Chapter 107 He's a good official... He deserves more money.
"I heard that you held a sword-washing ceremony yesterday."
"Um."
"I heard that the sorcerer who calls himself the 'Jade Cup Fairy' came down the mountain yesterday and is with you."
"That's true, brother."
"I also heard from the servants that a female tassel worker went missing from the sword tassel workshop yesterday."
The Liu family mansion features a waterside pavilion surrounded by artificial hills made of gray and white rocks.
At this moment, three people were standing or sitting in the pavilion, and the conversation of two of them stopped at the right time.
The air grew quiet.
Liu Zian did not reply.
Liu Zilin remained silent and did not interrupt.
Liu Ziwen turned around and looked at Liu Zian, asking, "Was this the Jade Cup Fairy's idea?"
"Brother, it's like this. Yu Zhi came to me yesterday and asked me to do her a favor. It just so happens that the sword in Jia San Sword Furnace has been completed. I thought that she had helped us a lot before, so it was inconvenient to refuse. Therefore, I agreed and will only help her this once."
Liu Zian looked up at his expressionless elder brother, sighed, and lowered his head slightly:
“I thought it was a small matter before, just the ‘disappearance’ of a female worker, so I didn’t bother my brother to keep him quiet.”
"What did you think before? And what about now?"
"Now I realize I was wrong. It seems I made a bit too much noise. I don't know how, but I alerted the enemy. Brother, this time I was careless and I'm willing to accept the punishment."
Liu Ziwen stared at his humble, bowed second brother for a while, then looked away:
“In the past, I would turn a blind eye to a few people ‘disappearing’ from the sword shop, but do you not know what the situation is like now?”
“Any slight movement could provide Ouyang Lianghan with an excuse to intervene in the sword shop. Our Liu family cannot give the county government a handle to use against us and become the target of public criticism.”
"Have you forgotten about the audit of the East Warehouse last time? It's only been a few days, and you've already let your guard down and underestimated the enemy!"
Without saying a word, Liu Zian bowed his head and knelt down: "Brother, it was my oversight."
Liu Ziwen coldly looked at the strangely shaped artificial hill outside the pavilion: "Now look what's happened, Ouyang Lianghan has become alert and removed that idle chess piece from the sword shop."
He frowned and turned around: "You're selecting offerings, did you perhaps lay a hand on that worker named Aqing?"
"No, I didn't touch her at all."
Liu Zian shook his head, a look of confusion on his face as well:
"I don't know where Ouyang Lianghan got the warning from, but he found an excuse to take people away at noon. I don't know what he was afraid of."
Liu Ziwen flicked his sleeve: "You're doing that kind of thing so openly, how could they not run away?"
Liu Zian hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
He thought the ceremony was very secretive and shouldn't have been discovered by Ouyang Lianghan, otherwise things would be much calmer now.
However, Liu Zian knew that this was his elder brother's angry remark and he shouldn't respond.
So he chose to keep quiet.
Liu Zilin stood silently to the side, not sitting down. His buttocks were still not healed, and he walked with a limp, let alone sitting. These days, he slept on his stomach, and even accidentally turning over in the night was a sad story.
Liu Zilin couldn't help but interject, "Brother, we've accidentally alerted the enemy. What should we do now?"
Liu Ziwen was silent for a moment, then turned his back and said:
“I’ll handle it. I’ve already sent people over. The most important thing right now is to keep Ouyang Lianghan calm. We might as well show some more sincerity and lower his guard so that the beheading can be done cleanly and efficiently later.”
"Big brother is amazing."
"Awesome my foot." Liu Ziwen scoffed, then turned to ask the silent Liu Zi'an:
"You still haven't told me what the Jade Cup Fairy did during this Sword Cleansing Ceremony?"
Liu Zian lowered his eyes to the ground beneath his feet and answered:
"Just like last time, she improved her spiritual cultivation. Her immortal techniques are strange and unusual, and seem to be somewhat different from the orthodox immortal sorcerer lineage. I'm not quite sure about them either."
Liu Ziwen didn't doubt it and sneered, "Claiming immortal arts, huh? She was so confident about what happened at Dragon Head Bridge last time, but we all saw how it turned out."
Liu Zian nodded: "What you say is true, but she said she's going into seclusion these past few days. She'll prove it to us when she comes out. By the way, she also needs us to provide some valuable materials related to Qi cultivation techniques."
"What do you need these for?"
"She said she needed to make another mask, because the bronze mask from last time was intercepted by that Xie family woman."
"Find Liu Fu later and go to the treasury to retrieve it."
Although he was dissatisfied with the jade cup-shaped female immortal that resembled the one worshipped by the Liu family, Liu Ziwen did not refuse and replied casually.
With the accumulation of wealth over the years, coupled with the support of the Wei family, the Liu family has accumulated a considerable amount of valuable items in its treasury, so they are not lacking in this one.
Inside the pavilion, the young master of the Liu family looked up at the sky, then reached out his hand behind him without turning his head.
"Where's the new sword that came out yesterday? And that guy's portrait?"
Liu Zian took out a golden nanmu sword box, while Liu Zilin held a scroll painting in his hands.
Liu Ziwen did not personally greet them, but led the way out of the pavilion.
"Let's go. That young hero should be sober by now."
The three Liu brothers headed together to the nearby Nanxuan Courtyard.
Admission.
The white stone floor was covered with wine jars.
Empty, full, overflowing.
It rolled all over the ground.
The three Liu brothers avoided the wine jars and walked towards a pavilion on the west side of the courtyard.
There was no one inside the pavilion.
There was only one table of cold dishes.
There are people on the roof of the pavilion.
Because a wine jar would occasionally roll down from above the eaves of the pavilion.
With his hands behind his back, Liu Ziwen led his two younger brothers to a brief stop under the pavilion. Suddenly, he reached out and caught a black lacquered wine jar with red paper that had rolled down. He weighed it in his hand, looked up, and asked with a smile:
"Young Master Jie, are you full and satisfied with your meal?"
Someone hiccuped while sitting in the pavilion, but didn't reply.
Liu Ziwen said loudly:
"As the saying goes, a fine sword is given to a hero. Young hero A-Jie is young and promising, and has everything. It's just a pity that the only thing she lacks now is a good sword."
A drunken voice suddenly came from the pavilion: "Bullshit, I'm missing an arm."
Liu Ziwen choked for a moment, then chuckled:
"It's alright, Young Hero A-Jie. You're giving all the heroes of the world one hand. They still can't defeat you. That defeat at Yunmengze was just a setback. That Great Queen relied on her superior sword and her lineage... As long as you take this new sword, which is no worse than theirs, you'll surely be able to climb back to the top..."
"Stop bragging to me."
Liu Ziwen's words were interrupted by the man on the pavilion roof, who uttered a drunken curse:
“A bully hiring an assassin? It’s that simple. You provide the sword, I’ll draw it. One deal, no more nonsense.”
Liu Ziwen was speechless. He nodded and said, "That's true," then turned and winked at his two younger brothers behind him.
Liu Zian, carrying a golden nanmu sword box, and Liu Zilin, carrying a scroll, were about to step forward when they discovered that their objects had vanished before they had taken two steps.
The two brothers couldn't help but exchange a surprised glance.
On the pavilion, a one-armed youth stood with a golden nanmu sword box under his feet and was the first to open the scroll.
Liu Ziwen narrowed his eyes and said, "Young Master A-Jie, this is the boy."
The one-armed youth looked at the person in the scroll, paused for a moment, and then suddenly asked:
Who is he?
"County magistrate."
The one-armed youth wasn't surprised; he simply asked, "Is there a faint scar on his right forehead?"
Liu Ziwen looked surprised:
"There is indeed a faint scar on his right forehead. It was left from his serious injury when he fell into the water last time. It hasn't fully healed, but you can't see it unless you look closely."
After a pause, Liu Ziwen couldn't help but ask:
"Young hero, you wouldn't happen to know him, would you?"
The one-armed youth was silent for a moment before speaking:
"He is a good official."
"Perhaps," Liu Ziwen nodded.
"He bought me a drink, twelve copper coins."
"oh?"
Liu Ziwen's eyes showed some surprise and doubt. He exchanged a glance with his two younger brothers, and the three of them immediately became a little nervous.
Because they were standing within ten steps of a mid-level Qi Refining sword cultivator, they couldn't escape.
A deathly silence fell over both the pavilion and its surroundings.
Liu Ziwen narrowed his eyes and said softly:
"What you mean, young hero... well, if it's not feasible, we won't force you. Our Liu family will cover your drinks and lodging these days, as a way of making friends..."
The one-armed youth suddenly said, "We need to raise the price."
The three Liu brothers were all stunned.
The one-armed youth took a sip of wine and, slurring his words, repeated:
"Kill him, and you'll have to pay more. An ordinary sword won't buy his life with me; his life is precious."
Liu Ziwen said calmly, "Then young hero might as well take a look at the sword in the box when you have a moment."
The one-armed youth did not reply.
A short while later, a click came from above the eaves of the pavilion—the sound of the sword box being opened.
Then came a very long silence.
At this moment, if someone on a distant mountaintop were to look towards the direction of the South Pavilion courtyard, they would be surprised to discover:
During the day, there was even a gentle moonlight.
Under the pavilion, just as Liu Ziwen and his two companions' expressions changed from confidence to some hesitation.
"Let me correct that."
Accompanied by the sound of a sword being sheathed, the voice of the person on the pavilion came down:
"Don't call me 'young master' or 'young hero,' I'm a swordsman, I don't associate myself with chivalry."
"Okay." Liu Ziwen breathed a sigh of relief, understanding the implied meaning, and smiled again: "However, please do not take action for now. We will inform you again when we are ready."
"Fine, but remember, this sword is only enough to buy his life. I don't care about anything else. You'd better clean it up, or you'll have to bear the consequences."
"no problem!"
Just as the three Liu brothers turned to leave, the swordsman lying on his back in the pavilion suddenly asked:
Who forged this sword?
Liu Ziwen stopped and asked in return, "Does this mean that every swordsman in Chang'an who takes a sword to kill someone always asks this question?"
After these words were spoken, no one else spoke.
Liu Ziwen and the other two left the courtyard.
The Nanxuan Courtyard has returned to tranquility.
On the pavilion, a one-armed youth stood with a sword box under his feet, holding a bottle of osmanthus wine, and turned his head to look north.
I can see the sun when I look up, but I cannot see Chang'an.
...
It was a rare occasion for the three brothers, Liu Ziwen, Liu Zian, and Liu Zilin, to all gather together.
After leaving the Nanxuan Courtyard, they did not immediately separate, but instead walked out of the Liu Family Mansion and tacitly headed to the Guyue Sword Shop on the other side of Xiaogushan.
On the mountain road.
Looking sickly, Liu Zi'an asked first, "Brother, is this swordsman reliable? Could he change his mind at the last minute?"
Liu Ziwen, dressed in the attire of a wealthy and leisurely landowner, shook his head:
"If you knew about this person's upbringing and his reputation among the Jianghu gangs in Chang'an, you wouldn't ask this question."
He remarked, "He is indeed a swordsman who doesn't let emotions cloud his judgment when he draws his sword. He's fair in his dealings, as long as you can afford his price... He doesn't have any of that pointless chivalry or talk of serving the country and its people."
After listening, Liu Zilin couldn't help but ask, "But brother, isn't it a bit too much of a loss to accept such a valuable sword only to kill a scholar who can't even kill a chicken?"
He was also a sword enthusiast, and he was eyeing the new sword he had just received, his face still showing some reluctance and pain.
Neither Liu Ziwen nor Liu Zian answered the foolish question, while Liu Zilin smiled awkwardly.
Not long after.
Liu Ziwen and his two companions arrived at the mountainside of Xiaogushan.
It was just past dawn, nearing midday, and the first rays of the sun were shining brightly on the lush green lawn.
The three Liu brothers waited for a while in the open space in front of the Jia Yi Sword Furnace. Before long, they indeed encountered the old man in hemp clothing who had finished breakfast and was returning from buying wine.
He looked unwell, or rather, he hadn't looked well all morning.
Liu Ziwen, Liu Zian, and Liu Zilin respectfully greeted the old man who was dressed in ordinary craftsman's clothes.
The old man walked straight past the three people without even glancing at them.
Liu Ziwen took a step forward and smiled:
"Sir, I've come here today to tell you about the young female worker who often buys wine for you."
Liu Zian, who was standing to the side, quietly observed the old man's expression. In fact, the reason they first noticed the young female worker named Aqing was not because of her brother Liu Ashan, but because of this old man. The latter was a frequent customer of that breakfast stall and only had a few interactions with the young female worker who bought wine every day.
Although the Liu family usually doesn't concern themselves with the old master's affairs other than sword forging, they still can't let their guard down and must pay attention to the people he comes into contact with.
The old swordsmith stopped upon hearing this, but did not turn around.
In his hand, besides a pot of wine, he was also holding a blue paper butterfly flower.
Judging from the appearance, they were originally going down the mountain to return it to a certain girl, but they returned empty-handed.
Liu Ziwen gave a brief explanation of why Aqing was taken away by the young county magistrate, mainly to disclaim any involvement from the Liu family. He clarified that this was not an act by the Liu family to arbitrarily decide or deliberately breach the contract to interfere in the old gentleman's affairs.
This point needs to be made clear.
After finishing his remarks, Liu Ziwen followed up with a somewhat awkward but warm exchange of pleasantries.
Finally, Liu Ziwen said in a broad voice, "Old sir, our previous agreement remains unchanged. You can focus on forging the sword. The water level of Butterfly Creek will not rise in the short term. We already have a plan to deal with anyone who dares to cause trouble. In addition... we also have arrangements for the day the sword is completed."
The old swordsmith listened silently without replying, then glanced back at the three brothers.
He nodded almost imperceptibly, then walked alone into the sword furnace. With a "bang," the door slammed shut again.
Despite being turned away, Liu Ziwen, Liu Zian, and Liu Zilin were not discouraged. They seemed to be used to the old man's reclusive nature, and even felt that the fact that he had patiently listened to their explanations this time was already a sign that the old man was in a good mood.
The three brothers sighed and turned to leave.
And behind them was the Jia Yi Sword Furnace.
The old swordsmith stood beside a quiet forge, looking down at the forgotten blue paper butterfly flower in his hand, a hint of regret on his face. He sighed softly:
"He's a promising talent and has been a great help to me... We'll see how he performs next."
The old man turned around, facing the vast sword-making room, tilted his head back, took a sip of yellow wine, and murmured to himself:
"What a remarkable Liu family of Longcheng! All three sons are quite interesting... Liu Ziwen is not quite Wen, Liu Zian is not quite An, Liu Zilin is not quite Lin..."
I just learned something interesting: anyone over fourteen is considered a woman! (Aqing, Weilai: You should have said so sooner!)
(End of this chapter)
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