"Metal Manipulation? This Five Elements countering method sounds pretty good, but how do you plan to do it?" Jade Swann asked him curiously.
"Uh—we need to harness the power of metal, but I don't have any blades or tools on me—" Shawn Young suddenly realized he didn't even have the most basic thing needed to use Metal Manipulation—metal!
"Oh, hehe, you didn't bring any, but this lady always carries one!" Jade Swann giggled, and like a magician, pulled out an ancient-looking, chillingly sharp dagger from her bra, handing it to Shawn. As soon as Shawn saw it, he recognized it instantly—it was the very same Raikiri Dagger he'd seen before!
"Whoa! This dagger of yours looks pretty serious!" Shawn gripped the Raikiri Dagger and felt its heavy weight, along with a fierce, ancient aura surging from it.
"Yep, that's right. This dagger was forged from the same meteorite as the legendary Cold Moon Blade from the Warring States period. Not many people know about it, since the Cold Moon Blade is way more famous!" Jade Swann explained.
"What?! The Raikiri Dagger was actually forged from the same meteorite as the Cold Moon Blade—the greatest weapon of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods?! That's unbelievable!" Shawn was utterly shocked. He knew a bit of history, and was familiar with the origins of the Cold Moon Blade. (Note: Cold Moon Blade, Emperor of Blades—crafted by Grace Xu during the Warring States period from a mystical meteorite. Legend has it, one night Grace Xu was drinking and singing to the moon when a wild wind blew, the sky turned crimson, and countless meteors circled the moon. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck, and a golden light shot from the meteor cluster, crashing to earth with a thunderous boom that knocked Grace Xu out. When she awoke, the sky was clear, the moon bright, and the stars dazzling, as if nothing had happened. But she heard strange noises from the woods, and when she entered, the summer night felt freezing cold. At the heart of the woods, she saw a shocking scene—trees shattered as if by a supernatural force, and a chunk of meteorite, shaped like a blade, radiating intense cold. Braving the chill, Grace Xu pulled out the meteorite, which gleamed under the moonlight, shaped like a crescent and icy to the touch. She forged it into the Cold Moon Blade, which became the imperial treasure of successive dynasties. After Liu Bang entered Qin and the Chu-Han Contention, the Cold Moon Blade vanished without a trace.)
"The Raikiri Dagger and the Cold Moon Blade are both from the same meteorite. The Raikiri is the unique core fragment—also called the Heart of the Cold Moon. Grace Xu gifted it to master swordsmith Ou Yezi, who, together with his only disciple Yu Wenling, spent three years forging the Raikiri. Later, Ou Yezi passed the Raikiri to Yu Wenling as his protective weapon, and it became the Yu Wen family's ancestral treasure. During the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin learned of the Raikiri's whereabouts and tried to obtain it from the Yu Wen family, but failed. Out of spite, he persecuted the family. The sole survivor, Yu Wenhua, escaped with the Raikiri and was rescued by our Celestial Thunder Society's founder, Daoist Guiyuan. To protect the Raikiri, Yu Wenhua changed his name and joined the Celestial Thunder Society as Daoist Leixin. Since Leixin had no descendants, the Raikiri became one of our sect's sacred relics, passed down to this day!" Jade Swann shared this little-known legend.
"Wow! I can't believe the mighty Emperor Taizong Li Shimin would do something so shady! Totally ruins his image!" Shawn exclaimed.
"Sigh, throughout history, no matter how brilliant or powerful a ruler is, they all seized their kingdoms by force. If everyone played by the rules, no one would ever accomplish great things! That's why those who achieve greatness bend the rules, seize what they want, and follow the law of the strong! Behind every king is a trail of blood and corpses." Jade Swann nodded, saying something surprisingly profound.
"Oh! Oh! I didn't expect you to say something so deep. That's really not like you! Haha—" Shawn laughed.
"That's what my master told me when he gave me the Raikiri. He also said that a sacred weapon like Raikiri has a mysterious blade spirit, and only a true powerhouse can wield it! So in my hands, it hasn't shown its full potential. I think you should give it a try—" Jade Swann blushed as she spoke.
"Uh—you really think that highly of me? I haven't practiced any blade techniques at all!" Shawn was taken aback.
"Don't sell yourself short. Raikiri isn't an ordinary weapon—it has its own unique blade spirit. Honestly, I can't bring out its true power, so I just use it as a super sharp dagger! You're such a bold troublemaker, never playing by the rules. Who knows, maybe you'll unlock its strength!" Jade Swann rolled her eyes at Shawn.
"Really? I admit I'm a bit bold, but how am I not playing by the rules?" Shawn felt a little wronged.
"Hmph, as if! I only asked you to help catch a leech, and you, you big bad guy, seduced me and stole my virginity! Is that playing by the rules? And you went at it so many times, now I can't help wanting you! There's no one bolder or wilder than you!" Jade Swann blushed as she recalled their passionate encounter, shooting Shawn a shy yet annoyed look.
"Uh—well, I, I couldn't help myself! I wanted to be a good guy, but—who told you to be so gorgeous and so tempting? You have to understand, I'm a perfectly healthy man, there's no way I could resist! So, I went for it first and asked questions later!" Shawn argued shamelessly.
"Ugh, you got what you wanted and now you're acting innocent! Went for it first, huh?! Hmph—just wait, one day I'll show you who's really on top!" Jade Swann, always straightforward, didn't hold back now that she was so close with Shawn.
Heh heh—sounds good to me, I'm always up for it—" Shawn grinned wickedly. Of course, he couldn't wait, since getting "deeply philosophical" with a sexy, enthusiastic beauty like Jade Swann was the best thing ever!