Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Name of the Sword

The Black Wind Mountain that Yu Qingxian intended to visit was not far away, but it was far from a pleasant place.

The Great Qian Empire was currently beset by internal strife and external threats, teetering on the brink of collapse. Evil spirits and malevolent entities were rampant everywhere, and Black Wind Mountain was one such stronghold where these monsters held sway.

The demons in this region were deeply entrenched, forming a formidable power. Even the Demon Suppression Division found it difficult to dismantle them. It was not that Black Wind Mountain was so powerful that the Division could not eradicate it; rather, the problem lay in the sheer number of demons hiding within the small mountain. Killing one or two was useless. To truly wipe them out required a massive mobilization of manpower.

However, with the Great Qian Empire leaking from every corner, the Demon Suppression Division could not consolidate its forces. Otherwise, Yu Qingxian would never have invited Shen Chang'an to come along.

Shen Chang'an had initially been reluctant to involve himself with someone from the Demon Suppression Division, especially since he had his own mission to deal with the Taisui demon's lingering intent. Yet, upon hearing about the situation at Black Wind Mountain, he found he could no longer sit idly by.

Deep within Black Wind Mountain dwelt an old demon known as General Black Wind. His strength was considered the most profound on the entire mountain. Not only was his cultivation deep, but he also commanded a vast number of demon soldiers. Most importantly, this monster had kidnapped a princess of the Great Qian and intended to marry her.

"Marrying a human? What is he thinking?" Shen Chang'an asked in confusion. Was this some form of bestiality among the demon race?

Yu Qingxian sighed and explained, "The princess's mother was once an elder of the Changchun Temple. The princess possesses a great number of treasures, and if he were to marry her, most of those things would likely become his."

Shen Chang'an had heard of the Changchun Temple from Wuyouzi. It was a top-tier Taoist sect in the capital, renowned for its talent, strength, and financial resources—the very best among the Taoist schools.

Shen Chang'an raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Even if he didn't marry her, wouldn't those things be his anyway?"

"The treasures of the Changchun Temple usually require the sect's own arts and magical powers to be wielded effectively. General Black Wind naturally does not understand the temple’s techniques. To obtain those treasures, he must find a way to learn their arts and laws."

"However, disciples of the Changchun Temple are bound by a vow taken during their training: never to impart their secrets to outsiders. If the princess were to leak their arts, the moment she uttered a single word, she would be instantly consumed by her own inner demons."

Shen Chang'an was slightly taken aback. "And marriage can bypass this restriction?"

"Yes..." Yu Qingxian sighed helplessly. "Years ago, the princess's own father only married her mother because he sought to steal the temple's teachings."

"What about the people at the Changchun Temple? Leaking core techniques is a grave matter. Did they just stand by?"

Yu Qingxian shook her head. "It depends on what kind of technique is leaked. Back then, the Prince was actually played for a fool by the temple. The techniques that elder held did not touch upon the core secrets; they weren't considered confidential at all."

"Since it didn't involve core secrets, the people at the Changchun Temple didn't care. Now that the elder is dead, they certainly won't care about the life or death of a princess."

"And the Great Qian Imperial family?" Shen Chang'an asked.

Yu Qingxian gave a bitter smile. "Within the royal family, everyone is busy with infighting and backstabbing. Even the Prince has no intention of saving his own daughter; how could anyone else care about the life of a minor princess?"

"Infighting? Isn't the Emperor of Great Qian still on the throne? Why are they killing each other?" Shen Chang'an could not help but ask.

"The matters involved are too complex to explain, and there are secrets I cannot speak of. But, alas..." Yu Qingxian sighed, her expression clouded with deep confusion.

Shen Chang'an frowned. From the first time he met her, he had sensed that this woman was in a state of perpetual bewilderment. She appeared lucid, yet she carried an aura of constant confusion. Since this clearly touched upon her past and she refused to speak, Shen Chang'an did not press the issue.

"Then why are you going to save her?"

The hazy look on Yu Qingxian's face suddenly hardened into resolve. She said with near-absolute certainty, "Xiaochen is my only friend. I must save her."

Shen Chang'an understood, then asked, "Why were you wandering near Qinghe Village before?"

Yu Qingxian's expression flickered. After a moment of hesitation, she said slowly, "Someone told me... that a divine sword would descend near Qinghe Village..."

"What?" Shen Chang'an's eyelids twitched. He had known there was something suspicious about those swords falling from the sky—landing right in Qinghe Village, with the various sword-wielders all nearby. How could there be so many coincidences in this world?

"Who told you this?"

Yu Qingxian shook her head. "I cannot say."

Shen Chang'an wanted to press further, but seeing her expression, he knew he would get no answers.

"Alas, never mind..." Shen Chang'an sighed. This was not something he could resolve immediately, and further talk was useless.

"However..." Yu Qingxian hesitated again before adding, "That person told me there would be a total of three swords."

"Three swords?" Shen Chang'an felt a chill.

"Yes. Bingxian, Zhanlong, and Jiutian."

"Zhanlong is the one in your hand, Bingxian is with Zhang Hongyu, so the one Xue Lie has is Jiutian?"

Yu Qingxian shook her head. "Xue Lie has Bingxian, and it is Zhang Hongyu who holds Jiutian."

"What?" Shen Chang'an was perplexed. Was his assumption wrong? Did the names of the swords have no deeper meaning? Otherwise, how could Zhang Hongyu be worthy of the name "Jiutian"?

Yu Qingxian continued, "It is precisely because I only knew of these three swords that I was so curious about the name of the divine sword in your possession, Daoist Shen."

Shen Chang'an looked at the withered wooden sword in his hand, feeling a pang of apprehension. He knew absolutely nothing about the origin of this blade. Now that he knew it had fallen outside the prophecy Yu Qingxian had heard, he found the situation even more unsettling.

Who had forged these swords? Who had sent them to the hands of their masters? And that sword, Zhanlong, which Yu Qingxian had managed to claim...

Countless questions swirled in Shen Chang'an's mind, yet despite his efforts, he could find no clear path to the truth.