After returning to his cabin, Li Xing began examining the sword.
After looking it over himself, he decided to make a suitable scabbard for it.
After preparing a pile of wood, Li Xing first made a weapon rack to fit the sword.
Once the rack was finished, he placed the sword on it.
"Mm! It fits perfectly. I could even sell it as a 'sword that wards off evil'!"
After examining the sword on the rack,
Li Xing measured it against a scale, selected a piece of wood of suitable length and width, and used Void Creation on it.
The instant the tool hammer fell, the wooden blank became an insubstantial material in the blink of an eye.
As he struck it again and again, the insubstantial wooden blank gradually took the shape he wanted.
At last, it formed the scabbard he had pictured in his mind.
He put the sword into the scabbard and checked it himself. Finding that it fit snugly, he began decorating the scabbard.
"Got to have cloud patterns! Draw them;
got to have plum blossoms! Draw them;
got to have a golden dragon! Draw it;
..."
"No! I've transmigrated, so I've got to include some symbols with local flavor."
When only one area remained on one side, Li Xing wrote four characters in running script: Flame of Delight!
Then came the sound of Void Creation's hammer blows.
Once the scabbard was finished, Li Xing put the sword into it and placed it on the weapon rack.
"Mm! Now it's much easier on the eyes."
Just like that, Li Xing had fulfilled another small wish of his.
Looking at the evening glow in the distant sky, Li Xing went out and began cooking.
After leaving the food to simmer over a low flame,
he climbed the wooden scaffolding again and began planning the house he intended to build on the raised ground.
The sun was about to set in the distance.
After putting away the three broken tool hammers, Li Xing looked at the stone structure of the house that was already standing.
Seeing the fruits of his labor, Li Xing returned to the cabin, happy with his work, and ate the hodgepodge stew he had cooked in the pot!
Just as he finished putting away his cooking utensils, Li Xing noticed that Old Turner had brought a child to his cabin.
As the little boy in front of him examined him with his distinctive big, blinking eyes,
Old Turner stroked the child's forehead and said, "Jerry! This is Li Xing. From now on, you should call him Big Brother Li Xing! Understand?"
Following Old Turner's instructions, Little Jerry gave a timid greeting.
"Hello, Big Brother Li Xing!"
Li Xing replied, "Hello!" to the little boy greeting him, then looked at Old Turner in puzzlement.
Noticing his puzzled look, Old Turner explained, "This is my son, Jerei Turner. Sorry to trouble you, but please look after him from now on!"
Hearing this, Li Xing immediately remembered their conversation that morning and hurriedly replied,
"No trouble at all! No trouble at all!"
Then he asked in puzzlement, "Old Turner! What brings you and Jerry here so late?"
Li Xing's question made Old Turner burst out laughing. "Hahaha! I knew I was right to come. Just like they said, if I hadn't come, who knows how much longer they'd have had to wait for you to start telling the story!"
Once he understood why they had come, Li Xing took his Flame of Delight and walked to the tavern with Turner and his son!
The tavern was just as lively as it had been the previous night.
Even some women from town who didn't often come to the tavern were sitting in a corner. Among them was Lucy, whom he knew, with many children playing around her.
After exchanging a brief nod with Lucy, Li Xing began telling the story of the Lonely Mountain Squad's adventure, just as he had the night before!
From the harmony and beauty of the elven capital, Rivendell, to the magnificent battle between the mountain giants; from the druids' help to being surrounded by venomous spiders in the dark forest; from the prison where they were held after being rescued by the woodland elves to the lakeside scenery of Lake-town after their escape.
The series of twists and turns had the listeners exclaiming over how thrilling it was.
After finishing today's portion of the story,
he sat down with Uncle Turner and enjoyed the beer in his cup.
When Lucy saw what Li Xing was doing, she picked up her cup and came over to Uncle Angie Turner's table.
At the table before her, Uncle Angie Turner complained to Lucy,
"Lucy, why did you bring the children here? Haven't you noticed that everyone in the tavern is a little less relaxed tonight?"
Lucy sipped the drink in her cup and replied,
"I don't care about that. There's such a good story here, it would be a shame not to let the children hear it right away, wouldn't it, Li Xing?"
With that, Lucy turned the conversation to him.
"That's true. It works as a story to introduce them to things, too. But..."
Li Xing asked curiously, "Whose children are they? Why have they all been left with you? What if something happens? Their parents are awfully carefree!"
Hearing his question, Lucy looked at Li Xing in surprise and explained, "These children are all mine!"
"Yours? Impossible! Even if your parents worked at it with you, you couldn't have had this many children!"
Faced with his doubts, Lucy suddenly fell silent and focused on drinking the beer in her cup.
Seeing this, Uncle Angie Turner, who was sitting on the other side, explained the situation.
"Li Xing, there's something you don't know. These children weren't born to Lucy's family. Lucy is an orphan, and these children are orphans too. Lucy has simply adopted them for now!"
Li Xing was shocked when he understood the situation!
Then, seeming to realize something, he hurriedly apologized to Lucy. "I'm sorry, Lucy! I jumped to conclusions without knowing the situation. That was inappropriate!"
Lucy responded softly, "It's all right!"
But Jerry's father, Old Turner, interrupted from the side.
"Not to be rude, Lucy, but you're not getting any younger. It's time you found a man and started a family! If this goes on, you'll miss out on a lot of people!"
Faced with Old Turner's advice, Lucy gave only a perfunctory response.
"Yes, yes, yes... I've looked, but they all look down on me!"
"What do you mean, they look down on you? With your requirements, I reckon only the noble lords in Stormwind could meet them! Do you want to become one of those old fellows' mistresses?"
"What mistress? I'd die before becoming anyone's damn mistress!"
"Then what are you going to do? A woman growing old alone has a miserable time of it!"
"Then I just won't get married. I still have those children to keep me company, anyway!"
Hearing this, Old Turner merely sighed softly and said, "If this goes on, I'll have to find you a convent and send you off to be a nun!"
"Hmph~~"
With that single dismissive sound, Lucy said no more and simply sipped the drink in her cup.
Having listened to the entire conversation from the side, Li Xing looked at Lucy in disbelief.
Sensing Li Xing staring at her with that shocked expression, Lucy shot back,
"What, do you have a problem with that?"
At that moment, helpful Uncle Angie Turner saw his awkward expression and explained once again.
"There's no need to be so surprised, Li Xing. Do you know what Lucy asks of the young men who pursue her the moment she meets them?"
"What?"
"She tells them straight out that they have to treat these children as well as she does!" Uncle Angie Turner waved his hand helplessly and sighed. "With that one demand, what man in our town could handle it? I just feel sorry for our town's Twin Blossoms, still unable to find love!"
After hearing this explanation, Li Xing asked again,
"Twin Blossoms? What does that mean?"
Old Turner rushed to explain, "That's what the youngsters call the two most beautiful flowers in town! They mean Lucy and Aniekra!"
"Then has Aniekra also failed to find a good match for the same reason?" Li Xing asked in shock.
Uncle Angie Turner sighed. "Yes! She and Lucy are both orphans, and they grew up together! They also look after the orphans they've adopted together! Neither of them can stop worrying about the other, so they make that demand of every man who approaches them about a relationship!"
Having understood the situation, Li Xing fell into thought.
Old Turner, who was enjoying the spectacle, began urging Li Xing on.
"What do you say, Li Xing? Why don't you give it a try?
I have high hopes for you.
Besides, you're good-looking, though not quite as handsome as I was when I was young.
But that doesn't matter. You can win her over with your charm and get her to compromise on that unrealistic demand!
Go for it! I believe in you!"
Li Xing felt Old Turner slap him on the back again and again, laughing heartily as he continued to egg him on.
"Sorry, Old Turner! I'm having trouble supporting myself right now, so I'm not thinking about those things yet!"
That was what Li Xing said aloud, but inwardly he muttered,
You're talking so loudly. Haven't you noticed Lucy's eyes are practically popping out with anger?
Just as he was looking at Lucy's angry expression and trying to decline, her gaze unconsciously shifted to him!
Their sudden eye contact left them both stunned for a while.
Then Lucy seemed to realize something and turned her head away, silently drinking from her cup.
Amid the clamor and the sound of people arguing about the plot, Angie Turner asked his younger brother about the situation.
"You're here drinking. Aren't you looking after Little Jerry?"
But Old Turner waved casually, looked at Lucy, and said,
"It's fine. He's probably playing with Lucy's children right now! I don't have to worry!"
Then he changed the subject.
"But Lucy, you really have some nerve. My big brother asked you to introduce the newcomer to everyone, and what did you do? You left me out entirely.
If I hadn't visited my big brother recently, I still wouldn't know someone new had come to town!
What's the matter, Lucy? Don't you think I count as a resident of Hunter Town?"
Faced with Old Turner's sudden accusation, Lucy abruptly realized her mistake and unconsciously looked at Li Xing again.
She muttered inwardly:
I couldn't help it. That pretty boy in front of me seemed to have charmed Aniekra. All I could think about at the time was how to deal with him and Aniekra, so I forgot about Uncle!
Sensing Lucy's reproachful gaze on him, Li Xing immediately responded with a baffled question-mark expression.
Lucy also realized she was in the wrong.
Unable to argue back, she could only give an awkward, helpless smile under Old Turner's accusing gaze.
Uncle Angie Turner and Li Xing, who had been watching from the side, noticed Lucy's pleading expression.
Uncle Angie Turner held his cup out to Old Turner as if proposing a toast and came to his rescue. "Little brother, how old are you now? Lucy has looked after Jerry plenty of times. Surely you're not going to give the young lady a hard time over this!"
After clinking cups with his big brother, Old Turner downed a large mouthful and said quietly,
"Big brother! We can't let this kind of thing become a habit. I don't mind, but I'm afraid that one day the people in town really won't consider me a Hunter Town resident. Wouldn't Jerry be the one to suffer then?"
While the brothers were arguing,
Little Jerry came over with a group of playmates.
Perhaps because they had never seen an Eastern face before, or perhaps because they were drawn to Li Xing's handsome face, the boys and girls stopped a few steps away and gazed at him curiously.
Of all the children, only Jerry shyly came forward and tugged on Old Turner's sleeve. When Old Turner bent down, Jerry whispered something in his ear.
Sensing the children's curious gazes, Li Xing looked at the group, who were like baby birds waiting to be fed.
But when they noticed him looking at them, the children instead seemed to grow shy and hid behind several chairs lined up together.
Lucy also noticed the children acting strangely. She got up, went over, and began asking them about it!
Meanwhile, Old Turner, having learned what the matter was, burst out laughing.
He patted Little Jerry and said, "You should ask him about that yourself!"
Then he pushed Little Jerry forward.
Little Jerry, shy because he was still a stranger to Li Xing, clenched his hands into fists and asked haltingly,
"B-Big Brother Li Xing! Y-you, I want, no, we want to a-ask you some q-questions about the story you told! Is that okay!?"
The little fellow spoke his stammering request with a determined look in his eyes.
For a moment, it touched a once-tender memory of his.
Li Xing gave a faint smile, and Little Jerry immediately breathed a sigh of relief, though he still waited for the answer he wanted.
Seeing Lucy nod to him from behind Little Jerry, Li Xing understood the whole situation.
Then he smiled and said to Little Jerry, "All right! But you have to behave yourselves and not disturb the other adults! Understand?"
When Little Jerry heard him agree, he happily answered, "Yes!" Then he quickly turned and called to his companions behind him!
Lucy kept order at the side while explaining the rules to the children.
Then the questions began coming like mad.
"Big Brother Li Xing, are those woodland elves pretty? Are they as pretty as Big Sister Lucy?"
The very first question left Li Xing dumbfounded!
Good grief! This question feels awfully familiar. If I don't answer it carefully, I'll be in trouble!
"Big Brother Li Xing, are the elves as good with a bow as Uncle Old Turner?"
"Big Brother Li Xing, I want to..."
And so, before leaving the tavern, Li Xing managed to escape an ordeal under the gaze of the townspeople!
"Damn it, I'm never dealing with children's questions again, unless I... I... Never mind! Never mind!" He sighed. "What else can I do?!"