A Half-Day of Leisure

A flock of geese flew across the sky.

The air is silent now, devoid of cicada songs and blooming summer flowers; the leaves sway and gradually turn from green to yellow.

I don't know when it started, but the wind has become a bit chilly.

Before we knew it, a month had passed.

In the fish shop, Zhaoyue stood in front of the counter, holding a calligraphy brush in both hands, dipping it in water and practicing writing on the table.

There's no way I can't stop practicing; my handwriting is just too ugly.

It was conscripted into the workforce over the past month; it was responsible for bookkeeping, record keeping, and delivery.

Zhaoyue didn't complain; she couldn't possibly let the young master do these tasks.

It has been guarding the shop for the past month.

For the first three days, the shop remained closed. No matter who knocked, the young master would only reply that the owner was not home.

On the fourth day, an old farmer who had already paid the money blocked the doorway, saying that if the plow blade wasn't taken away soon, he would have to use his head to turn the soil in a couple of days.

Zhaoyue remembered that the young master glanced at the old farmer, then went to the counter and searched through the account books for a long time. He then found the plow blade with the wooden sign attached in the back room and handed over the goods.

From then on, a small wooden board was added next to the "Closed for Business" sign.

[We only accept used goods; we don't take on new jobs.]

The characters were written by Zhaoyue, and they are a bit crooked.

Every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), Shen Gui would open half the door, and those who came with old receipts would collect their goods according to the account; those who wanted to deliver new work would have someone look at the sign outside the door.

At first, it took a long time to turn over a single account.

Ten days later, Shen Gui already remembered which wooden box contained the plowshare, the pickaxe, the shovel, and the furnace tongs and fine file.

The Yu family left in a hurry, leaving behind a lot of unfinished goods in the shop. They would take a few less items each day, and by the time autumn began, only two hoes remained that no one came to collect.

Zhaoyue also learned how to count money.

It didn't know how to use an abacus, so it stacked ten copper coins together, bundled them into a cloth bag, and while it was slower, at least it prevented the accounts from going short.

The shop was only open for a short time each day; the rest of the time, the two would go to buy vegetables along the irrigation canal.

This was something Zhaoyue had fought hard for, since in its memory the people of Beiyang Prefecture had never left the territory of Yan Kingdom. Now that they had come to a new place, outside of Yan Kingdom, they naturally wanted to experience the local customs and culture.

On her way to buy groceries, Zhaoyue would go over to see the herbs being unloaded by the river, and she would squat by the stone railing to watch the waterwheel opening its gates.

One time, it came to its senses and found that Shen Gui was still waiting at the bridgehead, not walking half a street as before.

Zhaoyue caught up with him, circled him twice, and found that the young master was watching two children playing.

Zhao Yue looked at Shen Gui's face and said earnestly:

"Young master, you seem to have become younger."

It paused, then quickly added, "It's not the kind of youthfulness in appearance, it's more like... how should I put it..."

Zhaoyue rubbed her chin with her short hands, and after thinking for a while, she said, "When I first met you, you gave off a very old feeling and lacked vitality."

"And now?" Shen Gui asked.

"Now... I don't have much energy, but at least I don't look old." Zhaoyue waved her hand. "Well, that's the gist of it, I can't quite put it into words."

Shen Gui didn't reply, and walked down the bridge with his hands behind his back.

Zhaoyue skipped along, and after a while, asked, "Young master, I heard from Village Chief Yu that you are a big shot, bigger than the sky."

Shen Gui glanced at it.

"It's been so long, why are you only asking now?"

"Caw~ Let's start a conversation, young master. How high is your status? Is it higher than the Emperor of Yan?"

"He's not a big shot."

"Isn't this big enough?"

Zhaoyue was caught off guard.

It tilted its head and thought for a long time, then muttered to itself, "Quack, why are you thinking about this? With my limited abilities, a county magistrate and an emperor seem to make little difference to me."

Take the left fork in the road ahead, and you'll be back in Furnace Alley in just a few steps.

In the days that followed, the number of cultivators in Mingyu City increased.

Several inns along the river had already put up signs indicating they were fully booked, and disciples of various sects carrying swords and knives could be seen everywhere on the streets.

Some people argued heatedly over a waterside courtyard, while others visited several shops bearing the names of their respective sects, carrying gift boxes.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Zhaoyue went out to inquire and learned that the "Hundred Sects Meeting" was to be held in March, which was the most important event in the country.

As for more specific details, Zhaoyue asked the old woman who sold beans, and the old woman only replied that even if the little demon knew, she wouldn't be able to get a seat.

After returning to the shop, Zhaoyue gave the young master a vivid description.

Shen Gui didn't care much, and Zhao Yue lost interest as well.

Nothing much changed after that, except that the shop was open for a little longer.

That evening.

Shen Gui carried two hoes that no one came to claim into the back room, and then there were three knocks on the door.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Zhaoyue was hunched over the counter sorting through old tickets, not even looking up.

"We're closed today. Please come back tomorrow to pick up your order."

"I'm not picking up the goods."

It was a young woman's voice. After speaking, she waited outside without urging them a second time.

Shen Gui came out of the back room and reached out to pull off the door latch.

The shop door was pushed open.

A woman in her early twenties was standing outside, dressed in a dark, fitted outfit. Her long hair was neatly tied up, and there was dust on the hem of her clothes and the top of her boots, indicating that she had just walked a long way.

She had a short sword hanging at her waist.

The scabbard was jet black, without any gemstones or gold thread, with only a shallow wear mark around the scabbard opening.

The woman first looked at Shen Gui, then at Zhao Yue.

"Neither of the Yu family's chefs are here?"

"Not here," Zhaoyue replied.

"Where did you go?"

"You've gone back to your hometown. It's quite far away."

"When will you be back?"

"I don't think he'll be back anytime soon."

Zhaoyue spread out her claws and waved them in the air, indicating that it had been a long time.

The woman glanced into the shop; the walls were covered with farm tools, and the stove was cold, clearly having not been used for a long time.

"Then please leave a message for me."

"Take Yan Xiaolou's visit for example. This sword has been difficult to draw recently. It has been sent to three weapon shops for inspection. There are no nicks or chips on the blade, and the scabbard has been cleaned, but the cause still cannot be found."

Yan Xiaolou slapped the silver on the counter and unfastened the short sword at his waist.

Zhao Yue stood up to examine the sword, but couldn't figure it out: "We only sell farm tools here."

"I know Master Yu Fu, and we're friends."

Yan Xiaolou said, "So I know the rules of your Yu family. We don't need to forge swords, we only repair them. I'll leave the sword here for now, and when he comes back, please ask him to take a look. This silver is for looking at the sword, not a deposit."

She spoke clearly, and her hand never left the scabbard.

Shen Gui looked down.

The short sword was well-maintained; the old silver rim around the scabbard had just been wiped clean, and there were several shallow scratches along the edge, all on the same side.

Yan Xiaolou's right hand rested on the sword, and there was a fresh cut at the base of her index finger. She hid it well, but she couldn't suppress the blood in her eyes.

Yan Xiaolou noticed that Shen Gui was looking at his hands, so he moved his right hand away by half an inch.

"Young master, you also know how to forge swords?"

"don't know."

"Does he understand swordsmanship?"

"Not really."

"You know neither sword forging nor swords themselves, so what were you looking at just now, young master?"

Yan Xiaolou had been very polite since entering, but his tone became somewhat displeased at this point. As someone who travels the martial arts world, he naturally didn't want his hidden injuries to be discovered.

Shen Gui did not answer.

Zhaoyue perked up. Having followed Shen Gui for a long time, it knew that the less the young master spoke, the more likely he was talking. However, it didn't understand, so it refrained from interrupting.

Yan Xiaolou didn't intend to linger any longer. The conference wouldn't start for another three months, and there were still too many things to do. She placed the sword on the counter and turned to leave.

"The sword isn't broken, take it," Shen Gui suddenly said.

Yan Xiaolou turned around, her brows twitching slightly.

"You haven't drawn your sword yet."

"There's no need."

"..."

Yan Xiaolou frowned.

Her elders had dealt with the Yu family before and knew that the Yu family had superb skills. They had also cooperated with them several times over the decades, which is why they came to visit today.

Since Master Yu Fu was willing to hand over the shop to the person in front of him, and Shen Gui spoke with certainty, Yan Xiaolou had no choice but to consider it carefully.

With a tentative thought in mind, she turned back and asked:

"I've tried seven different sword-drawing techniques, and the blade always felt stiff the moment it was drawn. Yesterday, it almost got stuck in the scabbard. I consulted three craftsmen, but none of them could find anything wrong with it. Yet you, young master, just glanced at it through the scabbard and said it wasn't broken? What's your reasoning?"

"The issue with the sword's material will be repaired after autumn."

"It's really not broken? Then check again."

Yan Xiaolou picked up the sword.

She held the scabbard with her left hand and placed her right hand on the hilt of the sword. Her movements were slow; she first placed her thumb on the guard and gently pushed it open by half an inch.

A cold glint appeared from the scabbard.

When it reached the second inch, the sword indeed paused for a moment.

An ordinary person might not notice, but her hand immediately stopped, and then she changed the angle, and the short sword was fully drawn.

The sword was no more than two feet long and had a very thin blade. She turned the sword over so that the light from the edge of the stove would fall on the spine of the sword.

"Did you see what happened just now, young master?"

"I saw it."

"Still saying the sword isn't broken?"

"It's not broken."

Yan Xiaolou sheathed his sword.

This time the shock was more pronounced. After the sword tip went back into its sheath, her right wrist tensed, the wound reopened, and a drop of blood fell onto the counter.

She looked down at her hands.

Shen Gui took the piece of silver and pushed it back in front of her, effectively dismissing her.

Yan Xiaolou didn't take the money. Instead, she placed her hands on the counter and leaned forward, asking, "Is the young master playing tricks, or have he seen something but is he keeping quiet?"

"I've already told you, you just didn't believe me," Shen Guihui replied.

This unyielding attitude made Yan Xiaolou's molars click in his teeth.

A moment later, she put the silver coins into her sleeve, fastened the short sword back to her waist, and stepped out of the shop.

She walked into the alley, placed her right hand back on the hilt of the sword, and braced her thumb against the guard.

For some reason, the words of the gray-clad man were still echoing in my mind.

A sense of hope was rising in Yan Xiaolou's heart. Should he give it another try?

His fingers paused for two breaths, but he ultimately did not draw his sword.

The master said the sword was broken, and the blacksmiths I asked all said there was a problem. I also found it difficult to use myself, so how could it not be broken?

Yan Xiaolou suppressed the last glimmer of hope and slowly walked away along Lu Lane.

"jingle--"

The wind blew the old iron fish on the door, its tail tapping lightly on the wooden board, and the blacksmith shop closed its door.