I deeply regretted having to miss seeing Hsing-ping, a very old town built by the ruler of the Wu Kingdom in the Three Kingdoms period of the third century.

[L]istening for a moment, she heard the monotonous and heavy tread of the soldier echoing through the passage.

I see thy glory like a shooting star / Fall to the base earth from the firmament.

A Katzbalger, if I remembered my history correctly. The blade was made of a dull gray metal. Tiny lines of black text were etched along the edges.