Supreme Alchemist-Chapter 2407 - 2397: Knife

Sword without Dust glanced slightly at Lingxi slumped over his shoulder. He naturally understood what Long Yan was about to do.

"Let’s go back."

Sword without Dust called out to the maiden beside him. Under the twilight glow of the setting sun, their shadows stretched longer and longer as they walked toward their home. However, compared to when they left, they now carried an unconscious Lingxi with them.

"It seems that I, too, should make a decisive end."

Sneaking a glance at the maiden’s side profile under the sunset, Sword without Dust chuckled softly. To have moments like these would be immensely satisfactory.

This was a hidden secret of Sword without Dust’s. Just as he had once said, when he first began exploring the path of cultivation, he was nothing more than an ordinary child—merely blessed with a talent for sword techniques and fueled by the desire for vengeance.

Indeed, if Long Yan hadn’t come today, the story’s ending would very likely have been the same as before—where Sword without Dust failed to protect the maiden from Ming Wu and she was forcibly taken away. When Sword without Dust saw her again, she would have already turned into a cold corpse.

And even in the Real World, Ming Wu continued to live on. Driven by the goal of revenge, Sword without Dust had the motivation to keep pressing forward step by step, reaching where he stood now.

Yet, Ming Wu’s strength in the Cultivation World wasn’t exactly at the pinnacle—far from it, by Sword without Dust’s current cultivation base, Ming Wu was nothing more than a weakling. However, terrified of Sword without Dust’s retaliation, Ming Wu had bought influence from a powerful force—the Qin Dynasty. Initially, the delicate balance between cultivators and the Qin Dynasty was already fragile.

When Ming Wu ascended to the position of City Master, it utterly crushed Sword without Dust’s hopes.

If Sword without Dust had no attachments, then so be it. Yet humans are emotional creatures; how could they ever be truly heartless?

Still, now was the time to make a decision—an opportune moment to do so.

"Shopkeeper, do you have any suitable weapons here?"

Long Yan strode into one of the many blacksmith’s shops scattered across the city center. In this martial-dominated era, blacksmith shops were ubiquitous. Long Yan randomly entered one and saw a diverse display of weapons hanging on the walls.

After all, he needed to head to the Emperor Clan—going unarmed would render his immortal martial arts strength useless. Hence, Long Yan wanted to see if he could find a fitting weapon, but the shop’s selection left him a bit disappointed.

"Hello, Young Hero, may I help you with something?"

A shop assistant dressed in servant attire approached him. Due to the widespread availability of weapons, blacksmiths in Chang’an City were considered people of status, and each shop usually hired a couple of assistants. Regardless of the time, money held tangible value, so when the shop assistant saw the ingot of official silver in Long Yan’s hand, his eyes gleamed with a strange light.

Judging by Long Yan’s appearance, he seemed no more than an ordinary scholar. His slender arms appeared as if they lacked the strength to even truss a chicken. Through years of experience at the counter, the shop assistant was certain this man was, without a doubt, not a martial artist—a prime candidate for deception.

Dreams of being a great hero were common, but perhaps few still believed in the existence of true great heroes. Such people were the easiest to deceive—talk them up a bit, and they’d likely fall for it.

Of course, Long Yan wasn’t aware of the shop assistant’s scheming thoughts. His gaze wandered among the weapons on the wall, but the longer he observed, the more his eyebrows furrowed—not out of concern for the price.

These weapons, though appearing golden and dazzling, were utterly impractical in Long Yan’s eyes. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

The lowest-grade weapons were precisely like these—showy but useless. Truly lethal weapons were as simple and unadorned as possible; those that opponents failed to notice in the heat of battle were the superior blades.

"Are these all the weapons you have here?"

Long Yan asked, somewhat disappointed, as he turned to the shop assistant. None of the weapons on the wall appealed to him.

"Young Hero must be joking. These are merely decorative weapons—how could they compare to real weaponry?"

The shop assistant was momentarily stunned by Long Yan’s scrutiny. It turned out this "scholar" had sharp judgment. Of course, the shop assistant couldn’t let Long Yan belittle their shop.

Having worked here for quite a while, the shop assistant now took the shop’s reputation as his own. Its honor or humiliation mirrored his own.

"Please, follow me."

The shop assistant’s expression shifted, shedding the initial disdain on his face. He turned around and headed toward the back while Long Yan followed closely behind him. After a lengthy passageway, the two arrived at a Secret Chamber.

Calling it a Secret Chamber might be an exaggeration, but the weapons hanging on the walls here were notably different—though they appeared plain, Long Yan could sense a certain weight to them.

Without a certain degree of strength, one might struggle even to lift these weapons.

This fit Long Yan’s preferences perfectly. After all, he was heading to the Emperor Clan—if he went unprepared, not only would he likely fail to resolve his emotional entanglements, but he might also find himself unable to even reach Di Lingtian.

A professional smile spread further across the shop assistant’s face. He believed these weapons were sufficient to awe Long Yan.

Whether Long Yan could lift them, the shop assistant held little hope—after all, considering the slenderness of his arms, was it even possible for him to wield such weapons? Don’t be ridiculous.

Long Yan circled the counter a few times, occasionally clicking his tongue. Though these weapons were all impressive, none suited Long Yan’s current needs. It wasn’t simply about weight; it had to be the right fit.

Eventually, Long Yan’s gaze was drawn to a long knife in the corner, covered in dust. His golden eyes slightly narrowed—this was...

"Young Hero, I advise you to choose another weapon. This one isn’t quite suitable for you."

The shop assistant’s eyes flickered momentarily at the sight of the weapon. So it was that blade. Long Yan had sharp eyes indeed. Among all the weapons here, this knife stood out as the most exceptional—but without exception, every customer who chose it had failed.

Legend had it that this knife had been here even before the shop was established. To this day, no guest had been able to lift it. Indeed, the shopkeeper himself had tried countless times to sell the knife, yet all efforts ended in failure.

"Why?"

A trace of confusion flickered in Long Yan’s eyes. He initially thought the assistant was reluctant to sell him the knife. But upon seeing the expression on the shop assistant’s face, Long Yan felt otherwise.

"No customer has ever managed to lift that blade—many were stronger than you, yet all failed."

The shop assistant wiped the sweat from his brow. This knife was practically the shop’s treasure. A majority of the patrons visited out of curiosity about the blade, wanting to attempt the impossible. Whether or not Long Yan could lift it was irrelevant; the question now was, if he could, should the assistant sell it?

"Still, I happen to like this one the most. All of the weapons here are for sale, aren’t they?"

The shop was no minor establishment, and thus unlikely to undermine its reputation. Long Yan’s remark served as a "friendly" reminder to the assistant.

Long Yan’s words hit the assistant’s sore spot. Left with no choice, the assistant uttered reluctantly,

"Please wait while I consult the shopkeeper."

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