Chapter 16: The Year-End Grand Market

Before winter passes and spring comes, a year ends.

This is the calendar system the Dayun Dynasty inherited from the previous dynasty, passed down unchanged for a thousand years.

Before the New Year, a year of labor ends, and a new year is about to begin. The common folk, whether rich or poor, will, before that day, buy household goods and pick up things they normally can't bear to eat for their children.

The half month before New Year is the liveliest time of the year.

Li Yuan tucked the silver away, said goodbye to Sun Fatty, who watched him leave the middle court with reluctance, and before he had even stepped out of the Weapon Forging Shop, he already saw fireworks blooming one after another in the sky.

"The Weapon Forging Shop's warehouse!"

He took a long look at the sizable warehouse outside the martial arts field, then Li Yuan clenched his fist and strode outward.

"Li Yuan!"

Suddenly, a voice full of vigor rang out.

Li Yuan's heart tightened, and turning his head he saw the exceptionally tall and broad Qin Xiong:

"Master Qin?"

Li Yuan lowered his head, still unable to hide the shock in his heart.

Today's Qin Xiong was even more burly than when he'd seen him three months ago—had to be over two meters by now—and every gesture carried an even greater imposing presence.

This…

"Come with me!"

Qin Xiong didn't even look at him; with a single word he headed toward the front court, and behind him Niu Gui walked with his head lowered, meek as a quail, matching him step for step.

"It sure helps to have connections…"

Li Yuan sighed inwardly, touched the silver at his chest, glanced back toward the kitchen, and followed along to the front court.

The front court's layout wasn't much different from the middle court's, only the space was larger—two rows of buildings front and back, more rooms, more open ground.

It was just past noon, and on the open ground the front-court apprentices were tempering their strength, standing in stances and swinging hammers; noticing the group, they all looked over.

"Keep training!"

Qin Xiong swept them with a cold glance, and every apprentice quickly lowered their head.

Passing through the front court, they reached Qin Xiong's quarters—a standalone one-courtyard dwelling, much better than Sun Fatty's, with its own kitchen and latrine.

"You probably already guessed why I called you here?"

Inside, Niu Gui lowered his head to shut the door, while Qin Xiong came forward with his hands behind his back, head slightly lowered, overwhelmingly oppressive.

"This disciple knows…"

Li Yuan didn't even raise his head.

He had long anticipated this day, so he didn't appear panicked now—very calm.

"Standing like an ape with hanging arms, blood and qi coursing the body—your talent is truly remarkable. I imagine it won't be long before you've mastered the Wu Gong?"

As Qin Xiong spoke, the corner of his eye couldn't help but twitch; his sidelong glance swept toward Niu Gui, and a few extra hints of annoyance appeared for no reason.

He truly hadn't expected that a junior with below-average root-bones and no family wealth to back him would make such progress. Not to mention the middle court—even in the front court, the only one who could compare was Du Yun; Lu Zhong couldn't either.

"Master Qin teaches well."

Li Yuan cupped his hands in a salute.

Wu Gong is hard to hide, at least for him at this point.

Three months ago, he was only 1.65 meters tall; now, he stands a full 1.78 meters, with not a trace of thinness—his sinews and bones have all filled out. Anyone with eyes can see it—how could he hide it?

In fact, even someone like Li Yuan, who had only been learning martial arts for a few months, could tell from Qin Xiong's change that he must have broken through.

"Teach well?"

Qin Xiong tugged at the corner of his mouth, his tone sinking:

"Your root-bones may not match Niu Gui's, but they fit the Wu Gong remarkably well. With progress like this, the slot for entering the inner court from the middle court this time should have been yours…"

Li Yuan didn't raise his head; he knew this kind of rhetoric—usually what came next was 'but.'

"But I already promised someone. This time, I must take Niu Gui to the inner court. Do you bear a grudge?"

"This disciple wouldn't dare."

Separated by barely two meters, facing a Qin Xiong more terrifying than a real bear—what could Li Yuan do?

"Not daring, doesn't mean you don't."

Qin Xiong glanced at Niu Gui again; his brother-in-law had nearly lowered his head to his crotch, his face flushed red.

"In previous years, the inner court held assessments only once every three years, but from now on, it'll be once a year. Given your progress, next year's middle-court slot will surely be yours!"

Saying this, Qin Xiong turned and sat down, picked up a tea bowl, and gently blew across it:

"Go."

"…Yes."

Li Yuan bowed, turned, and left.

Next year?

This year there's someone with connections; next year there won't be?

Once outside, Li Yuan's face had gone somewhat numb; he rubbed it and strode away quickly.

……

"Sis, brother-in-law…"

Inside, Niu Gui felt as if ants were crawling all over his body: "I-I can wait a year to, to enter the inner court, it's the same… Li Yuan, he's stronger than me…"

"Wait a year?"

Looking at his useless brother-in-law, Qin Xiong let out a cold laugh:

"You going to the middle court, Du Yun coming to the front court, Su Ling going to the back court… people have been inserted into the Miscellaneous Goods Court, the External Affairs Court—what for? It's all to get into the inner court this year!"

"Waiting a year would be far too late!"

"Huh?"

Niu Gui raised his head, his face blank.

"Next spring, Divine Weapon Valley will open its mountain gates wide. The shop spent who knows how much silver to get this chance.

At the latest by this time next year, the inner-court disciples will have to set out for Hibernating Dragon Prefecture. If you wait another year, Divine Weapon Valley's gates will already be closed!"

Qin Xiong pulled a porcelain bottle from his robes and tossed it to Niu Gui, saying in a low voice:

"Divine Weapon Valley's recruitment of disciples places root bone first. That Li Yuan's root bone is only middling-to-low; he can't even pass the first hurdle!

Your talent is middling-to-upper. Keep up with your progress, and it's not impossible you'll enter Divine Weapon Valley. That would be the greatest fortune of your life!"

"D-Divine Weapon Valley!"

Pinching the porcelain bottle, Niu Gui's face flushed red again, but this time he was trembling all over with excitement.

What was Divine Weapon Valley?

It was the very heaven of Hibernating Dragon Prefecture!

Niu Gui was very excited; the guilt in his heart vanished in an instant. Pinching the porcelain bottle, he was about to leave.

"These next few days, don't go out unless you have to."

Qin Xiong set down his teacup and gave a word of advice.

"Huh? I-I still wanted to go home and see Third Sister…"

Niu Gui was stunned: "Hasn't that murderous bandit already…"

"New Year's is right around the corner. Does the County Magistrate want to keep the people calm? Will the great market still be held? Will the taxes still be collected?"

Qin Xiong couldn't be bothered to say more; he waved his hand to shoo him away:

"Get lost!"

……

……

"Qin Xiong has probably already broken through to Internal Force?"

Li Yuan walked quickly. Though he felt a bit stifled, what occupied his thoughts more was Qin Xiong's Wu Gong.

"If he breaks through to Internal Force, he'll be the next guard captain. I wonder if Fatty Sun can hold up against him?"

Touching the heavy silver in his robes, Li Yuan prepared to give it a try.

"To be safe, I'll need to borrow a bit more…"

Muttering to himself, Li Yuan walked out of the Weapon-Forging Shop.

By now it was dusk. Normally, there would hardly be any travelers on the road at this hour, but with the year-end approaching, the murderous madman having been caught, and the lockdown lifted, the streets seemed all the more lively.

"Cut me a few chi of cloth, make it cheap, I want to make some clothes for the child's mother…"

"Thirty-three wen for a jin of meat? How did it get so expensive?"

"Candied hawthorns! I don't want flatbread, no! I want candied hawthorns…"

……

Every street and alley was filled with the hubbub of voices. Stalls selling all manner of goods stretched along every street as far as the eye could see.

Having not left the Weapon-Forging Shop for so long, Li Yuan instantly felt the clamor of voices surging in from all directions, wrapping him tightly.

Li Yuan was a bit dazed.

He wasn't someone who loved lively scenes, but after more than two months without going out, it carried a different flavor.

"No wonder those cultivators in my past life would periodically emerge from seclusion. Living as a recluse really does go against human nature…"

Shaking his head slightly, Li Yuan walked into the crowd.

The great market before the year-end was lively not only within the inner and outer cities. The dozen or so towns under Gao Liu's jurisdiction also had plenty of people driving oxen and carts to sell goods and buy things like salt and iron.

For Li Yuan, who was in urgent need of a graded weapon, this was naturally a great opportunity. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to borrow so much silver from Fatty Sun all at once.

Besides paying back Second Brother's debt, he also hoped to try his luck at the great market.

"Worthy of the once-a-year Gao Liu Great Market—there's really no shortage of graded weapons!"

Weaving through the crowd, Li Yuan had to keep clenching his right hand. The sensations from the Weapon-Taming Register came wave after wave, very intense.

What a pity…

Sweeping his peripheral vision over the martial artists carrying blades and swords, Li Yuan sighed inwardly. All of them already had owners.

He really wanted to touch one, but he could only think about it.

Any martial artist carrying a graded weapon was no easy mark; among them, a few gave him a sense of threat even greater than Qin Xiong's.

"Graded, graded…"

Slipping through the stalls like a fish, Li Yuan kept muttering nonstop.

Suddenly, his steps paused, and he looked toward the stall on his right.

This stall was in a poor location. The stallkeepers were an old man and a child, seemingly from one of the lower towns, displaying all sorts of pelts and unidentifiable beast meat.

Seeing someone stop, the grandfather and grandson immediately called out warmly.

This counts as a weapon too?

It's just—how is it that he can't run into a single proper weapon?

Several thoughts churning in his mind, Li Yuan had already opened his mouth to ask:

"Old man, how much for that sickle of yours?"

(End of this chapter)