As Arthur made his way through the streets toward the Chen family compound, the noise of the busy city slowly faded into the background. He was already planning on what to do and was forming plans for several steps ahead, while replaying everything he'd learned since arriving in this world.
With his strength it would have been extremely easy to just go to a cultivation sect and demand secrets to strengthen soul and cultivation techniques. And many might say he was a brute but at least he was civilized and he didn't want to become like the people he fought against, a tyrant.
So, since the sects were coming to the city tomorrow anyway he was going to meet them there. And even though he needed to find a way to cultivate his soul he wasn't in a hurry.
Then as if remembering something, he stopped.
"…Right," he muttered to himself.
If he wanted to meet the sects directly, walking in empty-handed to the Chen family would be naïve at best and insulting at worst. From the novels he read, cultivation worlds ran on strength and resources, that means it has power centric hierarchies. Respect wasn't given unless you proved yourself, he could just show a bit of strength to gain what he needed but he felt it was polite to prepare some gift.
Arthur turned off the main road and headed toward a quiet, secluded area on the outskirts of the city where few people wandered. Once he was certain no one was watching, he reached into his dimensional storage and took out a block of darksteel along with a piece of exceptionally sturdy wood from Thyrandel.
He activated his ability Matter Manipulation, as invisible forces deconstructed the two materials with utmost precision. The darksteel softened and flowed like liquid, and reshaped itself under his control, elongating into a straight, elegant blade. Arthur carefully formed a jian, its proportions were balanced and understated, it was nothing flashy, but unmistakably refined. The metal was polished into a deep black, it was smooth along the flat sides of the blade and terrifyingly sharp along the edges.
Next came the handle. The wood was carved and reinforced, shaped to fit the hand naturally, then bound seamlessly to the tang. He even crafted a wooden sheath to match, reinforcing its interior so the blade wouldn't degrade it over time.
A few moments later, Arthur held the finished sword in his hand. He tilted it slightly, watching how the light bent strangely along the edge.
"…That should do," he said quietly.
He stored the sword away and resumed his journey.
…
The Chen family compound was impossible to miss.
Tall stone walls enclosed a massive estate, far more imposing than the other houses Arthur had seen in the city so far. Decorative pillars flanked the main gate, engraved with subtle patterns of dragons and phoenixes. Guards in well-maintained armor stood at attention at either side of the gate, and their posture was disciplined and alert.
Arthur approached them calmly. And the moment he stepped within a few meters of the gate, two guards moved in unison, crossing their spears to block his path.
"Stop," one of them said sharply. "State your name and purpose."
Arthur stopped without complaint. "I have a gift for the Chen family's patriarch," he said evenly.
The guards exchanged glances, suspicion written plainly across their faces.
"A gift?" the second guard asked. "For the patriarch?"
Arthur didn't argue. Instead, he reached into empty air and pulled out the sword. The jian appeared smoothly in his hand, as he took it out of his dimensional storage..
But both guards froze at the scene. Their pupils shrank, and their grips tightened instinctively on their weapons.
"…Spatial storage," one of them whispered under his breath.
Anyone capable of pulling objects from thin air wasn't a common martial artist. That alone placed Arthur firmly in the category of cultivator, and not a low-level one either.
The guards exchanged a quick look. And one of them lowered his spear and bowed stiffly. "Sir, please wait here. I will inform the patriarch immediately."
The other remained behind, standing a little straighter than before, though his trembling hands betrayed his nerves. Arthur could practically feel the tension radiating off him as he nodded and waited silently.
The others beside him fidgeted, stealing glances at the sword, then at Arthur's calm expression and minutes passed like that. Then footsteps approached from inside the compound.
Several guards emerged from within the compound, forming a respectful corridor. At their center walked a slightly plump, middle-aged man dressed in fine robes. His steps were hurried, and his expression was alert but controlled.
The moment he reached Arthur, he brought his hands together and bowed in a formal martial salute.
"Greetings, Daoist…?" he asked politely while trailing off.
Arthur understood immediately what he wanted. "You can call me Arthur."
The man blinked for a second in confusion, 'Arthur?' It was a strange name in this continent, but since the world was vast he ignored the weird name for now.
"My name is Chen Wei," the man said smoothly, recovering instantly. "I am the patriarch of the Chen family. What brings Daoist Arthur to our humble estate?"
Arthur didn't waste time. "I heard your family is hosting this year's sect recruitment," he said.
Chen Wei's chest straightened slightly, as pride slipped into his expression and tone. "Yes Daoist, that is correct, my daughter is a once-in-a-century genius. So it was only natural for us to host this year's recruitment."
Arthur nodded. "I want to meet the sect representatives. Can you introduce me to them tomorrow?"
Chen Wei studied him carefully. Seeing his expression Arthur extended his hand, and showed the sword to Chen Wei.
"I'm not asking for this favor for free," Arthur said calmly. "Please, take a look at the sword."
Chen Wei smiled politely and accepted it. He wasn't surprised, for the last few days multiple families and wandering martial artists had offered gifts, pills, weapons and treasures for a chance to build connections with the sects. He fully expected this to be another well-made but ultimately mundane offering.
Still, he maintained courtesy. "Thank you, Daoist Arthur," he said. "Please, allow me to arrange a guest room for you."
Arthur inclined his head. "Much appreciated."
Chen Wei personally guided Arthur into the compound, ensuring he was settled into a spacious guest room before excusing himself.
…
Only after Arthur was gone did Chen Wei's expression change. He turned sharply to his personal guard, who was a tall man with hardened eyes and the bearing of a high-ranking martial artist.
"Check the sword," Chen Wei said quietly.
The guard nodded and carefully unsheathed it as the blade emerged with a shing, the blade of the sword was pure black and sharp though the handle had some designs.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, the guard inhaled sharply. "…Excellent balance," he murmured.
Then he channeled his inner Qi into the sword. And instantly, a translucent white aura surged across the blade, coating it evenly.
And the moment that happened, the guard's hand that was holding the sword started to tremble.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "L… Lord," he said hoarsely, his voice shaking. "This… this is at least a Supreme-grade artifact."
Chen Wei's breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened, a commoner might not know but there are grades of weapons starting from Common, Rare, Supreme, Earth and Heaven grade.
Even a Rare-grade weapon was a treasure and difficult to find in the mundane world. And a Supreme-grade sword was something any smaller sect would fight for.
Chen Wei had previously thought the weapon Arthur gifted might be a well-made Common-grade or at most a Rare-grade sword. But he never thought someone would give him what could possibly be at least a Supreme rank sword.
He slowly reached out and took the sword from the guard, his movements were uncharacteristically careful, as though he were holding a newborn child as he held the sword with trembling hands.
Just this single sword was worth at least ten percent of the Chen family's total assets, possibly even more. So it could be imagined how precious it was.
"…To casually give this away…" he muttered.
Cold sweat formed on his back as his mind raced. Who was Arthur? And what kind of terrifying background allowed someone to hand over a Supreme-grade sword without blinking?
He thought of all possibilities, Arthur being a hidden expert, a disciple of a powerful sect or something else.
He shook his head and removed these unnecessary thoughts and straightened his posture.
"From this moment on," he said firmly, "Daoist Arthur is to be treated with the utmost reverence. Provide him with our best food and lodging. No one is to offend him, not even by accident. Otherwise I will personally wipe out their family."
"Yes, Lord!" the guard replied without hesitation.
As the guard left to make preparations, Chen Wei looked once more at the sword in his hands.
"…Tomorrow," he murmured, eyes narrowing with determination. "I should personally introduce him to the sect elders." He was now more eager to do that as first he didn't want to offend a hidden expert and second by doing so he could build a relationship with this expert.
And far away, Arthur sat calmly in his guest room, completely unaware or perhaps perfectly aware that with a single sword, he had just scared the sh*t out of Chen Wei.
***
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