In the Weapon Market, there was also a branch of Qingxuan Pavilion, a grand and luxurious building that was a landmark of the market.
Hanzi took out a palm-sized token from his pocket, showed it to the guards of Qingxuan Pavilion, and led Zhang Ruochen into the inner courtyard.
In the courtyard, a maid entered a pavilion draped with white curtains. She bowed and said, "Master, Mo Hanlin has introduced a buyer. He hopes you can meet him personally."
The woman, dressed in a red gown embroidered with phoenixes, sat in the center of the pavilion. Her hair was done up in a high bun adorned with three golden hairpins, her bright eyes and red lips accentuating her flawless, delicate skin. Even though a thin veil partially obscured her chest, the contours of her full bosom were still evident.
She appeared to be around 27 or 28 years old, exuding a seductive charm from every inch of her body.
She was Qin Ya, the proprietress of Qingxuan Pavilion.
Qin Ya's eyes narrowed slightly as she smiled and said, "A buyer recommended by Mo Hanlin? Could it be an elder of some sect? Or perhaps the head of a family? On second thought, I'm feeling a bit tired today. Let's skip it."
The maid shook her head. "No, he's just a young man who looks about sixteen or seventeen years old."
"Hmm?" Qin Ya raised her eyebrows in surprise and said, "Mo Hanlin is usually quite reliable. Why would he do something like this today?"
The maid replied, "Mo Hanlin never acts recklessly. Anyone he introduces must not be ordinary."
Qin Ya nodded, her eyes narrowing into slits as she smiled. "This seems like it might be interesting after all. Suddenly, I'm not so tired. Let's see what kind of boy this is. Haha!"
Zhang Ruochen sat calmly in the VIP room, holding a delicately crafted glass teacup, waiting patiently.
Hanzi was sitting in a chair below him, slurping tea in large gulps, even swallowing the tea leaves, praising the tea repeatedly.
Moments later, the sound of footsteps came from outside.
Qin Ya entered the room with two maids following behind her.
Hanzi quickly put down his teacup, jumped up from his chair, and bowed respectfully to Qin Ya as if a mouse had encountered a cat. "Greetings, madam."
Qin Ya glanced at Hanzi, then turned her gaze to Zhang Ruochen. She noticed that the young man remained calm and composed, showing an unusual maturity and steadiness for someone of his age.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen also glanced at Qin Ya, admiring her beauty. She was indeed a stunningly seductive woman. If she were to tempt men, probably nine out of ten would fall into her trap.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen's mental strength was strong, so he wasn't easily swayed by her allure. He spoke directly, "Madam, I believe you already know that I'm here to buy a weapon. Please take me to your armory."
Qin Ya walked towards Zhang Ruochen, her full chest swaying with each step, creating an enticing, seductive aura.
Smiling with her bright eyes and perfect teeth, she said, "Young master Zhang, what kind of weapon are you looking for? I need to have some idea first, don't I?"
"A sword! Preferably at the level of a 'True Martial Treasure Weapon,'" Zhang Ruochen said, catching a faint whiff of a mesmerizing fragrance, undoubtedly Qin Ya's body scent, alluring but not vulgar.
What an enticing enchantress!
Qin Ya was impressed by Zhang Ruochen's composure in her presence, especially given that he was just a teenager. Weren't young men the most vulnerable to temptation?
Zhang Ruochen's gaze remained clear, devoid of any lechery.
"No wonder Mo Hanlin wanted me to meet him personally. Impressive. How many young men possess such mental fortitude?" Qin Ya thought to herself.
She found Zhang Ruochen even more intriguing and smiled. "Indeed, we do have several 'True Martial Treasure' swords in the armory. Since young master Zhang is an esteemed guest of Qingxuan Pavilion, I will personally escort you to the armory."
Standing behind Qin Ya, Hanzi frantically shook his head at Zhang Ruochen, his eyes seemingly pleading, "Brother, don't go to the armory alone with the madam. She'll devour you whole!"
Zhang Ruochen noticed Hanzi's warning glance and, after some thought, said, "Very well, I appreciate your guidance. Lead the way, madam."
Qin Ya's figure was voluptuous, her slender waist swaying like a willow branch. As she walked ahead, her graceful curves swayed, her full hips gently bouncing with each step, while her long, black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Each movement of her rounded hips was mesmerizing.
Even just watching her back made it hard to look away.
No wonder Hanzi was so afraid of her.
Such a woman, when gentle, would surely captivate a man's heart. But when she wasn't, she would undoubtedly strike fear into many.
This was a woman who had reportedly outlived seven husbands and controlled vast wealth in the Martial Market. How could she possibly be docile?
Zhang Ruochen tried his best to control his gaze, avoiding focusing on Qin Ya.
"Greetings, madam!" Two rows of guards outside the armory immediately knelt on one knee, their eyes fixed on the ground, not daring to look at Qin Ya.
They were all terrified, as if the stunning beauty before them wasn't a woman but a soul-reaper.
Only Qin Ya and Zhang Ruochen entered the armory; everyone else remained outside.
Watching Zhang Ruochen follow Qin Ya through the large doorway, Hanzi sighed, already predicting Zhang Ruochen's fate.
Any man who entered the armory alone with the madam never came out unscathed.
Some had their hands chopped off, others became eunuchs, and some even had their eyes gouged out or lost their heads!
It wasn't that the madam deliberately harmed them, but rather, they couldn't control themselves. They couldn't restrain their hands or their desires and tried to take advantage of her.
In truth, each time, the madam was the victim, forced to defend herself and teach them a painful lesson.
Because of this, those who had been maimed by her didn't dare speak out. For men of their status, it would be too shameful if such a story were to spread.
The armory of Qingxuan Pavilion was massive, divided into different chambers—sword chambers, blade chambers, spear chambers, hammer chambers, axe chambers... The sword chamber was the largest of them all.
In Yunwu Commandery, most martial artists preferred swords as their weapon of choice.
Weapons were divided into "Mortal Weapons" and "True Martial Treasure Weapons."
Mortal Weapons were used by ordinary people.
True Martial Treasure Weapons were designed for martial artists, who were the only ones capable of unleashing the weapon's true power.
True Martial Treasure Weapons were further divided into nine grades based on the quality of the materials and the number of inscriptions carved into them.
Grade one True Martial Treasure Weapons were the lowest.
Grade nine True Martial Treasure Weapons were the highest.
As soon as Zhang Ruochen stepped into the sword chamber, he felt a strange fluctuation coming from a broken sword in the corner.
The broken sword had a blade as wide as a palm. Though its tip was shattered, the remaining blade was still four feet long.
The blade seemed unremarkable, even rusting in spots.
"Chenyuan..."
Upon seeing the broken sword, Zhang Ruochen froze for a moment and quickly walked over.
Qin Ya smiled and said, "Young master Zhang has sharp eyes. That's an ancient sword with nearly a thousand years of history. It's incredibly heavy and exceptionally sharp. The materials used to forge it are quite special—no appraiser has been able to identify what kind of metal it's made of."
"If it hadn't been damaged, it would have at least been a grade seven True Martial Treasure Weapon, possibly even higher."
"Such a pity! Despite being such a fine sword, it was broken, and even the inscriptions on the blade are ruined. Aside from being sharp, it holds no other value. If you want it, I'll sell it to you at the price of a grade one True Martial Treasure Weapon."
"How much?"
Zhang Ruochen slowly lifted the heavy broken sword, holding it in his hands as he gently wiped away the rust on the hilt, revealing two ancient characters: "Chenyuan."
The Chenyuan Ancient Sword.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's apparent fondness for the broken sword, Qin Ya regretted naming it at the price of a grade one weapon. Grade one True Martial Treasure Weapons could only sell for five hundred silver coins, less than the value of a Qi Gathering Pill.
"A thousand silver coins," she said, raising the price considerably.
"Deal!" Zhang Ruochen responded decisively.
Even if it cost a million silver coins, Zhang Ruochen would buy the Chenyuan Ancient Sword.
This ancient sword had once been his own, the sword given to him eight hundred years ago by Princess Chi Yao, now the Empress Chi Yao.
"When a person dies, their sword dies with them. Since I've come back to life, this sword should also be reborn. Chenyuan, I will restore your brilliance once more." Zhang Ruochen gently stroked the ancient sword, his gaze distant and filled with emotion, as if caressing an old lover.
This was the bond between a sword and its wielder!
Qin Ya was speechless. Was this man really a man? Here she was, a living, breathing beauty standing right in front of him, alone in an armory, yet he was fixated on a broken sword.
Could a broken sword be more appealing than her?
Normally, the men who entered the armory alone with her would have already thrown themselves at her by now.
Although Qin Ya despised such men and had no qualms about cutting off their hands, gouging out their eyes, or destroying their lives, that didn't mean she didn't enjoy seeing men driven mad with desire because of her.
She relished the process of teasing them, making them burn with lust, only to cruelly dash their hopes, leaving them in misery.
But now, Zhang Ruochen wouldn't even look at her.
What beautiful woman wouldn't feel a bit dissatisfied by that?