The Blade-Wielding Legend

"Flower coin?"

Li Yan looked at the Copper Coin in his hand, his brow furrowing slightly.

In his previous life, he liked ancient artifacts, so he naturally knew about this thing.

This type of flower coin, also called "Yansheng Money" or "folklore money," came in various types and had different effects. They were often used for exorcising evil, averting disasters, praying for blessings, and bringing good fortune but did not have circulation value.

However, the coin in his hand was obviously not simple.

Li Yan merely held it in his hand, and he could smell a strong odor, like sharp icicles, mixed with a scent of blood.

The incense fragrance that the plaque had previously vanished completely.

This thing exuded a strong, murderous aura, resembling a fierce blade.

The previous "Hundred Battle Valor" plaque seemed merely to be its scabbard.

Now that the scabbard was damaged, the sharp blade finally revealed itself.

Creak~

Just then, the sound of a door being pushed open was heard.

It was his grandfather, Li Gui, awake and walking out from the house.

Seeing this, Li Yan secretly thought it was not good.

When pacifying the Northern Border turmoil, during the pursuit on the ice field, although his grandfather lost a leg, it was his greatest achievement in life.

He knew how much his grandfather valued this "Hundred Battle Valor" plaque. He would often wipe it clean and offer incense every festival.

Seeing the damaged plaque now, he feared his grandfather couldn't take it.

Sure enough, upon seeing the cracked and peeling plaque, Li Gui was stunned for a moment, opened his mouth but only sighed slightly.

Li Yan carefully asked, "Grandpa, you…"

"It's nothing."

Li Gui waved his hand, then lit his opium pipe, took a few puffs, and shook his head, saying, "It must be the dryness these days causing it to crack, just find someone to repair it."

Finishing his words, he leaned on a crutch, hummed a tune, and went out for a stroll.

Looking at his demeanor, it didn't seem like he was lying.

Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief, but he was secretly amazed.

Ever since his father died, his grandfather had been in a bad mood, with a fiery temper, always cursing whenever he encountered something unpleasing.

Why was he acting so abnormally today?

Of course, he didn't have time to think more, tidied things up, and hurried towards Widow Wang's house…

...

"It's good to be alive, it's good to be alive!"

Upon seeing him at the door, Widow Wang's first words were these.

Li Yan frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Come in and talk."

Widow Wang closed the courtyard gate, led him into the house, and without wasting any words, directly explained, "Yesterday, we also miscalculated."

"When the Cold Altar Rampant Soldier appeared, its Dao advanced a step further. It should've devoured all the wandering ghosts within a ten-mile radius, making it even more troublesome."

"We thought you would lose your life, but unexpectedly, you are still alive…"

"Miscalculated?!"

Hearing this, Li Yan grew furious.

Last night's creature's methods were much more ruthless than what the immortals described. From Widow Wang's words, even if he hadn't made a mistake, he wouldn't have been able to capture it.

How could something so life-threatening end up like this?

Widow Wang's face turned bitter, but she didn't say much more. She knocked on the Wen Wang drum again, singing a spirit-inviting tune, summoning Hu Sangu to appear.

Seeing him, Hu Sangu mumbled a lot once more.

Widow Wang explained, "The immortal asks you to detail what happened last night."

"And what type of Magic Artifact are you carrying, for the fierce aura is too strong, making the immortal very uncomfortable. Move a bit further away, do not approach the red circle."

Li Yan nodded, retreated a few steps, recounted last night's events, and took out three Copper Coins, inquiring about their origin.

The little girl stretched her neck for a look, her eyes filled with suspicion, agitatedly waving her horsetail whisk, indicating him to move further, then started speaking non-stop.

Widow Wang listened and translated on the side.

"The immortal says that the Cold Altar Rampant Soldier is bloodthirsty and deceitful, with an extraordinary origin."

"Also, did your family offend anyone?"

Li Yan was slightly stunned, "What do you mean?"

Widow Wang explained, "Flower coins are a very important type of Magic Artifact. Various Magic Veins, Sects, and even the court, would spend a significant effort to forge them."

"The flower coin in your hand has a considerable background. Have you ever heard of Yang Yi?"

Li Yan nodded, "Of course, Killing God's fame reverberates like thunder."

During the former Da Xing Period, when the Golden Tent Wolf Country invaded, occupying half of the kingdom, leading to a century of warfare with Great Xing's north and south, countless martial Grandmasters emerged.

Yang Yi was among them.

Skilled in using dual blades, he reversed to Innate, achieving Grandmaster status.

There were even folk rumors that he transcended the mortal realm, comprehended the true Dao, and touched the pinnacle of the Grandmaster state, becoming the martial arts peak of that era.

His Two Instruments Six Harmonies Blade Technique still had many practitioners to this day.

Of course, he was best known for his Killing God title.

As a general of the Great Xing Dynasty, he once led a lone army into the prairie, slaying till rivers of blood flowed. In his later years, he quelled the Jizhou rebellion, slaughtering three cities consecutively.

In folklore, he was almost regarded as an evil deity.

Hu Sangu mumbled; Widow Wang continued, "Folk legends often lack truth, some things only Mystical Sect insiders know."

"Although Yang Yi was a Grandmaster, he couldn't alone overpower the heroes. So, he enlisted Hidden Treasure Men to explore extensively, finding a Spiritual Treasure from heaven and earth. After spending significant manpower, they forged and refined a pair of Demon Blades, scaring even gods and ghosts away."

"He cooperated with Taixuan Orthodox Sect, dispersing the Shaman line of the Golden Tent Wolf Country steppe, paving the way for later unification."

"But this Demon Blade was extremely fierce, and in his later years, Yang Yi was also influenced by it, becoming bloodthirsty and brutal. After his death, the Great Xing Dynasty melted the Demon Blades, casting them into one hundred and eight talismanic flower coins, then offering them at Taishan Temple, to dissipate the Demonic Qi."

"This money is called Three Talents Demon Suppression Coin, with the sun, moon, and stars engraved on the back. The front features Yang Yi's image and the incantation: Heaven's clarity, Earth's tranquility, slaying ghosts, destroying spirits, beheading demons, and exorcising evils, swiftly according to the command."

Li Yan was delighted upon hearing this, "So it's a treasure?"

"It's indeed a good thing."

Listening to Hu Sangu, Widow Wang explained, "Though this talismanic money is not top-grade, collecting the three talents of the sun, moon, and stars can suppress evil and slay spirits."

"However, hiding it in the Demon Suppression plaque was a malicious tactic!"

"That plaque was bestowed by the court for merit. Even if it were to house flower money, it would usually be for blessing and peaceful residence, with incense offering and enlightenment."

"But the Three Talents Demon Suppression Coin, refined from the Demon Blades, wields a fierce aura to suppress evil. Hidden in the plaque and disguised with incense aroma, it's like a needle concealed in cotton, with three ruthless blades hanging above the door, considered a sophisticated Yansheng method."

"If not mistaken, your family must have been sparse in numbers. Since your grandfather, your family's fortune over three generations was burdened, all destined for violent deaths until bloodline extinction!"

"What?!"

Li Yan listened in disbelief.

These matters concerning Qi fortune, mysterious and profound, he wouldn't have believed in the past, but his experiences these days informed him that this world harbors mystical forces.

Everything Hu Sangu said wasn't wrong at all.

His family line had single offspring, and according to his grandfather, several children were born but all died young, leaving only his father as the last seedling.

His father was a bladesman and a wanderer.

Though he had a wife at home, he accrued romantic debts outside, yet he also had only Li Yan as his only son, and his death was somewhat peculiar.

Thinking back, his predecessor died mysteriously on a tomb one night before Li Yan's soul took over, which was also a symbol of a violent death.

Recalling this, a surge of killing intent arose in Li Yan's heart, "Does the senior know who employed such methods?"

"Don't say you don't know, even if you did, there's nothing you can do!"

Widow Wang shook her head, advising, "The Three Talents Demon Suppression Coin would attract any ordinary magician's envy, yet it was used to harm your family, and they could tamper with the court-bestowed item. Is this something a boy like you can mess with?"

"Revenge? Preserve your life first."

As she spoke, she listened to the immortal's words attentively, a hint of joy appearing in her eyes, and she said, "Though the chance was slim originally, having this item can dispel calamities!"

"The method employed two days ago, although the Rampant Soldier wasn't deceived, swallowing the peach wood inside the rooster's belly and clashing with your dwelling spirit objects, already harmed its Divine Soul."

"The prior method works twice, but there's no third time. When the Rampant Soldier comes again tonight, it will surely seek you directly."

"Tonight, conceal yourself beside the Land God Temple at the village head, where the incense is strong. The Rampant Soldier must find a flesh body to approach, and it will be restrained by the Earth God."

"The immortal will transform the Three Talents Demon Suppression Coin into a blade tassel with the Secret Technique, and at that time, behead its flesh body to achieve victory in the battle!"

Having said this, the little girl possessed by the immortal requested Widow Wang fetch a red rope.

First, she stained it with Li Yan's blood, then reluctantly tore ten white strands from the horsetail whisk in her hand.

Widow Wang followed the instructions, weaving the white strands and red rope into a peculiar knot, threading the Three Talents Demon Suppression Coin through it.

While weaving, she explained, "These horsetail whisk strands come from a spirit horse with the Dao, and after our incense hall's calamity, this is the only one left…"

"This knot is called the Evil Exorcism Auspicious Knot, combining with the Three Talents Demon Suppression Coin as a blade tassel, it can enhance the fierce aura in your blade, slay the Rampant Soldier, and ordinary evil objects wouldn't dare approach. Consider it as gaining an advantage…"

"But you are not from the Mystical Sect, and this item shouldn't be worn frequently. When not in use, place it in the red cloth bag, offer it incense on the first and fifteenth, or else it might backfire…"

Widow Wang rambled on while Li Yan listened intently.

After this incident, he dared not be careless.

An hour later, the knot was finally completed. Li Yan attached it to his Guan Shan Blade, revealing a hint of peculiar expression.

He could smell the strong, bloody, fierce aura of the Three Talents Demon Suppression Coin spreading from the hilt to the blade, as cold as ice in his hand.

Not only that, the Guan Shan Blade, originally left by his father and crafted by a renowned artisan with many souls beneath it, seemed to have its fierce aura evoked as well.

A slight shake and the blade's glint was piercingly painful.

Chilled to his core, Li Yan carefully removed the blade tassel and took the red cloth bag offered by Widow Wang, placing it inside.

After meticulously asking about the precautions, Li Yan bid farewell and left.

What he didn't know was, shortly after he left, the little girl possessed by Hu Sangu suddenly opened her eyes and spoke,

"That Rampant Soldier appeared rather mysteriously; perhaps it was sent by a rival. Once resolved, we should immediately leave."

Though her tone was sharp, it was no longer the beastly tongue.

The immortal's words, named upper speech, required disciples to translate.

But being able to speak human language meant she was an old hand with profound Dao.

Widow Wang was stunned, cautiously inquiring, "Third Aunt, should we induct that boy into the sect after he developed his Spirit Root?"

The little girl shook her head, "He merely has a smell superpower. Besides, he's not young, already missing his chance. Even if he reluctantly enters the Dao, he won't amount to much."

"Let him be; with his Spirit Root exposed, ghosts, gods, and high-caliber individuals watching…"

"Sigh, even if he survives this calamity, he won't live long…"

As she spoke, her eyelids drooped, her voice trailing off as she fell back asleep.