Chapter 16

At the Zhao family armory, the candles were burning brightly.

The onlookers had dispersed, muttering sarcastically and mockingly as they left.

Inside the armory, four figures were busy.

They were Zhao Yun, Old Sun, Yang Da, and Wu Er. A fire had caused damage to the armory, and they needed to repair it before opening for business at dawn.

"How could a fire start like this?"

"It was deliberate; I found fragments of a firebomb."

"Damn, that's too low."

Yang Da and Wu Er were indignant, cursing continuously. Fortunately, they had acted in time; otherwise, the entire armory would have been reduced to ashes.

"At least the damage isn't too severe."

Old Sun thought to himself. The armory was damaged, but the weapons were still intact, which was their capital.

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhao Yun, who remained calm, as if nothing had happened.

"Shall we go to the tavern first?"

"No, let's go to the money house first; there's more silver there."

"Um... that makes sense."

Zhao Yun, while cleaning, muttered to himself. The tavern and money house he mentioned were, of course, the Liu family's. Once he had recovered, he planned to visit them.

Setting fire to the Zhao family's place?

Then I'll bleed the Liu family dry.

The night quietly passed.

In the early morning, before the sky was fully bright, the sound of firecrackers echoed through the bustling street.

The Zhao family armory opened for business.

From a distance, red silk was hung on the storefront, and even the stone lions on either side were adorned with red silk balls.

"Still opening for business?"

The passersby raised their eyebrows, many stopping to watch. The armory had just been burned last night, how could it open for business again?

"Zhao Yun must have lost his mind."

"That's not true. Zhao Yun may be a failure, but he's not stupid. He was once the young master."

"That's true, but even if he opens, it doesn't seem to make a difference. I'm not belittling the Zhao family, but their weapons are really no good."

"When it comes to weapons, the Liu family is still the best."

Many people gathered, talking and pointing at the armory, most with their hands in their sleeves, ready for a show.

"Freshly forged weapons!"

Wu Er, holding a copper gong, was shouting and banging it vigorously.

"Don't miss out as you pass by."

Yang Da's voice was also loud, holding a copper gong and banging it rhythmically.

Zhao Yun was there too.

As the manager of the armory, he was responsible for maintaining the facade and keeping the crowd in check.

"Move, move."

A loud voice suddenly rang out.

It was two servants.

These two were exceptionally arrogant, pushing through the crowd to clear a path, and behind them was the main person.

The newcomer was an old man.

He exuded an air of superiority, hands behind his back, eyes straight ahead. To those who didn't know, he might have seemed like a reclusive master from a remote mountain.

Wang De.

Zhao Yun recognized him at first glance; he was the manager of the Liu family armory, a cunning old fox.

Zhao Yun wasn't surprised that the Liu family had sent someone.

Business had its rules. When a shop opened, other merchants would send representatives to show support, either by giving a few taels of silver or buying the first weapon, as a gesture of goodwill.

These were unwritten rules: to show magnanimity, to build a reputation, and to ensure harmonious business. Competition was one thing, but certain formalities had to be observed.

In Zhao Yun's view, the Liu family's representative wasn't there to show support but to cause trouble.

"Greetings, son-in-law."

Wang De stopped, bowing from a distance with a forced smile, performing the necessary formalities. Though he called Zhao Yun "son-in-law," his eyes betrayed a look of disdain.

"Thank you for coming."

Zhao Yun replied coolly, his expression unchanged.

"Let's test the weapons, shall we?"

Someone shouted, clearly looking for a spectacle.

"Let's test them."

With one person leading, others joined in, eager for a show. Since it was the opening of an armory, without dragon or lion dances, a unique performance would be welcome. Whether the Liu family lost face or the Zhao family was embarrassed, it would be entertaining. They didn't care either way.

"What do you think, son-in-law?"

Wang De smiled, a sly smile. He was there to cause trouble, and with the crowd egging him on, he was ready to leave after causing chaos.

"If you're afraid, you can back out."

The two Liu family servants glanced at Zhao Yun, their arrogance even more pronounced than their master's.

"Let's test them."

Zhao Yun shrugged, speaking casually.

Clang!

As Zhao Yun finished speaking, Wang De drew his sword. The sound of the sword being unsheathed was sharp and piercing.

It was a silver sword, gleaming brightly, catching the eyes of the crowd. The Liu family might be despicable, but their weapons were truly exceptional, giving them the right to be arrogant.

"It's called the Frost Sword," Wang De said, adding, "It's the least impressive sword in our armory."

The crowd's jaws dropped. His arrogance was truly over the top.

Imagine if he could win with the least impressive sword; the blow to the Zhao family armory would be devastating.

This move was indeed clever.

"Little Wu, go pick the least impressive one, so the neighbors don't say we're bullying you." Zhao Yun yawned.

"Sure thing!"

Wu Er put down the copper gong and went inside.

When he came out, he was carrying a sword, completely black and dull, similar in length to the one the servant held, both being light swords.

"This sword doesn't look very impressive."

The onlookers coughed.

To be honest, at first glance, it looked like a fire poker, a very black one.

Wang De glanced at it, almost laughing.

With such a poor appearance, the Zhao family had the nerve to bring it out. To him, it was no challenge at all.

"This sword... is called the Black Mountain Sword."

Old Sun stepped forward, taking the sword from Wu Er. Clearly, he would be the one to test the swords.

"Wang brother, please."

Old Sun stood firm, sword in hand.

"Trash."

Wang De said bluntly, swinging his sword.

Clang!

Old Sun didn't back down, raising his sword to meet the blow.

Neither used their true strength.

Testing swords was simple: see which one was harder and sharper, and the result would be clear.

Clang! Clang!

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two swords clashed, producing a metallic sound and sparks.

Old Sun took a step back.

Wang De did the same.

The Zhao family's Black Mountain Sword was unscathed, but the Liu family's Frost Sword had a notch.

Yes, a notch.

The crowd saw the fragments of the Frost Sword fly off, landing with a clear sound.

"This..."

The crowd was stunned, confirming that they hadn't seen wrong. The result was clear: the Liu family's Frost Sword had lost, cut by the Black Mountain Sword.

As expected.

Zhao Yun, holding a wine jug, didn't even look. The Frost Sword was good, but not the best. His Black Mountain Sword, though unimpressive in appearance, was pure and the best.

"This... can't be."

Wang De was stunned, still in disbelief, looking at his sword, which was still ringing, the notch glaringly obvious.

"This sword... can't be from your Zhao family. You must have borrowed it from somewhere to deceive people."

The Liu family servant shouted, not stupid and not ruling out the possibility of borrowing a sword for show.

"If so, feel free to choose any."

Zhao Yun's tone was still casual.

Wang De snorted, then went inside to see for himself.

He was gone for a long time.

When he came out, he was disheveled, having seen countless weapons in his time. He could tell that the weapons in the Zhao family armory were all exceptional, and the Black Mountain Sword Wu Er had chosen was indeed the least impressive.

Even this, he couldn't match with his Frost Sword. The others would be even worse.

Unexpected, truly unexpected.

He had expected a complete victory, but who knew the Zhao family had so many high-quality weapons.

"Didn't choose?"

Old Sun, hands in his sleeves, glanced at Wang De, wondering where his arrogance had gone.

"We couldn't find a worse one." Wu Er said honestly.

"Shall I find a fire poker?"

Yang Da joked, speaking seriously.

"What are you talking about?"

The crowd raised their eyebrows, finding the three of them entertaining, like a comedy act.

Zhao Yun, without looking, took a sip of wine. Test away! Keep testing! I didn't even bring out my Dragon Spring Sword, which would have been even more humiliating.

"Let's go."

Wang De, with a cold snort, turned and left, his face red with embarrassment. He had come with an air of superiority but left in disgrace, his attempt to cause trouble a complete failure.

"Is he... leaving?"

The crowd was confused, wanting more of the show.

"Fifty taels each, 20% off for the whole store."

Old Sun said with a smile.

A middle-aged man in black stepped into the Zhao family armory, his eyes sharp. Wang De's embarrassed exit was proof of the quality of the weapons inside.

More people followed, drawn by the sharp-eyed man. The armory was soon filled with customers, all impressed by the high-quality weapons on display.

"Good sword."

"Forty taels, I'll take this one."

"I like this spear."

The armory was bustling, with customers who could tell the difference between good and bad weapons.

News spread, and more people came.

The busy street became even busier, and the Zhao family armory became the center of attention.

"Master, we've held the armory."

Old Sun, collecting money, whispered, looking much younger.

"May my grandfather rest in peace."

Zhao Yun smiled, his eyes gleaming. He was determined to not only hold the armory but also the Zhao family's honor, and to avenge their humiliation a hundredfold.

"How is this possible?"

At the Liu family armory, Liu Canghai's face was red with anger. He had thought to humiliate the Zhao family but ended up disgracing his own.

They had lost the sword test.

If this news reached the family, he would face severe criticism. The Liu family had never lost face before.

"The armory is full of high-quality weapons."

Wang De whispered, though Liu Canghai's cultivation was low, he was ruthless.

"Could they have a weapon smith?"

Someone beside him suggested.

"What about Old Dao?"

Liu Canghai asked, having sent him to set the fire last night, but he hadn't returned. Had he gotten lost?

"He's still missing."

"Find him." Liu Canghai was furious. "And investigate the Zhao family armory thoroughly."