Chapter 25: Signing and Sealing

"Ha ha ha... There's no such thing as a completely tight wall in this world, especially when it's not a small matter. It's normal for a bit of gossip to leak out," Sun Yang said vaguely.

After speaking, he stepped closer to Yan Zi and turned his wrist, causing a silver-white ring on his index finger to flash slightly.

Immediately, a two-foot-long vermilion lacquer box appeared in his palm.

Seeing this, Tang Jian couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly, thinking to himself, "A storage ring..."

The ring on Sun Yang's finger was not an ordinary item but a genuine storage artifact capable of storing objects tens or even hundreds of times its own size.

It was said that such storage artifacts were rare treasures, comparable in value to high-quality magical swords. Even those with ten times the space were expensive. Tang Jian's father had a storage ring with thirty times the space, which he had planned to give to Tang Jian as a wedding gift. 

However, due to unforeseen circumstances, that never happened.

With a gentle smile on his face, Sun Yang held the vermilion lacquer box in both hands and offered it to Yan Zi, saying,

"Miss Yan, the sword shop recently acquired a mid-grade magical sword. It's short and lightweight, perfect for a woman. I thought of giving it to you as a token of our affection."

As he spoke, he opened the vermilion lacquer box, revealing a silver-white short sword with a beautiful scabbard inside.

Tang Jian's eyebrows raised slightly when he saw the contents of the box.

"I think there's some misunderstanding, Mr. Sun. There's no affection between us, so how can there be a token of it?" Yan Zi didn't even look at the short sword and said calmly.

"If you don't want it as a token of affection, how about considering it as a usual gift between friends? Just take a look at the quality of this sword..." Sun Yang didn't get angry when he heard this and continued to persuade her.

As he spoke, he drew the short sword halfway out with a clang.

The exposed silver blade glowed, and a "Fire-Raising Rune" was carved below the guard, looking quite extraordinary. Even Chen Guang couldn't help but glance over.

When Xiao Dingdang saw the short sword, her eyes lit up, obviously liking it. However, when her gaze fell on Sun Yang holding the sword, her face darkened, and she whispered,

"A weasel paying a New Year's visit to a chicken; he must have some ulterior motive. Don't think no one knows about the dirty tricks your Sun family has played on our Yan family. Our master's death is related to..."

"Stop talking," Yan Zi suddenly interrupted Xiao Dingdang.

Xiao Dingdang saw the hint of anger on her mistress's face and immediately fell silent.

"I apologize for my servant's rudeness. It's my fault for not disciplining her properly," Yan Zi said calmly, her expression returning to normal.

"Miss Yan, you're exaggerating... Please accept this short sword," Sun Yang smiled and said as he sheathed the sword.

Yan Zi remained unmoved and was about to refuse when a faint voice, like a mosquito's buzz, suddenly sounded in her ear:

"Miss, since he's already said this publicly, it's okay to accept it."

It was Tang Jian who spoke. He didn't use any secret communication technique of cultivators but a skill that only martial arts experts with some proficiency could use: forced sound into a line.

The reason he asked Yan Zi to accept the item was not for any other reason but because the short sword was the one he had forged and sold to the Sun family's sword shop.

Yan Zi was slightly surprised but, after hesitating for a while, slowly opened her mouth and said,

"Since Mr. Sun has said so, it would be unkind of me to refuse."

Sun Yang was slightly surprised when he heard this, as he didn't think Yan Zi would accept the item before. After a slight delay, his smile grew wider, and he offered the vermilion lacquer box to her.

Yan Zi accepted it, thanked him, and casually handed it to Xiao Dingdang.

"Ha-ha... I see that Mr. Sun holds such deep affection for Miss Yan. Why bother with this competition? If the two families could be united in marriage, wouldn't that be a joy for all? With the young man talented and the young lady beautiful, it would surely become a beautiful tale in our Yue Kingdom!" Situ Ran, seated in the host's position, chuckled heartily.

"Indeed..."

"Master Situ, you jest. Could you elaborate on the arrangements for this sword forging contest?"

A hint of delight flickered across Sun Yang's face, but before he could say anything, Yan Zi steered the conversation away.

"As usual, each participant prepares their own materials, forges on the spot, and competes immediately. However, before that, both parties must sign and seal the contract. Do either of you have any objections?" Situ Ran explained solemnly after hearing this.

"Naturally," Yan Zi nodded.

Seeing this, Sun Yang had to swallow the words on the tip of his tongue and agreed with a nod.

Then, a clerk dressed in green, standing behind Situ Ran, promptly produced two identical contracts and handed them to Yan Zi and Sun Yang, respectively.

After receiving the contracts, Yan Zi and Sun Yang each examined them carefully before exchanging them for a second inspection.

Once confirmed to be correct, they both signed and affixed their personal seals.

"Excellent! Since the contracts are signed, they are immediately effective and cannot be retracted. The auxiliary halls on both sides of the main hall have already been prepared with earth fire wells. Please, both masters, get ready and proceed to forge your swords," Situ Ran stood up and announced with a smile.

Qiu Batian glanced at Chen Guang, then rose and walked towards a side door on the left side of the hall. 

Two young men immediately stood up from the end of the left row of seats, carrying two black wooden boxes, and followed him.

Chen Guang also stood up, leading Tang Jian and Yao Bin towards the auxiliary hall on the right.

Above the lintels of the auxiliary halls, a pale yellow charm paper was affixed, and the symbols depicted on them were somewhat blurred, but there was still a faint residue of spiritual energy.

As Tang Jian approached the door, he instinctively paused and looked at the charm paper.

"It's a Sword Detection Charm, to prevent us from bringing pre-forged swords inside," Chen Guang finally spoke, his voice slightly hoarse.

One after another, the three of them entered the auxiliary hall and closed the door behind them.

Yan Zi watched their departing figures, and her beautiful eyes grew increasingly worried.

"The sword forging won't be completed in a short while. Our Craftsmanship Bureau's 'Da Hong Pao' tea is quite good. You two might as well enjoy some tea and wait patiently for the good news from the two masters." Situ Ran said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the servant dressed in brown behind him immediately turned and went into the inner hall to prepare tea for everyone.

"Thank you very much," Yan Zi said with a smile as she turned back, her expression returning to normal.

Sun Ke's lips curled into a smile, and his gaze roamed over her playfully.