The Unexpected Issue with the Lingxu Sword

Shao Qingnü’s heart was in her throat, and a bead of cold sweat rolled down her cheek. However, as the Sect Master of the Wan Jian Pavilion and one of the peak figures of modern swordsmanship, she could not show cowardice in front of her disciple. She forced a proud expression and took a step forward.

She did not perform the common kneeling bow of a subject to a monarch; instead, she raised her hands in a cupped-fist salute—the traditional greeting of the martial world.

“Greetings, Empress,” she said in her youthful voice.

Behind her, Li Zhuwen imitated her movements. She bowed her head lower, however; in the face of the Eternal Empress’s overwhelming majesty, even someone as frost-cold and detached as her felt shaken. Her manner was significantly more respectful than usual.

“Greetings, Your Majesty,” she said, struggling to keep her voice calm.

Di Yao tilted her head, resting it on one hand. She gave a slight nod in response to their greetings and then offered a smile, speaking to Shao Qingnü in a relaxed tone.

“It’s been a long time. You haven’t changed much. How has your senior sister been these past few years?”

A trace of bitterness naturally touched Shao Qingnü’s lips. Her senior sister was the previous Sect Master who had led the Pavilion in rebellion against Di Yao. When Di Yao personally arrived, her sister had relied on the Sect’s Protective Array to endure over ten moves before collapsing from exhaustion.

Shao Qingnü knew the truth: Di Yao had held back significantly to save her sister’s face. Otherwise, even with the array, her sister wouldn’t have lasted ten moves. Her sister knew it too. Her pride shattered, she passed the leadership to Shao Qingnü and went into seclusion in the rear mountains. When Shao Qingnü visited her a few years ago, she found that her sister had died of a broken spirit.

“The Lingxu Swordmaster went into seclusion to study the Dao of the sword after her defeat by Your Majesty, and eventually passed away, leaving behind a sword manual.” This wasn’t a lie—her sister had left a manual, but because her mind was in shambles, the techniques were crude and nonsensical. To preserve her sister’s reputation, Shao Qingnü had secretly burned the embarrassing book.

Facing Di Yao now, she could only use a more pleasant phrasing. Honestly, she also felt her sister had been too stubborn; victory and defeat were common occurrences, yet she had let one loss ruin her life.

Di Yao sounded somewhat regretful. “I thought her swordsmanship might have improved over the years and hoped for another spar. I didn’t expect her to be dead.”

She then chuckled. “Your sister’s title as ‘Lingxu Swordmaster’ was always a bit hollow. She held the Lingxu Sword without truly mastering it, yet called herself its master. Such thirst for quick fame makes it hard to achieve greatness.”

Shao Qingnü agreed privately, but as the current Sect Master, she couldn’t exactly nod along. She explained, “The Lingxu Sword is an ancient blade and incredibly difficult to control. My sister could draw out thirty to forty percent of its power, which already made her nearly peerless in the world of swords. Under those circumstances, calling herself the Swordmaster was, I believe, acceptable.”

“I once collaborated with the Boundless Sword Saint,” Di Yao replied with a light laugh. “As fellow wielders of ancient swords, the gap between your sister and the Boundless Sword Saint was so vast I couldn’t help but tease her a bit.”

After her light laugh, Di Yao stopped mentioning the “Swordmaster” and moved to the main point: the Lingxu Sword.

“I remember that the Lingxu Sword is co-managed by the Wan Jian Pavilion and the Sword Sect. Every fifteen years, your two sects hold a competition; the winner keeps the sword. Your Pavilion won the last match, so the sword should be in your hands.”

“I wish to borrow the Lingxu Sword. I wonder if the Sect Master has brought it?”

Di Yao didn’t even look at the longsword floating beside Shao Qingnü. She had already used her Imperial Pupil to scan it; it was a fine spiritual weapon of at least Heaven-grade quality, but it clearly wasn’t the legendary ancient sword.

Shao Qingnü scratched her head, hesitating. Realizing she couldn’t hide it, she answered helplessly, “Your Majesty, there is a problem with the Lingxu Sword…”

Di Yao frowned slightly. “What kind of problem?”

“The leader of the Sword Sect, Chen Xiaotian, came to me a year ago. He said a strange demon had appeared in the Eastern Sea, terrorizing the coastal people. He intended to eliminate it but feared accidents, so he asked to borrow the Lingxu Sword.”

Di Yao tutted. “You and Chen Xiaotian are known as the ‘Peerless Twin Blades’ and have a good relationship. Since he asked, you naturally agreed.”

Shao Qingnü nodded. “Your Majesty is wise. I know Chen Xiaotian’s character; I knew he wouldn’t steal the sword. I lent it to him, but I haven’t heard a word from him since that day.”

“I visited the Sword Sect, and their elders were equally confused. Their Sect Master hasn’t sent a message since he left for the sea. They sent people to investigate; according to the locals, Chen Xiaotian did indeed battle that monster for over ten days, turning the sea upside down. But one day, the commotion stopped. Both Chen Xiaotian and the demon vanished. The Sword Sect elders have searched many times but found nothing.”

Di Yao tapped her finger on the armrest, thinking. Suddenly, she smiled. “You have a way to find him, don’t you? And that way lies with the little girl standing behind you.”

Shao Qingnü blinked in surprise. “How did Your Majesty know?”

Di Yao replied, “You have always been cautious and wary of me. You think twice before speaking or acting in my presence to avoid mistakes. Why would you bring a disciple unless there was a reason? I can’t say exactly why, but it must be related to the sword.”

“Your Majesty is truly brilliant,” Shao Qingnü replied. She paused before continuing, “When Chen Xiaotian borrowed the sword, he left behind the Lingxu Scabbard. The scabbard is part of the ancient sword, possessing some of its power and the ability to sense the blade.”

“Normally, I would use the scabbard to locate the sword and Chen Xiaotian. But the problem is, I didn’t expect him to vanish. Shortly after lending the sword, I merged the scabbard into Zhuwen’s body to help suppress her emotions and stabilize her soul.”

Di Yao nodded. “No wonder I felt this girl’s icy demeanor was a bit off; it’s the scabbard’s suppression. Then again, she’s usually cold anyway, so the ‘form’ remains normal.”

“You’re using the scabbard to stabilize her soul… does that mean she suffered a backlash while practicing the Yin Sword Scripture? Would she lose control without it?”

Shao Qingnü sighed. “Nothing escapes Your Majesty. Indeed, Zhuwen took a wrong turn with the scripture and needs the scabbard to correct it. With the fifteen-year competition approaching, I didn’t dare remove it at such a critical moment.”

“I hope Your Majesty can forgive us. Zhuwen’s treatment is nearing its end. It can be removed a month or two after the competition. Once it’s out, I will immediately locate Chen Xiaotian, reunite the sword and scabbard, and personally deliver them to Your Majesty. How does that sound?”

Di Yao looked conflicted. Forcibly removing the scabbard was possible, but it would cause irreparable damage to the girl—at best, ending her cultivation path; at worst, leaving her paralyzed or comatose.

But the competition was a month away, plus another month or two after that… that was at least a quarter of a year. How could she let her Master wait that long?

Thinking of her Master, Di Yao’s eyes lit up. She could just take them to him! Her Master knew more about the three ancient swords than anyone.

At the thought of seeing him again, Di Yao’s expression shifted from majesty to excitement. There was a hint of urgency in her voice:

“Come. I shall take you to meet someone.”