Chapter 49: Zhou San's Gift of a Sword (Part 2)

  The two shopkeepers were extremely surprised: "Gentlemen, how did you guess that our surname is Zhou?"

  "It was my brother-in-law who guessed it, he looked at the couplet on the wall and said to us that your surname is Zhou." Niu Gao continued.

  "Brother Yue is indeed extraordinary, I admire him greatly. My name is Zhou Sanwei, this sword is our family heirloom, please take a look at its quality." Zhou Sanwei said as he handed the sword to Yue Fei.

  Yue Fei picked up the sword and first looked at the scabbard, which was antique and elegant with clear patterns and exquisite workmanship. Then he slowly drew out the blade, and as soon as three or four inches were exposed, he felt a chill in the air and the cold light dazzled his eyes. As he continued to draw it out inch by inch, he couldn't help but praise it repeatedly.

  "It's indeed a fine sword, Mr. Zhou, please take it back! Although I admire the precious sword, I cannot take something that belongs to others. This is a family heirloom of the Zhou family, and I don't want it." Yue Fei inserted the sword into its scabbard and placed it on the table.

  "Since you like it, why don't you ask about the price? Don't you think it's satisfactory?" Zhou San asked in surprise.

  "Mr. Zhou is joking, this is a treasured heirloom of your esteemed family, worth a whole city, how could I possibly dare to have such wild ideas?" Yue Fei said.

  "Why don't you all sit down and talk?" Zhou San asked.

  "It's enough, we've seen the sword and our wish is fulfilled. We should take our leave now." Yue Fei said and then left.

  "Brother Yue, please stay a moment. Since you can recognize the goods, why haven't you asked for instructions? There's no need to rush. Everyone, please sit down, we have something to discuss." Zhou San said.

  Yue Fei had no choice but to sit down, and his brothers also sat down to drink tea.

  "My ancestors were all martial officials for three generations, so they left this sword behind. Nowadays, my ancestors have been studying literature for three generations, and this sword has no practical use for us. When my grandfather was dying, he left a will saying, 'If someone recognizes this sword in the future, you can give it to him without taking any money.' Now that you recognize this sword, brother, I suppose you know its origin. If you can tell me where this sword came from, then you are its master." Zhou San said.

  "I see this sword below, it seems to be the Longquan treasure sword, but I'm afraid of saying something wrong and becoming a laughing stock. Since you asked, sir, I can only say that if I'm wrong, please don't laugh." Yue Fei said after some thought.

  "My young brother says it's nothing, I'll listen carefully." Zhou San stood up straight and sat down cautiously, with a focused expression.

  Here is the translation:

  "In the past, I heard my master say that a good sword can cut through dragons in water and elephants on land. There are many famous swords, such as Longquan, Taia, Baihong, Zidian, Moye, Ganjiang, Yuxin, and Juguang. Each has its own origin.

  This sword was forged during the Spring and Autumn period, when the King of Chu wanted to conquer all the other kingdoms. He heard that there was a skilled swordsmith named Ouyang Ye in the mountains of Korea, so he sent an envoy to bring him back to the palace and ordered him to forge a sword.

  Ouyang Ye asked the king what kind of sword he wanted, and the king said he wanted a sword that could fly and kill people. Ouyang Ye knew that the king was a tyrant, and if he had such a powerful sword, it would bring disaster to the world. If he didn't agree, he would be killed immediately.

  After thinking for a long time, Ouyang Ye came up with a plan to delay the process. 'Your Majesty, this sword is not ordinary,' he said. 'It will take at least three years to forge. I don't know if you have the patience to wait.'

  The king was eager to own such a powerful sword and agreed to wait for three years. He gave Ouyang Ye a lot of gold and silver to support his family while he worked on the sword.

  Ouyang Ye took the wealth back home and told his wife about the situation. His wife was worried, but they were just ordinary people and didn't dare to defy the king.

  Ouyang Ye bid farewell to his wife and went to a remote mountain to forge the sword alone. Three years passed, and he finally completed the sword. But before he could present it to the king, he died of illness.

  The king was furious when he heard about Ouyang Ye's death and ordered his soldiers to find the sword. They searched everywhere but couldn't find it.

  Years later, a young man appeared with the sword in hand. He said that he was the son of Ouyang Ye and had been searching for revenge against the king who killed his father.

  The young man met a Taoist priest who offered to help him take revenge. The priest asked the young man to give him his head, which would be used to convince the king that he was a powerful sorcerer.

  The young man agreed and cut off his own head. The priest took the head and the sword and went to see the king. When they arrived at the palace, the guards wouldn't let them in, but the priest laughed and cried three times, which caught the attention of the guards.

  The priest told the guards that he had come to offer the king a magical elixir for immortality. The guards reported this to the king, who immediately summoned the priest.

  When the priest presented the young man's head to the king, the king was furious and wanted to punish him. But the priest said that the head would reveal its secrets if it were boiled in hot oil.

  The king ordered his soldiers to prepare a pot of boiling oil, and when they did, the priest threw the head into the pot. The king leaned forward to look, and at that moment, the priest drew out the sword and beheaded the king.

  The soldiers rushed forward to capture the priest, but he also cut off his own head, which fell into the pot of boiling oil. In the end, all three heads were boiled together, and no one could tell which was the king's.

  This is why there is a 'Three-Headed Tomb' in Chu Kingdom. The sword is called 'Zhanlu', and it once belonged to General Xue Rengui of the Tang Dynasty. I don't know how it ended up in your hands, sir."

  On Wednesday, Zhou Sanpao smiled proudly and said: "Brother Yue is indeed formidable, what he said was not wrong at all. According to the will of our ancestors, this sword belongs to Brother, please accept it with a smile. Brother Yue, this sword has been buried for many years, only today did it meet its master, please don't decline it, it should be used to make great contributions to the country and establish merits, and not waste the words of our ancestors." Zhou Sanpao said, then took the precious sword from the table with both hands and handed it over to Yue Fei.

  Yue Fei repeatedly declined: "Sir, you're being too serious, what virtue or ability does this humble one have? How dare he take away someone's beloved?"

  "Brother, don't decline, this is the ancestor's last words, I dare not disobey." Zhou Mou said and forced it into Yue Fei's hands.

  Yue Fei saw Zhou Tong's persistence and had no choice but to accept it and tie it around his waist, repeatedly thanking him.