Chapter 50: Immortal Cicada Blades
The Lady Arclight laughed coldly at Marquis Wu. "Your three children are all at Ascension, but they attempted to deceive my sect's disciples and embarrass them in a show of spiritual power. Whatever could I say..."
"It was a joke, Lady Arclight, nothing more! I hope you won't take their jests to heart. Ahem!" Marquis Wu replied, still coughing.
"This was an invitation you tendered to the Taiqing Immortal Sect, offering three million taels of gold as remuneration for the services of my sect's disciples. By sect law and custom, we claim remuneration only after finishing the requested task, but considering this mockery, don't blame me for being unreasonable. Pay now or we'll leave right away!" the Lady Arclight declared.
"This..." Marquis Wu frowned. His face turned troubled as he sighed. "To be honest, I had prepared the remuneration long before the invitation was sent out, but shortly after doing so, a traitor in the manor stole all the gold in my treasury. I've already assigned my men to search for it, and they'll report back soon."
"You mean, you don't have the gold right now?" The Lady Arclight's voice was chilly.
"Please allow me a few days' grace to collect the required gold, Lady Arclight," Marquis Wu pleaded.
The Lady Arclight flashed him a cold smile. "If I remember correctly, the former Taiwu Empire boasted a number of peerless treasures, among them a set of paired flying swords, the Immortal Cicadas. I would value them at around three million taels of gold. To show your sincerity, why not use these swords as collateral? We can talk again once you've acquired the three million taels of gold."
"The Immortal Cicadas? They're a prized treasure of the Xiang clan!" Marquis Wu gasped.
"Are you unwilling to do so, then? In that case, we'll be heading straight back to the sect." The Lady Arclight waved a hand at the gathered disciples.
A series of emotions flitted over Marquis Wu's face until he finally sighed. "So be it. I ask that you take care of the Immortal Cicadas until which time I can repay my debt to you."
With a wave of Marquis Wu's hands, two golden beams of light flashed from his sleeve and floated before him. They were two one-foot-long golden cicada wings that were vibrating with a hum as they gave off a gentle golden glow. The blades were so thin and light that they were almost translucent, but their surfaces were covered with a dense layer of golden runes. They gave off such killing intent that it could be felt even from afar.
"The Immortal Cicadas are a paired male and female set. They need to be manipulated with spiritual power, and are best given to a couple. Only then will they be able to command the swords together and allow the swords to exhibit their maximum power. To which couple of cultivators should I pass these swords?" Marquis Wu looked toward the Lady Arclight.
Marquis Wu's suggestion that the blades be handed over to a couple seemed to be out of a desire to keep them from the Lady Arclight herself.
"Are you worried that I intend to claim them for myself?" the Lady Arclight asked disdainfully. She turned toward the Taiqing disciples. "Are there any couples among you? Let them hold the swords for now!"
The gathered Taiqing disciples glanced at each other, vexed. These were flying swords, and top-tier ones at that! Why didn't they have a partner of their own?!
Vexed though the disciples might be, no one dared to countermand the elder. They looked around them, their gazes settling on Yu'er and Xiao Nanfeng. The other disciples stepped back, leaving the two of them standing side by side at the very front.
"What are all of you doing? Nanfeng and I are innocent!" Yu'er cried out, stomping her feet in embarrassment.
Nanfeng knew that the more they denied it, the more problematic their relationship would seem. Why not let the other disciples think what they wanted? They would even get two swords out of it—as long as Yu'er didn't mind.
Beside him, Yu'er suddenly stopped short. That was true: the misunderstanding would allow Nanfeng and her to get a flying sword each! It was only temporary, but that was no loss either way. Furthermore, she didn't mind Nanfeng. Having made up her mind, she stepped forward.
Xiao Nanfeng emulated Yu'er.
"We greet the honored elder!" the two disciples began.
"What's wrong with your voice, Nanfeng?" Yu'er whispered to him.
"I had a little chill last night, so my voice is a bit hoarse!" Xiao Nanfeng was afraid that the Lady Arclight would be able to make out his voice, so he deliberately tried to modify it.
The Lady Arclight looked at Xiao Nanfeng and smiled coldly at him, but she chose not to expose him in public.
She glanced askance at Marquis Wu. "Would you like to remove the spiritual mark on these two swords, or shall I do it?"
"Allow me." With a wave of Marquis Wu's hand, the pair of blades began to resonate. Subsequently, the golden glow they emanated dimmed.
"What are the two of you waiting for? Attune it with your spiritual power!" the Lady Arclight commanded Nanfeng and Yu'er.
Both disciples began to extend their spiritual power to the Immortal Cicadas, which radiated with glowing light. Xiao Nanfeng suddenly felt an unusual sensation, as though his spiritual power had transformed into a transparent thread, one end of which was tied to his stellar lake, and the other end to the sword. As he controlled his spiritual energy, he was able to manipulate the Immortal Cicada with his mind.
As Xiao Nanfeng controlled the sword, it danced all around his body, so quickly that it looked like a beam of golden light.
"The strength of these Immortal Cicadas is based on your spiritual power. Honored cultivators, please protect my treasured blades." Marquis Wu nodded at Xiao Nanfeng and Yu'er.
"Don't worry, I'll protect my Immortal Cicada for sure!" Yu'er happily played with her sword.
Marquis Wu's smile turned stiff. He looked stricken by Nanfeng and Yu'er's expressions; neither of them looked as though they would be willing to hand back the swords. "Honored cultivator, you must be mistaken. This is my sword, not yours—I intend to take them back upon payment of my debt."
"Marquis Wu, I'm a cultivator of my word. Now that I've taken your gold, or the equivalent thereof, I will surely accomplish the task you've set out. If this is to happen again, however, I would not be so courteous," the Lady Arclight stated.
Everyone turned toward her in shock. You've made a huge mess of the marquis' manor and the city of Taiwu. You consider this courteous?!
"Thank you for showing clemency," Marquis Wu replied, his face twitching.
"We leave now. Prepare for a raid on Mt. Crow at once!" the Lady Arclight instructed the gathered Taiqing disciples.
"Yes, Elder!" As the disciples returned to their rooms, Xiao Nanfeng continued to play with his Immortal Cicada for a little while before keeping it in his storage ring. Just then, his eyes grew wide. Deep within the darkness of his storage ring, the ferocious beast's lantern-like eyes lit up.
The next moment, a burst of red light shot out from the beast and enveloped the sword. It trembled violently, and a pale blue humanoid-looking shadow burst out from it.
"This is—no!"
Caught by the beam of red light, the shadow struggled madly to break free, but to no avail.
The red light dragged the shadow deep into the depths of the storage space...
"No! Save me, Marquis! Ah, argh—!"
The shadow let out just one chilling scream before vanishing entirely in the darkness.
Xiao Nanfeng pulled out his Immortal Cicada again, only to discover that it looked exactly the same as before. What could that humanoid shadow have been?
Xiao Nanfeng hypothesized, "Could that humanoid shadow have been a soul, deliberately hidden in the swords by the marquis? Had he refused to let the Lady Arclight near them because she would be able to detect something amiss? He seemed like a wimp, but to think he was planning all this...!"
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