Chapter 664

Hu Xiaotian and Liang Yinghao left the Qichen Palace without encountering any obstruction; it seems after the Empress Dowager intervened in this matter, their treatment indeed underwent a complete transformation. On the way to the Shen Nong Society, Liang Yinghao said to Hu Xiaotian, 'Sir, I have carefully observed the Qichen Palace; this should be the work of Southern Kingdom craftsmen.'

Liang Yinghao said, 'The Southern Kingdom has more rainfall, so its requirements for underground drainage are quite strict, whereas most Northern Kingdom buildings have narrow drainage, which is related to the lesser rainfall in the north.'

Hu Xiaotian asked, 'Are the drainage channels in the Qichen Palace very spacious?'

Liang Yinghao said, 'Although the palace's drainage is considerably wider than that of ordinary buildings, it still cannot be compared with Southern Kingdom architecture; perhaps those Southern craftsmen, after coming to the North, also made improvements to adapt to local conditions. The drainage is divided into open channels and hidden passages; the open channels are not much different from those in Northern buildings, but the hidden passages are much wider, and in some places they can even accommodate an adult passing through.'

Hu Xiaotian was overjoyed upon hearing this; the reason he had Liang Yinghao accompany him into the Qichen Palace was precisely to have Liang Yinghao find another passage here, which would be an extra lifeline in times of danger. Hu Xiaotian asked, 'Can you find it?'

Liang Yinghao said, 'Security inside the Qichen Palace is tight, so it's not easy to act under their noses, but I have already discerned the preliminary structure: the main outlet of the drainage lies at the northwest corner of the Qichen Palace. I can first locate the external drainage outlet, then go upstream into the drainage to determine where the other opening is within the Qichen Palace.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Go ahead and do it quickly; by the way, first go to the Nanfeng Inn to find Zhou Mo, and go together with him for added safety—make sure no one notices.'

Liang Yinghao clasped his fists in acceptance and replied, 'Yes!'

Hu Xiaotian and Liang Yinghao parted ways on the spot, and Hu Xiaotian went alone to the Shen Nong Society. The disciples of the Shen Nong Society were already very familiar with Hu Xiaotian; upon seeing his arrival, they hurriedly ushered him inside, while someone else rushed to report.

Liu Yucheng had originally been preparing to go out, but upon hearing that Hu Xiaotian had come, he immediately went out to meet him, smiling and saying, 'Sir Hu, what brings you here today?'

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, 'Not seeing Brother Liu for a day makes me feel estranged; I have come specially to thank you.'

Liu Yucheng laughed and said, 'What for? And you say we've grown distant. Between true friends there's no need for thanks.'

Hu Xiaotian burst out laughing; Liu Yucheng also saw that he was in high spirits. After inquiring, he learned that so much had changed in just a day—upon hearing that the Empress Dowager had finally taken personal charge of the Dakang envoy's affairs, Liu Yucheng also felt greatly relieved.

This time Hu Xiaotian came specifically to ask Liu Yucheng for help, as the two upcoming surgeries both require anesthetic, which is precisely the Shen Nong Society's specialty.

Liu Yucheng readily agreed. Hu Xiaotian then inquired about Liu Changsheng's injury; Liu Yucheng told him his father's wound was healing quickly and his mood had been very good these past two days. He had originally intended to bring Hu Xiaotian to pay a visit, but Hu Xiaotian noticed he seemed about to go out, and couldn't help asking, 'Brother Liu, it looks like you're heading out.'

Liu Yucheng said, 'To the Zijun Mountain smithy; I have to go there every day to change their dressings.'

Hu Xiaotian secretly felt ashamed; since leaving the smithy, he had not yet gone there to check. Not knowing how the injured artisans were recovering, he nodded and said, 'I'll go with you, Brother Liu.'

Liu Yucheng laughed and said, 'That would be perfect. Master Zong and the others always mention you whenever they meet, and they are full of gratitude toward Brother Hu.'

Hu Xiaotian then left the Shen Nong Society together with Liu Yucheng. Upon reaching the gate, he saw a dark-skinned boy arguing with several disciples of the Shen Nong Society; Hu Xiaotian realized it was Xiong Tianba. He did not know how this blockheaded boy had managed to get here.

Seeing Hu Xiaotian, Xiong Tianba couldn't help but be delighted, shouting loudly, 'Ah, I told you so—my uncle is here, Uncle! They simply won't let me in.'

Hu Xiaotian was both laughing and crying: 'You little rascal, what are you doing here?'

Xiong Tianba said, 'My master sent me over; he said I must accompany Uncle and make sure I bring Uncle to the Qichen Palace before I can return.'

Hu Xiaotian guessed that Zhou Mo must have been worried about his going out alone, so he had dispatched Xiong Tianba over; however, the boy kept following him, and this lad had always wanted a pair of matching weapons. Hu Xiaotian had once promised to take him to the smithy, and now it was a perfect opportunity to have Master Zong help forge a pair of large hammers tailored to him.

Hu Xiaotian brought Xiong Tianba, Liu Yucheng brought two of his junior disciples, and the five of them spurred their horses toward Zijun Mountain.

Upon arriving at Zijun Mountain, they found the place being dismantled; Master Zong was standing on site directing the work. Not far behind him, an open area held more than ten ox carts, with a group of workers loading the finished ironware onto the carts.

Upon hearing the commotion, Zong Tang turned and saw Hu Xiaotian approaching; his face instantly broke into a hearty smile. After that night's sudden attack, his impression of Hu Xiaotian had undergone a complete transformation—if Hu Xiaotian had not helped them that day, their casualties would likely have been greater.

Zong Tang strode forward, clasped his fists, and said, 'Sir Hu has arrived!'

Hu Xiaotian dismounted, clasped his fists toward Zong Tang in greeting, and said, 'Brother Zong, how have you been lately?'

Zong Tang replied, 'I've been busy tidying up this mess; I really can't get away, otherwise I would have already gone to pay my respects to Sir Hu in person to thank him face‑to‑face for his righteous assistance that day.'

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, 'Such a trifle is hardly worth mentioning.'

Liu Yucheng curiously asked, 'Master Zong, are you moving house?'

Zong Tang nodded and said, 'The two kilns here have been destroyed; rebuilding will take time. The Ministry of War has found us a new site, so we will first settle at the armory—this way we won't delay the Ministry's schedule, and we can also protect ourselves from further external threats.' He looked around, his eyes filled with gloom, and sighed, 'My father poured much effort into this place, hoping to rebuild it; I fear it will take at least a year.'

Hu Xiaotian asked, 'How is Master Zong's current physical condition?'

Zong Tang said, 'His body is fine, but this blow has dealt him a huge trauma—more than half his hair has turned white, and with so many workers and apprentices dead, his spirits cannot be eased in the short term.' The kilns can be rebuilt after being destroyed, but those lost lives cannot be resurrected. Hu Xiaotian could understand Master Zong's present feelings; the attack on the smithy should have been due to that set of wing armor, and Master Zong, the demon craftsman, knows the cause better than anyone. For this reason, he blames himself even more, attributing everything to his own fault.

While they were talking, they suddenly heard Xiong Tianba's exclamation from not far away—this fellow had seen a cartload of weapons, found a pair of large hammers among them, walked over, picked them up, swung them twice in his hand, and said, 'Too light, really too light!'

Hu Xiaotian rebuked, 'You little rascal, show no disrespect!'

The little rascal put the pair of hammers back onto the cart.

Hu Xiaotian apologetically smiled and said, 'He is my grandnephew; I brought him here this time specifically to ask Brother Zong for a weapon.'

From the way Xiong Tianba had just lifted those hammers, Zong Tang already knew he possessed innate divine strength, and he chuckled, asking, 'Do you usually wield a hammer?'

Xiong Tianba nodded and said, 'I've used a hammer since I was small; I don't know how to use anything else.'

Zong Tang said, 'You seem to have some strength; I actually have a pair of ready‑made large hammers here, but I don't know if you can lift them.'

Xiong Tianba snorted, 'There's no hammer in the world that I can't lift.'

Hu Xiaotian spat, 'You little rascal, quit bragging and hurry up to greet your Uncle Zong.'

Hu Xiaotian said to Zong Tang, 'Brother Zong, please don't take offense; this lad is simple and honest, and hasn't seen much of the world.'

Zong Tang laughed and said, 'I like him quite a bit too, kid—come with me!'

Together they arrived at the Armory Cave, which had formerly been used to store weapons; now the arms have mostly been moved out, leaving only a few items not yet loaded onto carts, among them some defective pieces intended for remelting and recasting.

Zong Tang had the workers help move aside the pile of dust‑covered defective items, from which a pair of iron hammers emerged. These hammers appear to have been idle for a long time, their surfaces coated with floating dust; their shape is rather peculiar—oval, studded all over with iron lumps the size of copper coins, lacking any aesthetic appeal, like two cast‑iron toads.

Seeing those hammers, Xiong Tianba was instantly disappointed; although he couldn't judge their quality, he could tell they were ugly, and it seemed Master Zong was being unpleasant, actually producing a pair of defective items to deceive him.

Zong Tang said, 'Go ahead and try—see if you can lift them.'

Xiong Tianba walked over, grabbed the hammer handles with both hands, exerted a little force and lifted the pair of hammers; their weight in his hands felt just right, and he immediately became interested. He went to an open space and swung them back and forth twice, feeling that although the hammers looked ugly, they were very comfortable to use. Looking again at the strange symbols etched on the hammers, he couldn't help but wonder, 'Uncle Zong, these hammers don't look big, but they are quite substantial.'

Zong Tang laughed and said: "You little brat, your strength is truly astonishing—this pair of iron hammers, the right one weighs three hundred catties, the left one two hundred and ninety catties; they were used by Black Hu General Long Tuotuo. He is indeed a renowned strongman of Black Hu, who once killed many of our Da Yong soldiers on the battlefield with these hammers; later he was trapped by a scheme of Grand Marshal Yuchi on Flying Eagle Mountain and died under a hail of arrows. The material of these hammers is extraordinary; Grand Marshal Yuchi had someone bring them back, and later we were given them to examine what material they are made of and whether they could be reforged into other weapons. Even my father could not tell what method was used to forge these hammers, nor did he have the confidence to melt them down and reforge them, because the hammers are too heavy, so even under General Yuchi's command no one else could wield them, leaving them idle here. Since you can lift them and wield them with ease, this shows you have a destiny with this pair of hammers; today I will decide to give them to you." (To be continued~^~)