The Human Emperor c1-2382
Page 90
But to the disbelief of everyone else, Wang Chong turned out to be the ultimate victor of this sword duel gamble!
Weng!
In the Bluebottle Pavilion, all of the famous weapon merchants stared at Wang Chong. They were even more shocked than the crowd outside. The jaws of the elders of the Cheng, Li, Huang, and Lu Clan almost touched the ground.
“How could this be?”
The members of the Four Great Swordsmithing Clans couldn’t accept the abrupt change in the situation. Before the duel gamble, the Four Great Swordsmithing Clan had mocked Wang Chong for intentionally trying to attract attention, and they regarded this affair as an ideal opportunity for them to showcase their best weapons.
But no one would have thought that their swords would be sliced apart by Wang Chong’s instead!
“My saber! Impossible! ——”
Suddenly, an astonished cry sounded. From the Bluebottle Pavilion, the manager from the White Tiger Weapon Shop leapt down and landed on the ground. He picked up the broken edge of his saber and yelled in agony.
His face paled and he looked as though he was on the verge of tears.
This was the White Tiger Weapon Shop’s best weapon! To think it would be split into two just like that!
This was inconceivable!
“No… Impossible! How can a fifteen-year-old kid like him possess such incredible swordsmithing technology!”
“… Furthermore, for that sword to be that sharp!”
Zhang Cong and Zhang Jian were stunned by the sight before them.
Of everyone inside, only they knew Wang Chong’s background the best. That was also the reason why they were the most shocked.
The lineage of Duke Jiu had never dealt in swordsmithing, and even if they were beaten to death, they would have never believed that Wang Chong would be able to craft such an incredible sword.
In that instant, the both of them suddenly realized that they had underestimated Wang Chong, and it was a gross underestimation at that!
“We won’t be able to obtain the Hyderabad ores!”
At that moment, the thought flashed through the minds of the duo.
Dumbfounded, the two of them stared blankly at the sight before them.
Noses were about to reach the heavens boasting about it:
Sounds like a Pinocchio reference but it simply meant that their heads were so lifted up (aka looking down on the others) that it was facing the heavens.
Chapter 59: Powerful!
Before today, they regarded this storm as a farce.
From the start to end, they never thought that Wang Chong would win. Even a moment ago, they were still trying to persuade Wang Chong, hoping that he could give up on this duel gamble.
For this, the Zhang Clan was even willing to use their own sword as a substitute to minimize his losses. The duo even thought that if they could get their hands on the Hyderabad ores contract, they would help the Wang Clan to further push down the setback this event would cause.
The thought of Wang Chong winning had never flashed through their mind, not even once!
In the Bluebottle Pavilion, Huang Jiao seemed to have gone daft.
Just a moment ago, he was still trying to persuade everyone to use a more ‘civilized’ manner to carry out the duel gamble. Yet, in the next moment, the fellow who he said was ‘attracting attention’, with a single move, destroyed more than twenty top-notch swords, showing its overwhelming strength.
“Who is that fellow?”
At that instant, Huang Jiao could feel a chill surging down from his head to his toe. The entire Bluebottle Pavilion was eerily silent!
In contrast, its entrance was bustling. Amidst the crowds, countless small weapon traders were currently experiencing a magnitude 12 earthquake in their hearts upon seeing the shocking sight.
The event at the Bluebottle Pavilion had attracted nearly every weapon trader in the entire capital. In the past few days, even though there hasn’t been an official clash between the swords, everyone has looked into the matter regarding the duel gamble.
The swords hanging on the Bluebottle Pavilion were arranged based on the standing of the power behind the swords. Even though Wei Hao’s move had only cut through twenty swords or so, the twenty swords were all the sharpest and strongest swords hung on the Bluebottle Pavilion.
There wasn’t a single one of the sword that wasn’t renowned.
However, before the Wootz steel sword which Wang Chong forged, all of these swords were utterly destroyed.
“What kind of sword is that, for it to be so formidable?”
Shock rippled through everyone’s heart. Putting aside the weapon shops and workshops, even the swords of the Huang, Lu, Cheng, Zhang, and the various other prestigious swordsmithing clans were shattered as well!
This was something no one would dare to think about.
In that instant, it seemed as though time has stopped. From all directions, everyone’s gazes fell on the Wootz steel weapon grasped in Wei Hao’s hand.
Under the glaring sunlight, for the first time, the first Wootz steel sword was exposed to the world!
This was a uniquely designed sword that was around three chi long.
With an elegant silver exterior, it seemed as it was cloaked with mercury.Unlike other swords, it has mysterious silver patterns on its body that resembled flowing water, granting it bizarrely enchanting aesthetics.
The sword was tremendously sharp. Even after slicing more than twenty top-notch swords, there wasn’t the slightest trace of damage on it. In fact, not even the tiniest scratch could be seen.
Its toughness was frightening!
Not just so, the black cloth that was veiling the scabbard was also removed, revealing a black scabbard. Looking from the side, one could see an interior layer of expensive gold phoebe nanmu wood with an exterior layer of black whale skin.
The both were stitched together via golden and silver threads and the entire scabbard looked extremely noble and elegant.
Other than that, different from the other swords that one could buy from the market, there were red agates, rubies, as well as green turquoise gems.
All of these gemstones weren’t only embedded on the surface. Rather, it seemed to follow some rules of aesthetic design, creating the image of a simple and elegant winter plum blossom on top.
In an instant, everyone was shocked by the beauty of the scabbard. Some of the weapon traders among the crowd were staring at the scabbard with their eyes wide open, rendered speechless.
Rarely did anyone spend so much effort on a mere scabbard, but judging from the gemstones on it, it was definite that embedding the gems would have taken a lot of time. This was something inconceivable to the weapon merchants of the Central Plains.
Everyone knew that the most crucial part of a sword was the sword itself, not the scabbard. Putting one’s efforts into other aspects would be deemed sloppy by others, creating an impractical sword due to focusing too much on its exterior.
Thus, there wasn’t a single weapon shop, workshop, and even the few prestigious swordsmithing clan who would spend so much effort on a scabbard.
Even if those master swordsmiths spent some additional effort on the scabbard, it would never reach such a level. Just the gems that Wang Chong embedded on the scabbard by itself should be worth more than six hundred gold taels.
Not only that, Wang Chong had put in effort on the handle of the Wootz steel sword as well. The cross-guard was made of gold-plated silver while the grip was made of a black rhinoceros horn. Other than that, like the scabbard, the handle was also embedded with precious gems.
If it was any other sword, it would definitely be deemed as a beautiful but impractical. However, after witnessing the strength of a Wootz steel weapon for themselves, who would dare to say such words!
“Good sword! It’s indeed an excellent sword! … To think that there would be such a sharp sword in the Central Plains!”
In the Bluebottle Pavilion, Mosaide had witnessed
the entire scene clearly. Holding the sides of the rattan chair, he abruptly stood up.
All along, he had faced this duel gamble with a light and relaxed attitude, but at this very moment, Mosaide realized that he had underestimated the event.
“This trip to the Central Plains wasn’t wasted. No matter how much money I would spend on purchasing the sword, it would be worth it. I have to bring back this sword no matter the cost!”
Mosaide stared at the Wootz steel sword in Wei Hao’s hands as his eyes gleamed brightly.
If two swords were of the same level, the most one could do was to inflict a few cuts on the enemy’s sword. It was impossible for such a clean cut through of another sword to occur.
To achieve such a feat, the quality of one sword must far surpass the quality of another. The difference of the two must be so large as though one was an ordinary sword while the other was a top-notch blade.
There was something that Mosaide didn’t say to Wang Chong. Even though the saber he kept with him wasn’t the best in Charax Spasinu, it was ranked among the top in the country.
It was a representation of the top-notch swordsmithing skills of Charax Spasinu.
Yet, Wang Chong’s sword was able to easily cut through his prized blade. Clearly, Wang Chong’s sword wasn’t just a level higher than his, they were on two completely different levels.
There was a huge gap between the two!
“This trip to the Central Plains is truly worth it!”
The agitation that Mosaide felt couldn’t be described. In Wang Chong’s sword, he saw a technology that far surpassed that of Charax Spasinu.
If he could bring this technology back and propagate it, then even spending ten thousand taels on the sword would be worth it.
At this moment, Mosaide felt a fervent will to obtain this sword, regardless of the cost!
There was another person who was harboring the same thoughts as Mosaide.
But different from Mosaide, Zhao Fengchen wasn’t focused on the Wootz steel sword in Wei Hao’s hands. Ever since Wei Hao made a move and leapt from the third floor of the Bluebottle Pavilion, what Zhao Fengchen had been focused on was the human-height ‘metal mountain’ which Wei Hao split apart.
“Too sharp! A normal top-notch sword can only cut through four to five centimeters of raw metal, when this sword was able to cut through a metal mountain which was around a zhang tall. If wielded on the battlefield, it would surely be able to cut a person apart along with his armor!”
As a member of the Imperial Army, Zhao Fengchen had a good eye for things. He could immediately sense the true value of the sword. Wang Chong’s sword was simply too sharp, and if an army of experts wielding this sword were to be assembled, they would truly be unstoppable on the battlefield.
Not only so, Zhao Fengchen also thought of another matter.
“Huang Xiaotian had always defeated me through that Ancient Sui Sword Winterthirst in his possession. In terms of weapons and equipment, I’m no match for him at all. But if I were to obtain a sword of such level, I would surely be able to triumph over him easily in the general selection!”
Zhao Fengchen stared at Wang Chong’s back and countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
Zhao Fengchen didn’t look for Wang Chong just to buy swords. In the Imperial Army, Zhao Fengchen had a nemesis, Huang Xiaotian.
He was slightly older than Zhao Fengchen, and just like him, he was also a commander of the Imperial Army.
The strife among different factions was extremely intense in the Imperial Army. Zhao Fengchen and Huang Xiaotian belonged to opposing sides, thus they were often compared with one another.
At the very start, Zhao Fengchen and Huang Xiaotian didn’t have much of a grudge against one another. Zhao Fengchen had also thought that he wouldn’t be involved in the factional wars as well.
Furthermore, Huang Xiaotian was older than him. Thus, Zhao Fengchen had always been stepping back and giving the other leeway.
But for some reason, Huang Xiaotian seemed to especially despise wealthy scions like Zhao Fengchen. Not only did Zhao Fengchen’s tolerance not earn his goodwill, he even attributed to the cowardly nature of the other party and his inability.
Not only that, Huang Xiaotian was the type to go to extremes. He would often insult Zhao Fengchen in the royal court, and made use of all chances to oppress Zhao Fengchen’s subordinates and friends.
Zhao Fengchen could tolerate insults against him, but he couldn’t allow anyone to degrade his subordinates and friends. From then on, their relationship soured. Recently, a general seat in the Imperial Army had emptied and the two factions nominated Zhao Fengchen and Huang Xiaotian for the position.
This caused the relationship between the two to grow even tenser and more hostile!
Eventually, everyone around them got dragged into the matter. Zhao Fengchen and Huang Xiaotian weren’t the only ones who valued the result of this competition, the subordinates of the duo also came out one by one and crossed blows with one another both on the surface and in the shadows. As such, the relationship between both factions was extremely stiff.
There was no chance of reconciliation at this point.
Zhao Fengchen possessed great talents, but Huang Xiaotian was more experienced. Furthermore, the Ancient Sui Sword in his hands placed Zhao Fengchen in an extremely bad position.
Not too long ago, in a ‘friendly spar’, he suffered a terrible defeat, such that even his treasured sword was split in two!
This agitated Zhao Fengchen. For his clan, subordinates, and his future, he had to look for a sword that could surpass Huang Xiaotian’s.
Just that, the quality of Huang Xiaotian’s Winterthirst was simply too high. Those top-notch swords sold in the capital, even including those from the prestigious swordsmithing clans, were all unable to match his.
Zhao Fengchen had explored countless weapon stores and workshops, only to end up disappointed. That was until he saw Wang Chong selling swords at the Bluebottle Pavilion.
“If I wish to defeat Huang Xiaotian, this is my only hope. No matter what, I have to obtain that sword!”
Zhao Fengchen glanced at the entrance of the pavilion and saw his sword, which was cut into two by Wang Chong’s sword. Determination flashed across his eyes.
“AH! ——”
Just when everyone was focused on the Wootz steel in Wei Hao’s sword, a shout in the Bluebottle Pavilion frightened everyone.
Near the railings of the third floor, a full-bearded bulky man grabbed a five chi long greatsword, stepped over the railings, and with astounding might, charged toward Wei Hao…
Chapter 60: Fiery Competition!
“Ah! ——”
The crowd screamed in shock. This move came too suddenly, and no one was able to react to the sudden twist in the situation.
“Not good!”
Wei Hao’s face went pale in astonishment. Just like what Wang Chong said, he sliced through the ‘metal mountain’ with a single blow of his sword. He didn’t expect that anyone would attack him.
Furthermore, the person possessed a higher cultivation than him. He wasn’t a match for him at all!
Weng!
In the blink of an eye, Wei Hao instinctively grabbed the sword with both hands and raised it above his head.
Klang!
The greatsword split in two, and the tip flew nearly ten zhang away!
“Impossible! I’ve been forging swords for nearly ten years, how could there be a stronger and sharper sword than mine!”
The full-bearded bulky man stared at the broken sword in his hands. He was clearly extremely agitated. Right after saying those words, he spurted a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground.
Wei Hao was stunned for a moment before he understood what was going on. The full-bearded bulky man wasn’t trying to have a go at him, but the Wootz steel sword in his hands.
“Hahaha! This is the sword my brother forged, the world’s number one sword! Who still wants to give it a try!”
Wei Hao’s heart had been leaping nervously for this duel. He was concerned that Wang Chong’s sword may not be able to match up to the others, and he would owe an astronomical debt as a result.
Wei Hao could never have thought that the sword his brother forged would be so formidable.
Despite the members from numerous swordsmithing clans, weapon shops, and workshop being present, not a single one of their swords were able to match up to his brother. In fact, even the savage-looking full-bearded man spurted blood out of anger, unable to believe that there could be a stronger sword than him in the world!
With such a person as his brother, Wei Hao felt incomparably proud.
“This is my brother! This is my brother! Did you see that, did you all see that?”
Wei Hao stood before the entrance of the Bluebottle Pavilion haughtily. If he could, he would make the entire world hear this words.
“Hahaha, is there still anyone else? If you won’t challenge me, I will challenge you all in my brother’s stead!”
Wei Hao laughed heartily. Then, he leapt to the second floor and using the railing as a stepping stone, he jumped straight up to the third floor.
“Not good!”
All of the faces of the swordsmiths who had brought their best swords to participate in the duel gamble turned pale upon realizing what Wei Hao was going to do.
“Wait a minute!”
“We admit our defeat!”
What a joke! Even the Zhang, Lu, Huang, Cheng Clans who had centuries of history behind them were unable to stand up to them, needless to say, small clans like theirs.
Even if they had lost in the duel gamble, they should at least protect their own swords!
Shua shua shua, they immediately charged forth to retrieve their swords, but they were too late. Klang! A cold gleam flashed across the air and the remaining dozen of swords was immediately cut into and fell onto the ground.