First Immortal of the Sword

When he saw what was in the jade box, the corners of Su Yi’s lips twitched imperceptibly.

Yet another paper crane!

Why does that madwoman love folding paper cranes so much?

Su Yi was speechless.

But before long, he was stunned; he’d sensed that something was different about this particular crane.

It was pale silver throughout, with eyes like rubies. Its head was lowered, as if it were preening its feathers with its beak. It was so realistic that it almost seemed alive.

Furthermore, there was a tiny bronze box on its back, only about half the size of a grain of rice.

Even more unbelievably, as small as the box was, there was yet another letter inside it. The text was so small that he needed to use his divine sense to read it.

“Ol’ Crook Su, look after this box for me. If you run into life-threatening danger, open it.

“I know you’re not the type to listen to others’ advice, and you’re sure to want to know what’s in the box, but give me face this time, okay? Please, please, please, don’t do it.”

When he finished reading the message, Su Yi couldn’t help but rub his nose.

That madwoman’s guess was right on the mark. If not for that last sentence, he would have long since opened the minuscule box.

She actually used Starsoul Threads and Profound Demon Blood Crystals to make a paper crane. She’s really… desecrating heavenly treasures…

After one last unspoken curse, Su Yi sealed the jade box.

In his past life, as the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force and sole ruler of the Wilds, he’d accumulated countless strange and miraculous treasures.

However, his collection was still inferior to the pawn shop owner's.

She was beautiful to the point that it seemed excessive, but she was extremely temperamental, and she had all manner of mysterious and unfathomable treasures.

She was like a mysterious treasury in her own right, capable of pulling out strange and unbelievable treasures at a moment’s notice.

For instance, the Heart-Inquiring Bell, the Starry Abacus, and the Scale of Judgment were all rare and miraculous treasures. But if that madwoman’s collection was a herd of nine oxen, those three treasures were like a single hair plucked from their bodies.

After putting away the jade box, Su Yi looked at the sky, then walked confidently into the distance.

It was already after midnight. A crescent moon hung overhead, and the stars were sparse. Heaven and earth were silent and calm.

The peak of a nearby mountain.

Dongguo Feng sat on the ground, gazing at the bronze box in his hands. He looked a bit hesitant.

It was just as he’d said in the pawnshop: there was nothing he needed, and he had no intention of doing business with the old pawnbroker. His heart had always been free of desire, and he didn’t want an undeserved reward.

But then, the old pawnbroker went and stuffed the box into his hands.

Dongguo Feng still couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Don’t tell me after that scale took its measurements, it really just thought I was born lucky? Is that why it granted me an opportunity on top of exempting me from punishment?

His experience in the pawnshop had broadened his horizons, astonishing him repeatedly.

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He couldn’t even imagine how such an unbelievable pawnshop could exist in this world.

Throughout history, even emperors had pawned various goods there!

Like that Profound Serenity Realm Emperor's sword, Bewilderment, or that Empress’s severed left hand.

All of this surpassed the bounds of Dongguo Feng’s comprehension, and even now, it didn’t feel quite real.

A calm voice suddenly arrived alongside the night breeze.

“You’re rather composed for someone who just obtained such a grand stroke of fortune.”

Dongguo Feng’s heart shook. When he looked up, he saw a tall, familiar figure approaching from afar.

This was none other than Su Yi!

“Fellow Daoist, did you see everything that happened just now?” Dongguo Feng rose to his feet.

Su Yi said casually, “That pawnshop’s origins are quite mysterious; it’s like the pawnshop of the heavens, and it’s existed since antiquity. It shuttles between different planes of existence, and anyone qualified to enter and do business there is blessed by fortune.”

He then pointed to the bronze box. “The item within that box once belonged to a Sword Emperor of the yao path. For a sword cultivator such as yourself, it will bring enormous benefits, enough to significantly increase your odds of proving your Dao and becoming an Emperor yourself.

“However, taking advantage of this opportunity means accepting the accompanying karmic ties. Think it over, then decide whether or not to open the box.”

With that, Su Yi turned and left.

He arrived in silence, said his piece, then drifted off.

Dongguo Feng couldn’t help but feel stunned.

It was only after Su Yi’s figure disappeared into the night that he lowered his head to re-examine the bronze box. When he thought back to everything he’d experienced in that mysterious pawnshop, he was overcome with bewilderment.

Just what kind of person is Su Yi?

Why does he know so much about that mysterious pawnshop’s origins?

……

When Su Yi returned to the dilapidated, abandoned Daoist temple, it was already almost dawn.

When Wen Xinzhao, Daoist Master Coldsmoke, and Qing Ya saw him return safely, they silently sighed in relief. 

“Brother Su, was there a problem with that bell earlier?” Wen Xinzhao couldn’t help but ask.

“A trivial matter, that’s all. Come one, let’s go to Nine Tripod City,” said Su Yi.

……

The eighteenth day of the second lunar month.

Nine Tripod City, atop Mount Heavenbristle.

A gazebo built on the cliffside, overlooking a sea of clouds.

“My lord, ever since the fifteenth, when Su Yi slew Chu Yunke and his companions in the Glittering Ghost Domain, the seven great ancient factions have been in contact with each other. It’s highly likely that they’re plotting against Su Yi,” reported Weng Jiu.

“It’s to be expected. They’re dead set on killing Su Yi. How could they remain unmoved even after learning of his return?” said the simply-dressed Xia Emperor.

He gripped a token shaped like the crescent moon, his expression a bit complicated.

However, Weng Jiu didn’t notice. He just continued his report. “My lord, last time, the seven great ancient factions issued a joint ultimatum. They want us to make a decision before the first day of the fourth lunar month. Now, just over a month remains of our allotted time.”

The Xia Emperor furrowed his brow.

The seven great ancient factions had effectively ordered him to abdicate and give up Nine Tripod City and Mount Heavenbristle by the first day of the fourth month!

Otherwise, they would join forces, rally their troops, and invade!

Word of this had already spread throughout the Great Xia, leaving the citizens of the capital tense and ill at ease.

The imperial family’s situation was increasingly precarious.

“Let’s stay calm. There’s still some time left; there’s no need to panic.” After a moment’s silence, the Xia Emperor took a deep breath. “Once Fellow Daoist Su arrives, he can help us repair the Nine Tripod Suppression Barrier Formation. Once that happens, even if they invade en masse, we can keep them trapped outside our walls!”

Weng Jiu hesitated, then said in a low voice, “But my lord, if Su Yi comes to Nine Tripod City, I’m afraid the factions that view him with enmity will use his presence as an excuse to cause trouble. That wouldn’t bode well for us…”

The emperor narrowed his eyes.

It was then that a messenger rushed over and proffered a sealed missive. “Your Majesty, the Demonic Huan Family has a message for you.”

The emperor took the envelope and opened it. The message inside was brief:

“If the imperial family of the Great Xia offers Su Yi any further protection, the Huan Family, Tianji Dao Mountain, the Burning Sun Sect, the Pure Emptiness Buddhist Sect, Hidden Cloud Sword Mountain, and the Dongguo Family will view you as our joint enemy!”

It was signed “Huan Tiandu.”

The Xia Emperor’s expression shifted erratically.

They’d just been worried about this very possibility!

“Wait, why doesn’t the letter mention the Deathbringer’s Netherworld Palace?” The emperor suddenly sensed that something was amiss.

The messenger shook his head; he didn’t know either.

The emperor looked at the letter, then said thoughtfully, “It seems only six of the seven great ancient factions have taken a firm stance on the matter.”

Huan Tiandu was one of the Huan Family’s Spiritual Revolution Realm experts!

No one would dare forge his signature on a letter.

“My lord, the situation keeps getting worse,” said Weng Jiu with obvious worry.

The Xia Emperor folded the letter, put it away, and said calmly, “If we weren’t connected to Fellow Daoist Su, do you think those ancient factions would have refrained from becoming our enemies?”

Weng Jiu didn’t even pause to think. “They would have come after us anyway.”

“Exactly,” said the Xia Emperor. “No matter how grave the problems we face, we absolutely cannot give up on Fellow Daoist Su!”

He seemed to have made up his mind. “Of course, we still ought to make adequate preparations.”

With that, he turned and left.

Weng Jiu seemed to have guessed something, and his expression shifted erratically.

In the end, he let out a long sigh and said nothing. 

Azurecloud Court.

Su Yi had stayed here during his time in Nine Tripod City.

However, although he didn’t know it, this elegant, serene little residence had originally belonged to someone else.

It was noon, and the sun was bright.

In early spring, Azurecloud Court’s trees and glasses flourished, and the water was clear. It was the very picture of a bright, vibrant spring day.

Within the courtyard.

A slender, beautiful woman sat casually in a bamboo chair near the flowers.

She was black-haired, and she looked like she was in her twenties, but as she took in her surroundings, she had a mature air about her, like one who’d experienced the vicissitudes of life. This lent her an additional graceful charm.

When the emperor entered the courtyard and saw this woman, his expression instantly grew complicated.

Her name was Pu Surong, and she was Xia Qingyuan’s mother. Once, she’d been his wife, too.

Furthermore, her origins were shrouded in mystery.

Not long after Xia Qingyuan’s birth, Pu Surong left behind a message and disappeared. He hadn’t seen her since.

Over the years, whenever he thought about her, the emperor felt an indescribable mix of emotions. Melancholy, rage, helplessness, bitterness…all were present.

Yet now, she’d returned.

However, she hadn’t come back to reunite with him, but rather, to take her daughter away from the Azure Continent!

“Have you thought it through?” When she saw the Xia Emperor, Pu Surong smiled.

However, although she smiled, her expression was tranquil and distant, as if she were speaking to a stranger.

The Xia Emperor suppressed his emotions, and his expression grew increasingly calm and indifferent. “You ask too much of me; I cannot agree.”

Pu Surong frowned. “I know you cannot bear to part with your daughter, but don’t forget: you and the imperial family are beset on all sides. Disaster could strike at any moment.”

She paused, her expression solemn. “So long as you agree to let me leave with my daughter, I can help resolve the Xia Family’s imminent crisis!”

The emperor said expressively, “I already said no. It isn’t up for discussion.”

Pu Surong was obviously displeased. “Why are you here? Want to reminisce? Trying to rebuild the bond we shared all those years ago? I have neither the time nor the desire to do any of that, so I urge you to give up on the idea.”

Her cold words cut into the emperor like knives to the heart. His chest hurt so badly that he felt as if he might explode.

After a while, he took a deep breath and said expressionlessly, “You’re overthinking this. I just came here to tell you that a highly-esteemed guest is on his way, and he’s the nostalgic type, so he’ll take up residence here in Azurecloud Court.”

He then looked up and met Pu Surong’s gaze. “So I’d like to ask you to move somewhere else.”

“You’re here… to kick me out?” Pu Surong immediately sat upright. It seemed she dared not believe her ears.