Ye Tan’s sword was broken.
This morning, I bought a jar of canned oranges. My ancestors' era might not have had canned oranges, but in the world I created, canned oranges were an absolute necessity.
Being as weak and sickly as I was, I naturally couldn't twist the lid open. Ye Tan had gone out to buy horses and wasn't around, but he’d left his sword behind for my protection. That "Little Scrub Sword" of his looked so rustic and battered that it didn't inspire a shred of the reverence one should hold for the "Lord of a Hundred Weapons." Naturally, I used it as a lever to pry the lid.
And then I pried it right in half.
It was very awkward.
The Little Scrub Sword was indeed a scrubby sword; its quality was simply abysmal.
But no matter how wretched the blade, it was still Ye Tan’s possession. Having ruined it, I felt terribly guilty. I borrowed some paste and paper from the waiter, glued it back together, and returned it to its original place.
When Ye Tan returned from buying the horses, he gave me his report. Suspecting nothing, he habitually strapped the sword back onto his waist.
I didn't dare look him in the eye.
"By the way, I heard that a Sword Appreciation Assembly is being held here," Ye Tan added.
"Oh? Does that mean there will be many swords?" My eyes lit up.
"Naturally, there are exhibitions, auctions, and competitions," Ye Tan nodded. "This place isn't too far from Suyang’s Autumn Manor or the Single Sword Mound, so there will likely be many high-grade specimens."
Though Ye Tan himself wasn't particularly interested, he had been paying attention lately because I seemed so fascinated by the idea. Driven by the lingering guilt of the "canned orange incident," I wanted to find him a better weapon—ideally before he discovered his pathetic little sword had been made even uglier with paste. Thus, I impatiently urged him out the door immediately.
The city was called Yangxi. Built along the river, it possessed the misty, gentle charm of the south. The host of the Sword Appreciation Assembly was located on an island in the center of Yang Lake, where the arena was also situated. Stalls lined the perimeter of the lake; though it was called a "Sword Appreciation" event, all sorts of weapons were present—there was even a discount promotion area for kitchen knives.
Ye Tan led me through about half of the stalls. Seeing that my expression wasn't as joyful as when we first arrived, he asked, "Does Master not like them?"
I shook my head. "None of them are good enough for you."
Ye Tan looked at the Little Scrub Sword on his waist, puzzled. "Not at all. They all seem quite fine."
"No. I want to find the very best one for you." Even though every sword here was better than his current one, the thought that this would be the first sword I ever gave him made me feel like I couldn't settle for anything less. I knew the things outside the lake were just for the crowds and that the host’s true treasures were hidden away for the auction. I grabbed Ye Tan’s hand and said, "Come on, let’s go to the island."
Yang Lake was the main venue for the assembly, so the rules were naturally stricter. Those entering had to belong to a sect and submit both a formal calling card and a fee. We took a small boat to the island. As the waves rocked the vessel, I found it difficult enough to stand on solid ground, let alone disembark on my own. Ye Tan, already accustomed to this, picked me up in a horizontal carry and stepped lightly onto the shore.
The receptionist at the pier saw our overly intimate posture and glared, his beard bristling. "If you two are looking for a brothel, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place."
Ye Tan said apologetically, "My master is injured. Please excuse our lack of etiquette."
The receptionist rolled his eyes again. "Two useless cripples. What are you doing here joining the fun?"
I was very angry. I might only have ten health points, but I had thirty thousand points of cultivation! I fished my jar of canned oranges out of Ye Tan’s robes and said coldly, "Hmph. Such big words. Do you realize that if I hit you with this can, you might die?"
The receptionist looked at me like I was an idiot. "No kidding. If I hit you with a can, wouldn't you die too?"
I found his logic sound. "You have a point." I stuffed the can back into Ye Tan’s robes.
A more composed man nearby came over and flicked the receptionist’s forehead, scolding him, "I know you've always lacked discipline, but how can you be so disrespectful to guests?" He then bowed to us and said, "I am Yang Qingzhou, and this is my younger brother, Yang Su. May I ask for your names and origins so I may record them?"
I returned the gesture. "Moling Sword Pavilion. Jun Xuanheng, and Ye Tan."
"Sword Pavilion? What arrogance." Yang Su made no effort to hide his disdain. His bright eyes scanned us, and seeing that I carried no sword, his gaze landed on Ye Tan. His expression became increasingly strange.
Yang Qingzhou was also somewhat surprised, but he was well-bred. He hissed in a low voice, "Su-er, one cannot judge a person by their appearance, so how can one judge a sword?" Despite his words, he was clearly curious himself. He cupped his hands politely. "I wonder if I might have the honor of observing Master Ye’s sword?"
Ye Tan looked at me, his gaze questioning. I couldn't help but smile. "You need my permission for something like this? Just do as you like."
Ye Tan nodded and drew his sword.
The sword was, of course, unremarkable, and the patch of paste made it look even more jarring. Just as it was drawn, before it could even be presented to the other man, the crack reopened. With a *clatter*, half the blade fell to the ground.
The four of us stared in unison at the broken blade on the ground, still smeared with paste.
...So, paste can't hold iron together. I made a mental note to try something else next time.
Yang Qingzhou and Yang Su looked utterly incredulous.
Even someone as thick-skinned as I felt a hint of embarrassment.
Ye Tan, ever the warrior who had weathered great storms, remained calm and composed. He bent down, picked up the broken half, and held both pieces out to them, asking mildly, "Do you still wish to see it?"
"N-no need..." Yang Qingzhou waved his hands hurriedly.
"What is this trash?! Are you here to cause trouble?!" Yang Su felt mocked and was about to explode in anger, but Yang Qingzhou desperately held him back.
I said candidly, "It's precisely because we don't have a good sword that we came here."
"You have a point, sir." Fearing further chaos, Yang Qingzhou covered Yang Su’s mouth and quickly ushered us inside.
Someone immediately led us to our quarters and explained the arrangements for meals, the auction, and the competitions. They even provided food and lodging; no wonder they charged a fee to enter the island.
After washing up in the room, Ye Tan drew the two pieces of his broken sword again and laid them on the table, staring at them quietly.
My conscience pricked me. I said bashfully, "A-Tan, I'm sorry."
Ye Tan looked up. "Hmm? Why is Master apologizing?"
I fished the canned oranges out of his robes.
Ye Tan glanced at it, twisted the lid open for me, and handed it over. He then looked at me with a questioning gaze, signaling for me to continue.
I hurriedly said, "No, no, I didn't mean for you to open it. It's just that I couldn't open the can this morning and wanted to borrow your sword to use as a lever... I didn't expect it to just snap like that."
Ye Tan: "Are you not going to eat?"
Me: "...I'll eat."
I poked at a few orange segments before Ye Tan finally asked, "You were the one who glued it back together?"
I nodded.
Ye Tan: "Pfft."
??? What’s so funny ???
I asked suspiciously, "Are you not angry?"
Ye Tan was confused. "Why would I be angry?"
Me: "I broke your thing. Naturally, you should be angry."
Ye Tan: "Even I belong to Master. What does a mere object matter?"
This reminded me of his two previous masters, who hadn't hesitated to use him as a sacrificial pawn, yet he didn't hold a shred of resentment. I couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. "Sigh, A-Tan, you're just too good. It makes people want to bully you the moment they see you."
Ye Tan gave a half-smile, his tone meaningful. "Are you sure you haven't got that backwards?"
Me: "?"
Ye Tan coughed lightly and didn't answer, his gaze returning to the broken blade.
To hide my shame, I shared a few segments of my beloved oranges to appease him. Ye Tan gently held my hand as he ate them, then slowly licked the sugar water from my fingertips before looking up to lock his gaze onto mine.
Ye Tan used to be very mindful of the etiquette between master and servant; he rarely looked me in the eye for long. I usually had more opportunities to see his eyelashes than his bright eyes. Having just committed a "great crime," I felt guilty and unnerved by his stare. I quickly said, "A-Tan, don't worry about that Little Scrub Sword anymore. I'll definitely win the best one for you at the auction tomorrow."
"Since Master went to the trouble of trying to fix it... it would be a pity to just leave it be." He slid the broken blade back into the scabbard, picked up the sword, and asked for instructions. "Please allow me to step out for a moment."
I said quickly, "Go ahead, go ahead."
It was hard for me to sit for long without support, so I crawled into bed early.
Ye Tan didn't return until nightfall. He placed a careful kiss between my brows.
I then entered the modifier interface.
There, a line of data stood out:
...It was actually called "Little Scrub Sword."
Perhaps because the sword itself had no name and Ye Tan had never given it one, the system had defaulted to the derogatory nickname I’d casually used.
I felt even more guilty: I hadn't just failed Ye Tan; I’d failed this sword.
Thinking that Ye Tan seemed particularly fond of this sword, I casually edited the stats.
[Main Hand Weapon] [Little Scrub Sword]: Attack +5000, Defense +10000
Evaluation: [SSR Grade]
A living six-star Broom Spirit. See that?
***
