Tying up loose ends

"Aptitude?"

At the mention of aptitude, Zhao Er could not help growing curious.

"Yes, it really just means checking which weapon you're best suited to training with. The authorities have their own standards for judging it."

Seeing Zhao Er's confusion, Ning Mu offered a brief explanation.

"Then what's my brother's aptitude like?"

After hearing that, Zhao Er understood a little better. This was not the sort of innate aptitude he had known about, though that did make sense. After all, he had only ever heard that poor people were unsuited to practicing martial arts. As for everything else... there was always a martial path that suited you.

"I'm just average, with no special aptitude. As long as I like it, I can practice anything. It makes no difference."

Zhao Da answered with a smile, but did not say which weapon he trained with.

"Your brother is actually rather scholarly at heart, so I had him practice swordsmanship. I love how graceful and carefree he looks when he practices."

Beside them, Ning Mu poured wine for both men from a wine pot, then spoke as she looked at Zhao Da with a face full of smiles.

"If you like it, Mumu, I'm happy to practice it..."

Zhao Da looked at Ning Mu and answered softly.

"Ahem!!! I'm actually quite interested in the Martial Pavilion. I've come to County Town a few times without getting a chance to visit it. I'll skip lunch and head over there now."

Zhao Er had not expected to be fed a mouthful of lovey-dovey sweetness out of nowhere. He immediately coughed, then rose to leave.

"You can't come all this way, little brother-in-law, and leave without even having a meal..."

But neither Zhao Da nor Ning Mu would let Zhao Er leave just like that, and they immediately urged him to stay.

With his elder brother and sister-in-law insisting so warmly, Zhao Er really could not simply leave. Still, the two stopped being quite so intimate in front of him.

"Oh, right, sister-in-law. I got three torn nets in the mountains this time. Sorry for the trouble, but could you take a look and see whether they're worth anything?"

Only after sitting back down did Zhao Er remember the three Golden Silk Nets he had kept tucked at the very bottom of his sack.

He had not asked anywhere else because the Ning Family ran a smithy. Although the Ning Family had declined and was no longer renowned for forging weapons, its foundations remained, and it should be able to take care of those three nets for him.

Of course... most importantly, the three nets had come from questionable sources. Zhao Er did not feel comfortable handing them over to another smithy, but he would not have to worry about those issues if his brother and sister-in-law handled them.

"These Golden Silk Nets are the work of the Li Family's shop in the west of town. Unusual items like these are quite rare and fairly valuable. It's a shame they're damaged..."

Ning Mu took the nets and identified their origin with just a glance at their edges. Yet she did not ask where they had come from at all. She merely looked up at Zhao Er and asked another question:

"Little brother-in-law, would you like these three nets repaired, or did you have something else in mind?"

"I only got them by chance, and they're no use to me. If you think they're still worth something, sister-in-law, I'd appreciate your help disposing of them."

Zhao Er waved a hand indifferently and likewise made no mention of money.

"Hmm... they're certainly worth something. How about this? Our Ning Family shop will buy the three nets for fifteen taels...

"Don't turn me down just yet, little brother-in-law. These Golden Silk Nets are quite rare. Once we repair them, we can resell them for thirty taels. We won't lose out."

After naming her price, Ning Mu seemed afraid Zhao Er would refuse and added a few more words, making it clear that this was a mutually beneficial deal.

"Sure, then I'll leave it to you, sister-in-law!"

Zhao Er pondered for only a moment before accepting outright.

Since the Ning Family would not lose out, and he was short of money right now, he might as well accept it without fuss.

"That's more like it..."

The brothers then drank and chatted. Dishes to accompany the wine soon arrived, and the two finished the pot of wine before eating their meal as well.

After the meal, Zhao Er was still thinking about his trip to the Martial Pavilion, so he said his goodbyes. Just then, Ning Mu came out and handed him three five-tael silver ingots, along with an iron token.

"Little brother-in-law, this is the money for those three nets. Take this too. It's a token the authorities issue to lineages like ours. When you go to the Martial Pavilion, give them the token, and they'll waive the aptitude-testing fee. You'll also get a discount on manuals."

"All right. Thank you, sister-in-law!"

Zhao Er accepted both the silver and the iron token, then cupped his hands in farewell and left the Ning Family residence.

Only after watching Zhao Er leave did Zhao Da and Ning Mu turn and return to the courtyard.

"Husband, tonight, take these three nets to the shop. Stay there and watch the shop workers melt them down, then bring the melted metal back."

Back in the courtyard, Ning Mu picked up the three Golden Silk Nets and held them out to Zhao Da.

"Mumu, do you think there's something wrong with these three nets?"

Zhao Da was relatively simplehearted, but he was not stupid. Ning Mu's arrangements immediately let him guess her intention.

"There's something you don't know, husband. Weaving these Golden Silk Nets is a secret skill of the Li Family. Nets like these are generally used to capture variant beasts, or to deal with martial artists who use long weapons or practice body-hardening arts. So while they look soft, they're actually exceptionally tough, enough to withstand ordinary sword slashes and axe blows."

As Ning Mu spoke, her fingers touched the damaged parts of the nets, and she continued explaining:

"There are no sword or axe marks on the three nets, and none of the three damaged spots is very large. This definitely wasn't caused by anything ordinary. Your little brother also said he found them in the woods..."

"A variant beast did this!"

With Ning Mu having explained that much, how could Zhao Da fail to guess?

"Yes. No matter who set the nets, or whether your little brother benefited from them, anything involving variant beasts touches on enormous interests. There's no need for us to get tangled up in it for a little silver."

Only then did Ning Mu nod with a soft smile.

"Thank you, Mumu..."

Zhao Da was touched. After all, Ning Mu was tying up the loose ends for his younger brother, and she had even paid fifteen taels of silver for it. That was no small sum.

"What are you thanking me for? We're family. Besides, the Ning Family won't lose anything. This metal is quite valuable too."

Ning Mu slipped her arm through Zhao Da's. After explaining, however, she changed the subject:

"For your little brother to break through and become a martial artist so quickly, he must not only be astonishingly talented, but have endured who knows how much hardship. As his elder brother and sister-in-law, it's only right that we help him a little. Compared with him, though, you've been rather lax as an elder brother."

"I'll go train right now. I'll extend today's training by two hours!!!"

After hearing that, Zhao Da gritted his teeth and turned to begin training.

"Mm~~ But you must take care of yourself too, husband. You're the pillar holding up our household, the hope of our Ning Family..."

"Yes!! From now on, I'll train an extra two hours every day. No! Four extra hours!!"

The government's Martial Pavilion occupied an unremarkable building beside the magistrate's office. Manuals were sold there, but most taught various combat moves. As for cultivation manuals, there were only a handful of unorthodox cultivation manuals, each with problems of its own.