Chapter 80: Eighty-three, The Last Letter Sword

Eighty-three, The Last Letter Sword

Daytime.

A large hall.

Liu Ziwen sat upright in his seat, twisting a white cloth, squinting his eyes, and wiping the sword scabbard.

He turned his head from time to time, looking calmly outside the hall, as if waiting for something.

The sword in the hands of this young master of the Liu family was a short sword.

The specific quality of the sword body inside the scabbard couldn't be seen.

But just looking at the scabbard, it was inlaid with jade, agate, pearls, and gemstones, which was extremely luxurious.

Not to mention the exquisite sword tassel with interwoven colored ribbons on the hilt.

It was naturally precious and extraordinary.

Finally, a burst of footsteps came from outside the hall, followed by the chatting voices of Liu Zi'an and a strange man.

"Shopkeeper Li, please come this way. My eldest brother specially had someone prepare Chang'an white tea for you. It's your favorite flavor."

"Hahaha, Big Boss and Second Boss are too polite. Then this humble person will be disrespectful."

This was pure and fluent Great Zhou elegant language, with some Guanzhong accent.

But when Liu Zi'an brought the owner of this elegant language into the hall, it was clear that this person was actually a Persian Hu person, with two mustaches, dressed as a shrewd merchant.

"Shopkeeper Li, long time no see."

Liu Ziwen suddenly revealed a brilliant smile, got up, handed the short sword and white cloth in his hand to the maid, and personally went to the door to welcome him.

The three exchanged pleasantries and sat down again.

Irrelevant people left one after another. Except for Liu Ziwen, Liu Zi'an, and the Persian merchant, only a small maid holding a sword with lowered eyes remained.

The Persian merchant named Li Li sipped the Chang'an popular white tea, smiled slightly, and mentioned a point faintly:

"Big Boss Liu, the new batch of goods has arrived. Remember to check and receive them."

Liu Ziwen and Liu Zi'an exchanged glances.

The former nodded, "My younger brother has already sent someone. Thank you for running another trip, Shopkeeper Li."

Li Li shook his head and muttered:

"No harm. It's all for the noble person. Where is there any hardship? It's my duty. If I have to say it's hard, it's Big Boss Liu who has been guarding this place for so many years, which is the hardest."

Liu Ziwen smiled and didn't speak.

The Persian merchant put down the teacup, looked at this pair of Liu brothers, and the familiar short sword in the maid's hand next to him, and felt somewhat emotional:

"Speaking of which, how many trips has this been?"

Liu Ziwen said without thinking: "Thirty-seven trips."

Li Li sighed:

"Yes, thirty-seven trips of goods. Every year, it's at least three trips without fail. It's been ten years now. Speaking of which, although we are old acquaintances, I haven't properly strolled around this Longcheng County. This place is full of talented people, and being able to produce talents like Big Boss and Second Boss is a good place."

Liu Ziwen nodded: "A place that can be of help to the noble person is a good place."

Liu Zi'an flattered: "After this matter is over, I will personally take Shopkeeper Li to tour Longcheng."

The red-haired, eagle-nosed Persian merchant nodded:

"Big Boss said it well. A place that the noble person can look upon is a good place."

A smile appeared in his light green eyes, and he teased Liu Zi'an:

"Eh, I'm just afraid that when the two bosses become successful, you will forget this humble person."

Liu Zi'an squeezed out a smile with his sickly face:

"Shopkeeper Li is joking. If we are to become successful, it will be Shopkeeper Li who becomes successful first. For so many years, so many things have come in, and everything has been watertight without anyone noticing. Shopkeeper Li is the first contributor."

"Just a life of toil, Second Boss, don't joke."

The Persian merchant shook his head with a smile, not taking it seriously.

In the eyes of the Wei family noble person, the first contributor naturally wouldn't be him, because this heaven-defying wealth was being earned by this Liu family.

Of course, the corresponding huge risks were also being borne by the Liu family.

And he, was just a running-errand merchant, a white glove for the Wei family noble person, just be obedient and sensible, why bother to come in and bear such a big risk.

A white glove, after all, ask less, do more.

And he was a merchant. Although he had a gambling nature, he didn't like to go all-in.

And this pair of Liu brothers in front of him, Li Li, who had seen countless people, could tell that they liked to go all-in.

This point was very different from him.

The Persian merchant was clear about this and watched coldly.

But this didn't hinder the polite and friendly relationship on paper.

They were just different roles under the feet of the noble person, with different ways of survival.

Everything depended on the end. Before the noble person's patience ran out, whether the things the Liu family brought out or the achievements they made could satisfy the noble person.

This was the barometer of the friendship and loyalty between the two sides.

Li Li understood, and he was clear that the Liu brothers in front of him also understood.

So many years and so many trips of interaction all followed this tacit understanding.

However, although he had been here many times and was very familiar with the Peng Lang Ferry wharf.

But regarding what the Liu family was doing in secret using the Gu Yue Sword Shop as a cover, Li Li was still secretly somewhat surprised.

Because the resources consumed were already too many.

Over more than ten years, he had already brought thirty-seven batches of goods.

The list the Liu family handed over each time was indeed not long, but it cost an astronomical amount of gold and silver, and also involved scarce materials for Qi-refiners that couldn't necessarily be bought even with money.

The Persian merchant wasn't someone who hadn't seen the world.

Walking north and south for so many years from the Western Regions desert to the South Sea islands, even in the top merchant circles of Chang'an and Luodu, he, who kept a low profile, was quite famous.

What rare treasures hadn't he appraised, what strange construction hadn't he seen, what strange skills hadn't he heard of?

He had even witnessed two and a half upper-grade Qi-refiners who came and went like dragons.

But the few ordinary-looking sword furnaces in this small county town by the river in Jiang Nan Circuit opened the eyes of the merchant Li Li.

It was like a treasure-swallowing glutton, a greedy mouth constantly swallowing countless resources, but only hearing a sound.

And the Persian merchant remembered that during some previous delivery, he was also drinking tea and accidentally heard the Liu brothers say that when the sword embryo was found, it was already a semi-finished product, only a final step away from being successfully forged.

And it was this final step that consumed so much effort and time of the top noble power behind him.

And this was when it was at the golden ten years of its most prosperous development.

Of course, this was also related to factors such as the need to carry out this matter secretly to avoid being discovered by political enemies, and the need to transport resources covertly and slowly.

But it was enough to make people click their tongues.

Anyway, over the years, because of assisting in this matter, Li Li had obtained more and more resources and permissions in the huge power behind him, which even made him, as a merchant, feel somewhat guilty.

If it weren't for the fact that the Longcheng Liu family had been very honest over the years, without the slightest intention of expansion, and the Liu family's business outside Longcheng County was all under the eyes of Li Li and the power behind him.

He would have suspected whether the Liu family had privately swallowed the resources and was playing with the noble person...

Li Li recently heard from a colleague that the top court in the divine capital Luoyang was in the midst of the most intense and agonizing struggle.

Even they, the guests and advisors standing under the "tree shade" of the power, could feel the scorching sun and the rustling of the trees.

Therefore, before coming on this trip, Li Li had taken the initiative to ask for instructions from above, suggesting whether to temporarily tighten the resource input here.

As a result, the instruction from a certain Wei-surnamed Prince above was... increase the intensity.

The Persian merchant felt solemn in his heart.

At this moment, in the Liu family's guest hall, the three people sitting down lowered their heads to drink tea, silent.

"Good tea. Big Boss Liu has heart."

Li Li was the first to recover, put down the teacup, and smiled:

"Is it that the list is long again? Hahaha, it's okay, we are all old acquaintances. Just take it out. This humble person is a life of toil and is used to running errands."

Unexpectedly, the young master of the Liu family in front shook his head lightly.

Liu Ziwen looked at Liu Zi'an, who took out a nearly blank piece of paper from his arms and handed it to the Persian merchant.

This was thrown to him by the old craftsman.

"Eh, why is there only one?"

Li Li's face was surprised, looking at the only line of words on the paper, muttering lightly:

"Mo family sword box..."

His words paused, and his face suddenly changed: "Big Boss, only needing one sword box, you mean..."

The Persian merchant seemed to vaguely realize something, grabbed the armrests of the wooden chair with both hands, and leaned his upper body forward.

Liu Ziwen's face was mixed with relief and melancholy.

He nodded and signaled to the Persian merchant the luxurious short sword held by the obedient maid next to him:

"Shopkeeper Li, take this last token back. Hand it to the Prince. After the Prince sees the sword, he will understand what to do."

Li Li, who had just finished drinking tea, felt his throat dry again for a while, but he didn't have the slightest intention of picking up the teacup.

His green eyes, like a greedy old turtle's mung beans, widened, staring fixedly at the luxurious short sword held by the maid. He naturally knew what signal this "last token" in Liu Ziwen's mouth represented.

The Persian merchant's loss of composure made Liu Ziwen smile, but he wasn't surprised.

When he was wiping the short sword and waiting for the guest today, his hands were also shaking a bit.

Liu Ziwen calmly reached out to the maid holding the sword:

"Give me the sword, you go down."

The small maid handed the sword with both hands.

Turned and left.

Liu Ziwen took the sword.

He weighed it in his hand.

Reversed his grip and drew the sword.

Got up and walked over.

Blood splattered his face.

She was still moving.

Stabbed again.

The two-foot-eight-inch sword body was level with the ribs, sinking into the chest cavity of the fallen maid who still had some rise and fall.

Done.

In front of the other two, Liu Ziwen drew the short sword for the second time.

The hot blood beads belonging to the ventricle slid down from the cold sword spine, dripping from the maid's chest all the way to her forehead.

The exquisite sword tassel was carefully wrapped around the hand holding the sword by Liu Ziwen and was not stained red.

He reached out and took the white cloth handed over by Liu Zi'an, carefully wiping the sword body that had become slightly warm, and then spread out the still snow-white cloth, signaling to the Persian merchant.

It was not stained with a trace of blood.

Liu Zi'an's expression was as usual.

Li Li widened his eyes, his face very colorful.

It wasn't because there was an extra cold corpse at his feet, but because after a simple demonstration, he discovered that this short sword was sharpened!

According to previous agreements.

Every time the Persian merchant delivered a batch of goods, he would take away a short sword prepared by the Liu family as a token to present to the noble person.

This was considered some kind of... ritual.

In the thirty-six deliveries over the past ten years, he had already taken back thirty-six token short swords.

But they were all unsharpened.

Because once the returned short sword was sharpened, it meant... that sword was about to be finished.

Li Li carefully took the newly sharpened luxurious short sword with both hands. His eyes were fiery, clicking his tongue in wonder.

Just take this short sword back, and wait for the last "delivery" by a special person next time. The Mo family sword box sent over would be able to take away a sword that the Wei family noble person had been thinking about!

The Persian merchant's face was satisfied. He twisted one side of his eight-character mustache and nodded in agreement:

"Treasures made by Mo family mechanism arts are already very rare in the world. Each one is a rare treasure. However, this humble person has heard of the whereabouts of one. I will definitely get it."

Liu Ziwen and Liu Zi'an both nodded.

However, facing the brilliant-smiling Li Li, the solemn and serious expressions on the faces of the Liu brothers didn't dissipate, but instead... became increasingly solemn.

This strangeness naturally fell into the sharp and keen eyes of the Persian merchant.

He glanced at it and asked directly: "Big Boss and Second Boss, what's wrong? Clearly a happy event, why such a sad face?"

The Liu brothers exchanged glances.

Liu Ziwen sighed, and Liu Zi'an on the side helped open his mouth:

"When Shopkeeper Li brought the caravan to Longcheng, did you notice anything different?"

Li Li nodded, squinting his eyes:

"This humble person saw that there seems to be a new river channel being excavated, which is quite imposing... How come, does this matter make the two of you somewhat tricky?"

Liu Ziwen lowered his eyes and said:

"What's tricky for now isn't the new river channel, but the one who... the new Magistrate."

"Oh?"

Here it comes, didn't sleep! This chapter is nearly four thousand words. Sorry, brothers, couldn't help but code a bit more, it's late (pouting). By the way, let me say, the plot of the white-haired girl will be written in these two chapters, brothers, rest assured. Also, the protagonist's first blood will be broken in this volume, it won't be dragged... Wu, don't understand you brothers too well.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 81 =====