Longgu Buguwang gritted his teeth and picked the one that caught his eye the most. Ji Yu and Ji Huan also decisively chose one each.
Only after all four swords had been selected did the old man bring out a one-foot-long lacquered box and hand it to Song Chuyi. “This is the sleeve sword you wanted.”
The reason a sleeve sword is called a sword is mainly because it is somewhat longer than a dagger, and its blade is also relatively thin.
Song Chuyi set down Jucang and took the lacquered box. As soon as he opened it a crack, it seemed as though a snowy gleam shone out from within. Yet when the lid was fully opened, all he saw was a sleeve sword less than a foot long and utterly ordinary.
This sword was about as commonplace as could be. Although Jucang seemed blunt, at least it looked mighty and imposing overall, whereas this short sword in the box seemed like something any third-rate swordsmith could easily forge.
“This sword looks a bit shabby, but it is practical.” Seeing that Song Chuyi’s expression had actually not changed, the old man felt much more at ease, thinking that he had finally met someone who knew his goods, and that his pain at parting with it was not in vain.
“Thank you,” Song Chuyi immediately closed the box and handed it to Ji Yu, as if afraid the old man might go back on his word.
“Good lad.” The old man grew even happier and said, “Just because you have a pair of discerning eyes, I will wipe off the odd amount for you.”
The best way to flatter a swordsmith is not to praise him verbally, but rather to show the kind of strong possessiveness that Song Chuyi displayed, which made him feel even more pleased.
Although he had used a few little tricks, in return, Song Chuyi smiled and said, “Then I truly must thank you. Actually, I still have two wine formulas treasured by my late father. Since you have shown such favor, I am willing to present them to you.”
The old man’s eyes lit up, and he laughed heartily. “How straightforward! I like it. That Jucang was forged entirely by my own efforts, so I will give it to you as a gift, not charging a single coin. The other swords were all forged by others, so it is not convenient for me to make decisions about them.”
Song Chuyi had not expected the old man to be so readily agreeable. He quickly flung open his wide sleeves and solemnly made a salute. “You are free and easy, so I will not spoil the mood. But this kindness, I will certainly keep in mind.”
“A small matter.” With that, the old man pulled Song Chuyi away to write down the wine formulas.
Song Chuyi actually knew very little about this old man, but people who loved strong liquor mostly had bold and unrestrained temperaments, so she gave it a try.
When scholars make friends, money is something external, and what they seek is simply forthrightness. This was especially true of swordsmiths, who all had an indescribable attachment to the swords they poured their hearts into forging and found it hard to part with them. Therefore, although the old man had many swords in his possession, he never sold them immediately. He needed some time to settle his feelings.
However, swordsmiths were also the most passionate people in the world. Sometimes they haggled over every penny and would sooner die than change their price, but sometimes, upon meeting a heroic figure or someone whose temperament suited them, they might even give a sword away for free.
The most important point was to make him feel that you were worthy of the sword he had forged.
This looked easy, yet was extremely difficult. In fact, Song Chuyi had only been trying her luck.
The original price for the five swords was eight hundred and seventy gold in total, and in the end they bought them for seven hundred gold.
One hundred and seventy gold was also a huge sum, and whatever was saved was as good as earned.
After leaving the iron shop, several of them returned joyfully to the inn. Even Ji Yu, who was always steady, could not hide the smile at the corners of his eyes.
Most men have an innate passion for weapons. As the saying goes, a thousand pieces of gold cannot buy what one loves. Especially for the three of them, who either often led troops into battle or were devoted to strengthening the army, how could their blood not boil when they suddenly held rare sharp weapons seldom seen in the world?
After returning to the inn and finishing a sumptuous lunch accompanied by Bai Ping, the caravan was already fully prepared to set off.
The group rested for about half an hour before departing.
Since Song Chuyi had asked them not to be too conspicuous, Bai Ping saw them out of the city through the north gate and then immediately returned to the city.
The sunlight was somewhat pale, reflecting off the vast snowy plain, and the dazzling white light made it hard to keep one’s eyes open. The wind was not strong, but the weather was extremely cold, and the ice on the road was thick and solid, so the caravan could not travel too fast. However, they only needed to reach their stopping place before dark, and that place was not far, so there was no hurry.
There were occasionally people coming and going on the official road, but they were all large merchant caravans of more than a hundred people, so Song Chuyi’s group did not stand out.
The journey was smooth, and at dusk they arrived at an inn just in time. This inn was built near a large horse pasture, and merchant caravans only needed to pay a very small amount of money to stay there.
But this kind of inn had a drawback: it had no independent rooms, only small semi-enclosed spaces crudely partitioned off with wooden boards.
As soon as the weather cleared, merchant caravans became active again, and Song Chuyi and the others were clearly out of luck, for the interior was already packed full.
Song Chuyi decided to go down and stretch her muscles, and to sleep in the carriage that night.
However, as the night wind gradually rose, they could not stay outside. Ji Huan, together with several guards, finally found a small spot inside.
What everyone noticed first was not them, but an enormous snow wolf, robust and strong, with glossy snow-white fur. Its unique wolf-like sauntering gait made it look full of dominance, except that the shaved bald patch on its head abruptly reduced that dominance to the lowest level and added a touch of foolishness.
The crowd, which had originally stirred slightly, unexpectedly became strangely calm.
The few of them knelt and sat down in the open space, and White Blade promptly came over to Song Chuyi’s side, rested its head on her lap, and lay there comfortably.
The onlookers clicked their tongues in wonder. First, wolves, being such savage animals, were truly difficult to tame. Second, ordinary wolves all had fierce and cunning faces, but this one looked different.
Everyone’s gaze lingered on White Blade for quite a while before they took a look at its owner, an ordinary-looking youth. By contrast, the splendidly dressed youth beside him had an extraordinary bearing, and the guards were also tall, strong, and imposing.
These were all merchants who had traveled far and wide, so what strange things had they not seen? Therefore, they paid attention only for a moment before beginning to talk among themselves.
It was just getting dark, exactly the time for the evening meal, and most of the people inside were eating. After a short while, Ji Yu also brought food in.
Song Chuyi did not want to throw the whole piece of meat to White Blade, since it would surely get oil all over its paws, and it would be inconvenient to clean it on the journey. So she fed it bite by bite while eating. Song Chuyi’s unhurried manner made it so anxious that it whined and scratched at the ground.
“Lord Shang is dead. Do you think Qin will overturn the new laws?” someone among the group sitting by the fire in the very center of the room asked.
Whether Qin was in turmoil had a considerable impact on merchants. For them, this was both a crisis and a business opportunity.
Someone said with certainty, “It definitely will. Just look, ever since the former ruler passed away, Lord Shang was executed, and even his faction was uprooted completely. The new ruler is young, so I’m afraid the old clans will take advantage of the instability of his authority to overturn the new laws in one go.”
Everyone pondered this, and the man continued, “And it is said that the killing of Lord Shang was supported by the new ruler. I think that is credible. When the new ruler was still crown prince, his grand tutor Gongzi Qian was punished by having his nose cut off for violating the new laws. That was a slap across the crown prince’s face, so how could he not hold a grudge? Moreover, the crown prince was exiled because of this. With such a great feud, which man of hot blood would not seek revenge?”
“I think that may not be so,” a young man retorted.
Everyone looked toward him, and the young man said, “You gentlemen may be delayed by the wind and snow and not yet know what has happened in Xianyang. Gongzi Qian has been imprisoned, and it was by the new ruler’s order.”
“Really? Why?” someone immediately asked.
