Chapter 365: The Sword Tomb’s Recognition
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“Impossible!” Madam Lin furrowed her brows tightly, her voice filled with disbelief.
“Where did this servant come from, spouting such nonsense? Lou Jin Tang is only seven years old! How can she be the clan leader?!” Madam Lin found the very idea laughable.
“She hasn’t even learned swordsmanship! What does she know?!” Madam Lin’s voice rang sharply through the hall.
The servant, who had originally come seeking a reward, lowered his gaze. “Whether it is true or not, Madam Lin may see for herself at the front courtyard.”
“Lou Xu Yan is gravely injured, and his fate remains uncertain.”
As soon as the words left his lips, hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor.
“Madam, Master is severely injured! His bones are shattered! You must come quickly!” The head maid, who had been waiting anxiously outside, reported with tears streaming down her face.
Madam Lin’s body went weak, nearly collapsing if not for the maid’s quick support.
Her face drained of color. “How could this happen?”
The head maid sobbed. “Master had already won first place in the Advanced Arena, but Lou Jin Tang challenged him beyond her rank and struck him down with a single sword stroke! He lost!”
“Please, Madam, you must see him. We don’t know if he can survive this!”
Overcome with horror and panic, Madam Lin stumbled toward the front courtyard.
Lou Mu stood frozen in shock.
“Tang’er… has become the clan leader?”
The servant grinned. “Indeed, at this moment, Miss Jin Tang is already being escorted to the ancestral hall.”
“Madam does not need to move from the main courtyard. It remains yours.”
Holding her granddaughter in her arms, Lou Mu burst into tears.
Her seven-year-old daughter had upheld a family on the verge of collapse.
Handing her granddaughter to a trusted maid, she wiped away her tears. “I must go to the ancestral hall. Tang’er is still young, and those elders will surely make things difficult for her.”
At the entrance of the ancestral hall, Lu Chao Chao and her group stood outside.
“She is my master, the one who taught me swordsmanship… If she cannot enter, then neither will I!” Lou Jin Tang stood firm, refusing to step inside.
General Lou cast a glance at the gathered elders before stating, “Let Princess Sunshine enter.”
“A person of such talent—what harm is there in allowing her inside?”
The elders exchanged looks but made no objections. After all, the swordsmanship Lu Chao Chao had imparted was undeniably powerful. Who among them did not covet such skill?
They dared not offend her.
Lou Jin Tang walked cautiously beside Lu Chao Chao, her face flushed with shyness. “Chao Chao… am I your disciple?”
Lu Chao Chao tilted her head in thought. “Half of one, perhaps.”
“You haven’t formally offered tea, so you cannot yet be considered a true disciple.”
“Once I select an auspicious day and introduce you to your seven senior brothers and sisters, then you will be officially recognized.”
Lou Jin Tang nearly leaped with joy.
Lu Chao Chao treasured talent—especially hard-working female disciples.
Within the solemn ancestral hall, all seven elders of the Lou family stood gathered, their expressions grave.
“Jin Tang, the sword style you use is not from the Lou family?” The First Elder, having emerged from the restricted area upon hearing the news, questioned her.
Kneeling in the hall, facing the ancestral tablets, Lou Jin Tang replied, “Yes, my swordsmanship was taught by Princess Sunshine. This technique consists of nine forms, but I have only learned four so far due to my limited aptitude.”
The elders exchanged serious glances. With just four forms, she had rendered Lou Xu Yan crippled.
This swordsmanship far surpassed that of the Lou family.
One of the elders cautiously asked Lu Chao Chao, “Princess Sunshine, may we know the name of this technique?”
“The Sunshine Nine-Sword Style.” Lu Chao Chao lazily popped melon seeds into her mouth.
In truth, this technique had another name—Heaven Cleaving Sword Technique.
It was said that, when mastered to its peak, it could split the heavens, move mountains, and fill seas, rivaling the gods themselves.
The elders pondered, realizing they had never heard of such a technique before.
“Setting aside the matter of swordsmanship, the succession ceremony must follow proper procedure.” General Lou’s tone remained calm. He could see the elders’ attempts to avoid the matter.
The Seventh Elder stepped forward first. “The winner of the Lou Family Grand Competition shall be the clan leader. This has been our rule for a thousand years. I have no objections!”
The Fifth Elder, a kindly old man, looked at Lou Jin Tang with warm eyes. “Nor do I.”
The Fourth Elder nodded approvingly. “To have such a talented young member is a blessing for the Lou family. I have no objections.”
Suddenly, a sorrowful voice rang out from outside. “I object!”
“I, the wife of Lou Xu Yan, object! I implore the elders to uphold justice for the clan!” Madam Lin entered, her eyes red and filled with hatred.
A servant announced her arrival before ushering her inside.
Lou Mu arrived shortly after, silently standing beside her daughter.
Madam Lin, tears streaming down her face, fell to her knees. “Elders, please uphold justice for Xu Yan! Lou Jin Tang, despite being only seven, is already ruthless! She shattered Xu Yan’s bones, turning him into a cripple!”
“My husband trained diligently every day, only to be destroyed by his junior! How can such a vicious child be our clan leader?!”
“Furthermore, she has never stepped into the Sword Tomb nor gained its recognition! How can she be deemed worthy?!”
“How can the Lou family be led by a mere child? What a joke!” Madam Lin gritted her teeth, glaring at Lou Jin Tang as if she wished to tear her apart.
Lu Chao Chao blinked innocently at her. “Who would’ve thought that after living for over thirty years, he still couldn’t defeat a seven-year-old?”
“Tang-jie joined the competition for the first time. She didn’t know she had to go easy.”
Madam Lin choked in frustration.
“Madam Lin, Tang’er is just a child and does not yet understand. Tomorrow, I will personally take her to apologize to Xu Yan.” Lou Mu’s voice was calm, deflecting the words back at Madam Lin.
Madam Lin trembled with fury, her face dark. “She ruined Xu Yan’s future, and an apology is supposed to make up for it? I refuse!”
Lou Mu chuckled coldly. “Back then, Lou Xiao Fan insulted Qing Mo’s wife, who had just given birth. She could not bear the humiliation and took her own life.”
“You excused it as ‘he was just a child’ and had him kneel at the spirit tablet to apologize. A life was taken, yet nothing came of it.”
“Why should Tang’er be treated differently?”
“If anyone is to blame, it is Lou Xu Yan for lacking the skill to win. A man in his thirties, losing to a seven-year-old, then demanding her to go easy on him? How ridiculous! What a disgrace!”
“You—!” Madam Lin bit her tongue, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
Lou Mu’s gaze remained frosty. She had no interest in the clan leader’s position or the main courtyard.
But she would never let Lou Xu Yan take it.
Once, Qing Mo had waited for reinforcements on the battlefield, but they never came.
Because Lou Xu Yan had delayed the military report.
Fifty cane strikes for the loss of Qing Mo’s life. She had pleaded with every elder for justice.
But because the Lou family lacked successors, they had spared Lou Xu Yan for the sake of the family’s stability.
She had hated them ever since. Hated them enough to turn her hair white overnight.
Now, her daughter had taken justice into her own hands. Even in death, she would have no regrets.
“This cannot be settled so easily! Xu Yan is crippled!” Madam Lin wailed, knowing that in the Lou family, strength was absolute.
Just as Lou Xu Yan had once been protected by his strength, now Lou Jin Tang stood in the same position.
“I refuse to accept her as the clan leader! She has not gained the Sword Tomb’s recognition!”
After a moment of contemplation, the First Elder nodded. “Indeed, Jin Tang has yet to receive the Sword Tomb’s acknowledgment. The matter of leadership remains unsettled.”
“To satisfy the clan, Jin Tang must enter the Sword Tomb and choose a Spirit Sword!”
Lou Mu’s heart clenched.
Lou Yun Zheng had never been recognized by the Sword Tomb. He had failed to claim a Spirit Sword.
And because of that, he had been criticized for years.
Would her daughter, at just seven years old, truly gain the Sword Tomb’s approval?