Epigraph:
"A well written novel can transport you to the other realms allowing you to relax and reduce stress. This is one of the benefits as a reader. Enjoy reading!"
The very next day, the elder went back to the palace with two girls behind him. One girl is wearing a red dress with some rare patterns decorated in the clothing and the other girl is wearing just a plain white dress. The young emperor looks at the three figures as they bow their head down respectfully to him.
"Your majesty, this is my granddaughter, Ye Yin. And this is Ye Shin." the elder introduced the two women.
"Come my granddaughter, show to the emperor your weapon." the elder gestured to the girl wearing in red dress. Pride is glistening in his eyes.
The girl took a few steps forward and extended her right arms. She then gradually focused her strength in the middle of her palm and the sword that is indeed transparent and thin is manifested right away. Thin Sword! The girl looks very proud while holding the sword and looking at the emperor.
"Your majesty, Ye Yin at your service." the girl said and bowed her head again.
"Great sword!" the young emperor said and claps his hands twice. There is no emotion that can be read in his face.
He glances at the girl wearing in a plain white dress who is also clapping her hands softly. There is a full respect in her eyes. Suddenly, the young emperor remembers the elder's words last night... Your majesty, do not be deceived by the demure appearance for I have witnessed the demonic beast persona the girl possessed. He must have stared at her longer because the lady consciously offers him a bow.
"Let the emperor see your sword sister." the lady in red dress casually said. This girl is also curious about her weapon. Then she step backward allowing the lady in plain dress to step forward.
Unlike the lady in red dress who extended her hands before manifesting her sword, the weapon just appears in her hands. She then extended her right hand so that the emperor can see the sword. It was indeed what the elder had said to the emperor the other night, a very ordinary weapon like a double fuller long-sword!
The emperor nods at her but did not say anything. The lady then takes her step backwards. The emperor noticed that the lady in red dress is frowning and staring at the ordinary sword intently.
"Let me see your sword sister." she suddenly said while attempting to reach the ordinary weapon but her right hand was immediately smacked by the elder.
"Ye Yin, you must pay attention to your manners!" the elder reprimanded. It is known to them cultivators that their weapons are very sacred. Unless the other person gives permission, you do not touch their sword. The young emperor obviously knows the reason behind such action. The emperor observed that the elder looks a bit surprised by what he had seen.
"Ye Shin, your sword becomes longer?" the elder asked. The lady in plain dress just offered a gentle nod confirming the elder's guess.
"I just want to check her weapon grandpa. Sister, you won't mind right?" the girl in red dress complained. But the lady in plain dress just smiled at her and the weapon she was holding can no longer be seen. Obviously, she never allows anyone to touch her weapon.
"My lady I am saving my inner force, thus I have to keep the weapon back." the lady in plain dress stated and slightly lowered her head to show her respect to the girl.
"Right... saving her inner force. Hehehe" The old man laughed awkwardly with a slightly embarrassed tone. He then faced the emperor and asked when shall the three of them set out to battle.
"We have one week preparation. The next week, we will head out. For now, the two of you will live here and familiarize the soldiers and discuss our strategies and plans. We are also waiting for our food supply to be finalized." the emperor answered.
He then asked some palace maid to accompany the two ladies to bring them to their temporary rooms. The elder looked at the two ladies as they exited the court.
"Elder, why you have asked that the Spiral Sword become longer?" the emperor directly inquired him when the ladies were gone.
"Your majesty, although I have compared the Spiral Sword's appearance to that of a double fuller long-sword, the last time I saw it...it was really shorter than today. But then again, it had been decades since the last time I saw it, that's why I asked Ye Shin to confirm if it really grows longer." the elder explained. The emperor understands the elder's curiosity but he never anticipated the next words the elder said.
"Your majesty it is known that any weapon after manifested, it never grows. A person can have a sword if it's long and a dagger if it's shorter. Your majesty, today is the first time I have seen a weapon that grows!" the Elder said with a slight excitement in his tone. The emperor pondered for a while before he dismissed the elder.
The two ladies did not stay in their rooms as they were summoned again by the emperor in his study. He introduced them to the two generals in his army.
"The two ladies are from Sword Cultivator Clan and they will help us in our battle against the barbarians. The lady in red is named Ye Yin and the one in white is Ye Shin." the emperor introduced them and the two generals could not help but noticed that these ladies are very young. But they never dared look down or underestimate the people from Sword Cultivator Clan so they said nothing.
"The two generals, introduce your selves and discuss our strategy and plans." the emperor commanded
.
"Lady Yin and Lady Shin, I am General Xia and my brother here is General Tang. We thank you both for your help in this crisis. Before we proceed on the discussion of our future strategies, may we have the honor to see your manifested weapons?" the two generals politely said.
"There is no problem to me seniors but my sister is saving her inner force so we cannot force her to show her weapon. Anyway her sword looks like that one in the wall." Ye Yin stated and point her index finger towards the weapon that has served as a decoration in the wall. The emperor noticed the contempt in her tone but did not say anything.
"Is that so? Then we will naturally not trouble Lady Ye Shin. It is enough to know what the weapon looks like." General Tang murmured.
"This is my weapon seniors." Ye Yin said as she showed them her Thin Sword. The two generals were immediately astonished at the sight of the weapon.
"This weapon looks like an air! What a beautiful sword. Your clan is really worthy of its fame!" General Tang voiced out.
"This is indeed an extraordinary weapon Lady Yin." General Xia commented.
"Senior, this is also very sharp." Ye Yin emphasized enjoying the compliments from the two generals.
"I have never seen a sword like this Lady Ye Yin. Tonight, you have broadened our horizon." General Xia said while glancing at the other lady in plain dress expectantly. The lady just offered a smile but did not say anything.
The emperor just looked at them with observing gaze. After they discussed the strategies and plans the four of them were dismissed. The emperor was left alone in his study subconsciously staring at the decoration sword on the wall when his servant reported that the two ladies were settled but one of them refused to have a maid. He had guessed that it was Ye Shin who refused the maids assistance.
The emperor ponders for a bit and realized that he... himself knows that he wants to see the weapon that the elder described in full details with his own eyes. After a moment of thinking he went out and walked towards the room where the lady temporarily occupies.
When he arrived at the room, no one answered so he opened the door himself. The room was empty. Where did she go? The emperor looked around the place when he heard the voice of the person he is looking in his back.
"Your majesty." she bowed to him. The emperor then remembered what the elder had told, this lady in front of him indeed acts modest and meek. He reminded himself that she is like a harmless sheep outside but a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"Lady Shin, I have something to discuss to you. Follow me." he ordered and lead the way towards his personal training ground. The place was deserted when they arrived. He faced her and saw that she is looking on the ground standing humbly in front of him.
"Lady Shin, although the elder of your clan praised you I still have my doubts in your weapon. Do you understand why?" the young emperor asked. She looked at him and he could not help but admire the clearness reflected in her eyes.
"Your majesty, I grow up far away from the society. If by chance, I say something that can offend you your majesty, I apologize in advance." she did not answers the emperor's question directly but instead warns him of what she is about to say.
"Well, I accept your advance apologies Lady Shin." the emperor said with seriousness in his tone.
"Then your majesty, if you want to see my real weapon... You have to engage me in a battlefield. But not just an ordinary battlefield but the kind of fight where life and death is at stake. Apart from the barbarians, do you have other enemies that you want to kill your majesty?" the lady calmly stated looking directly in his eyes. Her calmness is slightly terrifying.
Somehow the emperor understands what she wants to convey. For him to witness her weapon, and casts away his doubts, he needed to fight alongside with her! In this way, the emperor must only believe what his eyes will see instead of what others will say. This girl is indeed smart, the emperor thought.
"I do have enemies that I wish to be dead. They have colluded with the barbarians and sold some lands to them but they are under the protection of these foreign people. It is dangerous for us to kill them." the emperor answered with challenging gaze casts on her.
"May I ask... Does your majesty have some fears?" the lady inquired almost equally mirroring the look in his eyes.
"I am the emperor favored by the heavens! There is nothing that I fear." he stated with both boldness and firmness like an indestructible being.
"Then your majesty by all means... lead me the way but remember your majesty, you are only there to see my weapon. There is no need for you to engaged in fighting." she reminded him casually like talking to a friend and he realized that this tone she just used, for an unknown reason brings comfort to his heart.