Martial King's Retired Life

I knew I was in the right place as soon as I reached the bottom. Instead of being pitch black, there was the fluorescent green light I espied when I looked up from below. The source of the light were the ten – based on my quick count – luminous pearls.

What? Take them all? Amateur. I’d take three to check for authenticity first. They alone were enough to repay the majority of my debt, after all…

I lit up a roll of paper used as a torch to light up the unused candles on the wall. With enough light, I finally realised how enormous the room was; it was larger than the three rooms above combined. More importantly, there were more big chests than I could count! You bet I rushed over to the chests!

The dozens closest to me were virtually empty. Some of them were used to store rusty armour. I guess it would’ve made sense if Jiang Chen already used some of the equipment and weaponry. Judging from the golden powder in the chests towards the rear, they were most likely once used to store gold. The twenty-plus big chests right at the back were the ones that had me grinning from ear to ear. They were big chests, and two of them were packed with gold!

I didn’t cry. That was some dust in my eyes.

Finally! At long last! Waaah! Gold! Gold! I love you, Jiang Chen!

The two chests of gold distracted me for a long time. The majority of the other chests among those twenty-plus stored antiques and other valuables.

Mm… It’s all mine now! Nobody is to touch any of it!

I buried his late wife for him. I righteously and fairly earned my remuneration. I didn’t steal. I didn’t need to share it with anyone!

Behind the chests was another dark room labelled “Righteously stolen rare treasures across the world”. This meant that the military equipment and valuables outside the room weren’t the most important items.

I pushed opened the door to behold dozens of bookshelves lined up along the left and just one weapon rack on the right. I saw martial arts manuals for advanced skills from over a hundred sects. Given how much variety there was, it was impossible for any sect to compare; not even Shaolin, the supposed progenitor of all martial arts, had as many manuals in their possession. The swordplay manuals, in particular, made up around 70% of the total.

I skimmed through one book and discovered the manual’s language was so sophisticated that I actually needed to invest effort to understand it. I recognised some of the manual names, but I had never heard of any existing practitioners. In other words, at some point, the knowledge within had ceased to be passed down. The swordplay skills, in particularly, hadn’t been displayed in a very long time.

If someone was to use the knowledge to raise an elite unit…

I shook my head. Fiends’ Genesis’ members were terrible fighters. Fiends’ Genesis had been famous for two to three decades already. Plus, they had plenty of time to cultivate the current generation after their leader went missing. Therefore, time couldn’t have been the barrier to their development.

Wait a minute. The empty chests outside… Maybe Jiang Chen already tried? Was he willing to teach but unable to see his efforts being meaningful and concluded it was too hard to develop a group of elites? Whatever. I can muse about it later.

I went over to the weapon rack. There were only five weapons on the lonely rack, all of which had varying degrees of wear. The one farthest away from the centre was a wooden cudgel that was probably only added recently considering its condition.

The top line of the rack’s text read, “Sacrificial Sage”, and the small text underneath it read, “My son’s self-created weapon”. Based on the fact that I heard Jiang Chen refer to Fiends’ Genesis’ as his child, it was safe to conclude that the cudgel was Shang Bieshi’s weapon.

From what I heard, Shang Bieshi was an extraordinary fighter who could virtually do it all. It was surprising to learn his preferred weapon of choice was a cudgel. I presumed that an ordinary wooden cudgel was put in its place since the real one was taken out for some purpose.

Further back, there was a sword with the label “Normal” underneath it. When I pulled it out of its slot, sparks went flying violently, startling the daylights out of me. When I touched the black rack, I discovered it was made from black aurum, yet the sword left a big scratch due to me pulling it out. “Normal”, my foot. It could almost rival Overarching Heaven.

Wait! Isn’t “Normal” the signature sword of Mount Lu Sword Sanctuary’s Sword Immortal Grasshouse’s patriarch, Wordless Sword Deity? What the hell is it doing here?! So Wordless Sword Deity and Elder Brilliant Broadsworder lost their weapons despite badly hurting Shang Bieshi?

Supposedly, the fight two decades ago was very close. However, judging from the fact that “Normal” and Shang Bieshi’s weapons were both here, some part of the story was never told to others not directly involved in the tussle.

Given their weapons are here, does that mean the weapons stored on this rack are all the best weapons in the world?

The third weapon was a spear that was significantly longer and heavier than the typical spear. I couldn’t see how it was superior to other spears besides its sturdy build, though. The tip, as a matter of fact, was round enough to be classified as blunt and carried rust. It was hard to imagine it could’ve even cut pork in its prime. In spite of all that, I believed that it was a symbol of unspeakable courage and hope; wherever the wielder was, it was the safest place in the world.

The name of the spear was “Unstoppable Blade”. The attached text was, “The late General Ran’s weapon. This one has been all over the world and met innumerable extraordinary men but none comparable to General Ran. Despite not having a sharpened blade, there is not a single weapon capable of stopping it. This one has taken it upon himself to respectfully keep his spear protected.”

Following a long silence, I offered the spear a respectful bow, pulled it out and set it on the ground. I touched the spear similarly to a child playing with his toy, searching for even the smallest fragment that could be used to restore its former glory. Unfortunately, an iron spear was only an iron spear at the end of the day.

“… Thank you. I’m doing well.” I wiped the spear a few times prior to setting it back.

… Let’s bring it along when I get out of here.

The next weapon in line was a pudao, which was likely a substitute, as well. Beneath it, there was one word “Punished”.

Jiang Chen even has one of the Seven Dynasty-Founding Blades? I’m finally understanding what he meant by having collected all the best treasures in the world.

Considering the weapons and manuals in Jiang Chen’s collection, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if it was revealed that there was a Divine Realm warrior under him.

The last weapon was labelled, “Family heirloom sword”, and there was no extra elaboration. All it had going for it was its antique designed. But, speaking as an experienced martial artist, it was usually the ordinary-looking weapons that were the best.

Jiang Chen claimed to be a bearer of the Gongsun surname, which was the surname of the world’s top sword clan from ages ago and even now. Eastern China’s Sea’s Sword Sage was a descendant of Gongsun Clan. You think a sword passed down in their family would be ordinary?

I drew out the sword, and it was bizarrely ordinary.

Mm… Graceful sword. Very graceful.

I swung the sword around a few times, but it didn’t impress me. I felt I could swing even a kitchen knife quicker.

No, no, this is unmistakably a truly supreme sword. To still keep a low profile at this stage… you know it’s the cream of the crop!

I violently chopped the rack with the sword.

Clang! The ringing echoes hurt my ears!

I knew it was a godly sword! With a straight face, I pulled the sword back and gently brushed it.

“This one learned swordplay from childhood. In one swing, he can drop nineteen, hmm? Was the sword always this short?”

After running my hand halfway down the blade, I realised… the other half was missing. I glanced out of my peripherals to see the other half lying on the ground. I picked up the displaced half, shoved it back into the sheath and then shoved the part in my hand back in on top.

… Oh crud… Let’s put it b-, no, I should take it! I’ll have Sword Sage chasing me to the end of the world and back if word gets out that I snapped Gongsun Clan’s family heirloom. Yes, it’s not a crime unless you get caught!

I ran out of the room and into the second room without thinking. There were only four stone walls in the room, but the murals on them grabbed my attention straight away. In the centre, there was a line of text that read, “Supreme Demon Destroys the World Mural”. I checked out the uneasy drawing and read the first two Chinese characters I noticed, and the two that concerned me most, “Demon Star”.