Half a year later, news reached the front lines: the army of Yue had defeated the forces of Wu in a decisive victory. King Helü of Wu was gravely wounded and died of his injuries on the way back to his kingdom, succeeded by his son Frederick.
The tactics Gavin, King of Yue, used were horrifying. He took the wives and children of some soldiers hostage, chose them as suicide warriors, and arranged them in three rows. When facing the Wu army, he sent these warriors to the front. They shouted together, 'Yue will win!'—then, one after another, slit their own throats.
The Wu soldiers were horrified by this scene, their attention completely captured. Gavin seized the opportunity to lead his troops to a decisive victory. Among them, the nobleman Wuling Gufu struck with his halberd, severing King Helü’s toes—a feat that crippled Wu’s morale. King Helü died in agony on his journey home.
The Wu army retreated completely, and Gavin returned to Yue with his victorious troops.
This turn of events made everyone in Yue believe that Gavin, once seen as a weak successor, was unexpectedly capable. Praise for him spread throughout the kingdom. Yet only Eugene Smithson saw things differently.
"Husband, why aren’t you happy that Yue has won? Now Siji Marquis can no longer pin false charges on us at will."
The young Grant was equally puzzled. Eugene Smithson could only offer a wry smile.
"A victory is still a victory, but have they all forgotten? Without those hundred death warriors, could we have won? Gavin, like his father, King Yunchang, is a man of violent temperament!"
Eugene Smithson was not wrong. After Gavin’s victory, he began scouring the land for beautiful women, throwing lavish celebrations. No one remembered the hundred families whose loved ones had been detained as death warriors.
After this crisis, Eugene Smithson found he could grip the hammer again. The strange trembling that once plagued his hand was gone, as if the weight of fear had finally lifted.
Eugene Smithson resumed his blacksmithing work, teaching Grant everything he had learned—both his own insights and the knowledge passed down by his master, Louis Hidden. He gave all he knew to Grant.
Two years later, Grant was ten years old—robust, burly, and dark-skinned. His blacksmithing skills had improved greatly, yet Eugene Smithson wore a troubled expression.
Over those two years, Eugene had forged several swords, each highly sought after. His blades could easily cut through bronze swords—a feat that even Gavin, King of Yue, took notice of.
"Senior brother, why do you sell swords? If this continues, won’t you end up like Master...?"
The young Grant asked, but Eugene Smithson only shook his head.
"Junior brother, what happened to Master is beyond our control, given how things were back then. But now it’s different. I’ve heard that King Zhao of Chu is a wise ruler. I’ve passed thirty, but you and Maya still need to survive in the future. I have to find you both a good place to go."
Eugene kept selling his swords, having heard that King Zhao of Chu loved blades and was passionate about renowned swords. He hoped to get the king’s attention so that, when the time came, he could forge swords for him and secure a future for Grant and Maya.
At this time, the state of Chu was especially powerful, having annexed many other states and expanding its territory. Though the struggle was between Wu and Yue, Chu was the suzerain of Yue but refused to intervene—likely waiting for both sides to exhaust themselves before swallowing up Wu and Yue together.
Eugene Smithson had made up his mind: he would leave Yue, which would sooner or later become a city of war. To survive in another land, he needed a powerful patron first.
All these plans had quietly taken root in Eugene’s heart. He was determined—he would never let those he loved suffer the same fate as his master.
Meanwhile, Frederick, King of Wu, had spent the past two years training his troops and stockpiling resources, determined to avenge his father and destroy Yue. Gavin, aware of this, planned to strike first.
In the battle half a month later, Gavin emerged victorious, but the fight was brutal. Facing the Wu army, prepared for two years, Yue won but was left with fewer than five thousand soldiers and had to retreat to Kee City.
After half a month of siege, Gavin surrendered. Yue was defeated, and Gavin, together with his wife, went to Wu as hostages, bringing vast sums of money and beautiful women to appease Frederick.
Eugene Smithson took Grant to Smithfather Mountain, seeking to refine his craft further. He returned home only once every half month. There, Eugene and Grant continually developed and polished their swordmaking skills.
Time flew by—another two years passed. Eugene Smithson finally reached the peak of his abilities and returned home, beginning to sell the swords he had refined.
By then, Gavin had returned to Yue, accompanied by rumors. It was said that, when Frederick fell ill, the royal doctors could not diagnose him. Victor Fan, Gavin’s minister, suggested Gavin eat Frederick’s feces to determine the illness and its recovery time.
Because of this, Frederick finally allowed Gavin to return to Yue, convinced of his sincerity. The incident became a laughingstock in Yue, though no one dared speak openly—for doing so meant death.
When Eugene Smithson heard of this, his desire to move his family to Chu grew stronger. He hoped to contact someone in Chu, but the war had made both countries extremely isolated.
After returning, Gavin began secretly stockpiling weapons and food. Rumor spread that Victor Fan had found an unrivaled beauty named Cecilia in Zhuluo Village, a hundred miles from Yecheng, intending to present her to Frederick as a sign of Yue’s subordination.
With this, Gavin issued a special order to Victor Fan: commission Eugene Smithson to forge a peerless sword suitable for a woman’s sword dance, to be completed within half a year.
Cecilia, the greatest beauty of Yue, arrived as well. The streets within the city were instantly packed—everyone wanted a glimpse of this peerless woman.
Victor Fan led a long procession toward Hidden Manor, and Eugene Smithson had no choice but to receive them with forced composure.
A small sedan chair was carried in through the main gate. Victor Fan ordered the sword-wielding soldiers to surround the area tightly.
Eugene Smithson and his family greeted Victor Fan’s party respectfully. When the curtain was drawn back, Eugene was left speechless. The woman who stepped down from the sedan stunned every man present—if ever there was a beauty who could topple a kingdom, Cecilia was she.
Cecilia possessed a graceful figure and elegant bearing. Her exquisitely crafted features made even the flowers beside her pale in comparison.
At that moment, Eugene Smithson felt a surge of unprecedented determination—he was resolved to forge a sword worthy of Yue’s greatest beauty.
The memory paused there. Beside me floated a greenish glow—the Soulreaver Blade.
"Cecilia was my very first master. Long ago, I was designed for her sword dance and personally forged by Eugene Smithson—a top-tier blade."
I looked at the Soulreaver Blade. Unlike swords of this era, it was slender, slightly curved like a Tang saber, with a beautiful arc and a thin blade. I couldn’t help but marvel—indeed, the Soulreaver Blade in Cecilia’s hands would have a unique charm.
To forge a sword worthy of Cecilia, Eugene Smithson left Grant at home to manage everything, while he set off alone for Smithfather Mountain.
Just then, Cecilia spoke up—she intended to accompany Eugene Smithson. She wanted to witness the forging of the sword herself. Victor Fan did not object, bringing a large group of soldiers and attendants along with Eugene to Yefu Mountain.
While observing in secret, Eugene noticed something unusual: Victor Fan and Cecilia shared a special bond, their eyes fixed on each other with deep affection.
Upon reaching the mountain, Victor Fan ordered all soldiers to guard the mountain pass, allowing only a few servants inside. He picked out a residence for Cecilia, then happily followed her into the house.
Victor Fan, though young, had already achieved great merit under Gavin and was highly respected. He was fair-skinned and well-featured. Eugene guessed the nature of Victor Fan and Cecilia’s relationship but said nothing, nor did he dare. Once on the mountain, he took his rations and sought out the high-quality ore marked by Louis Hidden before his death.
After selecting the materials, Eugene began forging, working tirelessly by the furnace day and night.
One night, under a sky scattered with stars, a graceful figure drifted to Eugene’s side—it was Cecilia. She lingered in silence, watching him labor at the forge, her presence gentle yet heavy with unspoken sorrow.
A sudden sneeze startled Eugene. He turned to see Cecilia in the moonlight, breathtakingly beautiful, and hurriedly bowed.
"Mr. Smithson, no need for such courtesy. I am nothing but a commodity."
Cecilia spoke, her face shadowed with sorrow. Eugene let out a heavy sigh, fully aware that as Gavin’s offering to Frederick, Cecilia was nothing more than a possession—her pain painfully clear.
"Miss Cecilia, what brings you here tonight?"
Cecilia covered her face with a smile, leaving Eugene transfixed. Then she stepped into the moonlight and picked up a branch.
"Mr. Smithson, if I am to be a commodity, then let me be one without equal. I hope you can forge for me a blade worthy of legend, one that can match the dance I have spent years perfecting."