C15 Fierce Weapon

"This thing has been silent for years. Why does it go haywire the moment you show up?"

"How should I know? Isn't that a question for you? Who knows if you've been negligent during your watch!"

Qin Xuan intentionally scared him, "The weapons in this cold storage were collected by the Emperor himself. If there's an issue, you won't be able to escape blame!"

The guard was visibly shaken, his lips turning pale, "You're spouting nonsense! This object has a spirit. It must have sensed something, and that's why it's out of control."

Sensed something?

Could it be the Willow Sword?

Qin Xuan drew the Willow Sword from his belt and questioned the guard, "Does this have anything to do with the sword?"

It was a matter of energy equilibrium. The Willow Sword possessed a righteous energy, which, when stored here, could effectively suppress the malevolent aura of the other weapons. Now that he was taking the Willow Sword away, the other weapons were becoming restless.

The guard's head shook vehemently, "No, no, this sword is General Wu's preferred weapon. It was brought here just two days ago."

Two days ago?

A thought stirred in Qin Xuan's mind, "Wasn't the sword here previously?"

"Of course not, it belongs to General Wu! He takes it into battle, why would he leave such a prized possession here?"

So, she had deliberately placed the Willow Sword in the cold storage for him to use.

Was she concerned that offering it directly would cause him to lose face?

Such a considerate woman.

Yet her thoughtful actions filled Qin Xuan with a warm feeling.

With a wife like her, what more could a man desire?

"Wuwu..."

The shrill sound pierced his ears once more, turning the guard's face deathly pale, his voice quivering with a sobbing tone.

"Why is this happening again? Will it never end?"

He tried to get up and call for help, but the sharp noise caused him such heart-wrenching pain that he collapsed again after a few steps.

He struggled, urging Qin Xuan to leave quickly, but seeing Qin Xuan unaffected, he had a sudden realization, "Why aren't you affected at all? What are you..."

Qin Xuan let out a sigh. Why had they assigned such an imbecile to stand guard?

He dragged the guard out of the courtyard, beyond the confines of the Cold Palace, until the grating noise was no longer audible.

"Just take it easy here for a while. It's better not to go back right now, and don't call for help. In this situation, anyone who goes will end up just like you, unless you're looking to harm someone."

Upon hearing this, a look of resignation extinguished the hope in the guard's eyes. "But we can't just... cough, cough... we can't just ignore it. If something goes wrong, it's off with our heads! I've got elderly parents and young children relying on my meager salary. If anything happens to me, they... cough, cough..."

"Okay, okay, I'll go have a look for you!" Qin Xuan felt a twinge of compassion.

The guard was adamantly against it, "The third floor isn't meant for just anyone. If those above us find out, I... I'll face the death penalty all the same."

Qin Xuan rolled his eyes, at a loss for words.

He fumbled around his waist for a while but couldn't find his jade pendant engraved with the character "Xuan." Then he remembered that Qin Lang had taken it.

"Weren't you asking who I am? Look closely! I am Qin Xuan, styled Foundation Establishment, the fourteenth prince of the current emperor!"

"The fourteenth prince?" The guard's eyes widened as he scrutinized the dignified figure before him.

Having served in the palace, he recognized many princes. Though he had never met the fourteenth prince, Qin Xuan's attire and aura clearly indicated his high status.

Besides, the fourteenth prince had quite a reputation in the palace; no one would impersonate him without good reason.

Thus, the man before him had to be the genuine fourteenth prince!

Realizing this, the guard attempted to rise and kneel in respect, but Qin Xuan stopped him.

"Enough, you're injured. There's no need for formalities. I'm here today to retrieve the Willow Sword for my wife. But since I've detected something dangerous in the cold storage, I cannot simply overlook it. Tell me, what exactly is this thing?"

The fourteenth prince had given him an order that saved his life, so he had no reason to withhold any information. He revealed everything he knew.

"Since my assignment here, that object has been locked away in the deepest part of the third floor. Truth be told, I've never laid eyes on it. But I've heard from my predecessors that it's incredibly sinister!"

Rumor has it that this object is a devastating weapon that has consumed the blood of countless individuals.

King Qin once found himself ensnared in the wilderness during a campaign. At the time, he was accompanied only by a small contingent of elite soldiers, while they were encircled by at least ten thousand enemies!

It seemed they were trapped in treacherous terrain, but perhaps King Qin's fate was not sealed just yet. Suddenly, he encountered an elderly man. Wishing to spare the innocent, King Qin allowed the old man to depart first. In gratitude for King Qin's noble act, the elder bestowed upon him a spiritual weapon, instructing him that if the weapon could aid his escape, he must enshrine it in a place brimming with spiritual energy. The elder promised to retrieve it upon his return.

Initially skeptical, King Qin's doubts vanished when the enemy launched an assault and the spiritual weapon unleashed a formidable force, flattening two mountains before him!

The ten thousand enemy troops were either killed or wounded, posing no further threat, and King Qin seized the moment to make his escape.

Upon his return to the Imperial City, King Qin honored his word and found an auspicious site to venerate the spiritual weapon. All was well until one day, inexplicably, the weapon emitted a shrill sound that annihilated all the livestock within a hundred-mile radius!

King Qin was alarmed, fearing the weapon might harm his people again. He hastily ordered it to be sealed in the deepest part of the cold storage, hoping to quell it with the malevolent energy from the stored arsenal.

For many years since, the spiritual weapon remained silent... until today.

Hearing this, Qin Xuan's eyes widened in astonishment. If the legends were true, and this spiritual weapon could obliterate armies and level mountains, it must be at least of grandmaster or even sage master caliber.

If he could secure it, it wouldn't just be a minor victory over someone like Yu Lin; even the Sect Master of the Grayhands wouldn't dare to challenge him!

"So, even Qin... even my father, the King, hasn't attempted to claim this spiritual weapon?"

"Of course not. The Emperor reigns supreme over all. Why would he bother with such a malevolent place? However... both the Crown Prince and Prince Qin Tan have tried their luck, but the artifact's ferocity proved too much. Both princes ultimately left without success."

"Is that so?" Qin Xuan was as if he had stumbled upon an uncharted land. If the spiritual weapon had stumped even the Crown Prince and Prince Qin Tan, could it be that the spirit within was ready to accept a new master?