Chapter 48: The Four Great Swordsmithing Clan’s Contempt
“Wei Hao, I’ll leave this matter to you. My identity is slightly sensitive, so currently it’s inconvenient for my identity to be exposed! Help me handle the matter for now.”
Wang Chong changed the topic while sipping his tea.
“I understand! You’re worried about Yao Feng, right? Don’t worry, leave this matter to me, there’ll be absolutely no problems at all.”
Wei Hao patted his chest.
Even though he was still slightly worried about Wang Chong’s plan, he was still willing to give his all. After all, what are brothers for? Brothers are there to help one another in times of need.
The Yao Clan might be powerful, but the Wei Clan wasn’t just for show either. There was no need for a duke’s clan to be so fearful of the Yao Clan.
“It’s not only Yao Feng…”
Wang Chong chuckled. He wasn’t just involved in the matter in the Vast Crane Pavilion. If Yao Guang Yi were to know that he was the one who wrecked his plan, he would probably skin him alive.
The reason why Wang Chong borrowed Wei Hao’s clan’s Bluebottle Pavilion to sell his sword was because he didn’t want to attract too much attention before succeeding in his plan. Otherwise, if the Yao Clan were to try to hinder him every single move of his, it would be extremely bothersome.
“Putting that aside, here. Let’s drink some tea!”
Wang Chong poured Wei Hao a cup of tea. While sipping his tea, he glanced downward at the entrance of the pavilion.
It was the first day of selling the sword, and it didn’t attract much attention. Currently, the amount of people here was far from sufficient for his plan to succeed.
However, Wang Chong didn’t expect to successfully sell a sword out in the first day anyway, so he wasn’t too anxious about it.
“Someone’s here!”
Suddenly, Wei Hao spoke.
Wang Chong was alarmed. Lifting his head, he traced Wei Hao’s glance and looked over. There was a commotion among the crowd outside; a large group of people was marching from the other end of the street toward Bluebottle Pavilion.
These people were divided into three factions. Clearly, they belonged to different powers, but yet, they were marching as one, gesturing that they had come for the same purpose.
“This is bad, it’s the capital’s Cheng Clan, Huang Clan, and Lu Clan. They’re probably here to thrash the scene!”
Wei Hao was born in nobility, and those who come in and out of his family’s residence were all from notable clans. Furthermore, the Wei Clan also had a forge of their own. Thus, he was able to recognize the people from the three great swordsmithing clans instantly. His eyebrows twitched and he couldn’t help but feel unsettled.
Judging from that hostile aura they were emitting, Wei Hao didn’t think that they were here to buy swords.
“What are you afraid of?”
Wang Chong glanced over and said calmly:
“There are rules in the capital, even those from distinguished swordsmithing clans wouldn’t dare to step on these rules. ——They must have thought that we’re from some prestigious clan from the other cities that had come to the capital to sell our weapons. It’s true that such an action would mean trespassing on their boundaries! However, we’re from the capital, so these rules do not apply to us. There’s nothing for us to be afraid of.”
“Ah! There is such a thing?”
Wei Hao was astonished. He wasn’t really involved in his family’s smithing business and as such, he didn’t know that there was such a rule.
“Are you sure?”
“Un.”
Wang Chong nodded his head. After living an entire life, he had seen and experienced everything there was. Even though he only had the outer appearance of a fifteen-year-old, the things he knew wasn’t something Wei Hao could compare to.
Besides, during the catastrophe in the previous world, he came into contact with a swordsmithing elder and through him, he understood many of the rules within the industry.
“That isn’t good, they must be misunderstanding the matter. I need to hurry down and explain it to them.”
Wei Hao panicked.
“There’s no need to. There’s still some things I need them for.”
Holding the cap of the teacup, Wang Chong said calmly.
“Ah?”
Wei Hao was taken aback. Staring at Wang Chong blankly, his head wasn’t able to comprehend what was going on.
In the short duration which Wei Hao was blank-headed, the Cheng, Huang, and Lu Clan had already arrived at the door of the Bluebottle Pavilion. Raising their heads, they glanced at the sword hung at the top of the pavilion covered in a black cloth.
“Hmph, since you’re here to sell swords, isn’t anyone going to welcome us?”
A slightly broad shouldered plump man which exuded a domineering aura crossed his arms and glanced into the interiors of the pavilion. His words were sharp and carried the tone of ‘I’m here to cause trouble’.
“This master, do you want to buy the sword?”
Within the Bluebottle Pavilion, a black-clothed young waiter immediately rushed outward and asked subserviently.
“This is your sword?”
The plump man glanced at him. The Lu Clan, Huang Clan, and Cheng Clan waited with bated breaths for the answer of the waiter.
The plump man was Huang Jiao, and he was a member of the Huang Clan. In the prestigious swordsmithing clans, there were those who were responsible for forging swords, selling swords, as well as those who were responsible for settling external affairs and ruining the business of others. Of the latter, Huang Jiao was one of the most renowned figures.
Given the prosperity of the capital, there was often people who failed to follow the rules and came to the capital to compete with them. This kind of matters happened often.
In order to make such people comprehend the rules, as well as to guard their own profits, the Huang Clan, Cheng Clan, and Lu Clan had people playing roles similar to Huang Jiao’s.
“That’s not it, it is my master’s!”
“Oh, I heard that your clan is selling a sword for 600 gold taels each?”
Contempt could be seen on Huang Jiao’s face as he spoke. To be selling swords under the eyelids of the Huang Clan, Cheng Clan, and Lu Clan, the three great swordmaking clans in the capital, they were truly bold.
“Yes!”
The servant smiled subserviently with a lowered head.
“Fetch your sword down, I want to take a look!”
Huang Jiao said impatiently:
“If I’m contented with it, I might just buy your sword!”
The surrounding members of the Huang Clan, Cheng Clan, and Lu Clan looked on the sight with contempt. This was a common tactic used by the prestigious clans in the capital to deal with outsiders. By borrowing the weapons of the other party to take a look, they would use their might to smash it, break it, or shatter it. For a blacksmith’s sword to be destroyed before the eyes of so many people, it was truly a shameful sight.
This was called ruining the business of others!
In the field of swordsmithing, there was rarely anyone who could surpass the few prestigious smithing clans in the capital.
“I’m sorry, our sword isn’t available for viewing or touching! You’ll have to buy it first.”
The servant said with a smile as he bowed deeply.
“What? I can’t see it? And not even touching it is allowed?”
“Un!”
In an instant, everyone from the three clans was immediately stunned. 600 gold taels was a humongous sum. It wasn’t silver or copper. Yet, to be unable to view or touch it, this was something unheard of in the smithing industry!
When they came over, they didn’t expect that it would be true.
“Are you sure that I can’t even view or touch it?”
Huang Jiao asked once more. He couldn’t believe his ears. Everyone tried all means to put their swords in the center of everyone’s attention, flaunting it before everyone else.
Yet, this fellow was selling such an expensive sword, but refused to let anyone view or touch it.
“Yes.”
The servant’s voice remained calm.
“Who’s your master? Bring your master out! I would like to take a look what kind of sword it is, to be so arrogant as to not allow anyone view or touch it.”
Huang Jiao was infuriated.
“I don’t know!” The servant’s voice went stiff, as though a stone was stuck in his throat.
“You don’t know? What do you mean?”
Huang Jiao was taken aback. The next instant, he sneered furiously:
“Do you not know where your master is, or do you not know who your master is?”
“I do not know who my master is.”
The servant’s reply broke all expectations of everyone here. Huang Jiao, as well as the others, were flabbergasted.
“Bullshit! Who in the world wouldn’t know who their master is!”
Huang Jiao flew into a rage.
“Fine, if you refuse to reveal it, then I won’t pressure you. Let me ask you then, what’s so great about the sword your clan is selling? On what basis do you dare to label it with the price of 600 gold taels?”
“I don’t know!”
“What about the material? What ore is it made of? Do you not know that as well?”
“I don’t know!”
“Then, how sharp is it? How many inches of metal can it cut through?”
“I don’t know!”
…
The servant’s answer was consistently an ‘I don’t know’. His answer was under the commands of Wang Chong. Other than the fact that the sword cost 600 gold taels each and no one was allowed to view or touch it, he didn’t need to answer any other questions.
“I don’t know, I don’t know… Other than I don’t know, what else do you know?”
Huang Jiao was on the verge of rampaging hearing the servant’s answer. He sneered furiously:
“If you don’t have the capabilities, don’t try to do something beyond you! Who in the world wouldn’t allow anyone to view the sword they are selling? To disallow anyone from viewing or touching, did you think that the sword is a daughter of nobility? ——Attention seeker!”
Hong!
Hearing Huang Jiao’s words, the crowd from the various swordsmithing clans were taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter. Even the spectators outside joined in as well.
“What did I say? I said that they were here to seek attention, and it doesn’t seem like I am wrong at all.”
Huang Jiao pointed at the servant and laughed heartily. His gaze was filled with contempt.
“Before I came, I was still worried that some incredible fellow had appeared in the capital! Yet, it looks like I was overthinking it. Even though Huang Jiao’s words sound awful, he wasn’t wrong at all! This bunch of fellows just hope to attract everyone’s attention to their work!”
The group from Cheng Clan shook their heads. Their eyes were no longer filled with hostility, but rather, disdain. The other prestigious swordsmithing clans would never use such a method to advertise their work.
All the capital’s Cheng Clan had to do was to stamp their name onto their works, and it was sufficient advertisement for them. They didn’t have to resort to such petty tricks. Clearly, these newcomers possessed no ‘true capability’!
Even though those from the other clans didn’t speak, their gaze showed that they shared the view of the Cheng Clan. If the other party was truly capable, they wouldn’t fear others seeing their own sword. Not only so, they would be trying their best to put in within the sight of others, so that others could see how incredible their swords were.
There wouldn’t be a second clan who would behave in a way as this one did.
In the view of the crowd, it was exactly as Huang Jiao said. This clan was here to seek attention. It would take a miracle for one to sell a sword like this.
“The Bluebottle Pavilion is a place for eating and drinking, yet for someone to be here to sell swords. Furthermore, at such a price. Looks like we’ve overestimated our competitors, they are all novices!”
The Lu Clan said contemptuously.
The Bluebottle Pavilion was a beautiful infrastructure, and its interiors was decorated luxuriously. It was an extremely extravagant tavern which could be considered as the top few in the capital. Those who patronized this location was extremely wealthy and came from distinguished families.
For the other party to be able to sell swords for 600 gold taels each, the few clans had initially thought that they had met with some incredible opponent.
Yet, it seems like… they had been overthinking it!
After realizing the ‘truth’, they immediately changed their stratagem.
“Let’s scatter. This clan is just an attention seeker! Let’s all scatter!”
“God knows where this bastard came from, to dare to break the rules! A waste of our time!”
“Also, what are those from the Bluebottle Pavilion thinking of?”
The Huang, Cheng, and Lu Clan members lost their interest in the matter. Angry criticisms shot out from their mouths as they walked away, and they impatiently drove away the other spectators who had gathered around to watch the commotion.
“Those bastards!”
Wei Hao heard everything clearly from the top, and he slammed his hands on the table furiously. He angrily stood up:
“What matter is it of theirs for us to sell swords in the capital? To be so foul-mouthed, did those from the Huang, Cheng, and Lu Clan think that they’re that big-shot? Let’s see if I can teach them a lesson today!”
Wei Hao had grown up along with Wang Chong, and he treasured this good buddy of his greatly.
Wei Hao felt uncomfortable hearing his brother being criticized by others. Rage surged through him. Even though the capital’s Cheng, Huang, and Lu Clan were prestigious clans, they meant nothing to Wei Hao at all.
How could a gongzi from the Duke of Wei Clan be bothered by mere swordsmithing clans?
“Wait a minute!”
Wang Chong calmly stopped Wei Hao:
“It’s just a small matter, there’s no need for you to be so angered. In any case, they are scattering now.”
As Wang Chong said so, he slowly savored the taste of the tea leaves in his mouth. This was a habit that Wang Chong had cultivated before his transcension. After drinking tea, he would chew the tea leaves in his mouth.
Wang Chong had retained this trait of his after transcending over to this time-space continuum. In a way, it could be considered as his reminiscence of his previous life.