"Could it be that a Spirit Sword Master will observe and arbitrate this contest?" Tang Jian's heart burned with excitement at the thought of potentially meeting a Spirit Sword Master.
"What are you thinking? Master Situ Hao would never attend such an occasion. It might be possible if it were a contest between Great Swordsmiths," Yao Bin said dismissively.
"Well, it's not completely unrelated to Master Situ. The arbitrator this time is his only son, Situ Ran, who is also a renowned swordsmith," Xiao Dingdang added.
"I see. By the way, what kind of swordsmith does the Sun Family have? Is he very skilled?" Tang Jian nodded and asked, changing the subject.
"The Sun Family's swordsmith is named Qiu Batian. I heard that the Sun Family has found him seventeen or eighteen concubines to keep him, including some top courtesans from the Yuanyang Pavilion and Languifang," Xiao Dingdang said with disgust.
After speaking, she suddenly sighed and continued, "Although his character isn't great, his swordsmithing skills are truly impressive. He was always on par with Master Chen Guang, but later, I don't know what opportunity he got, and his swordsmithing skills suddenly improved significantly. It's said that he can now forge high-quality enchanted swords."
"If that's the case, won't we definitely lose this contest?" Tang Jian asked, furrowing his brows.
"Nonsense! How could Master lose to him?" Yao Bin couldn't help but exclaim angrily.
"Alas, it all depends on luck. After all, high-quality enchanted swords can't be forged every time. If he fails this time, we still have a chance to win..." Xiao Dingdang sighed and said.
As the three of them chatted back and forth, the carriage slowly rolled through the streets, finally arriving at the vast palace complex in the north of the city, where magnificent palaces and buildings stretched endlessly.
Several hundred yards away from the main gate of the palace, the two carriages slowly turned and headed west toward the imperial palace.
After traveling westward for about half a quarter of an hour, the carriage finally stopped beneath a giant huai tree that was over a hundred yards tall.
Beneath the tree's shade, several tall men dressed as palace guards stood with swords at their sides. As soon as they saw the group getting off the carriage, they immediately approached.
"Master Chen, President Yan, we are here to greet you as ordered," said the leader, a short-bearded man, as he saluted with a fist.
"Thank you for your efforts," Yan Zi replied with a curtsy.
"The Sun Family has already arrived. Please follow me," the short-bearded man said before turning to lead the way.
Tang Jian and Yao Bin carried down two black lacquer wooden boxes from the carriage, filled with various materials prepared for today's swordsmithing, and followed behind Chen Guang and the others, along with Xiao Dingdang.
The remaining guards followed behind the group, surrounding them along with the leading guard, as they hurried forward.
After walking several hundred steps along a plaza, they saw a magnificent gate tower about two yards high from a distance.
It had red walls, green tiles, flying eaves, and the ridge was adorned with vivid statues of various mythical creatures like Baxi, Yazi, and Pulao.
A huge plaque hung in the center of the gate tower, with three characters written in seal script: "Craftsmanship Bureau".
Stepping inside the gate, they were greeted by a vast white stone plaza. In the center was a forward pathway, with tall humanoid statues made of cast iron or carved rock standing on both sides.
Tang Jian looked at these statues used for sword testing, seeing that they were all covered in sword marks, and couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
The Yue Kingdom's reverence for swordsmanship was evident here.
At the end of the pathway stood a grand double-eaved hall, with towering pillars and wide-open doors.
After leading them there, the short-bearded man stood on either side of the hall doors with the other guards, taking up their guarding duties.
After thanking them, Yan Zi and the others crossed the threshold and entered the hall.
As soon as Tang Jian entered the grand hall, he saw seven or eight figures seated in a row of armchairs on the left side, chatting and laughing heartily.
In the main seat of the hall, a middle-aged man with a round face and a slightly overweight figure sat boldly, wearing a vermilion silk robe embroidered with patterns of coins, resembling a wealthy gentleman without any worries about food and clothing.
Behind him stood a clerk in a green robe and a servant in brown.
Upon seeing Yan Zi and the others enter, the voices of those seated in the armchairs on the left quietened down as they turned their gaze towards them.
"Greetings, Master Situ and Master Qiu," Yan Zi said calmly, bowing slightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, President Yan and Master Chen," the wealthy gentleman, named Situ Ran, stood up and said with a smile.
A dark-skinned man in a purple silk robe, seated closest to the main seat on the left, also rose slightly, gave a bow, and then sat back down.
This man was named Qiu Batian, the swordsmith of the Sun family mentioned by Xiao Dingdang.
With a leopard-like head, round eyes, and a folded scar at the corner of his eyebrow, he looked somewhat fierce. His gaze did not wander to others; instead, it fixed on Chen Guang with a playful smile on his lips, carrying a hint of provocation.
Chen Guang merely returned the bow, avoiding eye contact and remaining silent throughout.
After Yan Zi and her companions took their seats on the right side of the hall, a young gentleman standing opposite them rose, unfolded a folding fan, and walked towards them with a gentle sway.
Dressed in a refined white satin robe, he had a slender figure and a handsome face, appearing quite dashing and debonair.
Tang Jian gave him a quick once-over and guessed his identity; he was most likely the young master of the Sun family.
The young man approached, gently waving his fan, and bowed to Yan Zi, saying,
"Yan, it's been a while. How have you been?"
"Thank you for your concern, Master Sun. I'm doing well," Yan Zi replied, bowing slightly.
"I heard that during your last trip along the border of the Jin country, the Yan family lost a large quantity of Fire Essence Powder and hundreds of pieces of Lingyun Silk. Those losses alone must have cost a considerable amount. The elders of the Sun family are quite concerned about the debt you owe us, which is why they're urging this matter so intently. Please forgive us, Yan," Sun Yang continued.
"Our family's escort mission that was attacked is a matter we've strictly forbidden from being discussed outside. Only a handful of people, including me and my uncle, know the exact losses. May I ask how you came to know about it, Master Sun?" Yan Zi asked, raising an eyebrow.