As Liu Yan finished speaking, Ye Xuan was extremely surprised. She was actually generous enough to gift him an Earth-tier weapon! Wasn’t this cost a bit too high?
Looking at the shopkeeper’s expression, he knew that Earth-tier weapons were highly sought after, even across an entire city.
"Are you sure you want to give this to me?" Ye Xuan asked to confirm.
Liu Yan’s expression didn’t change in the slightest as she replied decisively, "Of course."
"Alright, then I’ll give it a try." Ye Xuan smiled. It was impossible for him to refuse when someone wanted to give him such a precious item.
He walked to Liu Yan’s side and grasped the hilt. The hilt was a starry-sky gray. Placing his hand on it, he tried to lift the sword.
Off to the side, the shopkeeper shook his head and reminded him, "Young Master, without a cultivation base in the Demon Spirit Realm, it’s far too difficult to lift this sword. Why don’t you..."
The shopkeeper spoke very tactfully, but he actually just felt that Ye Xuan wouldn’t be able to lift it. However, before he could finish his sentence, Ye Xuan began to exert force. The veins on his hand bulged, and his biceps and triceps instantly swelled. This showed exactly how heavy the sword was. It truly lived up to being an Earth-tier weapon forged with Profound Weight Stone.
"URGH!" Ye Xuan let out a low shout. Without using any Spiritual Qi, he relied purely on his powerful physical body to slowly lift the sword.
This scene left Manager Gou dumbfounded. Cultivators who could lift this sword relying solely on physical strength were absolutely few and far between. This young man, who didn’t look particularly robust, actually possessed such tremendous strength. It was truly a rare sight.
Ye Xuan raised the sword and swung it twice in the air.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The wind howled, and his hair fluttered. Wielding this sword actually gave Ye Xuan the feeling of possessing unrivaled, mountain-moving might. He even wondered if using this heavy sword to execute the Sixteen Sword Poem Techniques would grant its power an unexpected boost. But Ye Xuan knew that, at his current level, he probably couldn’t use this sword to execute the Sixteen Sword Poem Techniques because it was too heavy for him to control.
At this moment, after just a few swings, Ye Xuan already felt his right hand grow sore and his muscles tremble. He abruptly let go, plunging the sword into the ground.
THUNK!
With a muffled sound, the entire blade sank directly into the earth, leaving only the hilt exposed.
"Careful, careful! I told you this sword wasn’t suitable. How about we swap it for another..." the shopkeeper’s voice rang out again.
But before he could finish, Liu Yan spoke up, "Young Master Ye, you’re satisfied with this sword, right? Then this is the one."
Liu Yan was indeed a meticulous and observant person. She had caught the gleam in Ye Xuan’s eyes just now and instantly knew he liked the sword. It made sense—who wouldn’t like an Earth-tier weapon? Even within the Liu family, very few people were qualified to possess a sword like this.
"Miss!" The shopkeeper immediately frowned and spoke bluntly. "Miss, to be completely honest, this matter is a bit tricky. I can let you choose any Ghost-tier weapon, but when it comes to an Earth-tier weapon... I have no way to explain this to the City Lord."
Liu Yan said lightly, "Are you worried my grandfather will be angry? There’s no need for that."
As she spoke, she removed the hairpin she was wearing. It was an extremely exquisite hairpin, adorned with a lustrous, perfectly round pearl.
"Do you recognize this hairpin?" she asked.
The shopkeeper’s Tonglong shrank. "Miss, could this be..."
Without waiting for him to finish, Liu Yan interrupted, "As long as you know. Take the hairpin. When the time comes, ask that person for the money. He’ll pay."
"I wouldn’t dare! I certainly wouldn’t dare keep this hairpin. I understand what you mean, Miss. Since you’ve put it that way, please, take the sword."
Liu Yan nodded and looked at Ye Xuan. With a faint smile, she said, "Young Master Ye, this sword is yours."
Ye Xuan didn’t take the sword, however. Instead, he asked, "This sword is definitely invaluable. Can you really make that decision?"
"I can."
"Just because of a hairpin?" Ye Xuan glanced at the hairpin in Liu Yan’s hand.
Liu Yan’s smile faded as she replied calmly, "Yes."
"Alright then! It would be impolite for me to refuse." Ye Xuan was actually just being polite. Since she insisted on giving it to him, he might as well take it. He touched the Earth-tier weapon, and with a thought, it vanished, stored safely away inside his Storage Ring.
"Manager Gou, I’ll be taking my leave now. Just report the matter of the sword to my grandfather truthfully." Liu Yan politely bid farewell to Manager Gou before leaving with Ye Xuan.
"Young Master Ye, it’s still early. Why don’t I show you around?" she offered.
"Sure." Having accepted such a gift, Ye Xuan naturally wouldn’t say he wanted to go back.
It was noon by the time the two of them returned to the Liu family’s home.
"Young Master Ye, time was tight today, so I couldn’t take you to browse the Martial Arts Shop or the Spirit Medicine Shop. The next time you visit, I’ll be sure to properly accompany you," Liu Yan said.
"You’re too polite, Miss Yan. Not only did you give me an Earth-tier weapon, but you also bought me so many local specialties. I’ll remember this favor."
"Young Master Ye, there’s no need to remember my favor. I just hope you can treat Ruoxi a little better, alright?" Liu Yan’s eyes were filled with nothing but sincerity.
"Just for that? You gave me an Earth-tier weapon?" Ye Xuan frowned.
"Yes, just for that. I know you must hold some resentment toward my younger sister, and she feels the same about you... So, if she does something wrong in the future, I hope you can do it for my sake and not make things too difficult for her."
Had it been before, Ye Xuan definitely would have said, "Why should I do it for your sake? Are we even close?" But since he had accepted her gifts, he couldn’t very well bite the hand that fed him. For a moment, Ye Xuan didn’t know what to say.
Seeing Ye Xuan’s silence, Liu Yan smiled faintly. Without waiting for his answer, she turned and entered the City Lord’s Mansion. Some words didn’t need an answer. She only needed to do what she ought to do as an older sister.
Ye Xuan watched Liu Yan’s retreating Shadow, once again feeling that this woman was extraordinary. To give away an Earth-tier weapon for the sake of her sister... she absolutely didn’t even have a weapon of this tier for herself.
As he watched, a flash of light caught his eye. The Pearl Flower pinned in Liu Yan’s hair slipped down and fell to the ground. Yet, Liu Yan didn’t seem to notice.
Ye Xuan stepped forward, picked up the Pearl Flower, and reminded her, "You dropped your Pearl Flower."
Liu Yan turned back, her eyes somewhat complex as she said, "If it dropped, so be it. I didn’t want it anyway."
"The gemstone on this is clearly extraordinary at first glance. It seems to have a Gathering Spirit effect. You don’t want it?" Ye Xuan was somewhat surprised. One look was enough to tell that this Pearl Flower was extraordinary. It definitely had some significant background.
Liu Yan merely replied calmly, "If you like it, I’ll give it to you."
"To me?"
Ye Xuan felt somewhat speechless. What was the point of giving him a Pearl Flower? He wasn’t a woman and had no interest in such things. Even though this Pearl Flower had a Gathering Spirit effect, a grown man like him couldn’t possibly pin a Pearl Flower in his hair.
He was just about to say he didn’t want it, but before the words could leave his mouth, Liu Yan suddenly sighed. "Forget it. Even if I gave it to you, you wouldn’t dare accept it. After all, this Pearl Flower belongs to that person..."
Before Liu Yan could finish her sentence, Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn’t I dare? Since you’re giving it to me, I’ll accept it. This Pearl Flower is quite nice. Even if I can’t use it, I can give it to my woman in the future."