil demons often use the beauty of women to bewitch people and kill them."
"What the Taoist priest says is true. My brother was blinded by that beautiful woman's skin and never knew until his death that the person next to him was a man-eating beast."
In the past few years, I've stayed in the village, and almost every fisherman's family has raised mermaids. They're all bewitched, thinking they've met celestial beings and found beautiful wives, and they won't listen to anyone's advice.
I had no choice but to play the villain, waiting in the middle of the night with a harpoon until the merman revealed his cannibalistic appearance, and then I drove him away.
Since I don't fish, I have no income and can only rely on exchanging these mermaid pearls for some money.
At this point, Zhao Da quickly waved his hand and said to Song Quyou:
"Master, please don't misunderstand me. I didn't keep all the money I earned for myself. I only took a small portion to cover my daily expenses, and gave most of it to the orphanage in the west. They are all poor children whose parents died in a shipwreck."
A significant portion of these children's parents were eaten by these beasts.
Song Quyou smiled faintly, took out a stack of yellow talismans from his pocket, and handed them to Zhao Da.
"These yellow talismans can ward off evil spirits and keep wicked monsters away. Brother Zhao, you can take one and keep it on your person, and stick the rest in the courtyard. This will ensure that these mermaids cannot get in even a little bit."
Song Quyou then took the harpoon from Zhao Da's hand, pulled out a gold needle from his back waist, and engraved a purification talisman on the harpoon head.
"This talisman can generate a purifying fire that can ignite evil spirits. Light incense on this fork every day to help you exorcise demons."
Furthermore, if Brother Zhao encounters any difficult-to-exorcise monsters in the future, he can seek me out at my residence at the foot of Lingfo Temple Mountain.
Zhao Da took the harpoon, looking at Song Quyou's understanding of him, and trembled, not knowing what to say.
Song Quyou smiled faintly, then took out a stack of paper cranes and gently blew on them.
The paper cranes flapped their wings, rose into the air, circled, and scattered in all directions.
Russian.
Intense flames erupted from beneath the straw of each household in the village, accompanied by mournful roars.
Mermaids burrowed into the water and struggled, but the crimson fire never went out and did not burn anything else.
The devoted fisherman, deeply in love with his wife, stared at the strange flames, momentarily at a loss, stamping his feet anxiously.
As for shouting, harboring merfolk is a dishonorable act.
As for Zhao Dajia, the two mermaids under the pool had fallen silent at some point, their heads sliding off and lying at the bottom of the pool.
"Brother Zhao, you can try stabbing the bottom of the pool with that harpoon."
As Zhao Dazhao did, the harpoon with the purification talisman on it touched the slime at the bottom of the pool, and crimson flames suddenly erupted, engulfing and burning the two mermaids.
Zhao Da took a step back, gripping the harpoon engraved with talismans, and stared blankly at the crimson flames rising from the bottom of the pool.
The two merfolk gradually curled up, charred, and shattered in the flames, slowly turning into grayish-white powder.
Meanwhile, from courtyards throughout the village, mournful screechs rose and fell, growing ever more terrifying.
The mermaids hiding in the stone pool under the straw were forced out of the water by the crimson flames, revealing their ferocious true forms in the firelight, their green scales tumbling and their fangs bared.
The hissing lasted for about half a cup of tea's time before it fell completely silent, leaving only a handful of ashes.
Zhao Da snapped out of his daze and looked at Song Quyou as if he were seeing a true deity.
"Immortal Master, please wait a moment."
He hurriedly took out a bead from the house. The bead was about the size of a fist, crystal clear, and it was the same bead he had used for lighting the night before.
"Immortal, you bestowed this fire talisman upon me and rid us of the evil spirits that harm people. I have no way to repay you but this bead that allows one to breathe underwater. I obtained it last year when I hunted a male mermaid, and I present it to you today."
Upon hearing that it could allow people to breathe underwater, Song Quyou raised an eyebrow and accepted it.
The beads feel cool and moist to the touch, and are a deep blue and crystal clear in the sunlight.
He returned the greeting with clasped hands and said, "Thank you, Brother Zhao."
"I wouldn't dare."
……
The next day, the day to retrieve the sword arrived.
It was rare for Song Quyou to see his senior sister so eager.
Early in the morning, the birds had just started singing.
She was still in bed at this hour, but she had already put on makeup and knocked on Song Quyou's door.
"Junior brother, wake up..."
Song Quyou, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, opened his eyes, opened the door with a puzzled look, and looked at the radiant Su Tang in front of him, asking in confusion:
"Senior sister, what brings you here so early?"
"Seven days have passed; it's time to go to the Ghost Market to retrieve the sword."
Seeing that Su Tang was in such good spirits, Song Quyou didn't want to delay any longer. He quickly tidied himself up, took his sword, and followed her out the door.
The two followed the same path as before, bypassing Qiantang County City, and once again entered the deep mountains southwest of the city.
The mountain mist had not yet dissipated in the early morning, and the mist dampened Su Tang's skirt, but she walked very lightly and did not care at all.
It's still that small temple in the mountains, and still that incense burner covered in ash.
This time, Su Tang didn't pick up the broken incense stick. Instead, she took out a whole incense stick from her sleeve, broke it in half, gave it to Song Quyou, and put them into the incense burner together.
……
As the fog dissipated, the long street paved with bluestone slabs reappeared before our eyes.
The full moon still hangs high in the sky, the yellow paper lanterns still flicker, and the shouts still rise and fall.
His gaze swept over the stalls on both sides, and he was much more relaxed this time compared to his cautious first visit.
The two walked smoothly through the long street and arrived at the blacksmith shop without a sign.
The blue paper lanterns under the eaves cast a pale blue light, and the shop door was half-closed, with the rhythmic tinkling of knocking still emanating from it.
Su Tang pushed open the door and entered.
This time, Tie Bo didn't sit to the side sipping tea. Instead, he was shirtless, revealing his bulging muscles, and pounding the gleaming white sword blade on the anvil.
"Uncle Tie, let's get the sword."
The masked old man pulled a long sword wrapped in coarse cloth from under the anvil and said:
"This is your sword, girl. As for the other one, just wait a moment, it will be ready soon."
Su Tang strode forward and lifted the first layer of coarse cloth.
The three-foot-seven-inch long sword lay quietly in the cloth, with a narrow spine and thin blade. The sword was as smooth as water, and the long silver light on its back was like the moon's reflection stretched on the water's surface, hazy and indistinct.
The hilt of the sword was wrapped with a blue silk cord, and a small silver bell was attached to the end, which made a clear and melodious sound when shaken gently.
Su Tang held her sword in her hand and casually twirled it. The sword light drew a silver arc in the cramped room, and the sound of it cutting through the air was sharp and clear.
A satisfied smile curved her lips as she traced her fingertips from the hilt to the tip of the sword. The touch was cool and delicate, and the blade showed almost no signs of forging, appearing as a single, seamless piece.
"Uncle Tie, excellent craftsmanship."
Su Tang put the sword back into the coarse cloth and turned to look at the old man in front of the anvil.
The old man with the masked face landed his iron hammer steadily and heavily. Each strike on the sword blade sent sparks flying, but the hammer did not leave a single burn mark on his bare arm.
The forging process lasted for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea before Tie Bo used iron tongs to pick up the translucent sword blade, placed it in the furnace to heat for a while, and then immersed it in the stone trough beside him.
"laugh……"
White steam rose, obscuring the bronze demon mask on the old man's face.
After the white mist dissipated, Tie Bo had already placed the sword horizontally on the anvil. His withered fingers ran from the base of the sword to the tip, moving very slowly, as if he were caressing a living thing.
"This sword took a bit more work. Kid, sit for a while longer, it'll be ready soon."
But then Tiebo picked up a whetstone from the side of the sink and began to carefully polish it.
Tie Bo's hands were very steady. He pushed the whetstone from the base of the sword to the tip, and then pulled it back from the tip to the base, repeating this several times. He would stop to rinse the sword with water and examine it as he went.
Finally, he wrapped the rope around his neck with a plain white cord that he had prepared beforehand and threw it to Song Quyou.
Song Quyou reacted quickly, firmly grasping the sword hilt and examining it.
This sword is slightly wider and thicker than Su Tang's sword by half an inch.
Its entire body was shrouded in mist, without any forging marks. Instead, it was covered with a layer of moonlight-like cloud patterns, like smoke blown away by the wind, or like waves surging on the surface of water, rushing forward and towering, chasing the cold glint of the sword tip.
Tiebo picked up the kettle beside him, took a sip of tea, and said:
"The pure silver is a fine material. The patterns on the two swords are naturally formed. One sword is extremely still, taking the image of the moon reflected in water; the other sword is extremely dynamic, taking the image of chasing the moon on a rushing river."
"The two little ones should cultivate diligently. The day they become famous for using my sword, remember to mention the name of this old man, Tie Bo."
Song Quyou embraced the sword and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Uncle Tie. I will certainly not fail these two fine swords."
Tie Bo nodded and continued, "The remaining longevity pills don't need to be paid for; someone has already paid for them."
Song Quyou's hand, which was gripping the sword hilt, paused slightly.
He and Su Tang exchanged a glance, both seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes.
"Uncle Tie, what does this mean?"
"The ghostly scholar who forced you to buy the painting seven days ago took out twenty longevity pills and exchanged them for the ten longevity pills you paid as a deposit."
Song Quyou's fingers tightened slightly around the sword hilt, his knuckles turning white.
"That damned scholar?"
Tie Bo took a sip of tea, his voice hoarse and calm beneath the bronze mask:
"That's right, it's the scholar whose throat you held a sword to."
Not long after you left, he knocked on my shop door, took out a twenty-year longevity pill, and said he wanted to buy the ten deposits you left behind.
"I couldn't resist switching to this deal, but then I thought, doing so might harm you. Therefore, I won't accept the remaining Longevity Pills; I'll only earn what I'm entitled to."
"Uncle Tie, is the Longevity Pill I gave you any different from other Longevity Pills?"
Tie Bo put down the teapot, his fiery eyes beneath the bronze mask staring at Song Quyou for a long while before slowly speaking:
"Your ten longevity pills are amber in color, with a mild medicinal aroma. They are top-grade pills refined using proper alchemy methods from the Underworld."
As for the differences, this old man cannot see them; they are used in the same way.
"Uncle Tie, could you please produce one for me to compare?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a pill flew through the air and was caught steadily by Song Quyou. He examined it carefully by the light and found that apart from being a bit darker in color, it was no different from other pills.
Song Quyou tossed the longevity pill back and bowed to Tie Bo, saying, "Thank you, Tie Bo."
Tie Bo waved his hand, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of warning:
"I won't ask too much about what happens in the ghost market."
"But kid, if those ten longevity pills of yours really have anything special about them, be more careful in the future, and don't take them out so easily."
"Thank you for your advice, Tiebo."
……
Song Quyou and Su Tang left the blacksmith shop and walked back along the same route.
Although he now carried a new sword, he felt no joy, and his steps were not as light as when he arrived.
The two passed through the thick fog they had come from, and suddenly the world brightened up. The warm winter sun was hanging overhead again. The fog behind them churned for a moment before dissipating completely, and they returned to the desolate mountain path.
Birds chirped all around, and the ghost market's yellow and blue lights were gone.
Walking along the mountain path, Song Quyou followed behind Su Tang, replaying in his mind everything that happened on the street that day.
The painting appeared uninvited, as if it had been enchanted.
The image shows the woman in the crimson dress as she is pulled out of the painting by herself. Her hair is styled in a high bun, her brows are adorned with red makeup, and her misty eyes shimmer with moisture.
She exuded a chilling aura, aloof and arrogant, with delicate and charming features. No matter how you looked at her, she seemed like a ruthless and bewitching female ghost.
However, there was no murderous intent in his eyes.
It sounds more like feeling wronged.
Song Quyou rubbed his temples. He didn't know this woman at all, so why was she complaining?
……
Before they knew it, they had returned to the mansion.
Su Tang hurriedly returned to her room, carrying out a dark sword box, and approached Song Quyou, saying:
"Junior brother, this is a sword case made of black jade and sandalwood, lined with dragon silk, perfect for storing your flying sword."
Su Tang's voice pulled Song Quyou back to reality.
Song Quyou took the sword box; it felt heavy in his hand. He brought it close and smelled it; a calming sandalwood scent filled his nose, calming his mind which had been wandering.
The sword case had a glossy black surface, a smooth, jade-like feel, and subtle, fine wood grain that flowed through it like rippling water.
"Thank you, senior sister."
Song Quyou smiled, took the newly forged sword from his waist, and put it into the box. The size was exactly the same.
"Thank you for your trouble, senior sister."
"Oh, it's nothing. Senior sister is the one who really hit the jackpot, getting a precious sword from junior brother."
……