Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior-Chapter 34 - 33: Forging Workshop, Settling in the City

Chapter 34: Chapter 33: Forging Workshop, Settling in the City

"Take off the conical hat."

The young man did as instructed.

"Where are you from?"

"From Qingshui Town."

"What are you doing in the city?"

"Seeking refuge with relatives."

The Cyan Cloud soldiers guarding the city gate glanced at the young man’s still slightly childish face and quickly let him through. The young man noticed that the number of guards at the city gate had more than doubled compared to a month ago.

"Could it be that something has happened in the city this past month?"

The young man thought to himself.

After smoothly entering the city, Su Mu did not immediately head to the Forging Workshop.

"Let’s first visit Yunhe Clinic and then decide."

The deadline given by the Forging Workshop is before the autumn equinox. There is still half a month left. Su Mu knows that removing the Poisonous Gu inside his body is the most crucial task at present; everything else can be postponed.

A month ago, Su Mu visited Qingyun City once, and the advantages of his comprehension showed at this moment. With his current level of comprehension, he wouldn’t forget paths he has walked once, and he could retain information from books upon a single glance.

Su Mu quickly arrived at Wine Dust Lane where the clinic is located, it is said that Qingyun City’s wineries were once flourishing, with liquor shops gathering and the air filled with a faint aroma of wine, hence the name of the street.

As time passes and circumstances change, Wine Dust Lane is no longer as it was; now it is a gathering place for commoners in the eastern city.

Deep in the eastern city lies Cyan Bamboo Courtyard, Su Mu once again arrived before the secluded courtyard; however, the bamboo door of the clinic was still tightly closed, with the small wooden plaque hanging long.

Just as Su Mu was about to leave, he suddenly heard a faint sound from the courtyard, resembling someone irrigating crops.

Su Mu felt a rush of joy and came to the bamboo door and gently knocked.

"Pardon the bother, is Pharmacist Lin here?"

After what he yelled, Su Mu could hear the faint sound of water stopping, followed by the sound of footsteps in the mud, and Su Mu no longer spoke, waiting quietly outside the courtyard.

Not long after, a girl of fourteen or fifteen years, with an egg-shaped face, wearing a pale yellow dress, and two pigtail braids timidly peeked out from the corner of the bamboo courtyard.

Su Mu noticed the girl at first glance; the girl in the courtyard looked at Su Mu several times, noticing he was a boy around her age before she fully revealed herself.

"Master has not returned from his travels, brother, please come another day."

"Little Doctor, I am desperate for treatment, dare I ask how soon Pharmacist Lin will return?"

"It should be soon... approximately in ten days or so."

"Thank you, Little Doctor, for letting me know."

Su Mu felt a rush of joy upon receiving the answer, thanked her, and left; if it’s in ten days, he can wait.

Watching the young man leave, the clinic girl showed a trace of worry between her brows; she recalled that before his travel, Master said he was going to the south to purchase a batch of a hundred-year-old medicinal herbs, but now he has exceeded the promised time.

Su Mu was unaware of the girl’s concerns, after leaving the clinic, he asked passersby about the Forging Workshop. Upon hearing the name, everyone immediately gave the directions.

"It seems this Forging Workshop is quite famous in the city."

The Forging Workshop was not far from Wine Dust Lane, just three streets away, located at Golden Iron Long Street.

Su Mu walked briskly and soon arrived outside Golden Iron Long Street, before stepping onto the street, the continuous clanging of iron work was ubiquitous, Su Mu surprisingly found that the street was filled with iron shops, over ten were in sight.

But the Forging Workshop was easy to find, the largest one at the end of the street was it; as the Forging Workshop is quite famous in the city, martial artists looking to forge a handy weapon would first think of the Forging Workshop, even the Qingyun Government Office and people from the five major forces are old customers of the Forging Workshop.

However, the Forging Workshop only forges weapons and does not participate in faction disputes.

Clang, clang, clang!

Su Mu saw the Forging Workshop outside and his eyes lit up, a few forge sounds far more deafening than other iron shops could be heard; his forging art is now close to perfection, hearing these sounds he could tell them apart.

And the scale of this Forging Workshop was much larger than other shops; from the outside, it looked more like a small manor than an iron shop.

Su Mu mostly checked a few places at the Forging Workshop and then turned away, after knowing the ten-day response from the clinic, he did not intend to directly report to the Forging Workshop today.

Turning, Su Mu arrived at Yanque Street, two streets away from the Forging Workshop, he found a shrewd broker roughly his age to look at a house.

"From now on I need to develop in Qingyun City, first find a place to settle down."

Not only for the Forging Workshop’s sake, but also because Su Mu knows that removing the Poisonous Gu inside won’t be easy, and he needs to continue practicing martial arts; this city is not like rural villages, he inevitably makes noise when cultivating martial arts.

So Su Mu plans to buy a slightly spacious house, convenient for practicing martial arts in the future, meanwhile this street is close to both the Forging Workshop and the clinic, a suitable place.

"Brother, how is this house?"

This young broker is shrewd, brokers are most crucial for their acumen, he found that although Su Mu dressed plainly, he subtly sensed an extraordinary aura from Su Mu.

The broker immediately led Su Mu outside a not small house.

"Let’s go inside and take a look."

"Alright brother, please."

Su Mu entered, his eyes slightly brightening, it was a house similar to the quadrangle from his previous life; the house had a serene environment, facing north and south, with a spacious courtyard enough for practicing martial arts, and relatively secluded, not in the center of the main street.

After a general look at a few places, Su Mu was satisfied, yet sighed and frowned.

"This house is somewhat worn, still needs some repairs before people can live in... What’s the price of this house?"

Seeing Su Mu frown, with disdain in his tone, the broker immediately lowered his original quote, "Brother, are you planning to buy the house or rent?"

"Tell me both."

"Although the east of the city cannot compare to the south where wealthy families gather, still Qingyun City is not cheap, if you want to buy it, it’s three hundred and fifty taels."

Su Mu was somewhat tongue-tied upon hearing it, he could afford it, but it’s too expensive.

After killing Wu Heng, he received a sum of silver, deducting the expense for medicinal purges and daily meals, now Su Mu still has seven hundred and fifty-five taels, three hundred and fifty taels are almost half.

Su Mu knows very well that treating his illness will definitely be a huge expenditure in the future, and he still needs to maintain expenses for medicinal purges and meat and eggs, spending half the silver to buy a house directly is not appropriate, better to rent first.

"If rent, it’s three taels of silver a month."

Actually, three taels a month is not cheap; even in Qingyun City, three taels are enough for a family of three to live comfortably for several months, consequently costing thirty-six taels in a year, roughly one-tenth of the direct purchase price.

But compared to directly buying, it is still good.

"Three taels are too much."

"Brother, how about this, if you plan to take a long lease, I can count only ten months for you in a year, saving six taels, just thirty taels of silver."

The broker stared at Su Mu’s expression and continued, "But in this case, you need to pay a year’s rent at once."

"Alright, then I’ll rent for a year first."

Su Mu then paid thirty taels of silver, the broker handled things neatly, soon both parties signed the contract, and Su Mu received the keys to the house on the spot.

"Finally settled down."

Su Mu is not very enthusiastic about living or leisure items, afterward he quickly bought a set of medicine brewing equipment at the market, closed the main gate, and began brewing medicine and practicing martial arts.

For several days Su Mu stayed indoors, only going to the clinic once daily besides eating.

At dusk this day, when the Forging Workshop closed the forge, a few blacksmiths chatted, then one suddenly spoke.

"Didn’t the Martial Master say a few days ago that a student would arrive soon? I’ve seen the Martial Master look outside for a long time, why hasn’t anyone appeared?"

"I’ve heard about it, I heard someone wrote a recommendation letter to the Martial Master, but the details, I don’t know."

"No need to think about it, most likely that person doesn’t dare to come, what good candidates can a small town’s iron shop produce, moreover joining our Forging Workshop requires tests."

"Huh, a few years ago several people wrote recommendation letters to the Martial Master, but in the end, no one could stay, of those recommended from small places, not even one could consistently forge Ten-Refined Weapons, then I’ve rarely heard of recommendations, after all, the skill lies in oneself; I especially dislike those who want to use connections to take shortcuts."

The blacksmiths changed their subject, no longer mentioning the recommended students, indifferent.

Time flashed by five days later.

In the still night of the courtyard, a figure was sweating profusely practicing punches.

Bzzz------

At a certain moment, the figure suddenly trembled, all acupuncture points around sounded a buzzing echo, the young man showed a joyful expression.

"A breakthrough... Dark Force is about to reach Great Success!"

(In the new book period, follow-up reading and monthly tickets are crucial to getting recommendations and exposure, directly affecting the survival of the new book, as a new author, shamelessly requesting for follow-up readings and monthly tickets, I am begging orz!)