48 Unpacking the Sword and the unique Rust

The rain continued for another few hours before it started to slowly settle. The clouds parted and the sun shined down. The birds that were exposed to rain flapped their wings and shook themselves to get the water out.

The puddles were filled with frogs creaking and jumping around.

A rainbow was faintly visible in the dome of heavens. The merchants were finally removing the covers that they had used to protect their wares and children were once again out at the playgrounds with smiling faces and chuckling groups.

In Han Li's humble abode, Han Li and Yue Li were just awake and in their kitchen. They wanted to cook something up before heading out.

"Show me the gift, Xiao Li," Yue Li said, washing her face in cold water. It immediately woke her up.

Han Li took the still kind of wet clothes that wrapped the loot and spread it open. "I will show you, let me assort them first."

He first took the sword and placed it to the side. Yue Li glanced at the things and saw many sacred coins spread to the side, she frowned. His actions had been suspicious for a while.

"What have you been up to?" she asked, more worried than curious.

Han Li paused, but then said, "I was out along with Uncle Li, We were scouring the merchants and shops of the outsiders and indeed, some interesting things caught my attention."

His story had many loopholes but his mom wasn't one to check on such things. And if she did indeed end up figuring it out, he didn't mind telling her the truth.

Even if he wanted to make her not participate in things such as murders, this world had more darkness than he could hide. One day or the other, she will come to see that darkness for herself. Making her ready for that was his duty.

But he would never let her innocence be ruined due to that. All of that needed him to do it slow and steady.

Yue Li nodded after hearing he was with the fatty.

"What are these things anyway?" she came closer and squatted next to him, looking at the things in his hands.

"These are raven feathers, often seen in Raven beasts and such. It can make you a great Knife to train with. I will have to work on it though."

She nodded, her gaze resting on the ancient sword. Her eyes slightly shined. "What about this?"

"That's my weapon." Han Li looked at it. "It's extremely sharp and harmful, don't even touch the edges."

She nodded and gently took it by the hilt. Taking it up in the air, she looked at it.

It was about half of her own size. Roughly a meter long. But It was full of rough edges and there were a lot of rust marks on it.

"It looks cool," Yue Li praised.

Han Li sorted out the coins to the side and looked at her with a smile. "Right? But it's very showy when it is in it's true form."

"True form?!" Yue Li trembled. "You mean it has another form?"

Han Li took the sword from her hand and the thing slowly lit up in blood-red brilliance. Yue Li looked at it with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. Han Li turned off the spark.

"This is the way to use it, it's a bit sharper if you do so and I can use the Spark inside me a bit better. But those don't make much difference in the end since it is still based on my own powers. True cultivation beats all outside help."

Yue Li looked at him enviously. He got such a nice sword and she was being given an old-fashioned knife.

She pouted.

"By the way, Mom, don't pout." Han Li put the sword to the side and brought Yue Li closer. "You always said you liked stories right? Look at the sword's rust marks and it will tell you a story if you cast your spark on it."

Yue Li grew curious and used her blue spark on it. It didn't do much but as Han Li said, she focused on the Rust. The rust transformed in her mystical third sense, soul sense, and an image came to her vision instead.

"A tree?" she asked, awed. "That makes up a whole story, so you can now read it when you are bored. It's also a sort of education for you."

As Yue Li examined it with an eager face, Han Li patted her butt. "Go cook first."

Smiling, she asked, "Did you already read it?"

Han Li looked at her sideways. Of course, he had, but he still said, "No, we will read it together."

His mother smiled like a flower, her drowsiness after sleep vanishing as she turned and went to the fire. Cooking time! And this time, she had meat!

It was at this moment that someone knocked on the door. "It must be Liyue," Yue Li said.

Han Li went for the door and opened it. As expected, it was Liyue but she had a weird expression filled with a frown.

"What happened?" he asked as she entered curtly.

Liyue would have been usually nervous but she was far too baffled by the outrageous situation that happened today. "Do you remember the person I was supposed to marry?"

Walking to the kitchen, Han Li nodded. He remembered that irritated young man.

"I think he went crazy for some reason…" Reaching that point, Liyue couldn't stop a chuckle. "Oh, what happened Liyue?" Yue Li asked with a smile as she prepared the pot. "No, this Li Ming person…" Liyue said, barely stopping the smile, "He is running around the city saying he was enlightened. And someone asked what he was enlightened on."

Han Li curiously listened.

"He was meant for the men, not the women, he says." Liyue couldn't stop smiling anymore and even Han Li chuckled. 𝗳r𝚎𝐞w𝐞𝚋𝗻𝗼vel.𝗰o𝐦

Yue Li was the only one who hadn't even seen the young man before, so she was a bit confused. Nevertheless, she also smiled.