Pei Ye lowered his head to look at the sword in his hand. It was the one Zhang Jingbi had used in their bout. Its design was identical to the swords hanging in the Sword Field, and it was of a similar age, but it had spent far more time in someone's hand.
Frowning, he swung it a few times, then looked at the swords on the rack.
"Xu Peak Master, does this sword have any connection to your husband?"
Xu Shang paused and looked down.
"This wasn't Mei Qing's sword." Xu Shang looked at him. "What's wrong with it?"
"These aren't the marks of two years' use," Pei Ye said softly.
"...What?"
Pei Ye drew a sword at random from the rack. Both swords came from Kongtong and were identical in design. Even in daylight, no difference was apparent apart from the cord wrapped around their hilts.
"Zhang Jingbi said he'd used this sword for two years, but a sword used for only two years wouldn't look like this." Pei Ye looked earnestly at the woman and handed her both swords. "You're an accomplished swordswoman, Xu Peak Master. Over long use, a sword's weight, wear, cutting edge... all subtly shift toward its wielder's habits. A sword used for only two years wouldn't have changed this distinctly."
In fact, the distinction was anything but distinct. Xu Shang frowned and felt them for a long time, lightly swinging, thrusting, and holding them still before she truly grasped the difference the boy described.
"You mean Jingbi has been using it for a long time?" The woman looked slightly startled. "But he only started practicing seriously in the last few years, and he's been most diligent these past two years..."
"No, those are different tendencies." Pei Ye looked at her. "This sword bears