Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 1164 – Decision to Leave. What kind of powerful backing did she have?

“I’m definitely older.” Yan Jinyu replied grumpily knowing what Qing Shui was trying.

“Oh, how old are you? Tell me, let’s see if you’re really older.” Qing Shui chuckled.

“Cut it out. Anyway, I’m older!” Yan Jinyu said firmly. She did not want Qing Shui to continue on this subject. Qing Shui understood and didn’t continue asking.

The position they were at was the Tian Di (Heaven and Earth) Position in terms of Feng Shui. This was a good place to worship the heavens. Now, he was going to become the sworn brother of this woman, but he felt that it was a little preposterous. Actually, this entire day was rather preposterous. He felt that Miss Yan was a little abnormal…

This woman was beautiful, calm and magnanimous. She looked so mature and elegant, yet she kept forcing him to be her sworn brother. If it weren’t for Qing Shui’s self-confidence, he would have suspected that she was plotting against him.

But what could she want from him? Other than his forging skills, his wine or some tea leaves? Qing Shui did not care. He looked at Yan Jinyu to see if she was ready.

Both of them lit three joss sticks. There was a kneeling mat under both of them. Yan Jinyu gestured for Qing Shui to start talking first.

“To the Heavens above, myself, Qing Shui and Yan Jinyu will be sworn siblings from today on. I am not trying to gain status through connections, nor be her gigolo, I will treat her as my true sister. If anyone bullies her, I will tear them up.” Qing Shui looked up to the sky speaking sincerely.

Yan Jinyu felt a little displeased, but she also looked up to the sky, “With the Heaven and Earth as our witness, I take Qing Shui as my sworn brother today. He will be my relative from this day on. No matter what happens, I will try my best to help him, even at the cost of my life.”

Qing Shui was shocked by Qin Jinyu’s last words. He couldn’t tell if she really meant what she said, but he was definitely touched by it. They were now siblings, with Heaven and Earth as their witness. Then, he slowly said, “Time can be the judge of our sentiments!”

After saying that, he thrust his joss sticks into the joss stick urn!

Yan Jinyu also placed her joss sticks into the urn.

“Sis!” Qing Shui said mildly with a smile.

“Brother!” Yan Jinyu rubbed Qing Shui’s head happily. She seemed delighted.

Qing Shui’s face quivered a little as he took out a vat of Plum Blossom Wine and poured half of it on the ground. With that, they had finished their ceremony with joss sticks and wine. He took out two cups. He poured two cups of wine and handed one to Yan Jinyu.

“We will be siblings in the future. We will take care of each other. I will do my best to protect you until you find your future husband.” Qing Shui laughed, holding up his cup.

“What are you saying? I have already decided that I would never marry. Alright, after we finish this cup of wine, we will be siblings.” Yan Jinyu clinked her cup with Qing Shui’s.

Both of them finished their wine in one gulp.

“Okay, now that we are siblings. Tell me, why are you so adamant on being my sworn sister?” Qing Shui didn’t really understand the whole situation, but he went along with it and agreed to her request.

“Must there be a reason?” Yan Jinyu asked.

“Of course, don’t you find this weird? Nothing happens without a reason in this world. There must be some sort of reason.” Qing Shui grinned.

“Just as you said, nothing happens without a reason. If I tell you that I think that you have great potential and I don’t want us to be just strangers in the future because I want your help next time, would you believe me?” Yan Jinyu replied thoughtfully.

“Yes!”

“Ah, if so. That’s great!” Yan Jinyu said feeling a little surprised.

“Do you know why the wolf and the Bei (a fictional animal that is like a wolf in folklore) usually work together?”Qing Shui asked but suddenly found it a little inappropriate.

“Why? Because they have the same goals?” Yan Jinyu’s expression was a little stiff though she still sounded calm. She knew he was referring to the phrase, “Wolves and Beis working together”. (TN: This is basically an idiom with the meaning partners in crime.)

“That’s right!” Qing Shui replied in a hurry. Qing Shui actually had a different answer, but he knew he couldn’t bring that up because it was just not suitable.

Legend has it that wolves and Beis are similar creatures. A wolf has long front legs and shorter hind legs while the Bei has long hinds legs and shorter front legs. Whenever they go out hunting, the Bei needs the support of the wolf to move, putting its front legs on the wolf’s hind legs. Once, the wolf and the Bei stumbled upon a sheep pen. Even though there were many sheep, the fence was too high. Thus, they had a good idea, if the wolf could stand on the Bei’s neck, letting the Bei boost him up. The wolf will then be able to jump into the pen and steal the sheep.

Qing Shui actually wanted to talk about the Bei needing the wolf’s support to walk but that was too inappropriate!

“You can’t lie. You have a special look when you’re lying.” Yan Jinyu laughed and continued, “It’s almost time for lunch. Let’s go, you can’t make up any excuses now!”

Both of them went to the same restaurant that he and Yan Yangzhao went to previously. They even chose the same seats. Perhaps it was because they were now sworn siblings but it was a weird coincidence.

After their meal, their relationship as siblings got better. Though Yan Jinyu did not speak much, hearing such a beautiful woman speak was rather enjoyable for Qing Shui. On top of that, they both enjoyed discussing similar topics.

“Sis, give me your Greencloud Stone, I can help you forge a sword. But I can’t be certain about its stats,” Qing Shui said to Yan Jinyu after finishing his food.

“It’s okay. I rather not have you do that. I don’t want to feel like I am using you, as my sworn brother, to make weapons.”

“Are you sure?”

“At least not at the moment.”

“You sure?”

“Maybe I should reconsider!” Yan Jinyu laughed!

“Alright then.”

“Okay, I reconsidered. I want you to help me now. Will you belittle me?”

“No. We make friends to scam them. If we don’t scam them, who else? If you try to scam someone you don’t know, you might fail,” Qing Shui joked.

“Then, I don’t want it! Really!” Yan Jinyu said sincerely.

“Are you really going to change your mind because of this? We are siblings now, do you really have to take me so seriously?” Qing Shui didn’t expect Yan Jinyu to say that. He actually knew that Yan Jinyu was like him, in the way that she didn’t want to receive any benefits from others without reason, so he understood her feelings.

“Qing Shui, I feel that it is not right,” Yan Jinyu said earnestly.

“Oh, so even now, you are still concerned about your ego? Do you think that our friendship isn’t strong enough?” Qing Shui looked at Yan Jinyu.

“No, Qing Shui. It isn’t like that, otherwise, I wouldn’t even ask you to be my sworn brother. I just wonder if I am being too practical.” Yan Jinyu looked back at Qing Shui a little bitterly.

“Humans are all practical. Just like how aristocratic clans seek alliances through marriage. People of a certain capability would have friends of similar capabilities. Rich people would not befriend poor people, as there is no way of using them. Living, if you put it in a good way, is basically helping even other out without our own communities and connections, working together to go through difficulties and advance forward. But if we get realistic about it or in a negative sense, it is using each other, just like us. We are siblings now, so helping you forge a weapon is nothing special. It is okay if you think that you’re using me for my forging skills. Perhaps, I would look for you in the Inner City, would that also be counted as me using you?” Qing Shui reasoned.

Qing Shui knew that she probably understood his view but her pride made it hard for her to accept how he handled things.

……

Qing Shui shut the door to his shop and brought Yan Jinyu to the manor he was living in. As they had finally come to an agreement, Yan Jinyu wanted to wait for the weapon to be ready before they left.

Qing Shui had already decided to leave with Yan Jinyu to the Inner City. This was why she happily agreed to Qing Shui helping her forge a new weapon as he would need her help once they were there.

His shop was quite quiet after he let Old man Wang leave. He also went to bid farewell to Yu Ruyan. He could leave any time, but he just bought the manor here and he still had his Huoyun Blacksmith Store. He decided then that no matter where he went, his blacksmith store will always have the same name.

“Qing Shui, will you sell this place when you leave?”

“No, I won’t sell it. I will just leave it. This is a very important place to me, I must definitely keep it. If I do come here again, I will have a place to stay. Keeping this place will give me the feeling of familiarity.”

“Ok, that’s true. Anyway, you don’t lack funds. I guess you’ll let those people stay here. You must be a kind person.”

The people that Qing Shui employed to look after his properties were all handicapped people. He wanted to give them a job and he also paid them well.

“Oh, could you tell me about the Inner City? I am not quite sure, even living here in the outer city. Is The Four Kings Aristocrat Clan from Four Kings Street very powerful?” Qing Shui had a feeling that he could get quite a lot of information from Yan Jinyu.

“The Four Kings Aristocrat Clan from Four Kings Street are not that powerful, as they are just one of the branches. But they are one of the more prominent branches as they are important to the main clan in the Inner City. As for Black Wind Mountain, you could say Four Kings Aristocrat Clan is backed by them. How did you offend them?” Yan JInyu smiled at Qing Shui, Black Winds Mountain seemed insignificant to her.

Qing Shui was puzzled. Tan Taixuan was Putuo Mountain, yet he was wary of Black Wind Mountain. Putuo Mountain shouldn’t be much weaker than Yan Clan. But then again, Yan City was one of the five largest cities in Great Yu Dynasty so it probably had a long heritage, with multiple deep-rooted clans which all spanned over generations, this it wasn’t surprising that they could be comparable to Putuo Mountain.

He did really understand all that, just like he didn’t understand this sworn sister of his. She was already at State Master level. What sort of sect or clan could nurture such talents? After all, her relatives were also around that caliber.

“No, they were coveting my woman. So I scared them. I’m not strong enough to kill them.” Every time he thought about how he had to restrain himself, he couldn’t help wanting to be even more powerful. Even though he was growing stronger at an extremely quick pace, he wasn’t satisfied by his progress.

“Why don’t I go along with you to kill those people from the Four Kings Aristocrat Clan (四王世家)!” Yan Jinyu said to Qing Shui.

Qing Shui was startled. When he looked At Yan Jinyu’s face, he knew she was serious. His heart skipped a beat. He was shocked by this woman’s prowess, whether it was from the powerful Yan Clan backing or her own strength. He knew that the Yan Clan was definitely stronger than Black Wind Mountain.