The Sword She Set Her Heart On - Chapter 3

The sword spirit might have been a sword spirit, but he had a human appearance, a human mind, and a temperament even livelier than most humans.

I did not think he would be interested in weapons or animals.

Perhaps his trial was not so complicated after all.

“Will you be with me?” I clenched one fist, my voice calm. “I will treat you well. I’ll do my best to give you a… sweet romance.”

The sword spirit fell silent.

Then I remembered what he had said about my face making him angry.

I had assumed it was a joke.

What if he meant it?

No matter how sincere I was, he would never agree if he truly disliked me.

“Date you?” The sword spirit slowly repeated the words, as though grinding each one between his teeth.

He rose from his couch and took half a step. In the blink of an eye, he was directly before me.

“Since you had the nerve to say that, tell me: what virtues do you possess that would make you worth my time?”

He circled me at a leisurely pace, appraising me like a slab of pork unaware of its own weight.

I racked my brains for praise.

“I’m a sword cultivator. We would have plenty to talk about.”

He sneered. “What a coincidence. Sword cultivators are what I hate most.”

Was it reasonable for a sword to hate sword cultivators?

“I’m extremely talented,” I tried again. “My future is bright. If you come with me, you’ll have a good life.”

The sword spirit translated: “Meaning you own nothing now, and if I follow you, I’ll live on promises and northwest wind.”

Had his mouth been forged with the blade’s cutting edge?

When I choked into silence, he kicked the back of my calf with one bare foot.

“Keep going. I didn’t tell you to stop.”

It was not that I wanted to stop.

I genuinely had no other virtues to list.

Compared with disciples from the great clans, I had neither money nor influence. Cultivation aside, I could not compete with them in anything.

So what?

I was the one standing here, not those highborn heirs.

I turned to face the sword spirit, who had been staring at my back.

“I’m an honest person, so I won’t deceive you. I have no money or power, and I don’t know how to coax you with sweet words. But I can fight. I will protect you with everything I have.”

His lips parted. With an awkward expression, he turned his face away.

“I am the finest divine sword under heaven. Why would I need your protection? If anything, I would be protecting you.”

Ah.

So we could not come to an agreement after all.

“Fine. Then there’s nothing to be done.” I rubbed the back of my neck and loosened my shoulders. “It’s a shame… but I really can fight.”

“You already said that,” he grumbled. “Violent woman with nothing but murder in her head… What are you doing?”

While he muttered complaints, I snapped open an enormous sack.

The instant he turned toward me, I pulled it over him.

The sword spirit inside the sack: “???”

I hoisted him over my shoulder and apologized guiltily.

“Sorry. I didn’t prepare properly this time. Next time, I’ll bring a pink sack.”

He was so beautiful. Pink would suit him better.

The sword spirit nearly died of rage.

“Are you insane? Is there something wrong with your brain? Let me out!”

I gave the sack a casual pat. “Stop fussing.”

I had been ready for him to tear free and fight me to the death.

Instead, when my hand landed on his backside, the sword spirit went silent as a swan seized by the throat.

Oh?

That worked?

Driven by curiosity, I reached out and smacked the same spot again.

The sword spirit: “…”

He began thrashing wildly over my shoulder.

“Demoness! Pervert! Wretched liar!”

“Just wait! I will never forgive you!”

So energetic.

Adorable.

I did not stop once on the way home, carrying the divine sword in its sack the entire distance.

Probably out of embarrassment, the sword spirit silently reverted to his blade form soon after we left the tomb.

Only after I untied the sack and tipped out the sword playing dead did he revive. He shot into the air and whacked the back of my head with his hilt.

“You kidnap people now?”

My skull hurt, but I did not get angry.

With more patience than I had shown anyone in my life, I softened my tone and coaxed him.

“Wasn’t it dull staying alone in the Sword Tomb? Wouldn’t you rather come see the cultivation world as it is now?”

“Hmph. I spent seven hundred years in there. I’m used to it.” The sword circled me haughtily. “And the problem right now is your attitude. Don’t change the subject.”

The sword was already mine. I explained with perfect composure.

“There is nothing wrong with my attitude. If I didn’t care about you, why would I have taken you by force? It’s a very popular form of romance these days.”

Forceful love was still love.

The divine sword hesitated. “No. That’s sophistry.”

So what? He had been stolen, but he had hardly seemed unwilling.

I had acted inside the Sword Tomb, the heart of his power. If he had truly wanted to resist, how could he have been helpless?

The ease with which I had abducted him proved that, deep down, he wanted to leave with me.

Rounding up.

“You like me and want to form a bond with me.” Enlightened, I spread my arms. “Don’t be shy. I understand.”

The sword spirit: “…”

Trembling with rage, he smacked my backside with his scabbard.

“Who wants to bond with you? Brainless, awful woman! Get away from me!”

Oh, come now. I had only told the truth.

Why was he angry again?