Treasury, Nine Slashes of the Mad Saber

In a modest stone chamber, Wei Fan and the others found the treasures Black Wind Stronghold had pillaged over the years. There was not much—gold and silver combined amounted to only a few thousand taels.

Of course, besides these things, the chamber also contained other jewels and jade artifacts. Wei Fan was not very knowledgeable about such items and could not estimate their value.

Nor was he interested in them. His gaze immediately settled on several secret manuals on a shelf.

He quickly walked over and picked them up, finding that there were five manuals in total.

"Brother Wei, come quickly! There's something good here!"

Wei Fan had just been about to examine the manuals when Ning Xuan's voice rang out. Walking over, he saw Ning Xuan holding a box, inside which lay a stone the size of a bowl.

The stone was pitch-black and rather ugly.

"What is this?"

Wei Fan reached out to grab the stone and could not help being startled. This bowl-sized stone was astonishingly heavy, even heavier than iron.

Such a small piece weighed forty or fifty jin, like a block of lead.

Ning Xuan said, "Brother Wei, this is called Mystic Iron. It is excellent for forging weapons, something money cannot buy.

Once we martial artists reach the Aperture Opening Realm, our cultivation becomes too immense. Weapons forged from ordinary refined iron cannot withstand an infusion of True Qi and will be ruined after only a few uses.

But if Mystic Iron is used to forge a weapon, it can withstand an eruption of True Qi even after you become a Heavenly Human Master!

Unfortunately, this piece is a little too small to forge into a complete weapon. This is yours, so put it away."

As he spoke, a trace of disappointment appeared in Ning Xuan's eyes. It was only because this piece of Mystic Iron did not weigh enough that the Crocodile Demon had left it in the treasury.

Wei Fan did not stand on ceremony and put away the Mystic Iron.

It was not enough to forge a weapon now, but that did not mean he would be unable to find more Mystic Iron in the future.

"Take a look at what material my blade is made from. How does it compare to this Mystic Iron?"

He drew the Cold Moon Blade and handed it to Ning Xuan.

Though he was more capable in a fight than Ning Xuan, he had always been self-taught. His knowledge was nowhere near that of a martial artist from a sect like Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan examined it for a while. "Your blade was also forged from Mystic Iron, but only a portion of Mystic Iron was mixed into ordinary refined iron. It cannot be considered a truly precious blade."

The implication was that the Cold Moon Blade was merely ordinary.

Wei Fan nodded and put away the Cold Moon Blade.

The three continued taking stock for a while longer but found no more valuable items.

They called over several people to pack the gold, silver, jewels, and treasures into chests one by one. At dawn, they began transporting them back into the city and took them to the largest bank in the city to exchange for silver notes, receiving more than twelve thousand taels in total.

Wei Fan did not split the Mystic Iron with the other two, but he gave Su Xuerong and Ning Xuan two thousand taels each. Though he had contributed more, they had completed the mission together in the end.

Originally, he had wanted to divide it evenly, but the two insisted they had not contributed much and refused to accept it. Wei Fan forcibly stuffed two thousand taels into each of their hands.

"Make your preparations. We'll go find the Reception Envoy. We may leave Cloud City tomorrow and head for Su City!"

After Ning Xuan and Su Xuerong cupped their fists to him, they turned and left.

The chief of Black Wind Stronghold had already been slain, and their assessment mission was complete. They both wanted to return to Su City as quickly as possible and take up their posts in the Demon Suppressing Division.

"Alright!"

Wei Fan nodded, anticipation rising in his heart as well.

Though he had not slept all night, he was not tired. After parting with Ning Xuan and the others, he went to the yamen.

That day, Wei Fan was exceptionally diligent. He personally led people on patrol through the streets for the entire morning. After lunch, he brought a group of constables to the training grounds and instructed them in martial arts one by one.

Near the end of the workday, he found Luo Wen and placed his constable's badge and saber on Luo Wen's desk.

Luo Wen's eyes widened. "What? You're not going to be a constable anymore?"

Was he planning to retire after achieving success?

They had only wiped out Black Wind Stronghold last night and cleared the demons and monsters around Cloud City, yet he was already quitting the yamen?

Wei Fan nodded. "I'm done. Cloud City is peaceful now. It no longer needs me."

Luo Wen grew anxious. "No, the new city lord hasn't arrived yet. If you stop being a constable, no one will be able to keep things under control."

He and Wei Fan were grasshoppers tied to the same rope. As long as Wei Fan remained, when the new city lord arrived, Luo Wen might perhaps become the clerk of the East District.

If Wei Fan left, he would have no leverage.

Wei Fan shook his head. "That's none of my concern. I can't stay in Cloud City forever. I'll probably leave tomorrow for the Demon Suppressing Division in Su City..."

The Demon Suppressing Division!

Luo Wen shot to his feet in shock. "You... you became one of the Demon Suppressing Division?"

He was not quitting—he was being promoted, becoming a member of the Demon Suppressing Division, more formidable even than a commandant. Those were people whose fierce reputations were known far and wide.

For so many years, no one had seen a member of the Demon Suppressing Division appear in Cloud City, yet the demons around Cloud City had always been cowed by the Demon Suppressing Division.

Wei Fan grinned. "That's right. Wiping out Black Wind Stronghold last night was my assessment mission to enter the Demon Suppressing Division.

From now on, you'd better not collude with demons. Otherwise, one day I might return and cut you down."

Luo Wen paid no heed to Wei Fan's words. He had never colluded with demons before. Like many old hands, he had merely chosen to protect himself when demons harmed people.

When it came to matters unrelated to demons, he had still done quite a few good deeds.

It was also because of this that Wei Fan had not killed him. Otherwise, how could Luo Wen have survived until today?

"Entering the Demon Suppressing Division is a matter that brings glory to one's ancestors! Why didn't you say so sooner? Come, let's call the brothers and go to a restaurant. I'm treating today!"

He no longer tried to persuade Wei Fan to remain a constable. Instead, he excitedly pulled Wei Fan outside and began calling people over.

Before long, ten or twenty constables marched grandly out of the yamen and headed toward a nearby restaurant.

"No wonder Constable Wei never cared for the commandant position the city lord offered him. So he wanted to join the Demon Suppressing Division!"

"Constable Wei has brought honor to our Cloud City!"

Once they learned that Wei Fan was entering the Demon Suppressing Division, the envy of these constables was practically written across their faces. As constables, most of them dreamed of joining the Demon Suppressing Division, but such a place was not somewhere one could enter simply by wishing it.

The meal did not end until very late.

Wei Fan bid farewell to his former colleagues. After returning home, he used True Qi to dispel the effects of the alcohol before taking out the secret manuals he had obtained from Black Wind Stronghold and beginning to read them.

Of the five secret manuals, one was a movement technique, one a fist art, and one a saber art!

The remaining two were both cultivation arts. One was a True Qi Realm cultivation art, while the other was an Aperture Opening Realm cultivation art he had been lacking all along, called the Hundred Rivers Art.

He did not read the movement technique, fist art, or True Qi Realm cultivation art. Once one reached the Aperture Opening Realm, such things were not of much use, so there was no need to waste cultivation on them.

Although that saber art was also a True Qi Realm saber art, he was currently nurturing saber intent. What he lacked was saber arts to broaden his horizons and accumulate saber intent.

The saber art was called Nine Slashes of the Mad Saber. It was a saber art that integrated inner and outer cultivation, not one like the Heavenly Gang Blood Burning Saber, which condensed saber force.

Strictly speaking, saber arts like the Heavenly Gang Blood Burning Saber were applications of True Qi rather than pure saber arts. In other words, Nine Slashes of the Mad Saber placed greater emphasis on saber intent and saber techniques.

After spending a while on it, Nine Slashes of the Mad Saber and the Hundred Rivers Art appeared on the panel:

Nine Slashes of the Mad Saber (Not Initiated)

Hundred Rivers Art (Not Initiated)

Roaring Tiger Dragon's Cry Golden Bell Shield (Initiated)

...

Current cultivation: 882