Chapter 523: Sword Forging Sect

As Jiang Yuebai and the others prepared to leave the city, a carriage approached from the opposite side. The person inside suddenly lifted the curtain and exclaimed, "Jiangjiang!"

When they looked over, they saw that the person in the carriage was Xu Hongqiu.

"Hongqiu," Jiang Yuebai smiled as she greeted her.

"Ah, it's been months since we last met! I missed you so much," Xu Hongqiu exclaimed, jumping down from the carriage and taking Jiang Yuebai's hand. "As soon as I arrived at Emperor's Mound, I went looking for you guys, but I couldn't find anyone at the residence."

She had spent a long time hanging around Red Cotton Peak, becoming very close friends with Jiang Yuebai. She had only returned to the Whale Gang because she wanted to prepare for the Assembly of Immortal Sects.

They hadn't expected to run into each other here in the capital of Yu.

"We just stepped out for a meal. What brings you to the city at such a late hour?" Jiang Yuebai asked.

"I just arrived and was about to buy some perfume powder," Xu Hongqiu laughed. "There's an excellent shop in the capital of Yu that customizes different scents for each customer. Their craftsmanship is exceptional! I've been using their products for quite some time, but I haven't had a chance to restock in the last two months. I'm running low, so I figured I'd drop by right after arriving in the capital."

"Go ahead then, we can chat later," Jiang Yuebai said. "If you wait any longer, they might close."

"They won't, they stay open late," Xu Hongqiu pulled her along. "Why don't you come with me? Have the master make one for you too. You naturally smell nice, but maybe a little perfume powder will make it even better!"

"Me?" Jiang Yuebai hesitated.

"Come on!" Xu Hongqiu exclaimed, dragging her into the carriage. "It's no fun going by myself. The Whale Gang is full of boring men; they don't talk for three days straight. It's so boring!"

Xu Ziyang and Ling Ao, standing behind Jiang Yuebai, exchanged looks, unsure whether to chime in at this moment...

"I'll head back later. Just let Senior Uncle Wang know," Jiang Yuebai said. She simply couldn't reject Xu Hongqiu and could only allow Xu Hongqiu to drag her onto the carriage.

"Okay," Xu Ziyang replied with a nod.

The carriage took them along a brightly lit long street, where they parked, with Elegance Haven on the left and Hundred Flowers Pavilion on the right.

"This street is lined with brothels, so there are plenty of shops selling perfume powder and tailoring clothes nearby," Xu Hongqiu explained. "Whenever my dad brought me to the capital of Yu for business, he would always leave me at home and sneak over here. He thought I was too young to understand, but I knew exactly what he was up to."

Jiang Yuebai didn't respond, merely glancing outside.

"If you think about it, Chu Liang is really a great guy. Despite being so wealthy now, I never see him in any ambiguous relationships with other girls, and he never seems to mess around. He's totally devoted to you," Xu Hongqiu added.

Jiang Yuebai paused for a moment and replied, "He is indeed a good guy."

"We've arrived," Xu Hongqiu said.

As they exited the carriage, they saw Chu Liang, who they considered "good," walking out of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion across the street with a slight grin, looking quite satisfied.

As the three pairs of eyes met, the expressions on the three faces froze.

In that moment, the bustling street seemed to swirl around them, but the three stood like rocks in a stream, utterly frozen in place.

Chu Liang was the first to react. He hurried across the street and greeted them with a smile. "Miss Xu, what brings you here? With Senior Sister Jiang?!"

"Oh, really?" Xu Hongqiu glared. "You have the nerve to say that? We didn't expect to find you here either!"

"I'm here to look into a case," Chu Liang clarified. "The Imperial Supervisory Bureau is involved, and I happened to come across some clues, so I came to ask around."

"What kind of case requires you to investigate inside a brothel?" Xu Hongqiu demanded.

"It's difficult to explain. The Imperial Supervisory Bureau has instructed me not to disclose anything for now," Chu Liang said. "I only parted ways with Senior Sister Jiang and the others a short while ago, and I even visited Junior Brother Liu's home. If I had really come here to mess around, why would I leave so quickly?"

"Who knows?" Xu Hongqiu replied, her gaze still suspicious. "What if you are just really really fast?"

"No freaking way!" Chu Liang immediately denied it. "Please don't say such nonsense in front of Senior Sister Jiang."

Jiang Yuebai replied calmly, "What does this have to do with me?"

With that, she turned away, not wanting to pay him anymore attention.

"Heeey!" Chu Liang took her hand and said, "I've uncovered some clues. Why not come with me? Once you see it, you'll get it."

Jiang Yuebai glanced back at him but didn't refuse.

"Alright!" Xu Hongqiu exclaimed, "I'll be Jiangjiang's eyes and ears and see if you are lying."

"It's quite late. Aren't you feeling tired?" Chu Liang suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Xu Hongqiu was taken aback by the question.

"If you're tired, you should head home and rest. I'll explain everything later," Chu Liang said.

"Ah..." Xu Hongqiu looked to Jiang Yuebai. "Should I be tired?"

Jiang Yuebai pondered for a moment and then nodded gently.

"Then I guess I am tired," Xu Hongqiu conceded.

With no other option, Xu Hongqiu stayed behind, watching Chu Liang and Jiang Yuebai walk away together.

...

As they made their way out of the city, Chu Liang explained to Jiang Yuebai what had happened earlier.

While it wasn't the best idea to share the news about the Famous Chef of the World losing his knife, telling Senior Sister Jiang in private shouldn't be seen as spreading it. After all, she wasn't an outsider.

More importantly, if he didn't explain soon, she might end up feeling like one.

He recounted the entire story of how he ended up at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. As they approached the city gates, he finally finished his story and asked, "So you understand now, right?"

Jiang Yuebai replied calmly, "Are you done talking?"

"Yeah, I'm done..." Chu Liang responded weakly.

"Now that you're done talking, can you let go of my hand?" Jiang Yuebai asked.

"Ah..." Chu Liang quickly released her hand.

He had been so eager to explain that he hadn't even noticed he was holding her hand the whole way.

"I'll go with you to the Sword Forging Sect. If we really manage to find the Famous Yipin Knife, then I'll believe you," Jiang Yuebai said, her expression softening, indicating that she likely believed Chu Liang.

The Sword Forging Sect.

Twenty years ago, this sect didn't exist, but it had become well-known throughout the capital of Yu and beyond.

The sect leader of the Sword Forging Sect, Zhang Bailian, started as an unknown swordsmith in the capital of Yu. Despite his exceptional skills in sword crafting, he struggled to achieve fame and lacked the resources to acquire high-quality materials for making renowned swords. He could only hear the world sing the praises of the three greatest swordsmiths while feeling incapable of catching up.

Then, when Chancellor Su Qian came to power and began recruiting talents, Zhang Bailian decided to try his luck by seeking his patronage. To his surprise, Su Qian recognized and appreciated his skills.

Su Qian supplied him with materials and support, and Zhang Bailian exceeded expectations. He crafted several renowned swords, rising to become the second most famous swordsmith in the capital of Yu, just behind Baili Tong. Su Qian then assisted him in establishing the Sword Forging Sect, which allowed him to train apprentices and establish a school.

Today, the Sword Forging Sect has risen to become one of the sects in the Chancellor's Sixteen-Faction Alliance

As one of Zhang Bailian's top disciples, Zhao Tietou held the highest cultivation level among his peers. Few knew that he had also mastered two divine abilities.

In addition to being an apprentice at the Sword Forging Sect, his remarkable talent caught the eye of other sects. He even spent some time training at the Shadow Sect, one of the eight sects under the chancellor's command.

The Shadow Sect excelled in stealth, moving silently and leaving no traces wherever they journeyed.

Chu Liang knew all these details because he had paid Miss Yunshang a generous sum. With the money in hand, she was eager to divulge everything, nearly including Zhao Tietou's entire family history.

For Chu Liang, this was an unexpected turn of events. Initially, all he wanted was for Senior Sister Jiang to taste the Gourmet Banquet Platter she had longed for. However, it was because of that desire that he stumbled upon some clues, which led him to decide to investigate further.

Now that the clues led him to the Sword Forging Sect, it also led back to the Chancellor.

He had been unsure about getting involved, especially with the Assembly of Immortal Sects happening soon. He really didn't need to be personally involved in this matter. All he had to do was hand the clues over to the Imperial Supervisory Bureau and let them handle it. By doing so, he would have demonstrated sufficient kindness and fulfilled his responsibilities.

However, at this point, to prove his innocence to Senior Sister Jiang, he had no choice but to track down the Famous Yipin Knife.

First and foremost, a large-scale search was simply not feasible.

While the Famous Yipin Knife couldn't be kept in an enchanted storage tool, searching the entire capital of Yu for a kitchen knife would feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Secondly, since the Sword Forging Sect had the backing of the Chancellor's residence, it would be tough to bring them to justice without solid proof.

However, with a bit of thought, it wasn't hard to guess how the knife would be handled.

Whoever stole the knife likely didn't take it home to cook. It was meant to be used as a weapon, but since it was stolen, it couldn't be openly displayed. To use it, its appearance would have to be altered.

The Famous Yipin Knife was a legendary weapon forged by Baili Tong and only a handful of swordsmiths in the world would have the skill to reforge or modify it.

Without a doubt, the knife would end up in the hands of Sect Leader Zhang Bailian, who would be the one to reforge it.

A swordsmith of his caliber would create quite a spectacle when forging a weapon, and unusual phenomena would usually happen. Unless, like Baili Tong, they had royal backing and access to a hidden realm within the imperial city, they would have to set up their sword hut outside the city.

The Sword Forging Sect was located fifty li outside the capital of Yu on a flat mountain peak. The sword hut had now taken up the entire space of the flat mountain peak. There were large and small furnaces that were still blazing brightly even at night.

So even though Chu Liang and Jiang Yuebai had never been there before, they were able to find the location fairly quickly by following the general direction.

The sword hut was a critical location, filled with valuable weapons and materials, so it was naturally well-guarded with restrictions and enchanted formations.

While the members of the Shadow Sect were skilled in stealth, both Chu Liang and Jiang Yuebai were equally adept at remaining unseen.

Chu Liang, familiar with the process, slipped into his black robe and instantly radiated the eerie and sinister aura characteristic of those from diabolical sects.

Jiang Yuebai, skilled in stealth techniques, possessed a divine ability so refined that even Chu Liang would struggle to find her quickly.

The two moved in sync, like a wisp of night wind, quietly infiltrating the Sword Forging Sect.

It wasn't difficult to figure out which sword hut belonged to Zhang Bailian; it was clearly the largest one, with the brightest blaze flickering from its hearth.

The two moved swiftly through the area, slipping behind the sword hut and pausing for a moment to assess their surroundings.

The night breeze carried the hushed conversation between two disciples standing guard at the sword hut to their ears.

One guard asked, "What mood has our esteemed teacher fallen into, forging weapons all through the night?"

"It's definitely a task from the chancellor," the other replied. "We need to craft a legendary weapon for the Thirteenth Prince before the Assembly of Immortal Sects starts."

"The Thirteenth Prince?" the first guard asked, clearly puzzled. "Isn't the Chancellor usually close to the Second Prince?"

The other chuckled softly, "Heh, the waters here run deep—those who understand should know..."

As the wind carried away fragments of their conversation, the words became more obscure—phrases like "don't ask if you don't understand," "this runs deep," and "you can't handle it" drifted through the air.

Hearing nothing more of use, Jiang Yuebai said to Chu Liang with the use of Voice Transmission, "We can't extend our divine sense into the sword hut. We'll need to sneak in and investigate ourselves."

"Right," Chu Liang agreed.

Two figures emerged silently behind the disciples guarding the sword hut. With two quick, muffled thuds, the disciples were swiftly knocked out and dragged into the nearby bushes, hidden from view.

Then, Chu Liang and Jiang Yuebai swaggered in confidently as they sneaked into the hut.