Spirit Sword Embryo

Jiang Yang set down his teacup and sat quietly, saying:

"Then I'm all ears, senior brother."

"Oh, hardly worth mentioning. Swords are popular weapons among our disciples, and plenty of people want them, so they're easy to come by.

"I have three methods for you. Hear them out and decide for yourself."

After these modest words, Zhou Yanwei paused, then continued:

"The first method is the simplest. East of the Ancestral Court stands a peak called Craft, where our sect refines artifacts and makes talismans. Go up there, and you'll find workshops for forging and refining artifacts everywhere. Spend a little money, and you can have one made. Pay enough, and even Spirit Artifacts or Mystic Artifacts are no problem, let alone an ordinary weapon."

Jiang Yang remembered Craft Peak. When he first took on sect duties, its recruitment of Fireworker Disciples had been listed in the register. He had glanced at it in passing.

At this point, Zhou Yanwei smiled and said:

"Don't go looking for a dedicated artifact refiner. Find those newly inducted Fireworker Disciples instead. Call out that you're offering a few Spirit Stones, and they'll all gather around. They rarely get a chance to practice their craft and earn money at the same time. They'll do it for practically any price."

"Heh... that certainly sounds convenient."

Amused by what he heard, Jiang Yang couldn't help smiling knowingly.

"Hold on, there's more. The second method depends rather more on luck. When you have time, take a trip to Chuanwu Market Ward below the peak. Once you're inside, follow the road all the way to the end and turn right. There's a Ghost Market there that sprang up of its own accord."

"Quite a few cultivators set up stalls there to sell odds and ends. It's also the unofficial place where disciples of the Three Peaks barter and trade. There's an Exchange Meeting every month where they exchange what they have for what they need."

As he spoke, Zhou Yanwei pointed vaguely down the mountain, in the direction of the Market Ward.

Jiang Yang's expression shifted. It sounded familiar. Wasn't this Ghost Market the very place he had wandered into last time? He had even picked up a Spirit Seed from one of its stalls.

"But let me warn you beforehand: don't go in thinking you can snatch up a bargain. No matter how they talk flowers down from the heavens, don't buy from them. Who knows where those odds and ends were scavenged or dug up? Countless pieces are fakes, given a coating of spiritual energy or artificially aged. Without a discerning eye, you won't be able to tell them apart..."

Zhou Yanwei spoke from experience. He had been swindled once himself back then, and now earnestly cautioned Jiang Yang.

Jiang Yang lowered his eyes and sipped his tea to hide his embarrassment. He was too embarrassed to tell Zhou Yanwei that this warning had come too late. Not only had he already gone there, he had bought something too.

Composing himself, Jiang Yang set down his teacup, nodded repeatedly, and patted his cuffs.

"I'll certainly keep your warning in mind, senior brother. My sleeves are empty—there isn't even a couple of ounces of grease to squeeze out of me. Those crooked merchants couldn't cheat me even if they wanted to."

Zhou Yanwei agreed at once.

"Crooked merchants? Exactly! Crooked merchants and fat rats, every one of them. In short, just ignore their enticing words.

"Go try your luck at the Exchange Meeting instead, and see whether any other disciples have Sword Weapons they've replaced and want to trade away. I imagine a few Spirit Stones would be enough to buy one."

"Mm... that's a good method too."

Jiang Yang murmured his agreement.

The advantage of this method was that he already knew the way. There were plenty of sword-wielding cultivators in the Three Peaks, too. If he went a few times, he was bound to find someone selling Sword Weapons.

"As for the last method, it only just occurred to me. But the cost won't be something a mere handful of Spirit Stones can cover."

Then Zhou Yanwei grew serious.

"You mentioned that you need a Sword Weapon that isn't a Mystic Artifact but is still sturdy. That brought a certain kind of weapon to mind: an Artifact Embryo that was originally a Mystic Artifact, or even a Spirit Artifact, but degraded through the ravages of time and lack of care. I think it would suit your needs perfectly."

Puzzled, Jiang Yang asked:

"What is an Artifact Embryo? Please enlighten me, senior brother."

"Of course."

Zhou Yanwei answered unhurriedly, clearly enjoying the feeling of being a teacher. Without keeping Jiang Yang in suspense, he explained directly:

"Artifact Embryos have been around for a long time, but they're rather like chicken ribs. Mystic Artifacts are refined from Spirit Materials combined with spiritual objects. Ordinarily, they have to be left idle for decades, even a century, before all their wondrous properties fade and they degrade into embryos.

"Think about it, junior brother. Who wouldn't carefully cherish a fine Mystic Artifact and constantly nourish it with Magic Power? That means there's only one kind of place where these things can be found."

Listening to Zhou Yanwei's patient guidance, Jiang Yang frowned in thought. Then inspiration struck, linking the clues in his mind, and he exclaimed in realization:

"A Cave-Dwelling Legacy?!"

"Exactly!"

Zhou Yanwei clapped his hands together and explained:

"When an ordinary cultivator gets a Mystic Artifact, he practically wants to cherish it like a wife. How could he bear to abandon it? Even if it doesn't suit him, he'll usually sell it on. But years pass uncounted within a cave. Only when the spiritual forces have ebbed and the formations have dissolved does it see daylight again. It's only in these Cave-Dwelling Legacies that you find degraded Artifact Embryos like these.

"The restriction patterns on such Mystic Artifacts are blurred, and all their wondrous properties are gone. Their only advantage is the toughness of their Spirit Materials. Aren't they just chicken ribs—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to throw away?"

"Excellent, excellent... thank you for enlightening me, senior brother."

Jiang Yang's eyes lit up. Didn't an Artifact Embryo meet his requirements perfectly? Its material was far tougher than an ordinary weapon's, yet its price fell short of a Mystic Artifact's. Others might consider it a chicken rib, but it was exactly what he wanted.

It also reminded Jiang Yang of the fragment weighing over a hundred jin that he had hefted at that stall in Chuanwu Market Ward. Presumably, it was a degraded Artifact Embryo. According to the stallholder, Song Qi, it was a fragment of the sword of a Sword Cultivator who had been at least in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

But then Jiang Yang realized something else. Frowning, he asked:

"An Artifact Embryo sounds ideal, but where would I get one?"

Zhou Yanwei laughed when he heard this and traced a circle with his finger.

"Ha, as luck would have it, isn't the answer right before your eyes? You know about it too, junior brother. Didn't Junior Brother Fang return from exploring a Cave-Dwelling Legacy a few days ago? He said he'd made a modest haul. It was a Sword Pool left behind by some unknown tradition.

"You're nearby, Junior Brother Jiang, so you can go and pick one out. Even if the Sword Pool has dried up, surely there will still be a few degraded Sword Weapons. They should meet your needs."

"Well..."

Jiang Yang had never imagined that, after all these twists and turns, things would circle back again. The treasure hunt he had declined to join had now reconnected with him. A single choice had made all the difference; he could only marvel at life's unpredictability and the workings of chance and fate.

Still, Jiang Yang felt no regret. Had he gone along back then, he might have obtained a Sword Weapon for free, but given the choice again, he would still have refused.

Thus, Jiang Yang remained quite composed as he cupped his hands toward Zhou Yanwei.

"So it's Senior Brother Fang Xu. I understand. Thank you for the guidance, senior brother."

Zhou Yanwei had also mentioned it when Jiang Yang turned in his previous duties. Back then, Jiang Yang had readily agreed, though he had actually remained undecided about going. Now, however, it seemed he really had no choice but to go.

"Oh, it's nothing. No need to be so polite, Junior Brother Jiang."

Zhou Yanwei waved a hand and smiled.

"But although these Artifact Embryos have degraded, their prices aren't low. They're forged from spirit materials, after all. At the very least, they can be melted down in a furnace and sold for the value of their materials. Some high-grade Artifact Embryos contain such precious spirit materials that they're worth even more than a Mystic Artifact..."

Hearing this, Jiang Yang put on a rueful smile.

"Then I can only pray that Senior Brother Fang shows mercy when the time comes..."

Zhou Yanwei burst into laughter and waved his large hand.

"Hahaha! Bargain as hard as you like. That lad Fang Xu feasted so well this time that grease is dripping from his mouth. No need to worry about him."