Day by day, Little Leopard's standing in the Wu Household's smithy underwent a subtle change.
While the other apprentices were still hammering wooden stakes day after day, he had already begun assisting in the Smelting Room and trying his hand at making simple ironware.
The Wu Household's eighty-one-move Wild Cloak Hammer Technique had originated in smithing, so smelting and forging were compulsory lessons for both its blood descendants and its disciples. Even the young masters of the main family were no exception. They all had to learn smithing, for only through this could they deepen their understanding of the hammer technique and accelerate their cultivation.
Clang, clang, clang, clang! Under the envious gazes of the apprentices outside, in the Smelting Room, Little Leopard stood bare-chested, hammer in hand, striking the blank of a kitchen knife on the stone platform before him. Beside him stood Old Xing, the former master craftsman, watching where his hammer fell, the rhythm of his swings, and the force of his blows. Now he nodded, now he shook his head, and every so often he spoke up to explain a technique or warn Little Leopard about something in his movements.
Not only the apprentices outside, but even the young smiths in the Smelting Room could not help looking on with envy.
"Old Xing, you old rascal, aren't you playing favorites a little too much? There are so many apprentices, yet you only teach Little Leopard. The others are going to complain!"
Just as one practiced and the other taught in perfect harmony, a discordant voice abruptly sounded behind them. Little Leopard did not so much as twitch and continued his smithing, but Old Xing turned around. Seeing Steward Lin walk in, a trace of displeasure appeared on his face.
"How I teach is my business. Those little brats can come talk to me once they can hammer through a wooden stake like Little Leopard. Haven't I always taught this way all these years?"
"True, true!" Steward Lin replied with an accommodating smile. Watching the utterly focused Little Leopard, he could not help revealing a flash of admiration in his eyes. "Steward Fang from Lu City is here. He wants to see you!"
"Old Fang?" Old Xing frowned slightly and muttered uneasily, "Why isn't he enjoying his comfortable life in Lu City? What's he doing coming to this place of barren mountains and treacherous waters?"
"That I don't know. He's being rather mysterious, as though he has something important to discuss. You'd better go."
"All right!" Old Xing nodded and followed Steward Lin out of the Smelting Room. As he reached the door, he reminded Little Leopard, "Keep practicing here properly, Little Leopard. Understand?"
"You certainly think highly of that little fellow!"
After they had walked a few steps, Steward Lin could not help asking with a smile.
"He's a rare talent. I'm sure he'll pass the Selection Assembly two years from now!"
"He'll only be ten in two years. Why not wait another two?" Steward Lin frowned. "You said yourself that he's a promising talent. Every Wu Household apprentice gets only three chances at the Selection Assembly. If he fails this time, won't that be a wasted opportunity?"
"I'm certain he'll pass!" Old Xing looked utterly confident. "Don't you trust my judgment, Steward Lin?"
"No, no, no, of course I do. Selecting and teaching apprentices is your business, Old Xing. I only handle the trade. I won't interfere with anything else!" Steward Lin said.
They said nothing more along the way. Upon reaching the main hall, they met a burly man in brocade who was waiting somewhat impatiently.
"Old Fang, what a rare visitor!" At the sight of the burly man in brocade, Old Xing finally showed a hint of a smile and called out loudly.
"Old Xing, you old rascal!" The burly man smiled as well and came forward to greet him.
"Steward Fang, sorry for the wait!" Steward Lin stepped forward.
"No matter, no matter!" Steward Fang replied, giving Steward Lin a meaningful look.
Steward Lin took the hint.
He dismissed everyone around them, even sending away the maid serving tea, until only the three of them remained in the hall.
"Old Fang, you never visit a temple without something to pray for. What brings you here this time?" Once they were seated, Old Xing asked without ceremony.
"It concerns the Second Young Master," Steward Fang said. "As I imagine you both know, he's now ten years old and has begun medicinal bath bone tempering!"
"Medicinal baths?" Old Xing and Steward Lin nodded. In an Aristocratic Clan like the Wu Household, all manner of spiritual herbs were usually gathered for its children while they were still very young and made into various preparations and decoctions to cleanse their bodies. The medicinal power penetrated their sinews, bones, and meridians, removing impurities and improving their potential to lay a foundation for future cultivation. With this preparation, they could achieve twice the results with half the effort when they began cultivating. Whether practicing external or internal arts, they would advance rapidly and save themselves a great deal of effort compared with ordinary people.
But medicinal baths had their own exacting requirements. There were all kinds of formulas in the world, suited to different people and different ages, with correspondingly different effects. Like martial arts methods, these formulas were held by the great sects and Aristocratic Clans and never divulged. Ordinary people had no access to them, and even if they did, they lacked the means to gather so many precious medicinal ingredients.
"The Second Young Master is a favored son of heaven, with exceptional aptitude. This is the perfect time for him to begin medicinal bath bone tempering. What's the problem?" Old Xing asked in puzzlement.
"There wasn't a problem to begin with, but the Second Madam wants to add another ingredient to the preparation!"
"Another ingredient?" Both Old Xing and Steward Lin were shocked. How could an ingredient be added so casually? Every formula was the result of countless experiments by their predecessors, refined through a thousand hammerings and a hundred temperings. Never mind adding another ingredient-even slightly more or less of an existing one could cause problems. How could anyone simply add something?
"Could it be-?" Steward Lin was quick-witted. Something suddenly occurred to him, and his expression immediately turned peculiar.
"That's right. That very ingredient!" Seeing that Steward Lin seemed to understand, Steward Fang nodded. "Dragon-subduing grass!"
"Dragon-subduing grass?" Hearing the name so abruptly, Old Xing jolted and raised his head. "The Second Madam has news of dragon-subduing grass?"
"Yes!" Steward Fang nodded. "It's right here in the Vast Cang Mountains!"
"Of course there's dragon-subduing grass in the Vast Cang Mountains. There are demon beasts too. You might as well have said nothing!" Old Xing's temper flared at Steward Fang's answer. Wasn't that utter nonsense? The Vast Cang Mountains were enormous. Naturally, there were countless exotic plants and beasts within them. Did they need him to tell them that?
Steward Fang ignored Old Xing's complaints and continued, "The Second Madam received word that there are three stalks of dragon-subduing grass in a certain spot on the outskirts of the Vast Cang Mountains!"
"Really?" Old Xing and Steward Lin both sprang to their feet in surprise.
Dragon-subduing grass was a renowned spiritual herb with only one purpose: enhancing the effects of medicinal preparations. Adding it to a medicinal bath could increase its efficacy at least fivefold. For precisely this reason, over the past several hundred years, dragon-subduing grass had been driven almost to extinction. It could only be found in certain deep mountains and ancient forests where human footprints were scarce, making it extremely difficult to locate. Hearing that there were three stalks on the outskirts of the Vast Cang Mountains, with their exact location known, was truly unexpected.
"How did the Second Madam find out?" Steward Lin asked.
"I don't know. But you both know that the Second Madam came from the Heavenly Dragon Way. Naturally, she has her own sources!" Steward Fang spread his hands helplessly.
"Then you mean to have us find this dragon-subduing grass?" Steward Lin asked hesitantly. He was a man with a finely faceted heart, shrewd in every respect. Although he belonged to the Second Madam's faction, he knew his own worth.
What sort of place was Green Ram Market? A sesame-seed-sized speck in Cloud Province of Great Jin. Being a steward here meant he had some standing in this shabby market, but in the Wu Household, he was nothing. He was nothing at all; otherwise, he would never have been sent to oversee this godforsaken place. Today's matter clearly involved the struggle between the First Madam and the Second Madam-a struggle for power at the very heart of the Wu Household, one that might even affect who became its next head. How could a minor figure like him possibly meddle in such affairs?
Even if he helped the Second Madam find the dragon-subduing grass, what would that gain him? If the First Madam found out, she could crush him with one little finger. When that happened, the Second Madam certainly would not draw swords against the First Madam over a steward at the very bottom of the Wu Household's hierarchy.
Once he understood this, Steward Lin's expression immediately turned bitter. Old Xing's face did likewise. He might have been a rough man, but he was no fool. He did not want to become involved in this either.
Seeing their expressions, Steward Fang naturally understood their thoughts. In truth, when had he ever wanted to become involved in such affairs himself? It was simply beyond his control.
Shaking his head gently, he said, "I know what you're thinking, but there's nothing we can do. This is the rice bowl we eat from, after all. Things have already reached this point. Even if we refuse, do we really have another road to take?"
The hall immediately fell silent. Indeed, did they have another road to take?
Had they known nothing about this, that would have been one thing. But now that they knew, they were bound to it and forced to make a choice: either the First Madam or the Second Madam. There was no middle road. Straddling the fence and offending neither side was impossible.
"Old Fang, oh, Old Fang, you've really fucking landed us in misery!" After a long silence, Old Xing finally raised his head and glared angrily at Steward Fang.
"What choice did I have?" Steward Fang's expression was even more bitter than theirs. "Besides, this matter isn't nearly as frightening as you imagine. Why do you think I came to you two instead of anyone else?"
"Because we're easy to fool!" Old Xing replied bluntly.
"Bullshit! Because, as of now, in the entire Wu Household, including you two, only four people know about this!"
"Four people?"
"That's right, four. The three of us and the Second Madam. Apart from us, there won't be a fifth person who knows. I came from Lu City this time under the pretext of my friendship with you, Old Xing. No one knows my real purpose!"
"Why choose us?"
"Because this is the closest market town to that patch of dragon-subduing grass, and you're the ones in charge here. Besides, you've always been fairly close to the Second Madam's faction. Who else would I approach?"
Once again, the two men were left speechless and fell silent.
"Then when do you intend to set out?"
"Soon!" Steward Fang said. "The longer the night, the more dreams can arise. The Second Madam has already explained the location of the dragon-subduing grass to me in detail. It isn't far from here. If we move quickly, we'll certainly have it in three days at the earliest, five at the latest!"
"How did the Madam learn about this?" Steward Lin asked, somewhat puzzled. "She's never even been here!"
"The Second Madam didn't explain in detail. But don't forget where she came from-!" Steward Fang said softly.
At Steward Fang's words, both Steward Lin and Old Xing wore expressions of understanding.