Chapter 413 – Another Jade Slip Obtained

Zhang Xiaohua saw the shopkeeper’s indifference and didn’t take it to heart. He asked: “I remember there used to be a weapons shop here selling swords and sabers about five years ago. Why can’t I find it now?”

“Oh?” The plump, fair shopkeeper was surprised and said: “There was a weapons shop here five years ago. Have you been here before? Are you looking for that blacksmith for something?”

Zhang Xiaohua was overjoyed upon hearing this and said: “May I ask, where is that blacksmith now?”

The plump shopkeeper sighed and replied: “To tell you the truth, this very shop used to be that weapons shop. Pity, though—these days, those with real skills aren’t doing as well as we pig butchers and vegetable sellers. The blacksmith had good craftsmanship, but no one appreciated it. Business at the weapons shop had always been poor. Three years ago, he really couldn’t keep going. He wasn’t willing to make farm tools either, so he had no choice but to sell the shop to me.”

“And after that?” Zhang Xiaohua only cared about the blacksmith’s whereabouts.

“After that?” The plump shopkeeper looked somewhat gloomy and said: “The blacksmith was a talented man who never got his due. Years of forging had already worn down his body. When he finally wanted to leave for another place to make a living, he no longer had the strength. He could only stay here, dragging out his days. Sigh… He sold the shop and got some money, but he spent it all on liquor. Last year, he got drunk and passed out outside. A heavy snowfall came, and he froze to death.”

“What?” Zhang Xiaohua was stunned. “Last year? Isn’t that just a month ago?”

“Yes, that’s right. Why?” The shopkeeper asked, “You’re looking for him now—are you perhaps a relative of his?”

Zhang Xiaohua gave a wry smile. “This guy’s imagination really runs wild.”

He said: “No, I just had something I wanted to ask him.”

“What kind of thing? Something from five years ago, and you’re only now coming to ask?” In an instant, the plump shopkeeper’s gossipy curiosity was piqued. With great interest, he said: “Young man, what is it? I was friends with the blacksmith for over a decade—I know quite a lot about him. Why, even the stuff between him and that widow from the west end of town…”

At this point, the shopkeeper seemed to realize he had let something slip. He quickly looked around and said in a lowered voice: “I know a lot about his affairs—especially his private matters. If you’re some long-lost son looking to find your kin, I could even vouch for you. He still had about an acre of land outside the town—no one’s been tending it. I could help you out with that!”

“Wow~ what kind of people are these…” Zhang Xiaohua broke out in a cold sweat and waved his hands repeatedly. “It’s nothing like that, shopkeeper. I didn’t know the blacksmith personally. I only wanted to ask him about some technical matters. If he’s no longer around, then forget it.”

“Come now.” The shopkeeper said, reaching out to grab Zhang Xiaohua’s sleeve. “Young man, there’s no need to be shy. Just say what’s on your mind. Why pretend it’s some ‘technical matter’? Go on, where’d you get it?”

Zhang Xiaohua hadn’t intended to bring up the matter of the small sword, but seeing how overly enthusiastic this fellow was, he realized that if he didn’t explain clearly, he might end up being branded with some “secret love child” label or something. Helpless, he pulled out the small sword from his robes and said: “It’s really nothing. Five years ago, my Martial Uncle and I passed through this town. We bought a longsword from his weapon shop…”

Before he could finish, the shopkeeper waved his hands quickly. “It’s been five years! I don’t handle any returns for what the blacksmith sold. Besides, I have no idea where those old blades of his even ended up. Best give up on that idea.”

But just as he said that, his eyes caught sight of the small sword. He let out a surprised, “Oh?” and reached out. “Mind if I take a look?”

Zhang Xiaohua handed over the sword.

The shopkeeper examined it from every angle and then laughed. “Young man, you’re not that young anymore—why are you still lying? Don’t try to fool me. I know this sword. It was one I left at his shop to sell on consignment. The blacksmith told me he gave it away as part of a ‘buy one, get one free’ deal. He didn’t charge a single coin for it! Now you want to return it and trade for a longsword? Not a chance!!”

The shopkeeper spoke with such righteous confidence, as though he’d caught Zhang Xiaohua red-handed, clearly feeling quite pleased with himself.

Zhang Xiaohua, however, was truly delighted by this. He quickly took the sword back and said with a grin: “Uncle, you’ve misunderstood. I hadn’t finished what I was saying. I’m not here to return it. I was young back then, and I just thought this little sword was a toy. I’ve played with it for years and grown very fond of it. But now my younger cousin has grown up and taken a liking to it as well—he insists on having it. I couldn’t bear to part with it, so when I passed through town today, I thought I’d stop by the weapons shop to see if I could find another one like it.”

“Since this little sword originally came from you, Uncle, may I ask if you happen to have any others like it?”

“Hm?” The shopkeeper looked a little troubled at the question. Zhang Xiaohua noticed and quickly pulled a few copper coins from his pocket, placing them on the counter with a smile. “It’s just a child’s toy. If you have more, please bring them out. I won’t take them for free this time.”

The moment the shopkeeper saw the coins, his expression lit up with a smile, though he still looked a bit reluctant. He said: “You may be disappointed, sir. This thing wasn’t made here—it was picked up from somewhere outside.”

Zhang Xiaohua chuckled and pushed the coins toward him. “That’s fine. Just sharing any information about the little sword is enough.”

The shopkeeper’s plump hand swiftly scooped up the coins with practiced ease, then he called out in a booming voice: “Xiao San! Get over here!”

From the far end of the shop, where a young, chubby man was handling pork, came a loud response: “What is it, Dad?”

Zhang Xiaohua quickly handed the small sword over again. The shopkeeper took it and placed it in front of his son, asking: “Take a look at this sword. Isn’t this the one you picked up eight or nine years ago while you were out playing in the mountains?”

The young man took the sword and examined it carefully, wrinkling his brow as he struggled to remember. “Dad, it’s been years. Who could remember that clearly?”

The shopkeeper looked thoroughly disappointed and scolded him: “How could you not remember? I clearly recall it was you who brought it back. That’s why I took it to the blacksmith and asked him to sell it!”

The young man scratched his head again and said: “Maybe. But Dad, I honestly don’t remember.”

“You—!” The shopkeeper looked embarrassed as his son returned the sword to Zhang Xiaohua. Just as he was about to speak again, Zhang Xiaohua jumped in with a question: “Xiao San, let me ask you—where did you usually play when you were little?”

Xiao San scratched his head once more. “There were lots of fun places around town. I pretty much went everywhere.”

Zhang Xiaohua was speechless. This guy was really something—must’ve been quite the troublemaker as a kid. So why does he seem so dull now? Not even a hint of that childhood cleverness left…?

At that moment, Xiao San suddenly stopped scratching his head, as if something had come to him. “Oh! I think I remember now. I found that little sword when I was out picking bird eggs as a kid. I even cut my hand back then—bled a whole lot!”

The shopkeeper gave him a scolding smile. “What do you mean ‘as a kid’? You were already thirteen or fourteen then! Climbing trees like a monkey.”

Zhang Xiaohua grew a bit nervous. “Do you still remember where you were picking bird eggs?”

“Of course I do. It was on that bald hill south of town—at the western tip, there’s a big locust tree. I haven’t climbed it since, not after cutting my hand that day.”

“Is that so…” Zhang Xiaohua murmured, lost in thought.

Seeing his interest, the shopkeeper quickly added: “How about this, young man? Where are you staying? Tomorrow at daybreak, I’ll have Xiao San take you out there for a look. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky and find another one. The kid’s got nothing to do anyway—just give him a bit of pocket money, that’ll do.”

Zhang Xiaohua hurriedly waved his hands. “No need, Uncle. I just came to try my luck. If I can’t find one, it’s no big deal—I can always go buy another somewhere else. I really don’t want to trouble you.”

With that, he cupped his fists in thanks and exited the shop.

That little sword is a cultivator’s weapon—there might be other items from the Immortal Dao nearby, Zhang Xiaohua thought. How could I let anyone else tag along and snatch it first?

After leaving the butcher’s shop, seeing that it was still early, Zhang Xiaohua used his qinggong and headed south.

Once he reached the southern edge of the town, he cautiously asked a few locals for directions to confirm, then resumed his journey. As he moved forward, he released his divine sense to scan the surroundings. It wasn’t long before he picked up on the bald hill Xiao San had mentioned. Surprisingly, the large locust tree at the western corner was still alive and well.

However, to Zhang Xiaohua’s disappointment, his divine sense detected no trace of Yuan Qi within the area.

Zhang Xiaohua hesitated—should he continue or turn back?

But the thought of returning empty-handed after coming to a treasure mountain gnawed at him. After a moment’s consideration, he decided to press on.

The bald hill was very ordinary—no trees except for some patches of snow, and the big locust tree nearby was also covered in snow.

Arriving beneath the locust tree, Zhang Xiaohua sat cross-legged and fully unleashed his divine sense, carefully searching the surroundings inch by inch. After roughly the time it would take to finish a meal, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly shifted his position. Using the Earth Escape Technique, he appeared on the other side of the hill, at the foot of a slope where a small river flowed gently.

Without hesitation, Zhang Xiaohua approached a particularly dark spot by the riverbank. There were many dead branches and thorny bushes. He released his flying sword, which quickly cleared a large patch of space.

He then crouched by the riverbank and began digging randomly with the little sword. Before long, he unearthed a messy heap of various items. Unbothered by the dirt, Zhang Xiaohua pulled out a handkerchief, wrapped the items carefully inside, and tucked it safely into his bosom. Satisfied, he stood up and used qinggong to swiftly head back toward the brightly lit town.

Back at the inn, Nie Qianyu and Little Orange had already gone to sleep. Zhang Xiaohua returned to his room, fetched some water, and carefully washed the items from the handkerchief, then placed them on the table for close inspection.

There were several pale-white jade slips and a jade ring of deep green. Except for one jade slip that still emitted a faint ripple of Yuan Qi, the rest looked no different from ordinary jade artifacts.

Zhang Xiaohua picked up the pale jade slip with the energy fluctuation, poured his divine sense into it, and when he saw the words inside, his eyes brightened with joy!