Imperial Treasure

Chapter 542 - 354 Jianghu People_2

Swoosh~~

The sword was drawn from its sheath, a single stroke, and the air seemed to be perfectly sliced by a white trail that abruptly stopped at Xue the Skillful Hand’s forehead, perhaps less than a millimeter away.

That sharp, bitterly cold tip hovered above his brow, as if it touched, yet didn’t touch.

The sound of the sword qi whooshed, causing the hair on the sides of Xue the Skillful Hand’s face to flutter, and the grass behind him to bend in unison, rustling loudly...

The sword before him was fiercely cold and cruel, while its wielder was as cold as frost and his eyes as deep as icy pools, devoid of emotion and desire.

A fine layer of cold sweat must have formed on his forehead, his legs trembling uncontrollably...

The others were as silent as cicadas in winter.

Yhan Qingwu held the sword bag, handing it to Sui Yi, glancing sideways, her gaze flicking past Xue the Skillful Hand, and she spoke lightly and slowly, "We were immature and ignorant, not understanding decorum. It seems we’ve forgotten to introduce ourselves... My name is Yhan Qingwu, and this is Sui Yi. May I ask who you all are?"

With measured composure and universal manners, she made these still-embryonic ruffians feel awkward and rude.

—The depth of inherent grace could make others aware of their own vulgarity.

Moreover, this young lady had just flickered and obtained the sword bag—that movement technique was certainly not simple.

The fat man was the first to react, running over with a hearty laugh, "Ah, I knew you ladies weren’t ordinary, look at this sword...such formidable swordplay! Right, the fat man here is Pang Shuai, best known for finding critical hits when pressing rice dumplings, in Jianghu known as Pang the Handsome, just call me Brother Pang..."

"Wasn’t it Pork Rong? When did you change your title~~" that gorgeous woman with a hint of worldliness in her beauty sauntered over with swaying hips, extending her hand, "That fat man rarely speaks the truth, he used to be a pig butcher, though he is quite adept at chopping, especially at making dumplings. As for me, I am Third Lady Yin~, I’d rather not mention my origins, after all, such reputations don’t sound good when spread, it’d result in the elders of my sect disciplining me with seclusion for reflection. But I’m best at navigating by sound and my qinggong isn’t bad either. If you ladies will honor me with your friendship, then you may call me Sister Third~~"

Sister?

Yhan Qingwu’s smile remained, softly calling, "Third Lady."

Sui Yi had already sheathed Demon Que in the sword bag and was indifferent to Third Lady Yin’s gaze lingering on Demon Que, merely nodding lightly towards her, "Pleased to meet you."

The other three included Xue the Skillful Hand, Skinny Waist, and an elderly man in his fifties or sixties who was called Mount Mover by the others, though he was also known by another name.

"What Mount Mover, he’s just a graverobber, but based on personal experience, he is an old fox in this line of work, the Palace Family must have paid a good sum to invite him over."

All five were people of Jianghu, each with their own skills and methods, especially Skinny Waist, whose background was quite relevant to their profession, well, details on that later.

However, to speak of money might be too disdainful for these people, but they did indeed desire it.

"Hey, I wonder how much the Palace Family paid you two to come? They wouldn’t bully you for being young and just give you tens of thousands, would they?"

Pork Rong was quite sly and insinuatingly forward, and indeed lecherous, squeezing onto the boat and taking up the space of three people, and stubbornly trying to sit next to Sui Yi, which severely irritated the usually indifferent Feng Sha.

But upon hearing the fat man’s words, before the corners of Palace One’s mouth twitched, Feng Sha couldn’t help but smirk.

Tens of thousands?

These two young ladies were certainly not short of money, one a self-made billionaire, the other not engaged in commerce, but backed by a powerful family, and her mother renowned as a strong woman on Forbes...

Tens of thousands? That wouldn’t even buy a wheel of their car.

Yet upon hearing the fat man’s question, Sui Yi turned, looking at him, "What do you think my sword is worth?"

Caught off guard by the question, Pork Rong sensed Sui Yi’s chill and hesitantly froze, forcing a hollow laugh, "I’ve just grown accustomed to wandering Jianghu and am somewhat familiar with weapons..."

"Get to the point," Sui Yi sat on that ancient wooden boat, legs casually bent, one hand resting on the gunwale, those fingers... Pork Rong had no doubt they could easily kill him.

Even without that sword!

"Alright, I can smell the essence of weapons~ it’s a kind of talent, you see. Weapons, just like people, come in all types. There’s the righteous yang, the sinister yin, the majestic and upright... Like this Peach Iron Short Sword, black iron mixed with peach wood, adds coldness and exorcism, giving off a complex scent, not quite pure. But your two swords are clearly much better crafted... with Exorcism Spirit Patterns from Mount Mao. And as for this young gentleman glaring at me, you, sir, favor a swift sword, your weapon slender and sharp, its scent carries blood, it reeks of slaughter. And Miss Yhan, you don’t carry swords, but you have hidden weapons, very subtle, with a faint scent of bamboo leaves, likely darts but not only... are you from the Tang Sect? That’s a big origin there..." The fat man seemed to have some skill, sniffing out the essence of nearly everyone on the boat.

Feng Sha’s gaze flickered, Yhan Qingwu smiled without a word, but Sui Yi seemed unmoved by this, simply asking again, "So, what do you think of my sword?"

"Your sword?" The fat man’s expression shifted oddly, struggling for a moment before he managed a wry smile, "I dare not sniff the lady’s sword."

"But you smelled it," Sui Yi expressed no emotion.

"Yes... When you entered the town earlier, the wind was better, and it carried a faint scent. The instant I smelled it, I was startled, to be honest. Over the years, I’ve come across many weapons in my travels, including treasures prized by great factions and noble families, but none has ever frightened me as much as yours... such a terrifying sword." (To be continued. If you like this story, you’re welcome to visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)