"Do you fear the curse even when I tell you that it is, in fact, true?"
Wang GuiYing was a bit relieved to hear that there was indeed a cursed sword but whether it was the same sword that they were looking for or not was something that needed to be further checked.
Xin smiled as he replied with another question, "Does it look like we are afraid of a mere curse?"
Mr. Liu laughed as he heard this and took a seat as he spoke, "In that case, I'll help you."
He gestured over to the sofa on the other side of the room and Xin nodded his head, thanking the man for his cooperation.
The three sat down on the sofa and patiently waited for Mr. Liu to speak.
"I made the sword for a very special customer of mine. He said he found a celestial dragon tooth at an auction. At first, I didn't quite believe him but when he showed me the tooth, I could immediately tell that it was definitely real," The man paused and sighed, as if being reminded of memories that he was fond of and yet, at the same time, memories that he somewhat regretted.
"It took me almost half a year to turn that tooth into a sword without letting it lose its powers. I was confident with what I had created and did not think anything could go wrong with it. However, the very next day, I heard the news that the customer who had taken the sword had died tragically, decapitated by the blade of that exact same sword."
"The sword went missing along with the murderer and a day later, another dead body popped up near the area. Once again, the cause of death was the same and the authorities guessed the culprit to be the same as well."
Mr. Liu's voice was calm as he spoke but in his eyes, one could see that he was revisiting those memories that brought a lot of grief to him.
"After more than two weeks, another dead body popped up but this time, there was a witness as well and the witness claimed that the sword was floating on its own and had suddenly attacked its owner. Not many people believed this but since I was the only one who knew how the sword had been created, I dare not question it."
"It still contained fragments of the Celestial dragon's soul so, of course, the sword wasn't normal. For it to float and kill its master on its own was clearly a possibility and after a few days, I got to see it with my very own eyes."
In the dark of the night, going through an abandoned ally, Mr. Liu was heading back home when he suddenly hear a sound coming from ahead. He had been a swordsmith for more than twenty years and hence he could easily distinguish the sound of an unsheathing blade.
The murderous intent could be felt in the air and Mr. Liu immediately put his guard up, preparing for the worst situation possible.
He was trying his best to be calm but at the same time, it was quite hard to remain calm when he didn't even know where the sound was coming from.
A wailing sound of a man came and this time, Mr. Liu quickened up his pace a bit as he followed after the sound.
The worst he had expected was to run into a murderer, but shockingly enough, he had walked in on a sword killing its own master. The worst thing was perhaps the fact that this sword had been created by him.
Just as the first witness had stated, the sword was floating in mid-air, as if being wielded by an invisible force. With just a single strike, the blade of the sword pierced through the head of the victim and the man immediately died as his head tumbled down first and was later followed by his body.
"Wait...!" Wang GuiYing suddenly muttered, the shock and confusion being clearly visible on his face, "What exactly was the curse...?"
"It's the curse of the celestial dragon," The man smiled as he informed and for some reason, Wang GuiYing couldn't help but feel a chill go down his spine, "As long as somebody tries to possess the sword for themselves, the sword would go from hand to hand, killing each previous owner till it finally finds the true descendent of the celestial dragon."
Wang GuiYing immediately snapped his head towards Li Ling and looked at the man for an explanation but Li Ling only sighed as a response, ignoring Wang GuiYing instead of giving him an explanation.
"Is the curse starting to scare you?" The man chuckled as he asked.
Wang GuiYing would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit taken back to hear what the actual curse was, but he was certainly being completely honest when he shook his head and spoke, "I have no reason to be afraid of it."
"..." Mr. Liu was a bit speechless to hear such an honest and confident response that he never thought he would be able to hear.
"Help us find the sword and we'll put a stop to the curse," Xin spoke up.
Mr. Liu nodded his head and sighed as he agreed, "I don't know the exact location of the sword nor do I know who owns it now, but there is something that can help you find it."
Xin raised his eyebrows curiously but said nothing as he heard this.
Mr. Liu stood up and told them to wait for him while he went to collect something.
The three patiently waited and looked around inside the room, noticing all the beautiful swords that hung on the wall.
At one point, Wang GuiYing couldn't help but joke, "If he wanted to kill us right now, I feel like it would be a bit too convenient."
"He can't," Xin spoke, not actually understanding that it was a joke.
Wang GuiYing chuckled as he playfully asked, "Why? Would you save me?"
Xin nodded his head without saying anything and Wang GuiYing could no longer laugh.
Wang GuiYing suddenly wanted to point out that Xin was really starting to act exactly like Zhou Xinyi, but at the end of the day, Wang GuiYing decided to refrain from saying anything.
In all honesty, he was afraid of asking that question because he didn't want to hear the man revealing that he really was Zhou Xinyi.
If he really was Zhou Xinyi then why did he run away and hide? Why did he not try to contact Wang GuiYing and why was he pretending to be someone else?
Wang GuiYing didn't know what the answers to that question would be and hence, he was scared to ask the question that really bothered him.
Mr. Liu returned with a rolled-up sheet in hand and when he unrolled the sheet, Wang GuiYing immediately recognized it as a map.
However, it wasn't just any map.
"Ever since the curse began, I've been recording the number of deaths and where the bodies were found," Mr. Liu spoke as he pointed at the map, "Although it may look random in the beginning, it does have a pattern and you'll be able to guess where the next body is going to be found."
Xin took a closer look at the map and asked, "The sword is exploring the whole city?"
Mr. Liu nodded his head as he spoke, "That's right. It started from the east and now it is going to the west in a manner that covers the entire city. The last body was found around this district so the next one would be found tonight, a little further down this road."
Mr. Liu's eyes wandered over to a clock that was hung on the wall and he spoke, "The sword usually attacks at night so you have plenty of time to get there. I wish you all the best. I hope you find the sword."
Xin gulped as he heard this and nodded his head.
Mr. Liu handed the map over and spoke, "This is a copy of the original one so I'll let you have it."
"Thank you," Xin slightly bowed his head as he showed his gratitude and took the map, rolling it back up.
"Let's go," Li Ling, who had been rather silent this entire time, finally opened his mouth to speak.
The three said their goodbyes to Mr. Liu who had been helpful to them and went out, following the map to their next destination.
Their footsteps were quick and they stuck close to each other. It was still morning so they had quite a bit of time left on their hands. However, it didn't look like they were waiting for the sword to strike again.
Although none of the three said anything, they commonly agreed on something: 'They would find the sword before it kills again.'