Peerless City.
The Sword Hut in the back mountains.
A child sat by the lakeside, cracking melon seeds and tossing the shells one by one into an iron bowl beside him—quite the meticulous habit. A middle-aged swordsman stood next to him and asked softly, "Yu Shu, are melon seeds really that tasty?"
"Master, is practicing the sword really that fun?" the child countered.
The middle-aged swordsman was taken aback, then shook his head. "Practicing the sword isn’t particularly fun. But I’ve been doing it since childhood. If I skip even a single day, I feel as though life loses its meaning."
"Master, when will you start teaching me swordsmanship?" the child asked.
"Don’t rush. You are a natural talent—every stroke of the chisel must be precise." The middle-aged man suddenly chuckled self-deprecatingly. "My master once said I was born for the sword. Yet, decades have passed, and even Li Hanyi, who entered the world so much later than I did, has become the Snowmoon Sword Immortal. Meanwhile, I remain stuck in the same place."
This middle-aged man was none other than Song Yanhui, the current City Lord of Peerless City. Even Wen Hujiu, the head of the Wen family, had once praised him as an Innate Sword Talent upon their first meeting, proving that his natural aptitude for the sword was no mere boast by Peerless City’s elders. Unfortunately, the era Song Yanhui was born into was simply too dazzling.
There was Baili Dongjun, who could be called a Sword Immortal with a blade or a Blade Immortal with a sword but insisted on calling himself the Wine Immortal; Sikong Changfeng, the one and only Spear Immortal in the world; Li Hanyi, the Snowmoon Sword Immortal, who entered the scene late yet stunned the world in the battle against the Demon Sect; Zhao Yuzhen, the Taoist Sword Immortal, who never descended the mountain yet was renowned far and wide; Luo Qingyang, the Lone Sword Immortal, who stood alone with his city; Xie Xuan, the Confucian Sword Immortal, who became a Sword Immortal with just one strike; the briefly radiant Thunder Gate Twins; the peerlessly elegant Eight Young Lords of Beili; and Tang Lingyue of the Tang Sect, whose sleeves could stir the winds and clouds.
The existence of these figures made Song Yanhui—who might have otherwise shaken the world—seem utterly ordinary in comparison.
People knew Peerless City remained one of the strongest sects in the martial world, but they also knew Snow Moon City was stronger.
People knew Song Yanhui’s swordsmanship was first-rate, with few rivals, but they also knew any one of the Five Great Sword Immortals surpassed him.
Moreover, though his swordsmanship was strong and his status high, he was an exceedingly dull man—so dull that he would even reject a beauty like the Rosy Cloud Fairy.
Gazing at the tranquil lake, Song Yanhui sighed softly. "This is my last chance."
The child named Yu Shu continued cracking melon seeds unhurriedly. "Master, you come to this lake every day but never do anything. Is there some treasure hidden in here?"
"There is indeed a treasure—the most precious thing in Peerless City." Song Yanhui raised his right hand abruptly. Ripples spread across the lake’s surface as a massive, elongated box burst from the water. The box appeared to be forged from iron, coated in red lacquer, and shimmered dazzlingly under the sunlight.
"This is…" Yu Shu stood up, staring in awe at the box.
"This is Peerless City’s most prized possession—the Matchless Sword Box!" Song Yanhui declared loudly, sweeping his hand once more. The box landed beside him with a thud. "Inside lie thirteen famed swords, one of which is the Great Ming Vermillion Bird, ranked second in the Famous Sword Compendium!""If it's called 'Matchless,' why isn't it ranked first?" Yu Shu asked.
"The first is the Emperor's Sword, while the Great Ming Vermillion Bird is the sword of the martial world—truly matchless!" Song Yanhuai slammed his palm onto the Sword Box. "Rise!"
The Sword Box trembled violently, as if something inside was struggling to break free. The shaking lasted for a long time, yet when the lake's surface finally calmed again, not a single sword had emerged. Yu Shu's hopeful gaze turned to disappointment, and Song Yanhuai's initially proud expression gradually dimmed.
"As expected," Song Yanhuai sighed softly. "I've practiced the sword for thirty years, yet only today did I come here to open the Matchless Sword Box. But in the end, I am not the master it has chosen. Such is fate."
Yu Shu frowned. "Can't the Sword Box be opened just like that?"
"The Sword Box has a spirit. It will only open and release its swords when it encounters a swordsman worthy of being its master," Song Yanhuai said, shaking his head. "But ever since the first lord of Peerless City passed away, no one has been able to open it."
"Let me try," Yu Shu said eagerly.
Song Yanhuai frowned slightly. "You've never even trained in the sword."
"Precisely because I've never trained, perhaps the Sword Box prefers someone like a blank slate?" Yu Shu stepped forward and placed his hand on the Sword Box.
The Sword Box remained motionless.
Song Yanhuai shook his head. "Foolishness..."
But just then, the Sword Box silently opened. A sword shot out and landed before the child. The blade was pure white, as if carved from fine jade, and its shape was unusual—resembling a ruyi scepter. Under the sunlight, it looked exceptionally elegant and refined. The child stared in awe. "This sword... it's so beautiful."
Song Yanhuai was equally stunned, murmuring, "This is... the Jade Ruyi from the Matchless Sword Box?"
"The Sword Box... really opened for me?" Yu Shu stepped forward and grasped the hilt of the Jade Ruyi Sword, giving it a light swing.
The lake's surface erupted as if struck by thunder, a massive wave exploding upward. A surge of Sword Qi burst from the Jade Ruyi, instantly knocking Yu Shu unconscious. The sword then slipped from his grip and returned to the Sword Box, which closed its lid once more.
Song Yanhuai stepped forward, catching the unconscious Yu Shu. Staring at the Matchless Sword Box, his heart remained unsettled for a long time. Finally, he lifted Yu Shu onto his back, picked up the Matchless Sword Box, and left the Sword Hut.
Inside the Sword Hut, an elderly man with white hair and beard emerged. Watching the two figures recede into the distance, he stroked his beard and smiled. "It seems Peerless City may yet reclaim its unrivaled glory."
Song Yanhuai hadn't carried Yu Shu far before the boy groggily awoke. "Master... did the Sword Box open just now? Was it me who opened it?"
Instead of answering directly, Song Yanhuai said, "When I was young, I once unleashed a single sword strike—one that pierced the heavens, staining the sky crimson, so striking that even the southbound swallows turned back to gaze upon it. From that day on, my master renamed me Song Yanhui—'Swallows Return.' Today, I shall rename you as well."
Yu Shu scratched his head. "What name will you give me, Master?"
"From now on, you shall be called Wushuang—'Matchless,'" Song Yanhuai said calmly.
"Wushuang?" Yu Shu frowned. "Then what's my surname?""No need for a surname, just call you Wushuang. In the future, when people speak of the Matchless Sword Box or Peerless City, it will all be because of you—because you are Wushuang." Song Yanhuai smiled. "Your master has faith that you will accomplish what I could not."
"But Master," Yu Shu quickly accepted the name yet held a different view, "what you couldn't achieve, I might not necessarily want to continue pursuing."
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