Inside the small room of the shipyard, the air grew stagnant with the weight of waiting.
Outside, the sky was overcast, making it impossible to tell if it was noon or dusk. A damp heaviness clung to everyone. Qin Jiuye lit a candle and placed it on the table; the flame illuminated the long blade, casting a dim, amber shadow across its surface.
In a momentary trance, it seemed as if Li Qingdao had transformed into a tiny figure, sitting cross-legged atop the scabbard, silently mocking this group of incompetent juniors.
The pale candle burned quietly, making the anxiety of the wait even harder to endure.
Finally, someone broke the silence.
"Just how much longer must we wait?"
Teng Hu had clearly been pulled away from his obsessive medical cultivation; his face was a mask of pure impatience.
Seeing this, Gao Quan quickly tried to soothe him. "Please, everyone, be patient. The Protector and Adjutant Lu have sent men into the city to fetch someone. They should arrive any moment now."
Xu Qiuchi, sitting in the shadows, shook his head, seemingly devoid of hope for what was to come. "We have already invited every renowned bladesmith and swordsmith in the vicinity of Jiugao. Who else is there to fetch?"
"You did indeed find many masters," Qin Jiuye said, "but did it ever occur to you that perhaps the problem doesn't lie with the Qingwu Blade itself?"
Teng Hu let out a cold snort. Unwilling to wait a moment longer, he stood up to leave. "Pretentious nonsense. A mere village doctor dares to lecture us on blades and swords."
"Well, since none of you 'experts' can figure it out, this village girl has no choice but to step up."
Qin Jiuye didn't bother looking at him, reaching instead for the Qingwu Blade on the table.
She hadn't intended to reveal her full deduction while Qiu Ling was absent, but Gao Quan gave her a subtle nod, signaling that she shouldn't wait. She drew the blade from its sheath and spoke in a low, steady voice by the candlelight.
"As the master smiths said before, this Qingwu Blade is forged from fine Damascus steel and is virtually indestructible. However, under the light, one can still see many fine scratches on the body, and the edge shows signs of being reground. This proves that this blade is indeed the weapon that accompanied Li Qingdao throughout her life."
Teng Hu raised an eyebrow, interrupting rudely. "And? Is that all you have to say?"
"But look at the scabbard." Qin Jiuye tilted the mouth of the scabbard toward the light, beckoning the others to look closer. "Both the mouth and the grip are too new. There are no marks of age or wear. The only traces of blood and dirt are from Li Qiao’s recent use. Even if Di Mo kept this blade polished and clean while it was in his collection, the marks inside the scabbard do not lie."
Hearing this, Xu Qiuchi finally sat up straight. He took the scabbard and weighed it in his hand. "You mean to say this scabbard is a fake?"
"It’s a possibility, but I would phrase it differently. The craft of making a scabbard is no less difficult than forging a blade. To spend so much effort creating such a perfectly fitted scabbard suggests it wasn't made simply to deceive. Remember, when Di Mo displayed a fake Qingwu Blade at the Immortal’s Seclusion Grotto, that blade didn't even have a scabbard."
Qin Jiuye paused, pondering for a moment before delivering her conclusion.
"This scabbard was commissioned separately, and it wasn't used for very long after it was made. Because shortly after Li Qingdao had it crafted, she was captured by Di Mo and taken to the World's Number One Villa. The Qingwu Blade never had the chance to be drawn from it again."
The young man, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. "So you believe Master hid the secret within the scabbard?"
"That is for someone else to help us verify."
As Qin Jiuye finished speaking, footsteps echoed outside.
Lu Zican arrived first, pulling back the bamboo curtain behind him.
A figure outside swayed slowly for a moment before stepping into the room—it was a short, stout old woman.
Teng Hu stared, his eyes darting between the woman’s soot-stained collar and sleeves and the single cloudy eye visible beneath her tattered headcloth. An old crone who tottered with every step and looked to have one foot in the grave—what could she possibly contribute?
Even Lu Zican, who had personally fetched her, felt a pang of doubt. He tugged at Qin Jiuye’s sleeve and whispered, "The person is here. Now what?"
What else? They would proceed as planned.
Qin Jiuye stood up, walked slowly to the old woman’s side, and formally introduced her to the room. "Everyone, this is Granny Wang from the entrance of Cricket Alley in the south of the city."
As her words fell, the others stared at her in silence, their expressions wordlessly asking who this "Granny Wang" was and why they had never heard of her.
Granny Wang’s given name was Wang Ruiying. Born to a family of melon farmers, she had originally sold melons in the south of the city. The scar on her forehead was a souvenir from her youth, earned during a bloody brawl with a local market bully while she was wielding a watermelon knife. She had earned the nickname "Scarface Wang" and became famous in the southern district. Most people, after such an ordeal, would only think of how to secure their territory and expand their business. But Granny Wang felt that the reason she had been cut was that her watermelon knife wasn't sharp enough. So, she gave up her melon stall, took over a shop at the mouth of Cricket Alley, and started a knife-sharpening business. "Scarface Wang" became "Hilt Wang." Later, as she aged, she became Granny Wang. Besides sharpening, she also did blacksmithing and ironwork. If a job involved iron and fire, the neighbors knew to go to Granny Wang. Her shop held no legendary weapons, but she had every tool imaginable. It was even rumored that the heavy guillotine used by the Prefectural Magistrate’s office had been forged by her.
Qin Jiuye suspected that was just a bit of business marketing. Regardless, she trusted the woman implicitly.
Ever since she had arrived in Jiugao, every piece of ironware in the Truly Yours Clinic had been repaired by Granny Wang. Half the people in Dingweng Village were her regular customers; things she mended could last another ten years without issue, and her prices were fair...
"Have you said enough?"
Teng Hu’s voice rang out. His tightly pressed lips were a thin line, the corners twitching as if they might snap at any moment.
Qin Jiuye glanced at him and put her hands on her hips with confidence. "Everything I’ve said is the truth. It is based on personal experience, without a shred of exaggeration."
"It seems Manager Qin’s only standard for judging a person is whether their price is fair," Xu Qiuchi remarked, clearly enjoying the spectacle. "That doesn't offer much in the way of professional reference."
Qin Jiuye ruthlessly pointed out their collective "incompetence."
"I didn't want to interfere in this matter either, but every 'expert' you all recommended returned empty-handed. Granny Wang is from the south of the city, where few government eyes linger. Asking her to do this is far more discreet than you all running in and out of military camps and stirring up the martial world."
"What use is discretion? She still needs to be able to solve the problem..."
Teng Hu was about to continue when he saw Granny Wang pick up the Qingwu Blade and begin examining it from every angle.
It seemed she was not only hard of hearing—ignoring the skepticism directed at her—but also had poor eyesight. Her one good eye was pressed so close to the blade that she was practically touching it.
"A fine blade! Truly a fine blade!"
The old woman’s voice was like a resonant bell. She gripped the precious weapon and refused to let go. Qin Jiuye stepped forward, carefully slid the blade from her hand, and pressed the scabbard into her palms instead.
"We asked you here to look at this."
Granny Wang nodded with a chuckle, bringing her dim, aged eyes close to the scabbard. After a long while, she spoke slowly.
"Lacquered hemp scabbard, purple-grey base. Top-tier craftsmanship. You don't see this much nowadays."
"That’s it?"
Teng Hu’s tone was nasty, but Granny Wang didn't seem to take it to heart, her face remaining smiling and serene.
"To an expert, is that not enough to explain the situation?"
Her tone was as naturally maternal as if she were speaking to a grandson playing with mud, which only served to make Teng Hu even more inexplicably furious.
Seeing this, Xu Qiuchi smiled and poured a cup of tea for Granny Wang. Without looking up, he "advised" Teng Hu, "Every profession has its secrets. I suggest Brother Teng Hu sit down calmly and listen. Treat it as a learning experience."
Granny Wang took the cup of hot tea and sat down leisurely. She sipped the tea and began rubbing her legs, showing none of the awkwardness of a guest. Instead, her presence made the room full of secretive men seem cramped and uneasy.
"If you only look at the exterior of this scabbard, it’s normal for ordinary people to think little of it. They likely find it too plain. But an expert can tell at a glance that this craft is ancient and complex. There are few craftsmen left who can replicate it; one might even say it is a lost art."
Li Qingdao was indeed an extraordinary person. Not only was she a master of the blade, but she was also half an expert in smithing. Even the scabbard contained her life's blood.
Since the scabbard was crafted with such immense effort, the likelihood that Li Qingdao had hidden something inside increased significantly.
Qin Jiuye even suspected that Di Mo, having seen the scabbard of the real Qingwu Blade, hadn't bothered to make one for the fake, simply because something so exquisite was nearly impossible to mimic. An attempt would have only revealed the flaw.
"Since it’s confirmed, what are we waiting for? Just dismantle the scabbard," Lu Zican said, eager to complete the mission.
Granny Wang shook her head gently. "This scabbard feels as light as paper in the hand. Its walls are as thin as a cicada’s wing, yet its form is perfectly straight and fluid, hugging the blade’s shape exactly. Not a hair too much, not a hair too little—it’s like a natural skin. To peel away the layers of thin hemp cloth that were glued and pressed together from the inner wall... do you think that is an easy task?"
It was more than just difficult; it seemed impossible to even begin. One wrong move would not only destroy the scabbard but also ruin the secret letter before it could be retrieved. If that happened, Li Qingdao’s secret would truly be taken to the grave, never to see the light of day.
The group hesitated. Teng Hu looked as if he wanted to carve the word "distrust" onto his own forehead. Qin Jiuye, however, looked at the quiet youth beside her.
"This is Li Qingdao’s possession. You decide."
Aside from her blade techniques, this weapon was likely the only thing Li Qingdao had left behind. If he was unwilling, no one else had the right to make the choice.
The youth stared blankly at the blade, as if seeing the woman holding a chicken bone and laughing loudly at him.
"Master didn't care for these things when she was alive. Who Li Qingdao was was never defined by a single blade. I trust what Master said, and I trust what Sister says."
Li Qiao spoke firmly, looking at Qin Jiuye. After a moment of thought, she turned to Granny Wang.
"In that case, would you be willing to try, Granny?"
Granny Wang grinned, revealing three missing teeth. "If the young lady is brave enough to entrust it to me, this old woman will certainly see it through to the end."
Whether there was a secret within the Qingwu Blade was an answer everyone was waiting for.
And that answer clearly could not be taken out of the shipyard. Lu Zican weighed the options and quickly reached a conclusion.
"It is late. Why doesn't Master Wang stay here to study it properly..."
Before he could finish, Granny Wang waved her hand, clearly having no intention of staying. "How could that work? My shop in the city is unattended. A single day away will delay so many things."
"Do not worry, Master. I can send men to look after the shop."
"Besides the business, there are the three cats in my backyard, and the melons and vegetables I planted..."
Lu Zican nodded, taking out a small notebook to record everything. "They will all be looked after. If you are worried, we can send someone every other day to report the situation to you. How does that sound?"
"I am old. I don't sleep or eat well in strange places..."
"Since you are working for us, your food and lodging will naturally be provided. You need only ask."
Granny Wang was still reluctant, turning as if to leave. "Oh, this job is incredibly tricky. No one has done it before, and I doubt anyone would want to put themselves through such torture in the future. Who knows how long it will take? I am old, and my hands shake terribly. Working for half a day will probably shave six months off my life..."
By this point, everyone could see where this was going. Lu Zican was about to haggle further when Gao Quan immediately spoke up.
"The price is negotiable."
Granny Wang finally stopped. She gave a light cough. "It’s not that it can’t be taken out, but it’s a lot of trouble. The price will be a bit high."
"How much? Name your price, Master."
Granny Wang picked up the cup of tea and drained it in one go. Her toothless lips pressed together and then relaxed, then pressed again as she fell into deep, conflicted thought. Finally, she took a deep breath and slowly held up three fingers.
"It will cost thirty copper wen."
Silence fell over the room. The men, who had been waiting for her to "open her mouth like a lion" and demand a fortune, were suddenly speechless.
Thinking that she was just a commoner and perhaps didn't understand the gravity of the situation due to her age, Lu Zican hesitated before speaking. "Master, you may not realize that this matter is of great importance and quite urgent. We also need you to keep it a secret. We are talking about a flat fee here..."
"When has this old woman ever gone back on her word in business? Besides, is thirty wen not enough?" Granny Wang clicked her tongue and shook her head with a sigh. "My shop usually deals in transactions of a few wen. Go out and ask—how many people in the entire southern district would be willing to pay thirty wen just to dismantle a scabbard?"
Ordinary people were busy enough just trying to survive; who would be bored enough to dismantle a scabbard? Indeed, there wasn't a second person in all of Jiugao.
Lu Zican was about to nag further, but Qin Jiuye stepped forward. "Roughly how long will it take?"
Granny Wang rubbed her five short, calloused fingers together. "Processing a scabbard made with ancient methods requires extraordinary patience. You cannot rush it. It requires the right time, the right place, and the right people. If luck is poor, it’s not impossible to wait forty-nine days..."
The others shook their heads inwardly, but Qin Jiuye remained calm. "For a business worth thirty wen total, Granny Wang, your shop, your cats, and your melons are all waiting for you to return."
Granny Wang immediately made a show of rolling up her sleeves, her one visible eye widening. "You think I want to linger here? I’ll let you see what this old woman is capable of. Just don't go back on the payment when the time comes."
With that, Granny Wang swept out of the room, ignoring the others just as she had when she arrived.
Seeing this, Gao Quan quickly called Wu Bin to help, leading Granny Wang to the woodworking shop to discuss the tools she would need.
As soon as Granny Wang left with Wu Bin, Teng Hu let out a cold snort. "Entrusting this to a thirty-wen shop... I doubt all the scrap metal in her shop combined is worth thirty wen. Truly absurd."
Qin Jiuye didn't even look at him, merely reaching out to carefully trim the candle wick. "The 'scrap metal' you speak of is the life of an ordinary person. Is an ordinary person’s life not even worth thirty wen?"
A silence fell over the shipyard room. Qin Jiuye knew her words were somewhat out of place and might make others think she was being cynical or complaining.
But she couldn't help herself.
To the wealthy, spending a thousand gold pieces for a night’s entertainment didn't feel expensive. But for these common folk, spending thirty wen to maintain their dignity was already a luxury.
After an unknown amount of time, Xu Qiuchi, who had been watching the drama, stepped in to smooth things over. "If Brother Teng Hu is unsatisfied, he is free to invite those masters back. The scabbard is right here; we will see whose person is more capable when the time comes."
Teng Hu didn't take the bait, seemingly not that obsessed with the secret in the scabbard. "Li Qingdao was neither a physician nor a member of the Black Moon Army. She was merely a wandering drifter, naturally shiftless. Such a person likely left nothing useful behind. Instead of wasting time here, it would be better to retrieve my Master’s manuscripts."
The contents of that day’s meeting were brought up again. Qin Jiuye assumed Teng Hu had lost faith in their current progress, so she laid out her previous deduction.
"If the thing in this scabbard isn't important, why would Di Mo have kept it until today? Why would he set a trap to lure Li Qiao into stealing the blade? If I’m not mistaken, Li Qingdao’s secret might be related to the truth of the secret formula. It might even contain evidence of Wen Dimo’s betrayal of Black Moon and his closest friends..."
She was merely discussing the facts, but the other man’s face suddenly changed. He interrupted her with a vicious tone.
"If everything is as you say, and Li Qingdao hid the secret in this scabbard but allowed it to fall into Di Mo’s hands—never even urging her disciple to retrieve it—can that be called having a great heart for the world? To me, it looks like nothing but irresponsibility. The fate of the world was just a game to her. Compared to such a person, my Master was diligent and hardworking. Up until the moment he died, he never gave up researching pathology and writing his manuscripts. He is the one the world should remember most!"
His tone was rushed, revealing a sense of grievance. Even the arrogance that followed him like a shadow had changed flavor; he seemed like a vengeful spirit from a haunted house, overflowing with resentment.
She understood now. She didn't know what Zuo Ci had thought back then, but his disciple was full of resentment. He resented that Li Qingdao still stole his Master’s spotlight even after death, while his Master had imprisoned himself on a small island, devoting his heart to research—a labor that surely deserved credit.
However, Zuo Ci might not have appreciated such thoughts.
Qin Jiuye shook her head inwardly and decided to speak plainly.
"I didn't know Li Qingdao, but I know one thing: she was very clever, and she had courage. The Four Gentlemen of Black Moon were companions for years; their bond was beyond the ordinary. Her understanding of Di Mo was as clear as a flame. In all the years the Qingwu Blade was held at the World's Number One Villa, Di Mo must have racked his brains trying to grasp the secret within. Yet, everything went exactly as Li Qingdao expected. To this day, he failed to decipher the secret of the Qingwu Blade, and in the end, the blade fell into our hands. Did it not?"
The argument should have ended there, but Teng Hu refused to let it go, continuing to question her relentlessly.
"Who is Di Mo? Have you considered that if even he couldn't find the secret, it might simply not exist?"
"Why he didn't find it? Your behavior right now provides the best answer." Qin Jiuye finally looked up, her eyebrows arching as she stared at the distorted face behind the candlelight. "A man whose eyes can only see blades meant for killing understands neither tolerance nor yielding. The secret in this scabbard can only be seen by someone who possesses a humble heart like hers. That is why Di Mo couldn't see it, and why you can't see it either."
"You...!"
The secret formula case had reached a critical juncture; everyone was under immense pressure and had their own agendas. She didn't want to make the atmosphere too toxic.
But some things had to be said.
Or perhaps, Li Qingdao’s unspoken words were surging out through her mouth.
Teng Hu glared at her, his face like a bloated goatskin raft that looked ready to burst at any moment. Qin Jiuye didn't want to look at that face anymore and simply stood up and walked out.
Once she was away from the room full of people, she finally stopped her hurried pace. A late-arriving fear began to bubble up in her heart.
She used to never speak like that. When faced with trouble, she would hide if she could, shrinking back and enduring until it passed. But lately, she didn't know what had come over her. Perhaps it was the resentment built up from sharing a room with Teng Hu these past few days, or perhaps it was his arrogant and absurd posture while practicing medicine, but she suddenly felt that many of the things she was doing had lost their meaning.
Not far away, Wu Bin was scratching his head as he followed Granny Wang around. The old woman looked up, saw her, and walked over with her hands behind her back.
"What’s this? Why the long face?"
Qin Jiuye didn't speak. Her frustration had nowhere to go, so she simply stepped forward to help Wu Bin with his tasks.
Granny Wang didn't know the reason, but seeing this, she sighed softly. "The people in that room are either from the military or the martial world. Why did you have to drag an old woman like me into this mess? If I really mess up, you’ll be the one taking the blame."
Qin Jiuye finally stopped and looked up at Granny Wang. "When Old Tang was being buried, I think I saw you at the mouth of the alley."
The moment the words left her mouth, the smile on Granny Wang’s face seemed to dim slightly. Qin Jiuye saw it but continued anyway.
"I thought, since you were a friend of Old Tang’s, you must be trustworthy."
Granny Wang’s expression froze for a second before she returned to her smiling self. "You have a sharp mind and a heavy heart for feelings, little girl. No wonder people like you. That lad with the blade just now is your sweetheart, isn't he? He’s quite handsome..."
Qin Jiuye’s face instantly flushed red, and she slapped a hand over the woman’s mouth. "Granny, don't talk nonsense!"
"How is it nonsense?" Granny Wang pulled her hand away and wondered aloud, "Could it be there’s more than one? Which one? Point him out, let this old woman give him a look-over for you..."
"Just... just one."
Qin Jiuye felt a wave of exhaustion. She suddenly regretted speaking up. Why wasn't this old woman focused on her work? Why was her mind on such things?
"What? You think because I’m old, my eyes are failing? I was young once, too. No one is more of an expert in these matters than me. Everyone in that room was staring at the blade, but he was the only one staring at you. It’s just a pity..."
Granny Wang’s voice cut off abruptly, making Qin Jiuye’s heart tighten.
She endured it for a while but finally couldn't help herself. "A pity what?"
Granny Wang glanced at her and spoke slowly. "It’s a pity that such a sharp blade is about to lose its scabbard. A blade drawn is like a tiger or leopard released from its cage; when its lethal light is fully exposed, I fear it is not a good omen. But those are just sayings from the trade. Just take it as an old woman talking too much; don't take it to heart."
*If you don't want me to take it to heart, don't say it.*
Qin Jiuye’s face remained calm, but her heart was being clawed by a hundred anxieties.
The old woman’s rhetoric wasn't much more sophisticated than that of Old Dog Du, who used to sell "divine water," yet for some reason, Qin Jiuye couldn't be as carefree as she once was.
She had sent away one charlatan from the martial world, only for a knife-sharpening charlatan to take his place.
Qin Jiuye forced herself to walk away, heading outside. But after a few steps, she stopped. After a moment of hesitation, she finally turned back.
"Is there a way to break the omen?"
"A blade cannot be without a scabbard for even a day. Just make another one. I’ll use good materials for you and spend extra time polishing it. I’ll only charge you five taels of silver. It’s a bargain."
Even though she had expected this, Qin Jiuye still felt her eyes bulge and her beard—if she had one—bristle. "You only want thirty wen for the time-consuming, back-breaking work of dismantling a scabbard, but you want five taels for a regular one?!"
"One thing is one thing. When giving someone a scabbard, the most important thing is the sentiment. Is your sentiment not even worth five taels, little girl?"
She had just questioned others, and now someone was questioning her. The retribution had come far too quickly.
Qin Jiuye’s eyebrows and eyes twitched, but her mind couldn't help but flash to the way the youth looked at her.
Everyone else was only thinking of Li Qingdao’s secret. No one considered whether the Qingwu Blade being without a scabbard would be inconvenient for Li Qiao.
In this entire shipyard, there wouldn't be a second person thinking of him, worrying about him, or wishing him well. If she didn't think of it, no one else would.
Gritting her teeth, she spoke with difficulty. "I did help introduce you to a big job. Give me a discount."
Granny Wang looked around and whispered a number in her ear.
Qin Jiuye went through another round of stingy internal conflict before finally struggling to bargain one last time. "You have to carve something on the scabbard for me."
"Deal." Granny Wang’s large, warm, calloused hand patted Qin Jiuye’s shoulder with great strength. "When the job is done, this old woman will treat you to some melon."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 蛐蛐巷 | Cricket Alley | A local alleyway in the southern district of Jiugao. |
| 王瑞英 | Wang Ruiying | Granny Wang's full name. |
| 刀疤王 | Scarface Wang | Granny Wang's youthful nickname. |
| 刀把王 | Hilt Wang | Granny Wang's professional nickname (a pun on her previous nickname). |
| 夹纻 | Jiazhu | A traditional "dry lacquer" or "lacquered hemp" technique. |
| 三十文 | Thirty wen | Thirty copper coins; a very small amount of money. |
| 丁翁村 | Dingweng Village | A local village mentioned as Granny Wang's customer base. |
