Xianzhou Luofu, Artisanship Commission.
A cold moon hung in the ink-black sky, casting a mercury-like brilliance.
The surroundings were dead silent, save for the distant, rhythmic, and subtle clank, clank of metal as a patrolling automaton made its rounds.
He silently regulated his breathing, slowing his heart rate to its minimum, his eyes carefully scanning the designated meeting point ahead.
This vast, desolate area on the outskirts of the Artisanship Commission was littered with debris. Countless rusted and mottled mechanical parts of various shapes, along with massive discarded components, formed a natural cover, making it an excellent spot for hiding and clandestine meetings.
Daziel knew that the matter at hand tonight was of great importance; not a single link in the chain could afford the slightest mistake.
The moonlight, like a bolt of silk, draped softly over the scene, outlining the sharp, silent silhouette of Yunli.
A black, gossamer-thin dress clung tightly to her graceful figure. The hem, stirred by the night wind, occasionally brushed against her fair calves, creating a subtle, rustling motion.
She was still barefoot, her snow-white, immaculate feet treading on the cold, rough flagstones, her ten toes painted a crimson red that glowed like blood in the dim light. Her meticulously cared-for, flawless feet, rather than looking pathetic, added a rebellious, untamed wildness to her, as if she had broken free from her shackles.
Yunli's pretty face was covered in a layer of frost, her expression distant and indifferent, a stark contrast to her usual self. For the sake of the legendary Demon Sword, she had already suppressed all the girlish mannerisms expected of her deep within her heart. Only her clear eyes, reflecting the cold moon, would occasionally flash with an elusive, dark light—a light of determination, and a hint of suppressed excitement.
This dishonorable act, labeled as "thievery," certainly went against the teachings she had received, but for the sake of a conviction buried deep in her heart…
The night wind picked up, ruffling the soft strands of hair on her forehead and playfully sticking them to her smooth cheek. She seemed not to notice, or perhaps couldn't be bothered to brush them away.
Daziel approached without a sound, his steps so light that he didn't disturb a single withered leaf upon landing.
As if sensing something, or perhaps having already detected his presence, Yunli turned her delicate head slightly. Her gaze met Daziel's sharp eyes in mid-air.
No words were needed. A single glance was worth a thousand words—a tacit understanding between them.
Daziel deliberately lowered his voice, his tone steady and deep, filled with an unquestionable power.
Yunli nodded lightly, her reply carrying the clear crispness of a young girl, yet laced with a coldness and firmness that belied her age.
She tapped the tip of her bare foot on the cold stone, her movement carrying a hint of poorly concealed impatience, as if she were eager for the battle to begin. Yunli raised her eyes, her gaze fixed on the heavily guarded depths of the Artisanship Commission ahead.
"Bro, your grand plan can be put into action now."
Daziel gave a deep grunt. His aura shifted slightly as he was about to lay out the detailed plan and its many contingencies. He had to ensure Yunli understood every step, every detail. The risk of this operation was far greater than imagined. The Artisanship Commission was a veritable fortress of guards, traps, and automatons. The slightest mistake would get them caught red-handed, and while the consequences were one thing, the loss of face would be another.
Daziel's expression turned solemn. The words were forming on his lips, just as he was about to speak—
A clear, pleasant, yet vibrant and energetic girl's voice suddenly exploded from behind them without any warning.
The sudden sound instantly shattered the solemn, tense atmosphere they had so carefully cultivated.
Daziel and Yunli froze almost simultaneously. They whipped around, their gazes shooting like lightning towards the source of the sound.
The elusive dark light in Yunli's eyes flashed for an instant before being replaced by deep confusion.
She tilted her head slightly, beaming a smile at the variously stunned expressions of Daziel and Yunli.
The newcomer was none other than Daziel's dear—
March 7th.
The vein on Daziel's temple, which he had been trying to suppress, throbbed violently, nearly bursting. A few words were forced through his clenched teeth.
"March?! What are you doing here!"
Daziel's voice trembled with extreme anger, shattering the calm he had worked so hard to maintain. After all, in his meticulously crafted plan, the list of participants absolutely, positively, did not include the name March 7th!
This girl was an uninvited, meddling interloper!
Daziel stared at March 7th, feeling his temples throb uncontrollably, as if they were about to explode.
Should I force her to leave now?
She probably won't agree so easily…
March 7th immediately caught the fleeting hesitation and indecision on Daziel's face. Her eyes darted, and she seized the transient opportunity.
With a few light steps, March 7th skipped over to Daziel, grabbing his sturdy sleeve with her small hand. She began to employ her signature tactic—a pleading little shake—her voice deliberately softened into a sweet, syrupy coo.
"Big Brother Daziel~~ C'mon, good big brother, just take your Little March with you. I promise I'll be super good and follow all your commands, and I won't cause any trouble at all, okay?"
Her large, watery eyes were brimming with expectation and an undisguised plea.
She tiptoed slightly, bringing her pink lips close to Daziel's ear, and whispered in a tantalizing voice only they could hear.
"And besides, I might just be able to help you guys out in a big way at a critical moment."
Daziel's body couldn't help but shudder.
He looked down at March 7th's expression—a mix of pitiful pleading and stubborn resolve—and felt a storm of emotions: worry for her safety, frustration at her persistence, and a hint of something else that even he hadn't noticed…
Daziel slowly closed his eyes, suppressing the chaotic thoughts, and when he opened them again, his usual clarity and composure had returned.
He sighed silently. He really was helpless when it came to this mischievous girl.
Yunli cleared her throat at the opportune moment. The crisp sound wasn't loud, but it perfectly broke the slightly delicate and ambiguous atmosphere between Daziel and March.
Her tone was still somewhat distant, but it now carried a sense of urgency.
"I say, bro, it's about time. If we delay any longer, the sun will be up."
The night was already as dark as ink. Every minute, every second, was precious and could not be wasted. Lingering here any longer would only increase the risk of exposure.
A stiff, faint smile appeared on Yunli's lips in response. Her gaze then quickly returned to the courtyard of the Artisanship Commission ahead. For Yunli, completing the mission and seizing the Demon Sword was the top priority. Before achieving final victory, there was no turning back.
The three of them stood side by side once more, their silhouettes silent under the watery moonlight, the night wind rustling their clothes.
Daziel wasted no more words, simply giving a firm, decisive gesture forward.
Action.
Before the word was even out, three figures flickered almost simultaneously, vanishing silently into the deep, impenetrable shadows surrounding the Artisanship Commission.
The air was a mixture of the cold scent of metal and the smell of old dust, seeping into their lungs. The three figures moved silently through the massive shadows cast by the towering racks of weapons. Cold moonlight poured through the high windows, cutting the space into countless mottled patches of light and shadow.
"That's… that's it?" March 7th did her best to whisper, but her voice was thick with disbelief as she pointed behind them.
There, two Golden Automata stood like rotten wood, the light in their eyes long since extinguished. They had been the only guards here.
Daziel had dealt with them without disturbing a speck of dust, his movements clean and efficient, a far cry from his previous battle in Aurum Alley. Two mere automatons were no longer a threat to him.
March 7th pouted, her tone full of absurdity. "It's the grand prize for the Martial Exhibition, and a legendary Demon Sword, but the security is so lax it might as well not exist. This is just too fake."
Daziel's brow furrowed slightly as he scanned every inch of the armory. The place was too quiet, exuding a strong sense of abnormality.
In the original plot, Argenti also stole the Demon Sword effortlessly, but it wasn't so bad that there wasn't even a single person guarding it, right?
He reminded them in a low voice, "When things are this abnormal, there must be a catch. Be careful, and don't let your guard down."
Yunli let out a very soft, cold snort. Her gaze was sharp, locked onto the ancient sword box in the center of the armory.
"I don't care what tricks are hidden," Yunli's voice was icy and resolute. "Today, this sword will belong to me, Yunli!"
Her tone was filled with an unyielding will that brooked no argument, as if she had already foreseen the Demon Sword's doom.
The sword box was ancient and plain, resting quietly on a cold stone pedestal. The surrounding area was empty, with no additional restrictions or protections. The three held their breath and easily approached the pedestal. The air around them seemed to solidify in an instant, the pressure so heavy it was suffocating.
Yunli raised a delicate hand, her pale fingers gently touching the lid of the box. The cool sensation spread from her fingertips. She bit her lower lip lightly and slowly pushed the lid open.
Creeeak—
Inside the box, a short sword lay quietly. The scabbard was dark and ancient, showing none of the brilliant light or unusual splendor that a divine weapon should have.
It's just…
Daziel's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpricks, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
"This sword… why is it so short?"
Indeed, the sword before them, including its scabbard, was barely more than a foot long, about thirty centimeters. To call it a sword was a stretch; it was more like an exquisitely crafted short dagger. Even if one were to argue it was a lady's dueling sword, it still felt a size too small.
March 7th also leaned her head over curiously, her pink hair falling forward as she examined the object.
Yunli's cold expression showed no change. She spoke calmly, "The forms of swords are varied and strange. This is not surprising."
The uneasiness in Daziel's heart grew stronger. He pressed on, "At the Sword Gifting Ceremony this morning, did anyone draw this sword from its scabbard?"
"Of course not. All Demon Swords are forged with Heliobus essence. They are extremely strange. They wouldn't just let someone draw it casually." Once unsheathed, the wielder's mind could easily be eroded by it, leading to eternal damnation. Who would dare to display such a malevolent object in front of others? "So, I too have never seen what this sword truly looks like."
Before her words had even faded, Yunli's hands, as fair as snow, had already firmly gripped the hilt, clearly preparing to draw it immediately.
"Be careful, Yunli!" Daziel's heart leaped, and he urgently warned her, "That thing is a Demon Sword. You're just going to touch it and draw it directly?"
"There's no need for that." The number of Hanguang's demon soldiers I, Yunli, have personally destroyed is in the hundreds. I am well aware of its demonic nature and have my own measures.
In an instant, Yunli's entire aura changed. A formless, sharp energy burst forth from her body, making her clothes flutter. Her five jade-like fingers gripped the hilt tightly, and with a sudden exertion of her wrist…
Shing—
A strange, soft sound suddenly rang out. It was not the crisp, clear ring of metal on metal.
Instead, it carried a hair-raising… aura of extreme temptation and primal desire.
What was slowly drawn from the scabbard was not the cold, sharp blade everyone had expected.
It was a section of a translucent, elliptical column, glowing with a soft, ambiguous jade color.
Its tip was a slightly protruding, rounded head.
A soft luster flowed over its surface, emitting a strange… something that was hard to describe with words.
"You're telling me… this… this is a f*cking sword?!"
March 7th's mouth fell open, her face a mask of stunned bewilderment. She was practically petrified on the spot.
This wasn't some peerless Demon Sword that could cut through iron like mud and drink blood from its enemies. This was clearly…
An embarrassing Fairy Wand?!
Daziel's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in horror, his jaw almost dropping to his feet.
His mind went blank. Countless absurd thoughts galloped through his head like a herd of crazed animals, but he couldn't form a single coherent sentence.
The memes of the underworld… it has to be you. This is too terrifying…
Just then, a strange change occurred!
Yunli, who was tightly gripping the "Fairy Wand," suddenly shuddered without warning. Her pretty face, which could break any man's will, was instantly covered in an unnatural, demonic crimson flush. That red was so vibrant it seemed it would bleed if touched, yet it exuded a heart-stopping strangeness.
The once-clear and bright eyes of the girl were, in an instant, devoid of all focus, covered by a thick layer of watery, misty light.
But the expression on her face was one of ultimate… enthrallment and bewilderment.
Daziel felt a rush of blood to his head. He stared in horror and let out an almost desperate roar.
The most horrifying thing to Daziel and March 7th was Yunli's next move.
The "Fairy Wand" in her hand began to vibrate on its own, emitting a fine buzzing sound. The frequency of the vibrations grew higher and faster.
A sound that could no longer be suppressed, filled with a strange tone, escaped from between Yunli's clenched teeth.
Her legs began to grow weak, her body swaying like a willow in the wind, as if she could collapse at any moment.
Seeing this, Daziel's eyes were bloodshot. He shot forward like a bolt of lightning, trying to snatch the ominous, evil object from her hand.
"Yunli, let go!" Daziel roared, his voice fraught with anxiety.
However, Yunli's action was a step faster than Daziel had anticipated.
Or more accurately, the terrifying demonic nature of the Heliobus contained within the "Fairy Wand" had completely erupted at this moment.
I saw Yunli's eyes were hazy, watery and turbid, and the corner of her mouth slowly hooked into a bewitching smile that was enough to turn refined steel into soft fingers and entangle the bones.
That smile was demonic and bewitching, capable of seducing all living beings. It was as if she were a different person from the usual child-like Yunli, almost as if she were possessed by some evil spirit.
Her other hand, as fast as lightning, shot towards the sash at her waist. The ribbon that had been neatly tied was ruthlessly yanked open!
The gossamer-thin silk dress, like the wings of a butterfly in a strong wind, slipped from her body and piled silently at her slender ankles.
The cold moonlight poured through the high window, falling unreservedly upon her body, making her skin whiter than snow, every inch seeming to glow.
The object that caused all this, the "Fairy Wand," now seemed to be controlling Yunli to go even further…
At this moment, it had completely taken control of Yunli's body…
Yunli was deaf to their heart-wrenching cries, her face still bearing a fanatical and infatuated expression, like a devotee offering a sacrifice to a god.
She slightly parted her slender legs, her lithe waist beginning to sway uncontrollably.
An extremely suppressed sigh, yet one that seemed to carry a kind of spiritual release, escaped from between Yunli's slightly parted lips, as ethereal as a dream. Her body, like it had been struck by an invisible bolt of lightning, suddenly arched back violently into a breathtaking curve, and then, having lost all support, she went limp and began to fall backwards.
If not for Daziel, who had given his all and rushed to her side at the last possible second.
Right now, Yunli would have collapsed heavily onto the cold, hard ground.
Daziel reached out and caught Yunli's limp, boneless body in a tight embrace.
Where he touched, he felt a scorching heat. Her body temperature was frighteningly high, like holding a piece of red-hot iron.