These Two Swords are Only Lent

Jian Huaishuang quietly watched the two children, who looked utterly disappointed.

After a moment of silence, he slowly raised his hand and reached behind his back.

There, he carried a giant sword wrapped in white paper.

It was a gift from his lord, manifested from divine path authority. It was no ordinary metal; it was exceptionally sharp.

To Jian Huaishuang, it was not just a weapon, but proof of his lord's absolute trust—the most cherished object of his life.

In his daily practice, he would rather be injured himself than let this sword suffer a single scratch.

But now, as Jian Huaishuang looked at the two little ones standing empty-handed, shouting about slaying demons with nothing but withered branches and rotten wood, his brow twitched.

He truly could not set his mind at ease.

"Very well."

He let out a soft sigh. Under their expectant gazes, he unwrapped the white cloth from the giant sword.

His voice was cold as he flicked his wrist.

Clang—

A sword cry rang out. The giant sword instantly disintegrated, transforming into thousands of threads finer than hair, resembling the strands of a horsetail whisk.

The threads intertwined in the air, flowing like a silver river.

Then, with a thought from Jian Huaishuang, the sky-filling threads split into two groups, rapidly weaving and restructuring themselves.

In the blink of an eye, two brand-new longswords hovered in mid-air.

One was pitch-black as ink with a slender blade, exuding a chilling, solemn aura of law and decree.

The other was pure white as snow with a slightly wider blade, radiating a soft yet resilient life-force.

"Take them."

With a wave of his sleeve, the black sword flew toward Xiaoye, and the white sword toward Xiaobai.

The two instinctively reached out and caught them.

The moment the hilts touched their palms, a sense of familiarity, as if they were linked by blood, surged into their hearts. It felt as though these two swords were born to be theirs.

The sword-heart within their bodies cheered and leapt, resonating strongly with the blades in their hands.

"What a great sword!"

Xiaobai caressed the cool, white blade, unable to put it down. Her face flushed with excitement, and she looked ready to perform a set of techniques on the spot.

Though Xiaoye was more reserved, his eyes also betrayed his intense agitation.

Seeing them treat the swords like priceless treasures made Jian Huaishuang feel a twinge of heartache.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to snatch the swords back. With a cold face and his most serious tone, he emphasized, "Listen."

"These two swords are only lent to you."

"Lent."

He enunciated that word heavily.

"Once you enter the city, you must not act on your own. Do not try to show off or pick fights."

"When I see the lord and return, these swords must be given back to me in perfect condition."

Xiaobai shrunk her neck. "Huh? We have to give them back?"

Xiaoye nodded solemnly. "Rest assured, Senior Sword. As long as the sword is here, I am here."

Only then was Jian Huaishuang slightly satisfied.

"Remember, within the provincial capital, what you see and hear may far exceed your imagination."

"Stay calm and guard your mind. Do not be deceived by appearances."

"If you encounter an irresistible force..." He took out two paper talismans and handed them over.

"Tear this talisman, and I will sense your location and arrive immediately."

This was the final insurance.

Currently, the experts of Gloomlight Province were gathering at the royal palace, and there was no shortage of seventh-stage individuals. Keeping these two little ones outside the palace and away from the center of the conflict was the safest option.

With their current cultivation of sixth-stage three transformations, combined with the protection of the divine artifacts he had just lent them, they shouldn't run into much trouble.

Xiaobai and Xiaoye solemnly accepted the talismans and tucked them away.

"Thank you, Senior Sword!" the two bowed in unison.

Jian Huaishuang said no more. He gave them a deep look, then his form flickered, crumbling into paper scraps that vanished into the shadows of the provincial capital's walls.

He still had to report to his lord and deliver the increasingly restless Dragon Carp he carried.

After Jian Huaishuang left, Xiaobai and Xiaoye exchanged a glance, their eyes burning with fighting spirit.

"Let's go, Xiaoye!"

Xiaobai tossed her ponytail and executed a beautiful flourish with her white sword.

"Let's see just what kind of dragon's den or tiger's lair this legendary Ghost Dynasty really is!"

The two followed closely behind, disappearing through the provincial capital's gate, which looked as if it were held wide open for the dead.

The moment they entered the gate, a freezing ghost qi rushed at them.

Since the provincial capital was called the Ghost Dynasty, souls were naturally everywhere.

As far as the eye could see, lanterns hung from the buildings on both sides of the street, emitting a ghostly red glow that made the entire city look like Senluo Hell.

The streets were densely packed with various spirits wandering about.

Some moved in small groups, while others drifted alone.

There were malevolent ghosts with ferocious expressions radiating blood-lust, and listless wandering souls that looked like withered husks.

There were even ghost bailiffs dressed in tattered official robes, carrying funeral staves as they patrolled the streets, driving away the wandering spirits that blocked their path.

There were more ghosts here than people.

In fact, there might not even be any living humans left.

Xiaobai frowned slightly. For some reason, she was able to clearly capture the emotional fluctuations of every single soul.

"So many evil souls," Xiaobai whispered to herself.

In her perception, most of these souls radiated thick malice.

Only a few scattered virtuous souls were mixed among them, appearing exceptionally weak, as if they could be swallowed by the surrounding malice at any moment.

To her, regardless of whether they were good or evil, these souls were shrouded in a sense of sorrow that triggered a strange familiarity in her heart.

She felt as though she had once lived among many such dead souls.

That feeling of being enveloped by despair and grief was bone-deep, making it hard for her to breathe.

But she couldn't remember the details.

Only a blurred image remained in her mind, like a mist that she could never quite grasp.

"Big Sister Xiaobai, what's wrong?" Xiaoye tugged at her sleeve, his face filled with concern.

Though his perception wasn't as keen as hers, he could still sense that something was wrong with the provincial capital.

Xiaobai snapped back to reality, suppressed her discomfort, and shook her head. "It's nothing. I just feel... very uncomfortable here."

As they spoke, a fierce argument and a woman's crying rang out from an alley not far ahead.

"You bitch, you still dare to hide money?"

"Give it to me!"

"That’s money to buy offerings for the child... please, don't take it..."

"Shut up! If I don't get enough money to pay my gambling debts today, are you going to jump into the oil pot for me?"

Accompanied by the sounds of punching and kicking, a brawny male ghost with a face full of scars was pulling a frail female ghost's hair, desperately trying to snatch a piece of candle from her arms.

The female ghost shielded the candle desperately. She was being beaten so badly that her soul-body was becoming unstable, and her cries were incredibly shrill.

Many passing ghosts looked on, but most only gave a cold glance before hurrying away, clearly accustomed to such sights.

"This is outrageous!"

Seeing this, Xiaobai's eyebrows shot up in anger, and a surge of fury rushed to her head.

Normally, she would have drawn her sword without hesitation to slay such a depraved, evil soul.

Her sword-intent was sharp, and she held a zero-tolerance attitude toward all things evil.

However, Jian Huaishuang's words before he left now echoed in her ears.

"Striking with a Hidden Sword is the only way to see things through."

"A sword is not just a tool for slaughter; it can also be a vessel for guidance."

"Do not be deceived by appearances..."