Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Three Treasures

What relieved him was that the wealthy patron before him seemed fairly satisfied. The man lifted a hand, rubbed his chin, and said, “In that case, take me first to the Spirit Weapon Pavilion. After that, we’ll go have a look at the old Xu Ji shop. This is your advance reward. If you satisfy me later, all of this will be yours.”

Hu San first took out a little broken silver from his chest and weighed it in his hand, then produced a tael of silver in his other hand and studied the child’s expression carefully.

Just as he had expected, the child could not hide the joy that came with receiving the broken silver, but there was no wild delight in it. In Hu San’s eyes, that joy was overshadowed by a deep anxiety, and even the brilliance of the other tael of silver did nothing to dim it.

“So that’s how it is?”

With a quiet sigh, Hu San said no more. The child also restrained his expression after taking the silver. The two of them left the alley one after the other and merged into the vast stream of people in the outer city.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a building came into view ahead of them, constructed upon a giant slab of stone. It was rectangular in shape overall, like a box inverted upon its foundation.

Before the gate stood two enormous stone pillars, carved with several ferocious beasts. A single glance was enough to stir a fierce and ancient aura head-on.

Beside the pillars crouched two gigantic creatures with single horns growing from their brows. In Hu San’s memory, he did not seem to have ever heard any stories about such beasts.

The creatures were extremely tall, around six or seven meters high. On both sides of their bodies were gaps, from which two rows of silvery light flowed endlessly, converging between the beasts like running water. One path extended all the way toward the entrance of the hall, like an illusory road of clouds.

Where the cloud road ended stood a massive stone gate. The gate was wide open, and its surface bore images of all manner of weapons in flight. Above the frame hung a jade plaque on which more than a dozen cold, gleaming blades of varying shapes were arranged according to some hidden pattern, as if constantly radiating a sharp killing edge. Together, the weapons formed three large words: Spirit Weapon Pavilion.

As soon as Hu San and the child arrived, two men emerged from nearby. Both wore short black outfits and seemed to be guards stationed there.

Their eyes first swept over the child, then drifted to Hu San. Only after seeing Hu San’s attire did the faint contempt in their gazes ease somewhat, though they still did not appear to take him very seriously.

The leader, a broad-shouldered man with long sideburns and a black beard, stepped forward with a practiced smile and said, “Welcome, sir. My Spirit Weapon Pavilion offers every kind of weapon under heaven. I wonder what you are looking for? Speak plainly, and let this one help you plan accordingly.”

Though he said this, there was an unmistakable trace of teasing in his expression. Clearly, he did not truly believe Hu San had come to buy weapons. In their eyes, he was perhaps merely some merchant’s son sneaking out for amusement.

“Oh, that suits me perfectly. Why not lead the way?”

Hu San naturally understood what they were thinking. He nodded at once and set off forward. The two men were briefly startled, clearly surprised, and hurriedly followed after him.

The rules of the Spirit Weapon Pavilion were strict. It was not a serious matter to mock irrelevant people outside, but if one showed disrespect toward an actual customer, that would be a grave offense, severe enough to cost them their livelihoods.

“This way, please, sir.”

Whether Hu San bought anything or not, since he had dared to step through the doors of the Spirit Weapon Pavilion, he was a guest. Though they still harbored many doubts, neither man dared be flippant any longer. Even when the dirty child followed Hu San inside, they said nothing.

Once inside the hall, the matter was naturally beyond their responsibility. Before long, a young attendant in blue came to greet them. Hu San noticed that there were quite a few people purchasing weapons inside the pavilion. The interior layout was also entirely different from what one saw outside, divided into many layers, each separated by jade barriers.

Stepping in all at once gave one the strange sensation of having entered another realm altogether.

The blue-clad attendant was quick-tongued and brisk. “Welcome to the Spirit Weapon Pavilion, sir. What can I help you with today? Forgive me for boasting, but within our pavilion we have everything from battlefield weapons to hidden martial arts weapons. If it falls within the category of weapons, we have it. There is nothing you can think of that we cannot prepare. Please, sir, take a look—what would you like?”

Hu San nodded and let his gaze drift over the jade barriers on all sides. He found that the weapons here were classified by category: sabers, spears, swords, halberds, and so on. There were long sabers, longbows, repeating crossbows, and more. Each section held a different kind, and there were indeed many weapons displayed there, some of which he had never even seen before.

Without answering the attendant, Hu San strolled to the saber section and examined the battle blades on the racks one by one. He found that the weapons here were indeed decent, at least far superior to the standard-issue arms supplied to them by the military of the Black Bear Kingdom.

Still, fine as the sabers were, they were all ordinary objects. Not to mention comparing them with the Black Sword, none of them could even come close to the Ice Shuttle Sword in his possession.

Hu San had not exactly held out much hope to begin with. After all, the Ice Shuttle Sword already counted as a treasure of the immortals. Even so, he could not help harboring a faint shred of fantasy. But now it was obvious he had overestimated things.

“Sir, these are all excellent blades from the martial world. If you are not satisfied, my Spirit Weapon Pavilion also has rarities in storage, each and every one the personal weapon of a renowned expert. They can cut through gold and sever jade without effort, though the price, however...”

The attendant had worked here for a long time, and his skill at reading people was naturally no small thing. He quickly sensed where the issue lay. Yet given Hu San’s clothing, he was genuinely uncertain whether he should trouble the manager over this.

“Oh? You have better weapons? Bring them out and let me see.”

Hu San smiled and turned back. Apparently noticing the attendant’s hesitation, he flicked his right sleeve, and a gold ingot the size of a fist appeared in his hand, weighing at least forty or fifty taels.

“Oh dear, this one was blind and failed to recognize a real man. Please forgive me, sir. This way, please.”

The attendant’s eyes widened, and his attitude changed in an instant. In no time at all, he had led over a man in his forties, wearing a tall cap and flowing ribbons, and introduced him: “This is the duty manager of our Spirit Weapon Pavilion, sir. If you have any request, just speak it.”

“This way, please, sir.”

Seemingly having been informed by the attendant, the middle-aged manager showed no contempt for Hu San’s appearance. He directly led Hu San into a corner room beside the main hall.

“Spirit weapons have a nature of their own and cannot remain exposed to the public for long. I’ll have someone bring them out at once. Please wait here for a while and try our pavilion’s specialty, Azure Spirit Tea from the Heavenly Net Fortress.”

As he spoke, the manager seated Hu San beside a table in the room and personally poured him tea.

“You are too kind.”

Hu San went along with it, lifting the jade-green tea to his lips. As soon as he drank, a fragrance pierced straight through his chest and then transformed into a warm current that rose upward in steam, surging out through the crown of his head. It left him feeling almost weightless, and he could not help praising it. “Excellent tea. My thanks, Manager.”

“Haha, a young hero like you is certainly worthy of Azure Spirit Tea. To speak truly, it is your fortune. This tea is peculiar in nature; if brewed too early or too late, it loses its flavor. You arrived at exactly the right time. Otherwise, even if this old man wished to entertain you, I would be powerless without the proper materials.”

The manager laughed as well and took a sip. His gaze drifted past Hu San to the filthy child behind him, and a trace of suspicion flashed in his eyes, though it quickly vanished, and he said no more.

Before long, guards arrived carrying three boxes.

Though the boxes had not yet been opened, the chilling aura leaking from them had already turned the faces of the three box-bearers faintly green with cold.

“Fine weapons!”

Even with the Ice Shuttle Sword and the Black Sword in his possession, Hu San could not help exclaiming in admiration at the sight.

“Heh, sir has a discerning eye.”

The middle-aged manager smiled slightly and took one of the cases. Despite the dense chill around it, it had no effect whatsoever on him.

“He’s a master too.”

A look of understanding flashed in Hu San’s eyes. Earlier he had wondered why the Spirit Weapon Pavilion’s defenses seemed too weak. Now it appeared there was likely a true expert in charge, so ordinary defensive measures were unnecessary.

“Sir, please take a look.”

The manager directly lifted the lid of the first box, revealing a jade-white short blade about a foot long. He introduced it, saying, “This blade was forged from Polar Cold Light Iron and immersed for a hundred years in ice from the sea of ten thousand years. One could say it is already a spirit blade. With this blade in hand, one may cultivate entirely according to one’s heart and will, without fear of deviation into demonic frenzy.”

“This blade is unmatched in sharpness; it can cut gold and sever iron. Moreover, the treasure itself has a measure of spiritual awareness and can sometimes protect its owner on its own. It was obtained not long ago by a first-rate expert from a mysterious lake in the Qilian Mountains. It is a rare treasure indeed. In terms of true value, it can at least rank among the top five in our Heavenly Net Fortress Spirit Weapon Pavilion.”

After saying all this, the manager still did not state a price, nor did he ask for Hu San’s opinion. Instead, he directly opened the second box and revealed a jade plaque inside.

The plaque was palm-sized, translucent throughout, and carved into the shape of a crescent blade. At its center was a coiling dragon imprint, while its edges had been ground to a sharp finish. Except for the grip, every part of it was a chilling blade edge.

The moment it entered one’s eyes, it exuded a vigorous, cool aura.

“This item is a white jade bone plaque. Strictly speaking, it is also a kind of small crescent blade. Its material is unknown, but it is clearly superior to Polar Cold Light Iron, so there is no need to mention its sharpness or hardness.

“Most importantly, legend has it that this plaque is a relic left behind by some mighty being, and it is tied to a heaven-shaking secret. If one can uncover that secret, it is said one can ascend in a burst of radiant light and attain immortality.

“Of course, rumors tend to exaggerate. But according to our pavilion’s elders, this object is in fact connected to the inheritance of a certain master. If one can comprehend it, then leaving aside the mortal world, one could at least dominate the martial realm.”

“As for the third item, it is the white jade skull from the same source as the bone plaque.”

With that, the manager opened the third box, revealing a crystal-clear skull made of white jade.

“This is... blade intent?”

Hu San narrowed his eyes. The instant the skull appeared, he actually felt a chill in his heart. Even with his current strength, his entire body shook violently without warning.