"Sir, this artifact... I truly cannot repair it. I'm powerless in this matter."

Qin Sang was sitting in the shop, sipping tea. He had waited for quite some time before the shopkeeper finally emerged from the back, holding the Chi Dragon Sword in his hand, looking utterly helpless. His eyes still lingered on the sword, filled with reluctance.

Qin Sang wasn’t surprised by this outcome.

During this period, he had consulted several artifact forgers, including one whose ancestors had once been part of the prominent Xuling Sect. Yet without exception, the result had been the same.

"Do you know where I can find a master capable of repairing the Chi Dragon Sword?" Qin Sang asked.

The ebony sword took too long to prepare, so it could only serve as a last resort. For daily self-defense, he needed an artifact that was easier to wield. Though the Emerald Wave Sword could be used, it paled in comparison to the Chi Dragon Sword.

As Qin Sang searched for the Song Family in the immortal cultivation market, he had also been trying to find someone who could repair the Chi Dragon Sword. Unexpectedly, every response he received was that it couldn't be done, which left him puzzled.

The shopkeeper shook his head. "Sir, to be frank, the crafting technique of your Chi Dragon Sword is extremely unique. The barriers on it are enigmatic, not something an ordinary person can decipher. Whoever forged this sword must have been a true expert. I’ve tried everything, but I can’t even figure out the material it’s made of. Unless you can find a Foundation Building expert who specializes in both barriers and artifact forging, there’s no chance of repairing it. But the cost..."

Qin Sang understood. Even if he found such a master, the cost to repair the Chi Dragon Sword would likely be comparable to purchasing a brand-new top-grade artifact.

"Thank you for your efforts."

Qin Sang reached out and took back the Chi Dragon Sword. However, the shopkeeper, still reluctant, bit his lip and said, "To be honest, if this artifact isn’t repaired, it will completely break and be ruined after just two more uses. It’s truly a pity. If you're willing, I’m prepared to offer the price of a high-grade artifact to buy it from you. What do you think?"

Without much hesitation, Qin Sang shook his head and declined.

Several artifact forgers had expressed interest in purchasing the Chi Dragon Sword, and this shopkeeper had shown the most sincerity. However, Qin Sang didn’t lack spirit stones, and he didn’t want the Chi Dragon Sword to fall into someone else’s hands.

Noticing the shopkeeper’s eyes still glued to the sword, Qin Sang, wanting to befriend him, handed the sword back for him to examine further. The two of them sat down, enjoying tea and chatting amicably.

Glancing at the Li Residence across the street, Qin Sang casually brought it up. "Daoist Wu, I recall that when I came to Wenyue Market a few years ago, the house across the street was still the Song Residence. How did it become the Li Residence? Did they sell their ancestral home?"

"At least eight years ago, I’d say. You’ve got a good memory."

The shopkeeper looked up, cast a glance at the Li Residence, and replied with disdain, "Nothing surprising. It’s just another case of someone seizing the property of an orphaned family. Mortals do it, and so do cultivators."

Seeing that Qin Sang was interested, the shopkeeper elaborated.

"The Song Family was once quite prosperous, but they had few descendants, and gradually fell into decline. Even so, just this ancestral home alone made them far better off than most wandering cultivators. I was familiar with the previous head of the family, but family matters are complicated, and no matter how much I disapproved, I couldn’t interfere.

The Song couple died young, leaving behind a son and a daughter. The boy was named Song Hua—he had decent talent and broke through to the fourth stage of the Qi Refining Realm when he was just a teenager. The girl, Song Ying, had no spiritual root and was a mortal.

As they say, life is unpredictable. Over ten years ago, Song Hua went traveling alone, but never returned. The poor girl was left behind, a mere mortal, guarding such a valuable house—it didn’t take long before others started coveting it.

When a cultivator was away for more than five years without any news, it's usually safe to assume they wouldn't return.

The children’s aunt, originally from the Song Family but married into the Li Family, used her seniority to take Song Ying in, supposedly to care for her. I heard that things were fine at first, but eventually, the aunt’s true colors showed. When Song Ying was only fifteen, she was forced to marry a sickly man. From that point on, the Song Residence became the Li Residence. I heard the man she married later died of illness, and Song Ying was kicked out by her in-laws. I doubt she's faring well now."

…

Qin Sang left the shop and went to the manager of Wenyue Market to pay a sum of spirit stones, renting a small residence. He spent his time cultivating and gathering information.

Wenyue Market was large, but finding a mortal wasn’t difficult.

In just a few days, Qin Sang had located Song Ying and uncovered her life story. There were no reports of anyone from the Li Family suddenly joining Shaohua Mountain. Ꞧ

Six months after Song Hua’s disappearance, their aunt had taken Song Ying into the Li Family’s care. For the first few years, they treated her reasonably well. However, after five years of no news from Song Hua, the Li Family ran out of patience.

At that time, the Li Family had ties with another family whose son had contracted a strange illness that even immortal cultivators couldn’t cure. The two families came up with a plan to marry Song Ying to the sick man in hopes of warding off bad luck.

On the third day of the marriage, Song Ying’s husband died, and she was subsequently kicked out by her in-laws, accused of being a curse that brought death to her husband.

As a mortal woman, weak and burdened with such a vicious reputation, life in Wenyue Market wasn’t easy for Song Ying.

Her brother, Song Hua, had been a handsome man, and Song Ying was also exceptionally beautiful. Fearing that others might covet her for her looks, she chose to embrace the rumors and always wore a black veil in public, dressed in coarse and simple clothing, working whatever jobs a mortal could do to survive.

…

"Grandmother, I’m leaving now."

Song Ying gently closed the shop door.

A coughing sound came from inside, followed by a frail voice, "Be careful on your way."

Song Ying responded with a soft "Ah," checked her veil, tightened her sleeves, then glanced down at her feet as she walked down the street. She quietly purchased some food and wine from a nearby shop before slowly making her way back home, sticking to the shadows of the walls.

The Li Family hadn’t completely cut her off—they left her a small courtyard as a token of compensation.

Song Ying cautiously glanced behind her as she pushed open the gate to her courtyard, closing it tightly after entering.

"Miss, you’re back."

An elderly man with a weathered face opened the door. Leaning heavily on his cane, he walked with a trembling gait.

Song Ying quickly rushed over to support him. "Uncle Zhou, the weather’s getting cold. I bought some wine to warm you up."

The old man tightly gripped Song Ying’s hand, his eyes welling with tears as he choked. "I am so worthless, letting you suffer so much... and yet you still think of me... In the future, I won’t have the face to meet the master and the young master..."

Song Ying comforted him with a few words before entering the house. She removed her veil, revealing her delicate features, and gazed at the empty house, her expression sorrowful.

"Brother, where are you..."

…

Qin Sang stood at the street corner, his gaze fixed on Song Ying’s small courtyard, lost in thought.

The Song Family's ancestor had sealed the sword will decree in the ancestral tomb, and it would not be easy to retrieve it. It might even require someone with Song Family's blood.

The best course of action would be to help Song Ying reclaim her ancestral home and vent her grievances.

However, the Li Family wasn’t easy to deal with. They were fairly well-known in Wenyue Market, and their family had two cultivators at the tenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm. Qin Sang was not strong enough to confront the Li Family directly.

A carefree young man walked by, whistling. His breath reeked of alcohol, and his lecherous eyes were fixed on Song Ying’s courtyard. At first glance, he seemed like a common rogue, but surprisingly, he was also an immortal cultivator, albeit only at the second stage of the Qi Refining Realm.