Wholeheartedly - Part 1
Kim Ji-won never expected to run into Kim Yoo-jung at the post station.
"Are you alright?" Kim Yoo-jung asked anxiously, gripping Kim Ji-won's shoulders. "Did those old men from Peach Blossom Spring hurt you?"
"Why are you here?" Kim Ji-won raised her arms, cooperating perfectly as Kim Yoo-jung touched her body.
"Of course I'm worried about you. You kept saying you wanted to find the Peach Blossom Spring," Kim Yoo-jung said, stroking her hand as she scolded, "Have you forgotten what Master said about kings not meeting kings? Are you trying to kill yourself?"
Kim Yoo-jung nervously touched Kim Ji-won's body thoroughly to make sure she wasn't injured before finally stopping.
"Thank goodness you weren't hurt," Kim Yoo-jung breathed a sigh of relief, clenching her fist as she said, "Otherwise, I wouldn't have let those old bastards off the hook."
“Yuzhen, do not be rude.” A deep male voice came from a cubicle in the post station.
Kim Yoo-jung sidled up to Kim Ji-won and said smugly, "Jung-oppa is here too. I've already taught him a lesson so he'll treat you better from now on."
Kim Ji-won smiled and patted her head, then cupped her fists towards the person who came out of the cubicle and said, "Palace Master, this is the Sword Demon Senior from Peach Blossom Spring."
Zhao Zheng emerged from the cubicle, dressed smartly with four long swords strapped to his back, a far cry from the civil official he had been in the capital. He politely addressed Jia Dongye, saying, "We were unaware of your esteemed presence and failed to greet you properly. It was our oversight."
"It's alright," Jia Dongye replied, then praised in a calm tone, "I've heard that among the various hall masters of the Hall of Longevity, there was once one who could wield three precious swords and was unparalleled in the world. Seeing him today, the hall master has quite the bearing of a hero, and it seems that his understanding has surpassed that of the former. Truly, heroes emerge from among the young."
"You flatter me, senior," Zhao Zheng gestured towards the private room and said, "Please come in and let's sit down and talk."
~
The inn had been emptied of all its staff. After pouring tea for the two of them, Kim Ji-won quietly left the room.
"I wonder if there's anything I can do to help."
“You simply want to use Peach Blossom Spring to eliminate Misty Rain Pavilion and Blood Palace.” Jia Dongye said bluntly, “I have long wanted to fight Misty Rain Pavilion as well.”
"Of course, our Hall of Longevity will also do its part and will not stand idly by," Zhao Zheng said with a smile. "Please feel free to make any requests you may have. We will do our best to fulfill them."
"If you do one thing for me, I can persuade the other two to come down from the mountain together."
Zhao Zheng nodded and replied, "Please speak."
"Help me retrieve the sword that rightfully belongs to me, 'Black Wind'."
"The 'Black Wind,' one of the nine malevolent swords? Could it be that you, senior, know the whereabouts of this sword?" Zhao Zheng asked, puzzled.
“This sword is not somewhere else, but in Peach Blossom Spring, fifty miles away,” Jia Dongye said calmly.
Only then did Zhao Zheng understand the meaning behind Jia Dongye's use of the word "two people".
"Report!" A messenger's long voice rang out from outside the post station, "Prime Minister, Her Majesty the Empress has issued a secret decree, requesting that you return to the palace immediately!"
Soon, the sound of an anxious door opening rang out. Kim Ji-won, holding the scroll, hurried in and leaned down to whisper in Zhao Zheng's ear:
"The emperor has passed away."
~
Sword Forging City.
The weather was starting to warm up, and Li Letian came to Quanjun Teahouse as usual at noon. He ordered a pot of hot tea, spread out the snacks he had bought outside on the table, and enjoyed his tea while listening to the hustle and bustle of the crowds on the street below.
This teahouse, which has been in the Sword Forging City for decades, is now deserted, which inevitably evokes a sense of melancholy. Li Letian looked around the teahouse; including himself, there were only four customers on the first floor.
It seems that ever since that farce of "sword cutting," the teahouse has gradually become deserted.
Thinking of this, Li Letian couldn't help but turn his gaze to the opposite side of the Quanjun Teahouse. Wang Boyu sitting on the bench, the broken swords scattered all over the ground—everything was still vivid in his mind.
That once bustling open space has now been transformed into a restaurant.
There are two teahouses, both owned by the Chen family of Wenqu City. One is called Xihe Tower, and the other is called Changfeng Pavilion. The names of the teahouses used to be uniquely elegant in the city, but that's no longer the case. Most of the people who used to sit in the teahouse have moved to the opposite side.
"Will Miss Xin come to the Sword Forging City to forge her sword again in the future?" Li Letian looked at the bustling Xihe Tower and suddenly felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.
The sound of stools scraping against the floor came from inside the shop, and a male voice sighed, "Ah, business is tough these days. When I came here before, the teahouse was packed."
"Yes," the waiter echoed, "Now many gentlemen are going to Yijian Mountain, and there are fewer and fewer people in our city. Even the blacksmiths in the city are clamoring to go to Yijian Mountain."
"The swords in the city are of pretty good quality. I've tried quite a few before," the man said. "But not every sword from Yijian Mountain is that good."
Li Letian turned around and saw that the person was none other than Wang Boyu.
The sorrow in his heart turned into resentment in an instant, and Li Letian walked to Wang Boyu's table as if possessed.
Before he could speak, Wang Boyu pointed at him and the waiter and said, "Look, this young master's sword is very good."
Wang Boyu invited Li Letian to sit down and ordered red bean dumplings, crab roe soup dumplings, roasted venison, and a pot of the cheapest tea in the shop.
"Will that sword be of any help to you after we take it back?" Wang Boyu asked with a smile.
“Indeed, I have gained some new insights into the forging techniques,” Li Letian replied reluctantly. He knew that Wang Boyu was referring to the sword that had brought shame upon the entire sword-making city.
"That's wonderful," Wang Boyu said with satisfaction. "A fine sword can only reach its full potential when it is in the right hands."
"You are from Yijian Mountain, so why are you helping us like this?"
Wang Boyu thought to himself, "Meng Jizhen didn't tell him about the deal."
"No, of course it's not to help you," Wang Boyu denied directly. "Besides, we've had nothing to do with Yijian Mountain for a long time, haven't you heard?"
Li Letian shook his head in confusion.
"It's better not to know about things in the martial world." Wang Boyu waved his hand and said, "Our masters made a deal, which is why they left the sword behind."
"trade?"
“Yes,” Wang Boyu said dejectedly, “but my master absolutely refused to tell me.”
Li Letian thought for a moment and said, "I haven't heard of it either."
Wang Boyu stretched out his hand across the table, and Li Letian, not understanding why, did the same.
"We are both wanderers in this world, why should we need to have known each other before?" Wang Boyu grabbed Li Letian, and the two looked like they were arm wrestling.
Wang Boyu said excitedly, "You said we're both only sons in our generation, what secrets could we possibly have to hide?"
Just then, the waiter brought over tea and crab roe soup dumplings. The two then let go of each other's hands.
"But let's not ask too much about Master's affairs." Wang Boyu picked up his chopsticks, took a crab roe soup dumpling, and put it in his mouth. With a gentle bite, the juice burst in his mouth. Wang Boyu was so burned that he couldn't close his mouth, and some soup dripped from the corner of his mouth. He quickly wiped it with his hand.
As Wang Boyu breathed to cool the soup dumpling in his mouth, he mumbled, continuing the previous topic: "First, learn the skills."
Li Letian wholeheartedly agreed.
After recovering, Wang Boyu wiped his oily chin with his sleeve and gestured to Li Letian with his chopsticks to also pick one up and try it.
"Be careful, it's hot!" Despite being quite embarrassed, Wang Boyu still praised happily, "This bun is really interesting."
Li Letian picked one up and put it in his mouth, carefully using his teeth to gently break the skin, and the scalding juice slowly flowed out. The rich sauce flowed gently onto every inch of his tongue, and the aroma of the meat filled his entire mouth, almost bursting out of his nasal cavity.
"That 'sword-cutting' incident, you and that kid surnamed Tao left a deep impression on me," Wang Boyu said regretfully. "They were truly fine swords, it's such a pity they were broken like that. Especially the two you brought at the end."
The red bean paste dumplings were also served.
Li Letian swallowed the steamed bun, and his anger subsided considerably. After the waiter left, he said, "You'an's sword belongs to my master, but my sword is indeed mine."
"Oh?" Wang Boyu looked surprised and said, "Why didn't you bring it yourself?"
“I always use only my own sword,” Li Letian said, looking at Wang Boyu.
Wang Boyu gave a thumbs up, raised his teacup and clinked it with Li Letian's, saying, "Impressive. But I don't think borrowing other people's things is necessarily a bad thing."
Picking up a red bean paste dumpling, Wang Boyu said, "You see, it's like the swords we swordsmen use. How many of us actually forge our own swords?"
Wang Boyu held the dumpling in the air: "For me, what's important isn't who made the chopsticks, but that I can pick it up."
Li Letian listened to what Wang Boyu said and then reached out and picked up a dumpling himself.
“Have you ever thought that if he had broken the sword that day, the honor of saving Sword Forging City would not have been yours?” Wang Boyu said.
Li Letian was visibly taken aback, but still said, "It doesn't matter whose honor it is."
"A man of noble character and integrity." Wang Boyu raised his teacup again. "Although it's not wine, I'll still offer you a toast."
Wang Boyu stood up, took the teapot, and poured tea for both of them.
“Look at me, I just want to be famous all over the world, and then marry the woman I love in a grand wedding procession.” Wang Boyu chuckled. “It sounds a bit vulgar. But I always think that only in this way can I be worthy of her.”
"Since Brother Li is not one to pursue fame and fortune, is there anything or anyone you wish to pursue?" Wang Boyu asked Li Letian.
Li Letian slowed his chewing, and a pink sword tassel appeared in his mind. The sword tassel swayed incessantly in mid-air.
"No," Li Letian replied.
"For example, forging an unparalleled sword?"
“I might have thought about it before, but after seeing the sword you left behind, I’ve completely given up on the idea.” Li Letian shook his head and said with a hint of self-deprecation, “Now, forging the sword is just a process for me; the result doesn’t matter anymore.”
“That wouldn’t be good; you’d lose your fighting spirit,” Wang Boyu said worriedly. “Perhaps you could try a different path.”
“I’ve been forging swords since I was a child,” Li Letian said. “I don’t know anything else.”
"Then let's do something related to swords."
"Related to swords?"
Wang Boyu raised his head and thought for a long time.
“By the way, how about becoming a swordsman?” Wang Boyu said with shining eyes, “You can become a unique swordsman who uses his own sword.”
Li Letian hesitated for a moment, then said, "There's no way, I don't know any martial arts at all."
“It’s alright,” Wang Boyu said. “Anyway, you’re not after all seeking fame. We can learn martial arts slowly. Others may be better at martial arts than you, but your sword-making skills are absolutely top-notch among swordsmen.”
Somehow, Wang Boyu's words had already attributed the title of swordsman to Li Letian. Li Letian's hands and mouth continued moving, but his eyes were already somewhat glazed over.
The waiter brought over the last dish with cheerful steps, saying, "Sir, your dishes are all ready."
Looking at the roasted venison on the table, Wang Boyu said shyly, "But before you become a great hero, Brother Li, I have one more thing to ask of you."
Li Letian's thoughts drifted away from his imagination, and his eyes brightened again.
Wang Boyu placed his empty scabbard on the table and said, "Before Master Li forges a sword for me, let me test my skills first."
~
"How did the sword break?" Li Letian's hammer struck the red-hot sword, sending sparks flying into the air.
After they finished eating, Li Letian led Wang Boyu to his shop. Even though he still harbored resentment towards Wang Boyu, he couldn't refuse someone who was smiling at him, especially since he had just eaten a meal from him.
Wang Boyu insisted on having a sword he had forged, so Li Letian had no choice but to take him back to the blacksmith's shop.
“I ran into a master,” Wang Boyu lifted his clothes to show Li Letian his wounds and said, “I got a severe lesson.”
Li Letian swung the hammer down even harder.
"He was terrified and ran away in a panic," Wang Boyu said to himself.
Li Letian looked at Wang Boyu, who was looking around, and the image of him kneeling and begging for mercy in front of another swordsman flashed through his mind. Wang Boyu, covered in wounds, with tears and snot streaming down his face, knelt on the ground, his hands clasped together and raised high, like a greedy person making an impossible wish to Buddha.
"Why wasn't he killed?" Li Letian was startled by this sudden thought and quickly shook his head to shake it off.
Li Letian's gaze then swept over Wang Boyu, who seemed completely unaffected. "No matter what, he doesn't deserve to die," Li Letian thought to himself.
Wang Boyu looked at the four bare walls, which only had hooks for hanging swords, but not a single sword in sight. He asked in surprise, "Is business in the sword-making city really that bad now?"
“That’s because they’re sold out.” Li Letian knew what Wang Boyu meant just by looking at his gaze.
"Although I hate to admit it, that sword really helped us a lot." Li Letian felt that everyone in Sword Forging City had suffered losses, but he had benefited from it. He said with some shame, "The quality of the sword has improved a lot, and more people are buying it."
"That's great news!" Wang Boyu said happily.
"There's practically no stock left now; I still have a few swords I haven't had time to forge."
"Then I guess I'm getting special treatment," Wang Boyu said smugly.
Li Letian winked at the empty scabbard beside him and said maliciously, "I'm afraid you'll get hacked to death by a hail of swords if you go out."
Wang Boyu laughed and said, "Then I thank Brother Li for his kindness."
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