Chengying Sword

Sword of the Dawn Shadow

Blade of King Zhou’s hoard whose shadow alone is visible at twilight, from the Liezi’s parable.

Chengying is one of the three swords treasured by Kong Zhou of Wei in the Liezi’s parable of the perfect blades, keeping company with Hanguang and Xiaolian. At the instant when dawn light meets the dark one can see the sword’s shadow but not the sword itself; swung, it seems to weigh nothing, yet nothing it passes remains whole. The blade is an essay on invisibility — perfect sharpness leaves no trace for the eye to catch. Later collectors counted Chengying among the great swords of antiquity.