My Ares Son-in-Law

"Pass down the order." He had his back to everyone, his voice calm and even, yet carrying an undeniable authority. "Immediately remove all surveillance on Xiao Chen. If he wants to investigate Jiang Meng, let him. If necessary... you can secretly give him some 'favors'."

Upon hearing this, Su Yu nodded without hesitation and replied, "Yes!"

There was no surprise on her face... She had long heard of Jiang Xueren's caution and foresight. This decision, though seemingly a concession, was in fact a wise preparation before great chaos was about to break out.

"In this era of great change, any unnecessary expenditure could destroy our foundation. Our primary task right now is to accumulate strength." Jiang Xueren took a deep breath, his tone solemn, but then his tone suddenly changed, "However, that doesn't stop me from personally meeting him. I want to see just what this kid is capable of that makes my Blood Demon Society so wary!"

……

The next morning, deep in the alleys of the old city of the provincial capital.

The entrance to Cangfeng Pavilion is hidden in the bustling city, inconspicuous at all. The old wooden signboard has been blackened by time, and the paint on the three characters "Cangfeng Pavilion" has long since peeled off, making it almost impossible to recognize its original appearance without careful observation.

But those in the know are aware that this seemingly dilapidated shop is actually the premier ancient weapon trading center in the western region, and the Qin family behind it is a weapon-making family with a thousand-year-old heritage, whose weapon-making skills are unparalleled in the world.

"Squeak..."

Xiao Chen pushed open the heavy wooden door, and the copper bell hanging above the door made a series of crisp sounds, breaking the tranquility of the shop.

The shop was dimly lit, and a unique aroma filled the air... the crispness of rust, the richness of tung oil, and the weathered feel of aged wood, all intertwined to create the distinctive scent of ancient weapons.

The four walls were covered with all kinds of weapons: the ancient simplicity of Han swords, the sharpness of Tang swords, and the strange and unpredictable weapons of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The variety was dazzling and seemed endless.

Just then, a slender figure slowly walked out from the inner room.

The woman wore a dark-patterned cheongsam, the well-tailored fabric outlining her exquisite figure, with the slit revealing glimpses of her fair and slender legs.

What's most captivating are her heterochromatic eyes... Her left pupil is a warm, deep brown, while her right eye gleams with a faint golden luster, as if it contains the stars and the sea.

"Mr. Xiao?" She parted her lips slightly, her voice melodious like a nightingale's song, with just the right amount of gentleness, "Qin Xianglan, the thirty-seventh generation descendant of the Qin family. I have been waiting for your arrival, sir."

Xiao Chen nodded slightly and got straight to the point: "Is what I asked for ready?"

"Please follow me, sir." Qin Xianglan's smile remained unchanged as she stepped aside to lead the way.

Xiao Chen followed closely behind, passing through the front hall where weapons were displayed, and stepping into the backyard.

The scene before him, however, made him pause slightly...

The backyard was not a messy dumping ground for ordinary shops, but an exquisitely maintained Jiangnan garden, with babbling brooks, swaying bamboo shadows, and a gentle breeze carrying the faint fragrance of grass and trees, which contrasted sharply with the heavy and weathered atmosphere of the front hall.

Qin Xianglan stopped in front of an artificial hill, gently pressed her fingertips three times on a protrusion in the crevice of the rock, and then rotated it half a circle clockwise.

"Boom..."

A dull creak of machinery sounded, and the heavy artificial rock slowly slid aside, revealing a stone staircase leading downwards. A blast of scorching air instantly rushed towards us, mixed with the faint clanging of metal, as if a lurking beast was sleeping below.

The underground weapon-making chamber. It was a spacious area about the size of a basketball court, with a huge bronze furnace standing in the center. The furnace was burning fiercely, and the red flames made the whole space feel warm and cozy, while also making the hundreds of weapons displayed on the shelves around it gleam coldly.

Without further hesitation, Xiao Chen raised his hand and took out the unsharpened Reverse Scale Sword from his storage space.

The sword was covered in rust and mottled. Although it was intact, it exuded a gloomy and lifeless atmosphere, lacking the luster and sharpness that a divine weapon should have. It looked no different from the scrap metal in a junkyard.

However, the moment the Reverse Scale Sword appeared...

"Om...!"

A deep, ancient dragon's roar suddenly erupted, echoing throughout the weapon-forging room!
The hundreds of weapons on the surrounding shelves seemed to be intimidated by the invisible pressure of the king, and they trembled violently at the same time, the swords and blades clanging and ringing, as if they were bowing down to the supreme monarch.

Even more astonishingly, some of the inferior weapons were unable to withstand this pressure at all. Cracks and bangs rang out one after another, fragments fell to the ground, and dust filled the air.

Extreme shock flashed in Qin Xianglan's golden right eye, and her breathing became rapid: "All weapons pay homage... The ancient phenomenon recorded in the ancient books is actually true! This Reverse Scale Sword is indeed a divine weapon that is hard to come by in all the ages!"

Xiao Chen, however, paid no attention to this, simply gazing quietly at the sword in his hand. Although this Reverse Scale Sword was not as domineering as his natal divine weapon, the War God Halberd, it was still a peerless treasure, enough to help him deal with the current situation.

"boom!"

The next second, an extremely intense blue light suddenly erupted from the Reverse Scale Sword, sweeping through the entire weapon-forging room like a tidal wave.

Amidst the azure light, a blurry phantom of a blue dragon spiraled and rose, its scales clearly visible, its eyes like lightning, majestically overlooking all living beings, exuding an aura of dominance over the world.

The rust on the Reverse Scale Sword peeled off piece by piece under the washing of the blue light, revealing the dark, abyss-like sword body underneath. The original cracks on the sword body were also slowly healed under the nourishment of the blue light.

An ancient aura, vast as the starry sea, slowly awakened from the sword, growing stronger and stronger, as if it had traversed a thousand years and reappeared in the world.

Qin Xianglan could no longer maintain her composure. Her body moved uncontrollably to one knee, and her voice trembled uncontrollably: "Divine weapons have spirits and choose their own masters... The records passed down from our ancestors are indeed true! This sword has recognized its master and returned to its rightful place!"

Xiao Chen remained silent, but his gaze grew increasingly profound. He could clearly feel a wondrous connection forming between himself and the Reverse Scale Sword; the sword moved with his will, and their hearts were in sync.

Inside the weapon-forging chamber, the roar of dragons echoed endlessly, causing the entire underground space to tremble slightly.

At this moment, the sky above the provincial capital was completely shrouded in thick, inky clouds. A strong wind was rising, and the dark clouds were churning, as if foreshadowing an earth-shattering storm that was about to break.

The rain is coming and the wind is all over the building.

Inside the underground weapon-forging chamber, the surging dragon roars gradually subsided, leaving only the lingering ancient pressure in the air, which lingered for a long time.

Xiao Chen firmly gripped the hilt of the Reverse Scale Sword. The sword no longer trembled violently, but the dark blue aura seemed to come alive, constantly lingering around the sword, flowing endlessly, just like an ancient dragon that had been sleeping for thousands of years had just opened its sleepy eyes, its languidness concealing a domineering sharpness.

Qin Xianglan slowly rose, leaning against the stone wall. Her golden right eye clearly reflected the faint light flowing across the sword's blade. Her voice was filled with barely suppressed shock, even her breath trembled: "Mr. Xiao, this sword… the extraordinary phenomenon it triggered… it has only been recorded once in the ancient texts passed down through my Qin family for thousands of years!" (End of Chapter)