Chapter 59: The Sharpest Sword
“My sword has fought with me for many years and killed countless foes. It should have its own room. However, as I never part with my sword, two rooms are enough for now.”
Lu Zhou looked calm, but he did not know in his heart whether to cry or laugh. He could not believe there was such a neurotic person in this world. However, to his surprise, he saw Little Yuan’er touch her chin thoughtfully. Then, she nodded approvingly and said, “I agree that you do need two rooms.”
“Please forgive me, my respected guest!” When the innkeeper saw that the Divine Court expert was not angry, his manner became much friendlier and more polite.
“Hold on!” Lu Zhou said suddenly.
That gave the man and the innkeeper a pause, and they both turned to look at him, who appeared to be just a weak old man they could easily push to the ground.
“What is it, Old Mister?” the innkeeper asked.
“I want a heaven-grade room.”
“But…”
Lu Zhou waved a hand and said, “Yuan’er.”
As soon as his voice rang out, Little Yuan’er understood his gesture. A wave of energy exploded out of her in the next instant and wheeled about them. Then, the energy, which was supposed to return to her, suddenly spread out in all directions like a ripple.
Everything in the inn—the tables, chairs, and even those at the upper floors—shook at the same time. If the energy wave were slightly stronger, the inn might have been brought down to the ground.
“Divine…Divine Court?” The innkeeper trembled, and his heart raced.
There seemed to be a little too many mighty figures visiting his inn today, the innkeeper thought. For a moment, he did not know what to say, and he only felt like crying for offending an expert.
The man’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise. “My brother respected experts when he was alive, and he aspired to become a Nascent Divinity Tribulation cultivator,” he said in a calm voice. “I respect what he respects. I will share one room with my brother. Innkeeper, give the other room to this Old Mister.”
The innkeeper was overjoyed when he heard that. “Very good! Very good!” Then, he hurriedly ordered the servants to tidy up the rooms on the upper floor.
However, Lu Zhou shook his head and said, “It is not enough.”
“What?”
“I want two rooms.”
“This…This…is not a problem at all…” The innkeeper almost burst out in tears.
The reason Lu Zhou wanted two rooms was very simple. Although Little Yuan’er was a simple and innocent girl, she was almost sixteen and no longer a child. It was not convenient for them to stay in the same room.
Lu Zhou slowly went up the stairs while Little Yuan’er followed with a triumphant look. When he walked past the man, he glanced at the two swords in his arms.
“The Couple Swords?”
The man was a little surprised and puzzled. “You have a pair of keen eyes, Old Mister!”
“One of them is long and carved with dragons, and the other is short and carved with phoenixes. They both are peak earth-grade weapons, barely touching the heaven-grade…” Lu Zhou said while stroking his beard.
“Since you know them, you should be careful about the way you talk to me. If it were at other times, I would certainly use them to teach those who insult them a lesson.” While keeping a straight face and a watchful eye on Little Yuan’er, he shook his head and said, “The swords have killed countless foes and been tempered for dozens of years, which made them heaven-grade weapons a long time ago. They are not earth-grade weapons like you just said.”
Lu Zhou stroked his beard and did not refute, and the man continued, “In my opinion, there is no weapon in this world sharper than the Couple Swords.”
Just then, Little Yuan’er said curiously from the side, “Are you using both swords yourself?”
The man shook his head. “I use the long sword and my brother uses the short sword.”
‘Oh, so you and your brother are a pair of…Well, how did a neurotic man like you reach the Divine Court realm?’ Lu Zhou thought as he stroked his beard. Of course, he kept a calm face, so that no one could tell his emotions.
“The swords are sharp?” Lu Zhou asked doubtfully.
The man did not say anything. Instead, he drew the short sword, the edge of which reflected a cold gleam as soon as it left the sheath. Then, while holding it horizontally with his right hand, he plucked a hair from his head with his left hand and lightly blew at it. The hair fell weightlessly onto the edge and was sliced in half.
The sword proved to be extremely sharp.
The man looked proud as he said, “As I said, there is no weapon in this world sharper than the Couple Swords. Do you have any other questions, Old Mister?”
Lu Zhou suddenly recalled his ‘Unnamed’ weapon and thought he might as well give it a try. It was rare to have a heaven-grade weapon ready for him to try his weapon. If it were destroyed, it meant that the Unnamed was just a piece of rubbish, and he would not feel pity throwing it away.
At the thought of that, Lu Zhou slowly raised his hand. In the blink of an eye, he was already holding an exquisite and tiny sword. He did not say a word, and just as he was bringing it down toward the short sword, the man hurriedly said, “Don’t do it, Old Mister!”
“Why?”
“I can tell that you have a good sword, and I’ll feel bad if it is destroyed,” the man said.
“It doesn’t matter.” As he said that, Lu Zhou hacked the man’s short sword with Unnamed.
A crisp metal on metal sound rang and sparks flew out in all directions. Lu Zhou looked at Unnamed: It was not damaged, nor was there a scratch. Then, he looked at the short sword of the Couple Swords and found that it was intact as well.
That confused him. The result meant that the Unnamed was at least the same grade as the Couple Swords. The problem was why it could not damage the piece of sc.r.a.p metal in the secret chamber. Could it be that it was more suitable to take the shape of a s.h.i.+eld, since it could transform into all kinds of weapons?
Meanwhile, the man gave Unnamed a surprised look and said, “I can’t believe there is a weapon in this world that can resist the Couple Swords’ sharpness!”
Little Yuan’er muttered, “That’s because you are ignorant. Do you believe that my Grandpa can break your crude weapons in half with just bare hands?”
For some reason, a scene that Lu Zhou had seen in his previous life came to his mind. It was a video clip of two girls showing off their older brothers to each other, comparing whose brother was better at eating s.h.i.+t. He found that Little Yuan’er was showing signs of going down on the same route, so he quickly reproached her, “Be quiet!”
After saying that, he turned and walked toward the heaven-grade rooms on the other side. Looking at his back, the man said lightly, “My name is Zhuo Ping…I hope I can see you again, Old Mister.”
That sounded quite strange, but Lu Zhou ignored it and went into his room.
With the Couple Swords in his arms, Zhuo Ping went into his own room. Once inside, he placed down the swords, and it was then thar he heard a clear cracking sound. Puzzled, he pulled the short sword from its sheath.
To his horror, he saw a clean cut in the middle of the blade, which split the sword in half like a piece of tofu!
“How is this…possible?” He was shocked, and his heart ached. He had regarded the sword as his life, and yet it was destroyed now! “Is this the work of that old man?”
A swordsman valued his sword above all. When his beloved sword was destroyed, he would do anything to avenge it!
Zhuo Ping stood up furiously as he took the longer sword and pulled open the door, walking out in a towering rage.
He had just reached the first corner when a man in blue robes blocked his way. The man was smiling with his arms crossed over his chest, and his aura was ordinary. There was nothing unusual about him at all.
“Please let me through!” Zhuo Ping said while frowning.
The man in blue robes kept his smile as he said, “I’m sorry.”
“Make way!”
No sooner had Zhuo Ping said that than the man raised his right hand, drew a sword from his back, swung it as quickly as lightning, and put it back into its sheath. His movements were natural, smooth, and completed in the blink of an eye. It was as if he had practiced it over tens of thousands of times.
After that, he walked toward the heaven-grade room without even looking back.
Zhuo Ping was holding his long sword with a shocked look on his face. He stood there, unmoving, as if he had turned into stone.
A few moments later, the long sword cracked and broke, falling onto the ground.
Plop!
Then, Zhuo Ping fell to the ground as well, with blood gus.h.i.+ng out of his neck.
Inside the room, the swordsman in blue robes sat expressionlessly beside the table. With a smile on his face, he said to himself, “Where are you…Master?”