No need for the Grand Ancestor to say anything—William Carter would have rebuilt the Tiger Fang Army anyway. In times like these, with troubles both internal and external, if one could command such an invincible and utterly loyal force as the Tiger Fang Army, then unifying the realm would not be a difficult task.

Blood began to boil a little.

……

Chapter 10: The Path of Asura

……

But given the current situation—no money, no manpower—the Tiger Fang Army could only remain a fantasy for now; it was definitely not the time to establish it. The most important thing at present was to get a large sum of money first. At the far end of the grand hall stood a tall and exquisitely crafted altar. Upon the altar were several elegant, rectangular boxes.

Each box was engraved with a name, such as Ziyang Sword, Lone Moon Sword, Guizang Sword, Chilian Sword, and so on. Below each box was an inscription detailing the sword’s origin and its former glory. There were ten such swords in total. Every single one had seen bloody battles and was a weapon coveted by all martial artists.

At the very center of the altar, a marble pedestal had been specially raised. In the middle sat a long, sword-shaped box. The other ten swords below seemed to encircle it like stars around the moon. William Carter walked over slowly, opened the sword box, tore off the preservative materials, and took out the treasured sword from the unknown preservative oil. It was a true sword of legend. Including the scabbard, it seemed to weigh over thirty jin. It took some effort just to lift it.

He carefully wiped the oil clean. The scabbard, made of some unknown material and leather, felt cold and heavy to the touch. The strange patterns covering it gave a satisfying tactile sensation when gripped. Holding the hilt, he slowly drew the sword. The blade was only two fingers wide and about three feet long. Yet this seemingly ordinary-sized sword weighed at least thirty jin. In the past, when William Carter was bored at home playing games, he would sometimes train with a fifteen-kilogram dumbbell, so he could estimate the sword’s weight at a glance.

The blade was extremely sharp, though the body of the sword already bore some scratches and faint red stains, as if it had seen many battles. Clearly, this sword was never meant to be a mere display piece in a study. Sure enough, upon reading the inscription, he learned that this was once the Grand Ancestor’s personal sword, weighing thirty jin and eleven liang, named Asura Path. Countless souls had perished beneath it, and it exuded a fierce aura.

William Carter swung it a couple of times, feeling its immense weight. Only by using both hands could he barely manage to wield it, but with no control at all. After a few swings, he was already exhausted. He propped it against the marble steps. Suddenly, there was a crisp sound—like slicing through tofu, the blade sank a foot deep into the marble.

“What a sword, what a sword.” William Carter exclaimed in astonishment as he pulled it out again, sighing, “Unfortunately, I don’t have the strength to use it.”

Regretfully, he set it aside for now. Then, together with The Queen, he wandered around the Armory Hall for a while. Besides the three hundred sets of Tiger Fang Army armor and sabers, and the eleven peerless swords, there were countless other rare weapons and armors. Among the collection, William Carter found an inner armor made of some unknown mix of leather and materials, light and flexible. According to an introduction left by a certain emperor, its defensive power was quite good—almost comparable to the standard armor used by the army, but without the bulk and weight. William Carter tested it with an ordinary good sword, and sure enough, it was hard to pierce with normal force.

Such a good item, of course, couldn’t be missed. William Carter immediately took off his dragon robe and put it on underneath. He felt much more secure, at least a bit safer. He also found an exceptionally sharp short dagger and strapped it to his leg armor. In case of emergency, it might come in handy.

The Armory Hall was filled mostly with weapons and armor—there wasn’t even half a tael of silver to be found. After looking around, he and The Queen went to visit the other treasuries. This time, they entered a place resembling a library, filled with countless books and paintings, many of which were rare editions long lost to the outside world. Of course, this was according to The Queen; William Carter had no idea about rare editions or not. As for this library, William Carter had little interest. But The Queen was delighted to see so many books and paintings, flipping through them one by one with great enjoyment.

After a while, William Carter called her a few times, but got little response. So he turned and left for another area. What he needed most now was money, not books. Looking up, he saw the last place was called the Treasure Pavilion, and his spirits immediately lifted. Since it was called the Treasure Pavilion, it must be filled with all sorts of rare treasures. He entered with high hopes, only to find a messy, chaotic room. Several empty shelves were toppled over haphazardly. None of the treasure chests, which should have been filled with valuables, were even closed. William Carter was startled and hurried over to check each chest one by one. But every single one was empty. There were signs everywhere of having been looted, nothing like the neatness of the other two places.

Immediately, William Carter roared in grief and indignation. What kind of Treasure Pavilion was this? It was practically a garbage dump.

Soon, The Queen was drawn over by his shouting. Her pretty face was full of worry at first, but after glancing around, she understood and couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh.