Demonic Sword: Muramasa

After the door opened, Garling continued supporting Gigue as they walked inside. Gigue suddenly asked,

"Uncle Garling, after Grandpa became an Ability User, did he never come here again? Or did he have to bring you along to open the door for him every time?"

Garling froze for a moment, then quickly understood. The always-serious man could not help but smile as he said,

"Kid, are you already thinking about the day you become Family Head? You're looking pretty far ahead. I'm not dead yet!"

"Uh, that's not what I meant. Besides, it's not like I can only take over after you're gone. Maybe you'll get tired of it and retire early?"

"Heh. Do you think being Family Head is like holding some position in the Navy? Retire? Have you ever heard of a retired Family Head?"

"Uh, true enough. Then maybe I shouldn't become Family Head after all. I wouldn't want Uncle Garling to die."

That last remark was absolutely Gigue's sincere feeling at the moment. After the two exchanged a few bantering words, Garling gradually relaxed, and he began speaking more.

"At least you have some conscience. Don't worry, the position of Family Head will be yours sooner or later. As for the question you just raised, it isn't impossible to solve. That depends on whether you're qualified to accept the gift I'm giving you."

If Garling had not mentioned it, Gigue would have nearly forgotten about the gift. As they moved farther and farther from the Seastone door, Gigue gradually regained some ability to move.

He pulled himself away from Garling, moved his body a little, and began examining the secret chamber.

As a powerful family among the Celestial Dragons, the Figarland Family had countless treasures in its secret chamber. Gold and jewels were as common here as cabbages; even calling it a mountain of gold would have been conservative.

From the way they were displayed, it was obvious that the Figarland Family did not care about such things at all.

The truly precious items were the Famous Swords hanging on the walls, though not every blade was qualified to be hung there.

Gigue saw several swords tossed carelessly into a corner, beside a sign that read, "Good Fast Swords: 50 Works."

Labels were attached to the hilts, presumably bearing the swords' names.

The ones qualified to hang on the walls were the "Great Fast Swords: 21 Works." Gigue counted them and found five in total.

That number was already astonishing. There were only twenty-one swords of that rank in the entire world, yet the Figarland Family possessed nearly a quarter of them. Such a foundation was absolutely terrifying.

The funny part was that Gigue, the family heir, was seeing the true strength of his own family for the first time.

When Garling turned around and saw Gigue's gaze lingering on those Famous Swords, a teasing smile curled across his lips as he asked,

"It seems you're quite interested in swords."

Gigue withdrew his gaze and answered honestly,

"Those swords are indeed tempting, but my swordsmanship is really mediocre. Giving a good sword to me would just be a waste."

"You still have the nerve to say that? Do you know what our family excels at most? Swordsmanship. You could say swordsmanship is the foundation upon which our family stands."

Gigue shook his head helplessly and said,

"It can't be helped. There are people in the Navy who use swords, but none of them are truly formidable. I only learned some basics."

Garling nodded disdainfully and said,

"You're right. Those so-called swordsmen in the Navy are all half-baked. They aren't worth mentioning at all."

"So, Uncle Garling, are you bringing this up because the gift you mentioned is a sword?"

"Correct. As a member of the Figarland Family, how can you not have a sword of your own?"

"Then the swords on the wall..."

Garling looked at Gigue as though he hated his lack of ambition. He scolded,

"Is that all the ambition you have? The Twenty-One Works are decent, but as the family heir, using that kind of sword would simply disgrace the family!"

"Uh..."

Gigue fell silent. He glanced at the sword hanging at Garling's waist. By Garling's logic, his sword had to be one of the legendary Supreme Great Fast Swords.

There were only twelve of those masterpieces in the entire world. Naturally, Gigue did not think Garling was preparing to give away his own sword. That would have been absurd.

Since he had said that, it meant the Figarland Family possessed more than one Supreme Great Fast Sword!

All Gigue could do was exclaim in his heart at such a foundation, while his anticipation grew even stronger.

Garling did not make Gigue wait long. He led him to the end of the secret chamber, where several luxurious coffins had been placed. The one in the center was the largest and most lavishly decorated.

Corresponding portraits hung on the wall above every coffin. Judging from the bizarre variety of hairstyles, the people lying inside these coffins had to be the successive Family Heads of the Figarland Family.

After arriving there, Garling first bowed toward the coffins before him. Gigue followed suit.

Then Garling walked to the largest coffin in the middle and slowly pushed open its lid.

Gigue stepped beside Garling and looked into the coffin. Inside lay a skeleton clad in golden battle armor. What made him want to complain was that the skull actually still had hair, and it even retained the hairstyle from the portrait. The shelf life of that hair was simply outrageous.

But Gigue's attention was soon drawn to the sword clutched in the skeleton's arms.

The sword had a pitch-black blade, its edge covered in purple patterns resembling blood vessels. An exceptionally vivid ruby was embedded at the base of its hilt.

The longer Gigue looked, the more vacant his eyes became, as if he had lost his soul.

Garling was also staring at the sword in the coffin, but he appeared perfectly normal. He even reached out and touched the blade as he said,

"He was the first Family Head of the Figarland Family, Saint Cassius, and also this sword's owner. Speaking of which, you and he... Gigue? What's wrong!?"

Garling finally noticed something was wrong with Gigue. At that moment, a sudden change occurred.

Black flames abruptly ignited on the sword Garling had touched. Then the entire sword transformed into a streak of black light, flew over Saint Garling, and entered Gigue's right hand.

The black light gradually condensed back into the sword's original form, and Gigue finally came to his senses. He raised his sword-holding right hand in confusion and muttered,

"What just happened? And what's with this sword?"

Garling was also stunned by what had just happened. He steadied himself, gave Gigue a deep look, and said,

"The sword in your hand is one of the Twelve Works. Its name is the Demonic Sword: Muramasa!"

The moment the words "Demonic Sword: Muramasa" were spoken, wisps of black mist began rising from the blade in Gigue's hand.

Shock flashed through Gigue's eyes, because that black mist was far too familiar to him. It was the power of darkness!