Naturally, any large city would have at least one street of tal shops.
After leaving the carriage at the inn, they asked for directions to the tal shops and headed back out to the streets.
Then there was sothing that felt missing.
“Co to think of it, no one ca out to greet us?”
While she hadn’t particularly expected it, the lack of the usual welco made her feel empty.
When you don’t know sothing, you just ask soone who does, and coincidentally, there was a muscle-bound weirdo in the group who answered even without being asked.
“There’s no particular orthodox martial hall to speak of in Zhumadian, Noonim.”
“Oing? Why?”
“First of all, isn’t it a city used as a major governnt stronghold? Orthodox martial halls are usually rare in cities where governnt influence is strong.”
Clans (local gentry) cannot take root in governnt-controlled cities.
Rather, even halls that were originally established there end up being pushed out by pressure.
Moreover, orthodox martial halls are basically chivalrous people who don’t listen to the governnt.
It was even more so after the Celestial Martial Emperor.
When the governnt borrows the power of Murim, it’s usually for dirty or unjust deeds they’re ashad of, so orthodox martial halls wouldn’t respond to that.
However, unorthodox martial halls were bastards who actively approached governnt officials without even the pride (this is Zhuge Ihyeon’s explanation) to refuse.
Moreover, since their usual deeds were dirty and unjust, they often took on governnt errands well.
So in cities tightly controlled by the governnt, orthodox factions dry up and only unorthodox ones swarm.
“Isn’t that dangerous then? If it’s swarming with unorthodox bastards.”
“While the southeastern Central Plains, where the Unorthodox Path’s influence is strong, certainly has that aspect, there’s no unorthodox faction that would dare touch an orthodox martial artist in Henan.”
Zhuge Ihyeon said with a gentle smile.
This was because the city’s location was quite unfavorable.
To the north were Shaolin and the Beggar’s Union, to the south was the Zhuge Clan, to the east was the Namgung Clan, and to the west was the Wudang Sect.
If the Unorthodox Faction acted up relying on governnt backing, they wouldn’t be able to avoid annihilation from the combined forces of the Orthodox Faction from all directions.
“So at most, their mischief would be limited to ignoring us as if we don’t exist, Noonim.”
“Hmm.”
After arriving at the tal shop street like this, Tang Nanah took the lead and guided the group.
Qing knew nothing about tal shop streets, and even Zhuge Ihyeon, who liked to talk, wasn’t an expert in the field of needles.
However, Tang Nanah wasn’t a reliable guide either.
“Hey, you apprentice there. Who’s the best needle craftsman in this city?”
Speaking informally right off the bat to a stranger was befitting of the Speaking Poison Flower’s reputation as a villainess.
She only acted like a Chihuahua-level idiot when with Qing. Originally, she was a high-class young lady with no regard for others.
The poor apprentice was more distracted by her dazzling beauty than the sudden informal speech.
“Hey. What’s this? Are you ignoring ?”
“No, no, I’m not. But what do you an by needle craftsman? What craftsman in the world makes a living just making needles?”
“…?”
There are very few craftsn in the world who specialize in needles.
Only in dical families like the Tang Clan, who also run tal shops, would they have a needle craftsman in the family to make them. As the apprentice said, how many needles could be sold to specialize in making them?
If there was a craftsman famous for needles, physicians from all over the world would co to buy them.
When asking for a needle craftsman at a local tal shop, the response would naturally be to ask if such a craftsman even exists.
“Then how do the physicians in this town make needles?”
“Well, if you just flatten it thin and long, it’s a needle…”
Tang Nanah frowned deeply.
Saying that flattening it thin and long makes it a needle was an outrageous statent that a physician absolutely couldn’t let slide.
“What kind of stupid talk is that? Forget it. Then, who’s the best craftsman in the city?”
“That would be Old Man Ban, but right now he’s…”
The apprentice tried to say sothing, but Tang Nanah, who had already lost her patience, imdiately barked at him.
“You talk too much. Which way do I go?”
“Go straight and at the second alley…”
The apprentice explained the way.
Unexpectedly, the tal shop street seed quite developed, as the directions were quite complex.
Surprisingly, Tang Nanah nodded and said with an expression of complete understanding.
“Little Brother Zhuge? Did you rember?”
“Of course, Noonim Tang.”
“Then let’s go.”
Qing nodded at this scene and thought.
People should naturally leave things they can’t do to others.
Even if she seems like a quack, she’s still a physician, so it seems she’s not completely incapable of using her head.
Zhuge Ihyeon, fully demonstrating his status as the top intellect among muscle n, showed the marvel of morizing the complex directions heard just once and leading the group.
Finally, arriving in front of the Ban Family tal Shop, said to be the best in the city, Qing asked.
“Hmm. Zhugie, is this the right place?”
It was a building that didn’t seem to have been used for a long ti.
In the open space characteristic of tal shops with just a roof, fresh weeds had already grown up to ankle height.
Considering it was early spring before even cherry blossoms had blood, it ant it hadn’t been managed at all.
“Noonim, we’ve co to the right place. Look, it’s right there. Ban Family tal Shop.”
Zhuge Ihyeon pointed to a signboard lying on the ground.
The signboard, made of iron plate befitting a tal shop, clearly had the four characters for “Ban Family tal Shop” engraved in elegant calligraphy.
“Just looking at the signboard, it’s clear this is a craftsman of extraordinary skill. However…”
Even if he was a layman when it ca to needles, the Zhuge Clan’s tal shop was also one of the famous nas known throughout the world for its precise chanism production.
The level of craftsmanship could be seen just from the characters engraved on the signboard.
“Well, we’ll know when we go in. Hello? Is anyone here?”
Qing said this as she darted into the tal shop that looked almost like an abandoned house.
“What’s this, did the shop go out of business?”
And as she looked around inside, suddenly—
Her eyes t squarely with those of an old man quietly glaring from the shadows.
“Aaack! Shit, you scared …”
Qing let out an unladylike, strong scream.
But that was only for a mont.
The only things she feared were ghosts or a sudden nuclear noogie from her master falling from the sky, not just an old man glaring.
“Excuse , grandpa? Are you okay? Why are you like this? You scared .”
“Now you’re even mobilizing won! Get out! Even if I die, I have no intention of forging weapons for you bastards!”
The old man shouted vehently.
“Oing? We ca to make needles, not weapons.”
“Ha! Aren’t hidden weapons still weapons?”
“No, not those needles, but long needles. The ones physicians use for acupuncture. Don’t you know needles? Needles? Has grandpa already gone senile?”
At this, the old man’s expression turned to bewildernt.
“You ca to make needles? Not to ask to make swords?”
“I already have a sword, you know? Why would I use another sword when I have the one my master gave ?”
Qing said, tapping her scabbard.
Only then did the old man show an embarrassed expression.
“Ahem. Yes, you ca to make needles… It’s been a while since I had custors… Needles are quite expensive, though.”
“Ah. Wait a mont. I’m not the one buying them.”
At this, Tang Nanah held out the broken needle.
As soon as Blacksmith Ban saw the broken needle, he let out a deep sigh.
“Oh my, how did you break such a precious needle? Just looking at it, it’s undoubtedly a divine relic that might appear once in an era.”
“Could it possibly be reattached?”
At this, the old man carefully examined the broken cross-section.
“Tsk tsk. How much force must have been used for this excellent needle to break like this? As they say, ‘pearls before swine,’ it seems the tool is a divine item of the world, but the owner’s skill falls far short.”
“What? What did this old man just say?”
“Still, fortunately, the cross-section is clean, so it shouldn’t be difficult to reattach.”
Tang Nanah’s face turned bright red.
“What does an old man know? What kind of muscle blocks a needle wrapped in Inner Qi? It would be easier to stick a needle in a rock.”
“Ah. So the young lady was doing acupuncture. This old man has made a foolish mistake.”
“Hmph.”
Tang Nanah snorted.
“So, where’s the other half?”
“Uh. About that.”
Tang Nanah looked at Qing.
“Speaking of which. Old man, don’t you have those thin tongs used for making needles? We need to pull out sothing stuck in a body…”
The broken needle was stuck in Qing’s shoulder with just the tip slightly protruding, so it was in a state where it couldn’t be pulled out without a proper tool to grip it firmly.
It was too short to grab with hands as the protruding part was only as big as a millet grain, and fingernails would slip on the tal and couldn’t apply enough force to pull it out.
Moreover, ordinary tongs couldn’t even grip the thin long needle tightly.
Fortunately, among the tools the old man had collected over a lifeti of running a tal shop, there was a pair of tongs for gripping iron needles.
“Alright, shall we pull it out?”
“If you pull it out and it’s broken in half, I really won’t let it slide. I’ll shout as my Hidden Dragon Tournant victory speech that the Tang Clan’s Whatever Nanah is a quack physician who kills patients.”
“Ugh.”
Suddenly, Tang Nanah’s movents beca stiff.
Qing narrowed her eyes.
“What’s this, surely there’s no real possibility of that, right?”
“It’s all because of you, Qing’er! Your muscles are compressed like rocks, not even like Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron, so if the needle can’t withstand it and twists…”
“Yes, it’s my fault, my fault, all my fault.”
“Well. Anyway. Ah, over there!”
“Huh? What? What’s there-“
Swoosh, there was a clear feeling of sothing being pulled out.
A sigh of relief followed.
“Phew, it ca out safely and well.”
“To induce carelessness, what a vile trick…”
“Co on. How can you say such things even when I speak?”
Tang Nanah laughed and slapped Qing’s back.
*
And then Old Man Ban was in a fuss about having to light the fire again.
Anyway, it wasn’t particularly interesting for Qing, who didn’t know anything about tal shop work, to watch.
“Co to think of it, Old Man Ban. Are you perhaps a descendant of Ban Chi?”
“Ah, Noonim! You know Ban Chi! He was truly the greatest blacksmith of all ti!”
“Uh, yeah…”
It was the usual nonsense Qing spouted.
Hearing it from soone else’s mouth made her feel strange.
Isn’t this guy like actually from the Central Plains?
Is this the true spirit of pretending to know things? One that transcends ti and space itself?
“Actually, tal shop work is hard and tiring, and doesn’t bring in much inco, so usually children inherit it. In fact, unless you’re skilled enough as a craftsman to amass so wealth, even getting married isn’t easy…”
So often, they pick up orphans, raise them, and pass on their skills.
Of course, in most cases, they substitute wages with the cost of skill transfer, so they’re usually no different from servants cum assistants who are just provided with room and board.
So craftsn with personality issues even work them like slaves until their bodies break down and then kick them out.
“That’s why many blacksmiths have the surna Ban. It ans they want to emulate the greatest craftsman among craftsn.”
“Hmm.”
“Ah. Speaking of Ban Chi, I can’t help but ntion his beautiful love story and the Bokshinjeok. The Bokshinjeok refers to Ban Chi’s treasure that has now disappeared forever, a flute made of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron…”
Qing stretched out her hand to the side.
Then Gyeon Pohee took out a flute from sowhere and placed it firmly in that hand.
It was thanks to Choi Leeong having completed the handover.
“Zhugie. This is that Bokshinjeok that was said to have disappeared forever.”
“…It really is Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron. Is it genuine?”
The Zhuge Clan’s tal shop is famous.
And Zhuge Ihyeon was knowledgeable about all the business his family was involved in.
He could recognize at a glance the characteristic lusterless dark blue appearance of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron.
“Then what? Would it be fake?”
“My goodness, such a treasure…”
Qing succeeded in temporarily sealing the never-resting terror of a chatterbox by placing the Bokshinjeok in Zhuge Ihyeon’s hand.
However, the peace for her ears that had co after a long ti did not last long.
“What’s this, old man? Who said you could light a fire?”
“Didn’t we tell you to close up shop?”
“Who’s there? What fearless bastards dare to violate the laws of the Nan Sect…”
It was thanks to a group of thugs who appeared wearing swords loosely.
Qing smiled brightly as she confird their Evil /genesisforsaken
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