Chapter 362 — The Might of the Test Cannon
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
Shen Mu arrived at the blacksmith's shop. Xu Shenghua wore an apron over his front to keep stray sparks from burning his clothes; his garments, once fine and bright, had by now come to resemble a dishrag.
He was forging a hairpin, rolling the dark gold through a thousand pressings, each time flattening it into the thinnest possible leaf of gold, then folding it, and finally hammering it into shape. Hairpins made this way had the finest grain, and were the favorite of noble ladies.
In fact, over the past month Xu Shenghua had made quite a name for himself in the blacksmith circles of the capital. Not a few cultivators of the Liuhe realm came seeking him to forge yuan weapons, and many among the nobility sought him out for curious weapons such as hairpins and bracelets.
Cultivators of the Liuhe realm gestate yuan weapons within their divine treasury, and only a master forger can draw them out; the skill of the smith matters greatly. Xu Shenghua was clever, and excellent at forging all manner of yuan weapons. His arts and divine powers were endlessly transformable, and he could always forge a yuan weapon that pleased a Liuhe cultivator.
"Human Sovereign Shen, go sit in the back room of the shop for a while. I'll come as soon as I finish this hairpin."
Seeing him arrive, Xu Shenghua called into the shop: "Yanzi, the Human Sovereign is here. Entertain him for me!"
Shen Mu walked into the back room and said with a smile, "Just call me Sect Master. Calling me Human Sovereign always reminds me that you and I are enemies."
Jing Yan came out dressed as a village girl, a far cry from the splendid, elegant attire she had worn when she came from Shangcang, and carrying a pot of tea, she invited Shen Mu to sit.
The tea was coarse. When Xu Shenghua and Shen Mu first met, he had served Shen Mu the finest tea in Shangcang, the best tea Shen Mu had ever tasted to this day, called Qingming tea. Now, however, the tea brewed was ordinary leaves.
"There's no good tea left. Please forgive me, Sect Master Shen."
Jing Yan blushed, poured him tea, and said in a low voice, "The Qingming tea ran out last month."
Shen Mu took a sip and said, "I'm used to coarse tea too. How did you come to take over this shop?"
"The young master originally bought a house in the capital. He sold the house and bought this shop."
Jing Yan said, "Sister Yuliu couldn't stomach the hardship. She found an excuse and left, returning to Shangcang. Only I remain here to keep the young master company."
Shen Mu invited her to sit as well and said with a smile, "You're a good girl."
Xu Shenghua lifted the curtain and came in, a towel in his hand. He had just washed his hands. He hung the towel behind the curtain, came to the table and sat down, first poured himself a cup of tea and gulped it down with his head tilted back, then poured another.
Jing Yan was about to rise, but Xu Shenghua waved his hand: "No need for so many formalities. You're the mistress of our blacksmith shop. Just sit."
Jing Yan had no choice but to sit back down.
Shen Mu's eyes flickered, and he smiled: "Brother Xu, how have you been these days?"
Xu Shenghua sighed and shook his head: "Not too well, but very full. I never knew before that money could be so hard to earn. In Shangcang I never gave money a thought. But now I know just how much a single Dafeng coin is worth! Brother Shen, you paid one Dafeng coin for ten bowls of noodles. What a waste! It would have been more than enough for a hundred bowls!"
Shen Mu looked blank: "I'm not really sure exactly how much a Dafeng coin is worth. I've rarely lacked money. When I eat out, I usually settle the bill with a single Dafeng coin."
"You've never lived in poverty."
Xu Shenghua gulped down a few more mouthfuls of tea and let out a turbid breath: "The money I've saved these days isn't enough to repay you. Give me a little more time. Two years should about do it."