“?”
As the Divine Sword slipped from the hands that once wielded the hammer, it vanished from everyone’s sight, leaving behind a cacophony of crack sounds that echoed around.
What was even more infuriating was that after Li Mo stored it away, he pulled it out again like a show-off, mumbling something like, “Hammer Treasure, look at you, so impatient!”
“Hammer Treasure, isn’t this sword quite the looker? It’s here to join us!”
“My favorite is still you! All those other weapons are just tools to me. This sword belongs to Little Moon’s master; it’s just here for a little visit.”
“Right? Kid… cough, Ice Chunk.”
Li Mo could never have imagined that the first thing he would do after obtaining the Divine Sword was to sweet-talk a hammer.
Even more ridiculous was the fact that he needed Ice Chunk’s help to sweet-talk it.
Emmmmm…
This kind of plot felt familiar, like a scenario from a prize-winning novel where the male lead finds himself in a love triangle?
Well, the good news was, at least he’d tasted the perks of having a harem.
The bad news? He was sweet-talking a hammer.
“Yeah.”
The Cold Fairy helped the God Hammer Little Overlord sweet-talk the hammer. Her words had an effect, and the Hammer Treasure immediately stopped making a scene in its little world.
Then Ying Bing grabbed Li Mo, with the cold aura of the Phoenix Sky Empress clinging to her, glancing at the still-stubborn Princess Yuyang.
Princess Yuyang felt a shiver down her spine.
Just a moment ago, she was ready to tell Li Mo that without a weapon, she could easily help him get one with just a few words.
And then Ying Bing went to fetch the Divine Sword.
Now she had a chill running down her spine:
“Uh, it’s a bit cool up there.”
She quickly lifted her skirts and darted over to Jiang Yu, where the judges were, plus the recently arrived leader and executives, all still trying to comprehend the situation.
Oh, Xie Xuan hadn’t recovered; he was slumped in his seat, ruffling his hair like a pile of dry grass.
It looked like he’d lost his soul.
Jiang Yu wasn’t faring much better. He had worked tirelessly to seize the Divine Sword, thinking he could take command of the City of Divine Beings with it and step into the inner circle.
But the sword had already been nabbed by a hammer wielder.
Who was suffering because of this?
“Let’s go check how to handle this situation,” Du Wufeng said, standing up first, his figure appearing in the square.
The leader, Xie Yiding, was a bearded man with eyes like bright stars, wearing a cyan scarf, his demeanor sharp yet melancholic. It was clear he had once been a handsome swordsman in his youth.
He sighed and followed along.
The Artisan Conference? Whether or not the Qianlong Conference would go ahead was still debatable, and the outcome of the Artisan Conference had become irrelevant.
“Kid, you’re impressive; the Qianlong List has never been wrong about nicknames,” Du Wufeng complimented Li Mo, the first thing he said.
Li Mo wiped the sweat from his brow: “I do have my hammer technique…”
“I’m talking about your wife-attracting might!” Du Wufeng shot him a glancing look, feeling kind of sour.
“So what’s going on now?”
Nangong Min, Xie Yiding, and a bunch of higher-ups from the sword guild approached.
“Everyone here wields famous weapons; he’s participating in the Qianlong Conference with a Divine Sword, and I think that’s a bit against the rules,” one of them remarked.
“Moreover, this sword symbolizes the highest honor of controlling the City of Divine Beings. If you take it out at will and delayed important matters of His Majesty, who among you would bear the responsibility?”
Upon hearing this, Li Mo noticed it was an old eunuch making the statement.
The higher-ups exchanged glances. Xie Yiding frowned, looking at Li Mo, Ying Bing, and Jiang Chulong, his expression thoughtful.
To wield the Divine Sword meant one’s talent in swordsmanship matched that of its previous owner.
Well, at least Ying Bing and Little Jiang were up to par.
But the old eunuch represented the royal family, so that couldn’t be ignored.
The Tianshan Sword Guild, backed by the Imperial Capital, couldn’t afford to be as carefree and nonchalant as Hengyun Sword City.
“According to the rules, it has to be forged during the Artisan Conference, right?” Li Mo held up the Divine Sword.
“Exactly.”
“The Divine Sword was indeed forged by Master Du during the Artisan Conference,” Li Mo stated confidently.
But right now, he wasn’t keen on keeping the Divine Sword.
He squeezed his palm and felt the chilly touch of Ice Chunk’s delicate hand.
“Technically speaking, that’s not this session,” he corrected.
“The rules seem to imply it doesn’t have to be from this session,” Du Wufeng chimed in, enjoying the show.
“……”
The higher-ups looked at Nangong Min, thinking that the old dog certainly didn’t have the power to hold such a conference.
Nangong Min: “?”
What the heck did this have to do with me? How could you all think of this?
“The Divine Sword belongs to the Tianshan Sword Guild; this kid knows that,” Ke Mo said, cupping his hands toward everyone.
“I will use this sword to participate in the Qianlong Conference. If the opponent has a divine weapon, I will use this sword; if they don’t, I won’t draw it and will seek another famous weapon to fight,” he declared grandly.
“After the Qianlong Conference, I’ll return the sword to the City of Divine Beings, how about that?”
“Honestly, I feel a bit ashamed; even though I’m not good at swordplay, I have always loved swords. I just seek to fully embody a single thought with this sword, and I hope you all understand.”
The Divine Sword still hadn’t acknowledged him as its owner.
Even if it did, it wouldn’t just be given up that easily.
“That’s quite fair; I have no objections,” Xie Yiding nodded slightly, giving Ke Mo an appreciative glance.
While the old eunuch would love to add more, a Celestial Guard approached him and whispered something, causing him to straighten his posture.
“I have no objections either.”
With consensus reached, everyone tacitly dropped the subject and continued with the proceedings of the Artisan Conference.
Everything seemed to be back on track, but everyone at the sword-forging plaza had thoughts that were quite the opposite.
Not just here.
All the audiences watching the ‘live stream’ in the Imperial Capital felt the same way.
At this moment, the most repeated line was probably:
“Ke Mo, you really deserve to d*e!”
Sadly, the resentment of the spectators, infused with so much negative energy, diminished quickly after passing through the colorful tower of emptiness.
Before the conference ended, as Ke Mo sauntered away from the sword forge, heading toward Biyun Tower, he curiously touched his waist.
What kind of heat was the Empty Void Color Tower generating?
He casually tossed the little tower into the system’s little world and lifted his head.
The shadowy descent path was scattered with quivering shadows of trees, while a stream flowed nearby.
“Ice Chunk, is this the road down the mountain?”
He scratched his head, now nine times out of ten bewildered:
“Looks like I took a wrong turn.”
“Really took a wrong turn?”
Ke Mo paused, then thought it was normal; with Ice Chunk on the map, it was likely she’d lead him correctly, right?
But what troubled him more was that while he held the Divine Sword, he had no corresponding sword techniques.
During the Qianlong Conference, if his opponent wielded a divine weapon, having this sword would lead to an uncertain outcome.
“Ice Chunk.”
“Hmm?”
Ke Mo sheathed the sword and sat by the riverbank, arms wide open:
“Want a hug?”
“…..”
“Sis, let me hug you.”
Ying Bing bit her lip and sat on his lap, her face cool, yet ripples stirred within her heart.
He couldn’t possibly know, could he?
That she wanted to teach him how to plant strawberries…
Emmmmm…
Not at all.
Ke Mo embraced her waist, savoring her delicate fragrance and listening to her heartbeat, pondering how Ice Chunk’s heavenly sword talent was so impressive. Maybe a hug would spark some inspiration.
………
P.S.: Please recharge my battery, muah!
