Chapter 39 Perhaps Soon

On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival that year, the atmosphere inside the Hidden Immortal Valley was far grander than before. Or rather, whenever a suitable holiday arrived, people would always seize the opportunity to make merry.

Even the schoolwork assigned by Zhuang Lin was adjusted accordingly. Days off no longer meant a full day of rest, but classes would end right after the Wei hour, leaving the children with much more time to play.

All of this was not merely due to the peaceful and comfortable life within the Hidden Immortal Valley; the core factor was the very foundation upon which the valley's society was built—namely, Liu Hongyu.

Everyone knew that Young Master Liu's condition was growing increasingly optimistic. Many even believed that he had essentially recovered entirely.

Liu Hongyu had on more than one occasion expressed deep regret for his past actions. Sometimes, residents of the valley would take the opportunity to have heart-to-heart talks with him, using his past amnesia as an excuse to ask if he remembered anything or what he might be reminiscing about.

When Liu Hongyu touched upon these matters, although there was a certain amount of performance for the crowd, some of his emotions were genuine.

In short, in the eyes of outsiders, Young Master Liu was no longer the psychiatric patient full of unrealistic fantasies that he once was.

People firmly believed that the "Breaking the Illusion Project" would not even take five years. To put it optimistically, who could say that everyone wouldn't be able to return home by next year? They would happily collect their generous rewards, reunite with family and friends in the outside world, and thereafter live a life free from worries about food and clothing!

Yet, was everyone truly happy?

Based on the consensus shared by all, there were still some whose feelings were complicated.

Downstream from the water source, in the Fire Valley, Zhuang Lin and Liu Hongyu had arrived once again today.

At this moment, the members of the Qiao family and their respective apprentices were all gathered here inside the blacksmith shop.

Old Master Qiao carried out a dark red wooden box from the room. His steps were slow yet steady, and finally, he carefully placed the wooden box onto the large table outside.

"Thud..."

When the wooden box landed, Zhuang Lin keenly noticed that the large table, laden with various metal tools, shuddered slightly.

At that instant, everyone's gazes were involuntarily drawn to the wooden box. The box was heavy yet slender, dark in overall tone, with scale-like patterns covering its top and bottom. When swept by the sunlight, it emitted a slightly dislocated brightness, blending beauty with a sense of mystery!

"Young Master Liu may not have seen this item before. I wonder if Master Zian recognizes it?"

Old Master Qiao looked at Zhuang Lin with a smile. The latter pondered for a moment before speaking.

"A sword box?"

"Correct!"

Old Master Qiao smiled and nodded, then reached out to stroke the sword box on the table.

"Master Banqiu and I crafted this the year before last, taking material from the prized snake-wood heart he kept hidden. The interior is fitted with intricate mechanisms while the exterior is finished with natural lacquer, meticulously built. He and I have known each other for the greater part of our lives, so we considered it a toy we made together that year..."

"Yet, even as a toy, we treated it with the utmost seriousness. Over the years, this old man has playfully used it to house a few swords, but I would always take them out afterward. Firstly, this sword box is too heavy and inconvenient to carry around; secondly, though those swords were considered fine pieces, they always fell just a little short... I could never forge that one sword that would satisfy me..."

Old Master Qiao spoke with a hint of emotional nostalgia, and then looked toward Liu Hongyu.

"Little did I expect that this long-cherished wish would be fulfilled together with Young Master Liu. The moment that sword was completed, my heart was immensely gratified. If the young master does not find it beneath him, I will take it upon myself to present this sword box to Young Master Liu as well..."

With that, Old Master Qiao looked earnestly at Liu Hongyu.

"With Young Master Liu's strength, you should be able to lift this sword box, shouldn't you?"

Liu Hongyu's eyes had been glowing brightly from the side. Let alone him, even Zhuang Lin felt a stirring of temptation looking at the sword box. One could only say this "big toy" was truly stunning!

Master Banqiu, huh? Zhuang Lin silently jotted the name down in his mind. As for the big toy right before his eyes, it already belonged to his disciple.

Sure enough, upon hearing Old Master Qiao's words, Liu Hongyu, who had long since been unable to contain himself, reached out and grabbed the leather strap on the sword box. He tested its weight first, and then, exerting a slight force, lifted the sword box steadily with a single hand, even extending his arm straight.

This sight gave Old Master Qiao a start, and some of the surrounding apprentice blacksmiths even let out low gasps.

Just how heavy this sword box was, this group of old and young artisans knew all too well. Their own strength was already considerable, but even they couldn't lift it with such effortless ease.

The gold content—the sheer physical prowess required—of this single-armed lift was by no means low!

The leather strap on the sword box in Liu Hongyu's hand emitted a series of creaking sounds as it resisted the immense downward pull of the box, but the strap itself was exceedingly tough and showed no risk of snapping whatsoever. Meanwhile, Liu Hongyu's arm remained completely motionless.

"Young Master Liu truly possesses divine strength bestowed by heaven! Why, this sword box weighs sixty to seventy catties!"

Liu Hongyu's heart skipped a beat. He instinctively glanced at Zhuang Lin. He had only felt that the sword box had some heft to it, but he never expected it to weigh sixty or seventy catties. If that was the case, wouldn't his effortless display blow his cover?

However, when he saw his master's expression remaining as calm as ever with a faint smile, Liu Hongyu felt somewhat reassured. Besides, sixty or seventy catties wasn't that much; many ordinary adults could lift it.

"Ahem, hahahaha, indeed, I was born with great strength... Ah, my hand is getting a bit sore now. This sword box is truly heavy..."

Liu Hongyu gave a hearty laugh, then supported the sword box with both hands and placed it back onto the table.

"So, how does one open it..."

Liu Hongyu muttered, reaching out to stroke the surface of the sword box. Just as Old Master Qiao was about to speak up with a reminder, Liu Hongyu seemed to sense something and gave it a gentle tap.

With a crisp "click," the top of the sword box sprang open on its own, and the very next moment, a flash of black light shot out from within.

Liu Hongyu's eyes were sharp and his hands quick. The moment the sword shot out a foot into the air, he intercepted and grasped it mid-flight, then spun around and flourished the sword upward, the hem of his long robe swirling like a blooming flower in that instant.

How gorgeous!

This was Liu Hongyu's first reaction upon seeing the sword. During the final sharpening and fitting stages after the sword's completion, in order to maintain a sense of mystery and surprise, he hadn't come over for quite some time.

Both the hilt and the scabbard were pitch black. The hilt was bound with cord, while the exterior of the scabbard was coated entirely in deep natural lacquer. The lacquer was as smooth and bright as a mirror, clear enough to reflect a person's image, leaving Liu Hongyu completely entranced!

"Draw it and take a look!"

Zhuang Lin reminded him from the side. Liu Hongyu snapped out of his trance as if awakening from a dream, and then gently drew the sword from its scabbard.

As the blade reflected the external light, a slight, low vibration rippled outward, resembling the hum of a sharp edge.

"Hum~~~"

Liu Hongyu could feel that this was not the trembling of his own excitement, but the blade itself vibrating of its own accord.

Clearly, this was the very first time he had held the sword since it was forged, yet Liu Hongyu felt a natural sense of spiritual communion with it!

This was a treasure he had helped forge. The sword possessed a spirit and naturally recognized its master!

This was a genuine immortal-grade magical treasure in the true sense of the word!

Amidst the humming of the sword, everyone else present, apart from Zhuang Lin and Liu Hongyu, felt goosebumps break out across their skin, with a sensation of their hair standing on end.

Liu Hongyu merely glanced at it, suppressing the urge to immediately brandish the sword for a dance, and slid it back into its scabbard.

"Good sword! A good sword, hahahahaha! Truly a good sword. Many thanks, Old Master Qiao! Many thanks to everyone!"

Seeing Liu Hongyu holding the sword and bowing repeatedly to him and the others, Old Master Qiao felt a deep sense of satisfaction swell within his heart!

In ancient times, relying on this single sword, he might well have gone down in history as a renowned master swordsmith, perhaps even leaving behind his own legend. But today's outcome wasn't bad either!

The other artisans at the side also chimed in with congratulations, both congratulating the young master on acquiring a fine sword and congratulating their master on fulfilling a long-cherished wish.

Zhuang Lin watched from the side with a gratified expression. Although this time they had prioritized satisfying his disciple's craving, looking at it from another angle, he would have even more experience for the next time, wouldn't he? His own big toy certainly wouldn't be inferior either!

Yet suddenly, Liu Hongyu, who had been overjoyed just moments before, halted his movements. He furrowed his brows slightly, touched his chest, and felt an inexplicable sensation.

"Young Master Liu, what's wrong with you?" "Yeah, weren't you just extremely happy?"

"Are you feeling unwell?"

The others all wore expressions of concern. Liu Hongyu, however, remained silent. After a long while, he clutched his chest and looked at Zhuang Lin.

Instantly, Zhuang Lin also frowned slightly. Originally, he hadn't felt anything out of the ordinary, but Liu Hongyu's appearance caused a ripple of resonance in his own heart, as if he too sensed something...

-----------------

At the Jinkang Private Hospital in Zhonghai City, Zhou Xianglin rushed over in a hurry, spotting Liu Lei and the others in one of the hospital corridors.

Everyone looked somewhat dejected, casting a gloomy shadow over Zhou Xianglin's heart and filling him with a bad premonition. He quickened his pace as he walked over.

"Where is President Liu? What is his condition now? Why did you call me so late? Why couldn't you have called earlier, even a few days earlier would have been better!"

Zhou Xianglin's emotions were somewhat agitated. He walked right up to Liu Lei and grabbed him by the collar, but the latter looked utterly drained of energy.

"Director Zhou, the matter happened too suddenly. And President Liu's orders... we simply didn't dare to disobey them..."

With anger burning in his eyes, Zhou Xianglin looked around. The driver, the nanny, and the others were all there, but not a single senior executive of the Liu Group was present, nor any so-called relatives.

"Hh... What is the situation like right now?"

As he spoke, Zhou Xianglin cast his gaze toward the operating room over yonder.

Liu Lei glanced in that direction and said, "I don't know... It's been nearly ten hours... When President Liu was still conscious, he said that if the worst should happen... he hoped Director Zhou would finish staging the theatrical production... But I believe the young master is already healthy enough—you know his condition better than I do. Therefore, regardless of whether the boss pulls through this time or not, I truly hope the young master can come out of the valley..."

Zhou Xianglin opened his mouth, wanting to curse but finding no words, wanting to roar but lacking the breath. In the end, he could only let out a long sigh and give up.

Inside the rescue room separated by just a door nearby, the lines on the monitor had once again flattened into a straight line. This time, despite exhausting every possible measure, the doctors were powerless to reverse the tide.

While wiping the sweat from his brow, the chief physician instructed the nurse and sighed helplessly.

"Record the time: the eleventh day of the tenth month in the 381st year of the Yisi cycle, exactly three o'clock in the afternoon. The patient, Liu Shihao, is confirmed dead after all resuscitation efforts failed!"

-----------------

When the doctor walked out of the operating room to announce Liu Shihao's death, aside from feeling the same sorrow as everyone else, Zhou Xianglin also acutely realized that even though Liu Shihao had once spoken of ensuring the stable operation of the project...

Judging by the current situation, the final curtain call for the Breaking the Illusion Project was probably fast approaching as well...