The Human Emperor c1-2382
Page 89
Smiling, Wang Chong shook his head. Retracting his glance, he walked into the Bluebottle Pavilion alongside Wei Hao.
“Wang Chong, are you going to increase the price today as well?”
Following the wooden stairs up the pavilion, Wei Hao asked nervously.
“There’s no need to!”
Wang Chong shook his head. It wasn’t that he was afraid of paying more if he lost in the sword duel gamble, but that there was no longer any need for it. Even though the price of Wootz steel would exceed hundred thousand gold taels in the future, under the current market condition, 19200 gold taels was already the limit.
There was always an acceptable region to things.
If one were to go too far, it would only have the opposite effect.
…
Walking along the wooden stairs designed in ancient architecture, Wang Chong and Wei Hao soon reached the third floor. There were many people in the lounge of the third floor; people from the Four Great Swordsmithing Clans, the weapon shops of the capital, the weapon merchants of the Western Regions, as well as the Imperial Army… Densely packed on the third floor of this pavilion, they had all gathered here.
From the looks of it, they arrived very early.
“Wei gongzi, it is already nearing noon and it should be around time. Where is the owner of the sword? You should call him out now, right?”
The moment Wei Hao reached the third floor, he immediately attracted everyone’s attention. On the other hand, Wang Chong was disregarded by everyone else.
“Everyone, isn’t the owner of the sword here already?”
Wei Hao smiled and he walked to the side, allowing Wang Chong to make an appearance. The threat was before them, and it didn’t matter whether they step forward to face it or cower backward. Since it has already come down to it, Wei Hao had decided to simply go through with it rather than worrying about it.
The sword duel gamble had already become a reality and it was too late for any regrets. Since that’s the case, he might as well face it head-on.
Weng!
The moment Wei Hao said those words, eyes from all directions immediately gathered onto Wang Chong’s body. On that instant, on the bustling Bluebottle Pavilion, there was a moment which felt as though time had halted.
The eyes that had gathered on Wang Chong showed shock, astonishment, disbelief, as well as… doubt!
“This is the owner of that sword?”
The Cheng Clan Elder stepped forward and stared at Wang Chong with a look of disbelief.
Many people had seen Wang Chong standing beside Wei Hao when they were below, but no one had thought toward that direction. In the view of everyone else, the one who had managed to cause such a huge storm in the capital was at least a thirty to forty-year-old middle-aged man.
No one could have thought that the other party would be a seventeen to eighteen-year-old young man!
He was simply too young!
“I’m the owner of the sword!”
Wang Chong said calmly. Even when standing before a group of ‘powerful figures’ of the weapon trade, he had no fear.
“What kind of joke is this!”
“After all that had happened, the owner of the sword is just a brat?”
Everyone was shocked.
“Hmph, brat. Regardless of where you came from, I hope that you can take out 19200 gold taels later on!”
A cold voice echoed, then a figure stepped forward. Manager Luo from the White Tiger Weapon Shop stepped forward and glared ferociously at Wang Chong.
Along with him, the people from the other workshops and weapon shops glared at Wang Chong as well.
Wang Chong’s actions in the Bluebottle Pavilion had a large impact on the prestige of the other weapon shops in the capital. What Wang Chong did was almost equivalent to looking down on the other swords in the capital, and they felt humiliated by his actions.
Thus, this time, the various weapon shops and workshops had taken out their best swords to participate in this duel gamble. All of them shared the same purpose; they wanted to teach this ‘troublemaker’ who had violated the rules of the trade a lesson.
Only by doing this will they send a stern warning to those who hope to do the same in the future, and protect the prestige and standing of the other weapon shops of the capital.
“Rest easy, I’m here. With so many people here, can I run? Rather, I should be the one asking if you all have prepared the 1200 gold taels already?”
Wang Chong asked impassively.
“Preposterous!”
Various managers from the weapon shops and workshops flew into a rage. If the one who spoke such words were from prestigious swordsmithing clans in the capital, they might still be able to tolerate such disrespect. However, it was outright humiliation to them to be hearing such words from an unfamiliar youngster like Wang Chong.
“It’s just 1200 gold taels, we don’t care about a measly sum like this. As long as you have the capability to, feel free to take it from us!”
Their faces were flushed and they turned their head around in anger, not wanting to speak anymore.
“Wang gongzi!”
Making use of the moment when everyone’s attention was away from Wang Chong, Zhang Cong and Zhang Jian hurriedly pulled Wang Chong to the side and whispered:
“It’s still not too late to regret now. Our Zhang Clan has a few sword which can help you. You can secretly swap it…”
Similarly, the Zhang Clan was involved in the duel gamble as well. It wasn’t that they were trying to rub salt on Wang Chong’s wounds, but the prestige of the ‘Number One Sword in the World’ was at stake. The Zhang Clan had no choice but to participate in it as well.
But at this moment, the matter was of secondary concern. They were more worried about Wang Chong.
“… You might not know the impacts of the matters yet. Look outside, almost all from the weapon trade in the capital had been summoned here. It wouldn’t be a joke if you were to lose!”
“The sword duel gamble hasn’t started yet. This is your final chance!”
The two hurriedly persuaded them. Even they couldn’t help but feel worried for the Wang Clan.
They had been to the Wang Clan twice, and they could tell that the entire Wang Clan, and that was including Madam Wang, wasn’t aware of this matter.
It seemed like Wang Chong had secretly done all of this behind the Wang Clan’s back!
Regardless of what his motive was, if Wang Chong were to fail, the entire Wang Clan would have to take responsibility for his actions. By then, a huge storm would be stirred up.
Even though the duo wanted the Hyderabad ore contract, they didn’t wish to see the Wang Clan to be implicated by this matter.
Wang Chong stared intently at the duo, and an unspeakable sensation overwhelmed his heart. If the situation allowed for it, he might have given the Hyderabad ore contract to them.
But Wang Chong knew that there was no use passing on the contract to them. That was because the two Sindhi monks wouldn’t sell it to them.
It was impossible for them to reach an agreement on the price of the ores.
Furthermore, Zhang Cong and Zhang Jian didn’t know that Wang Chong had never thought that his sword would lose against anyone’s.
“Thank you! But if I really need help, I will look for you two!”
Wang Chong declined their offer politely.
“Sigh!”
The two heaved a long sigh. They knew that it would be impossible to persuade Wang Chong:
“Since that’s the case, then we’ll be praying for you.”
Turning around to leave, disappointment reflected in the eyes of the duo.
Wang Chong stared at the back of the duo quietly. Most of the time, the truth is held only in the hands of a few. The duo thought that he was bringing a calamity to his clan, but in a moment, when they witness the prowess of the Wootz steel sword for themselves, they wouldn’t be thinking the same.
Wang Chong lifted his h
ead to take a look at the sky. The sun was slowly creeping above their head.
“It’s about time!”
Wang Chong thought. With a fling of his robe, he walked over to the pillar of the Bluebottle Pavilion.
Boom!
When Wang Chong was standing at the center of the pillar of the third floor of the Bluebottle Pavilion, what that appeared before everyone’s eyes made them explode into frenzy.
Chapter 58: Astounding Skills
“Look, look! It’s starting!”
“Haha, to think that the one who taunted the Four Great Swordsmithing Clans was just a young man!”
“After waiting for so long, that sword is finally going to be unveiled! I wonder what kind of sword is worth ten thousand gold taels!”
“It’s not ten thousand gold taels, it is 19200 gold taels! He is going to pay the sum to everyone else if he were to lose!”
“Heavens! Isn’t he going to be bankrupt then?”
“Of course! Do you think that one will get away unscathed after provoking the capital’s Four Great Swordsmithing Clans?”
“That poor fellow!”
…
Outside the pavilion, a sea of people had gathered and there was a huge commotion outside. After seven days of hunger marketing, the curiosity for the sword in the Bluebottle Pavilion had reached its peak.
Exactly what kind of sword could it be, to not allow anyone to view or touch it?
What kind of treasured sword could it be, for the owner to dare to price it at 19200 gold taels?
And now, the truth was about to be revealed.
“Everyone, are you ready?”
Hearing the commotion outside, Wang Chong turned around and looked at everyone in the pavilion:
“If anyone wishes to buy it, it’s worth 19200 gold taels now. This is your final chance!”
Hong!
The reply that Wang Chong received was a burst of laughter. Even the Cheng Clan’s Elder Cheng Youqing couldn’t help but chuckle. From the very start, no one had bought the sword when it was priced at 600 gold taels. Now that it had reached an astronomical sum of 19200 gold taels, it was ridiculous to think that anyone would buy it.
Otherwise, wouldn’t the person be too foolish!
“Youngster, you have a good sense of humor. However, I think you should just unveil your sword!”
“Indeed! Let everyone see the sword that you claim to be worth 19200 gold taels!”
Someone chirped in, and the people in the pavilion burst into laughter once more.
“Don’t spout nonsense, what do you mean by 19200 gold taels? It will be doubled by today!”
“Right! Right! It is currently 38400 gold taels! If anyone dares to spout nonsense, I will fight with him!”
“Lad, there are so many people here. Surely you won’t think of escaping, will you?”
“Hehe, do you think he’ll be able to escape?!”
…
Ridicule, derision, and laughter resounded in the Bluebottle Pavilion. The gazes all those all around revealed their disdain and scorn for the young man.
Only Mosaide and Zhao Fengchen was silent.
They were staring at Wang Chong with a look of contemplation.
“Wang Chong, is it really alright?”
Hearing the ridicules from all direction, Wei Hao’s face turned pale once more.
“Don’t worry!”
Wang Chong patted Wei Hao’s shoulder and said without any hesitation at all. For some reason, feeling the firm will within Wang Chong’s heart, Wei Hao suddenly felt assured.
“Alright! Since no one is interested, let’s start the sword duel gamble then!”
Wang Chong lifted his head to take a look.
“Wait a moment!”
Suddenly, a voice interjected. Wang Chong lifted his head and saw a familiar figure walking out from the crowds.
“Huang Jiao!”
Wang Chong and Wei Hao’s eyelids twitched. They immediately recognized the person. He was the one who had led the pack to wreck havoc at the Bluebottle Pavilion on the first day, saying that Wang Chong was simply attracting attention and scattering the crowd.
“Hehe, lad. It’s true that you are the one who initiated the sword duel gamble. However, there should be rules to it too!”
Huang Jiao sneered coldly. He didn’t have a good impression of Wang Chong and as such, his words were impolite.
“What do you want to say?”
Wang Chong replied impassively.
“With so many swords here, do we just randomly pit them against one another? The swords that everyone has taken out are all their prized possession, and every one of them is incredibly sharp. Even if one were to win the face-off, it would cause some scars and damage to the sword. If so, there isn’t any point to winning at all.”
“Thus, I have an idea. Why don’t we first report how sharp how our weapons are, and how deep can it cut into a metal? This way, those whose weapons aren’t sufficient sharp can back down from the challenge. This way, not only can they prevent any damage toward their weapon, the weapons of others would be spared as well. What do you all think?”
Huang Jiao said gleefully.
“Good idea! It’s a good idea!”
Huang Jiao’s suggestion immediately gained the approval of many.
“We’ll report first then! The sword of our Li Clan is forged through continuous refinement and hammering. Not only is it tough, it is extremely sharp as well. It can cut through 4.5 centimeters of raw metal!”
A forty-year-old man who had the words ‘Qingtan City Li Clan’ weaved on the cloth covering his chest stood out. Pointing to the sword they presented that was hanging on the pavilion, he said gleefully.
“Hmph, you dare to take out such a weapon as well? Our Blue Fields: Zheng Clan had been researching the art of swordsmithing for generations, and our swords can cut through 5.1 centimeters of raw metal!”
The moment the man from Li Clan just spoke, a member of another swordsmithing clan immediately stood forward with a proud expression.
“There’s no need for you two to bicker! The Son of Bloodshed of our Impenetrable Metal Sword Workshop is crafted from using the Heavy Metal of the deep ocean. It can easily cut through your swords of your caliber as though a lump of rotten metal!”
The various weapon shops and workshops also stood forward. Soon, the Bluebottle Pavilion descended into an intense debate, and even the merchants from the Western Regions who weren’t adept at speaking the Han language joined in as well.
Some of their faces even flushed from being too absorbed into the debate!
Wang Chong had heard their words. Even though they’re debate had gotten heated up, to conclude, none of their swords was sharp enough to cut through five cun of metal.
(cun = 3.33cm|5 cun = 17cm)
Even though their sword could only cut through five cun of raw metal, they were still gleeful over their accomplishment, and their noses were about to reach the heavens boasting about it.
Upon reaching this conclusion, Wang Chong smiled in disdain. These prestigious family had remained unchallenged for far too long. When they finally see the Wootz steel sword, they will finally understand what’s a true top-notch sword.
“There’s no need for you to quarrel over it. There’s no need to go through so much trouble!”
Wang Chong’s words suddenly sounded by everyone’s ears. After which, he patted Wei Hao’s shoulder to gesture to him. Understanding Wang Chong’s intentions, he suddenly leapt forward toward the railing along the third floor of Bluebottle Pavilion and leapt upward, grabbing the Wootz steel sword.
Keng!
The clear sound of a sword’s call rang as though a bell. A gleam flashed through the sky, and before anyone could make sense of what was happening, Wei Hao, along with the sword, fell directly toward the metal mountain before the Bluebottle Pavilion.
Boom! A giant tremor and dust flew into the sky.
This gesture was so sudden that the crowd outside t
he Bluebottle Pavilion abruptly fell silent upon noticing it.
Keng keng keng!
Amidst the cloud dust, the sound of metal echoed one after another as though raindrops behind Wei Hao. More than twenty of the swords which had been hung on the pavilion for the sword duel gamble were broken, and the tip of the swords fell from the sky and stabbed into the ground below.
Boom! Amidst the cloud of dust, the metal mountain which was almost as tall as a human was split into two, each side collapsing toward opposite directions. At the center, where it was cut, the surface was clear as a mirror.
Weng!
Upon seeing the sight, the crowd outside the Bluebottle Pavilion, as though gone dumb, fell completely silent.
Then, the quarreling crowd within the Bluebottle Pavilion noticed the sight as well. All of them were standing by the railings with their mouth wide open, unable to find a single word to say.
Pa dah!
The jade thumb ring with a ruby gemstone embedded on top, which Mosaide was fiddling with, fell to the ground, but he was completely oblivious to it.
Silence!
Complete silence!
At this moment, regardless of whether it was in the Bluebottle Pavilion or outside the Bluebottle Pavilion, there wasn’t a single sound to be heard. Everyone’s mind had gone blank, and the absurd sight before them left them completely dumbfounded. Wang Chong had used the most unexpected method to create the greatest shock to everyone here!
Boom!
After a short moment of silence, everyone finally recovered. Then, a thunderous commotion that sounded as though a mountain splitting apart roared.
“Heavens! What did that fellow just do?”
“He split apart a metal mountain! How many cun is it? Fifty? Or is it a hundred? How can there be such an incredible sword in the world?”
“Not just the metal mountain, look at the swords hanging by Bluebottle Pavilion. They are all top-notch swords! Every single one of them is godly weapons that could easily slice apart human hair, yet he cut through dozens of them in a single go!”
“How can such a fearsome weapon exist?!”
…
The abrupt sight that unfolded before everyone else left them in a frenzy.
For these seven days, everyone had been expecting to see Wang Chong make a mockery out of himself. They even ridiculed him as a fool privately. No one had thought that Wang Chong could win this sword duel gamble, because the most advanced technologies were wielded in the hands of the few swordsmithing clans.