Chapter 499: Chapter 491 Treasured Sword Upgrade Successful

Zhang Banzui was not beaten up for fortune-telling just once or twice, so he certainly wouldn’t flee Shuangfeng Village because of such matters.

Qin Niu suspected that he was driven away by Madame Zhao.

What could Madame Zhao’s purpose be for lurking in Shuangfeng Village? She only swindled men out of some money and never harmed a life, so she couldn’t be considered too wicked.

“Er Dan, things haven’t been very peaceful lately, and some strange events have occurred one after another in our Shuangfeng Village. Even if you come across something odd, don’t go poking around in it, lest you encounter unforeseen dangers.”

Qin Niu did not want his playmate to come to any harm.

“Understood! Ah Niu brother, you should also be careful yourself. The rifle shoots the bird that sticks its head out, and you are the most prominent one in our village. I’m afraid those with ulterior motives might target you.”

The child Er Dan was smart and alert, actually turning around to remind Qin Niu to be cautious.

After sending Er Dan off, Qin Niu decided to use the advantage of being an Insect Master to surveil the entire village.

Bees were the best choice.

They are numerous and very common, and not easy to be detected by people.

Zhang Banzui’s disappearance did not cause much of a stir; the villagers discussed it heatedly for only the first few days. Everyone had their own lives, and after the initial buzz, hardly anyone mentioned Zhang Banzui again.

As the Chinese New Year approached, all households, whether rich or poor, had already started preparing for it.

Those who were better off bought fresh pork and fish to cure, and then smoked it into bacon. Custom-making clothes for children and the elderly was also a highlight of the New Year preparations. The middle-aged parents, the pillars of the family, invariably put themselves last.

If there was any money left after ordering clothes for the children and the elderly, they would consider buying new clothes for themselves.

Most women would prioritize getting new clothes for their husbands.

They felt that the man was the head of the household, the face of a family, who needed to go out and interact with others. If he dressed too shabbily, it was easy to be looked down upon.

Preparing new clothes, new shoes, smoking fish and meat, pasting cut-out window decorations with red paper, putting up couplets to welcome the Spring Festival, and the thorough cleaning of the house inside and out… every family was busy beyond measure.

Even the bachelors in the village cleaned the drainage ditches in front of and behind their houses, swept away the cobwebs in the eaves and corners, and washed the starched quilt covers.

Qin Niu, on the other hand, was practicing with his family against the clock.

Trivial matters such as cleaning were left to the servants in the family.

In this period, no more strange events occurred in the village, and Madame Zhao carried on as before, occasionally going out to seduce men. It was unclear what she did with all the money she earned from selling her body.

Time flew, and one day, as Qin Niu was cultivating in the mountains, he suddenly felt a spiritual calling, as if something in a faraway place was calling out to him.

A trace of joy appeared on his face as he felt a slight stir in his heart.

He had been so busy with his cultivation these days that he had almost forgotten about the Ink Blade.

If his sensing was correct just now, his Ink Blade must have completed its upgrade.

Indeed, when he returned home that evening, he saw Master Ou sitting outside the courtyard in a waistcoat, exposing his strong, muscular arms and carrying a long case on his back.

The moment Qin Niu approached, the case on Master Ou’s back began to vibrate.

“Master Ou, why have you come in person? The servants didn’t dare to welcome a guest without permission, making you wait outside is really a discourtesy!”

Qin Niu apologized as he invited the man into the house.

“I have not failed my mission, your weapon has been upgraded successfully. Although there were some twists and turns during the process, fortunately, it was a success.”

Master Ou entered the room and immediately took the long case from his back and opened it.

Inside, the Treasured Sword vibrated even more intensely, as if it was about to fly up on its own.

Qin Niu’s eyes fixed on the Treasured Sword, he reached out to it through the air with a beckoning motion.

The Treasured Sword swooshed into his hand.

The moment he gripped it, he felt a blood connection to the Treasured Sword, as if a family member had returned.

Embedded in the hilt was a dark red ‘gemstone’—upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be an eyeball.

Master Ou had said that he would embed a fire monkey’s Fire Eye in the hilt.

Looking again at the color of the blade, it was a slightly sinister blood-red seeping through the black, faint electric sparks flickering like thin threads over the surface of the blade. Within the blade itself, runes could be glimpsed.

After the upgrade, the dimensions of the Treasured Sword had increased considerably, both the hilt and the blade becoming thicker and heavier.

Its weight must have exceeded 140 jin.

Luckily, Qin Niu’s cultivation had reached the Spirit Qi Realm, which allowed him to wield it flexibly.

“Master Qin’s cultivation has achieved a major breakthrough, which is truly a cause for celebration! A Treasured Sword for a hero; this sword and you are perfectly matched. The malevolent energy of this sword is extremely powerful. I made many efforts when upgrading it, but in the end, I was unable to resolve its malevolent energy. However, I did manage to suppress its malevolence, so in the future, as long as you are careful when using it, you shouldn’t be led astray.”

Master Ou couldn’t help but reveal a slightly shocked expression when he saw Qin Niu summon the Treasured Sword through the air to his hand.

It was known that a month ago, when Qin Niu had come to his shop to have the Ink Blade upgraded, he was only at the Innate Realm. Unbelievably, in such a short time, Qin Niu broke through directly to the Spirit Qi Realm.

And the realm felt quite stable, indicating he had reached the Spirit Qi Realm some time ago.

Such a demoniac talent, who would have thought he had been cultivating in a rural mountain village all along.

“I really like it, thanks to Master Ou for putting all his effort into upgrading my weapon. Its strength and limit have been transformed, and I estimate that I can continue to use it in the future.”

Qin Niu held the Ink Blade, turning it over in his hands, his fondness for it growing the more he looked.

“In the future, there are more than four methods to nourish the sword. First, you can continue using the method you’ve used before. Second, it can grow stronger through the slaughter of living beings, allowing it to drink blood and absorb souls. However, the more it kills, the heavier the malevolence on the blade will be. If you cannot suppress the malevolence, it can easily harm you.

Therefore, you must be cautious when killing with it.

But a heavy malevolence is not entirely a bad thing. If you can suppress or refine the malevolence, it could greatly increase the sword’s power. Slaying gods and cutting down immortals beyond its level would not be out of the question.

Third, it can be immersed in places with abundant fire energy to absorb and grow.

Fourth, it can be placed in cold and yin places to absorb the yin energy of heaven and earth and become stronger. Be aware that a cold and yin place is not the same as an evil and sinister place. The sword itself has a strong malevolence, which reduced significantly after being reforged, but if it is not nourished properly, its malevolence can easily flourish.”

Well, the Treasured Sword has been returned to its owner, and I too have gained much from reforging it. I must go back and summarize it, striving for a greater breakthrough in my forging skills. Farewell!”

Master Ou had come specially to deliver the Treasured Sword to him.

“This is your reward for helping me upgrade the Treasured Sword, please accept it with a smile!”

Qin Niu had previously agreed with Master Ou on a price of four thousand Silver Money. Now, seeing how well the Treasured Sword had been upgraded, he directly offered a ten thousand silver note as a token of thanks.