By the time the autumn wind swept through Fenlai City's stone-paved streets, it carried a distinct chill. Half the leaves on the locust tree at the entrance to Cast Iron Alley had turned yellow. Whenever the wind passed, they rustled down, laying a thin carpet of gold on the ground.
A month slipped quietly by amid the ceaseless ringing of the anvil, the roar of the furnace, and Loa's disciplined, painstaking training.
The notice of the magic aptitude test issued by the Radiant Church in the western district had long since spread throughout the kingdom as though on wings, and naturally drifted into the depths of Cast Iron Alley as well. Loa silently committed the date on the notice to memory. Calculating the distance and travel time from Wushan Town, he reckoned Linley and Uncle Hillman should already be on their way. Perhaps they had already reached this enormous city.
As for himself, the idea of having his magic aptitude tested grew increasingly clear, so he could see the road ahead. Weapon Combat Battle-qi was good, but ultimately it was an unorthodox method he had worked out himself, and his future path needed more systematic planning. Knowing which elements he had an affinity for would be like lighting a lamp in the fog. At least it would keep him from taking needless detours when choosing an attribute in the future.
The Thousand-Fold Steel Warblade that had cost the two of them nearly half a month of painstaking effort had been finished ten days earlier. The man who came to collect it was built like an iron tower, wearing a black half-suit of armor, with an old scar on his face. He was none other than Tie Yan, deputy commander of the Black Armor Mercenary Group. He and Bob were clearly old acquaintances. The moment they met, he punched Bob on the shoulder and laughed, "You old bastard, you haven't lost your touch," while Bob returned an even cruder greeting.
The inspection was brief and professional. Tie Yan released a trace of battle-qi, and a faint earthen-yellow glow settled over the dark blue-green blade. It remained perfectly still, even giving off a faint, deep, pleasing hum. Satisfaction appeared in his eyes, and he readily paid the balance-a full thousand gold coins, packed into two heavy little leather cases.
With the payment in hand, Bob's face, perpetually reddened by the furnace's heat, showed a rare hint of the ease and eagerness of a man with money and leisure. Cooped up for over half a month, the old blacksmith could no longer restrain his longing to "live it up."
And so, on this evening of deepening autumn, Bob dragged Loa out of the Blacksmith Shop without allowing any argument.
"Come on, come on! Hanging around the furnace every day will rust your bones! Today, your uncle's taking you out to see the world and get your first taste!" Bob had changed into a fairly new leather jacket and, for once, combed his hair and beard into some semblance of order, though his rough blacksmith's air remained as strong as ever.
Loa had wanted to decline, but when he saw that rare, almost childish gleam of excitement in Bob's eyes, he swallowed the words on his tongue. The old fellow really had worked hard these past few months, especially while forging the Thousand-Fold Steel Warblade, which had demanded a tremendous amount of effort and concentration. A little relaxation would be good.
They passed through streets gradually shrouded in dusk and reached the most bustling neighborhood in the city's southern district. At last, Bob stopped before a brightly lit three-story building, filled with the pleasing sounds of strings and flutes and a heavy fragrance of rouge and powder. Its enormous sign bore ornate lettering-"Bishui Paradise."
Loa looked up at the sign, then listened to the sweet, soft voices and men's unrestrained laughter drifting from inside. His temple began to twitch faintly. Of course he knew what kind of place this was.
"Uncle Bob, this place... maybe I should sit this one out?" Loa made one final attempt to resist.
"What nonsense! How can you come all the way to the door and not go in? Come with your uncle!" Without allowing an argument, Bob threw an arm around Loa's shoulders and practically hauled him inside.
As soon as they entered, warm fragrance greeted them beneath suggestive lighting. Gauzy fabrics swayed through the spacious hall, where pretty, scantily clad women smiled charmingly as they wove among all manner of guests. Several sharp-eyed girls immediately approached, calling sweetly, "Sir," and leaning against Bob with practiced familiarity.
Bob was clearly an old hand. Laughing heartily, he wrapped an arm around a woman on either side, looking thoroughly in his element. He did not forget Loa, either, calling to the madam leading them, "Find a few clever, sweet little girls for my nephew here! Take good care of him! I'm in a good mood today, and money's no object!"
The moment he finished speaking, two younger-looking girls approached Loa, a little shy but forcing an enthusiastic manner. Murmuring sweetly, they reached for his arms.
Loa felt his scalp prickle. Across two lifetimes, when had he ever faced anything like this? His memories of his previous life held nothing but cold hospital rooms. In this life, he had grown up in Wushan Town, and after reaching Fenlai City, he had spent his days with iron and swords. When had he ever seen soft, fragrant women pressing themselves straight against him like this?
The instant the girls' hands touched his sleeves, Loa instinctively shifted, easily escaping their feeble tugs. Looking at Bob, who was surrounded by chattering women and grinning so broadly his eyes had vanished, he helplessly raised his voice. "Uncle Bob! Just enjoy yourself! I'm still young. I really can't handle this! You... take it easy, and don't stay too late. I'll have to help you home afterward!"
"Bullshit!" Bob poked his head out of the crowd of powdered faces, glaring as he roared at full volume, "You looking down on your uncle? Let me tell you, back in my day... I was... tsk, anyway, I was damned impressive! Today, I'll take on ten!"
"Did you hear that?" Seizing his chance, Loa gently pushed the two bewildered girls beside him toward Bob, using a deft touch of force to send them stumbling into the "encirclement." "This gentleman has spoken. He wants to take on ten! Go on, take good care of him!"
While Bob was submerged beneath still more coquettish protests and laughter, Loa turned like a slippery fish and squeezed his way out of that suffocating den of pleasure, plunging into the cool autumn night outside without looking back.
"Little brat... quick on your feet..." Bob's amused mutter drifted faintly from behind him, only to be drowned out by louder teasing and laughter.
Standing outside Bishui Paradise, Loa took several deep breaths of the cool evening air before he felt some of the heat leave his face. He glanced back at the building, still ablaze with lights and filled with music and song, and shook his head, though he could not help a slight smile. Old Bob... he really was a character.
Since he was already out, he had no intention of returning immediately. Feeling the loose silver and copper coins he still had tucked inside his clothes, Loa decided to wander through the nearby food street. Smithing was physical work. Although he had eaten dinner, a young man's digestion was quick, and he was already feeling a little hungry again. More importantly, he needed some time alone to sort through his somewhat tangled thoughts amid the noise and bustle of everyday life.
The food street was not far away, just two turns down the road. Before he even approached, the mingled aromas of food washed over him-the charred fragrance of grilled meat, the richness of simmering soup, the sweet wheat scent of freshly baked pastries, the crispness of fried snacks, the freshness of fruit, the pungency of spices... All those scents intertwined, sketching out the liveliest, most down-to-earth side of Fenlai City at night.
Vendors crowded both sides of the street: some carrying shoulder poles, some pushing carts, others sheltered beneath makeshift awnings. Their lights joined into an unbroken glow, illuminating the stallholders' enthusiastic smiles and their customers' satisfied expressions. Hawkers' cries, bargaining voices, clattering bowls and plates, and children's laughter blended into a vibrant symphony of street life.
Loa slowed his steps, strolling along the roadside with interest. Two skewers of grilled meat for one copper coin-he had two; a large bowl of fresh fish-ball soup for three coppers-he had a bowl; plump white meat buns, steaming fresh from the basket-he had two... Eating as he walked, he savored the pure satisfaction of simple food. Amid this noisy bustle of everyday life, his long-taut mind strangely began to relax.
Just as he finished the last meat bun and wiped his hands with greaseproof paper, ready to see whether there were any other unusual snacks, his gaze casually swept toward a small sugar-painting stall a short distance ahead.
Several children stood around the stall, along with two figures seen from behind who seemed to have just finished shopping and stopped to watch...
One was tall and powerfully built, wearing a familiar brown leather hunting outfit washed somewhat pale, with a broadsword on his back, standing straight as a pine.
The other was a little on the lean side, dressed in clean linen robes and carrying a bulging cloth pack on his back. He seemed considerably taller than Loa remembered and was tilting his head slightly upward, intently watching the sugar ladle dance nimbly in the old artisan's hand.
Time seemed to stretch and freeze in that instant.
The clamor of the street abruptly receded into a blurred background hum.
Loa's hand stopped in midair as he wiped it. His pupils contracted slightly, and his breathing instinctively softened.
Those familiar silhouettes, those postures etched deep into his memory...
Uncle Hillman.
And...
Linley.
He had imagined so many times how he would find them amid the vast crowds filling the square for the magic aptitude test. Or how, after the test ended, he could ask around for news of the arrivals from Wushan Town.
Yet he had never expected to run into them without warning like this, on such an ordinary autumn evening scented with food, on an ordinary food street in Fenlai City.
His feet carried him forward of their own accord.
His heart beat steadily and powerfully in his chest, with a long-absent, indescribable warmth and flutter.
At last, he met familiar faces again.
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