"Fourth Prince Jian Shen, the treasure vault is now open to you. You are allowed to choose a single object from it, furthermore, you are forbidden from entering the inner vault. If you break any of these rules, you'll immediately be thrown out. Good luck."
Having finished what he wanted to say the palace eunuch turned around and left leaving his cold words behind.
Usually no eunuch would dare to behave in such a way before a prince, however, Jian Shen was someone that even the king himself didn't like. If not for certain special circumstances everyone was sure that Jian Shen would've been thrown outside the palace already.
Used to the cold treatment from everyone inside the palace, Jian Shen also didn't care much and walked inside the treasure vault whose gold layered doors were already opened.
Inside the room, Jian Shen could easily spot arrays etched all over the walls, though he didn't know what they did. He knew that if he took more than one item from the vault, or tried to enter the inner vault, just like the eunuch said, not only would he be thrown out, the King would definitely punish him.
Walking around Jian Shen saw many objects from pills that can help in cultivation, to medicines that can cure illnesses, and poisons to kill. Shining swords that looked like they could cut through anything, armours that could defend against all kinds of attacks, and so on.
However, Jian Shen didn't pick any of them which were considered cream of the crop all over the Deng Kingdom, but instead kept on walking as if they weren't worthy of his time.
Finally, just as the sixteen year old boy was nearing the inner vault, he noticed a rusted sword in the middle of a pile of weapons that were thrown inside a basket at the corner.
'Hmmm, that one... '
Though none of those weapons on the floor were comparable to the shiny weapons he had seen until now, Jian Shen as if feeling an attraction towards it, picked up the rusted sword and began observing it.
It seemed like the sword was originally white in colour, but due to time it got rusted and turned into the now brown coloured blunt sword.
Holding onto it Jian Shen's body felt as if he had been holding it for very long, and that it was a part of him that got severed and he finally got it back.
'This sword.... Sigh... I'll just choose this one... '
While feeling that his fate was linked to the sword, might be one of the reasons he chose it. The most important reason for choosing it, was because if he chose a superior type of weapon or item, it would definitely not be with him for a long time.
At most within a day, the other princes would take it away from him in one way or the other. Thus, it was better to choose this rusted sword which no one would care.
Having chosen what he came here for, Jian Shen walked out with the sword resting on his shoulders, since he didn't have a sheath for it. Not bothering with the weird glances he got along the way, he kept on walking towards his room at the same pace.
As the people waiting outside the treasure vault saw what Jian Shen had chosen, disappointment and anger surfaced on their faces, but neither of them made a move, and instead went back to report to their masters.
...
"What? That bastard chose a rusted sword? Shit! Fine, forget about it. I've got no need for such a sword."
…
"Hahaha, that little fool should've expected that I would take his item away, due to this he deliberately chose a trash sword that won't be of use to anyone."
…
"Good good good! That bastard dares to ignore what I told him, and chose a fucking rusted sword. It seems like I'll have to remind him of his place."
"What do you plan on doing prince?."
"Fufufufu...Later tonight make sure to knock him out, strip him naked, infect him with an aphrodisiac, and throw him inside the queen's personal chamber. Let's see if that bitch will still care for him by morning."
Looking at the cruel smile on the prince's face, the attendant could only think about how ruthless the struggle for power was.
"But... But what if we get caught, your highness? His Majesty definitely won't let us live."
"You just do as I say. Got it?! "
…
"Humph! Just cause the queen looks after him, and he's got a pretty face, does he think I won't kill him for his insolence?"
"Are we going to kill him, young master?"
"Huh? Are you stupid?! If I really kill him then even my father won't be able to save me. Does it look like I'm an idiot who would exchange my life for that trash's life?"
...
"The poor boy chose a rusted sword. Well, that's good for me anyway. I'll make sure to give him a better weapon and improve his opinion towards me."
…
Like that various individuals of the palace had various reactions when they heard about Jian Shen choosing a rusted sword.
However completely oblivious to such things the boy himself was carefully studying the sword he brought back with him.
Having brought a little cleaning solution and a cloth, the boy dipped the cloth in it and started rubbing the sword as the rust started falling off little by little.
Unfortunately, the rust was so thick, that after a while it no longer worked regardless of how hard he rubbed it.
By now Jian Shen had managed to remove a little rust near the hilt where he saw a dragon twirling around the hilt and felt that maybe the sword wasn't just a useless metal scrap.
Wanting to find out how it originally looked, he once again picked up the cloth and started rubbing against the dull blade whereupon the cloth was torn, and the skin on his palm was split open by it.
Cursing under his breath from the pain as the sword fell from his grasp, Jian Shen failed to notice that the sword was absorbing his blood. After which it started trembling.
"Fuck, who would've thought that such a dull blade would cut me so easily."
Actually, Jian Shen wasn't someone who had a cold personality, regardless of how his face always looked. Originally the boy had a very enthusiastic and cheerful disposition, but after his mother passed away, his talent was revealed as just above average, and all of his so called friends and family left him, the boy himself threw away his personality and put a cold look on his face.
Holding the palm which was split with his other hand, Jian Shen looked downwards and found that the sword was trembling violently as the place which cut his hand now no longer had any rust. But instead, it was pure white in colour without a single speck of dust on it.
"Don't tell me.. I'll have to use my blood to remove the rust?!"
Shocked at what he found, Jian Shen wanted to test if it really needed his blood to remove the rust. So gritting his teeth, he squeezed his right hand as blood dripped out from his wound and fell on top of the sword.
As soon as the boy's blood fell on the sword, it trembled even more violently and absorbed his blood while the rust turned into dust and disappeared into the air as if it had been burned.
"This greedy sword wants my blood!"
Having understood how the sword worked, and how much rust was cleared until now, Jian Shen knew that his body would be completely sucked dry if he tried to remove the rust all at once.
So sighing at how he found a treasure, but couldn't use it immediately, Jian Shen planned to put it aside and remove the rust a little every day.
Unfortunately, the sword had other plans for him. As soon as he moved his hand to take the sword and put it away, as if it had a mind of its own the sword turned around and the blade end pierced into his wound and started violently sucking his blood.
"Ahhhhg! Fuck!"
Before he could even react and pull the sword away, Jian Shen's whole body turned powerless as the whole sword was now covered in his own blood.
The last scene Jian Shen saw before he fainted was that after the sword had absorbed his blood, it turned pure white in colour and was floating above him.
...
When the sword first tasted Jian Shen's blood, both Qingyu and Juewang immediately sensed the change in the Heavenly Dragon Sword which had been silent for the past 16 years.
Now that they knew where the sword was, the two of them immediately took flight and rushed towards the spot as soon as possible.
Even Qingyu who now had lost almost all of her cultivation and was only a sliver away from turning into a mortal, didn't hold back as she flew in the direction she sensed the change from.
After all, this might be the only opportunity for her to meet him before she passes away. Though she did fear dying before meeting him from losing her cultivation, she hoped to at least meet him for a single second and give him a few things before she died.
At least that way she would feel content, even in death.