Amid a chorus of gasps, Iron Hammer pulled a handful of copper coins from his pocket.
“Everyone, look closely. These are the copper coins we use every day!”
He tossed one onto the table with a clink.
Just as the crowd wondered why Iron Hammer had suddenly produced copper coins, they saw him stack more than a dozen into a pile. Then, with a mighty shout, he swung the black blade down with both hands!
Crack!
Every coin was sliced in two by the single stroke, and a large gash appeared in the wooden table!
He raised the black blade for all to inspect the edge.
“Good heavens, this blade is incredibly sharp!”
“That was over a dozen coins, cut clean through with one swing, and the edge did not even nick!”
“Not only the coins, but the table was gouged too!”
“Those coins cannot be fake, can they?”
“What a joke. Counterfeiting copper coins is a crime punishable by the execution of three generations. No matter how bold the Jinchuan Chamber is, it would never dare use fakes to deceive people!”
The entrance to the Jinchuan Chamber fell suddenly silent, then erupted in exclamations.
The eyes of the two young noblemen lit up at once.
Coming from military families, they were naturally familiar with long blades, the most common weapons on the battlefield.
A blade that could cut hair when blown across it or slice iron as if it were mud was not particularly difficult to achieve on its own. Several renowned swordsmiths in the capital could manage either feat.
Combining both, however, was exceedingly rare.
Cutting hair required extreme sharpness, which meant grinding the edge very thin.
A blade focused solely on sharpness was prone to chipping and could hardly cleave through more than a dozen coins in one strike.
In truth, cutting hair and slicing iron followed different paths and were mutually exclusive.
Yet now, the black blade had achieved both.
Beyond its alloy composition, Jin Feng had made improvements to the edge.
The black blade was modelled after the Tang sword: long and narrow, with an extended handle. It could be wielded one-handed with a shield for thrusting and parrying, or two-handed without a shield for slashing.
Thrusting and parrying relied mainly on the tip, so Jin Feng designed the top twenty centimetres as a thin, sharpness-focused edge, while the rest was a thicker blade suited for chopping.
Combined with the alloy’s high hardness and toughness, the black blade possessed both sharpness and durability.
Such a war blade could unquestionably be called a treasure in the Great Kang.
“Hang on, there seems to be writing engraved on this blade.”
A sharp-eyed maid pointed at the long blade in Iron Hammer’s hand.
“Indeed, there is writing. Perhaps it is the blade’s name.”
Another maid said.
“Miss Luolan already said the blade is called Star Cutter, just two characters, but look at that whole string of characters.”
The sharp-eyed maid asked directly, “Miss Luolan, what does it say on the blade?”
“It is a line of poetry left by my master.” Luolan read aloud, “Iron steeds and golden arms for three thousand li, one blade’s cold light across sixteen provinces!”
“Well written!”
“This is the poetry that we martial men should recite!”
The two young noblemen breathed heavily with excitement.
Some time ago, the poems Jin Feng had inscribed on soap boxes spread like wildfire through the capital. Scholars eagerly recited them, but military men dismissed them as overly sentimental.
Now, this line on the black blade, though simple and direct, set the blood of the two heirs from martial families racing.
Seventy years earlier, when the Khitans first invaded the Central Plains, they seized Yuguan City in one fell swoop, galloped to the north bank of the Yellow River, and pointed their swords at Bianjing City. This forced Emperor Chen Ji’s grandfather to sign a treaty ceding the sixteen provinces of Yanyun, including Yuguan City.
Yuguan City was Shanhai Pass in Jin Feng’s previous life, the strategic choke point blocking the northern Khitans. Beyond it lay the flat North China Plain.
Losing Yuguan City and the sixteen Yanyun provinces removed all barriers between the Khitans and Great Kang. From then on, the Khitans raided Great Kang’s borders every year for autumn plunder.
In harsh winters, they even threatened the kingdom.
The people of Great Kang who once lived in the sixteen provinces suffered inhuman treatment. Over seventy years, they died or fled. The once fertile, populous Yanyun provinces became desolate. Han Chinese nearly vanished, and farmland was turned into Khitan grazing pastures.
Since then, the sixteen Yanyun provinces became the greatest shame in the hearts of all Great Kang generals. Emperor Chen Ji’s grandfather was so stricken by this that he died in depression.
When Chen Ji’s father ascended the throne, he sought to erase this disgrace. Against much opposition, he launched two northern campaigns.
Regrettably, Khitan cavalry was invincible on the plains, and both campaigns ended in crushing defeat.
Not only did Great Kang lose troops and generals, but the Khitans used the pretext to demand massive war reparations each time.
Thus, many generals made reclaiming the sixteen Yanyun provinces their life’s goal. Jin Feng’s inscription on the black blade spoke directly to their hearts.
“Miss Luolan, this poem seems only half complete. What is the other half?”
One young nobleman asked.
“My master did not say, so I do not know.” Luolan shook her head.
“Very well.” The young nobleman sighed with some regret, then asked, “Miss Luolan, how much is one Star Cutter blade?”
Without waiting for her reply, he continued, “Never mind the price. I, Qin Baoshan, want them all. Wrap up these three for me!”
“Brother Qin, you are being overbearing.” The other young nobleman objected, “We came together. Why should you take them all?”
Business thrives on harmony. Seeing the two about to quarrel, Luolan quickly smiled and said, “Gentlemen, please do not argue. These three Star Cutter blades are for display only. They are not for sale today.”
“If not for sale, why display them?”
Young Master Qin demanded, glaring.
“Not never for sale, just not today.” Luolan corrected, “The Star Cutter blades will be auctioned three days from now at the wei hour. If you gentlemen are interested, you may come to the Jinchuan Chamber to bid.”
“What is an auction?” Both young noblemen looked baffled.
“An auction means everyone gathers, and whoever bids the highest gets the Star Cutter!” Luolan explained.
“You are too ruthless!”
The two young noblemen, who moments ago were at odds, now united in condemning Luolan.
They knew full well the appeal of the black blade to military men. In the capital, many martial families had deeper foundations than theirs. If those top clans joined the bidding, how could they stand a chance?
“Gentlemen, do not be angry. In three days, we will auction ten Star Cutter blades at once. You received the news earliest, so you have the most time to prepare and the greatest chance.”
Luolan smiled and added, “I will also reveal something. Each Star Cutter blade bears a different inscription.”
“What do the other nine blades say?”
Young Master Qin forgot his anger and asked curiously.
