Blood Patterned Steel

Chapter 22: Blood Patterned Steel

The six arts for scholars are: Rites, Music, Archery, Charioteering, Calligraphy, and Mathematics. Among these, Archery and Charioteering specifically focus on mounted archery, with "Charioteering" referring to horsemanship. After walking through four bustling main streets, covering a distance of five thousand paces, Hong Yi arrived at the Guan Shi Shop, an archery store on the east side of Yujing.

"These scholars and imperial students come to buy bows merely to hang them in their studies, to show that they have mastered the six arts. In truth, I have yet to see many scholars who have actually mastered all six." Seeing Hong Yi lingering and observing, a sharp and efficient clerk immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"A good bow; one can tell just by the sound. This is the one." Hong Yi took a few breaths to steady his rhythm before speaking, though he was secretly astonished in his heart. The swords on the second floor were all displayed on racks, shining brightly and spotless, their blades sharp and fierce; one could tell at a glance they were forged from top-quality refined steel.

"Give me a chestnut wood, ox-horn, and silk-string bow with a draw weight of sixty jin." Hong Yi looked at the gold-lacquered, magpie-painted bow the clerk had introduced—the bow body was painted in shimmering gold with vermilion magpies interspersed—knowing it was merely for show, a decorative item for a scholar's study.

The shop was bustling with people, but most were scholars in green robes or imperial students from the Imperial Academy, wearing square caps with two ribbons hanging down by their ears. There were also some powerful-looking warriors dressed in foreign attire. With the New Year only eight or nine days away, the various shops in Yujing were exceptionally lively.

Facing him was a storefront, a three-story pavilion standing along the street with a large gold-lacquered sign above. The mental cultivation method was the principle of scholarly archery.

Hong Yi gripped the bow, silently reciting the inner techniques of "Archery" from the six arts: "Rectify the heart; let the heart be free of evil thoughts and distractions. Be sincere; let the intent precede the target, constantly reflecting on the internal and external. Preserve the spirit; be calm and composed in movement and stillness, eliminating noise and delusion. Attain great stillness; let the qi be steady and the spirit relaxed, remaining expressionless even when exchanging fire on the battlefield."

Hong Yi drew the bow once and finally understood why archery and horsemanship were the most fundamental and important parts of martial arts. The military examinations also tested this. The Imperial Academy was the imperial university; it was impossible for there to be any women inside. His movements were the bow-drawing technique from the Ox Demon Great Strength Fist.

Hong Yi laid out seven one-tael silver coins, preparing to return to practice drawing the bow to build strength, when the clerk smiled and bowed repeatedly: "Judging by the young master's technique, you must be a man of both literary and martial talent. Would you not like to buy a sword to take back with you?"

"The young master has a keen eye. Our bows at the Guan Shi Shop are the best in the world; every single one is excellent. That will be seven silver coins in total." Hearing that Hong Yi had bought a bow, the clerk immediately smiled.

Hong Yi was meticulous and observant; in a single glance, he had already formed a fifty or sixty percent guess in his heart. After drawing the bow, his entire body felt as if his tendons had been fiercely twisted and torn; his waist, legs, abdomen, arms, back, and neck all ached faintly, leaving him seemingly unable to speak.

"Guan Shi" was a realm even higher than "piercing a willow leaf at a hundred paces."

"Young master, please head up to the second floor." The clerk enthusiastically led the way. He saw a young man wearing the uniform of an Imperial Academy student, waving a plain white fan, followed by two burly and fierce-looking men who were clearly expert bodyguards.

The Great Gan Dynasty was feared across the four seas, and its weapon manufacturing was top-tier. Moreover, Yujing was the largest trade exchange center, and some shops contained all sorts of strange and exotic items. This was because people from countries like Huoluo in the west, Yunmeng in the east, Yuantu in the west, and Divine Wind and Liuzhu in the south all liked to travel thousands of miles to Yujing to purchase goods.

"Alright."

"It is fortunate that I recently received one hundred taels of silver from the accounting office, along with ten red gold coins; it is enough to buy some good things, though it is a pity I cannot buy a horse. However, a bow for training strength is enough. Let me try how this bow feels."

The Great Gan Dynasty's weapon laws: crossbows are prohibited, but bows are not; sabers are prohibited, but swords are not. However, for an ordinary family, buying a sword is only for collection; one cannot walk the streets with it at will, or one would be arrested. Only scholars who have passed the imperial examinations are permitted to carry swords. As for spears and sabers, their sale is not allowed, let alone carrying them on the road.

It turned out that after the ancient era, there was a master archer who hung a louse a hundred paces away and, with a single arrow, pierced through it. Such a realm had been recorded in classics and was widely praised. Over time, people came to regard "Guan Shi" as the pinnacle of archery.

At the same time, he pushed outward with the big toes of both feet, gripped with his little toes, spread his knees outward, sucked his buttocks inward, engaged his waist, pushed his chest forward, pointed his navel toward the ground, and let his heart settle.

"Young master, this is the best sword in our Guan Shi Shop. If you are still not satisfied, then wait a few days. Even if you want a divine weapon forged from Heavenly Ladder Patterned Steel, Ice Crack Patterned Steel, or Chrysanthemum Patterned Steel, we can help you get it. You only need to pay a deposit. But as for the Blood Patterned Steel sword you asked for, I have never even heard of it."

The name "Guan Shi Shop" was also chosen very cleverly, demonstrating the pinnacle of bow-making technology.

Twang! The entire bow was pulled into a full moon, and as the string was released, it emitted a crisp, powerful, and solid sound.

"Customer, which kind of bow do you want? We have ox tendon, silk, and python tendon. We also have bamboo, mulberry wood, chestnut wood, and top-quality yew. Seeing that you are wearing a green robe, you must be a scholar. You should definitely buy this gold-lacquered, magpie-painted bow. Hanging it in your study is both elegant and possesses a heroic spirit..."

"Buying a sword? Where are the swords?"

It turned out that when he had just drawn the bow, he felt all the tendons in his body being pulled taut, just like the bowstring. When the bow was released, his tendons seemed to vibrate along with the string. This realization made him very happy.

Hong Yi went up to the second floor and heard a voice.

"Blood Patterned Steel is refined by Daoists in a furnace; it has blood-red veins densely packed within the steel, resembling human flesh. It is a celestial weapon used by spirits to drive flying swords for assassination. Yujing of the Great Gan Dynasty has everything; with Daoist temples everywhere, how could such a thing not exist?" Hong Yi walked into the shop, seeing many scholars and imperial students buying bows, and thought to himself.

The walls were hung with all kinds of bows for people to choose from. Hong Yi walked closer, observing the long and short bows one by one.

Hong Yi took the bow, reached out to touch it, and couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. Even this bow cost seven or eight taels of silver. In the Marquis's mansion, he only received four taels a month, and he had to buy brushes, ink, paper, food, firewood, and lamp oil every month. The money he saved wasn't enough to buy this bow.

In the early days, the Great Gan Dynasty valued martial arts, but after a long period of prosperity and strict control, the literary atmosphere overshadowed the martial. Moreover, twenty years ago, the imperial court abolished mounted archery from the imperial examinations, deciding merit solely through literary contests. With weapons put away and horses turned out to pasture to recuperate, there were very few scholars left who were proficient in both literature and martial arts.

"Hmm? I can actually tell whether a person has martial arts training or not? My eye for detail has become sharper." Hong Yi was truly shocked by this.

"Hmm? But that's impossible, unless... unless she is a royal princess from one of the surrounding countries who has come to Yujing to study. She wants to buy Blood Patterned Steel?"

Hong Yi suddenly realized his own change. The clerk immediately brought over a bow; the bow body was of medium length, and the string was taut and powerful.

"This is the storefront of the Guan Shi Shop." Hong Yi looked up at the gold sign. The calligraphy was deep and powerful, the strokes like arrows, making anyone who saw it think, "This shop is extraordinary; I should go in and take a look."

It had become sharper. Hong Yi had been practicing superior martial arts for many days, leaving his body as a wandering soul every day to watch Hong Xuejiao practice, and had read the Martial Classic thoroughly. His heart had been contemplating, and his observational skills had improved. He discovered that more than half of these scholars and imperial students buying bows had no martial arts training; their flesh was loose and flabby, with no signs of being toned, tight, or powerful.

Walking up to the second floor of the Guan Shi Shop, there were far fewer people, because the value of a good sword was much higher than that of a bow. As the young man waved his fan and muttered to himself, he sounded very regretful. Hong Yi heard the voice, which was crisp and unlike a man's. He stole a glance and discovered that the person had no Adam's apple; it was actually a girl disguised as a man.

"No wonder drawing the bow is the primary method for training strength. Ancient sages designated it as one of the six arts. There are many ways to train strength in martial arts—carrying iron sand, tying lead weights, pressing the waist and abdomen, rolling stone balls, playing with stone locks, or lifting spears and staffs—but none compare to drawing a bow. I have only drawn the bow once, and I can't even talk about aiming yet, but my whole body feels like it's about to tear apart, let alone firing in rapid succession and hitting the target every time."

After silently reciting these mental techniques, Hong Yi felt a sense of calm and composure.