That day, Zhou Mountain explained Su Mu's situation to the shop owner Li Tie. Li Tie was surprised but agreed without hesitation, as having another blacksmith master who could forge weapons would undoubtedly be a good thing for the shop.
Especially since Su Mu was so young, he would surely become the mainstay of the blacksmith shop in the future!
Li Tie was quite attentive to this matter and soon ordered materials enough to forge two weapons to be delivered.
The ones transporting the materials were Li Xiaohu and Sun Li.
Li Xiaohu, having just put down a small basket of iron ore with a grunt, became excited, "Su Mu, you're impressive! Congratulations! My dad says our blacksmith shop has a promising talent, and I should learn well from you."
"I'm really envious of you. I also want to forge weapons on my own; it's much more interesting than forging farm tools."
"Thank you, Brother Li and Sun Li," Su Mu said, adding, "I was just lucky, just lucky."
After Sun Li finished his part, he gave a perfunctory congratulations too, but when he turned around, a flicker of resentful malice flashed in his eyes.
Clang, clang, clang!
Amidst the clashing of metal and flying sparks, a whole day passed.
Three months ago, Su Mu had already become a quasi-blacksmith in the shop, earning 300 cents every month, which he spent thriftily on meat, eggs, rice, and flour for nutrition.
After practicing Five Animals Qigong for over half a year, Su Mu now felt his physical condition surpassed the limits of an ordinary person. His steps were light, and the ten or so miles between the town and his village only took less than half an hour to walk comfortably.
That day, after leaving the shop, Su Mu didn't hurry back to the village; he first bought a few large meat-stuffed buns from an old renowned bun shop in town while casually asking about the neighborhood shops.
Yet, he found nothing. It seemed that the man in black was not from Juren Street, at least not in the past few months; no staff or personnel had left any surrounding shop.
"Five meat buns are ready, kid, here you go."
"Alright."
Afterward, Su Mu carried the buns to a household in the village's east side, marked by a flag with the character for medicine.
Outside this small courtyard were a few pieces of herb fields, with various medicinal herbs growing. It was springtime, with shoots sprouting, a mixture of verdant green and tender yellow, releasing bursts of refreshing fragrance.
This was the home of Doctor Xiao, the only physician in Dongbian Village.
"Is Doctor Xiao here?"
"Oh, it's you, kid. Back from town so early today, come in quickly."
Creak------
The wooden door opened, and a kind old man, about fifty or so, with a long beard, dressed in a simple white medical robe, beckoned Su Mu inside.
After confirming no one was following him, Su Mu entered the house.
"Su the kid, that pill you gave me yesterday, I studied it carefully. The person's medical skill far surpasses mine. I absolutely cannot refine such a pill."
Doctor Xiao returned a thumb-sized, completely crystalline but chipped white pill to Su Mu.
Hearing this, Su Mu did not show disappointment. Anyone who could rescue him from the execution grounds in Qingzhou Prefecture and dare to train death warriors wouldn't be an ordinary person. That group must be of significant influence.
The poison used to control death warriors couldn't be simple, either.
Previously, fearing surveillance, he dared not show the pill to the doctor. Now, after the person in charge left, Su Mu seized the opportunity to bring the pill to Doctor Xiao.
"Could the old doctor identify the pill's ingredients?" Noticing the small notch on the pill, Su Mu asked further.
"The physician who refined this pill has advanced alchemical skills. I could only discern a few of the ingredients." Doctor Xiao's cloudy old eyes showed a hint of hesitation.
"Among them are Blood Ginseng, Danggui, White Spoon, and Astragalus Root... and their age isn't low, probably over twenty to thirty years. As the saying goes, 'Wild ginseng under a hundred years is worth one tael of snowflake silver a year,' which is no exaggeration. Such mature Blood Ginseng would fetch at least twenty taels of silver on the market."
As Doctor Xiao provided this insight, a trace of doubt flickered in his eyes. Su Mu had returned to the village half a year ago, brought by a carriage.
It was said he's the son of Su Daniu, who had joined the army from the east of the village. Su Daniu died on the battlefield, and the soldiers sent back his only son to the village, considering it a token for the Su family.
But the compensation for his father's death was likely swallowed by those officials, as when this kid arrived in the village, he looked as pale as wax, thin as a monkey.
Luckily, those officials weren't entirely heartless and found this kid an apprenticeship at a blacksmith shop in town, which provided food and shelter, saving him from dying last winter.
But how did such an impoverished, unsupported kid get hold of such a precious pill?
"This pill appeared after a tall, chestnut-colored horse-drawn cart passed through the town. I picked it up, thinking I could trade it for silver, but feared it might be poison, so I thought of asking you to check, old doctor."
Su Mu randomly made up a reason, but it was legitimate. Qingshui Town was the center of the surrounding ten miles, near Medicine Mountain, and connected to the official road to Qingyun County Town, with many medicine dealers coming and going to buy medicinal herbs.
Sure enough, Doctor Xiao's wrinkled face relaxed a bit, "I checked this pill, and it's likely not poisonous, but pills of unknown origin are generally hard to sell; you must be cautious."
"Thank you, old doctor, for clarifying. Doctor, please accept these meat buns as a thank you."
Su Mu expressed his gratitude, leaving the meat buns behind. The old doctor secretly sighed, this child was exceptionally smart and mature for his age, yet he was also a deeply unfortunate soul.
"I'm not much for appetite today, just leave one, take the rest back with you."
Returning to the courtyard, Su Mu sighed silently; indeed, things weren't as easy as hoped. From the respectful tone when the old doctor spoke of the pill's maker, it was clear the pill was difficult to refine.
The antidote was hard to replicate, and the identity of the man in black was untraceable. Everything seemed at a dead end.
"According to what the old doctor said, this small pill is made from precious ingredients, at least twenty-year-old Blood Ginseng…"
As Su Mu scrutinized the pill in his palm, doubt arose: a pill refined from such potent, nourishing ingredients, yet after taking it for the past six months, he hadn't noticed much effect?
Back at the manor then, someone had assessed his bone structure. Was it really necessary to expend such resources on someone like him, a D-Class Death Warrior with rather poor endowments?
There must be something more to this mystery, Su Mu sensed intuitively. The poison within him was not simple; that group surely had ulterior motives, but for now, Su Mu knew too little, and his information was severely limited, so there was no point in overthinking.
"I should cultivate first, then."
Come rain or shine, Su Mu practiced Five Animals Qigong in the courtyard. Only after sweat soaked through his clothes did he slowly stop, then eagerly began devouring the meat buns.
"Hmm, cabbage and pork filling, the skin is thin, the meat juicy and flavorful; truly, these renowned buns are delicious... but at five cents each, they're not cheap. Nowadays, I can only afford sixty per month, roughly translating to two a day."
"Yet, it's still much better than not having meat before. One step at a time."
The young man ate with gusto, a trace of satisfaction gracing his face.
...
The next day, as Su Mu was having lunch, he felt something was missing. With a bit of thought, he realized he hadn't seen Sun Li today.
"That guy Sun Li took a leave of absence to visit his family today."
"Oh."
During lunch, Su Mu learned this from Li Xiaohu, while chewing on a not-so-white steamed bun.
Since becoming a quasi-blacksmith, his lunches had transformed from sweet potatoes to the current meal: three slightly larger than fist-sized steamed buns and a bowl of rice porridge.
This was the difference between an apprentice and a quasi-blacksmith.
As the sun set, casting its residual light upon the earth, Zhou Mountain called out at some point, "Su the kid, that's enough for today, close the furnace."
"Yes, Master Zhou!"
"Go back early and rest."
Zhou Mountain spoke softly.
Unfortunately, the weather changed unexpectedly as he returned; under the night sky, light rain began to patter. Thankfully, it was spring, and Su Mu always carried a raincoat and a conical hat daily.
Donning them, Su Mu quickened his pace. The rain triggered the poison in his body; now, he just felt as if bugs were crawling and gnawing inside, unbearably itchy, and his limbs somewhat cold and limp.
Splash.
A foot stepped into a small puddle, reflecting Su Mu's suddenly constricted pupils and an alert expression.
Under the continuous drizzle, not far off by the tree, a man with a long saber strapped around his waist, bearing a hideous scar on his face, cast his eyes toward him, standing precisely in his inevitable path home.