Chapter 134 A Talk Between Uncle and Nephew In the dungeon, only sparse...
In the dungeon, only the sparse runic crystals on the walls emitted a faint glow.
Stone Fist sat cross-legged on the cold stone bed, his rough fingers carving something on a piece of discarded ore—an improved quenching process from the dwarven traditional forging technique. Even in captivity, the craftsman's instincts never ceased.
Heavy footsteps approached from afar.
Stone Fist raised his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. The newcomer was not a jailer, but a figure that was both familiar and unfamiliar to him—Sorek, who had removed his rune armor that symbolized power, wearing only a simple linen short-sleeved shirt, and stood alone outside the iron bars.
"Your Highness," Stone Fist said calmly, his voice echoing in the empty dungeon, but he made no move to rise and bow.
Thorek stared at him for a moment, then did something that Stonefist hadn't expected at all. He knelt on one knee and slammed his right fist heavily into the ground with a dull thud. This was the most solemn apology gesture of the dwarves.
"Cousin, I've come to apologize to you."
Stone Fist's hand stopped, and the ore fell to the ground with a "thud." The Crown Prince, offering an apology to a prisoner? This was almost unheard of in the history of the Forge Court*.
“Get up, Your Highness.” Stone Fist sighed. “What are you doing?”
“No, I have to do this.” Sorek raised his head, his once arrogant eyes now filled with deep remorse. “Back then, I was blinded by hatred and took that scoundrel Green’s slander as truth. I locked you in this dark dungeon and almost… almost plunged the entire kingdom into utter ruin.”
He stood up, opened the cell door, and the heavy iron lock dragged on the ground with a harsh sound: "I've thought a lot these days. When you chose to cooperate with humans, it wasn't because you betrayed the oath of the mountains, but because you saw the true future of your people. As for me... I acted recklessly under the banner of honor, and I am the one who truly betrayed my ancestors."
Stone Fist stepped out of the cell and stretched his muscles, stiffened from long imprisonment. He remained silent for a long time before finally patting Solek on the shoulder: "To realize this, you're already better than many others."
The two walked side by side out of the dungeon and through the dark corridor. Stone Fist suddenly spoke: "Your Highness, you've changed."
"Changed?" Sorek gave a wry smile. "Have you become more like a coward?"
“No,” Stonefist shook his head, “you’ve become more like a true king. Before, you would rather smash everything with your warhammer than lower your proud head.”
Sorek was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "It was that bowl of sweet potato porridge that humans brought me that taught me."
"What?"
“When I saw those soldiers who had fought so hard, holding the food sent by the enemy, with smiles on their faces that I had never seen before,” Sorek’s voice trembled slightly, “I finally understood what my father meant when he said that glory should not be built on pointless killing.”
Stone Fist remained silent.
“Your father is waiting for you,” Sorek took a deep breath. “He wants to know why you have insisted on living in peace with humans from the very beginning. Is it because of that man named Lin Yue? Our intelligence indicates that you have spent almost the entire past year with him in the Cursed Lands.”
The Dwarf King's private study is located at the deepest part of the palace. There are no luxurious decorations here, only walls full of books and an ancient family genealogy.
When Stonefist entered, the Dwarf King was standing with his back to the door, gazing at the family genealogy. His back was still upright, but his gray beard and hunched shoulders spoke of the passage of time.
"Uncle." Shi Quan pounded his chest with his right fist.
The dwarf king turned around: "You've lost weight, but your eyes are sharper. Life in the dungeon must have been tough."
He took a few steps closer, looked Stonefist up and down, and suddenly grinned: "But looking like this, you'd probably be considered a middle-aged man by human standards, right? Ha! We dwarves just look old, even though you're still considered a young man in your tribe. I think your father looked even older than you do now when he was in his thirties."
Stone Fist laughed too: "Yes, although we dwarves live much longer than humans, our faces are indeed a disappointment. But don't worry, Uncle, I'm still very healthy."
“It’s much more comfortable than mining in a mine,” Stone Fist added. “At least you don’t have to worry about being crushed to death by a collapse.”
The Dwarf King laughed out loud, walked over and patted Stonefist's shoulder hard: "That's how your father used to talk. He always managed to make me furious."
He turned around and poured two glasses of aged ale, handing one to Shi Quan: "Your father entrusted you to me before he died, asking me to take good care of you. But what did I do? I almost let you die at the hands of your own people."
“Uncle, there’s no need to blame yourself,” Shi Quan said, taking the wine glass. “I chose this path myself. If I had to do it again, I would make the same choice.”
The Dwarf King didn't respond immediately. Instead, he sat back down in his chair and gestured for Stonefist to sit down as well. He silently took a large gulp of wine, then looked directly at Stonefist: "Tell me, why did you oppose war from the very beginning and insist on peaceful coexistence with humans? Was it because of that man named Lin Yue? I heard you've been with him for the past year."
Shi Quan put down his wine glass, remained silent for a moment, and a complex look flashed in his eyes: "Speaking of Lin Yue, it all started with that disaster a year ago."
"Hmm?" The dwarf king raised an eyebrow.
"Uncle, do you still remember the fever outbreak in the mining area a couple of years ago?" Shi Quan's voice lowered. "At that time, we urgently needed silver leaf grass to prepare medicine, but Wang Ting's stock had run out."
The dwarf king's expression turned serious; he certainly remembered the plague that had claimed the lives of many dwarves.
“Just then, a human merchant came to my door, saying that he had a large quantity of silverleaf grass,” Stone Fist’s fist clenched involuntarily. “I believed his sweet talk and exchanged three months’ worth of mine output for his so-called top-grade medicinal herbs.”
"And then what happened?"
"In the end, those so-called silverleaf grasses were nothing more than ordinary weeds that had been dyed." Stone Fist's voice was filled with suppressed anger. "Not only were they completely ineffective, but some were even poisonous. Because we missed the best time for treatment, six members of our tribe... six members of our tribe left us just like that."
The dwarf king's face darkened: "Why didn't you report this?"
“I have no face to face my people,” Stone Fist lowered his head, “and even less face to face you. It was my gullibility to trust humans that led to the death of my compatriots. I felt I had no face to see my people again, so I went alone to the cursed land, hoping to find rare minerals to atone for my sins.”
"Where did you meet Lin Yue?"
“Yes,” Stone Fist nodded, “In an ancient mine, I discovered a rare vein of ore I’d never seen before, but during mining, a cave-in occurred, and a boulder pinned my legs down. I thought I was going to die there, until…”
He paused, a look of gratitude flashing in his eyes: "Until Lin Yue and his companion Gray passed by. They heard my cries for help and spent most of the day using a wooden pole to pull me out from under the rocks."
The dwarf king frowned slightly: "They saved you?"
“Not only did they save me,” Stone Fist’s eyes flashed with gratitude, “they also took me back to their residence, personally cared for my injuries, prepared food for me every day, but did not ask me to do anything.”
Why did he do that?
“At first I also doubted his motives,” Stone Fist said frankly. “Uncle, but Lin Yue is not afraid of me at all. He doesn’t show any hostility or wariness towards me just because I’m a dwarf. In fact… he is quite respectful of me.”
Stone Fist's voice softened: "Not only did he not take the opportunity to blackmail me, but he also showed great respect for my forging skills. During my recovery, I lived in his workshop. I watched him work, watched him improve his tools, and slowly I began to participate as well."
"You taught him the dwarven forging techniques?" the dwarven king asked.
“No,” Stone Fist shook his head. “After what happened, how could I dare to easily reveal my tribe’s skills again? Even with the most ordinary blacksmithing, I deliberately concealed the dwarven craftsmanship.”
“But what about Lin Yue?” Shi Quan laughed. “He wasn’t angry at all, nor did he press me for answers. On the contrary, he kept asking me all sorts of questions, just like a true apprentice thirsting for knowledge. What surprised me even more was… he praised my forging skills and believed that I had mastered a unique craft heritage.”
An interest flashed in the Dwarf King's eyes: "He knows how to appreciate dwarven craftsmanship?"
"He not only has an appreciation for beauty, but he can also point out subtle details that I have never noticed before. For example, the direction of the metal texture, the timing of quenching, and the aesthetics of combining different materials... Some of these things are not even recorded in detail in our ancient dwarf books."
He paused, then said with some emotion, "To my shame, it was actually me who learned more from Lin Yue during that time together."
“The time I spent in Hope Town was the most fulfilling time of my life,” Shi Quan said with a nostalgic look in his eyes. “Every day before dawn, I couldn’t wait to go to the workshop. We discussed, experimented, failed, and tried again together… It felt like I was back in my youth, learning a craft from my father.”
The dwarf king remained silent for a long time before suddenly asking, "What do you think his true purpose is?"
Stonefist said without hesitation: "Establish a trade system that allows all races to depend on each other through the exchange of goods."
"Isn't this exactly what an ambitious person thinks?"
“Perhaps,” Stone Fist admitted, “but at least for now, his ambition has objectively improved the lives of many people. Uncle, do you remember why I left the royal court in the first place?”
The Dwarf King nodded: "You said you couldn't stand the nobles hoarding food, couldn't stand the merchants driving up prices, and couldn't stand the hungry miners being used as tools."
“Yes,” Stone Fist clenched his fist, “but in Hope Town, I saw something different. The workers there have a fixed wage, three full meals a day, someone to take care of them when they are sick, and compensation when they are injured. They are not tools to be exploited, but are treated as human beings.”
“Lin Yue once told me something that I’ve always remembered,” Shi Quan said, looking at his uncle, “'The level of civilization in a society is not measured by how wealthy its nobles are, but by how much dignity its poor have.'”
A complex light flashed in the Dwarf King's eyes. As a ruler, he knew all too well the weight of those words.
“Uncle,” Shi Quan said seriously, “if you really want to negotiate, Lin Yue is the key. Not because of his position, but because he possesses what we truly need. Not the food itself, but the ability to produce it; not the technology itself, but a mindset of continuous innovation.”
"Human kingdoms may be able to provide us with food, but only Lin Yue can teach us how to cultivate hope on barren land."
The dwarf king stood up and paced back and forth in his study. After a long while, he stopped and said, "I will personally attend the meeting two days from now. You will accompany me as my technical advisor."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Furthermore," the dwarf king turned around, his eyes sharpening, "after the talks, if all goes well, would you be willing to travel to human territory as a peace envoy for technological exchange...?"
"Of course I'm willing."
"You don't blame your uncle?"
"What's so strange?" Shi Quan grinned. "I was just worried about not having a chance to go back and continue my studies. There's still a ton of problems to solve over there. The efficiency of the forging process can be improved, the metal processing flow can be optimized, and there's that thing called 'alloy,' Lin Yue said it can increase the hardness of weapons several times over..."
His eyes gleamed: “Uncle, the world is so vast, and we know so little. If we keep locking ourselves in caves, we dwarves will eventually be abandoned by the times.”
Looking at his nephew, the Dwarf King suddenly thought of his father, his equally stubborn brother who loved forging and was equally unwilling to accept the status quo.
“If your father were still alive, he would be very proud of you,” the Dwarf King walked over and patted Stonefist on the shoulder. “You see much further than my stupid son.”
“His Highness is growing up,” Stonefist said. “The fact that he was able to set aside his pride and apologize to me is a huge step forward.”
“I hope so,” the dwarf king sighed. “Go and rest; the peace talks in a few days will be a long day.”
Shi Quan bowed and left, but as he reached the door, he suddenly turned back and said, "Uncle, I have a favor to ask."
"explain."
“If possible, I would like to take a few young apprentice craftsmen with me,” Stone Fist said earnestly. “It’s too dangerous to plant seeds in just one field. If something happens to me, at least someone can bring back what I’ve seen and heard.”
The dwarf king paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Alright, that's settled! I'll select the most talented young men from the royal court to follow you."
"Thank you, Uncle."
After the door closed, the Dwarf King stood alone in the study, looking at the family tree on the wall.
“Brother,” he murmured to himself, “your son sees further than anyone in our time. Perhaps it really is time for a change.”
Meanwhile, on the road leading south.
A large convoy was moving slowly but steadily forward. These heavy trucks were loaded with supplies: food, tools, sample crops, and various demonstration equipment. The wheels kicked up clouds of dust as they rolled across the ground.
"At this speed," complained a guard from the merchant guild, "it would be good if we could get there before sunset the day after tomorrow."
“There’s no way around it, we’re carrying too much stuff and it’s too heavy,” another guard said. “Boss Lin said this peace talk is of great importance, and we need to bring everything we can to show.”
Just as the main convoy was moving slowly, a loud eagle cry came from the distant sky.
A massive griffin swooped down from the sky and landed at the corner of the road. Thick reins were tied to its back, connecting it to a specially modified light cart.
"Hurry!" shouted a blue-vested employee from Hope Trading Company. "We need to get here before sunset tomorrow. This is the last batch of urgently needed documents and samples."
Several workers hurriedly loaded things onto the cart and then jumped on.
"Hold on tight!" the trainer shouted, giving the reins a sharp jerk.
The griffin spread its enormous wings and suddenly soared into the air. The cart was almost dragged into the sky by the powerful pull, its wheels spinning helplessly in mid-air.
"Aaaaaah—!" Several people in the car screamed in agony.
The griffin flew at an astonishing speed at low altitude, the cart bobbing and swaying violently behind it. The poor creatures on the cart clung tightly to the edge, their hair flying wildly backward in the gale, their eyes wide open but lifeless, their faces distorted by the wind.
Whenever the griffin slightly changes its altitude, the cart shakes violently up and down. The people on the cart are tossed around like rag dolls, sometimes being thrown into the air and hitting the rope net on the roof, and sometimes being slammed back onto the cart.
"Ugh—" Lin Yue, the leader of the team, couldn't hold on any longer. "I...I can't take it anymore..."
"Hold on!" the animal trainer shouted from ahead. "Only a hundred miles left!"
"A hundred li?!" Several people cried out in despair.
The cart traced an arc through the air and disappeared into the clouds, leaving only the stunned members of the main convoy on the distant road.
“I swear,” an old guard swallowed hard, “I’d rather die than sit on that thing.”
“Me too,” another nodded in agreement. “I’d rather walk for three to five days than go at that deadly speed.”
The convoy continued its slow advance, while the cart being towed by the griffin had become a tiny black dot on the horizon, hurtling toward its destination at an unimaginable speed.
Only a few faint, piercing screams could be heard in the wind...
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