Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 114: Chapter 96: Hearing of the Uncanny, Obtaining a Spirited Sword

Wan Ze glanced at Tie Feiyang, who was having the time of his life in the nearby corridor. He nonchalantly took a few steps forward and said calmly, ”I can talk. Go ahead.”

”The Rain Bell... that Rain Bell, it-it seems... it’s in my head.” Miss Ling’s voice trembled, tinged with a hint of pain. ”For the past few days... whenever I fall asleep, I see it the moment I close my eyes... It... it... appears directly in my consciousness!”

Wan Ze raised an eyebrow slightly.

Instead of questioning her, he said calmly, ”Can you be more specific? When did it start? What are the dreams like? Be as detailed as possible.”

Miss Ling took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. ”That day... after I checked into the guest house, I put the Rain Bell in the drawer. It went missing later... At first, for the first two days, I just felt extremely tired and slept very deeply. I was also a bit drowsy during the day, so I didn’t think much of it... But on the fifth day, things started to get weird.”

”I started having the same dream over and over. In the dream, the Rain Bell would be hanging in front of me, and then... then it would turn into the silhouette of a woman! I can’t see her face clearly. It’s blurry, like looking through a layer of fog, but her voice... it rings directly in my head! She said... she *is* the ’Rain Bell,’ and she kept telling me that I had to find the path!”

”Path? What path?” Wan Ze pressed.

”I don’t know! I really don’t know! Her voice cuts in and out, and I can’t hear most of what she’s saying. It’s always the same things over and over: ’Find the path,’ ’There’s not much time left,’ ’You must go’... Then, the scene in the dream changes.”

Miss Ling took another deep breath. ”I... I start walking, just walking endlessly, surrounded by darkness. As I walk, a light appears up ahead. I walk toward it... and find... I find that I’m suddenly standing in the basement of Lingyun Manor.

That was a place my grandfather used to go to when he was alive. When I was little, I had no idea the manor even had such a hidden basement. It was only after he passed away that I found the key among his belongings and discovered it...”

”And then? What’s in the basement?”

”There’s a painting!” Miss Ling’s voice shot up before she quickly lowered it. ”It’s hanging on the wall directly opposite the entrance. I don’t know what era it’s from or who painted it. It looks like a painting of an ancient court lady or something... But... but every time I see that painting in my dream, I get this... this indescribable feeling of familiarity! It’s like... like the person in the painting is me! Or, that she’s looking at me! I have this same dream every single day. I always end up in that basement, standing in front of that painting, and then I wake up in terror!”

Wan Ze mulled it over for a moment, then asked, ”After you wake up, have you actually gone back to Lingyun Manor to see the painting in the basement with your own eyes?”

”I... I don’t dare.” Miss Ling’s voice was faint and full of helplessness. ”I... I absolutely don’t dare go alone. Wan Ze, do... do you have time today? Could you... go with me? I-I really don’t know who else to ask...”

Zhao Qilong was missing.

Lei Ming was hospitalized.

The others had all taken on missions and left the Holy City.

Wan Ze glanced back at the workshop. Master Ge’s restoration work was nearly finished. After a moment of thought, he said, ”Alright. Where are you? I’ll come find you as soon as I’m done here.”

”I’m near Songyun Garden... I-I’ll wait for you.” Miss Ling quickly gave him her address.

”Okay, wait for me.” Wan Ze hung up the call, his brow furrowed slightly.

’Something is very wrong with Miss Ling.’

’Strange and chaotic.’

’I don’t know what she’s been through... she was perfectly fine the last time we saw each other.’

’Could it be...’

’Do phantoms truly exist in this world?’

’Or perhaps...’

His thoughts churned, still unsettled, when Master Ge’s voice came from behind him.

”It’s done.”

Wan Ze turned at the sound.

Master Ge stood before the workbench, holding a longsword in his hands.

The thick layer of surface rust that had originally covered the blade was completely gone, replaced by a dark cyan luster, like a distant mountain after the rain.

The lines of the blade were smooth and straight. After being polished, the revealed forging patterns were exquisite, layered like clouds and water, seeming to flow faintly under the light.

The sword now radiated with a renewed vitality.

”Holy shit!” Tie Feiyang was the first to exclaim, his eyes wide. ”Is this still the same rusty piece of junk from before? Master Ge, you’re a god! No wonder my dad always says your craftsmanship is the best of the best. This is practically turning trash into treasure!”

A rare, unconcealable look of pride appeared on Master Ge’s face, but he quickly reined it in, his admiration turning more toward the sword itself. ”...It’s no exaggeration to say that this sword’s material and forging technique would be nearly impossible to replicate today. Tempered a thousand times, forged with uniform layers, a precise spine, excellent resilience without sacrificing sharpness... A fine sword. A truly fine sword.”

He caressed the scabbard, his eyes full of reluctance, but in the end, he slid the blade back into its ebony sheath and solemnly handed it back to Wan Ze.

”A sword is a thing of Spirituality. It must be cared for with dedication.”

Master Ge looked at Wan Ze, his tone serious. ”Wipe it regularly with a fine, soft, dry cloth. A thin layer of high-quality sword oil is enough to prevent rust. If you use it often, be sure to clean off any blood or sweat afterward. Store it in a dry place, away from moisture and direct sunlight.”

”Thank you.” Wan Ze took it with both hands, feeling the solid weight of the scabbard, and thanked him sincerely. ”How much should I pay you for your work this time?”

Hearing this, Master Ge’s face hardened. He turned away to fiddle with his tools and tossed over his shoulder, ”Whatever. You decide.”

Wan Ze was taken aback.

Tie Feiyang quickly leaned in and explained in a low voice, ”Brother Wan, that’s just Master Ge’s way. The more ordinary the item, the more ruthlessly he charges. But when he comes across something truly exceptional, he couldn’t care less about the money. Pay whatever you feel is right. He thinks talking about money is tacky and an insult to his craft and the antique itself. My dad told me that in situations like this, just give what you feel is appropriate. Don’t give so little that you offend the old master, but don’t just throw a wad of cash at him and reek of new money, either.”

Wan Ze understood. Without another word, he reached into his wallet, and without counting, pulled out a considerably thick stack of bills and placed it gently on a clean spot on the workbench.

”A small token of my appreciation. Thank you.”

With that, he gave a slight nod toward Master Ge’s back and turned to leave.

Tie Feiyang paused for a second, looking at the stack of cash. He inwardly sighed in admiration at how classy Brother Wan was, then quickly hurried to catch up.

Outside the door, Tie Feiyang asked, ”Brother Wan, where are you headed next? I’ll give you a lift.”

”Take me to Songyun Garden.”

”You got it!” Tie Feiyang replied cheerfully, then added pitifully, ”Brother Wan, you have to come hang out with me when you’re free... You have no idea how strict my old man is with me. He doesn’t let me go here or touch that. It’s only when I’m out with you that I feel like I’m let out of my cage, a little more free.”

Wan Ze couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh at the boy’s feigned coyness. But he said, ”I don’t have much free time for fooling around besides practicing my martial arts. But if I really need help with something, I’ll call you. Just don’t turn me down then.”

”Are you kidding!” Tie Feiyang immediately puffed out his chest, thumping it loudly. ”Brother Wan, you just have to say the word, and I’ll be there in a flash! I’d go through hell and high water for you! If I, Tie Feiyang, even blink, then I’m this!”

He held up his pinky finger.

Ever since he’d personally witnessed Wan Ze take down and kill Wang Buzhan, he had become a complete devotee.

’This is how a man should live—like Brother Wan!’

Wan Ze just smiled and said no more.

「A short while later, the car arrived near Songyun Garden.」

Wan Ze got out of the car, waved goodbye to Tie Feiyang, and watched the vehicle drive away.

He stood in place, looked at the white-cloth-wrapped sword in his hand, then glanced around before calling Miss Ling.

”I’m here.”

Before long, a side door to the teahouse silently cracked open.

A figure slipped out cautiously.

It was Miss Ling.

But her attire was completely different from usual.

She wore a wide-brimmed hat pulled down low, hiding most of her face, along with sunglasses and a mask. She was bundled in an inconspicuous gray trench coat with the collar turned up, her entire body seeming to shrink inside her clothes. Her footsteps were light as she walked, and she nervously glanced from side to side as if terrified of being noticed, full of fear toward her surroundings.

”Wan Ze...” Seeing him, she seemed to have finally found her only lifeline. She hurried over, her voice muffled by her mask.

Wan Ze’s expression didn’t change. He simply gave a calm nod. ”Let’s go to Lingyun Manor. Should we take a carriage or call a car?”

”A c-carriage... It’s quieter,” Miss Ling said in a low voice. It seemed she was even afraid of the enclosed space of a car right now.

The two hired a quiet carriage and slowly made their way toward Lingyun Manor on the outskirts of the city.

Inside the carriage, Miss Ling was curled up in a corner, hugging her arms tightly, occasionally murmuring more details about her dreams to Wan Ze.

She had clearly been terrified these past few days. Her speech was confused, and her logic was at times contradictory.

Wan Ze spent most of the time listening quietly, only occasionally asking a key question or two, observing her with a composed gaze.

He could sense that Miss Ling’s fear was real, but there was a faint hint of incongruity woven into her descriptions.

「Half an hour later.」

They finally arrived at Lingyun Manor.

The once-grand private estate now seemed exceptionally desolate.

Miss Ling led Wan Ze through a covered walkway, finally arriving at an extremely hidden, stone-paved entrance behind the main building, half-concealed by vines.

Two meters inside was a rust-spotted iron door.

Miss Ling took out a key and opened the door.

A gust of stale, chilly air washed over them.

The stone steps leading down were narrow and damp. There were lamps on the wall at long intervals, but they had long since stopped working.

Wan Ze walked in front, holding a flashlight. His left hand hung naturally at his side, but the muscles all over his body were subtly tensed, ready to explode into action at any moment. His Perception was fully extended.

Miss Ling grabbed his arm, her hand trembling slightly, her breathing ragged.

They finally reached the bottom.

It was a stone chamber, about thirty square meters, with walls of rough, uncut stone and stuffy, stagnant air.

The moment they reached the bottom, several large rats scurried away, startling Miss Ling into a scream as she threw herself into Wan Ze’s arms.

”Just a few rats.”

Wan Ze gently patted her as his gaze casually swept across the stone chamber.

Sure enough, hanging on the wall directly opposite the entrance was a dust-covered scroll painting.

He raised his hand.

The flashlight beam swept over it.

The next moment, Wan Ze frowned slightly.

Because the painting was not of some ”ancient court lady” as Miss Ling had described, but a ”Mountain Ghost Patrol Hunting Painting.”

The main subject of the painting was a Mountain Ghost, robed in creeping fig and girdled with usnea, riding a red leopard. Its face was already indistinct, but the freehand brushwork made it look demonic. The position of its eyes was aimed precisely at the entrance, carrying a sense of detached, condescending observation.

The colors of the entire painting were dark and somber, the brushstrokes sharp and aggressive.

”Miss Ling, how long are you planning on holding onto me? Hm?”