Chapter 20 Surely I can't just kill him to silence him?
They were planning to return to the city. Father said that the journey would be tiring, and Mother was too heavy to walk. So they planned to turn back after one night. But the next day they heard that the entire Lu family had been beheaded and their heads displayed at the execution ground. Not only the Lu family, but also the other four main criminals in the neighborhood were beheaded as a warning to others.
From the city's lockdown to the execution, less than three days had passed. The Dali Temple uncovered the truth in just three days? And who was responsible for the 3,000 crossbow bolts? Without any explanation, how could the entire family have been executed?
Mother insisted that someone was trying to harm Tianhu Workshop—no, to harm the Five Great Workshops. Her reasoning was simple: Guan Xiaotian, the world's number one blacksmith, hadn't been apprehended yet, so the chain of evidence was incomplete. Given these loopholes, how could they so easily disregard human life? Hundreds of lives, no less! A hasty conclusion must be suspicious. Mother shook Father's arm: "They are innocent!"
Rongdu is definitely not a place he can go back to. The major brothel owners have all lost their heads. If he goes back, he will surely become a victim of the blade before he can even defend himself. Guan Xiaotian is not afraid of death, but he is afraid of dying without knowing why. He knows that if he dies in vain, then everyone else will have died in vain.
From the time Guan Ye was born until she was thirteen or fourteen, the Guan family never stayed in one place for more than a month. Several times, her parents felt that it was about time, but three or five years had passed and there was still no end in sight. Just when they were about to settle down properly, the imperial documents arrived in the city and county, either sealing up workshops or arresting blacksmiths. Anyone with a skill had to be summoned to the yamen to carefully identify Guan Xiaotian's portrait.
As time went on, they developed a knack for escaping. Wherever they went, they would use the excuse of fleeing to find a woodshed in a farmhouse in the suburbs to stay in. The mother would do needlework for others, and the father would do farm work. When they came across a private blacksmith shop in the county, the father would get itchy hands and want to try it out. This kind of work required practice, and one would become rusty if one didn't touch it for a few months. Of course, the father wouldn't be foolish enough to show off his skills. Most of the time, he would just watch from the side. When the blacksmith came, he would step forward and help out a few times. Sometimes he would also help people burn materials to earn some travel expenses. Guan Ye, who was seven or eight years old, would squat by the side watching and shout that she wanted to learn too.
"There are no women among the foundry workers," someone shooed Guan Ye away, "Go play somewhere else."
Father got angry when he heard this, but of course he wouldn't cause trouble by yelling at her. That night, Father told Guan Ye, "Don't listen to these ignorant people who have never seen the world. Who says there are no women in the foundry? I know one."
Guan Ye didn't believe it and said dejectedly, "Forging iron requires great strength. Women eat less and have less strength. They can't even swing a shovel, can't carry a bag to burn materials, and can't even swing a sledgehammer weighing dozens of kilograms. Father, you're bluffing me."
"I was just kidding you," Dad said, holding up his little finger. "Let me teach you a poem first."
— Of the three thousand swordsmen of the Jin state, the swordsmanship of Chaoge was unparalleled. At the tender age of twenty, a single sword dance astonished Huating.
This poem describes a woman named Chaoge. She was skilled in swordsmanship and forging. In the Jin Kingdom, most folk secrets were passed down to men, but Chaoge's family, despite having a younger brother, had her parents impart all their family's secret techniques to her. She did not disappoint her family's expectations. She was exceptionally talented and diligent in her studies. She could master even the most complex skills with ease and integrate the strengths of various schools. By the age of sixteen, she was familiar with hundreds of types of iron ore and could even combine different types of iron ore to create a mixture with power exceeding that of a single ore. By the age of eighteen, she could forge swords herself. The swords were five-colored gold, as thin as cicada wings, and could cut through iron like mud. She even engraved "Chaoge Sword" on the blade. At such a young age, she already possessed the demeanor of a master craftsman, and her future was limitless.
"I want to become her apprentice!" Guan Ye exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. "I also want to be a female blacksmith and a female swordsman."
"You're quite greedy, aren't you?" Dad said, amused and exasperated. "It's already quite an achievement to be able to complete even one piece in this lifetime. Become a foundry master."
"Why?" Guan Ye picked up a tree branch and waved it a few times. "Swordsmen are so impressive."
"After the Blood Crossbow Incident, the imperial court cracked down on all iron workshops, large and small, across the country. Now this trend is getting worse and worse, and they are even targeting farm tool workshops. As time goes by, there are fewer and fewer blacksmiths in the world, and fewer and fewer people dare to do this job. Without iron tools, how can we farm, how can we strengthen our army, and how can we protect our country? We don't even have weapons. What about swordsmen? Where are the swords? We can't just wave a tree branch like you do."
Guan Ye thought it made sense, threw away the tree branch, and said seriously, "I will listen to my father. I will be a foundry master. I want to burn materials and forge iron!"
Guan Xiaotian looked pleased: "You need to conserve your energy to work hard. Go to sleep now."
Guan Ye ran away and then ran back, saying, "Where is that Chaoge you mentioned? With her there, the swordsmen will never be without swords."
"Dead." After listening for a while, the mother finally interjected, "What a pity about those white fireworks, they only burned once before they disappeared."
—"Her name is Lu Chaoge."
Later, Guan Ye learned that the woman her father had mentioned was Lu Chaoge, the eldest daughter of the Lu family in Tianhufang. She was dead on the day the entire Lu family was executed.
"You know about the Blood Crossbow Case."
Pei Chu interrupted Guan Ye's thoughts, "Stretch out both your hands."
Guan Ye clenched her fists and hid them behind her back. Pei Chu's tone was firm: "Stretch them out."
"We can't just kill him to silence him." Guan Ye sighed softly and opened her hands. These were clearly the hands of a young girl, with tender, white skin that was soft and smooth to the touch. But they were also the hands of a blacksmith. Blacksmiths need to use both hands to hold the iron and forge materials. Even the strongest blacksmiths would not work with one hand to ensure even force distribution. Usually, calluses would form on one hand. Even if they used both hands, the calluses would be uneven in size and depth. The hands in front of her had calluses on the palms and the area between the thumb and forefinger in the same position, almost the same size and depth. No other profession or trade requires such force distribution.
"Young Master...when did you figure it out?" Guan Ye bit her lip.
"Right now." Pei Chu exhaled. "I knew it."
"You're kidding me!" Guan Ye was about to jump up when Pei Chu said quietly, "Ever since you arrived on the island, Pei Bi has been telling me about you. Someone saw your hands, and they looked like they had been burned. After all, it was Pei Bi who allowed you to stay. He didn't dare tell my father, and he was afraid that if you caused trouble one day, he would be accused of knowing but not reporting. So he mentioned it to me."
"Then why did you only ask me today, young master?" Guan Ye asked, puzzled.
Pei Chu chuckled softly. "Once you're on the island, you can't leave. You'll be trapped here for life. Who you are, what your background is, does it even matter anymore? Staying is fate. Why not live well with us?" Guan Ye's face was innocent, yet she possessed a stubborn spirit. Her smile revealed dimples, much like Jiang Muyun when they first met. Jiang Muyun also had a pair of adorable dimples, but having been with him for so long, he rarely saw her smile anymore. "If we weren't about to leave the island, I wouldn't have asked so many questions about you. Now that I've spoken, Guan Ye, are you still planning to keep it a secret?"
"The Blood Crossbow Case has stirred up a storm for nearly twenty years, and there are almost no blacksmiths left in the world. Judging from the calluses on your palms, they must have been there for at least seven or eight years. How old are you? You must have been learning the craft from your family since you were a child. Your parents and family members..." Pei Chu said calmly, "were also blacksmiths."
"Can't I become an apprentice and learn skills?" Guan Ye wouldn't be fooled by him again.
Pei Chu revealed a calculating look. "The ironwork trade is fraught with danger and relies heavily on physical strength. Women are naturally at a disadvantage, and very few blacksmiths would take a woman as an apprentice unless it's a family heirloom." Pei Chu was physically frail, but her eyes were piercing, and her slightly sunken eyes still shone with a sharp light. "Guan Ye, am I right?"
"I don't know what nonsense you're talking about." Guan Ye picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp, not caring whose it was. "Judging from your loud and clear voice, you should be alright. I'll go see Steward Pei tomorrow. I'm clumsy and annoying, so I won't bother you here, young master."
"Who's in the young master's way?"
The door creaked open, and Lou Cangyu peeked out with a grin, revealing his white teeth. "I could hear Guan Ye chattering from afar. So the young master has woken up?"
Lou Cangyu deftly scooped out the still steaming squid soup, sniffed it closely, and shook his head. He then pulled Guan Ye up and eagerly presented it to Pei Chu, saying, "This is squid soup that Manager Pei instructed me to make for you. It's very nourishing and helps replenish your blood. Squid is hard to cook, so I stewed it for half a day until it was tender. Please eat it while it's hot."
"Let's leave it for now," Pei Chu said softly. "I don't want to eat it yet."
"Young Master, you should eat more." Guan Ye snatched the bowl from Lou Cangyu's hand and offered it to Pei Chu. "You have so many things to know. How can you have the energy if you don't fill your stomach?"
Under Lou Cangyu's astonished gaze, Guan Ye persuaded Young Master Pei with just a few words. He obediently took the bowl, gently stirred it, scooped up a spoonful, put it in his mouth, chewed, and slowly swallowed. Lou Cangyu quickly took out a large fruit from his cloth bag and handed it to Guan Ye, "You eat... this."
"Did you pick these again?" Guan Ye wiped her hands with her sleeves and took a big bite. "They're definitely tastier than Lou Shitou's fruit. It turns out your older brother was hiding all the good fruit."
"If you want to eat it next time, just ask me." Lou Cangyu swallowed and saw Pei Chu finish a bowl of squid meat. He quickly got up to refill it. "If the young master likes it, Cangyu will prepare it for you every day. As long as the young master gets better soon."
"You can go out now, Guan Ye stays."
Lou Cangyu quickly retreated, but before leaving, he couldn't help but glance at Guan Ye again, only to discover that this girl also had a rather beautiful appearance.
The door closed, and faint conversations could be heard coming from inside. Cang Yu was both itchy and timid, and after hesitating for a moment, she finally turned and left.
In Xingguo Ward, a crowd surrounded the old blacksmith, eager to witness the creation of the unprecedented Meteor Sword. The five-colored blood was right before their eyes, but the old blacksmith dared not continue for a long time.
Since arriving at Canglang Island, Xingguo Workshop has not forged any weapons. A hundred years have passed, and the blacksmiths will grow old and die. Although the skills are passed down, they are mostly theoretical and lack practical application. Pei Yuan is well-versed in the ancient books of Jian Ge and has been taught by blacksmiths, but he has never touched ironware and has never even struck a hammer.
The oldest remaining blacksmith in the workshop, facing the molten metal mingled with blood and flesh, where one step could lead to great heights or one step to the abyss, dared not make a single move.
"Wait until the liquid cools completely," Pei Yuan's voice boomed like thunder. "Should we reheat it from scratch?"
"Your subordinate is incompetent!" the old blacksmith cried out, kneeling on the ground. "I dare not, I cannot!"
Pei Yuan approached the five-colored blood plasma. He had personally witnessed Jiang Muyun jump into the Heavenly Furnace and instantly merge with the meteorite. This was a precious pool of liquid, and more importantly, a living human life. The opportunity to return to the capital was fleeting, so how could they let it fail again?
"How can I do that?" Pei Yuan leaned down and stared intently at the old blacksmith's face, which was covered in wrinkles.
"The meteorite only has one chance." The old blacksmith led Pei Yuan to see it. "My skills are lacking, and I really dare not ruin such an important matter for the workshop."
Pei Yuan stared intently and saw that the five-colored blood plasma, at first glance, resembled floating gold, but upon closer inspection, it was like a still shadow on a jade disc. The colors competed for beauty, accumulating and shimmering, yet it also contained a tragic bloodstain, which lingered and could not be dispersed. Pei Yuan couldn't help but rub his eyes. Looking again, the bloodstain actually transformed into a shape, moving like a serpent in the five-colored plasma. Where the serpent's tail trailed, the color of the blood changed from deep to light red, and finally gradually disappeared. In the blink of an eye, the serpent reappeared, its head and tail touching and swaying, shimmering and reflecting in his eyes.
The slurry was like a bottomless abyss, pulling Pei Yuan into it rapidly. Suddenly, the blood-red spirit snake transformed into a burning flame and lunged at Pei Yuan. Pei Yuan roared and flailed his large hands, almost falling to the ground.
"Master!" Pei Bi squeezed through the crowd to help him, but Pei Yuan pushed his hand away violently, forcing himself to stand up straight, his large, copper-bell-shaped eyes revealing a look of terror.
"What... what's wrong?" Xiao Ma had never seen the shop owner so out of control.
“It seems… the fermented water is malevolent.” Ajiu held her sword and lowered her eyes. “No one dares to take the next step.”
"Evil?" A chill ran down Xiao Ma's spine. "You mean...she..."
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