Chapter 123: The Twin Swords, An Unexpected Turn

That morning, Zhang Wuyong went deep into a park on the outskirts of the city. It was virtually deserted.

Several days of torrential rain had indeed caused the water levels to rise. In the city center, the situation was better, with only some localized waterlogging that didn't have much of an impact. At the very least, his own residential complex remained largely unaffected. However, in the villages closer to the river downstream, people had been evacuated, and power had been cut.

Fortunately, the heavy rain had finally stopped. The disaster relief efforts in smaller areas, however, would likely not be over anytime soon. Generally, floods of this magnitude occurred every year at the end of June, though this year was slightly more severe than usual. Still, his parents had often said that compared to the "June 22nd" flood they remembered from their youth, this was nothing; back then, they could have swum through the streets of the city.

Zhang Wuyong had come to this secluded, uninhabited mountain forest because he intended to begin grinding "Mystic Light Sand." To make use of the scroll *The Brief Record of Talismans*, he first needed cinnabar. This cinnabar could only be the kind infused with spiritual energy from the other world; the cinnabar of this world was useless. Ground Mystic Light Sand was the simplest way to create the cinnabar he needed. Although there were superior cinnabar brushes in the other world, he had no way of obtaining them. The scroll itself contained profound mysteries, and with the ground Mystic Light Sand, he could begin to copy the talismans from the bamboo slips.

Following days of rain, the surrounding trees were soaked in moisture. A winding stone path led up the mountain, known as the "Deep Secluded Path." At the foot of the hill was the spot where elderly gentlemen practiced Tai Chi in the morning and elderly ladies danced in the evenings. On the other side was a larger mountain road, lined with pavilions and an ancient beacon tower known as the King Yue Terrace. Generally, those visiting the mountain for recreation took that route.

In this deserted spot, Zhang Wuyong pointed his finger.

*Clang!* A pair of swords crashed onto the stone-paved ground in front of him.

The Invincible Mandarin Duck Swords!

[Invincible Mandarin Duck Swords: Earth-tier weapon! Renowned as invincible, though not truly so. Forged from thousand-year mystic iron, they possess inherent fire and ice energies. A century ago, the "Mingyue Duo," a husband and wife pair, mastered these blades to intercept and kill the Wuwang Snake Demon, only to be killed by it in return.]

In the other world, "mystic iron" was not simply ordinary iron infused with massive amounts of spiritual energy. It formed in specific locations where vast quantities of mystic gold energy converged, condensing into metal. Such metal objects increased in density the longer they were refined, hence the distinction between "thousand-year" and "ten-thousand-year" mystic iron. The Supreme Dragon-Slaying Saber was forged from ten-thousand-year mystic iron; the first time Zhang Wuyong manifested it, it had smashed a crater into the ground.

The Invincible Mandarin Duck Swords were not as heavy, but they were still far too heavy for him to lift casually. Zhang Wuyong stepped forward and looked down. The male sword was long, and the female sword was short. They lay crossed in an "X" shape, the long sword on top. Zhang Wuyong bent down, gripped the handle of the long sword, and pushed with all his might. He still couldn't lift it. It wasn't completely immovable, though—it had wobbled slightly. This sword had to weigh several hundred pounds, right?

Zhang Wuyong touched the male sword with his right hand, and it vanished into thin air, appearing in his system's inventory. With a flick of his left hand, a box of Mystic Light Sand appeared. He took out a few grains, each the size of a bean, and placed them on the blade of the female sword. The female sword remained motionless on the ground.

He stepped back and pointed his finger. The male sword reappeared, hovering a meter above the female sword, and crashed down hard against it. After recalling the male sword, he saw that the grains of Mystic Light Sand had indeed been shattered into small, scattered fragments and some powder. These tiny fragments weren't fine enough yet, but surely this powder could be used as "cinnabar"?

He collected the fragments and powder into the box, then continued to take out fresh Mystic Light Sand and place it on the female sword. And so, the female sword lay on the ground while the male sword struck it again and again, in a frenzied rhythm.

After continuous, relentless strikes, he finally produced a decent amount of crushed sand and powder. Zhang Wuyong looked into the jade box. The efficiency was truly poor, but he had no better options. In the other world, Mystic Light Sand was just a special ore containing mystic energy; there must be ways to process it properly in this world, but he dared not bring it out for fear of discovery. After smashing it a few grains at a time for so long, he had only managed to fill half a small box. Moreover, the grains were uneven in size, and he had no idea if they would even be effective for refining talismans.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Zhang Wuyong quickly stowed the swords and the sand. He pulled his phone from his pocket, checked the caller ID, answered, and held it to his ear: "Mom, what is it?"

"Wuyong, get to the hospital quickly!" Ms. Song Mei's voice on the other end was frantic. "Something has happened to Auntie Zhu."

***

Zhang Wuyong dashed down the mountain. A couple hiking up the trail saw him charging down like a ferocious tiger and scrambled to the sides to get out of his way. Zhang Wuyong flew down the path. The Deep Secluded Path was narrow, and it was only thanks to his currently excellent physical condition and control that he didn't tumble down.

Reaching the foot of the mountain, he found the park crowded. He sprinted out and hailed a taxi: "City Hospital!"

When he reached the emergency ward of the city hospital, he found Tongtong sitting alone on a bench outside the operating room. The surrounding walls were white as snow. The red strip light above the emergency room door was as crimson as blood. He strode over to the pale girl: "Tongtong!"

The girl reached out helplessly, grabbing his clothes, then hugged his waist and wept uncontrollably. Zhang Wuyong held her, comforting her in a low voice: "I'm here... it's going to be okay... it's going to be okay..."

"Wuyong!" His mother hurried over from the side.

"What exactly happened?" Zhang Wuyong asked in a low voice.

"I'm not entirely sure yet!" his mother said. "She's still in surgery; the hospital director just left. I asked the officer who came with them, and he said it's still under investigation, but it seems to be a traffic accident."

"Wasn't Auntie Zhu at work today?" Zhang Wuyong asked, holding the sobbing Tongtong, his tone grave. "How could this happen?"

Song Mei shook her head: "I don't know yet. We only arrived a little before you."

Just then, the door to the emergency room opened, and a doctor walked out. Tongtong immediately scrambled up: "How is my mom? Is she..."

"Tongtong, don't panic!" the doctor said. "Sign these papers first."

Tongtong took the critical condition notification the doctor handed her. Her hands were shaking violently, and tears streamed down her face: "How is my mom, really..."

Zhang Wuyong helped her steady the trembling paper, guiding her hand as she signed it with a shaky, illegible scrawl.

"Wait outside for now!" the doctor said solemnly. "We are doing everything we can for Dr. Zhu, please don't worry."

Taking back the papers, the doctor hurried back into the operating room. Tongtong turned and buried herself in Zhang Wuyong's arms, trembling like a leaf in the wind...