Volume 1: Spring in Wulong Town Chapter 45: It is a sword but not a sword, it is a dagger but not a dagger
There was silence in the Treasure Pavilion for a moment.
Ban Yilou's fingers, which had been holding tools for years, were not dry at all, as an old man should be. His smooth fingers stroked every inch of the sword quietly, as if he was stroking a lover's cheek...
He said nothing, but the stars rose silently.
The star power of the three stars silently extended along the scabbard, and a layer of faint light soon covered the entire scabbard.
Tang Zheng opened his lips slightly and stared at the scabbard motionlessly.
There is no need to ask too much. Just look at the speed at which Ban Yiluo's star power is extending and you can tell that the star power resonance degree of this sword...the scabbard must be very high!
But the most important question is...
It's a sword!
Even Ban Yilou admitted this when he spoke: "This sword has been with me for ten years. It is the first weapon forged by my friend and the one he spent the most time and effort on. Although the material used is not expensive, it is the best that could be produced at that time..."
Seeing Ban Yilou's affectionate look, Tang Zheng swallowed twice and nodded: "Yeah."
"A total of 1,600 scales of the Swallowing Thornfish... Now the Bailian Workshop can mass-produce substitutes, but back then, we had to catch them one by one to complete the production..."
"Um."
"My friend spent a whole year designing the formation engraved on it."
"Um."
"This is not the common water-avoiding array or starlight array on the scabbard, but... the fog-hiding array." Ban Yilou took the sword out of the box, "It's a very difficult array! Unfortunately, it's not very practical..."
"Yeah." Tang Zheng listened to him talk one by one.
The bright sunshine poured into the magnificent shop, accompanied by Mr. Ban's slightly hoarse voice, as if a scroll of paintings was spread out in front of Tang Zheng.
On cold winter nights, three beggars in thin clothes hid in the high back alley of Jubao Pavilion, sharing a steamed bun that they had begged for a whole day, while dancing and talking about their dreams that would surely come true in the future...
Those days when I was looked down upon became unforgettable because of my friends and my persistence.
When Ban Yiluo finished speaking, his eyes became a little wet.
So Tang Zheng raised his hand: "Master Ban."
"What's the matter?" Ban Yiluo wiped his eyes.
"My condolences." Tang Zheng picked up a handkerchief from a nearby shelf and handed it to Ban Yilou. "The dead cannot be resurrected."
"People died?" Ban Yilou almost smashed the sword on his head, "Get lost! You are the one who will die!"
Tang Zheng took two steps back. It was not his fault. Ban Yilou had tears in his eyes while speaking. The gentle movements of his fingers were like he was stroking the relics of a comrade-in-arms. Anyone who saw it would think that his friend had died.
Ban Yilou also realized his own gaffe, but at his age he didn't want to admit it in front of the younger generation, so he covered it up by saying, "I am using my deep emotions to promote this sword... no, this dagger!"
"..." Tang Zheng witnessed what it means when people become more shameless as they get older.
"This is the art of sales! Art! Do you understand?"
"I understand." Tang Zheng was speechless. "Is it not okay for me to buy it? But, it is still a sword after all. What I want is..."
Snap!
Ban Yiluo said nothing, but moved his wrist and pulled the sword out of his hand.
Tang Zheng's face suddenly darkened and he shut up.
Ban Yilou's face didn't look very good either...
If this weapon wasn't so abnormal, Ban Yilou wouldn't have spent so much time and effort promoting it!
Only a piece of the sword was pulled out from the scabbard!
Very funny, short segment.
Even including the length of the hilt, this sword is not even a finger longer than an ordinary dagger.
Ban Yiluo's old face turned a little red.
Although this was the sword his friend had crafted with the most care, the blade and scabbard were different...
You can try your best to obtain the material of the scabbard, and if that doesn't work, you can modify the design plan, but there are certain requirements for the sword body. Good material is good material, and bad material is bad material!
Therefore, the reason for the appearance of such a strange sword body is very simple - there is not enough material!
In fact, it is not impossible to mix in some miscellaneous materials to at least complete the forging of this sword, but this sword represents his friend's faith in the path of forging, and it is impossible to mix in even the slightest bit of fakeness...
So, this weird thing that is neither a sword nor a dagger has been lying quietly in the Treasure Pavilion for so many years.
"What do you think...?" Ban Yilou glanced at Tang Zheng a little guiltily.
Tang Zheng took the sword and dagger, and the first thing he did was to hang it on his body and look at himself in the mirror for a long time!
"Hey." Tang Zheng grinned.
Not bad! He likes this style of painting!
A modest gentleman, gentle as jade, this is what a scholar of status should be like!
Then, he pulled out the dagger, put it back, pulled it out again, and put it back again...
He repeated this several times, and then, with a "swish", he pointed the dagger at Ban Yiluo.
Ban Yilou blew his beard and said, "If you have something to say, let's talk about it..."
"You cheated me!" Tang Zhengdao said.
“If you don’t want to buy it, then don’t buy it. Who is trying to cheat you…” Ban Yilou tried to snatch the sword and dagger from his hand.
Unexpectedly, he tried a little harder but failed to snatch it.
Tang Zheng put the dagger back with a "click" sound, and then pulled it out again: "I said, if you had taken it out earlier, why would I go to Bailianfang?!"
"Ah?" Ban Yiluo looked at him in a daze for a long time.
Tang Zheng held the dagger and immediately started moving, and made a few stabbing movements before attacking.
Although he had not yet started practicing martial arts, even if he used the skills and movements from his previous life, he only had one feeling...
Smooth!
100% grip!
No matter what the star power resonance of this dagger was, the moment he got it in his hand, he knew he had it.
The three daggers in the Jubao Pavilion and the master dagger in Bailianfang did not give him such a feeling.
For an assassin, a truly good dagger is not one made of good materials or has any star power resonance, but one that can give him a strong urge to fight!
That is the most direct thing brought by the ultimate grip feeling of holding it in your hand!
Only by really casting it with all your heart, polishing it and trying it again and again, can you know whether a dagger is easy to use.
The dagger from Bai Lian Fang was a good one, for sure, and the skill of the blacksmith was beyond reproach. The only problem was that it was cast too casually, resulting in an imperfect feel. Because, a master craftsman who was ranked in the top 100 in Bai Lian Fang would definitely not put his energy into a one-star dagger!
"Seal the throat!" Tang Zheng stepped lightly. The more he tried, the more he felt that it was the case.
Not only is the dagger easy to use , but it also has a benefit that ordinary daggers don’t have—it has a scabbard!
Tang Zheng was already imagining himself wearing a rapier, looking elegant and gentlemanly...
When I think about it, I feel that life is so perfect!
…
Ban Yiluo's eyes widened.
His original intention was not so glorious. He took the opportunity to teach Tang Zheng the basics of forging to promote this sword and dagger with some hesitation.
However, now watching the dagger flying smoothly in Tang Zheng's hand, rising and falling, it felt like the whole scene was like art!
Ban Yiluo had lived for most of his life, and he had never seen a dagger in anyone's hand have such an effect.
The man and the dagger seemed to be one. After they started moving, they could no longer be distinguished from each other!
So suitable!
"Did you practice with two-handed weapons before?" Ban Yiluo looked for a long time, and with his experienced eyes, he finally found something wrong.
"Not necessarily. The main weapon is a dagger, and the secondary equipment is sometimes also a dagger, sometimes a hidden weapon, and sometimes a round shield. It all depends on the specific situation..." Tang Zheng said directly according to the configuration in the game.
The main weapon of an assassin must be a dagger.
But Tang Zheng has a wide variety of secondary weapons to choose from, and he can switch them at any time and use them freely, making it hard to defend against.
Ban Yilou stared at him for a few seconds and asked, "Where are you from?"
Tang Zheng paused and glanced at Ban Yiluo with a half-smile.
Ban Yilou coughed twice, then realized that he had lost control of his mouth and asked a question he shouldn't have asked: "So... do you want this dagger?"
"Yes! Of course."
"Don't you think there's something wrong with this dagger?" Ban Yiluo said angrily.
"Is this the art of salesmanship?" Tang Zheng asked back.
"Thirty taels of purple gold. I thank you on behalf of my friend!" Ban Yilou quoted the price decisively.
"Uh..." Tang Zheng was stunned for a moment, "So cheap?"
"..."Ban Yiluo immediately had the urge to kill him again.
Thirty taels of purple gold was a huge sum of money that even for Tangjiabao needed to consider before deciding whether to take it out.
But to Tang Zheng, it was no different from a coin dropped on the roadside.
Ban Yilou suddenly felt miserable again. He decisively ended this unpleasant topic and asked, "When will you come to learn casting?"
"I still have important work to do. I'll first think about how to study and work at the same time." Tang Zheng thought for a moment, "It shouldn't take too long."
"That's over at Bailianfang..."
"How powerful is that master?" Tang Zheng asked.
"You mean Lu Huang?" Ban Yilou shook his head. "He is so strong that it is indescribable!"
"Is he stronger than...your friend who created this sword and dagger?"
"Master Lu Huang is from the thirteen most core branches of Bailianfang. My friend and him... are not people who can be mentioned on the same level." Although Ban Yilou looked down on Bailianfang, he still spoke the truth.
"That's great. I just happened to have an idea for a secondary weapon! Hey, it's a difficult one passed down from generation to generation, specially made for old blacksmiths..." Tang Zheng smiled maliciously.
"A difficult technique passed down from generation to generation, specially developed for old blacksmiths?" Ban Yilou followed with excitement.
"Shh..." Tang Zheng did not answer Ban Yiluo's question, but his eyes fell on the outside of Jubao Pavilion.
Outside the door of Jubao Pavilion, a team of patrolling servants from Yinlan Villa just walked over.
Although West Street is the territory of Yinlan Villa, when passing by Jubao Pavilion, the servants of Yinlan Villa didn't even dare to glance inside!
How huge is the Purple Gold City?
Even a glance at it would make them panic that they would get into trouble.
Tang Zheng looked at their performance with pity, shook his head, and picked up a vase on the counter...
Bang!
The vase made a crisp sound and broke into pieces on the ground.
"What are you doing? That's an antique glass bottle from the last days of the empire!" Ban Yiluo suddenly let out a roar.
