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"Beard scruffed, robes torn, bloodied yet unbowed — his greatsword fell, and the very heart of the sect mountain split asunder." Page one of 'The Great Catastrophe of the Thunderforge Sect'.
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The village had fallen silent as the moon rose high above the peaks, casting silver light across the courtyard of the Nong family. Inside, the forge fire still glowed faintly, though the day's work was long done. Nong Xuanfeng, his father Nong Wei, and his mother Nong Yulan sat together near the lingering embers, their faces serious under the shadow of night.
"The metal… I've never seen anything like it," Xuanfeng murmured, rolling the ore in his hands. Its dark-blue surface shimmered faintly, veins of silver pulsing like trapped lightning. "Even after heating it, it behaves strangely… almost as if it's alive."
Nong Wei nodded gravely. "I've worked iron and steel for decades. I've forged weapons, plows, even armor. But this… this is different. The ore melts inconsistently, and yet when it does, it flows like water, but solidifies into something harder than anything we've struck before."
Nong Yulan leaned forward, brushing soot from her hands. "It's beautiful," she said softly. "But it's dangerous. One wrong strike, one miscalculation in the heat, and it could shatter, or worse… explode."
Nong Wei frowned. "We tempered it carefully today, but it required more precision than any other metal. I've never had to watch a forge this closely." He paused. "If the sword absorbs qi as well… we could be dealing with forces beyond just fire and hammer."
Nong Wei's voice dropped, heavy with caution. "Remember, it's not just the forging. Such a blade—if it succeeds—will be valuable beyond measure. People would kill to possess it. We have to be careful who sees it."
Nong Yulan added, "We can forge it, but we must handle it with respect. A misstep and the energy inside could hurt the smiths themselves. I've felt it already—tiny sparks dancing against the flesh as if it resented the forge."
They sat in silence for a while, each lost in thought, the quiet punctuated only by the occasional crackle of the embers. Outside, the village slept, unaware of the small but profound experiment unfolding in the blacksmith's courtyard.
The next morning, Long Tianyu could barely contain himself. He skipped down the winding path toward the Nong family's house, the bundle of excitement he carried more invisible than the breeze pushing at his hair. His feet barely touched the ground, and he felt as though he was flying, humming an unsteady tune to keep pace with his racing heart.
When he arrived, the courtyard was already alive with the familiar rhythm of hammering. But what made him stop mid-skip was what lay on the workbench. Two swords gleamed in the early light, the metal melting from a deep, almost-black-blue at the hilt into a soft, dark blue near the tip. Tiny flickers of energy pulsed along the edges, like the breath of the mountain itself.
Long Tianyu's mouth fell open. "Two?" he whispered, his voice trembling. "You… made two?"
Nong Xuanfeng chuckled, wiping his hands. "Yes. The metal is unusually malleable. Usually, we'd have to split it into one, maybe risk wasting the rest. But this… it allowed us to shape both."
Nong Wei stepped closer, a serious glint in his eyes. "Be careful, Tianyu. This isn't just any sword. Anyone who knows what it is… anyone who sees the light pulsing along the blade… would kill to take it from you. You cannot carry this lightly."
Nong Yulan added, "We've made scabbards for them—brown leather on the outside, soft, reinforced leather inside to protect the blade. Keep them sheathed when not practicing. The metal may react to uncontrolled energy."
Long Tianyu nodded eagerly, taking the sword in his hands. It felt alive—warm, yet pulsing with a subtle rhythm under his grip.
Nong Wei leaned over, his calloused hands brushing lightly over the pulsing dark blue metal. "These two… they move together like shadows chasing one another," he murmured, his voice low and thoughtful. "I think they should have a name that reflects that rhythm, that pulse." Nong Xuanfeng nodded, his eyes bright with excitement. "Yes… and the way the energy hums inside them, it's like lightning trapped beneath the surface. Shadow Pulse Twinswords—that suits them perfectly." Long Tianyu's eyes widened, his heart racing with pride. "Shadow Pulse Twinswords…" he echoed softly, feeling as if the name itself gave the blades a life of their own. The three of them stood there for a moment, gazing at the swords, imagining the countless possibilities those rare, living blades would bring.
Long Tianyu sheathed it carefully in the brown leather scabbard and tried to steady his breathing. The second sword fit perfectly in his other hand, and he felt a thrill surge through him. Two blades, forged from the same rare ore… he could hardly believe it. Nong Wei handled him a cloth to tie the swords together.
Long Tianyu bowed deeply, his hands gripping the hilts of the Shadow Pulse Twinswords. "Thank you... I'll repay this favor one day, I promise," he said earnestly, his eyes shining with gratitude. Nong Xuanfeng waved a hand dismissively, a grin tugging at his lips. "Repay us? Don't worry about it, Tianyu. The experience of working with this metal, forging something truly unique… that alone is worth more than gold." Nong Wei nodded in agreement, his stern expression softening. "Yes. This ore, this forge—it's taught us much. That's enough repayment for a lifetime." Nong Yulan smiled warmly, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "Just promise you'll treat the swords with care. That will be repayment enough." Long Tianyu's heart swelled at their generosity. He knew then that the bond formed in that forge was far more valuable than any coin, and he silently vowed to honor it in every strike he would ever make.
Unable to wait, he ran toward the bamboo forest at the edge of the village, the swords swinging lightly at his sides. Leaves rustled as he moved, and the first rays of sunlight filtered through the stalks, creating streaks of light that danced across the forest floor. He swung the blades experimentally, trying to match the motions he had seen others perform, but the strikes were clumsy, and his stance wobbled.
He chopped randomly at the air, practicing simple cuts and thrusts. In a real fight, he would have lost instantly. The swords felt heavy in his hands at first, though their perfect balance quickly began to compensate. He tried to imagine the flow of qi through the blade, like a river inside the metal, but without proper guidance, it only flickered in faint sparks along the edge.
After a few minutes, he stopped and wiped sweat from his brow. "I need… practice. Real practice," he muttered. He remembered Hua Qingqing... maybe it was time to ask her.. and also to finally win..
He made his way to Hua Qingqing house, the house standing alone on the slope. Bursting through the doorway, he called out, "Qingqing! Come on! Let's practice!"
Inside Hua Qingqing sat beside a low table, sorting through a bundle of herbs and wrapping them carefully in paper. She looked up, startled for only a moment before rolling her eyes with a sigh. "Tianyu… you can't just burst in like that every time you're excited."
He grinned wider. "Why not? It always works."
Before she could answer, a low voice grumbled from inside. Hua Shen, her father, was sitting in the corner by the open window "That boy again? Doesn't he ever rest?".
"Not when there's something fun to do!" Long Tianyu said cheerfully. "We're going to practice sword forms in the bamboo forest!"
Hua Shen gave a long sigh. "You'll wear out that poor girl before she even finishes her chores."
"We'll be careful, Uncle Hua," Long Tianyu said.
"Careful?" Hua Shen muttered, shaking his head. "Last time, you two slept outside..''
Hua Qingqing tied her hair back with a thin ribbon, trying not to smile. "You're hopeless," she said, standing and dusting off her hands. "If we're doing this, we're doing it properly."
"That's the spirit!" Long Tianyu said, clapping his hands.
Hua Shen looked up briefly then, his eyes softening despite his tone. "Don't stay out too long.''
"We won't," Hua Qingqing promised.
The two stepped outside, the midday light washing over them. The path to the village hall was lined with stone walls and blooming wildflowers. As they passed, neighbors called greetings, used to the sight of the two always together, the quiet girl and the reckless boy, opposites bound by some invisible thread.
When they reached the hall, the old wooden doors were propped open, the scent of sun-warmed wood and incense drifting out. Inside, racks of training weapons stood neatly against the walls.
Hua Qingqing went straight to the rack and picked up two wooden swords, handing one to Long Tianyu. "Here," she said, "try not to drop it this time."
"I don't drop swords," Long Tianyu said indignantly, taking it and giving it an overly flashy spin. It slipped from his grip and clattered against the floorboards.
Hua Qingqing raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh."
"Okay, maybe once," he admitted, quickly picking it up again.
She chuckled under her breath. "Come on, let's go before anyone sees you embarrass yourself again."
They left the hall and followed the winding trail toward the bamboo forest. The stalks loomed tall and green with dark vertical lines, swaying gently in the warm wind. Shafts of light pierced through the canopy, scattering bright patches on the ground. The air was cool here, filled with the soft rustle of leaves and the hum of cicadas.
When they reached a small clearing, Long Tianyu set down his wooden sword with a grin. "Before we start," he said, crouching to untie the bundle on his back. Hua Qingqing tilted her head curiously as he unwrapped the cloth, and removing the scabbards, revealing the twin blades within. The Shadow Pulse Twinswords shimmered faintly, their surfaces rippling with dark blue light that pulsed like a heartbeat. For a moment, even the forest seemed to quiet. "You… had these forged?" she asked in awe. Long Tianyu nodded proudly. "The Nong family helped me. They said the metal was special—so special, it made two instead of one." But where did you get it? Long Tianyu smiled and said ''Hehe, remember yesterday when I was going to Chen Jie and Zang Liu? Well, I got lucky!'' Hua Qingqing reached out but stopped just short of touching the blades, feeling the strange energy they gave off. "They're beautiful," she whispered. "But dangerous too." Long Tianyu smiled, eyes gleaming.
Hua Qingqing stood up and looked around.
"This place never changes," Hua Qingqing said softly.
"Yeah," Long Tianyu replied, and looked at the clearing where they had sparred many times before. "Perfect place for me to finally win."
She gave him a look that hovered between amusement and disbelief. "You've been saying that for months."
"This time's different," he said, setting his stance. "I've been training."
"With who?"
"Myself," he said proudly.
"That explains a lot."
He swung his sword first — a wild, enthusiastic strike that she parried with barely a flick of her wrist. Their blades met with a sharp crack, echoing through the trees.
"Too slow!" she called, ducking past him and landing a gentle tap on his shoulder.
"Hey! I wasn't ready!"
"Then be ready!" she said, already back in stance.
The air filled with the rhythm of wooden swords striking, laughter breaking between breaths. Hua Qingqing moved with smooth precision, each motion graceful yet firm. Long Tianyu's style was chaotic, full of energy but lacking refinement. Yet, little by little, his footwork steadied; his swings grew cleaner.
"You're improving," Hua Qingqing admitted, blocking another strike.
"Really?" he said, panting but smiling. "So I'm not hopeless?"
"I didn't say that."
He laughed and lunged again.
For a while, they forgot the rest of the world—the sun overhead, the village behind them, even the worries of cultivation and strength. It was just two friends crossing swords under the rustling canopy, learning the rhythm of movement and trust.
Finally, Hua Qingqing stepped back, lowering her blade. "That's enough. You're going to fall over."
Long Tianyu wiped the sweat from his forehead, leaning on his sword. "You mean I almost won."
"You mean you almost didn't fall," she corrected.
He grinned, his eyes bright. "One day, Qingqing. One day, I'll beat you for real. And then everyone will have to call me Big Brother Tianyu."
Hua Qingqing rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "And who decided that?"
"Me, obviously. "
Hua Qingqing laughed.
She turned and started walking toward the path again, her laughter soft but clear. "Then I guess that makes me Big Sister Qingqing forever."
Long Tianyu blinked, then broke into a grin. "Wait—actually, I like that. That sounds right!"
He picked up his newly made twinswords, jogging to catch up with her as they disappeared deeper into the sunlit bamboo grove, the sound of their footsteps and quiet banter blending with the whisper of the wind.
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End of chapter 9 - The Shadow Pulse Twinswords