Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 77: Dragon Bird of Great Xia

The supposed information they required from Zhao Changhe and Cui Yuanyang seemed like it would indeed be of no use here. It was no wonder no one had come to ask the two of them for the details of their journey. The crux of the case no longer had anything to do with them. Nothing would come out of more detailed questioning.

Now the most simple method for solving the case was to bring out the Qinghe Sword. Whoever’s heart was most fiendish, the Qinghe Sword would desire to cut down. Would not the matter be settled?

Cui Wenjing, who had not said anything so far, slowly said, “I agree that we should use the Qinghe Sword. However, I must first point out a problem.”

Everyone bowed. “Please enlighten us, master.”

Cui Wenjing looked around and said coldly, “All of the suspicion has now been placed on Yuanyong and Yuancheng, as if this absolves the other brothers and elders of the clan of their suspicion. I don’t see why that would be the case. Just who planted this notion in your heads and misled you idiots?”

Everyone was taken aback. There were quite a few people flushed with anger.

Of course, there were many people who had done this intentionally, both publicly and privately. If the two eldest sons of the main family were suspects, did this not mean that other people had a chance?

With so many of these voices controlling the rhythm of the discussion, a lot of people had been misled into thinking that no one else could be suspicious.

Cui Wenjing said coldly, “This was a good plan. Just how many people in the world dare to claim that they’ve never done anything wrong? That their hearts have never harbored treachery? If only Yuanyong and Yuancheng undergo the divine sword’s test, the sword will not say anything; it will only choose to kill one of them. As for why the sword actually killed him, who will ever know? My son would die in vain, and even in death, he’d still be wrongly accused!”

The elder who explained the current situation just now nodded. “Wenjing is right. Not even I thought of that.”

Cui Wenjing said, “That’s why we can take out the Qinghe Sword. But everyone must undergo the test. Whoever’s heart is most treacherous will be the culprit!”

Cui Wenjue could not help but say, “Brother, is this really appropriate... As you’ve said just now, the Qinghe Sword may not judge one’s benevolence or treachery based on this incident...”

Cui Wenjing cast him a sidelong glance. Seeing that he looked like he was sitting on pins and needles, Cui Wenjing laughed. “Right now, the greatest treachery in the culprit’s heart is with regard to this incident; it’ll be most apparent to the divine sword. If it can only pick between Yuanyong and Yuancheng, the blade will kill the one it considers more evil even if both of them are innocent—it’d be pointless. Only if everyone is tested will everything be uncovered. You govern the commandery. Can you not even recognize this?”

Cui Wenjue could only reply, “You’re right, brother. But the copper pavilion is too small. We can only conduct the tests in batches. How are we supposed to find out who’s the culprit like this?

“I can control the sword myself. I’ll unleash it after everyone has touched it.” Cui Wenjing could not be bothered saying anything else. He looked around and said indifferently, “Is everyone willing to be tested?”

Cui Yuanyong and Cui Yuancheng both shouted, “Yes!”

The others present could only agree. Right now, who could say they were unwilling? Would this not make it evident that they had ulterior motives to hide?

“Alright.” Cui Wenjing grinned and stood up. “Right now, most of the nephews aren’t present. All of you can return and bring them here. Gather outside the copper pavilion. Yuanyang, Changhe, you two follow me. You are the victims here and you must be able to see how things happen from the inside.”

After saying this, Cui Wenjing left the Cui Clan Ancestral Hall without a word. Cui Yuanyang and Zhao Changhe looked at each other and followed along.

The copper pavilion was indeed small, about the size of a regular room. It would be crowded with only a few dozen people. After all, it was made of pure copper. For a building this size to be made out of pure copper, the Cui Clan had to fork out who knew how much money, and not even a behemoth like them could treat their gold like it was mud.

It was completely dark inside, but everyone had the ability to see in the dark to some extent and could clearly see that there were two pedestals, one on the left and one on the right, holding a saber and a sword respectively.

Before they could even register what they were looking at, both Zhao Changhe and Cui Yuanyang felt a shiver at the same time. They felt an extremely fierce killing intent envelop them. It was grand and imposing—immeasurable.

The divine sword of Qinghe was indeed not any regular sword. It was no wonder it had to be kept guarded in a copper pavilion. Anywhere else and that ever-present killing intent would seep out.

Who’d be able to live near this thing? Fuck... I always thought this was a world with low-level martial arts. These high-fantasy elements are really annoying, Zhao Changhe muttered to himself in his heart. The next moment, he stopped looking at the divine sword. Instead, his eyes, burning with incomparable passion, were fixed onto the saber.

He did not even need to pull out the saber from its scabbard and test it. If the treasured saber Xia Longyuan conferred upon the Cui Clan is around the same level as this divine sword, even if it’s a bit lower, it’ll still be top-grade stuff among top-grade stuff. Who knows what kind of amazing abilities it has.

What’s more, its form and weight both appealed to him. For the first time, Zhao Changhe felt what it was like to yearn for something even in his dreams. It was a pity. The rumors had many people believe he was a lecher. In reality, however, his desire for any and all the women he had met could not compare to how much he desired this saber!

Cui Wenjing stood in front of the sword’s pedestal, with his hands clasped with his back, and looked at the sword, lost in thought. Cui Yuanyang looked at her father, then at Zhao Changhe. She suddenly understood something.

What father told me before this... He wants me to take this chance to let Zhao Changhe secretly test out the saber. She did not have to wrack her brains thinking about how to lie to the guards and steal the saber. That was a grand feat she could not accomplish.

No wonder Big Brother Zhao called him an old fox. She had never seen this crafty side of her father before... Eh, he’s this impressive...

She tugged at Zhao Changhe’s clothes as he looked on excitedly and tiptoed to his ear. She whispered, “Touch the saber. You might be rejected. If that happens, we’ll forget about it. If it accepts you, we’ll talk about it again.”

Zhao Changhe was dumbstruck and looked at Cui Wenjing. “Your father...”

“Don’t worry. He doesn’t know.”

“...” Zhao Changhe looked at Cui Wenjing. Indeed, he was completely preoccupied looking at the sword and paid no attention to them. Zhao Changhe knew this and carefully approached the saber, reaching his hand out to lightly hold its hilt.

Cui Yuanyang carefully watched him. The moment Zhao Changhe held the hilt, a shock went through his entire person. Her heart felt like it was stuck in her throat. She was afraid he was going to be flung back at any moment.

However, after that initial shock, there was no more sound. Zhao Changhe shut his eyes and seemed to be comprehending something.

There was an ecstatic expression on Cui Yuanyang’s face as she looked at her father. Cui Wenjing was still immersed with the sword, but the corners of his mouth curved up and he slowly said, “It’s fine. Let him comprehend it. You go outside and see if they’ve arrived. Let your granduncles come inside and stand as witnesses. The youths will come in one by one to be tested.”

Cui Yuanyang ran outside to excitedly pass on her father’s instructions. Soon, a few elders of high standing and prestige entered to stand as witnesses. They were all taken aback when they saw Zhao Changhe quietly standing inside with his hands holding the saber. They looked at Cui Wenjing, who calmly grasped the sword and stood up. “Our guest is simply taking a look at the saber. Don’t be stingy. Bring them in.”

The elders were all concerned with other things and did not say anything. The test to sniff out the traitor had begun.

The first to enter and be tested was Cui Yuancheng, the most suspicious person at present. Without a word, he walked up to his father. “How does this work? Do I just touch it or must I let it cut me?”

He was eager to undergo the test and urgently wanted to wipe away his suspicion.

Cui Wenjing extended the sword to him. “Just touch it however you wish and wherever you want. The divine blade has a spirit. It’ll remember your qi and compare it with the rest.”

Cui Yuancheng touched the blade again and again as if he wanted to tell the divine sword “remember me!” The elders standing by the side all could not help but chuckle. With this display, the suspicion against him had decreased significantly.

Cui Yuanyong was the same. He was more steady than his younger brother. He entered the room, cupped his fists, and bowed to everyone present before touching the sword. He also looked like he was reluctant to let go of it.

Cui Yuanyang let out a sigh of relief. She knew it could not have been her two older brothers!

It was fine as long as neither of them were the culprit. She did not feel it was alarming if it was anybody else and stopped thinking about it before surreptitiously looking at her boyfriend. He’s been like that for a while. What’s happening?

Zhao Changhe did not get drawn into a mysterious illusion like he expected. He merely experienced the saber’s intent.

Initially, he had been rejected, and he felt the saber transmitting him a kind of shock. The next moment, he found himself holding the saber with his internal force. As it came into contact with the hilt, the saber suddenly cheered up, as if it was an ecstatic bird in flight.

This was not some saber spirit at work, but the intent of a divine weapon that had its own intelligence, a thirst for blood, and desire to go to the battlefield. It was not willing to remain enshrined within this small pavilion where no light reached and where weapons were not needed.

That being the case, not just anyone was qualified to wield it.

Ordinary mortals dare to touch Us?! [1]

The brilliant one is the emperor. The vast mountain and rivers are his to command; where his saber points, thousands charge to battle.

The dragon is the Azure Dragon. As it rises in the east, its heart shines like the sun; the trees and grasses grow in spring, and midsummer arrives.

The bird is the Vermillion Bird. It suppresses the far south as raging flames consume the sky; the nine heavens are incinerated and life conceals itself within the destruction.

The Azure Dragon is the master of life; the Vermillion Bird watches over death. Life and death secretly take each others’ place like the sun and moon.

Thus, yin and yang converge, forging the great Xia.

This was the Dragon Bird of the Great Xia!

Zhao Changhe suddenly felt that the killing intent they had experienced just now was not from the Qinghe Sword, but from Dragon Bird... Could it be that there’s actually nothing special about the Qinghe Sword?

If there was absolutely nothing special about the Qinghe Sword, then was his father-in-law’s test actually a bluff? Was he trying to hide the fact that there was a problem with the Qinghe Sword from clever people?

As he thought this, he felt a hint of killing intent directed his way. Consequently, the Azure Dragon reared its head, and the Vermillion Bird focused its gaze.

Scoundrel, from whence do you come... You dare confront the might of heaven?

Zhao Changhe opened his eyes and cast a sidelong glance. There was a youth from the Cui Clan he did not recognize. He was currently being tested by the Qinghe Sword. However, his eyes gazed in Zhao Changhe’s direction. There was killing intent hidden within them that quickly vanished.

Dragon Bird suddenly shook violently. Who dares show Us irreverence? Not even nine deaths shall be enough to atone for this crime!

Everyone present looked over in shock. The youth, overwhelmed with horror, also retreated half a step.

The saber in Zhao Changhe’s hand kept trembling as he fixed his gaze upon the young man and sneered. “Are you mad that I stopped your plans to harm Yangyang? Is that why you have killing intent toward me?”

The young man continued retreating. “What are you blathering on about?!”

A dragon roared and a vermillion bird shrieked as the saber clamored.

Zhao Changhe did not answer him. With the broad saber in hand, he had already burst forth. He crossed the small space between them and slashed at his head!

Zhao Changhe did not care if the Qinghe Blade was of any use. In any case, Dragon Bird had judged the man’s killing intent. Did a man like Zhao Changhe need any more evidence? Since you want to kill me, I’ll kill you first! Am I supposed to wait for your father to swoop in and protect you!?

1. The sword uses the first-person pronoun 朕 here, which is more or less the royal “we/me/I.” ☜