The Black Tiger Gang had barged into the Li Family Blacksmith Shop with around twenty men, making quite a scene and drawing plenty of townsfolk. Now that things had gotten this rowdy, people crowded around the shop in three rings, inside and out.
"What's going on in there?"
"Seems like the weapons the Black Tiger Gang bought from the Iron Shop had some kind of problem?"
Murmurs from outside drifted faintly into the courtyard. Li Tie, the shopkeeper, turned pale. If he let the Black Tiger Gang keep making a scene, the Li Family Blacksmith Shop's reputation would be smashed to pieces. He had poured nearly twenty years of hard work into the place!
He hurried forward. "Hall Master Wu, there is indeed a problem with the blade, but it most likely wasn't the fault of our shop's smiths... The Li Family Blacksmith Shop is willing to forge you a new saber, one of even better quality than this one. I promise you'll be satisfied, Hall Master Wu."
"I hope you'll show us mercy."
As Zhao Tie spoke, his gaze fell on the saber. He had no doubt that Su Mu was at fault. Li Tie clearly remembered that he had been the one to inspect it that day. Besides, Su Mu had never made a mistake at the forge since joining the shop.
Su Mu had a calmness far beyond that of his peers. He wasn't rash or careless, and Li Tie trusted his own judgment.
He suspected the Black Tiger Gang had staged the whole thing, but he had no proof. All he could do was accept the loss and offer compensation, hoping to settle the matter before it got out of hand.
"Show you mercy? Is this really just about forging a new saber? Your Iron Shop sells weapons of such shoddy quality. Isn't that tantamount to robbing people of their money and lives...?"
A Black Tiger Gang member sneered.
At the words "robbing people of their money and lives," Li Tie's face turned grim. The smiths standing behind him were furious, too.
Just then, Wu Heng waved a hand, motioning for the Black Tiger Gang member to step back. "Shopkeeper Li, I don't want to make things difficult for you, either. How about this... Our Gang Leader Zhao's birthday banquet is coming up, and I don't want to bring bad luck by drawing blades. I won't ask for anything more, either. I don't want outsiders saying the Black Tiger Gang throws its weight around and bullies people."
Wu Heng paused with a smile. "Since this saber has a problem, we'll go by your proposal, Shopkeeper Li. But I'd like to change the terms a little. I'll choose a weapon from your shop right now as compensation, and then we'll consider the matter settled."
At the first half of his words, the Iron Shop's people sneered inwardly. If the Black Tiger Gang didn't throw its weight around and bully people, then there were no bullies in Qingshui Town.
But when Wu Heng finished speaking, everyone, Li Tie included, looked surprised. Wu Heng had come charging in today with twenty men, yet he was being so reasonable?
Had Wu Heng suddenly changed his ways?
"Maybe it's because their Gang Leader Zhao's birthday banquet is coming up?"
Li Tie thought, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. Then, without drawing attention to it, he glanced at the saber in Su Mu's hand. Once sheathed, the Thirty Refinements Long Saber gave no hint of its extraordinary quality. How could he refuse such terms?
"Fine. We'll do as you say, Hall Master Wu. Please."
Seeing Wu Heng truly back down, the shop's people were relieved. Better to avoid trouble than invite it. They all thought as Li Tie did: it was just one weapon, after all.
Only Su Mu disagreed. With his extraordinary senses, he had noticed Wu Heng scanning the crowd for something from the start. In the end, Wu Heng's gaze had settled on the person beside him.
"Wu Heng must be after the weapon I'm carrying..."
Sure enough, once Li Tie stepped aside, Wu Heng called out from where he stood, "Wang He, where's that saber?"
The moment he spoke, the Iron Shop's people all changed expressions.
"Wang He, you traitor!"
Li Xiaohu flew into a rage. He cursed, then raised the shovel in his hands, ready to attack.
Wang He trembled all over and suddenly fell to his knees before Li Tie. "I-I had no choice. Shopkeeper Li, please forgive me..."
Thud, thud, thud.
Wang He kowtowed several times in front of everyone, smashing his forehead open. Seeing blood streaming from Wang He's head, Li Xiaohu froze, his shovel suspended in midair.
Some time ago, Wang He had sold himself in town to get medicine for his sick mother. Li Tie had taken pity on him, given him money, and brought him to the shop as an apprentice. Who would've thought the man was with the Black Tiger Gang?
Disbelief and conflicting emotions crossed the faces of Li Tie and the smiths. They were furious, but helpless, and suspected that Wang He's loved ones—or even Wang He himself—were being held hostage by the Black Tiger Gang.
After all, the Black Tiger Gang often resorted to such underhanded tactics.
After kowtowing, Wang He shakily pointed toward Su Mu in the crowd. "The saber's with him."
Wu Heng smiled as he started toward Su Mu, but Li Tie stepped in front of him.
"Shopkeeper Li, are you going back on your word?"
Li Tie was torn. The saber was one of the tokens his senior brother had entrusted to Su Mu as a test—something Su Mu was supposed to take to the Weapon Forging Workshop in the county. If Wu Heng took it, Su Mu might not be able to enter the workshop.
His senior brother had set the deadline before the start of autumn. There wasn't enough time to forge another weapon.
"Move."
Wu Heng's voice turned cold as power surged through him.
Just then, Su Mu suppressed the killing intent in his eyes, stepped forward of his own accord, and held out the saber in one hand.
"Hall Master Wu, here's the saber you want."
"Su Mu, you can't give him that saber..."
Li Tie cried out, but it was too late. The saber had already fallen into Wu Heng's hands.
With the saber in his grasp, Wu Heng held it across his chest and slowly drew it from its sheath.
Shing!
A cold gleam flashed.
The saber slid free, a faint blue glow swirling around it.
"What a fine saber. No wonder it came from the Li Family Blacksmith Shop."
Wu Heng's words stabbed into the hearts of everyone at the Iron Shop like a sharp blade. The smiths, especially Zhou Shan, clenched their fists and gritted their teeth.
Su Mu, however, remained calm. The moment Wu Heng took the saber, he was already a corpse in Su Mu's eyes.
No one could take Su Mu's saber so easily.
"Shopkeeper Li, I'll be taking this saber. There's no need for anyone to see us out."
Wu Heng drew the saber three inches, then slid it back into its sheath. He chuckled and swaggered away with the Black Tiger Gang members.
After Wu Heng left, Li Tie stood in silence for a long while before finally saying, "Everyone... get back to work. Su Mu, come with me."
They went to a corner of the courtyard. Li Tie began by reassuring him. "Su Mu, I believe the problem wasn't with your saber. Most likely, Wu Heng rigged it himself."
Li Tie worried the incident might affect Su Mu, and feared Su Mu would take it hard and blame himself.
"Mm. I understand, Shopkeeper." Su Mu replied, then casually added, "Shopkeeper, I'd like to buy the defective saber... as a reminder to stay vigilant."
"You don't need to buy it. Just take it, Su Mu."
After that, Li Tie looked conflicted. He hesitated several times, but in the end said nothing. At last, he patted Su Mu on the shoulder. "Go on back."
Watching Su Mu walk away, Li Tie murmured, "No, Su Mu's talent shouldn't be buried in this shop... I'll think of something. I'll tell him about this later."
That day, Li Tie publicly drove Wang He out of the shop, then gave another apprentice a few days off.
At dusk, Su Mu sealed the furnace and left the forging room. He crossed Scholar Street, then turned into a narrow alley.
Two masked figures dressed in black quickly followed him into the alley.
"Strange. Where'd that kid go?"
The two stared blankly at the empty alley. They had clearly seen the kid enter it just moments ago. One of the black-clad figures spoke in confusion.
The other pondered for a moment. "The monk can run, but the temple can't. There'll be plenty of chances later... Let's report back to Hall Master Wu first."
After learning that Su Mu had forged the saber, Wu Heng had taken an interest in him and sent two men to kidnap him. Unfortunately, they had lost track of him this time.
"Right. Let's go report to Hall Master Wu."
After searching the empty alley and finding no trace of Su Mu, the two quickly left.
As they went, they had no idea that a pair of eyes, cold as ice, was watching them from the empty alley behind them.
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