Chapter 20: New Year's Day, the First

The two-story courtyard housed three households; aside from the shared kitchen, Li Lin rented two rooms, and the one usually used for storing odds and ends had been tidied up, so during the two days of New Year, Li Yuan slept here.

"Qin Xiong!"

Closing the door, Li Yuan wrapped himself in a cotton quilt and lay down; recalling that burly figure, his heart couldn't help but sink slightly.

Qian Bao was nothing but a ruffian with a smattering of martial arts, lording it over the front street with a dozen or so local thugs under him, so he didn't really care.

But Qin Xiong was a different story.

Qin Xiong had been with the Weapons Forging Shop for over twenty years; his White Ape Cloak Hammer had long reached Great Completion, and might have even broken through to that internal force level he didn't understand.

Rising from a laborer's son to the top five of the Weapons Forging Shop—a man like that was hardly comparable to Qian Bao.

"The Inner Court—I must get in!"

Li Yuan hardened his heart.

If before he'd still been wary of Qin Xiong's threat, now there was simply no need—he'd even set his sights on Li Yuan's own brother and sister-in-law, so the Inner Court examination naturally couldn't be yielded.

"I need to find a way to get close to the Second Shopkeeper; with Fatty Sun around, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Li Yuan squinted as he thought.

Where there's profit to be had, there are bound to be factions; where there are factions, there's struggle.

Over these past few months, he hadn't just been practicing martial arts; his understanding of the Weapons Forging Shop had naturally deepened considerably.

The Head Shopkeeper, Cao Yan, was wholly focused on expanding external affairs; the Weapons Forging Shop in Gao Liu County was actually run by the Second Shopkeeper, Tang Tong, and the Third Shopkeeper, Wang Ding.

Wang Ding oversaw the mines below, as well as cargo transport; guards like Qin Xiong also fell under him. Tang Tong, on the other hand, oversaw the forging rooms and the Inner Court.

Moreover, Tang Tong was Fatty Sun's brother-in-law…

"Then, I can't hide my abilities any longer!"

Closing his eyes, Li Yuan had made up his mind.

Hum!

Within the dim space, the Weapon Commander's Register glowed with a faint, eerie light.

A few items were placed on the small gray stone platform, making it look even more cramped; Li Yuan was afraid they might fall off.

"If they fall off, they're probably gone for good…"

Under the eerie glow of the Weapon Commander's Register, beyond the gray stone platform was pitch-black void; even a single glance was enough to strike fear into one's heart.

"The pearls aren't easy to move; what I can actually use right now is just this anonymous silver draft… counting what I borrowed from Fatty Sun, that makes a hundred and twenty-eight taels…"

Li Yuan was tallying his gains, but his thoughts were on the advancement of the Weapon Commander's Register.

Advancing the Weapon Commander's Register required a thousand catties of pig iron, a hundred taels of silver, and one tael of gold—this condition had given him quite a headache at one point.

Saving up was absolutely impossible to accumulate that much.

"A hundred catties of pig iron is only one tael and three qian of silver; a thousand catties is only thirteen taels. Thank goodness it asks for pig iron—if it were wrought iron, the price would be twenty times higher!"

Having hung around the Weapons Forging Shop for so long, Li Yuan naturally knew the price of iron very well.

Hammering and forging pig iron produces wrought iron.

Normally, this requires five rounds of repeated hammering, each taking a full day; after the five refinements, ten catties of pig iron yields only seven catties of wrought iron.

Add in labor, wear and tear, and charcoal costs, and the price naturally skyrockets.

Calculating in his mind, Li Yuan felt the money in his hands was more than enough; the only two problems were the gold, and how to buy so much pig iron without drawing attention…

"Gold is still manageable—although gold doesn't circulate much on the market, one tael isn't hard to find. But a thousand catties of pig iron is just too much…"

Musing over it, Li Yuan felt somewhat relieved; with enough money, everything else was just a small problem compared to advancing the Weapon Commander's Register.

"If I could wield two weapons at the same time…"

Li Yuan's heart stirred with agitation.

He was still wondering whether these weapons could be pieced together, several into one?

……

……

"Physician Yun, how is it?"

In Sijicaotang, several apprentices bustled around the beds; Qin Xiong swept an expressionless glance over the dozen or so thugs lying on the beds.

"Mm…"

Physician Yun, who wore a goatee, shook his head slightly:

"The assailant was ruthless enough—every strike went to the back of the head. Although it won't kill them, a crooked mouth and squinting eyes are unavoidable; and they fainted outside the house, one and all, so the cold has invaded their bodies…"

The cold has invaded their bodies?

The several apprentices of the medicine hall exchanged glances—this was far more dangerous than torn tendons or broken bones; the cold could take a life.

Listening to the agonized groans from the beds, Qin Xiong's face was dark as still water:

"Where is Qian Bao?"

"Qian Bao…"

Physician Yun cast a glance at the bed that was nearly collapsing under the weight:

"Severe trauma and convulsions, cold invading the body, injury to the back of the head, internal abdominal bleeding, plus damage to the coccyx—even if he pulls through, he'll never be parted from a walking stick for the rest of his life."

"Many thanks, Physician Yun."

The corner of Qin Xiong's eye twitched; he cupped his fist in farewell and took his leave.

Leaving Sijicaotang, his face instantly darkened; Niu Gui, who had hurried over, couldn't help but shiver and instinctively retreated a few steps.

"The county government office didn't find anything; Constable Qiu says they're still investigating…"

Qin Xiong's breathing instantly grew heavy.

Poor scholars, rich martial artists—such has been the case since ancient times. That he could rise from a laborer's boy to where he was now was, apart from his own natural talent, also thanks to several batches of thugs including Qian Bao.

The loans he'd put out were his silver, and also the backing for his Wu Gong to advance.

"Still investigating? Excellent, excellent!"

Qin Xiong almost laughed out loud.

"Sister, brother-in-law... I asked around. That Liang Liang Ashui healed for a few days then left the Lihe Martial Hall; no one has seen him these past few days."

Niu Gui lowered his head:

"But his injuries aren't even healed, so it probably isn't him, right?"

Over two months ago, Wang Luanlai was ambushed while attending a banquet at the Blacksmithing Forge; many disciples died or were injured, and Liang Liang Ashui was among them, losing a leg...

"It's deep winter, the Green Water Lake is freezing over. A man with injuries like his, instead of resting properly, suddenly goes missing—could he have gone fishing?"

Qin Xiong's eyes turned cold.

Although Qian Bao's actions seem reckless, he knows very well who can be bullied and who cannot be provoked; otherwise, the grass on his grave would already be three feet high.

In these past few years, the only person Qian Bao misjudged was Liang Liang Ashui.

Yet long before this man entered the Lihe Martial Hall, Qian Bao had already returned the fishing boat and the house, torn up the debt note, and even kicked out Liu Liu Laizi, leaving him to his fate.

"Liang Liang Ashui..."

Qin Xiong took a deep breath and looked at Niu Gui:

"I taught you the several items for the Inner Courtyard assessment two months ago; I hope you won't disappoint me!"

"Sister, brother-in-law, I..."

Niu Gui gritted his teeth:

"I won't let you down!"

"Damn it!"

In Gao Liu City, thirty li east, on the frozen surface of the Green Water Lake, Liang Liang Ashui angrily threw down his harpoon.

It was over two months too late; the trap he had set back then had long been buried by wind and snow. With hundreds of li of vast lake surface, how could he possibly find it?

"My Spirit Fish!"

Liang Liang Ashui limped across the lake surface, extremely furious.

Before winter, he had already set the trap, waiting only for the winter harvest. Who would have thought that first a bandit murder nearly landed on his head, and then he had his leg broken, completely wasting the time.

"Enough, enough. The entry quota for the Divine Weapon Valley is most important; I cannot create unnecessary trouble. The silver on me is enough for half a year of medicinal supplements..."

Hoo!

In the small storage room, Li Yuan stood with arms hanging down, practicing stance.

He closed his eyes slightly, his feet unmoving, his body swaying gently like a weeping willow. The abundant blood qi within him, which had grown considerably, flowed slowly with his movements, leaving warmth wherever it passed.

This was both the process of strengthening the blood qi and slowly nourishing the physique; although slow, it had the advantage of endurance.

Of course, medicinal supplements must keep pace, otherwise it would only lead to a deficiency of both qi and blood.

"Hoo!"

Not until dawn broke did Li Yuan bend and extend his limbs, allowing the blood qi within his body to return to stillness.

"Twenty-three transformations!"

Hearing the crackling of bones and tendons like firecrackers, Li Yuan's lips curled upward, his heart filled with joy:

"Only fifty-eight transformations remain; once I complete them, the first lethal move of the Soldier Dao Combat Hammer will be mastered! A supreme lethal move..."

Stretching his limbs, Li Yuan put on a cotton coat, ate breakfast at his second brother's house, then bid farewell to his brother and sister-in-law, heading toward the Blacksmithing Forge.

The first day of the new year is the day of the Inner Courtyard assessment at the Blacksmithing Forge.

(End of this chapter)