Chapter 13

In the city of Qi, there is also a Qingxuan Pavilion, a magnificent and splendid building that can be considered a landmark of the city.

Hanzi took out a palm-sized token from his pocket and showed it to the guards at the Qingxuan Pavilion, then led Zhang Ruochen into the inner courtyard.

In the inner courtyard, a maid walked into a pavilion draped with white curtains, bowed, and said, "Chief, Mo Hanlin has introduced a buyer who hopes to meet you in person."

The woman was wearing a long red dress embroidered with phoenixes, sitting in the center of the pavilion. Her hair was piled high, with three golden hairpins inserted. She had bright, beautiful eyes, a crimson mouth, and skin that seemed to be as delicate as it could be touched. Her chest was a pair of full, soft peaks, and even though they were covered by a thin veil, the impressive contours were still visible.

She looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, exuding an irresistible charm.

She was Qin Ya, the owner of the Qingxuan Pavilion.

Qin Ya's eyes slightly tilted upwards, and she smiled, "Is the buyer introduced by Mo Hanlin a senior from a sect? Or the head of a family? Forget it! I'm a bit tired today, so I won't meet him!"

The maid shook her head and said, "None of those. It's just a young man who looks to be only sixteen or seventeen years old."

"Hmm?"

Qin Ya was somewhat surprised and said, "Mo Hanlin is usually reliable. Why did he do something so foolish today?"

The maid replied, "Mo Hanlin never does foolish things. The person he introduced must be extraordinary."

Qin Ya nodded, her eyes narrowing into a slit, and she smiled, "It seems to be quite an interesting matter! I suddenly feel less tired. I'll go and see what kind of person this young man is. Hehe!"

Zhang Ruochen sat in the VIP room, holding a glass teacup, looking very calm and patient as he waited.

Hanzi also sat on a chair below, drinking tea in large gulps, even swallowing the tea leaves, and kept praising the tea.

After a moment, footsteps were heard from outside.

Then, Qin Ya and two maids walked in.

Hanzi immediately put down his teacup, jumped up from the chair, and bowed respectfully to Qin Ya, saying in a low voice, "Greetings, Madam."

Qin Ya walked past Hanzi and glanced at Zhang Ruochen. She saw that the young man was still sitting there calmly, with a maturity and composure that was unusual for his age.

At the same time, Zhang Ruochen also looked at Qin Ya, sizing her up. He was somewhat impressed. She was indeed a seductive and charming woman. If she were to seduce men, nine out of ten would fall for her.

Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen's mental strength was powerful, and he was not greatly affected by her allure. He got straight to the point, "Madam, I believe you know that I am here to buy a weapon. Please take me to your armory!"

Qin Ya walked towards Zhang Ruochen, and with each step, her full chest would sway, creating a mesmerizing scene.

She smiled, "Young Master Zhang, what kind of weapon are you planning to buy? I need to have an idea first, right?"

"Sword! Preferably a 'True Martial Treasure' level sword!" Zhang Ruochen caught a whiff of a faint, captivating fragrance, which was Qin Ya's scent, making him feel particularly intoxicated.

The scent was very alluring, evoking fantasies, but it was not vulgar.

What a seductive enchantress!

Qin Ya had never seen a man remain calm in her presence, especially a young man. Wasn't a young man's nature the weakest and most susceptible to temptation?

Zhang Ruochen's eyes were clear, without a hint of lust.

"No wonder Mo Hanlin wanted me to meet him in person. Indeed, he is impressive. How many young men have such strong mental fortitude?"

Qin Ya nodded, finding Zhang Ruochen even more interesting. She smiled, "My armory does indeed have many 'True Martial Treasure' level swords. Since Young Master Zhang is a distinguished guest of the Qingxuan Pavilion, I will personally take you to the armory."

Hanzi, the small, chubby man standing behind Qin Ya, shook his head vigorously at Zhang Ruochen, his eyes conveying a warning: Brother, don't go to the armory alone with the Madam. She will eat you down to the bone.

Zhang Ruochen naturally saw Hanzi's expression and thought for a moment, then said, "Alright! Thank you, Madam, for showing me the way. Please!"

Qin Ya had a full chest and a slender waist like a willow branch. She walked in front of Zhang Ruochen, her curves outlined beautifully, her buttocks swaying, and her long hair flowing like a black waterfall on her back. With each step, her plump buttocks would gently rise.

Even just a silhouette was enough to capture one's gaze.

No wonder Hanzi was so afraid of her.

Such a woman, if she were gentle, would surely be loved by men. But if she were not, she would make many men fear her.

A woman who could kill seven husbands and control enormous wealth in the weapon market—how could she be gentle?

Zhang Ruochen tried hard to control his gaze, avoiding looking at Qin Ya.

"Greetings, Madam!"

The two rows of guards standing outside the armory immediately knelt on one knee, their eyes fixed on the ground, not daring to look at Qin Ya.

They were all in a state of fear, as if the person standing before them was not a beautiful woman but a soul collector.

Only Qin Ya and Zhang Ruochen entered the armory, while the others remained outside.

Watching Zhang Ruochen follow Qin Ya into the deep gate, Hanzi shook his head and sighed, already able to predict Zhang Ruochen's fate.

Buyers who entered the armory alone with the Madam, if they were men, never came out intact.

Some had their hands cut off, some became eunuchs, some had their eyes gouged out, and some even lost their heads!

It was not that the Madam intentionally harmed them, but that they could not control their hands or their desires, and tried to molest her.

In fact, each time, the Madam was the victim, and she had to fight back, leaving them with some lessons.

Because of this, those who had their hands cut off, eyes gouged out, or became eunuchs, dared not publicize the matter.

For people of their status, it would be too shameful if the matter were to be known!

The armory of the Qingxuan Pavilion was enormous, divided into various sections: the sword room, the knife room, the spear room, the hammer room, the axe room, and so on. Among them, the sword room was the largest.

In the Yunwu Kingdom, the majority of martial artists preferred to use swords as their weapons.

Weapons are divided into "ordinary weapons" and "True Martial Treasures."

Ordinary weapons are used by ordinary people.

True Martial Treasures are used by martial artists, and only martial artists can unleash their true power.

Based on the quality of the materials used to forge the weapon and the number of inscriptions on the weapon, True Martial Treasures can be divided into nine ranks.

A first-rank True Martial Treasure is the lowest rank.

A ninth-rank True Martial Treasure is the highest rank.

As soon as Zhang Ruochen entered the sword room, he felt a strange vibration coming from a broken sword in the corner.

The blade of the broken sword was about a palm wide, and although the tip was broken, the blade was still four feet long.

The sword looked plain and unadorned, with rust spots on the blade.

"Chen... Yuan..."

Seeing the broken sword, Zhang Ruochen was stunned and immediately walked over quickly.

Qin Ya smiled, "Young Master Zhang has a keen eye. That is an ancient sword with nearly a thousand years of history, extremely heavy and sharp. The materials used to forge it are also very special, and no appraiser has been able to determine what metal it is made of."

"If it were not damaged, it would at least be a seventh-rank True Martial Treasure, or even higher."

"Unfortunately! Such a fine sword has been broken, and the inscriptions in the blade have all been severed. This sword has no value other than its sharpness. If Young Master wants to buy it, I will sell it to you at the price of a first-rank True Martial Treasure."

"How much?"

Zhang Ruochen slowly lifted the heavy broken sword, held it in his hands, and gently wiped off the rust on the hilt, revealing the ancient characters "Chen Yuan" beneath the rust.

The ancient sword Chen Yuan.

Qin Ya saw that Zhang Ruochen seemed to be very fond of the broken sword and felt a bit regretful. A first-rank True Martial Treasure, no matter how expensive, could only be sold for five hundred silver coins, which was less valuable than a Qi Gathering Pill.

"A thousand silver coins."

She raised the price significantly.

"Deal!" Zhang Ruochen said decisively.

It wasn't just a thousand silver coins; even a million silver coins, Zhang Ruochen would buy the ancient sword Chen Yuan.

Because this ancient sword was the one he used eight hundred years ago.

The sword given to him by Princess Chi Yao, now Empress Chi Yao.

"When a person dies, the sword also dies. Since I have come back to life, the sword should also be reborn! Chen Yuan, I will make you shine again, free from all impurities." Zhang Ruochen caressed the ancient sword Chen Yuan as if he were caressing a lover, his eyes filled with a dreamy look.

This was the bond between a sword and a person!

Qin Ya was speechless. Was this man really a man? A beautiful woman was standing right in front of him, and they were alone in the armory, but he was hugging a broken sword.

Was a broken sword more beautiful than her?

Other men, if they were alone with her in the armory, would have already pounced on her.

Although Qin Ya despised those men and directly disabled their hands, gouged out their eyes, and cut off their manhood, it did not mean she did not enjoy making men go crazy for her, turning them into lustful beasts.

She enjoyed teasing men until they were burning with desire, and then mercilessly making them realize the consequences, leaving them in a state of despair.

But now, Zhang Ruochen did not even look at her.

Any beautiful woman would feel very不甘心 (unwilling)!