The old man set a small box on the table and opened its lid. Inside lay an exquisitely bound volume.
"As for the other sword arts, you may study whichever ones interest you. Still, you must remember that if you bite off too much, you won't be able to chew it." Li Weiru spoke slowly. "Second, Piao Qing said you lacked a good horse, so I had someone purchase a fine steed from a neighboring prefecture as a gift for you."
"..." Pei Ye glanced at the girl beside him, who was pressing her lips together to stifle her laughter. He had never ridden a horse since entering the city, so there was no need to ask where this amusing story had come from. He simply had not expected Zhang Junxue to gossip about him behind his back too.
"Third, something more mundane: one hundred taels of silver."
"!"
"Fourth is something I took particular care to prepare for you." At this, the old man smiled proudly, stood, and took a sizable bundle from the cabinet behind him.
He set it on the table with a thump.
Resting a hand on it, the old man looked at him with heartfelt gratification. "Do you know, Young Hero Pei, it isn't that the Jadeite Inheritance lacks works on sword theory. It's just that every last one of these youngsters lacks the patience to study them closely. To learn the sword, you must learn its principles. That is the proper path! Piao Qing told me you enjoy reading, and I was delighted. At last, I've met a rare kindred spirit!"
"..."
"These are the books on sword theory passed down through the years by the Jadeite Manual. I've picked out one of each. Take them and study them at your leisure, and if