Shi Wanjun had spent half his life working as a blacksmith in Heaven Dou City. In his younger days, several of the city's weapons shops had stocked their shelves from his forge, and hardly anyone failed to give Master Shi's craftsmanship a thumbs-up.
In recent years, however, two of those shops had changed hands, and another had found a cheaper supplier. For a time, the weapons produced by the forge had struggled to sell.
Swords, sabers, round shields, and protective gear had piled up in the storeroom, unable to be turned into cash. They had yet to recoup the cost of the iron, and a fresh batch of charcoal was already close to running out.
As Shi Wanjun's apprentice, Shao Ping was naturally worried too. But just now, he had glimpsed a ray of hope-a hope that the forge could escape its present predicament.
"What has you in such a panic? Didn't I send you to discuss selling our weapons on consignment with Shopkeeper Ge? How did it go?"
As the voice fell, a sturdy old man with graying hair and beard appeared before Shao Ping. He was Shi Wanjun, the owner of the forge.
The old man was already in his sixties, but his back was still ramrod straight. He held an old ledger in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed.
Hearing his master's question, Shao Ping first bowed respectfully, then hurried to explain.
"Master, I went and met Shopkeeper Ge, but he made it clear that they now get their weapons from other workshops and several smiths they know."
"If we want our wares on their counter, we have to pay a separate fee for the space. And for every piece sold, they'll take twenty percent of the sale price."
"What! There's such a thing?"
Shi Wanjun's expression instantly darkened, and he slammed the ledger down on the table.
They made ordinary weapons, not rare Soul Tools. Iron, charcoal, labor-which of those didn't cost money?
After deducting the counter fee and letting Shopkeeper Ge take twenty percent, what would they have left?
"Calm down, Master, calm down. Although I couldn't reach a deal with Shopkeeper Ge this time, the trip wasn't a complete loss. I also found a new channel. Through it, we might be able to sell the things we've been unable to move."
As soon as Shao Ping finished, some of the anger faded from Shi Wanjun's face, and a trace of puzzlement appeared in his eyes.
"Oh? Are you thinking of taking them to those two shops on South Street?"
"I asked those two just a few days ago. They pushed the price even lower than Shopkeeper Ge. Unless we can get our costs lower than theirs, there's no room for profit at all."
"Master, that's not the channel I mean." Shao Ping suddenly gave a mysterious smile and took out his phone.
"This is a Soul Tool I bought in the city yesterday for two Gold Soul Coins. It's very special."
As he spoke, Shao Ping gave Shi Wanjun a complete account of the phone and Douyin.
When Shi Wanjun heard that the phone could instantly bring an item from a workshop outside the city right into his hands, disbelief immediately appeared on his face.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible. How could such a little thing do that?"
He knew about Storage Soul Tools, but even with those, you had to put things inside yourself and then take them out.
How could something in Han Chi's hands outside the city pass through a phone and come straight to his apprentice?
Shao Ping seemed to have anticipated that Shi Wanjun would not believe him. He promptly took out the small hammer he had just bought from Han Chi.
"Look, Master. This is something I just bought from Master Han's showcase. You should know as soon as you see it."
Shi Wanjun took the small hammer Shao Ping offered and examined it carefully.
He first weighed it in his hand, then felt the hammerhead. Finally, his gaze settled on the crooked fire-tongs mark at the end of the handle.
"That's right, this is indeed Han Chi's handiwork. He forged the hammerhead perfectly well, yet insisted on leaving such an ugly mark on the end of the handle. Only he would do something like that."
"Did you really buy this through the phone?"
"I really did!" Shao Ping said firmly.
After saying that, he showed his master the order and opened Han Chi's profile page.
Looking at his old acquaintance's profile, Shi Wanjun couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.
That fellow used to go around showing people those strange things and asking about them, but few were willing to listen. Now he had taken a different path and actually found an audience.
But when Shi Wanjun looked farther down, he found himself somewhat at a loss for words.
So many people had watched, and some were even asking after the next piece.
"Master Han already has over two hundred followers. Who knows how many people have watched his videos? If we find Master Han and work with him, get him to mention our forge's wares in his videos, and then put our wares in his showcase, we might be able to sell them."
"What was that called again? Right, advertising."
Shao Ping grew more animated as he spoke. He pulled up the showcase page again and pointed it out to his master.
"First, we pick small pieces that can fit inside and deliver the finished products to Master Han. If someone likes one, they can buy it on the spot. There's no need to go to Shopkeeper Ge first, or make a special effort to find out where our workshop is."
"As for the work and payment, we can discuss those with Master Han. It's better than letting our things gather dust in the storeroom."
After Shao Ping had explained everything in detail, Shi Wanjun fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"That's all we can do. But before we go to Han Chi, take your master to buy a phone first."
"Your master is very interested in this phone."
No sooner had he finished speaking than he looked at the one in Shao Ping's hand.
"Why don't you give yours to your master first? You can buy yourself a new one."
Before Shao Ping could react, the phone had passed from his hand into Shi Wanjun's.
Seeing this, Shao Ping immediately looked torn between laughter and tears.
"Master, I still need it to contact Master Han. I just..."
"Hmm? It's only worth two Gold Soul Coins, and you're unwilling to give it to your master as a token of respect?"
"Hehe, I'm willing, I'm willing. I'll just buy another."
Shi Wanjun nodded in satisfaction. He did not actually make his apprentice pay for it himself, though. He casually fished two Gold Soul Coins out of his purse and placed them on the table.
Shao Ping had no choice but to put the money away and step awkwardly to the side.
Shi Wanjun, meanwhile, began examining the phone in his hand with a serious expression. He had originally intended to study why this Soul Tool was so special, but as he looked, he found himself drawn to the short videos on the phone.
First came a bone dragon, then a flash of sword light. Finally, an adult dancer wearing a qipao and holding a round fan appeared on the screen.
The woman danced gracefully to the music, her skirt stirring slightly as she turned, a smile in her eyes.
Shi Wanjun's finger immediately stopped, and a smile appeared on his aged face.
"This truly is a fine treasure. Your master must study it carefully."
Having said that, he seemed to realize that his behavior was somewhat improper and hurriedly assumed a serious expression.
"All right, you may go. Take two samples to Han Chi tomorrow. Your master has some ties with him; he shouldn't refuse you."
"Pay him what he's due. Don't rely on an old friendship and make him work for nothing."
"Yes, Master!"
"Also, your master advises you to watch less Douyin. Watching too much will affect your cultivation."
At those words, Shao Ping was immediately struck speechless.
Could you put down the phone in your hand before saying that?
Shi Wanjun, however, seemed to have already seen through his thoughts and waved a hand.
"I know what you want to say. Your master is different from you. I'm already in my sixties, and my Soul Power hasn't made much progress these past few years, so I'm not afraid of it being affected."
"I've worked hard for most of my life. It's time I enjoyed myself."
With that, Shi Wanjun strode toward his room, not forgetting to look down at the phone screen as he walked.
Shao Ping stood where he was and, in the end, could only let out a long sigh.
The same phone, in his hands, was a distraction from cultivation; in his master's, it was a reward for working hard for half a lifetime.
So whether one should watch it depended on seniority first.
He gathered his things and ran off to the newly opened dealership.
This time, there were phones in stock at the counter.
Shao Ping placed the two Gold Soul Coins on the table. The clerk smilingly handed him a box and pointed to a leather case beside him.
"Would you like one of these too? Hang it at your waist, and it won't get in your way while you work."
Shao Ping glanced at it and suddenly asked, "Do you have anything sturdier, something that can't easily be snatched away?"
The clerk looked at the forge apron he was wearing and could not figure out whom he was trying to guard against.
After returning, Shao Ping first had his master log out of the account on the old phone, then registered a new one for him.
He logged into his original account on the new phone. His recent order, the accounts he followed, and the message he had sent Han Chi were all still there.
Otherwise, when Master Han replied the next day, the message would end up in his master's hands, and he would have to chase after the phone again.
Shi Wanjun did not object. But after registering the new account, he handed the phone back.
"I watched a few videos just now. Why are they gone?"
Shao Ping lowered his head and searched for them again. Suddenly, he felt that those two Gold Soul Coins had been anything but easy to earn.
The next day, Lu Ye went to the merchant association as usual to check on shipments.
Chen Shun was teaching a new dealer how to turn on a phone. The man pressed the wrong button twice in a row and anxiously kept asking whether he could have the younger members of his family come and learn. Amused, Lu Ye told him to bring both his sons along.
There was no shortage of people willing to sell, and he did not have to keep an eye on every one of them himself.
He had just finished looking through the ledger when a sect disciple arrived outside the door.
"The sect master asks you to return."
Lu Ye looked up and saw that something was amiss with the disciple's expression, so he did not ask further questions in front of the people in the shop.
Only after they had stepped outside did he speak.
"What is it?"
"The young miss is missing."
Lu Ye stopped in his tracks.
"When?"
"She was still there yesterday. Someone went to bring her breakfast this morning, but there was only a letter left in her room."
The way Ning Rongrong had looked as though she wanted to speak but held back during those days suddenly flashed through Lu Ye's mind.
So what she had been asking was not whether Grandpa Bone could speak to the family when he went out.
It was whether she could when she went out herself.
Lu Ye handed the ledger back to Chen Shun, turned around, and got into a carriage.
The business deals waiting to be discussed would have to be put aside for today.