Old Man Qin

Old Man Qin

The dark-faced man shoved the old man around, then pushed him a long way off. His fierce demeanor made it clear he meant every word he'd said.

The old man landed hard on his backside and started crying out in pain. The dark-faced man paid him no mind and went straight back into Fengxiang Jewelry Store.

The people nearby watched the commotion but didn't step forward to help. The poor old man could only lie on the ground, groaning.

Zhang He hesitated for a moment, then walked over and carefully helped the old man to his feet.

"Thank you, young man." The old man wiped away his tears and gave a miserable smile that made him seem utterly forlorn.

"Old sir, what happened?" Zhang He asked, supporting him. He noticed that the old man's hands were not only withered but cold as well. His blood and qi were clearly not circulating properly, and the joints in particular looked swollen.

Zhang He could tell at a glance that these were obvious symptoms of rheumatism.

"Ah, don't mind this sorry sight. I used to be a craftsman here, but my hands gave out after years of hard work. Now I'm old and have no way to earn money, so I thought I'd come back and ask for enough to get by." The old man spoke miserably.

"I heard them say that you made the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown in the shop?" Zhang He couldn't help asking. Of all the pieces in Fengxiang Jewelry, the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown was the only one that Zhang He found even remotely impressive. Everything else, whether in its workmanship or style, was badly outdated.

"That's right." At the mention of it, the old man's face lit up with pride. "The Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown was made by these old hands."

Then his expression dimmed. "But now my hands are ruined. I'll never be able to make such exquisite jewelry again. Ah." The old man sighed, his voice full of unwillingness.

Zhang He felt a pang of sympathy. He could understand the craftsman's despondency. The man had spent his whole life making jewelry and honing his skills, only to have to give it all up because his body had failed him. How could he not be sad?

However, Zhang He had already judged that the root of the old man's illness was most likely rheumatism, and he felt fairly confident he could help.

"Old sir, are you saying that if your hands were healthy, you could make another exquisite piece like the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown?" Zhang He smiled gently at him.

The old man sensed there was more to Zhang He's words. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "Of course. If my hands could move as freely as they used to, making the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown would be no trouble at all. Young man, are you hoping I'll make one for you? Ah, that's impossible. These old hands are ruined. They just can't do it anymore."

As he spoke, the old man shook his head helplessly. No one could change the process of growing old. All he could do now was find some light work to earn enough to eat, then while away the rest of his days.

Zhang He exhaled softly. Supporting the old man's hand, he circulated a strand of Rejuvenation True Qi and suddenly sent it into his body.

The old man's eyes flew wide open. He abruptly lowered his head and stared at his own hands in astonishment. He could feel warmth enveloping them! The pain in his joints faded beneath that warmth, and a long-lost sense of comfort returned.

"Old sir, how do you feel?" Zhang He asked with a faint smile, then stopped.

The old man flexed his hands. His fingers, which had hurt terribly at the slightest movement, could now move—and the pain that had plagued him had eased considerably!

"This..." The old man was overjoyed. He knew Zhang He must have done something, but he had no idea how to explain it.

Seeing his reaction, Zhang He knew that using the Fire Qilin's fire poison had worked. Rheumatism was essentially cold poison stagnating inside the body. When it couldn't be dispersed, it eventually built up into an illness. Now Zhang He had sent in a stream of Rejuvenation True Qi infused with the Fire Qilin's fire poison, and it had immediately dispelled some of the cold poison in the old man's hands.

"It won't be much trouble to cure your hands completely. Old sir, would you be willing to make a few pieces of jewelry for me? In return, I can heal your hands." Zhang He smiled.

It was a deal the old man stood to profit from enormously!

The old man came back to his senses, then nodded repeatedly at Zhang He's offer, overcome with excitement. "Yes! If you can heal my hands, I'd agree to make a few pieces, or even dozens, or hundreds!"

"Excellent." Zhang He smiled warmly, and a weight lifted from his heart. His birthday gift for Lian Yunbi was taken care of.

"Young man, what material do you want the jewelry made from?" the old man asked eagerly. Worried Zhang He might not know, he went on to explain, "Making jewelry requires special tools as well as materials. I have the tools, but I don't have any materials."

"Gold will do." Zhang He thought for a moment. There probably wasn't any platinum here. Gold was the more conventional choice. "I have some gold coins. We can melt them down and use the gold to make jewelry, right?"

The coins weren't pure gold; they had other metals mixed in. But that was precisely why they could retain their golden color without being so soft that they wore down too quickly.

"That'll work." The old man nodded. "Then come with me. I'll take you to my place first, and you can tell me what kind of jewelry you want made. But my hands still aren't very nimble, so making anything too good will be difficult..."

As he spoke, the old man looked at Zhang He hopefully. Zhang He had only sent in a strand of Rejuvenation True Qi earlier; he hadn't completely healed the old man's hands.

Zhang He smiled. "Don't worry, I'll heal your hands. I want you to make exquisite jewelry for me."

The old man smiled sheepishly. Then he led the way, guiding Zhang He toward his home.

On the way, the old man chatted with Zhang He, and Zhang He learned that his surname was Qin and his name was Faliang. Jewelry-making wasn't a family craft passed down through generations. As a child, he had studied blacksmithing under a master, intending to become a weapon maker. But in the end, he came to feel that weapons were instruments of murder, against the natural order. He grew disgusted with making them and simply switched to learning how to make jewelry.

The place was a shabby little courtyard. Just inside the entrance stood two low, cramped rooms, while firewood of all sizes lay scattered around the yard.

"Sorry it's so messy. Don't mind it." Old Man Qin felt embarrassed himself. He hurried over and opened the door. Zhang He stepped inside and was immediately surprised. There were only two rooms, yet apart from the place where Old Man Qin slept, every bit of space was filled with tools for making jewelry!

He was certainly dedicated! Zhang He formed a quick impression of Old Man Qin. Several drawings hung on the wall, each showing a different jewelry design. Old Man Qin seemed to treasure them; he had even reinforced the edges to keep them from tearing by accident.

Compared to the jewelry in Fengxiang Jewelry Store, these designs seemed more intricate. But... when Zhang He looked at them, he couldn't help sighing.

They were so ugly!

"Do you have paper and a writing tool? I'll draw a few designs for you. Just make them according to the drawings." Zhang He turned toward Old Man Qin, who was tidying up so Zhang He could sit down.

"Ah? Yes, yes." Old Man Qin froze, then quickly recovered and brought over a charcoal pencil and some paper.

Zhang He picked them up and spread out the paper. After a little thought, the charcoal pencil began to race across the page. Swish, swish, swish—the pencil laid down line after line, and before long, an exquisite design leaped onto the paper. It looked almost real!

At first, Old Man Qin thought Zhang He would only sketch an outline, leaving him to fill in the rest. But when he saw the skill and precision of Zhang He's drawing, he couldn't help being surprised.

His gaze fell on the paper. As he looked at the lifelike image and its exquisite shape, he was completely stunned.

"This, this... how did you draw it? It looks so real!" Old Man Qin was both astonished and delighted. His eyes remained fixed on the paper, unable to look away.

Zhang He smiled wryly. What was so impressive about it? It was just the simplest kind of sketching, using light and shadow.

"You're making a necklace. This design is so unusual; I've never seen anything like it! It's so exquisite. It looks like a drop of water, giving it such a lively feeling. How did you come up with such a beautiful design?" Old Man Qin stared at the drawing of the necklace, deeply moved.

He was a master in the jewelry trade and had seen countless designs, but never anything like the one on the page. Until now, he had always considered the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown his proudest work. But compared to this necklace, the crown fell far short!

The necklace might not be as complex as the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown, but its shape, its distinctive patterns, even the design of its clasp—all of it radiated refinement!

With his sharp eye and wealth of experience, he knew this piece of jewelry was truly unique. If it were ever shown to the world, it would cause a huge sensation!

In an instant, Zhang He became a genius in Old Man Qin's eyes!

Zhang He looked at the necklace design and furrowed his brows slightly. At its center, a blue gemstone was supposed to be set.

"I don't have a blue gemstone, but I do have a Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill."

A sudden idea came to Zhang He. He had absorbed all the demon poison from the first Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill, and its color had changed from blood-red to lustrous white. Its sheen was even more gentle than that of the finest pearl.

Most importantly, though it no longer contained demon poison, the Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill still had ice-cold properties. A cool aura radiated from it when held, spreading throughout the body. In the heat of summer, wearing such a pill would help dispel the warmth.

"Lian Yunbi also has the Kirin Bloodline, so she must suffer from the fire poison of the Kirin Bloodline too. If an ordinary person wore this Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill, its chill might invade their body and harm them. But Lian Yunbi wouldn't have to worry about that. The Cold Flood Dragon's chill would help balance the heat in her body and make her more comfortable. And the alternating cold and heat would be like yin and yang in harmony, greatly benefiting her cultivation."

Zhang He couldn't help getting excited at his idea. He had absorbed all the demon poison from the Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill, so it was of little value to him. Now he could put it to use and make a fine piece of jewelry with it, which naturally made him happy.

Zhang He carefully explained his idea to Old Man Qin, asking him to leave a space for the Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill to be set in at the end. For Old Man Qin, who had spent many years immersed in jewelry-making, this was naturally a simple matter.

Then Zhang He drew several more designs. Each piece of jewelry had a unique design, and their ingenious beauty left Old Man Qin marveling in admiration. He kept calling Zhang He a genius.

"I'll make these pieces of jewelry for you, no matter what. You can come pick them up in two days!" Old Man Qin's eyes shone. Seeing designs like these, he could barely contain himself; he wanted to start making them right away!

Zhang He nodded and readily agreed. He trusted Old Man Qin to put his heart into making the jewelry.

After going over the necessary details, Zhang He used Rejuvenation True Qi to dispel the cold dampness of rheumatism in Old Man Qin's hands, then left on his own and returned to the Pharmacist Association.