Bow and blade

As he left the shops on the western side, Su Yan could already hear the faint buzz of conversation among the people passing through the Market Ward.

"Someone found a treasure plant! Some lad from one of the villages found a Yinred Root."

"A Yinred Root? Wouldn't that fetch a dozen taels of silver or more?"

"More than that! Steward Song inspected it himself. I reckon it must be worth several dozen taels."

"Did you get a good look at who it was?"

"Wouldn't dare. With Steward Song right there, who would dare go up? If you ask me, some old fox probably sent a kid to sell it for him..."

One told ten, and ten told a hundred. People whispered endlessly among themselves, and whether they were mountain trekkers, hunters, or woodcutters, their eyes shone with envy.

A single treasure plant was enough to change a family's circumstances.

Su Yan, however, found the rumors a real pain in the balls. A little over seven taels of silver had somehow ballooned into this.

Ignoring the gossip, he quickened his pace toward the street on the eastern side.

This street was much wider, and even the passing mountain villagers seemed to speak more quietly. Their voices could not drown out the clanging of iron being forged at the Heavenwind Armory branch at the end of the street.

These were all branches of shops from the city, where there was no such thing as "the customer is king." The mountain villagers kept their guard up, careful not to cause trouble.

That, too, was how ordinary people protected themselves.

Su Yan first bought everyday provisions such as oil, salt, sauces, vinegar, and rice, spending around three hundred copper coins.

Then he bought two pairs of shoes for Mountain Trekking and replaced his straw sandals. Those were rather more expensive, costing him another seven hundred-odd copper coins.

Only after making these purchases did Su Yan head straight to the Heavenwind Armory branch.

The clanging rang without pause, and before he even stepped through the doorway, heat washed over his face.

Inside the shop, two masters and six or seven apprentices and assistants worked bare-chested, their sturdy muscles exposed as they hammered iron over and over. Sweat streamed down their backs, yet they did not rest for even a moment.

As the saying went, life had three bitter trades: poling boats, forging iron, and grinding tofu.

Spending all day around a furnace, without so much as half a day's rest, was hard labor for those dealt a bitter lot.

Even so, people hoping to become apprentices at the Heavenwind Armory came in an endless stream.

"Young fellow, are you looking to have some farming tools made, or pick out something handy to protect yourself?"

The moment he entered, a somewhat more neatly dressed assistant came over.

He was not bare-chested, but wore a short coarse-cloth shirt, with a strip of cloth tucked at his waist for wiping away sweat.

The Great Li Dynasty revered martial strength. It did not forbid weapons, nor could it.

"A stiff hunting bow and a Mountain-Cleaving Saber."

Su Yan stated his purpose plainly and concisely.

"A Mountain-Cleaving Saber costs two taels and three mace of silver. As for a Hardwood Bow, would you like a fifty-jin draw or a sixty-jin draw?"

The craftsmen measured a bow's draw weight directly in jin, saving the trouble of conversion.

Bamboo bows aren't consistent. Even tough, mature bamboo only gives a draw of thirty-odd jin at most, not enough to bring down large game. At the rate my strength is increasing, a fifty-jin bow won't last me long. Even sixty jin probably won't do.

So he asked, "Do you have a seventy-jin Hardwood Bow? And a quiver of arrows."

"We do. Whatever else you might say about the Heavenwind Armory, we certainly don't lack weapons. We can even sell you a powerful bow of Mortal Weapon grade."

The assistant spoke with complete confidence. In truth, this was what gave them that confidence.

"Mortal Weapon?"

Su Yan's curiosity stirred, and he asked without thinking.

The assistant was eager to show off his knowledge as well. "Mortal Weapons are superior arms made by master smiths. Slicing through a hair blown against the edge and cutting iron like mud are nothing to them. In a fight, they can add another three parts to your might."

Weapon and wielder complemented each other. Though the saying went that one must be sturdy oneself to forge iron, if two evenly matched men drew weapons, one a dagger and the other a cleaver, the outcome would likely be decided right there. Su Yan had always understood this principle. Having a weapon and choosing not to use it was entirely different from having none.

"However..."

Before he could reply, the assistant changed tack. "However, Mortal Weapons aren't merely expensive—at least several dozen taels apiece. Their weight and the strength required are also beyond ordinary people..."

As the words left his mouth, he remembered that Su Yan was a customer and stopped himself. "Young fellow, a seventy-jin Hardwood Bow and one quiver of thirty arrows come to five taels of silver. What do you think?"

"I'll take them all."

Su Yan did not drag things out, though his heart still ached at the expense. He had only just managed to earn ten taels of silver, and after a few purchases, he had little more than two left.

Once the assistant received the silver, his face bloomed into a smile. He fetched the bow, arrows, and Broad Saber from the shop and handed them to Su Yan.

"Young fellow, here are your bow and saber. Try them and see how they feel."

The Mountain-Cleaving Saber was about a meter and a half long, with a moderately short hilt that allowed either a one-handed or two-handed grip. The blade was not heavy, weighing only around four jin.

The Hardwood Bow, meanwhile, was black all over, layered with hardwood and reinforced with beast tendon inside. Its body was fully wrapped and gleamed with an oily sheen.

Su Yan weighed it in his hand and plucked the bowstring, then nodded. "Thank you."

With the Broad Saber at his waist and the bow and arrows on his back, he looked like a hunter, even with the carrying basket still on his shoulders.

His shopping finished, Su Yan did not linger. He strode out of the mountain market.

He had barely traveled half a li beyond the market when someone suddenly sprang out of the vegetation beside the path.

"Well done, young Yan! A tiger's son indeed, just like Brother Su—you actually found a treasure plant!"

The man grinned cheekily and cupped his hands in congratulations. He was as scrawny as a monkey, with scarcely any flesh on his face and lips as thin as blades.

"Wang San?"

Su Yan's gaze sharpened, and a cold smile touched his face. "What do you want?"

Wang San was a notorious loafer from Yunqian Village, a bachelor in his early thirties and a lazy bastard who loved eating but hated work.

Though he had inherited his dead father's Mountain Trekking trade, his basket usually went in empty and came out empty.

Apart from stealing chickens, pilfering whatever he could, and begging for food, he did little more than trail after Niu Han's gang of thugs and scrounge a few scraps.

He was the sort of creature people despised and even dogs shunned.

Wang San heard the displeasure in Su Yan's voice, but seemed utterly unconcerned. His hide was thicker than a city wall.

He took two steps closer, rubbed his hands, and bent forward slightly, lowering his voice. "Nothing much. Your older brother here just wants a little lucky money from you. I've been a bit short lately."

His shifty eyes darted about as he thought, As the saying goes, whoever sees it gets half. I'm a decent man. Surely there's nothing wrong with taking just a little lucky money.

Su Yan sneered. "Are you dreaming in broad daylight, Wang San?"

Anger flickered across Wang San's face, and he silently cursed Su Yan for failing to appreciate his kindness.

All he could do was say, "Young Yan, you shouldn't flaunt your wealth. You wouldn't want everyone knowing you found a treasure plant, would you?"

Though Wang San was a scoundrel, he understood very well why wealth should be kept hidden.

Su Yan's parents were dead, and he was barely more than a boy. Could he hold on to that silver?

If word got out, someone might well come knocking to devour the estate of a household without heirs.

What a pity we aren't in the old forests of Cloudridge Mountain.

Regret flashed through Su Yan's eyes. Had they been in the old forest, grass would be growing over Wang San's grave by next year.

They were not far from the mountain market, and he did not know whether anyone had seen Wang San come looking for him. Killing him outright here would not be wise.

Besides, people learning about the treasure plant was only a matter of time.

"Then go ahead and tell them. Do you really think this treasure plant was mine?"

Su Yan's expression remained calm. He reached out and seized Wang San's shoulder as easily as grabbing a chick, his tremendous grip making Wang San wince in pain.

"Ow! You... you..."

Before Wang San could curse, Su Yan struck him with the flat of the Broad Saber and shoved him to the ground. A red mark remained on his face, and yellow mud covered his body, leaving him thoroughly bedraggled.

Su Yan strode away. Wang San seethed but dared not speak, partly out of fear of Su Yan's strength and partly because of his misgivings. Su Yan had probably teamed up with several mountain trekkers and been pushed forward to sell it.

"Pah! I'll find out who's working with you!"

While Wang San continued fuming, Su Yan had already vanished down the path and returned home.

He unloaded all the everyday supplies from his basket, including the oil, salt, sauces, and vinegar, then put the Hardwood Bow and Mountain-Cleaving Saber into the Insect Realm Space.

He took out the Hundred Herbs Diagram and leafed through it. Its yellowed pages bore simple drawings of various medicinal herbs, with tiny characters a quarter the size of a fingernail on the left, recording their descriptions and medicinal effects.

"It's rather basic, but usable. Still, I wonder what that steward is planning..."

As the saying went, a gift offered must conceal a request.

Why would a mere mountain trekker be worth giving a booklet to? Did he really think he was some important figure?

Su Yan put the booklet away and murmured, "A modest gift, a modest scheme. Just what I wanted. I'm bound to find plenty of treasure plants and medicinal herbs in the future. If I can establish a connection with the Hundred Herbs Hall, it'll save me a great deal of effort."

Song Qi had his aims, and Su Yan had his plans. Each would get what he needed.

His initial reason for asking to buy the Hundred Herbs Diagram in the shop had merely been to leave an impression, laying the groundwork for when he found superior medicinal herbs and treasure plants in the future.

He had not expected this additional gain, but it was a good thing. Now he would see how the steward handled it.

Su Yan glanced at the sky. It was only noon. He picked up his basket and strode toward Cloudridge Mountain.

This time, he did not venture deep into the mountains. He chose a secluded direction and followed the mountain paths for about two li until he reached a deserted spot.

Tall trees towered overhead, their spreading branches forming a curtain. Even at noon, sunlight could only fall in scattered, mottled patches.

The surrounding shrubs grew thickly, but only reached his hips and did not obstruct his view.

He released the Darkwater Centipede, then tossed yesterday's two scorpion carcasses and the toad's corpse to one side.

The Darkwater Centipede wasted no time and went straight over to feast.

With that done, Su Yan took out the Hardwood Bow and arrows, aiming at the aged trunk of a Purple Birch seventy paces away.

Planting his feet shoulder-width apart, Su Yan nocked an arrow and drew the bow. He aimed at a circular fold in the old bark and sent the arrow flying with a hiss.

The arrow veered half a palm's width off target. Undiscouraged, Su Yan drew another arrow and continued shooting.

Uncle Xie originally taught me Mountain Trekking. After repeated practice, I improved, and it manifested as a skill. Though I have no bow techniques, once I've practiced enough, archery should become a skill of its own.

Su Yan made up his mind. In his eyes, the old tree trunk seemed to become a bright red target.

Arrow followed arrow until he had shot all thirty. Each shot took considerable strength to draw the bow.

He tempered his strength while honing his archery. Even when resting, Su Yan took out the Hundred Herbs Diagram and studied it carefully.

He repeated this routine, practicing for three to five days straight.