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Chapter 25: The Undying Sword

Tian Ling'er had returned to her lively and adorable self, as if the events of that fateful day were completely forgotten.

"Yes, we're here. Once we arrive, we can clean up and rest for a day before continuing our journey. But for now, come down," Zhong Shan instructed.

"Why?" Tian Ling'er asked, puzzled.

"We're about to enter the mortal world. Do you want to be stared at by countless people every day? Even if they don't stare, they will be scared and avoid you. If you want to blend in with mortals, you shouldn't show your powers," Zhong Shan explained.

"Oh," Tian Ling'er replied, descending to the ground and storing her red silk ribbon in her storage bracelet.

She followed Zhong Shan, hopping and skipping towards a nearby manor.

Xiaoyao Manor!

At the front of the manor, four large characters were carved into a big stone. As Zhong Shan and Tian Ling'er approached, a man who looked like a steward ran up to them.

"Master," the steward greeted.

"Hmm," Zhong Shan nodded.

Zhong Shan looked somewhat different from a year ago, appearing only in his thirties by mortal standards. The steward recognized him instantly because Zhong Shan had sent a copy of his appearance ahead of time for reference.

Tian Ling'er, however, was too busy looking around curiously to notice any of this.

Upon entering Xiaoyao Manor, they found a guest room where maids had already prepared hot water for Tian Ling'er to bathe and change clothes.

Zhong Shan took his bundle from Tian Ling'er and walked into his main room.

Inside the main room, his doppelg?nger was sitting and waiting. When Zhong Shan opened the door, the doppelg?nger stood up simultaneously. Being essentially the same person, the doppelg?nger functioned like a magical artifact, capable of syncing thoughts with Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan took out the Empty Spirit Pearl from his bundle and handed it to the doppelg?nger.

Following the prescribed method, the doppelg?nger quickly controlled the Empty Spirit Pearl, forming it into a long sword mold about one meter and sixty centimeters long. Meanwhile, Zhong Shan opened a nearby cabinet.

Inside was a broken blade, the legacy blade that contained the Hongluan Heavenly Scripture, which the doppelg?nger had retrieved.

Now it was split in two: one half was given to the doppelg?nger to be integrated into the long sword, while the other half was merged into Zhong Shan's own broadsword, 'Nightmare.'

"The knife is named for vengeance, the sword for immortality. From today on, this sword shall be called 'Undying,'" Zhong Shan said, looking at the long sword in his doppelg?nger's hand, and gave it a new name.

The Undying Sword! The Nightmare Blade!

After the exchange was complete, the doppelg?nger left a thick stack of silver notes and then departed by train.

On a long road, Zhong Shan rode a chestnut-colored horse, the Nightmare Blade strapped to his back, galloping swiftly. Tian Ling'er flew beside him on her red silk ribbon.

"Zhong Shan, where are we now?" Tian Ling'er asked, sounding a bit bored.

"We're in the mortal realm, the Song Dynasty," Zhong Shan replied.

The Song Dynasty was not far from the Kun Dynasty, and they were now within its borders. Zhong Shan continued to ride his horse, pressing forward.

"Will following this road take us to the next city?" Tian Ling'er asked.

"Exactly, we'll be there soon. Two days ago, I received information about a large number of sect disciples appearing within the Song Dynasty. I suspect it might be related to Hao San's whereabouts. We should go and check it out immediately," Zhong Shan said.

"Was it that pigeon that flew in the other day? How did it know you were back?" Tian Ling'er asked curiously.

"It didn't know I was back. I had made arrangements before. Messages are sent periodically from all directions to Xiaoyao Manor via carrier pigeons," Zhong Shan explained.

"Oh," Tian Ling'er nodded, understanding.

As the two traveled swiftly, they would find a waystation to rest each night. Two days later, they saw a city in the distance.

Tian Ling'er immediately flew down, and Zhong Shan dismounted, leading the horse towards the distant city. Tian Ling'er disliked riding the horse, complaining that it was too bumpy and made her backside sore. Thus, Zhong Shan walked with her towards the city gate.

Bian City!

The two large stone-carved characters above the gate spelled out "Bian City."

"Bian City?" Tian Ling'er read aloud.

They led the horse towards the gate. Zhong Shan didn't pay any attention to the guards, casually tossing a silver ingot towards the gate captain.

"Smack!"

The captain caught it, but the force made him stagger backward slightly, his right hand numb from the impact. He steadied himself without moving further, but his hand remained tingling.

The captain stood straight, not daring to search them further. Zhong Shan and Tian Ling'er strode into the city unimpeded.

"Captain, that guy's really generous. Should we stop him and get more out of him?" a young guard asked eagerly.

The captain glared at him. "Shut up! Do you want to die?" he hissed.

The captain had seen Zhong Shan's casual toss. Though it seemed light, it carried hidden force that numbed his hand. That man was at least at the eighth level of postnatal strength. Even if he didn't have a powerful background, he was a formidable expert. Confronting him? It was suicidal.

Tian Ling'er skipped along, her eyes darting everywhere, taking in the bustling scene. She had never seen so many people before, having spent most of her time in the sect.

The street was lined with numerous stalls, each displaying a variety of strange and curious items that immediately caught Tian Ling'er's eye.

"You, I want this one," Tian Ling'er said, pointing to a ghost-face mask.

She handed over a silver ingot and took the mask, joyfully putting it on without waiting for change. The vendor, seeing such a generous customer, broke into a wide grin—the ingot could buy his entire stall ten times over.

"Zhong Shan, look, isn't this fun?" Tian Ling'er asked, making a ghost face at Zhong Shan with the mask on.

Zhong Shan shook his head at her antics. If she wanted to play, let her play. Such small amounts of money were nothing to him.

As they walked, Tian Ling'er bought whatever caught her fancy.

"Is this called tanghulu? Edible? I want it. Here," Tian Ling'er said excitedly, handing over another silver ingot for a skewer of candied fruits, taking a bite before running back to Zhong Shan.

"Zhong Shan, I've spent ninety ingots of the hundred you gave me," Tian Ling'er said, a little dismayed, as she bit into her tanghulu.

Zhong Shan had just sold his chestnut horse for fifty ingots of silver. Hearing Tian Ling'er, he turned and smiled.

"Ninety ingots, just like that?"

"Here, this is for you. Spend it wisely. And remember, the silver notes can also be used for purchases. One note is equivalent to a thousand ingots," Zhong Shan said, shaking his head with a smile.

Ninety ingots could buy a small courtyard in the city, yet Tian Ling'er had spent it all on tanghulu, masks, and other trinkets?

"Don't worry, I'll be more careful with my spending this time," Tian Ling'er said, patting her chest with determination.

"Alright," Zhong Shan nodded.

With the horse sold, Zhong Shan looked around for a restaurant to get some food. He spotted a large establishment in the distance.

"Let's go get something to eat," Zhong Shan said, looking at the restaurant.

"Okay," Tian Ling'er agreed, pocketing the fifty ingots without anyone noticing.

As they approached, Zhong Shan realized it wasn't just a restaurant.

Golden Brick Pavilion!

Zhong Shan recognized it as a gambling house. Generally, such large establishments also offered food and drink. Since they were already there, Zhong Shan decided not to look elsewhere. As long as there was food, it would do.

Upon entering, a greeter immediately approached them respectfully.

"What service do you require, honored guests?"

"Take us to eat," Zhong Shan said lightly, flipping a silver ingot as a tip.

"Right this way, please. We have private rooms and a main hall on the second floor, serving the finest cuisine," the greeter said eagerly.

Zhong Shan nodded, leading Tian Ling'er inside.

The interior was filled with the loud buzz of chatter. Tian Ling'er's eyes widened as she looked at the groups of people crowded around various tables, their faces flushed with excitement.

"Zhong Shan, what are they doing?" Tian Ling'er asked, pointing at the animated crowd.

"They're gambling," Zhong Shan replied.

"Gambling?" Tian Ling'er's eyes sparkled with curiosity, clearly intrigued by something new.

"Let's eat first. I'll show you afterward," Zhong Shan said.

"Okay," Tian Ling'er agreed, suppressing her curiosity as she followed Zhong Shan to the second floor.

They chose a table on the terrace, where they could eat and still observe the gambling hall below.