"Hehe, wealth is but an extraneous possession to this old man," the old con artist waved his hand dismissively with a serene smile. "What matters is fate, whether itâs more or less is of no consequence."
Mu Hanyan cast a disdainful glance at Xuanyuan Fengchen; if the old swindler indeed possessed such an admirable state of mind, he wouldnât have ended up with a bounty on his head in every country, doomed to die without a complete corpse. In plain terms, the deal was so favorable he couldnât even bother counting the loot.
Of course, itâs also possible that he wanted to leave this trouble-ridden place as quickly as possible, lest his ruse was exposed.
After pocketing the silver note, Xuanyuan Fengchen left without a trace of dust on his feet.
"By the way, Young Master Mo, although the Chengjun Sword was cast by me sixty years ago, it did indeed require a great deal of my effort and has developed a spiritual consciousness. That the sword has come into your hands signifies fate, and I hope you will treasure it. Do not use it lightly, especially to draw blood, unless it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, the swordâs spirit will be tainted with bloodlust, which would be detrimental to you," Xuanyuan Fengchen said earnestly to Mo Yanhong just before departing.
"Rest assured, Master, I will bear in mind your teachings and will not unsheathe this sword unless it is utterly unavoidable," Mo Yanhong replied seriously.
Though spending forty million for a longsword created by Xuanyuan Fengchen sixty years ago seemed not quite worth it, receiving his personal advice made Mo Yanhong feel it was rather worthwhile.
"Furthermore, I see that you have excellent potential, and you will surely achieve greatness in the future. The heavy responsibility of maintaining peace on the Continent and safeguarding the peace of Anyun will fall upon your shoulders," Xuanyuan Fengchen looked at Mo Yanhong approvingly, adding another comment before drifting away.
The Divine Dragon is elusive, which reflects Master Xuanyuanâs usual demeanor.
"Mmm-hmm, I shall not fail to live up to the expectations," Mo Yanhong trembled with excitement. To have such high hopes placed on him by a legendary swordsmith was enough to excite anyone, and Mo Yanhong felt as if he was walking on air.
Yes, those forty million were well spent.
"Pfft!" Mu Hanyan couldnât help but burst into laughter.
What a load of nonsense about maintaining peace on the Continent and safeguarding the peace of Anyun â Xuanyuan the old cheat had spun such an elaborate yarn with the sole purpose of making Mo Yanhong use the Chengjun Sword as infrequently as possible, in order to delay revealing the deception.
Itâs no wonder that Xuanyuan Fengchen was later able to deceive the entire Holy Court Continent, with even the Royal Families not spared. So that was another one of his pieces of âadviceâ.
"What are you laughing at?" Mo Yanhong, still in his euphoric trance, glared at Mu Hanyan upon seeing her mocking smile and demanded.
"Nothing, nothing," Mu Hanyan said, trying to suppress her laughter.
"Mu Hanyan, could it be that you are jealous? Indeed, spending forty million for the Chengjun Sword is a bit expensive. But with Master Xuanyuanâs Sword Casting Technique, itâs only a matter of time before his fame spreads throughout the land. By then, this Chengjun Sword in my hands would be priceless. Moreover, since Master Xuanyuan holds me in such high regard, I am bound to make a name for myselfâthis Chengjun will certainly appreciate in value. By then, you wonât even have the chance to regret," Mo Yanhong said proudly, as if he was already prepared to undertake the duty of guarding the peace of the Continent and Anyun.
Hearing his claims, the onlookers nodded to themselves in agreement. Xuanyuan Fengchenâs reputation was mainly significant within Anyun Country, so forty million for the Chengjun Sword might seem steep; but once his fame spread across the Continent, the sword would be worth far more than forty million.
Although Mo Yanhong seemed to have been a bit irrational just now, he hadnât taken too great a loss.
"Is that so? What if this sword turns out to be a fake?" Mu Hanyan commented lightly.
Her words fell like a giant stone into a calm lake, stirring up waves of commotion.
"Fake, impossible, right?"
"Although Iâve never seen Master Xuan Yuan before, Iâve long heard of his name. The man just now looked exactly like the one from the rumors; he probably isnât fake."
"Also, that Sword Box made of Golden Iron Wood is a strange treasure seldom seen in a thousand years. How could it be fake?" Onlookers glanced at Mu Hanyan in surprise and began whispering to each other.
"Mu Hanyan, if youâre jealous, just say youâre jealous. Sour grapes much? Do you think weâre all blind? That unparalleled air around Master Xuan Yuan, and that Sword Box made of Golden Iron Wood, how could they possibly be fake?" Mo Yanhong said disdainfully.
"You must have misheard me. I didnât say the person was fake; I said the sword was fake," Mu Hanyan said with a sly smile.
"Ha ha ha ha, you mean to tell me that Master Xuan Yuan would auction off a fake sword? Thatâs hilarious, absolutely hilarious." Mo Yanhong burst into laughter.
Others also nodded in agreement, chuckling to themselves. Perhaps common folk had never heard of Xuanyuan Fengchenâs great name, but among the noble families of the Capital, there was no one who did not know him. Mu Hanyanâs words were clearly malicious slander. Itâs probably just envy for Mo Yanhong, speaking without thinking.
"True or false, why donât you test it and see? Holding a piece of rubbish as if itâs a treasure, youâd be fooled and none the wiser, you idiot." Mu Hanyan stretched lazily and reclined on the soft seat, speaking with an air of nonchalance.
"Test it? I will. Today Iâll make you admit defeat, convinced utterly," Mu Hanyan said, her tone lacking the power of the Soul Contract Technique. However, Mo Yanping was still provoked to the point of rage and drew the Longsword from his waist, slashing at the Chengjun Sword.
With a crisp ring, sparks flew, and the Chengjun Sword remained entirely unscathed.
"Do you see that? Do you see it?" Mo Yanhong looked at Mu Hanyan triumphantly.
"Your swordâs quality is too poor; try a different one," Mu Hanyan continued languidly.
Such a result didnât surprise her. If being exposed were this easy, Xuanyuan Fengchen would have died countless times by now, not waiting to be hunted down by the countries united.
"Tributor Qiu, may I borrow your sword?" Seeing Mu Hanyanâs languid posture, Mo Yanhong felt even more irked, and said to Tributor Qiu.
"Letâs not, just ignore him. Stay calm, you have to stay calm," Tributor Qiu frowned and responded.
Meeting with Mu Hanyan today, they were repeatedly at a disadvantage. Mo Yanhongâs sudden outburst, like a man possessed, made him even more baffled. So he found it somewhat hard to understand Mu Hanyan, feeling an ominous premonition brewing as well.
"Give it to me." Mo Yanhong was thoroughly enraged by Mu Hanyan today, how could he possibly let go now.
"Alright then," Tributor Qiu handed over his Longsword reluctantly. In truth, he also felt that Mu Hanyanâs words were like the sour grapes fable, holding no suspicion towards Xuanyuan Fengchen.
Clearly, Tributor Qiuâs Sword was of exceptional quality, adorned with frost and exuding a piercing coldness, hardly inferior to the True Water Sword that was destroyed in Ling Zipingâs hands.
With a swing of his hand, Mo Yanhong struck, and another crisp sound followed. The Chengjun Sword was still without a scratch.
"Mu Hanyan, are you convinced now?" Mo Yanhong held up the Chengjun Sword and flaunted it in front of Mu Hanyan, boasting arrogantly.
"Didnât you eat, or what? With such little strength, you couldnât even break a stick of firewood," Mu Hanyan remained unfazed, saying contemptuously.