Dao Xie was startled by a sleep-talk mumble from Xiao Si Zi, stumbling back in fright. He quickly realized that someone was in the room, so he turned to escape.

However, no matter how fast the old man was, he wasn’t faster than Zhan Zhao. He suddenly felt someone grab the back of his collar, and before he knew it, he was already sitting at the table, with the window shut behind him.

As the old man was still dazed, the lamp in front of him was lit, revealing a young man in white standing beside the table, staring at him. The young man was strikingly handsome…

The old man stared, mesmerized, until he suddenly felt a pat on his shoulder. A voice came from behind, “You’re drooling.”

The old man instinctively wiped the corner of his mouth before realizing that the person behind him was teasing him. He coughed awkwardly and turned around.

Behind him stood another young man, just as handsome and full of spirit. The old man was momentarily stunned, looking between the two of them. Then he suddenly smacked his forehead.

“Oh no, did I enter the wrong room?” He quickly stood up. “My apologies, my apologies…”

Now it was Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang’s turn to feel awkward.

Zhan Zhao pushed the old man back into his seat. “What nonsense are you saying?”

As he spoke, he placed the sculpture of Jian Xie on the table in front of the old man.

The old man was momentarily taken aback when he saw it. He nervously clutched the sculpture and looked between Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang. “You… which side are you with?”

Zhan Zhao showed him the Kaifeng Prefecture’s official badge.

“Oh…” The old man let out a sigh of relief and patted his chest. “So, you’re with the authorities. That’s good.”

“What were you doing sneaking around Wan Hua Lou?” Zhan Zhao asked. “Are you Dao Xie?”

The old man hesitated, scratched his head, and looked at Zhan Zhao. “Wow, such a young lad actually knows who I am. Kid, who are you?”

Zhan Zhao pointed to himself. “Zhan Zhao.”

The old man was clearly surprised.

Then Zhan Zhao pointed to Bai Yutang. “Bai Yutang.”

The old man gasped sharply. “Ah!”

Just then, on the bed, the sleeping Xiao Si Zi seemed to be disturbed by the noise. He turned over and let out a little murmur.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang immediately turned to the old man. “Shh!”

The old man quickly covered his mouth.

Once Xiao Si Zi had settled back into sleep, Zhan Zhao lowered his voice and asked, “You’re hiding from someone, aren’t you?”

“Wait, wait, slow down, you two young heroes.” Dao Xie waved his hand, staring at Bai Yutang for a moment before asking, “You’re the apprentice of Tian Zun, right?”

Bai Yutang nodded.

“That makes things easier.” The old man patted his chest. “Look, you two are big names in the martial world, no need to ask. You must be investigating the Duan Dao Sect massacre, right? I’ll give you a lead, but you have to guarantee my safety!”

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged a glance, then nodded, agreeing to the old man’s condition.

“Ahh…” The old man sighed heavily before he even began speaking. “When misfortune strikes, even drinking cold water can make you choke! I got dragged into this mess for no reason and almost lost my life!”

Seeing him getting emotional, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang both glared at him and glanced at the bed where Xiao Si Zi was sleeping. The old man quickly lowered his voice. Then he curiously glanced at the bed again.

Earlier, he had noticed a chubby little figure lying there but hadn’t looked closely.

Now, under the dim glow of the night lamp, he saw a truly adorable little child—rosy cheeks, a tiny nose and mouth, and long eyelashes…

The old man stared in silence for a moment before suddenly blurting out to Zhan Zhao, “Tsk, his eyes look like yours!” Then, ignoring Zhan Zhao’s dumbfounded expression, he turned to Bai Yutang and said, “His chin looks like yours!”

…

After a brief silence, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang finally snapped out of their daze and shouted at the old man in unison, “Nonsense!”

…

Their shout was just a little too loud. Xiao Si Zi murmured in his sleep again.

The old man quickly shushed them. “Shh!” Then, curiously, he asked, “So, which one of you is the dad, and which one is the mom…?”

“Ahh!”

Before he could finish, Zhan Zhao grabbed one of his ears, while Bai Yutang grabbed the other. Neither of them cared about seniority at this point. The old man’s big mouth had earned him two swollen, red ears that now stuck out like wind-catchers.

Holding his ears, the old man sulked. “If he’s not yours, you could’ve just said so. How was I supposed to know? You both seemed so protective of the kid. I thought he was yours…”

Zhan Zhao rolled his eyes. “How could two men have a child?”

The old man blinked. “Oh yeah!”

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged another glance, both speechless. They were starting to wonder if they could even trust the old man’s words—he seemed a bit dim-witted.

“Let’s get back to business.” Bai Yutang urged Dao Xie.

“Oh, right. Here’s the thing—I recently realized someone was following me.” The old man folded his arms. “Usually, people who follow me only want one of two things: either to ask me about swords or to pay me to forge one. I’ve been retired for years; I don’t forge weapons anymore. So, I found a way to slip away. But in the end, I still got caught by some men in black.”

“They wanted you to forge a sword?” Zhan Zhao asked.

“Mm… Tsk.” The old man hesitated. “This is a long story. Let me start with two swords. Do you know about the Duan Tou Dao?”

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang nodded. That was exactly what they were investigating.

“Good.” The old man nodded. “Besides Tian Zun and Yin Hou, only a few of us old geezers know the origin of that sword!”

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang listened attentively, while Zhan Zhao even poured the old man some tea and offered him a bun.

The three of them ate and talked, and the atmosphere relaxed.

“The Duan Tou Dao actually consists of two blades, both of which have never been unsheathed. Such sealed blades are commonly called ‘Tai Dao’ (embryo swords).”

Zhan Zhao found the term interesting. “Tai Dao?”

Bai Yutang, however, seemed to have heard of it before. “Does it mean the sword hasn’t fully taken shape yet?”

Dao Xie nodded. “Exactly. The Duan Tou Dao was originally a demonic blade—curved, razor-sharp, and forged from dark iron. It was extremely evil. Its owner, a master from the northern regions, feared it would fall into the wrong hands and bring disaster upon the world. So, he split it into two and had a master craftsman forge them into decorative sabers with no tips.”

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang nodded—so that was the story.

“But haven’t you noticed? Though the Duan Tou Dao has no tip, its scabbard is still complete!” The old man prompted.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang hesitated slightly, then immediately asked, “Could there be something hidden inside the scabbard?”

Dao Xie grinned. “Smart! Inside are two sword manuals!”

Everything suddenly clicked for Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang. No wonder Dao Xing Feng’s swordsmanship was so strange—he had only taken the manual, not the sword itself. But why?

…

As the discussion continued, the case gradually became clearer. By the end, Dao Xie squinted at the two young men, sighing internally—
They’re really not a couple? What a pity!