Chapter 125

Chapter 123. Phoenix Twin Swords

Lin Nuo had also taken up scavenging, collecting precious stones. Although his luck wasn’t as good as Su Kexin’s and he only picked up a few scraps, it was better than nothing. Little by little, he hoped to find some larger stones that looked somewhat intriguing to peddle at the market, maybe fetching a decent price.

As an accomplished villain, one should possess excellent equipment scavenging and conning skills.

After scouring the area around the [Heavenly Fire] meteorite, Lin Nuo and the others returned to Hu City.

Though the extermination of the alien race’s army was due to a natural disaster, the area hit by the meteorite just happened to be Lin Nuo’s stronghold, which had originally been occupied by the aliens. Lin Nuo had recaptured it and held it for quite some time. In a sense, Lin Nuo and his team had contributed significantly to the extermination of the alien army coinciding with the disaster.

Hu City was a place rich in mythology, with its citizens holding their beliefs dear. In Hu City, a legend spread that Lin Nuo was a messenger sent by the heavens to save them, and the cruel alien army had ultimately faced divine retribution.

As for the legend surrounding Lin Nuo, it spread like wildfire. In no time, he became the savior and myth of Hu City. The people there even contemplated sculpting a statue of Lin Nuo to honor him as a divine messenger.

Lin Nuo vehemently condemned such feudal superstitions, scoffing at the idea of being a savior or a divine messenger. If anyone were to be a god, it should be the god of extermination!

If it weren’t for Lin Nuo’s mobility issues, he’d have left this godforsaken place long ago.

Today, Lin Nuo was lounging in the courtyard, sitting in a grand armchair, sipping tea and munching on Meat Floss Cake. After a few days of rest, he was nearly back to normal and almost ready to walk again.

Sitting around all day was not an option; as someone recovering from a disability, he needed to take a few steps occasionally.

So, he decided to stroll around the courtyard.

“Senior Brother! Senior Brother!”

Su Kexin dashed in cheerfully, nearly causing Lin Nuo to trip.

He had developed a conditioned reflex; whenever he heard Su Kexin’s excited calls, his heart would leap. Su Kexin was a pure and simple girl, with little depth—her thoughts easily reflected in her words and actions.

So, if she were excitedly calling out, it must mean something good.

According to the law of conservation of good and bad events between protagonists and villains, if something good happened to the protagonist, then something bad must befall the villain.

Damn it, what good news have you stumbled upon now?!

Lin Nuo maintained his calm demeanor, replying with as much poise as a seasoned dog:

“What is it?”

“Senior Brother, Senior Brother! Didn’t I say I wanted to forge two swords? They’re ready! Let’s go check them out together!”

“Hmm? Have you seen them yet?”

“Not yet! I just met the master who forged the swords for us on the way, and he said they’re done, so I rushed back to tell you.”

“Checking swords is something you can do by yourself.”

“No, no! We need to check them together! Besides, my research on swords pales compared to yours, Senior Brother. Come on, let’s go together! It’s a rare chance for us to forge swords together, let’s go check them out~”

Su Kexin tugged at Lin Nuo’s hand, her voice soft and sweet, making it hard for Lin Nuo to resist.

What protagonist needs a companion for something as simple as checking a sword? Is she going to stab me with it right then and there?

He bet she wouldn’t dare, but if she did, he’d eat this armchair on the spot!

“Alright, let’s go.”

Lin Nuo decided to go along, stopping by to buy some snacks on the way since they were running low on food at home.

The two of them went to the weapon shop, and as they walked through Hu City, the townsfolk cast respectful and envious glances their way. The last time they had defended a stronghold and returned safely, tales of their legendary partnership spread throughout Hu City.

Lin Nuo found it increasingly absurd; why shouldn’t the sculpture have a name? Or did these fools simply steal it from somewhere?

Upon arriving at the weapon shop, a kind and friendly Weapon Master welcomed them.

“Young Master Lin, Miss Su! Good to see you both! I’ve prepared what you asked for today; please take a look.”

The Weapon Master graciously led Lin Nuo and Su Kexin inside, where two gleaming sword boxes awaited them, each holding a long sword with a silver-white hilt.

In Hu City, they had earned the title of divine partners and were entitled to VIP treatment—golden boxes for the swords and top-notch packaging.

“Please see if they meet your satisfaction.”

The Weapon Master smiled broadly. Lin Nuo approached one of the long swords, took a cursory look, and noticed the blade’s brilliant sheen and impeccable craftsmanship. It was evident that rare stones had been utilized in its forging; he could feel the extraordinary energy just by lightly touching it.

Gripping the hilt, he swung it a bit. The spirit sword felt incredibly comfortable to use—at least better than his old one. Indeed, it was forged with precious materials, and initially thought to be a fifth-tier sword, it now seemed near sixth-tier.

Su Kexin picked up the other sword, mimicking Lin Nuo’s actions and swinging it gently as well.

It felt smooth, and she was quite satisfied.

She looked down at the hilt, which bore a character: 林 (Lin).

Good, this sword belonged to her.

Lin Nuo noticed the two swords were nearly identical, which made sense since they were forged together—why not try to keep them uniform to save effort?

However, the hilt had a design resembling a bird’s head, and the craftsmanship was elaborate.

Strangely enough, the sword looked somewhat familiar.

It appeared to have a character.

He leaned down to look, discovering the character: 苏 (Su).

They were even engraved with characters!

“Junior Martial Sister, this sword is yours.”

“No, no! This sword belongs to Senior Brother.”

“But it has your surname, Su.”

“Exactly! And my sword has your surname, yours has mine—it’s perfect~”

Su Kexin giggled sweetly.

Lin Nuo was left confused.

What the hell? They engraved their surnames on each other’s swords? Is something wrong with her?

“What’s going on?” Lin Nuo asked.

“Young Master Lin, this is the Phoenix Twin Swords! They’re made from the same materials, forged in the same style, perfect for partners.”

“What?”

“The Phoenix Twin Swords, when used in battle by partners with high compatibility, combined with the technique ‘Dual Dance Sword Technique,’ yield unexpectedly powerful results. Also, they were forged by slicing a large chunk of fire candle stone and black forging stone in half, and these two materials are incredibly pure, vastly surpassing regular Phoenix Twin Swords in power.”

The Weapon Master even specially presented them with a copy of the ‘Dual Dance Sword Technique,’ featuring tutorials suitable for dual-person trials.

Lin Nuo was dumbfounded. While forging the swords, they ended up with the Phoenix Twin Swords?

So he was supposed to use the Phoenix Twin Swords alongside Su Kexin?

A collaboration between the villain and the protagonist?

What a joke, that’s impossible!

However, Lin Nuo reflected that this wasn’t entirely a bad thing; after all, the real strength of the Phoenix Twin Swords lay in their joint use, meaning Su Kexin would need him to unleash her full power, and the required level of compatibility was utterly unattainable.

So, in a way, he was placing limits on her.

“Alright, I understand now.”

Lin Nuo accepted the sword, planning to practice the ‘Dual Dance Sword Technique’ with Su Kexin to get them accustomed to working together. She wouldn’t be able to act solo anymore.

How wonderful!