Sasuke Uchiha had been captivated by the sheer, unyielding power of Ximen Chuixue. The swordsman's extreme dedication and singular focus resonated deeply with Sasuke's own soul-consuming obsession with vengeance. It suggested a profound, monastic way of survival: to entrust everything to the blade, for only the blade, unlike family or brotherhood, would never betray you.
Yet, the idea that such a ruthless master could also have a wife and friend shattered the neat, simple structure of Sasuke's revenge-driven world.
"Actually, it's just a matter of choice," Shen Mo said, his voice soft, gently stroking Himari, who was now dozing peacefully in his arms. "As I said, the way of the sword is primarily the way of killing. The Sword of Ruthlessness is indeed one valid path. But all power, even the sword, can be wielded for protection. There is also the... Sword of Love."
"The Sword of Love?" Sasuke muttered the words, confusion swirling in his eyes. Only hours ago, he was a regular academy student. Now, after opening dozens of jars and absorbing fragments of ancient, powerful martial arts, he thought he had grasped the essence of the sword. Shen Mo's words made him realize he knew nothing.
"Is a sword not used to kill?" he challenged, his voice laced with indignation.
"Hahaha," Shen Mo laughed, a burst of genuine amusement. "You have a long, long way to go on the path of Kendo, young one. In your current state, you are not strong enough to wield the Sword of Ruthlessness, let alone begin to comprehend the Sword of Love."
Shen Mo recognized the familiar pattern. This was classic Sasuke syndrome: overconfidence fueled by a minor, recent power-up, immediately followed by a brutal reality check. It was a cycle of defeat and power-chasing that defined his anime character, and it was perfect for a merchant. He needs a painful lesson to teach him the cost of true power.
Sasuke, predictably, bristled. "I would kill anyone who stands between me and my vengeance, without hesitation or remorse. Is that not the Ruthless Sword?" He lifted his chin, his gaze defiant. He felt the Songfeng Sword Technique and the new strength in his muscles; he was not the powerless boy he was yesterday.
Shen Mo nodded internally. This is perfect. The most critical rule of this business was not to scam the client, but to manage their expectations and never allow them to reach a point of satisfaction that ended the cycle of spending. Sasuke needed to realize that his own will was insufficient, that he needed to buy the strength required.
"If you view the sword so simply," Shen Mo said, his tone turning serious, "you will never achieve anything worthwhile on this path." He continued before Sasuke could interrupt: "But it doesn't matter. It is normal that you do not understand now. Continue opening the jars. The greatest significance of the jar is to allow you to attempt things you could never achieve otherwise."
Sasuke fell silent, his gaze returning to the remaining jars, his eyes burning with renewed longing. The promise was clear: open more jars, and I can be even stronger!
He was unaware that among the remaining hundred jars was a precise, cruel trap laid just for his psyche.
He tore into the next few jars, finding minor scrolls and elixirs, until he reached the ninety-fourth jar.
Inside, there was only a single, perfectly smooth piece of jade.
"That's it!" Shen Mo exclaimed, clapping his hands. "You possess incredible luck!"
"What is this jade?" Sasuke asked, his voice catching in his throat. Every time Shen Mo showed this kind of excitement, the item was immensely valuable.
"This is Experience Jade," Shen Mo said, looking meaningfully at the boy.
"Experience Jade?" Sasuke repeated the words, trying to grasp their significance.
"Precisely. It is extremely rare. It allows the user to experience a fully realized Sword Realm firsthand. If the user is extremely talented, they can retain a portion of that realm and integrate it, causing a massive, instantaneous leap in strength." Shen Mo paused, his playful smile returning. "You claim your sword is the Ruthless Sword? Well, this piece of jade will allow you to experience the true, ultimate power of the Ruthless Sword realm."
The jade was not a random insertion; it was a strategically priced item Shen Mo had prepared specifically for this moment. Kendo, in the multi-world sense, was difficult and expensive because it demanded exceptional personal qualities—talent, character, and philosophical understanding. But a rapid decline in the customer's sense of reward kills the spending incentive. Shen Mo needed to balance the line: keep the customer happy while they pay, but never allow them to become so strong that they no longer need to pay.
Sasuke was now perfectly poised to fall into the Kryptonite Gold Trap.
Instant massive leap in strength? I like that. Sasuke automatically disregarded the caveat about "extremely talented genius." He wanted the power now.
Without hesitation, Sasuke placed the smooth, cold jade against his forehead, following Shen Mo's instruction.
The jade immediately dissolved into a stream of pulsing white light, thousands of tiny, ethereal swords flowing directly into Sasuke's mind.
His body seized up.
Sasuke was instantly projected into the heart of the Ruthless Sword Realm. He was no longer looking at the world; he was the world. A third-person perspective granted him a chilling view of his own mind: vast, white, and desolate, like an endless expanse of untouched snow.
There were no emotions. No sadness. No joy. Not even hatred.
There was only the Sword.
He had become one with the sword. The realization was profound: he didn't need a physical blade. His will, his gaze, the air itself—everything was an extension of his sword. He could crush mountains, cleave space, and annihilate his enemy with a single, abstract thought.
So strong! So unimaginably powerful!
Sasuke felt the strength—a power so immense that moving was redundant. A single conscious thought could execute the perfect, final strike.
But there was no joy in it.
He was a sword, and a sword could not experience happiness. He tested his emotions: he thought of Uchiha Itachi, the night of his clan's murder, the betrayal, the pain. In this state, the crushing weight of that hatred felt like a meaningless speck of dust. He could still kill Itachi, yes, but it would not be out of passion or vengeance; it would be merely an act of technical perfection, a demonstration of the sword's purpose.
This was the ultimate in ruthlessness: the utter annihilation of self.
All life and human purpose vanished from Sasuke's eyes, leaving behind a cold, terrifying emptiness—a dead body piloted by the pure logic of the blade. He was lost.
"Wake up—!"
A fierce, thunderous roar—Shen Mo's command, amplified by a quick, low-cost mental sonic boom—shattered the white expanse in Sasuke's heart.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sasuke instantly collapsed, clutching his chest, gasping for air. His eyes were wide, filled with an indescribable, visceral terror.
What was that?
He had felt himself die. His humanity had been brutally stripped away, leaving behind a metallic, empty shell.
"Is this... the Ruthless Sword?" he rasped, his voice raw. He looked desperately at Shen Mo, knowing that if the merchant hadn't forcibly pulled him back, he would have remained a slave to the blade forever.
"The Ruthless Sword requires only sincerity to the sword, not to people," Shen Mo confirmed, his expression grave. "But you, Sasuke, are not suited to this path. You are too emotional, too defined by human bonds. Usually, someone of your talent would not become a slave to the blade, but the experience was too potent for your unprepared mind. If I had not intervened, it would have taken you a very long time to break the sword's grasp."
Shen Mo had successfully shattered Sasuke's inflated confidence and proven that the road to ultimate power was fraught with deadly, psychological traps—traps that only the wise merchant could help him avoid. The fear of self-annihilation was a far more potent motivator for a ninja than the fear of death.