Chapter 238 – Wielding the Ruling Blade to Uphold Chivalry, And So the Great Battle Begins - Part 1

“Master Li, my apologies. Our clan head intended to come personally, but with war looming, he’s secluded himself to see if he can make any last-minute gains. So he sent me in his stead.” The Guo Clan envoy gave a polite smile. “I’ve brought 1,500 taels of blood gold with me. How about I leave it here for you, to spare you the trouble of moving it yourself? Heh heh.”

This envoy was no mere errand-runner; he was a high ranking member of the Guo Clan. Yet here he was, acting with deference and humility before Li Yuan. In his mind, there was no reason for Li Yuan to refuse. After all, although Li Yuan was technically on Gu Xuejian’s side, he was also a weaponsmith for the Holy Tree Palace. In a sense, he was obliged to forge a spirit artifact for them.

The other renowned weaponsmith of the Holy Tree Palace, Master Gong, rarely crafted spirit artifacts now, being wholly devoted to pursuing the

Dao.

And when he did occasionally take a commission, it was only for very important figures; even the Guo Clan’s patriarch barely managed to make that list.

So, in the current Holy Tree Palace, Li Yuan was the only person who could reliably forge spirit artifacts. Besides, Li Yuan needed orders to hone his craft and continue proving himself.

As for the minor grudge between Li Yuan and the Guo Clan, neither this envoy nor the clan at large paid it much mind. In their eyes, everyone was simply moving their pieces on the chessboard—knights jumping here, elephants stepping there—each side following its own path, each seeking its own gain.

Still, to show goodwill, the Guo Clan had offered a notably higher fee than usual. After all, a second-time spirit artifact crafter typically wouldn’t earn this much. Of course, if a true master like Master Gong or Zhu Ban took the job, the cost would exceed even this sum.

Li Yuan nodded at the envoy’s words. “So I’ll be making a spirit artifact for Guo Fanghai?”

The envoy quickly replied, “Yes indeed, Master Li. Our family head needs a sword.”

“Understood,” Li Yuan said after a moment of thought. “Bring me the materials as soon as possible. I’ll pick a day to begin the forging.”

Overjoyed, the envoy stood and bowed. “Thank you, Master Li. Thank you so much.” Then he withdrew.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

A couple of weeks passed.

Amid the icy winds of late December, the flames of the forge roared skyward. From the intense heat emerged a sword with a chill glimmer. Its blade held a crimson hue, and within its steel shimmered a thread of green radiance that pulsed with faint life energy, lending the sword a subtle, mysterious power.

Li Yuan finished attaching the hilt and scabbard. Then he tossed the weapon to Guo Fanghai, who had been waiting nearby. “Clan Head Guo, remember to place the sword for nine months where life is most abundant—somewhere thick with people and spirit. Don’t rush it, or you’ll ruin this weapon.”

Guo Fanghai caught the sword, drew it, and sensed the blade’s spirit align perfectly with his own. Laughing heartily, he said, “Many thanks, Master Li! This means I can bring it with me on the upcoming campaign.”

Li Yuan gave a curt nod.

Bowing once more, Guo Fanghai departed.

Li Yuan, now bare-chested from his work at the forge, turned to find his long-legged handmaid, Yao Jue, hurrying over to drape a dark cloak around him. Gazing up at him, her face flushed ever so slightly.

“Thanks,” Li Yuan said.

Yao Jue grinned and tilted her head in a sweet, playful way.

Not far away, Tang Nian and the now-grown Sheng’er entered the courtyard just in time to see this scene. Tang Nian leaned in and whispered, “She’s eyeing the chance to become a new mom.”

Sheng’er, though nearing nine, still took every opportunity to dash over and cling to her father. Li Yuan smiled, pressing a hand to her forehead. “I’m sweaty all over. Let me wash up first, then I’ll play with you.”

Tang Nian came closer. “Sheng’er, your dad’s spent over 10 days straight at the forge. He’s exhausted. Let him rest a while.”

“Oh, okay,” Sheng’er reluctantly stepped aside with a pout.

Overhead, a crow perched on a branch, eyeing Yao Jue. As a maid who served the Yin Consort, Yao Jue was far from ordinary—a petite and refined woman, brimming with a rare, lively energy. Sheng’er, accustomed to her father’s limited free time, bounded up to Yao Jue with a sweet smile.

“What is it, Sheng’er?” Yao Jue crouched down.

“I made a new drawing, Miss Yao,” Sheng’er replied, pulling gently on the older girl’s hand. “Come see!”

Perhaps because Sheng’er hadn’t shown any talent for martial arts, she kept herself busy learning characters or practicing art. None of the others—Mei, Lan, Zhu, Ju, or Xue Ning—knew much about painting. Yao Jue and Cui Huayin, however, were well-versed in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. So, Sheng’er naturally took to following her around to study drawing.

Soon, the two of them wandered off, leaving Li Yuan in his new cloak and Tang Nian standing a little ways off.

“Godfather,” Tang Nian said, “you told me to find you after you finished this commission.”

“Yes.” Li Yuan dusted off his hands and glanced into the distance. “The He Family’s whereabouts have been discovered. They’re just a family of wandering martial artists. They used to have a sixth rank patriarch backing them, but he got caught up in something and died. Now the strongest among them is seventh rank at best. They’re a family in decline.”

Tang Nian froze in surprise, touched by how her godfather clearly remembered her concerns. Then Li Yuan asked, “And you’re certain the Tang Family truly possesses a sixth rank heritage?”

Tang Nian nodded. “I’m sure of it. It should be hidden in the Tang Family’s secret chambers. The entrance is extremely well concealed, and the inside is loaded with traps. But my dad told me everything he knew.” She clenched her fists. “As long as...I can reach that place, I’ll be able to claim the Tang Family’s legacy. After that, crafting puppets will be so much easier.”

Li Yuan gave her shoulder a familiar pat, brushed the snow off her collar, and said, “Take some time to prepare. In half a year, I’ll arrange for you to leave. Your first stop will be the He Family. After you’ve avenged yourself and taken back the Tang Family’s inheritance, you’ll head to Cloudpeak Province.”

“Ah?” Tang Nian looked astonished, momentarily at a loss. It was all so sudden.

Li Yuan smiled slightly. “Let’s take a walk. We’ll talk as we go.”

“All right, Pops,” she answered.

They strolled around the courtyard. The flowers in the garden had long since withered, leaving only branches weighed down by snow and frost. Other than the secret about the human-skin manacles, Li Yuan laid everything out for his goddaughter—every danger, every detail of their current predicament.

The more Tang Nian heard, the more silent she became.

Finally, Li Yuan said, “Nian Nian, I want you to take control of the situation in Cloudpeak Province. To carve out a retreat for our family. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Tang Nian nodded.

Li Yuan went on, “We’ll be mobilizing quite a bit of underworld muscle for this, and many of their leaders already answer to me. I need you to serve as their head. Rest assured, they’re loyal to me; they won’t betray you. But...some of them are truly awful people. Vicious, even.”

He was conflicted about using those subordinates. The human-skin manacles guaranteed their loyalty, but it couldn’t change who they were at heart, nor the dark path they were already on. Li Yuan wanted to post someone trustworthy—someone

normal

—to keep them in line. It would also give Tang Nian a relatively quiet place to focus on puppet-making.

Tang Nian responded coolly, “From the day the Tang Family was annihilated, I stopped caring about being a

good person

.”

“No.” Li Yuan suddenly turned and pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling a bit exasperated.

Visions of Tang Nian’s past flickered through his mind—

In Little Ink Mountain, she’d appeared from behind a tree, tears streaming, declaring she wanted to cut out her father’s heart with her own hands.

Outside Gemhill County, she had puppets dismember a group of bandits with chilling indifference. Yes, they were villains—but the brutality of her method felt almost unhinged.

In the Martial Lodge, she lounged in a giant puppet’s upturned palm, dressed in red, legs crossed, a mischievous smile playing on her lips—a carefree existence that seemed to mock the world.

On the return trip through the wilderness south of Gemhill County, she had realized her strengths as a puppeteer and not a close combatant.

Yet now, that same girl—hair cropped short, dressed in white—stood before him with neither her beloved wine gourd nor her usual devil-may-care aura. Li Yuan couldn’t help wondering just what she would become if he sent her off to lead a band of cutthroats.

“Kill those who deserve it,” Li Yuan said sternly. “As for innocent bystanders, do your best to help them. If you want to find any light in this world, that’s the only way.”

“Light? What’s the point of that?” Tang Nian’s lips curved into a half-smile, an unhinged glint of delusion in her eyes.

Li Yuan smacked her lightly on the head.