The so-called "operation" is, of course, about gaining fame. If no one knows about it, how can it possibly cultivate its own spirit? Qin Mu said he was giving it to Qin Yue so that Qin Yue could write the first copy himself; but Qin Yue refused, because the first copy possesses a trace of the creator's essence and spirit, something others cannot imitate. Even if later writers did write it, they would only have different handwriting, lacking the original's ability. If Qin Yue were to write it, it would truly be his own possession.
"Alright! How about writing it on the folding fan?" Knowing that Qin Yue would not accept it, Qin Mu did not force the issue.
Ever since he learned that poetry and prose could evolve into esoteric classics, there was a moment when Qin Mu really wanted to write down all the famous poems and prose he could remember. However, he dismissed the idea, since overdoing it wasn't a good thing.
Not to mention the human race itself, even the beast race would not tolerate it. Assassinating human geniuses is something the beast race has always done, which is one of the reasons why the protectors exist.
Since practicing martial arts was out of the question, he took Qin Yue to his room, took out a blank folding fan, and wrote the enlightenment poem he had just recited on it. As for the name, he called it the Enlightenment Poem, since Qin Mu had heard this poem before but did not know what it was originally called.
"How about using animal hide to make the fan surface?" Qin Yue asked, shaking his folding fan.
"Animal hide?" Qin Mu looked at him, puzzled.
"Yes, both paper and wood are too fragile. If we forge a fine steel folding fan and add good animal hide, it can be used as a weapon," Qin Yue said with a hint of excitement.
"Weapons? We created these things ourselves, why would we need any matching techniques?" Qin Mu retorted.
“We can make it longer, in the shape of a sword, and use it as a sword too, since it’s only for emergencies. You can’t always draw a sword and hold it in your hand, can you? A folding fan can be held all the time, and when unfolded, it can defend against arrows, hidden weapons, and the like. It can both attack and defend, it’s a good thing.” Qin Yue said, gesturing with the folding fan.
"That works too! Anyway, once we get through the first wave, we can get the weapon we're most comfortable with." Feeling that Qin Yue's words made a lot of sense, Qin Mu nodded in agreement.
“Yeah! We can’t carry swords all the time, can we? Not everyone is like you, hiding equipment.” Qin Yue said, glancing enviously at Qin Mu’s waist.
"The Qin family is so large and powerful, surely they have a few pieces of equipment with Sumeru space?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
"You know the Qin family is very powerful and wealthy. These equipment are extremely useful and are usually in the hands of the commanders-in-chief," Qin Yue said, rolling his eyes.
This kind of space equipment is indeed very useful in war, so Qin Mu understood their approach.
"Who will make the folding fans?" Qin Mu asked, changing the subject.
"If we're going to do it, we should do it the best. Seventh Grandfather has some good hides. I'll go ask him for some," Qin Yue said after thinking for a moment.
"Is that the master armor maker?" Qin Mu asked.
"Yes! How did you know?"
"Miss Qin told me that. I happen to have another favor to ask of him, but I don't need the materials. I still have a Silver Wolf General's pelt!"
"Isn't this too wasteful?" Qin Yue said in surprise.
“Didn’t you say you’d do it right if you’re going to do it? I have the ore too,” Qin Mu said, raising an eyebrow.
For personal use, of course, one wouldn't be stingy with materials. Besides, Qin Yue's point is valid: using a folding fan as a weapon is not only unexpected but also allows one to hold it in their hand without raising eyebrows. Furthermore, aren't materials meant to be used? Keeping them is no different from being a miser.
"That's wonderful! One of the grandfathers in the Wang family happens to be a master weapon refiner." Qin Yue clapped his hands in praise.
"Then let's go now."
“Okay! Let’s go find Grandpa Wang first and get the fan ribs made,” Qin Yue agreed.
Young people are decisive and efficient; they can leave at a moment's notice, pack their things, and head out the door.
"Huaidao, are you going out?" Bu Mang's voice was heard as soon as I reached the door.
"Yes, Brother Bu."
"Why didn't you call us?" Bu Mang asked with a hint of reproach.
"We're just in the city looking for someone to make something, so we didn't want to trouble you," Qin Mu said apologetically, though he had completely forgotten about it.
“That won’t do. We promised your father we’d protect you every step of the way,” Bu Mang said, shaking his head.
"Alright! Let's go together then. We don't need to call Brother Bu." Qin Mu knew they were doing this for his own good, so of course he wouldn't refuse.
"Huai Dao, are you looking down on me, a blind man?" Bu Fang's voice came from the side.
Seeing the smile on his face, Qin Mu knew he wasn't angry.
"How could that be! I was just worried about troubling Brother Bu too much. Anyway, it's just in the city."
“You said it yourself, it’s just in the city, a few steps away, what’s the trouble?” Bu Fang said as he walked up to Qin Mu.
“Yes! Huai Dao, with the talent you’ve shown so far, you’re likely to attract the attention of the beastmen. They love to assassinate geniuses who haven’t yet reached their full potential. Many times, it’s because of a moment of carelessness that they succeed in their attacks,” Bu Mang nodded and said.
"Assassinating underdeveloped geniuses is low-cost, high-reward, and easy to succeed, so the orcs are happy to do it. They would rather kill the wrong person than let one go. Back then, the young master encountered several assassination attempts and luckily escaped. After that, Old Lu guarded him every step of the way," Bu Fang said.
"Okay! Okay! I was wrong, Brother Bu, Second Brother Bu. I'll definitely tell you next time I go out." Qin Mu then realized that things were not so simple after all, and quickly apologized.
“Huaidao, don’t blame your brothers for being long-winded. If anything were to happen to you, we would feel guilty for the rest of our lives,” Bu Fang said.
"Yes, I understand. My two older brothers are doing this for my own good, so how could I blame them?" Qin Mu replied sincerely.
"Hehe! Huai Dao, didn't you notice that even in the city, I always have people following me? Although they're just ordinary guards." Qin Yue said with a wicked smile, seeing that Qin Mu was embarrassed by what he said.
"I really don't know. Besides, it's not my fault. I never had anyone to protect me before!" Qin Mu said, spreading his hands.
"Alright, Huai Dao, don't blame yourself. Actually, the area inside the pass is really safe, but it's always better to be careful. I made this mistake because I was careless," Bu Fang said with a smile.
"Brother Bu is really carefree, but it seems to affect you quite a bit?" Qin Yue said with some curiosity.
"The way of Heaven is truly impartial! Although I can no longer see, my nose, ears, and senses are all much better now," Bu Fang exclaimed with a smile.
"Really?" Qin Yue asked in surprise.
"It's true. I can tell where someone is by their voice, so I can avoid them. Besides, the scent of a person is very strong. Even if they're standing still, I can tell when they get close," Bu Fang said confidently.
"What about the inanimate objects? I noticed earlier that you seemed to be very familiar with the area, Brother Bu, and you weren't affected by the environment at all?" Qin Yue asked curiously.
“Hehe, you said you know the way well. Blind people have better memories. Once they’ve been there before, they’ll remember it. Even if they’ve never been there before, as long as they calm down and feel the wind, they can still distinguish their surroundings,” Bu Fang explained.
"Wow! Brother Bu is really amazing, he's so impressive I almost want to gouge my eyes out," Qin Yue said, clicking his tongue.
"Nonsense! Do you really think it's that simple? Brother Bu's move was out of necessity. How could he have achieved this without rigorous training? If you don't believe me, go back and try it yourself with your eyes closed." Qin Mu slapped him irritably.
"Haha!" The Bu brothers couldn't help but laugh when they saw that Qin Mu actually took it seriously.
"Young Prince, please don't take it seriously. Huai Dao is right. I had no choice but to do this. When I first went blind, I felt like the sky had fallen, and the whole world was plunged into darkness," Bu Fang said with a wry smile.
“My elder brother once contemplated suicide and it took him a long time to pull through,” Bu Mang sighed.
The brothers' conversation reveals the despair they felt after losing their sight. It also suggests that Bu Fang's abilities didn't come as easily as he claimed.
"I'm sorry." Qin Yue bowed apologetically.
"Don't worry about it!" Bu Fang waved his hand with a smile.
“Just go about your own business and pretend we don’t exist,” Bu Mang added.
"Hmm." The two responded and went out again. Qin Mu noticed that as they moved forward, two Qin family soldiers followed behind them.
Houguan was actually a residential city. The group wandered through the streets and alleys and soon arrived at a small alley.
"Grandpa Wang doesn't like staying at home, so he opened a shop here and also helps out with farm tools when he has free time," Qin Yue explained.
Looking at the narrow alley, where no one else came or went except for his group, Qin Mu wondered if the shops here could even open one a day.
The group walked to the end of the alley and came to a shop with no sign and its door half open. The shop was quiet, not at all like a blacksmith shop. Qin Mu wondered if they had gone to the wrong place and turned to look at Qin Yue.
"Is Grandpa Wang here?" Qin Yue stepped forward, gently knocked on the shop door, and poked his head into the shop to call out.
"It's Xiao Yue! Come in!" a voice called out. Qin Yue's face lit up with joy, and he turned around and waved for them to follow.
Qin Mu noticed that there were indeed many farm tools in the shop, but they were all piled up haphazardly; Qin Yue did not stop in the shop, but took the lead in lifting a curtain and walking to the back.
The backyard was even more chaotic, piled with stones everywhere, leaving only a narrow passageway in the middle. Although Qin Mu wasn't familiar with the area, he could guess that these were all ores.
A tall, burly man with bare chest was lying on a platform in the ore field, sunbathing.
"Little Yuezi, what made you think of Grandpa Wang's place? Oh, you even brought guests!" The burly man got up and looked at the group.
Although Qin Yue called him Grandpa Wang, the man didn't look old at all; his complexion was ruddy and his eyes were bright. Lying down, one could tell he was strong, but getting up revealed his incredible strength—probably two meters tall, with clearly defined muscles that exuded power. The first time Qin Mu saw him, the phrase "a horse could run on his arm, a person could stand on his fist" came to mind; combined with his shiny bald head, he looked somewhat intimidating.
"Hehe, I just missed you, Grandpa Wang, so I came all the way here to see you," Qin Yue said with a smile.
"Don't try to fool me, kid. I always avoid you when you pass by," the burly man said, glaring at me with his big eyes.
"Hehe, Grandpa Wang, you have such keen insight!" Qin Yue took a step back and flattered him with a smile. It was obvious that Qin Yue was very afraid of him.
"Hehe, stop flattering me, kid. I know you're a night owl; you don't come here unless you have something to do. Introduce me to some guests." Perhaps because Qin Mu and his group were there, the burly man didn't make things difficult for Qin Yue. He looked at Qin Mu and the others and asked.
“Huai Dao, this is Grandpa Thirteen, the master I told you about. He doesn’t usually take action,” Qin Yue said to Qin Mu with a wink.
Since he had come looking for someone, Qin Mu naturally knew that the person in front of him was the Grandmaster. Qin Yue's words were clearly an attempt to curry favor, and Qin Mu would not expose him. He smiled and bowed, saying, "Qin Mu greets Grandfather Thirteen!"
"Qin Mu? Who are you? I've never seen you before," Thirteenth Grandfather asked, stroking his bald head.
"Grandpa Wang, Huai Dao isn't from our family. He's the son of Duke Qin Qiong of Yi State, and these two are experts from his family," Qin Yue explained.
"Bu Fang (Bu Mang) greets senior."
"Hmm, not bad, you two are not bad, it's just that the name isn't good, you're always so unhurried." Grandpa Thirteen nodded and said.
He can tease others, but no one dares to talk back. After all, he is an elder of the Qin family and a master. Everyone understands that he has a bit of a quirky temper.
The Bu brothers gave a wry smile, retreated to the doorway, and stopped paying attention to them to avoid being teased again and having no way to talk back.
"Those two little guys are good, but you two are no good, you're like little chicks." Thirteen Master clicked his tongue and shook his head at Qin Mu and the other two.
"Grandpa Wang, Huai Dao and I came here to ask you for help in making a special weapon," Qin Yue said cautiously as he stepped forward.
"Nonsense! You come here not to make weapons, but to eat!" Grandpa Thirteen glared and raised his palm, which was as big as a palm leaf fan.
Qin Yue hurriedly stepped back, but the slap didn't land on him; he was just patted on the bald head.
"Coward!" Grandpa Thirteen glanced at Qin Yue with disdain and raised his eyelids. Then he asked Qin Mu, "Little guy, tell me, what kind of weapon do you want to make?"
"Thirteenth Grandfather, we want to make two weapons of this style, but they should be longer and have sword tips." Qin Mu took out a folding fan and handed it over to explain.
"The style is quite unique, but the method is also very simple. You want to both play with it and make it into a weapon, right? Not a bad idea! However, this kind of weapon is not suitable to be made of copper or iron. Copper and iron are a bit too bulky." Holding the folding fan, Thirteenth Grandfather touched the fan ribs and thought for a moment before saying.
You really can't judge a book by its cover. He truly deserves to be called a master. As soon as Qin Mu said it, he understood. He even knew exactly what Qin Mu and the others were thinking.
"You're wise, old man. You understood our little scheme right away. I have some ore here, I don't know if it's suitable."
"Oh! Let me see it, old man!" Grandpa Thirteen said with some surprise. He hadn't originally thought Qin Mu and the others would provide the materials, after all, Qin Yue was family, but he became interested as soon as he heard about the ore.
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