Chapter 18: Zhi Jiang

Upon entering the city, the most striking sight was the two towering sword forges at its heart, both ablaze with fierce flames. Hundreds, if not thousands, of muscular men worked bare-chested beneath the forges, forging swords, their hammering ringing out without cease.

The city’s architecture betrayed no clear era—after all, this was another world. The buildings were robust, solid in their construction, but here and there, the sharp ridges of pointed roofs and heavy eaves revealed the unique ingenuity of their designers.

As they passed, everyone paused their labors to respectfully salute Zhi Jiang. She removed her helmet, revealing a radiant smile, and greeted each one in turn. Her beauty and gentle warmth were contagious; she seemed to know every person here, and it was clear her guardianship over these people came from the heart.

This was almost unthinkable in an ancient society. In the distant Spring and Autumn period, slavery had yet to be abolished—nobles were nobles, and there was no such thing as treating commoners as equals.

“Princess!” A little girl with braided hair, cradling a large bowl, came running after her, calling out.

“Yaya, slow down, be careful not to fall,” Zhi Jiang hastened to steady her.

“This is meat stew my mother made, and she sent me especially to bring some for you to try,” the girl said, offering the large porcelain bowl with hopeful eyes.

Zhi Jiang took it gratefully and inhaled the aroma. “It smells wonderful—it must be Aunt Lizhi’s handiwork. Yaya, I’ll accept this stew, and you must thank your mother properly for me.”

“Okay! Princess, please enjoy it. I’ll tell Mother.”

“You’re a good girl,” Zhi Jiang said, pinching her cheek.

Soon they arrived at the sword forge. A young, strong, and handsome man leapt down from a ten-meter-high platform, landing lightly.

Chen Longshi’s eyelid twitched.

The young man glanced warily at the unfamiliar Chen Longshi, then bowed respectfully to Zhi Jiang. “Your Highness, you went to the royal tomb again. Such a perilous task—you, of all people, need not risk yourself. Should anything happen to you, the entire city would fall apart. If you truly must go, promise me you’ll take me with you next time.”

Zhi Jiang looked at the young man with a hint of helplessness in her eyes. “Ou Lian, I will take care. You needn’t worry. Besides, your task here is even more important. Since Uncle Ou left, you’re the only one in the city who can forge swords.”

“Even if I were gone, the city would still endure because of you all. Even if only one person remained, I believe this place would persist. If, one day, we can forge a divine sword and destroy the royal tomb, everyone will truly be free, and there will be no need to cower here any longer. So, compared to venturing out for information, your work is far more vital.”

“By the way, how goes the sword forging?”

Ou Lian had been about to say more, but her words stopped him. He shook his head in frustration. “I still can’t find a way to smelt it.”

“We went through so much to find the crystal veins in the thousand-year Heavenly Pool—these are true sword stones. The Azure Radiance stones, they say, glow like blue rainbows, turning night to day. Forge a divine sword from them, and beneath the moonlight it will shine with a pure light, its edge and spirit able to destroy evil spirits.”

“But, alas, my skills are lacking; I can’t reach the heights of my ancestor Ou Yezi. I can’t even manage the basic smelting. I’ve failed your trust, Princess—please punish me.” He prepared to kneel.

Zhi Jiang quickly held him up. “Why would I punish you? Forging a divine sword is no overnight task. I believe you will find a way; don’t be too hard on yourself. If you need anything, speak to the Lord Regent—he’ll see you get it.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Ou Lian said, rising.

He glanced at Chen Longshi. “Your Highness, may I ask—who is this?”

Zhi Jiang introduced them. “This is Chen Longshi, a demon hunter I met on the road. He is also an old friend from my native Chu. He possesses the power to truly destroy the immortal sword attendants. I brought him here for that reason.”

Ou Lian studied Chen Longshi with suspicion. “Your Highness, outsiders are not to be trusted. Be careful not to take someone at their word.”

Zhi Jiang frowned. “Ou Lian, that’s rude. Mr. Chen is my honored guest. I’ll judge for myself whom to trust.” She turned to Chen Longshi apologetically. “Please don’t mind him. Ou Lian isn’t a bad person, just a bit blunt.”

“Ou Lian, apologize to our guest.”

Ou Lian, knowing Zhi Jiang was not the typical sheltered princess, dared not argue. “I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me, sir.”

Chen Longshi waved it off graciously. “No need for apologies. I only see your loyalty and dedication to your lord. As a demon hunter, my purpose here aligns with yours: to end the evil in the royal tomb beneath Chu. Perhaps in time, we’ll fight side by side.”

The grandest building in the city was the palace—Zhi Jiang’s home.

For all its size, there wasn’t a single servant. Even serving tea was something Zhi Jiang did herself.

Chen Longshi was surprised. “Does Your Highness live here alone?”

“The Regent lives here too, but he’s often away. When I was young, the house was full—my parents, brothers, and sisters. Now, they’re all gone, only I remain.” She knew what Chen Longshi was really asking. “But don’t worry, I’m not so poor I must do everything myself. People come to clean daily, and there are others to cook and do the laundry.”

Chen Longshi took a sip of water. “For a woman, from birth destined to fight immortal monsters, it’s a hard life.”

“This is the price for our ancestors’ sins—someone must atone. As long as the royal tomb exists, the bloodline of the Nine-Headed Bird can never enter the cycle of rebirth. It’s Heaven’s punishment. If it were only my family who suffered, so be it, but half the nation has been dragged into hell. To spare our ancestors’ souls eternal torment, we must fight without end.”

Her voice was as calm as ever, as if she spoke not of her own sorrow.

“But for all the generations my family and the city’s people have given, we’ve never made any progress. You may never understand the pain of monsters that cannot be slain nor eradicated. And as the power of the royal tomb grows, it’s beyond what our city can withstand.”

She looked at Chen Longshi with probing eyes.

“Until today, when I saw you destroy the immortal sword attendant completely.”

Chen Longshi nodded. “There must be other ways to destroy their bones completely—burning them, or extinguishing their soul fire, perhaps?”

“No. Those ways don’t work. But you—you truly killed them. I could feel it.”

Chen Longshi replied, “Your Highness trusts me so much, a stranger who’s only just arrived?”

Zhi Jiang shook her head, a trace of sadness on her face. “Not at all. Understanding and trust take time. You saw for yourself—my palace has no guards, yet the people respect me and would live and die with me.”

“Is that because Your Highness values the common people?”

“No. It’s because we’re all in this together. Everyone’s fate is tied to the royal tomb. Their ancestors were buried alive with the tyrant—if the tyrant ever returns, those descendants will be first to perish. No matter how far they flee, that terror never fades.”

“If you were in our place and suddenly discovered something that could truly destroy immortal monsters, how would you react?”

“Cling to the last hope for survival,” Chen Longshi answered.

“As humiliating as it is, that’s the truth,” Zhi Jiang admitted without hesitation.

Chen Longshi rubbed his chin, thinking that the situation here was quite different from the game world of his past life. At the very least, these people could converse—unlike the primitive AI he once knew. According to the game’s strategy—which had been his plan before arriving—he should now go to the royal tomb and grind through battles, clearing each level in order and ultimately finishing the dungeon.

But things had changed because of Tun Tun.

He glanced at the sword talisman’s trial progress on his arm—it had already reached ten percent.

But what had he done in that time? Just fought alongside the princess—a bit of training, worth maybe two percent. The extra progress was clearly thanks to Tun Tun’s power to destroy the undying, which had earned him this inexplicable trust.

If that was so, what reason was there to hesitate?

Chen Longshi spoke decisively. “Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. To be honest, before coming to the royal tomb, I did some research. Do you know the key to breaking the tomb’s curse?”

“Isn’t it forging the divine sword?” Zhi Jiang asked.

“The divine sword is crucial, yes. But if we still can’t forge it, is it really because Ou Lian’s skills are lacking? Tell me, Princess, was Ou Lian’s ancestor, Ou Yezi, also dragged into the tomb world with King Chu?”

Zhi Jiang looked puzzled. “That’s hard to say for certain. Master Ou Yezi was always a mysterious figure. Even King Chu might not have found him. Perhaps he’s still in hiding somewhere in the world.”

“No. According to what I’ve learned, it’s very likely Ou Yezi was also entombed. The problem now isn’t about fighting—it’s about hope. The city’s warriors have battled the undead for years, yet the monsters only grow stronger. The only thing holding us together is faith in the Nine-Headed Bird family.”

“Ou Lian’s words, though harsh, weren’t wrong. If the Nine-Headed Bird bloodline ends, this city will truly collapse.”

Zhi Jiang’s voice was uncertain. “What, then, does sir suggest? Why mention Master Ou Yezi?”

“As for Ou Yezi, allow me to keep that to myself for now.” Chen Longshi stepped closer and spoke softly, “What matters most now is to give everyone hope.”

“Hope?”

“Yes. The hope that the undying monsters can be destroyed, that the royal tomb can be vanquished.”