The other chest was filled with paintings, calligraphy, and precious curios. At the very top lay a half-unrolled scroll, its yellowed silk bearing a painted grove of ink bamboo rendered in bold, vigorous strokes. A blurred vermilion seal marked the signature.
At the bottom lay a stack of yellow talismans of indeterminate grade, along with a long, rectangular black stone.
Qu Yong picked up the black stone. It weighed heavily in his hand, its cold seeping into his bones. Its entire surface gleamed with a deep black luster, like a smoothly polished lump of iron, yet it was far heavier than iron.
Fan Dazhi leaned over. "What's that?"
"Heavenly meteoric iron."
Qu Yong ran his fingers over it, his eyes brightening. "Someone polished it so smooth and even. It must have been a cultivator's prized possession. You couldn't ask for a better material to forge you a flying sword."
"Now that sounds great!"
Fan Dazhi beamed and took it, hefting it in his hand. "But, senior brother, wouldn't it be a bit of a waste to turn such a handy brick into a flying sword?"
He turned the meteoric iron over and over, weighing it in his hands, liking it more with every look. "Master Lin at the Knowledge and Practice Institute once said that no matter how good your kung fu, you still fear a cleaver. With this iron brick, if I ever meet someone wielding a blade, I'll drop them with one smack!"
Grinning, he tried to tuck it into his robes, but they were already bulging. A good portion of his gold, silver, and jewels tumbled out, and he simply could not fit the meteoric iron inside.
Qu Yong shook his head with a smile and took a jade bottle from his sleeve. It was only the