Chapter Thirty-One: The Will of the Sword

  "Really?"

  Xie Pu let out a helpless sigh, seemingly having anticipated that Le Ga would not choose such an awkward and ugly weapon, so he didn't plan to continue selling this pickaxe.

  He tossed the axe back under the counter and suddenly produced a broken blade. "This is the pay you gave me when you were gathering intelligence from me, although it's broken, it's still a weapon after all. I'll give you a kitchen knife to go with it, a sharp one that can shave your beard, and make you a double-bladed customer, how about it?"

  "Boss, I want to use a sword."

  As soon as the sword was mentioned, Laga's chest came with a piercing pain, and the Azure Egret emblem in his right palm seemed to be burning. He suddenly realized that nothing could replace the Azure Egret Sword.

  Xie Pu sighed and threw away the broken blade like trash, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He said seriously: "You need to lower your standards, Leiga."

  "I understand, boss."

  Lei nodded silently, this was the first time Shep had called him by name, it was clear he was worried about the weapon.

  "What's your choice?"

  Xie Pu asked: "Is it the Mountain Opener Axe or the Double Blade Guest?"

  "Sword."

  Lei Ga simply said one word.

  Xie Pu furrowed his brow. His apprentice was sometimes clever enough to surprise him, and at other times stubborn enough to make him want to throttle him.

  "There's no sword in the Crow's Wine Tavern, does that mean you won't fight just because there's no sword?"

  "I know where it is."

  "Please give me just a little more time," Lei Ga said calmly.

  Xie Pu pursed his lips and glanced at Xulintian, who was sitting at the door, and Xulintian nodded slightly.

  "Although I don't quite understand combat, a weapon that suits one's heart is just as important as a convenient alchemy tool, I can wait."

  "Alright, you win. Hurry up and come back quickly, don't keep the alchemist waiting for too long - it's quite embarrassing for us two old men to stare at each other like this."

  Having obtained Shep's permission, Lega turned around and walked out of the Stormy Crow Tavern, heading in the direction of the Wooden Slat Bridge.

  At the bottom of the river under the wooden bridge lies a heavy black sword, which was once Red Roland's weapon. When the wooden bridge collapsed, Rega made Red Roland throw away the giant sword, and Red Roland did so. Although the river water is turbulent, with the weight of the giant sword, it is impossible to be washed away.

  Moreover, Red Poppies cannot swim, let alone dive down to retrieve that giant sword.

  Although the black giant sword can't be compared to the Cang Yulian Sword in terms of power or sentiment, it's at least a decent sword, far better than the mountain axe and dual knives recommended by Xie Pu.

  To save time, Leiga took a shortcut through the dense forest and headed straight for the valley. The branches and weeds hindered his movement, making his injuries even more unbearable, but this did not affect his speed at all. Before long, he arrived under the wooden suspension bridge.

  The wooden bridge was still broken, the river water was rushing, and the cold mist hit his face. Lei Jia stood on the cobblestone beach, looking at what was in front of him, and couldn't help but think of everything that had happened with Hong Luolan...

  That female bandit with a penchant for robbery...

  Lei Ga clenched his fists, but the soft tactile sensation of Roulan's skin was transmitted back through his fingers. He closed his eyes, and even his eyelids were filled with her naked image...

  Can't... drink Luobian wine anymore!

  Lei Ga smiled wryly and shook his head, took off his outerwear, stretched his muscles slightly, and plunged into the icy river water.

  A huge wave came crashing down, sweeping him into the dark current. Laggard gritted his teeth and struggled free from the whirlpool's pull, swimming with all his might towards the deepest part of the riverbed.

  The riverbed was deep and full of mud and water grass, and Leiga had to maintain his balance while avoiding the entanglement of the water grass. Once entangled by this inconspicuous plant, it would be impossible for him to get rid of it with his current physical condition.

  The deeper he swam, the colder and more piercing the river water became. The low temperature seemed to penetrate Rega's entire body, making him feel like his heart was about to stop beating.

  He opened his eyes wide and quickly searched the murky riverbed.

  Just as he was about to reach his limit, he finally saw the black giant sword. The giant sword was slanted and inserted into the muddy ground, with only half of its broad blade exposed.

  Lei grasped both hands on the long hilt of the sword and pulled upwards with all his might.

  The giant sword emitted a string of bubbles in the muddy water, but its body only moved up by less than an inch.

  Every bone in Leiga's body ached, and the prolonged lack of oxygen made his lungs ache. This terrible physical condition was unimaginable to him just a few days ago. He could only temporarily give up, using his last strength to float to the surface and breathe in big mouthfuls of fresh air.

  The surface is actually no safer than the riverbed, with waves crashing down one after another. Lei Ga struggles to steady himself, and when he has accumulated enough strength, he dives back into the depths of the river again.

  This time he didn't need to waste his precious time searching, and he was much calmer than last time. He grasped the long hilt of the sword, stepped into the muddy riverbed with both feet, and with a burst of strength from beneath his feet, the black giant sword was instantly pulled out.

  Lei felt a thrill of excitement in his heart, but soon calmed down.

  The black giant sword was much heavier than he had imagined, and with the pressure of the water flow, it became extremely difficult to float up to the surface.

  Lei Ga gritted his teeth, one hand grasping the black giant sword and the other desperately paddling through the water. If he couldn't bring back the black giant sword, not only would Xie Pu mock him, but more importantly, he would lose respect for himself - if he couldn't even handle an ordinary giant sword, how could he possibly retrieve the Cang Hu Sword?

  Lei let out a muffled roar in his throat, and then his body was like a tightly strung bowstring, suddenly bursting out of the water.

  After dragging the black giant sword to the riverbank, Leiga collapsed on the cold cobblestones of the river beach, his chest heaving up and down, not having any strength left in his body. From head to toe, every muscle was tense, and with just a slight movement, it seemed as if they would be torn apart.

  He rested for a short while, then wiped off the water stains on his body as much as possible, put on his clothes, and grasped the giant sword.

  The heavy black greatsword made it almost impossible for him to stand upright. He couldn't help but think of how effortlessly the sword had moved in Red Roland's hands, and a wave of despondency suddenly rose up within him.

  Gap ——

  But it will only shrink, not expand.

  He gritted his teeth and shouldered the massive black sword that loomed over him like a mountain, taking one step at a time as he walked towards the Stormy Crow Tavern.

  "Wow!"

  A crow flew in from somewhere and landed on the blunt blade of a giant sword.

  Lei Ga's shoulders felt a few points heavier in an instant. He chuckled, "Brother Ya, it's because the boss doesn't trust me, so he sent you here, right?"

  "Wow!"

  "Yeah, the boss is a good person."

  "Wow!"

  "You're also very...bird."

  "Waaah! Waaah! Waaah!"

  With the crow's company, the road back seems less long.

  When Lei Ga pushed open the door of the Storm Crow Tavern with a huge sword on his back, Xie Pu and Xu Lingtian were both startled.

  "How did you end up like this?"

  Xie Pu asked with a reproachful face, but his hand involuntarily reached out to take the black giant sword on Leiga's shoulder. Leiga's body was emitting wisps of white gas, and the fighting energy inside him had already shown signs of recovery.

  Under the premise of no guidance, it is likely that even Shifu himself cannot re-condense his aura in such a short period of time.

  He furrowed his brow, pondering what kind of willpower it was that allowed Laga to achieve such an astonishing feat.

  "Sorry, boss."

  Lei Ga smiled apologetically, "I'm still a bit unaccustomed to this sword."

  "Isn't this Red Roland's weapon? How did you..."

  Xie Pu deliberately turned his head away, indifferently saying: "Forget it, I'm not interested in knowing. Hmph, this weapon is dull and heavy, can't see what's better than a kitchen knife."

  He easily picked up the giant sword, as simple as picking up a wooden stick.

  "I'll go get you a scabbard."

  Xie Pu didn't give Le Ga a chance to speak, and walked into the kitchen behind him with a huge sword.

  Xu Lingtian had been staring at the employer with a thoughtful expression, and after Xie Pu left, he also stood up, carefully taking out a small bottle of crimson medicine from under his brown cloak. "The main ingredient in this is the blood of a flame lizard, it might be a bit scorching to the mouth, but it can help you escape the cold."

  Lei Ga nodded in thanks and reached out to take the medicine bottle.

  "There is a famous saying in the world of craftsmen: Even the most skilled alchemist cannot create an antidote for regret."

  Xu Lingtian didn't immediately release the medicine bottle in his hand, but instead stared at Leika with a gloomy gaze. "There's one thing I must warn you about in advance: my mission is absolutely not a game, and no one can help you. I won't be able to, your boss won't be able to either. If you're not capable yourself, you'll end up dead. You'd better think carefully while you still can."

  Lei Ga smiled faintly and snatched the medicine from Xu Ling Tian's hand, "Get your Moon Demon Grass ready." After finishing speaking, he downed the crimson medicine in one gulp.

  His body suddenly felt like it was on fire, every joint crackling with scorching pain. Rega gritted his teeth and endured the first three seconds before his temperature returned to normal.

  Xu Lingtian nodded slightly, "You're weaker than the warriors who used to do tasks for me before, but your willpower is stronger than all of theirs combined. I'll wait for you outside the door, and we'll set off once you're ready."

  After finishing speaking, he lifted his hood and walked out of the Stormy Crow Tavern with a tottering gait.

  After a little while, Shep came out of the kitchen with a huge sword, and on it was a simple scabbard. Two long leather belts were just right for hanging on Lega's shoulders and waist.

  Lei silently took over the giant sword and carried it on his back with great effort.

  The wound on his chest and abdomen was so painful that it made him almost unable to breathe, but the sword behind his back gave him a kind of inexplicable sense of fulfillment, as if he had seen an old friend again after many years.

  Hong Luolan had once wanted to snatch the Qingwu Sword, but now Hong Luolan's sword had become his cultivation tool. If she saw the current scene, it was unknown what kind of expression she would have.

  A faint smile flashed across Leiga's delicate face.

  "Are you still smiling? Are you crazy?"

  Xie Pu frowned and asked sternly.

  But such a tone couldn't conceal the worry in his eyes...