Chapter 15: Choosing a Sword, Refusing to Submit

The length and weight of a sword profoundly affect a swordsman’s feel for the weapon. While Pei Min could extract the necessary power from any sword he held, a truly suitable blade allowed him to perform at his absolute peak. The Autumn Water sword had been acceptable at first, but as Pei Min continued to refine his physique through the breathing techniques taught by Sun Pu and the medicinal baths prescribed by Liu Shenwei, his body underwent a transformation akin to a thorough cleansing of the marrow, resulting in a dramatic increase in his raw strength. Though he could not compare to natural-born powerhouses like Li Yide or Jiang Hua, he was certainly among the best of his peers. For him, a standard three-foot sword had become too light, leaving him feeling as though he could not fully unleash his force; it simply could not satisfy his needs. The Autumn Water sword was a case in point, which led to his quest for a new blade.

Each of the five swords felt slightly heavy in his hand, possessing a heft that exceeded their appearance—a clear sign that none were ordinary.

"Assessing by weight" is the most fundamental technique in sword appraisal. One estimates the potential weight of the blade and then tests the actual feel. If it is lighter than expected, it is a shoddy product cut with corners; if it is significantly heavier, it is a superior work. A fine sword requires countless rounds of forging and tempering—a thousand hammer blows to drive out impurities from the steel, leaving only the hardest steel for the body and the most resilient for the core, achieving a perfect balance of hardness and flexibility, fire and water. Through such rigorous quenching, the density of the blade manifests directly in its weight.

Among the five, two swords matched his requirements. One was incredibly ornate, its scabbard inlaid with seven different colored gemstones—white pearl, black pearl, agate, jade, crystal, ruby, and sapphire—arranged with three on the left and four on the right, echoing the style of the legendary Seven-Star Dragon Abyss. The other was far more understated, its azure scabbard carved with lifelike dragon patterns that possessed a grand, imposing aura. While it lacked the ostentatious brilliance of the first, it far surpassed it in depth and majesty.

One was magnificent, the other grand.

Pei Min first picked up the sword resembling the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss. As he drew it, the blade’s light flashed against his eyes, forcing him to squint. It was three and a half feet long, crystal clear, and as his wrist flickered, the light danced across the four walls of the Wude Hall. "A fine sword! This blade is truly worthy of being called 'forged a thousand times'!"

"How is it?" The speaker was Li Longye, the fifth son of the Li family. This was his beloved personal sword, modeled after the legendary weapon of Wu Zixu from the Spring and Autumn period. In order to assist his third brother, he had brought it out without hesitation.

Pei Min, a true connoisseur, praised it sincerely: "Excellent. If I am not mistaken, it took at least five years just to forge the form of this blade. It was crafted from the finest refined iron, hammered day after day, year after year, consuming countless resources. Only such relentless tempering could produce steel of this quality."

"Master Pei is a man of taste!" Li Longye said, looking pleased. "The forging began six years ago, though it was suspended for nearly half that time due to a shortage of good iron. The rest of the time, it was under the hammer. Once finished, it could shear through iron like mud and sever a hair with a breath. Using this to slay the rebels will surely be an unstoppable endeavor."

"I can imagine... however!" Pei Min nodded in agreement, but his tone shifted. "I will speak plainly: this sword is too rigid. Excessive hardness leads to brittleness. I hope Your Highness, the Prince of Xue, will not take offense."

Li Longye replied, "It is no matter. I have heard that often enough, and the logic stands. But I love its rigidity and its ability to crush anything. If it breaks, I shall simply have another made."

Pei Min was left speechless, tongue-tied. "How willful!"

Li Longye laughed. "I am a prince with a fief of a thousand households and an Emperor for a brother. With no worries or troubles, I can afford to be this willful."

Pei Min had no response. He sheathed the sword and reached for the other, more archaic dragon-patterned blade. In his heart, he actually preferred this one, but he felt it was too solemn, perhaps not quite suited for his current task. That was why he had picked the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss first. Yet, that sword was so brittle that he could not predict when it might snap. If the blade were to shatter mid-decapitation, it would be a disaster.

As he slowly drew the blade from the dragon-patterned scabbard, he saw that the body was just as crystal clear as the first, polished to a mirror finish. However, the brilliance of this sword was restrained; it lacked the biting, icy glare of the previous one. The blade and its light seemed unified—noble and chillingly pure. While the body of the sword was elegant, the edge was entirely different, radiating a predatory light, with faint specks of crimson hidden within the white gleam.

Pei Min looked on, bewildered, unable to discern the source of those red marks.

"How is this one?" The speaker this time was Li Longji.

Pei Min sighed, "A fine sword. With my limited skill in appraisal, I truly cannot judge the origins or the caliber of this blade. I shall borrow it for now! May I ask the name of this sword?"

Li Longji smiled. "Never mind its original name. From today on, it is yours. Name it whatever you like!" This was his favorite personal sword. It had originally been the Ji Kang sword used by Li Shimin. It was said that while Li Shimin was campaigning against Liu Wuzhou, a descendant of Xiang Xiu—one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove—offered him this ancestral blade. While at Mount Yuntai, Li Shimin had struck the blue stone of the mountain twice, leaving two deep gouges. Later, he carried the sword into battle, defeating Song Jingang, Liu Wuzhou, Wang Shichong, and Dou Jiande, and devastating the remnants of Dou’s forces led by Liu Heita, as well as Xu Yuanlang in Shandong. As a commander who loved to charge into the fray, Li Shimin slew countless enemies with it, until the blade was permanently stained with blood that could not be washed away.

After Li Shimin, the succeeding emperors had little military experience, and the Ji Kang sword lay forgotten. When Li Longji obtained it by chance, his blood boiled at the thought of his ancestor’s exploits in pacifying the world, and he swore to emulate him and restore the glory of the Great Tang. As the blade had long been dormant, its edge had dulled. Li Longji had the finest Tang craftsmen reforge it, supplementing the original metal with Northern cold iron, Southern mysterious iron, and refined iron tribute from the Western Regions.

Tang metallurgy was unparalleled, and their sword-smithing techniques were unrivaled. Yet, when the craftsmen reforged the blade to Li Longji’s request, for reasons unknown, the bloodstains from the original sword did not vanish; instead, they were absorbed into the new metal, gathering specifically along the edge.

Once completed, Li Longji named it the "Qin Emperor Sword" and kept it by his side as an inspiration, never expecting that Pei Min would choose it.

Li Longji now possessed the magnanimity of a leader destined for great things. Since Pei Min was helping him achieve his goals, he did not begrudge him the sword and gifted it generously. However, the name "Qin Emperor Sword" was too domineering; it was fine for an Emperor, but Pei Min could not bear the weight of it, so he asked him to rename it.

Li Longye looked at Li Longji in surprise, not expecting his brother to be so generous.

Pei Min had also guessed that this was Li Longji’s own sword and hurriedly said, "This sword is too precious for me; I dare not covet it. I shall only borrow it for the day to slay the rebels for Your Majesty. Once the deed is done, I shall return it." As he spoke, his heart ached. As a swordsman, this weapon, forged with the pinnacle of Tang craftsmanship, held an immense attraction for him.

Li Longji replied nonchalantly, "Since ancient times, fine swords have been matched with heroes. With Master Pei’s help, let alone this one sword, I would gladly give ten or a hundred. Do not decline."

As they spoke, Gao Lishi arrived to report that Wang Maozhong had already led three hundred soldiers into the residence.

Li Longji was overjoyed. "They have come just in time. Come, I will lead you out through the side gate of the Wude Hall. You will pass the Lingyan Pavilion and Ziyun Pavilion, bypass the Chengxiang Hall, and arrive at the Xuanwu Gate. Once there, everything will depend on your ability to adapt. Victory or defeat rests on this." His voice grew solemn. For the Li Tang dynasty, the Xuanwu Gate was a cursed place; ever since Li Shimin launched his coup there to kill his brothers, most of the dynasty’s political upheavals had centered around it.

Li Longfan said, "Do not worry, Third Brother. If everything else fails, you still have me!" As the Great General of the Left Yulin Guard, he held command over a portion of the imperial guards. However, he rarely involved himself in military affairs, preferring literature and music, and his prestige within the guard was not particularly high.

The group walked out of the Wude Hall and encountered Wang Maozhong leading his soldiers from afar. The three hundred men were all armored, their expressions stern, moving with a synchronized gait that betrayed their rigorous training.

Wang Maozhong ordered his men to stand by and approached with three of his officers.

"Greetings, Your Majesty, Prince of Qi, Prince of Xue!" Wang Maozhong was also clad in armor, a tall and imposing figure. "I am in armor and cannot perform the full rites; I hope for your forgiveness."

"No matter!" Li Longji smiled. "There is no need for ceremony at such a critical time. Do you understand the situation? Once Pei Min has slain the ringleaders, you must immediately secure the situation and ensure the personal guards of Chang Yuankai and Li Ci have no chance to counterattack."

"I understand, Your Highness, but I am unconvinced!" Wang Maozhong’s voice was gruff, like a headstrong warrior, and his eyes burned with defiance.

Li Longji raised an eyebrow. "Why are you unconvinced?"

Before Wang Maozhong could speak, one of his officers chimed in: "Your Highness, you do not trust us. Slaying the ringleaders is our task, yet an outsider has been brought in, and worse, we are ordered to wait for his lead. If this outsider makes a mistake and drags us down, who will pay for our heads when they roll?"

Li Longji’s eyes smoldered with anger. He had not expected his own men to cause trouble before the operation had even begun. He glared at Wang Maozhong.

Wang Maozhong looked helpless and bowed. "My loyalty to Your Majesty is absolute, and the men I have selected are my trusted, loyal comrades. They follow me because they trust me with their lives. They do not trust an outsider, and I cannot force them. If Your Majesty trusts us and entrusts the task to me, I am willing to stake my life that I will bring you the heads of Chang Yuankai and Li Ci."

Li Longji hesitated.

Pei Min, however, laughed. "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, one only knows if a horse is a mule or a stallion after taking it for a ride. It is only natural that General Wang does not trust me. Three rounds—if General Wang can withstand three moves from me, then let him take the lead. What say you?"