Book 18 Chapter 9

The Girl Who Fell in Love with a Sword

-A sword named Flying Sky

"Yulan, it seems that Mr. Bai is in a very bad mood today."

"Yeah. I've never seen that before in the middle of the day. What's going on?"

Motivated by the thunderous roar that shook the entire mountain, Yu Lan stopped packing and turned her head in the direction of the sound. It wasn't just the Ami Sect disciples, but people everywhere in the shadow of Mount Ami knew that sound.

"How can criminals like us know what's going on in the mountains. We can only hope they don't bite us for sure. Are you leaving now?"

"Yes."

"I'm so jealous that you're accompanying Master Jin, but what about him?"

"He went into town first for some errands, and I thought I'd stop by before I left."

"Where?"

"Iron Crematorium!"

"You really like swords."

"I love the sword, it's the most beautiful thing in the world. We'll meet again later, I guess I'll be the senior then?"

"We'll talk about that after it's attached."

"Stay tuned, and I'll be back."

"Have fun!"

Yulan loved swords. She had always trained with a crude wooden sword, but when she was given her first true sword at the age of ten and drew it from its scabbard, she was mesmerized by the brilliant, dazzling, bewitching light of the blade. She never stopped polishing her sword. Of all her peers, her oil always ran out the fastest. She was even told to use it sparingly. Sword oil was a priest's supply, and even as a consumable item, it was not cheap. However, she did not heed the complaints of the priest's housekeeper, Hye-jeong, and continued to polish the sword day after day. She loved the hardness of the steel, compressed under immense pressure in the flames that flashed between anvil and hammer; she loved the bluish chill that ran through the blade; it was her first love, and even now, at nineteen, it hadn't grown cold.

Her respect for her master also had to do with the sword. Her master was like a well-honed sword. No, not just a great sword. A holy sword, nay, a divine sword. The idea of being able to blend with a sword while still alive… There were many times when she thought she would sink into a sea of ecstasy, consumed by a passionate desire she could not comprehend.

Part of what she loved about the sword arts was that it meant she didn't have to keep her sword as an ornament. Being able to wield it, to use it as a part of her body, gave her infinite pleasure. To become one with the sword. She vowed that she too would one day reach such a state, and then stop. This was definitely serious. She'd been told it was unfeminine, but it didn't matter, it was the path she'd chosen.

Her master was not one of those stereotypical, conventional women. She was a strong person who could stand alone without the help of others-men and women alike-without faltering, which is why she was able to claim a place among the all-male Tian Hao swordsmen in a woman's body. She had many followers who were younger than the elusive legendary swordsman, who was still alive but not quite as tangible. Perhaps that was why he was so careful in choosing his students. She was thrilled that she had been able to slip through the cracks and become one of them. How lucky she was to be able to learn under such a man. And now, before she left for the Heavenly Martial Academy with her esteemed master, she was determined to finally get her hands on what she had been studying for so long.

* * *

The chilling beauty of the blade has lured countless swordsmen from the whales. How many swordsmen have fallen to the irresistible urge to spend to acquire a good sword. A sword was a swordsman's life. The moment the sword broke, so did the swordsman's life, so the sword was another part of the swordsman's life, and a hard, sharp sword was always a guarantee check for longevity.

The obsession of the mighty with swords was therefore unfathomable to the criminal's imagination. The story of the swordsman who traded his entire fortune for a single sword was not an uncommon one here in the Wu Rim. The sword, they decided, was worth it.

Of course, nothing would be better than to acquire a legendary new sword like the Fishbowl or the Barracks, but such tales of extravagance usually only happened in books, and it was not wise to spend a lifetime trying to obtain one. So most people bought their swords from a swordsmith.

Once you get your hands on one sword, you want to get your hands on more. It wasn't until she bought her fifth sword that she realized that human greed knows no bounds. It was then that she heard rumors of a boy swordsman. She wasn't sure if he was a real boy or not. Rumor had it that he was a teenager, but he had nonetheless become the youngest swordsmith in Huayin County's most famous smelter, the Ironworks. She knew it well, as it regularly traded with the Amifa, and there were only a handful of 'craftsmen' who could make a sword with their name on it.

There are stories among the alumni that one of the boarders got his hands on the sword and raved about it. He even sleeps with it at night. It was even rumored that he would occasionally let out a guttural laugh when he pulled out the blade. The more she heard about it, the more she wanted it.

'Your fascination with the sword is due to your inexperience; I'm sure I could wield it much more skillfully.

Ever since then, she had wanted one, but the opportunity never came. Try as she might, she couldn't find one. It didn't have the official seal of the city, and the swords he made were very rare. It was beyond her means at the time. But she didn't give up, saving every penny her family sent her. And finally, the time came. Her chance to get her hands on the sword had finally arrived.

The head swordsmith and master of the Ironworks was a man named Wenshan, and it was rumored that the swords he forged could cut through the moon. As such, the swords he forged were worth a fortune. But there were always no supplies, and there won't be any for a while. He's backlogged more times than he can remember. Sometimes there was even bloodshed over the order of those appointments.

Still, in the strongholds, sword smelters made a lot of money. And like many businesses, it was all about location. The closer a sword forge was to a major faction, the more money it would make. There weren't as many factions that made their own swords as you might think. There were dozens of steps in the process of forging a proper sword, and it took many hours of instruction to master them all. It was hard enough to master a single martial art, but to forge a sword in-house was a far cry, especially if you wanted to make a first-class sword. The most famous martial arts group to have its own workshop was probably the Sichuan Tang Family, known for their memorization and poison. This was probably out of necessity to maintain confidentiality, so there was a division of labor between those who practiced the art of memorization and poisoning and those who manufactured them. It was a division of labor.

This is why even the largest factions contract with a nearby sword forge to supply them with swords and have them repaired on a regular basis. This is because swords are more delicate than you might think, and require constant maintenance as they are often dulled. In addition, many people assume that a swordsmith is responsible for hammering and shaping the steel, setting the blade, and… well, everything, but that's not the case. Of course, a swordsmith can do that (sharpen the blade), but it's better to have someone more specialized do it. That's because blades are sharpened differently. Experts use dozens of different sharpening stones to sharpen a sword, and the best sharpness is given to the shape of the sword. Only then would a sword be complete. Those who practiced this profession were called "sharpeners" in Kangho. In this respect, the location of the ironworks was prime, and the ironworkers had the skills to match.

"Why can't you sell it?"

Yuran shot back in a sharp voice.

"No, it's……."

It was Song Hai, the general manager of the ironworks, who stuttered.

"You can pay me any amount of money, but one way or another, I must have that sword!"

"Well, I don't know where you heard that rumor, but there are plenty of swords in our forge that are just as good, if not better, so why don't you give it up and try something else?"

"No, I want to get that sword no matter what. It's called the Flying Sky, and it's said that a genius swordsman only made a dozen of them, and the identity of the swordsman is still shrouded in mystery. There's even a story that the swordsman was a boy, though I think that's ridiculous."

'It's nice of you to think so, but…….'

It wasn't unreasonable for Song Hae to think so, of course. No matter how good an item was, if it was made by a minor, the price would plummet, and she doubted anyone would buy it. People tend to put a lot of faith in age, and in a business like this, where years of experience are inevitable, experience is a very important and reliable measure. The problem was that there were occasional exceptions, and then it was better to keep your identity a secret.

"You don't really think I'm not worthy to carry that sword, do you?"

Swords of a certain level in any forge will not be sold, no matter how much money is offered for them. They believe that a sword of that caliber deserves a true owner.

"How dare we be so disrespectful to one of our biggest customers, the venerable Yulan Sojae of Amifa. It's no secret that he has an uncommon eye for swords. But, Yulan Sojae, we have no choice in the matter. We can't sell what we don't have, can we?"

Chancellor Song Hai clasped his hands together and ejaculated.

"Please pick something else. We have many other fine swords. Please trust our ironworks with your purchase. Since you're a disciple of Amifa, I'll give you two percent off the list price, twelve months of interest-free financing, and free maintenance for a year-no, two years at an unbeatable rate."

"I don't care, I want that sword, and that's why I've been holding out for all these other swords!"

"Why do you want that sword so badly?"

Such an obsession could not have been accomplished with earrings alone. The woman replied.

"Because someone I aspire to be, someone I admire, has one of those swords, and……."

"……?"

"Partly because that sword has sliced through several of mine, and I know you have one hidden away. I've heard that swordsmiths sacrifice their first sword to the heavens in a ceremony."

"That… that's just……."

"There you go! Sell me that sword, I've heard there's nothing you can't sell if it has a price, and why can't you sell it, because the reason I'm here is because I've heard rumors that you've actually put it up for sale."

"Actually… I hate to break it to you, but that sword is already reserved."

Yulan's eyes widened. He was going to sell. It was just that he wasn't the one making the deal.

"Have you paid in full?"

"Oh, no, it's just a down payment. You said you'd pay for it later."

"Who made the reservation? Let me know and I'll talk to them directly."

"That's… a little awkward. It's not appropriate to divulge client information without permission……."

"You mean for me?"

They already knew each other for years.

"Well, I can't do that, it's the Yuunbi Society of the Jumchang School."

"I've heard the name, but I'm not going to give that sword to that man, I'm going to get it for myself. When is he supposed to come?"

"You are scheduled to come in around the end of the day today (3pm). It's now one o'clock, so you're an hour away."

"Okay, now I have to go see my master as scheduled, and I will definitely come back then, so you must not sell that sword until I come back, do you understand?"

"Okay, Sojae. Let's wait for Sojae to come."

* * *

The glass was about to pass to the mouth of an old man with a grey beard when it stopped dead in its tracks. A disturbance came from beyond the wall.

"Well, that's a lot. You're a spirited young lady, you've got a lot of spirit. Your voice echoes all the way through the three walls. Even a blacksmith accustomed to the thunder of anvil and hammer must be deafening."

As he spoke, the liquor in his glass sloshed into the old man's mouth.

"Heh, heh, heh, it's a bit of a stretch, but his heart for the sword is as pure as anyone's, and his voice is something that everyone here recognizes, hence the nickname 'Silent Lily', for he can silence even the hammering of a lily… well, that's just between us, but there are other nicknames that are more dignified."

Sitting across the table from the liquor store, Old Man Walshan, the owner of the ironworks, smiled. His skin glowed the coppery color of a warrior who had spent a lifetime battling flames, and his ragged hands were scarred with thick calluses and small burn marks from hammering.

"As for the name… it's not related to the old man, but it seems like a good name that expresses the characteristics of his wife."

"That's what everyone thinks, Noya."

Walshan replied politely.

"By the way, do you know where the meanie went?"

The old man asked. The reason I came here after so many years was to do just that.

"Actually, I don't know, but we've lost a lot of business because he disappeared without a word. All the things he made were very well-made and sturdy, and people wanted them, and then one day he just disappeared without a word, and there was a lot of commotion. The orders are flooding in, and the maker is nowhere to be found, and, as you can see from his case alone, he's lost a lot of money."

"Then shouldn't we be looking for more, it's a source of money?"

Walshan nodded and replied.

"It's a money maker, it's a money maker, so I did a little bit of research, and I'm not saying I've been sitting on my hands, but there was one place where I was suspicious."

"Is that mean guy there?"

"No, but if you go there, you might get a clue to his whereabouts."

The white-bearded old man stared into Yue Shan's eyes and face for a moment, and then his mouth slowly dropped.

"…Your words are unmistakably true, and your mouth seems to be an honest reflection of your heart."

"Of course it's true. How dare I lie to Noya, it wouldn't work anyway, and I can assure you that there is not a shred of truth in my words. Besides, it's in our best interests to have him back, if not actively cooperating with us, then certainly not hindering us, is it?"

Walshan replied, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Because I trust my eyes more than the words of others. By the way, what is the name of the place?"

"Yeah, Zhongyang Bureau… they're a big deal around here these days, and I hear they're pretty financially sound."

"Hmm, Zhongyang Marking Station… I'll have to check it out, and maybe if I follow the clues backwards, I'll find something."

"Please, Noya, please, Bi Ryuyeon, please catch him and bring him back, Noya, please, please, please."

"I see. Don't worry, just wait. It won't be long."

The old man was intent on emptying the table, but he didn't leave, even though he was ready to go. It wasn't until long after everything on the table was clean and empty that the old man got up.