Heartfelt intentions

Xǔ Tiānlí picked a completely black blade, its edges lined with a dark gold trim.

The moment he gripped the blade, Xǔ Tiānlí couldn’t help but let out a small gasp of surprise.

Unlike any blade he had wielded before, this one felt substantial in his hand.

Its weight far surpassed that of standard longswords.

To brandish it with fluid grace would undoubtedly require considerable strength.

“Are you certain this is the blade you want?”

“I feel it suits me well, and it looks quite dashing.”

“Of course it is!”

“You wouldn’t expect anything less, considering whose craftsmanship it is.”

The agency owner, despite his self-aggrandizing claims, had not forged this blade himself.

He had acquired it some time ago from another source, a treasured artifact reportedly unearthed from a distant land, for which he had paid a hefty sum.

When the black longsword first came into his possession, it was still in its freshly unearthed state.

The owner had brought it back, washed away the clinging dust, and meticulously maintained it.

To be honest, the moment he beheld the true form of the black longsword, the owner had been convinced it was an unparalleled weapon.

Even if he couldn’t sell it for a high price, he believed he could keep it for his own use.

Yet, after scouring the entirety of Wufeng City, the results he obtained were profoundly disappointing.

While the blade looked impressive, it possessed not a shred of spiritual power.

No matter what method of appraisal or stimulation was applied, its performance was no different from an ordinary item.

Its only merits were its exceptional hardness and a sharpness superior to common longswords, but nothing beyond that.

His shop catered exclusively to Spirit Wielders, and no matter how unique, an ordinary weapon devoid of spiritual power would fail to capture their attention.

The owner had felt a pang of regret for a long time, hanging the blade on the wall, patiently awaiting some hapless soul to buy it, allowing him to recoup his losses.

This wait had stretched on for a considerable period, until he met Xǔ Tiānlí today.

The owner couldn’t believe this young man would take a liking to the black longsword, and his heart bloomed with joy.

Mù Qīngyǔ, seeing that the man’s avarice was practically etched on his face, spoke up once more:

“Won’t you reconsider?”

“I am not short on money.”

There was no falsehood in her words.

Between her own allowance and the recent remuneration from the Heaven’s Will Bureau, Mù Qīngyǔ could freely choose anything she desired in this shop.

While this establishment was renowned in Wufeng City, its scale was limited by the city itself.

Mù Qīngyǔ could easily purchase the entire shop several times over with any random item she ‘borrowed’ from the Four Sacred Courts’ treasury.

“Ah, young lady, if he likes it, there’s no need to make things difficult,” the owner began, feigning impartiality.

“Isn’t the purpose of life to live happily?”

‘No, that’s not right.’

‘Why am I so concerned?’ Mù Qīngyǔ wanted to refute him, but the owner’s words momentarily stunned her.

‘I’m not even buying it for myself, so why am I acting so invested?’

Mù Qīngyǔ suddenly recalled her initial thought from last night: merely to buy Xǔ Tiānlí a suitable weapon, ensuring his unwavering devotion to her.

She had even prepared a set of arguments, worried that Xǔ Tiānlí might be overly picky.

But why did the situation now seem to be completely reversed?

Mù Qīngyǔ looked at Xǔ Tiānlí’s face.

Although he maintained a smile, it stirred a subtle unease within her, making her feel he shouldn’t be wearing such an expression.

‘He’s clearly being swindled, yet he’s smiling so cheerfully.’

‘What a big heart.’

“Are you truly not going to change your mind?” Mù Qīngyǔ’s tone was no longer pressing; instead, it held a distinct patience.

If Xǔ Tiānlí showed even a hint of hesitation, she would immediately take him out of this shady establishment and choose another place.

Going for the best wasn’t always necessary; the second best would also suffice.

Mù Qīngyǔ had always considered herself a willful person, too lazy to ponder why she did things.

Whatever she decided upon, she would see through to the end.

Xǔ Tiānlí’s gaze never left her face.

In her clear golden eyes, he saw his own slightly dazed expression.

“No, Master.”

“I want this one.”

He truly felt it—Qín Yuè’s heartfelt intention.

That alone was enough.

Moreover, the blade wasn’t as bad as she made it out to be.

Xǔ Tiānlí simply found himself unable to part with it once he held it, as if the sword had been forged specifically for him.

It was, by all accounts, just an ordinary black longsword.

Mù Qīngyǔ found herself at a loss.

If Xǔ Tiānlí liked it, then so be it.

As long as he didn’t blame her if he got scammed later.

Seeing that neither master nor disciple had any further objections, the owner was overjoyed.

He even offered to replace Xǔ Tiānlí’s hilt for free.

The current hilt, having been haphazardly attached, was somewhat worn.

Since he was in a good mood today, he decided to ‘bleed a little’ and do a good deed.

“Boss, you’re quite a good person.”

“You must have put a lot of effort into making this blade, right?” Xǔ Tiānlí asked with a smile.

“That’s right!”

“The raw materials for this blade were all purchased from the neighboring city.”

“Neighboring?”

“Danfeng City.”

‘Hmm?’

Hearing the familiar name, Mù Qīngyǔ’s eyebrows twitched, but she didn’t dwell on it.

“Oh, that place.”

“I know it well.”

“Young man, it’s not good to lie at such a young age.”

“Boss, I’m really not lying.”

“I actually attend university there.”

“Hoh, so that’s how it is.”

Xǔ Tiānlí wasn’t lying; he indeed studied at a university in Danfeng City.

It was currently summer vacation, so he didn’t need to be at school.

The owner likewise wasn’t lying; the blade was indeed acquired from a market in Danfeng City.

By extension, the blade’s materials were also, more or less, from Danfeng City.

The afternoon sun blazed intensely.

The owner, after a short period of bustling, was covered in sweat.

Mù Qīngyǔ and Xǔ Tiānlí, standing to the side, also sought refuge from the direct sunlight.

With the new hilt installed, the owner also gifted a scabbard.

He sheathed the blade and tossed it into Xǔ Tiānlí’s arms.

“Remember to visit us again next time!”

‘He actually wants a next time?’

Perhaps it was the heat-induced agitation, but Mù Qīngyǔ, during her wait, even considered calling someone from home to completely tear down this shop.

If she were to squeeze out even a hint of a sob over the phone, the people from the Four Sacred Courts would throw a chaotic fit and utterly erase this shop from Wufeng City.

‘Hmph, why does that sound like something the original owner would do?’

Mù Qīngyǔ herself was slightly unnerved by such a thought.

She glanced at Xǔ Tiānlí beside her.

He looked straight ahead, his expression still bright.

Several times, he nearly left Mù Qīngyǔ behind, seemingly eager to rush home and test his new weapon.

Watching him, Mù Qīngyǔ’s irritation largely dissipated.

Since she had become his master, she should act the part.

Allowing him to be willful occasionally wasn’t so bad.

Upon returning to the entrance of the orphanage, Mù Qīngyǔ didn’t go inside.

Instead, she said:

“I have something else to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.”

“Ah, oh.” Xǔ Tiānlí nodded slightly.

“Then… Master, why don’t you take me with you?”

Mù Qīngyǔ turned and looked at him, not quite understanding why he wore such a nervous expression.

“No, this is a private matter of mine.”

“Alright.”

He was rejected with a shake of her head, but Xǔ Tiānlí didn’t feel much regret.

‘Since Master refused so directly this time, she probably isn’t hinting that I should follow her, right?’

Xǔ Tiānlí proudly showed off his new blade to the younger children.

The moment the sword left its scabbard, it drew numerous exclamations and cheers.

Of course, Xǔ Tiānlí only allowed them to look, strictly forbidding them from touching.

If anyone got cut, Director Wang would surely complain endlessly.

Xǔ Tiānlí adapted to the feel of his new weapon in the courtyard, but his sword-wielding movements weren’t as fluid.

This was not only because the blade was heavier and he hadn’t fully found its new feel, but also because Qín Yuè’s departing back lingered in his mind.

‘Could it be that Master actually had other instructions?’

Xǔ Tiānlí put down the blade, carefully pondering the events of the past few days.

‘Master’s ‘private matter’ must be related to the recent serial murders.’

‘Is she investigating the culprit again?’

‘No, that doesn’t seem right.’

‘What kind of culprit would require Master to go to such great lengths?’

The more Xǔ Tiānlí thought about it, the more he felt something was amiss.

There had to be a trick here.

Qín Yuè always had hidden meanings in her words; perhaps this time was no different.

‘I failed yesterday, which is why Master wouldn’t let me continue to follow her.’

‘But that doesn’t mean Master truly wants me to just stay here and go nowhere.’

‘Could this be another trial to test my initiative?’

Xǔ Tiānlí sat down, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

‘Master said not to follow her, but she didn’t say I couldn’t go find others!’

‘That’s right, why didn’t I think of that?’

As the saying goes, there must be provisions before a great battle.

Could this be why Master suddenly bought me a blade?

She knew he was about to face a formidable enemy, so she helped him in this way beforehand, hoping he would achieve better results.

The more he considered it, the more plausible it seemed.

Xǔ Tiānlí couldn’t sit still.

He quickly informed Director Wang and dashed outside.

With his new blade in hand this time, he would not disappoint Qín Yuè again.

Meanwhile, on the mountain behind the orphanage.

“This place is truly comfortable.”

While the orphanage offered a sense of security, Mù Qīngyǔ occasionally desired some time alone.

Especially with Xǔ Tiānlí not around, she didn’t have to constantly be on edge and could do things she couldn’t do in front of him.

For instance, trying out the modified Return to the Void One-Strike Decapitation.

If Xǔ Tiānlí saw her, he would surely be astonished that his master mastered this blade technique even later than he did.

‘That boy wouldn’t suddenly run up here, would he?’

Mù Qīngyǔ mumbled to herself.

‘He shouldn’t, right?’

‘I already told him not to look for me.’

Having spoken, Mù Qīngyǔ picked up the azure longsword resting beside her.

Watching Xǔ Tiānlí’s diligent efforts every day, her own spirit felt ignited.