“Is there a problem with the rust residue?” Noticing Elder Qian’s movements, Yu Feibai asked very astutely. “Hard to say, let’s take a look first.” Elder Qian replied casually, then meticulously observed the residue’s reaction in the hot water.

The residue quickly dispersed, staining the clear boiling water a murky yellow-red. At the right moment, Yu Feibai nudged Wang Guan and whispered, “This should be considered normal, right?” “I don’t know; I’m bad at chemistry.” Wang Guan shook his head blankly, also unsure if this was the expected outcome after the residue dissolved in hot water.

“Humanities majors are so weak…” Noticing Wang Guan’s sideways glance, Yu Feibai snapped back, “I wasn’t talking about you. Self-deprecation isn’t allowed—I’m a liberal arts major too.” Wang Guan couldn’t help but chuckle, deciding to ignore Yu Feibai.

Instead, he turned to Elder Qian and asked, “Elder Qian, this rust seems a bit peculiar.” “Oh?” At this point, Elder Qian grew interested. “What’s peculiar about it?” “You’re testing me again, Elder.” Wang Guan spoke cautiously, “I watched very clearly.

You threw several small flakes of rust into the hot water. Generally, rust should contain iron and shouldn't dissolve so quickly.

But these flakes, as soon as they hit the cup, seemed to break apart almost instantly.” “Huh.” At this moment, Yu Feibai also realized the issue. “That’s truly odd.

I examined the rust spots on the sword before; even with residue flaking off, the overall structure should be quite tough. How can it just dissolve upon contact with water?” Wang Guan nodded slightly, agreeing with Yu Feibai.

After all, he had inspected it too; the rust patches adhered firmly to the blade, giving the sensation of an obstinate stain that couldn't be scrubbed or scraped away. He had even considered polishing it at the time.

He never expected that high-temperature hot water could soak it away. Of course, upon discovering this, Wang Guan was immensely relieved.

Polishing carried risks and would leave abrasions on the blade’s edge. Being able to dissolve the rust marks effortlessly was an unexpected delight for him.

As always, Elder Qian proved reliable in a crucial moment. “Elder Qian, can this rust be washed clean with hot water?” Yu Feibai asked excitedly, reaching for the kettle to fetch more water for boiling.

“It’s not that simple.” However, Elder Qian gently shook his head. “These rust spots have been solidified for at least a thousand years; they won't dissipate easily.

High-temperature hot water won't work either; we need high-proof strong liquor.” “Strong liquor?” Wang Guan and Yu Feibai were both momentarily surprised. “Elder Qian, will this method work?” Yu Feibai naturally harbored some doubt.

“I’ve never heard of using strong liquor to remove rust.” “Whatever Elder Qian says, we’ll do it,” Wang Guan pondered. “Besides, the rust spots on the ancient sword don't seem to be rust in the true sense, or at least they are different from ordinary rust.” “You noticed that?” Yu Feibai was astonished.

“What’s the difference?” “I’m not sure. Ask Elder Qian; I’ll go buy some strong liquor first.” As he spoke, Wang Guan hurried out, bought a case of high-proof baijiu from a nearby store, and returned to find that during his absence, Elder Qian and Yu Feibai had already set up a stove in the courtyard and placed a large cauldron on it.

They were simply waiting for his strong liquor. Seeing this, Wang Guan was somewhat surprised.

“Are you planning to boil the liquor, or boil the sword along with the liquor?” “We’ll boil the liquor first,” Elder Qian thought for a moment, smiling. “We’ll try wiping the sword with high-temperature strong liquor.

If that fails, then, as you suggested, we'll put the sword in the pot to boil.” “Stop wasting time.” At this juncture, Yu Feibai, somewhat agitated and excited, urged him on. “Hurry up and help pour the liquor.” Saying this, he opened two bottles of baijiu, snatched one in each hand, and tilted them slightly toward the large cauldron.

The pungent aroma of the liquor gurgled out, causing even those nearby to twitch their noses. Wang Guan went to assist, and in no time, half the case of baijiu was poured into the pot.

They then heated it fiercely. In just a few minutes, wisps of steam began to rise, and the courtyard was instantly filled with a thick, rich, and inviting aroma of alcohol.

While the fragrance was enticing, this was extremely high-proof baijiu, which is harsh on the body and throat; few people could handle it. Especially after being steamed, the potent nature of the liquor was fully unleashed, making it even more likely to cause intoxication.

Warming wine leads to intoxication—this is common knowledge. However, they weren't boiling the liquor for tasting.

Seeing the baijiu bubbling furiously in the pot, Elder Qian immediately dipped the prepared white gauze into it. Once thoroughly soaked and saturated with the strong liquor, Elder Qian pulled out the gauze, quickly folded it into a pad, and carefully wiped it across the sword’s body.

With one gentle swipe, the white gauze was immediately stained with large patches of yellow-red rust residue. This was a perfectly normal occurrence, so Wang Guan and Yu Feibai paid it no mind, observing closely instead.

They watched as, under Elder Qian’s wiping, the thick rust on the sword indeed showed signs of dissolving, peeling away bit by bit… As time passed, Elder Qian changed seven or eight pieces of white gauze. The rust spots on the ancient sword became progressively fewer, leaving behind only a faint layer.

During this process, they witnessed firsthand how the ancient sword transformed from a mottled, unsightly state into one that was elegant, unyielding, and full of subtle charm. If the ancient sword looked like just an ancient sword before, now that most of the thick rust was gone, it looked more like a new sword that had been stored away for a decade or two.

A thousand-year-old blade had reached this state in such a short time—it was a massive improvement. Furthermore, as the thick rust was removed, the inscriptions on the sword body gradually began to show.

“What are the inscriptions?” At this moment, Yu Feibai leaned in excitedly to examine it. However, it was unfortunate that even though the thick rust was gone, a thin film of residual rust remained on the blade.

This thin film of rust couldn't be wiped away, much like how the collar of a shirt worn for years, even with daily washing, retains some stubborn dark-yellow stains—stains that simply wouldn't scrub off. It was this film that made the inscriptions blurry and indistinct, giving the impression of seeing flowers through a fog.

“These are Seal Script characters…” Yu Feibai squinted, trying hard to observe, even reaching out to feel the characters with his finger. However, because the inscriptions were relatively shallow, although the characters strongly resembled those of Chixiao, he couldn't be absolutely certain.

To reiterate, although the ancient sword now looked different, displaying a certain extraordinary aura, it still seemed far from the legendary Chixiao sword. “This sword looks quite nice; perhaps it was a famous sword in its time, but it definitely isn’t Chixiao.

At least two of the Seal Script characters don’t match…” Yu Feibai analyzed, though his conviction felt weak. “Stop being stubborn; this sword is undoubtedly Chixiao,” Wang Guan countered, though he frowned slightly.

“However, this rust film is genuinely distracting. Elder Qian, is there no way to deal with it?

Do we really have to polish it?” “Polishing is out of the question,” Elder Qian shook his head without hesitation. “Polishing would destroy the sword’s ancient aesthetic charm.

In fact, this state is quite good—the luster is contained, simple and unadorned. This is fresh de-rusting; once the blade adapts to the surrounding environment after some time, a faint glow might emerge.” Adapting to the environment presumably meant the process of re-oxidation, or perhaps the formation of a patina from Wang Guan handling it frequently.

But neither possibility aligned with his expectations. At this point, Wang Guan’s eyes flickered, and he hesitated.

“Elder Qian, you mentioned boiling it directly—could that dissolve the rust film?” “Perhaps…” Elder Qian was uncertain. “But you should understand, strong liquor itself has a degree of corrosiveness.

Although very slight, when heated to high temperatures, especially if we place the sword in the pot to boil, it might affect the blade. Whether the influence is positive or negative is somewhat uncontrollable.” “It might dissolve the rust film, or it might compromise the blade’s stability…” Elder Qian smiled and offered a reminder: “Think carefully.

If it’s the former, everyone will be happy. If it’s the latter, I have no idea what this sword will turn into.” “Elder Qian,” Wang Guan deliberated, then asked directly, “What is your true opinion?

Also, what’s the deal with this rust? I never knew that metal rust could possibly be wiped away with strong liquor.” “Hehe…” At that moment, Elder Qian chuckled lightly.

Without waiting for Wang Guan’s decision, he directly placed the long sword into the large cauldron and casually closed the lid, leaving only half of it exposed outside the pot. “Elder Qian, what are you doing?” Wang Guan was instantly surprised, followed by a flicker of joy.

“You also think this is the Chixiao sword?” “I don’t know.” Elder Qian smiled faintly. “We’ll know the result shortly.” “Elder Qian, since you’ve gone this far, the result must be a sure thing.” Yu Feibai’s spirits instantly lifted, and he watched closely.

“After boiling off the rust film, will it restore the Chixiao sword’s appearance of brilliant luster, with an edge like frost and snow?” “That’s hard to say for certain,” Elder Qian mused. “I only know that the rust spots on this sword are indeed problematic.

That isn't ordinary metal rust; it’s blood rust…” “Blood rust?” Hearing this term, Wang Guan and Yu Feibai couldn't help but be startled, feeling a sense of dread. “What is blood rust?

Rust formed from blood?” Yu Feibai hypothesized. “Blood coagulated on the sword, and after prolonged oxidation, it became a layer of rust spots?” “Precisely,” Elder Qian nodded.

“That seems to be the case based on what I see.” “Does blood rust adhere that strongly?” Yu Feibai was still perplexed. “It congealed so thickly… How much blood would that require…” “Wait a minute!” Suddenly, Wang Guan recalled something, his expression turning strange.

“Elder Qian, didn't you mention that the reason Chixiao is called ‘Red Firmament’ is supposedly due to the sword pattern’s adsorption power…” The subtle grooves on the Gongfu sword could firmly hold water droplets on the blade, preventing them from dripping for a long time. If the adsorption capability of the Chixiao sword was even greater, causing blood to cling to it like a festering sore, then this situation might not be strange at all.

Simultaneously, Wang Guan vaguely began to understand why some historical records mentioned that Chixiao required polishing once every twelve years. Moying (polishing/honing) might not have meant grinding the metal, but rather cleaning off bloodstains…