Ashortwhilelater,wassittingatatablecoveredinironfilings,beingservedtea.
“Conow,drink.t’soldtea,butcan’tverywellfailtotreataguest.”
“hankyou,MasterJin.”
“Master,myfoot.Callablacksmith.”
“Yes,BlacksmithJin.”
Whenansweredpolitelyandtookholdoftheteacup,theoldmanlaughedheartilyandstrokedhisbeard.
“ahaha!othinkwouldetsoonefromtheangSectagainbeforediedofoldage.hisisadayworthcommorating.”
“’mnotabloodrelative.’mamaidservantservingadirect-lineyoungmaster......”
“itherway,you’repartoftheangSecthousehold,aren’tyou?learnedalittlefromlderangmyself,soyouandarepracticallyfamily.”
reallydon’tthinkso.
Surprisingly,theoldmanwassoonewhohadreceivedtheangClan’sgrace.
esaidthatwhenhewasyoung,hehadworkedatanironworkshopundertheAlliance,carryingcharcoalforthefurnace.
heonewhohadtaughtthatclumsyyoungmanproperblacksmithinghadbeenanelderoftheangClan.heoldman’svoicewassoakedwithjoyashetoldthestory.
So,accordingtohim,thatmadehimpracticallypartoftheanghouseholdtoo.
“owlonghasitbeensincelasttoldthisstory......?fanoldcountrymanlivinginamountainvillagelikethisstartedtalkingabouttheMartialAllianceandtheangSect,whowouldbelievehim?hey’dsay,‘asthatoldmangonesenile?’”
“Ahaha,see.”
obehonest,don’treallybelieveiteither.
heangClan’stallurgyshouldbecontrolledwithairtightstrictness,shouldn’tit?
Whateccentriclunatictaughtblacksmithingtoanoutsider?
ftheblacksmithsoftheangClan’sironworkshop,whowouldturntheplaceupsidedownoverevenonemissingitem,heardaboutthis,theywouldbeinanuproar.
Asawkwardlyplayedalong,loweredmyvoiceandwhispered.
“Um,sir.twouldbebetterifyoudidn’tntiontheangClanelsewhere.echnologyleaksareasensitiveissue.”
“oodness,lookatmymind.lderangsaidthesathing.esaidmyheadwouldflyifdid.forgot.”
herearethingsyoucanforgetandthingsyoucan’t.owcanyouforgetsothinginvolvingyourownneck,oldman?
heoldmanchuckled,sippedhistea,andasked,
“Youngady,doyouknowlderang?iseyesweresharplikethis,andhiswayofspeakingwasbrusque.”
eseedtobehopingknewhisbenefactor.
couldnotbringmyselftoanswerthatallangClanpeoplewerelikethat,soslowlyshookmyhead.
“heelderblacksmithsrarelycooutoftheironworkshop.’mnotsure.”
“Sohestillneverleavestheworkshopalldaylong.aha.hatisjustlikehim.supposehe’sdoingwell.”
hisoldmanonlyhearswhathewantstohear.saiddon’tknowwhoitis.
Despitemyflimsyexcusethatwasamaidservantservingadirect-lineyoungmaster,theoldmandidnotdoubtatall.
ewassimplybusysavoringhismories.
“Whenlderangworked,heallowednooneintotheironworkshop.Butifitwasn’tasecretartoftheangSect,hetriedtoteachanythinghecould.ealwaysstressedthatapersonneededaskillinordertomakealiving.”
“esoundslikeagoodperson.”
“ealsohadafinesetoflungs.canstillhearhimshoutingthatifheldthehamrlikethat,’dbreakmywrist.”
heoldmanlaughedloudly,andnostalgiaroseacrosshisface.
“wantedtobecoablacksmithlikehim......”
tseedhehadadmiredthatnalessangClanblacksmith.
Whensmiledsilently,theoldmangatheredhisexpressionandasked,
“ButwhatbringsaangSectyoungmasterallthewaytoAnhui?Andlookingforasword,noless.DopeopleintheangSecthandleswordsthesedays?”
“Myyoungmasterhasbeenthinkingaboutwaystofaceswordsnwiththemartialartsofoursect.esaidhewoulduseaswordhimselfandtoldtobuyasuitableone.”
“emustbedeeplydevotedtomartiallearning.heangSect’sfutureisbright.”
heoldmanbelievedtheexcusehadroughlycobbledtogetherandnodded.Afterwatchinghisreaction,cautiouslybroughtupthesubject.
“nthatcase,couldyousellthisswordtomyyoungmaster?”
“Doso.”
“Pleasereconsiderinsteadofsaying—what?”
“akeittoyouryoungmaster.t’llbeputtobetterusetherethanrottingawayinaremotevillagelikethis.”
heoldmanagreedreadily.eseedtohavecompletelyforgottenthathehadsaidhewouldnotsellitevenforathousandgoldpieces.Unabletobelievehisanswer,smiledbrightlyandaskedagain.
“Really?You’llsellitto?”
“obeginwith,itwassothinglderangentrustedto.fadirect-linemberoftheangSectseeksit,isn’titonlypropertohanditover?etoldtogiveitawayifasuitableownerappeared.Atlast,theownerhasarrived.”
“hankyou,sir!Myyoungmasterwillbedelightedtoo.”
grabbedtheoldman’swrinkledhandsandshookthemupanddown.
Yes!Unknownelderofthefamily,willuseitgratefully.hisdamnedhouseholdisfinallyusefulforonce.
Atmyfuss,theoldmanchuckledandrose.
“hereisn’tapropersheath.Willthatbeallright?canwrapitinclothforyou.”
“fcourseit’sallright!”
heoldmansoonbroughtcleancottonclothandwrappedtheswordtightly.isworkwasticulous,but......
“Um,sir.Wouldyouhappentohavesothinglikeasackcancarryitin?tseemstooconspicuous.”
tlookedfartoosuspicious.
Anyonecouldtellitwasasword.fwalkedaroundcarryingthis,everyonewouldstare.
Whenlookedtroubled,theoldmanpulledoutalongsackfromsowhereandslidtheswordinside.
“Willthisdo?”
“Yes.hankyou.”
“Stickafewdrybranchesinittoo.twouldbebetterifitlookedasthoughyouwerecarryingfirewood.”
Afterofferingadvice,theoldmanbroughtoverahandfulofsmallbranches.tuckedtheminsotheypokedoutofthesack,thentiedthemouthshut.
hebulgingshapeofthesheathstillbothered,butitwasfarbetterthanaclothbundlethatobviouslycontainedasword.
“Sir,thepaynt......”
“Whatpaynt?toldyou,itwasanobjectlderangentrustedto.WhenyoureturntotheangSect,simplypassalongmyregardstohim.ellhimtheJinfellowopenedanironworkshopinAnhui.”
heoldmancutoffandwavedhishandasifweresayingsothingabsurd.
’msorry,sir.can’tdeliverthatssage......
Myconscienceprickedtoomuchfortoanswerthatwould.smoothlychangedthesubject.
“t’sbesttomakeeverythingclear.fthisisanobjectentrustedtoyoubyanelderoftheangClan,don’tthinkit’ssothingcanpayforatmylevel.PleasechargeittotheangClan’sSecondYoungMaster,angUn.’llgiveyouarubbingofhisidentitytoken.”
fitwasangUn,hewouldrealizeitwasassagefrom.ewasnotsoonewhowouldrevealmylocation,socouldtrusthim.
“rue.fit’ssothingforyoursuperiorstodecide,thenyoucan’tjusttakeitonyourown.fthatwillputyourmindatease,doso.”
“hankyouforunderstanding,sir.”
boweddeeply,thentookoutangUn’sidentitytokenandhandedittotheoldman.
“Mygoodness,tomakeatokenoutofsuchpreciousplum-blossomjade.tseemstheangSect’swealthtrulyisenormous.”
AsiftheidentitytokenofaangClandirect-linemberwastoomuchforhimtohandle,heaccepteditwithtremblinghands.
Whilewatchedtheoldmanmaketherubbingwithgreatcare,slippedinaquestion.
“Bytheway......whydidlderangentrusttheswordtoyou?”
“ehiditbecauseifpeoplelearnedhehadgonetothetroubleofobtainingteoricirononlytomakeaswordwithit,theclanwouldcursehimforthenexthundredyears.esaidhiddenweaponsweretoosmall,soforgingthemwasnofun.”
“......Ah.”
Yes.see.hatelderreallywasaneccentric.
begantowonderabouttheidentityoftheangClanblacksmithwhohadmadethisteoric-ironsword.
heoldmanwipedangUn’sidentitytokencleanandreturneditto,thensmiledbrightly.
“othinkgottotouchtheidentitytokenofadirect-lineangSectmber!hisoldmanhasgainedanotherstorytodrinkover.”
iswordssoundedliketheywouldcauseserioustroubleifdidnotkeephismouthshut,sohurriedlyspoke.
“Um,sir.Couldyoukeeptoday’seventsasecret?”
“Whyisthat?”
“Well,theangClanresearchingswordsmanshipisamatterofpride.Wedon’twantwordofitleakingoutside.hat’salsowhymyyoungmastersentontheerrand.”
“Ah,ofcourse!hisoldmanwasthoughtless.Don’tworry.’llkeepthesecretuntilentermycoffin.”
heoldmannoddedwithasolemnface.nmanyways,hewasquicktoacceptthings.
“hankyouforunderstanding,sir.”
“hereisnothingtounderstand.t’sonlynatural.Youryoungmastermustbewaiting.urryalong.”
“Yes.h,sir.hebladesofalltheironswordsinthatboxwerecorroded.sitallrighttoleavethemlikethat?”
Asslungthesackovermyshoulderandasked,theoldmanansweredasifitwerenothing.
“hatway,flieswon’tgather.”
“What?”
“Farmingtoolsareonething,butifacountrymanlikemakesweaponstoowell,itwillonlybringharm.fwordspreadsthattheswordsmakeareworthless,canlivequietly.hat’swhyleftthemthatway.”
“Ah.”
foundmyselfnoddingatthewisedecision.eseedtocherishhisconnectiontotheangClan,buthehadnointentionofgettingdeeplyentangledwiththemartialworld.
“hen’llbegoingnow.”
“akecareonyourway.”
Afterleavingtheironworkshop,beganwalkingtowardthemarketplace.Ahumslippedoutofonitsownfromthejoyofhavingobtainedsothinggood.
Aswordmadeofteoriciron.Whatkindofwindfallisthis?
YeonRyangwillbepleased,won’the?
*****
boughtasackofdicinalingredientsformakingdewormingpills,thenboughtYeonRyang’sclothesandcloth.
venthoughchosethewidestandlargestclothesamongtheready-madegarntsatthefabricshop,itseedhewouldhavetosewonquitealotofextracloth.
hepantswillprobablyendupmorethanahandspantooshort......Well,YeonRyangcanhandlethesewinghimself.
Asmutteredandleftthemarketplace,sawmyreflectioninabronzemirrorinfrontofastreetstallsellingaccessories.
Withasackoveroneshoulder,abagofdicinalingredientsandalargeclothbundleonmyback,looked,toanyonewatching,likeamountaingirlwhohadcotothemarkettobuydailynecessities.
......hedisguiseissoperfectnoonewillsuspectathing.
Assmackedmylipsandturned,alargecarriageslowlypassedbeside.
AflagembroideredwiththecloudpatternthatsymbolizedtheamgungClanhungfromthecarriage.
Asifenchanted,followedthebackofthecarriagewithmyeyes.
Aftermovingaboutthirtyfeet,thecarriagestoppedinfrontofatwo-storybuilding.Amanrushedoutofthebuildingandopenedthecarriagedoor.
Atthesamont,ayoungchildhoppeddownfromthecarriage.
hechild’sclothes,palesky-blue{•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t}silkembroideredwithcloudsinbluethread,lookedfamiliar.
hehalf-glimpsedprofileoverlappedwiththefaceofaboyinmymory.
Blinkingblankly,murmuredwithoutrealizingit.
“heeirApparent?”
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