Chapter 21 Casting the Scripture: Guan Ye Didn't Want to Escape Anymore
"Evil?" A chill ran down Xiao Ma's spine. "You mean... her?"
The molten iron fused with flesh and blood, the resulting paste thin and resilient, requiring cooling and remelting. Each melting process thickened the paste, and the preciousness of meteorite lay in its iridescent, fiery brilliance. The thicker the paste, the less vibrant the colors. Even if a weapon were forged this way, it would be duller than agile, indistinguishable from ordinary weapons. How could the Imperial Advisor Cui Jin and the Emperor possibly fail to recognize such a weapon?
Meteorite, you only get one chance.
“You are the most experienced blacksmith in the workshop. Tell me, what should we do?” Pei Yuan sighed softly.
The old foundry worker sighed softly, "I need someone to help me."
Upon hearing this, most of the surrounding crowd retreated. Miracles could be witnessed, but dirty work was off-limits. With this retreat, only a few swordsmen remained at the front, their tall and imposing figures quite conspicuous. Xiao Ma quietly wanted to back away, but seeing that A Jiu and Feng Shisan were not moving in sync, he pouted and reluctantly stood still.
"Tell me, who do you need to help you?" Pei Yuan looked at the various expressions on the faces of the group.
The old forge master shook his head. Pei Yuan knew the capabilities of everyone in the workshop. Xingguo Workshop, Xingguo Workshop, besides an inextinguishable furnace, what else could it offer to revitalize the country? Helpers, there were no helpers.
In the crowd, Aunt Lou stood on tiptoe, trying to read Pei Yuan's expression. She wanted to open her mouth several times, but hesitated and kept it closed, unable to make a sound.
"It's a pity we only know swordsmanship, not forging," Feng Shisan clicked his tongue. "We can't be of any help."
"A swordsman without a sword is no different from a cripple." Ajiu carefully wiped the sword in his hand. "Therefore, we should cherish things that come in a hurry."
"The liquid will have to be recycled by tomorrow at the latest." Pei Yuan angrily turned and left. "You'd better watch yourself."
"Unexpectedly," Feng Shisan leaned closer to Ajiu, "I thought once the meteorite melted, everything would be fine. Why is there still another hurdle?"
“Every obstacle is difficult, but we will overcome them.” Ajiu’s expression remained calm. “I believe that this time, destiny will be with Xingguo Ward.”
Tingzhuxuan
Guan Ye said she was leaving, but she didn't. Although she had never served anyone before, she was quick-witted and efficient. In less than half a moment, she had cleaned the huge Tingzhu Pavilion spotless. Seeing that Pei Chu didn't intend to lie down, she found a cloak and draped it over his back. She then sat listlessly on a small stool, propping her chin up as if lost in thought.
"Have you ever cast anything?" Pei Chu broke the silence.
Guan Ye didn't want to continue their cat-and-mouse game, so she gave a soft reply. When Guan Ye was ten years old, she had secretly collected iron ore and forged a short sword in an abandoned blacksmith's shop. Her father had laughed at her, saying that she had never seen a real sword before, and that the hilt and blade were the same length—how could she use it? It looked just like the small wooden sword from the Lou family. Guan Ye felt a sense of familiarity when she saw it; it was just like herself when she was a child. Her father reforged his short sword, and to avoid hurting his daughter, he rounded off the sharp edges. The sword was left unsharpened for Guan Ye to play with. Guan Ye loved the work she and her father had created together, but unfortunately, they had fled in haste, and one day, she left in a hurry and could never be found again.
"Have you become rusty with your technique?" Pei Chu asked again. "If you were to try it now, would you still be able to?"
"Of course," Guan Ye blurted out, showing no regret for her quick tongue since she had already said it.
“They can’t forge the Meteor Sword.” Pei Chu glanced out the window. “Guan Ye, I need your help.”
Guan Ye first met Pei Chu at his school. Aunt Lou told her that after finishing her work, if she wasn't afraid of straining her brain, she should go listen to the young master's storytelling. Guan Ye loved listening to storytelling; in her younger days, she would be captivated by any story she heard and wouldn't leave until the end. But when she arrived at the school, Aunt Lou was quite the con artist. This wasn't storytelling; it was teaching. Guan Ye was about to leave when she heard the clear, melodious voice of the man sitting in the bamboo chair reciting—"Layered rocks, iron heroes, graphite and stone clarity, unique colors; peacock blue, black stone black, cinnabar blue copper, difficult to obtain colors."
— First, iron ore is extracted; second, its essence is obtained; third, it is fired; fourth, it is melted into slurry, which is then used to cast steel into solid tools for great use. With a heart that can encompass mountains and valleys, the tools can depict the landscape.
Guan Ye silently recited the "Casting Classic" his father had taught him. His father had said to take a large ship to a peaceful place, where he would no longer need to run away and could continue doing what he loved. Guan Ye finally understood that the place his father spoke of was Canglang Island. Xingguo Ward on the island was the only remaining large weapons workshop in the world. Guan Ye had originally intended to live a life of seclusion on the island, drifting aimlessly until death. Pei Chu's oral recitation of the "Casting Classic" had awakened Guan Ye's long-dormant fighting spirit. His father was dead, but the skills would not be lost. Guan Ye no longer wanted to run away.
“Young Master doesn’t care about meteorites,” Guan Ye said. “Why do you want me to help them forge them?”
“What’s meant to happen will happen.” A sinister expression, incongruous with his refined demeanor, appeared on Pei Chu’s face. “If Father insists on leaving the island, then I’ll give him a push, forge a meteor sword, and send him soaring to the heavens.”
“The liquid melts flesh and blood; ordinary people wouldn’t dare to do it, nor do they have the ability.” Pei Chu’s face turned ashen. “Guan Ye, Jiang Muyun cannot have sacrificed herself in vain. She must leave something behind in this world so that everyone knows she was here.”
Guan Ye spread her hands. She had been on the island for more than three years. During the day, she carried bags and sifted materials with Lou Shitou, secretly studying the master's method of firing materials. In her spare time, she went to the school and studied the "Casting Classic" with Pei Chu. Pei Chu's teaching was profound yet simple, and more interesting than her father's. Guan Ye could not only recite it fluently, but also understand the meaning of each word and sentence. She could also apply what she learned to other situations and figure out her own way. Stroking the calluses on her palms, Guan Ye also wanted to know if she could do it.
A thousand miles away, in Rongdu, Jin State, within the inner city.
Crown Prince Mu Chenbi is currently researching a type of ore transported from the Western Regions—Kunwu Stone. Sellers at the Ghost Market claim that Kunwu Stone is extremely hard, and weapons forged from it are incredibly powerful, gleaming even in the dark. Several stewards of the Inner Workshop have been keeping the Crown Prince company until midnight. They truly cannot understand his fascination with Kunwu Stone. For over a decade, the Inner Workshop has been using black iron to forge weapons; having such a readily available material, why is he so obsessed with Kunwu Stone?
Most importantly, nobody likes visitors from the Western Regions. They prefer to hide themselves in wide robes, adorned with strange and cheap ornaments. They also dislike open trade, preferring to huddle in the dark and cramped Ghost Market rather than the vast Rongdu Market, like rats that can't stand the light. They only accept silver ingots and gold in their transactions, and they even bite and chew on everything to verify its authenticity, as if no one would bother to cheat them.
People in the inner palace say that their crown prince is more suited to be a blacksmith than an emperor.
Waiting to the side was Luo Yichen, the leader of the Crown Prince's Black Eagle Guard. Although Luo Yichen was not old, he had a thick beard. At first glance, he looked fierce and intimidating, but upon closer inspection, his features were distinct and handsome. If the beard were removed, he would be the kind of man that would make any woman in Rongdu secretly fall in love with him.
The Eagle Guards belong to the Imperial Guards of the palace, but they are not under the control of the Imperial Guards Commander. They only obey the Emperor's orders. The task of the Black Eagle Guards under Luo Yichen's command is to protect the Crown Prince. Inside and outside the palace, they only need to protect the Crown Prince's safety.
This job doesn't seem too troublesome, but anyone who does it knows how difficult it is. Mu Chenbi is obsessed with forging techniques and goes to places full of swords and shadows. That's not all; he hates the Black Hawk Guards following him around like glue. Most of the time, Luo Yichen can only follow him from several feet away, protecting him with his own eyes. Luo Yichen often thinks that if someone really wanted to harm the Crown Prince, he probably wouldn't be able to protect him either. So Mu Chenbi's safety to this day is purely due to luck, and of course, his own luck as well.
“People from the Western Regions cannot be trusted.” The steward, Shen Ao, was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open. “Last time, just last month, I bought some pepper for my family. When I got home, I was shocked to find that the pepper was mixed with soil. I was prepared, but who knew… it was soil mixed with pepper! I was scolded by my wife for this. The world is going to the dogs. They have lost all conscience and are utterly immoral.”
“I know that my uncle is afraid of his wife.” Mu Chenbi put down the Kunwu Stone. “Luo Yichen, have you remembered that my aunt doesn’t like vinegar but loves pepper?”
The people inside laughed easily, and the atmosphere in the room gradually became harmonious.
Stepping out of the inner quarters, Mu Chenbi stretched contentedly, but instead of heading towards the palace, he went straight back to that place. Luo Yichen sighed helplessly. That place was eerily quiet, filled with an overwhelming yin energy. Although the Eagle Guards were all young men full of vigor, going there so late at night... weren't they afraid of being haunted by female ghosts?
Walking along the long street for about half an incense stick's time, you'll find an ancient courtyard house that is quiet amidst the hustle and bustle. Above the mottled vermilion gate hangs a half-old plaque. The characters on the plaque are incomplete, and only the character "鹄" can be recognized. But even without the plaque, the people of Rongdu all recognize this place—"Tianhu Fang".
Mu Chenbi gently pushed open the door. A night breeze suddenly rose, and a musty smell mixed with dust rushed towards him. The eagle guard behind him, his cloak covering his face, coughed a few times from the stench. No one had lived here for a long time, and the huge mansion exuded a sense of emptiness and mystery. The weather had been dry lately, and although it hadn't rained, and the night sky was bright with a clear moon and few stars, the soil under his feet was damp and soft with every step, as if it had been soaked in something.
Luo Yichen was a native of the capital city. From a young age, he knew that Tianhufang belonged to the Lu family. The Lu family had committed a major crime and was sentenced to be executed along with their entire family. More than a hundred members of the family died. With so many lives lost here, no one dared to take over even the best house, and it is quite a pity that it has been abandoned to this day.
The newly arrived young eagle guard sniffed curiously. Seeing the crown prince walk away, he leaned close to Luo Yichen's ear and said, "Chief Luo, this courtyard... has a... strange smell that I can't quite put my finger on."
"Is it... the smell of blood from when you slaughtered a pig?" someone interjected.
"Yes!" the man exclaimed in sudden realization, "It's the smell of blood."
"Don't you even know where you are?" someone else said. "You're walking into a pile of corpses and you don't smell any blood? Do you think it smells like the stewed meat in your house?"
"Insolence!" Luo Yichen found it grating. "Even if someone is a serious criminal of the court, the dead should be respected. When you're in someone else's home, you can't be disrespectful!"
"Your subordinate knows he was wrong."
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