Squire Liang? Young Master!

Seeing that the first to step forward was Second Senior Brother, Liang Qu thought to himself that the one absent these past two days must be Eldest Senior Brother. Yu Dun, who looked like an old farmer, brought out a beast-hide cloak. The cloak was entirely black, covered in a shimmering layer of down. "Ninth Junior Brother, this is a cloak of dog-bear hide. Blades cannot cut it, water cannot soak through it, and it keeps out the cold wonderfully. Winter is setting in now, so I hope you like it." "Thank you, Second Senior Brother!" Liang Qu bowed respectfully and took the cloak with delight. The cloak felt exceptionally soft and supple in his hands, wonderfully comfortable. It was hard to imagine it could actually ward off bladed weapons. The weather was growing colder and colder, and the two hemp outfits he had bought earlier truly offered little warmth. This was a timely solution to an urgent need. Third Senior Brother Lu Gang stepped forward. "Ninth Junior Brother, look at mine." Lu Gang was the burliest of all the martial brothers, his arms exceptionally thick and powerful. Even though it was winter, he still wore only a short-sleeved tunic. In his hand, he held a black metal bar as long as an arm and as thick as a wrist. "Third Senior Brother, what is this?" Liang Qu was bewildered. Giving him a block of steel? Yang Dongxiong chuckled. "Lu Gang comes from a line of blacksmiths. His grandfather was a smith in the military camp who followed the Taizu Emperor in winning the realm. The weapons he forges are superb. This piece of tungsten gold is ideal for forging weapons. His intention is to use it to forge a weapon for you, and he wants to ask what you prefer to wield." Lu Gang nodded. "Sabers, spears, swords, halberds—I can forge them all. I wonder what Ninth Junior Brother likes to use?" A weapon? Liang Qu's thoughts raced. He had wanted a weapon for a long time, but ironware was not cheap; even now, he still gutted fish with a sharpened stone knife. His primary domain was underwater. Underwater, weapons that required cleaving, hacking, or sweeping swings were impractical; thrusting weapons were by far the best choice. What fishermen used most often were fish spears, and to increase the chance of hitting, they often favored tridents. Liang Qu had no need for three prongs. What he faced were monsters like the crab fiend, where what mattered was piercing defenses in a single strike rather than just landing a hit. In that case, a long spear was the most fitting. After a moment's contemplation, Liang Qu said respectfully, "I favor the long spear. I wonder if Senior Brother Lu Gang could forge a great spear for me?" Yang Dongxiong looked surprised. "A great spear? The great spear is easy to learn but hard to master. Of course, I can teach you." "Disciple has the resolve." Seeing his determination, Yang Dongxiong urged him no further. Reaching grand mastery with any weapon was difficult; he had only mentioned it in passing. Besides, a spear was indeed easy to pick up. "That's easy enough," Lu Gang said. "In a little while, I'll draw a few spear diagrams for you to look over the designs. Once you decide, I'll begin forging. The materials for the spear shaft are already on hand, so there's no need to cure or straighten them in the shade. If we use tunny lacquer, it will only take about two months." "Around two months?" Liang Qu was startled, asking with concern, "Would that be troubling Senior Brother too much?" "Not at all. Forging it only takes ten-odd days. Most of the time is for the raw lacquer to set. Tunny lacquer is considered fast; ordinary glue lacquer takes at least three months." "Then I will trouble Senior Brother Lu." "I won't let you down, Junior Brother." Next was Fourth Senior Brother Xu Zishuai, the tall young man who had joked the previous night that his title as the handsomest was in danger. He looked spirited and fair-skinned, with an upright posture and an air of dashing elegance. Senior Brother Xu presented a pair of tungsten-steel bracers. They covered the entire forearm, tough yet remarkably light, fitted with leather buckles to adjust the fit. Fifth Senior Sister Zhuo Shaoqin was tall and strikingly valiant. She gave a pair of Cloud-Treading Boots crafted from phantom tiger hide, light and breathable. Sixth Senior Brother Cao Rang had square, upright features and radiated solemn righteousness. He presented a serene jade pendant, which helped elevate the spirit, focus the mind, and dispel fatigue. Sleeping with it under one's pillow at night had wondrous effects, cutting four shichen of sleep down to three and a half. Seventh Senior Brother Hu Qi, tall and broad, presented a belt fully a palm and a half wide. Made of mountain-ox leather and traced with dark red linear patterns, it was impervious to fire and blade, offering excellent defense. Eighth Senior Brother Xiang Changsong gave an exquisite narrow-sleeved robe edged with gold thread. Woven with celestial silkworm silk, it was supple yet tough, resistant to tearing, and exceptionally handsome. Liang Qu bowed in gratitude to each of them, deeply moved. In all the time since his transmigration, this was the first time he felt the comforting relief of having people to rely on. Having many senior martial brothers was wonderful indeed. Seven gifts in total, and not a single one was ordinary! Belt, bracers, robe, cloak, weapon, ornament, boots—they had assembled an entire set for him! Liang Qu felt just like Sun Wukong entering the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea, receiving his golden cap, golden chain mail, and cloud-walking boots piece by piece. Fourth Senior Brother Xu Zishuai's next words confirmed his suspicion. "A fellow like me hates giving gifts; it drains the brain," Xu Zishuai said. "So after talking it over with the others, we figured we might as well put together a full outfit for you. One piece each, and none of us would duplicate anything. Well, Little Ninth, want to put it on and try it out? You're nearly as handsome as I am, so it's bound to look great." "Indeed, it's bound to look splendid." Xiang Changsong, who had given the robe, was eager to see how his gift looked. "Considering you're at the age where you're still growing, I didn't take in the measurements, but it shouldn't be an issue." Madam Xu chimed in as well. "Go try it on." For a moment, all his senior brothers and sister were eager to see how Liang Qu looked decked out in their gifts. "This..." Liang Qu looked toward his master, Yang Dongxiong. Yang Dongxiong stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "Since your senior brothers and sister want to see, Nandi, take my ninth disciple to the guest room to change." "Yes, Master." Nandi stepped forward, extending a slender, fair hand toward the side corridor. "Ninth Young Master, please follow me." Ninth Young Master? In a daze, Liang Qu followed Nandi to the guest room in a trance. Nandi had the servants bring in a large bronze mirror. Polished as smooth as still water, it was not in the least inferior to the silver and aluminum mirrors of later eras. Gazing at the spirited, vigorous figure in the mirror, myriad thoughts raced through Liang Qu's mind. When he first arrived, he had been sallow, emaciated, and sunken-cheeked, his life flickering like a candle in the wind. But what about now? Two months, sixty days. He was full of vigor and glowing with health—and someone had even addressed him as Ninth Young Master! Ninth Young Master! He could hardly believe that title was referring to him! "Haha..." Before the bronze mirror, Liang Qu suddenly burst out laughing. Only when his gaze caught Nandi standing nearby did he realize someone was still in the room. He coughed awkwardly twice and fought to hold back his grin, but his cheek muscles soon gave out again. "Hahaha..." *Finished, I'm going to be thought a fool.* Liang Qu took deep breaths, using them to suppress the laughter, pulled his facial muscles back into order, and put on a serious front again. "I'm sorry. Pardon my foolishness." Nandi bowed slightly, revealing two shallow dimples on her cheeks. "Ninth Young Master has become a disciple of Squire Yang, so of course it is a joyous occasion. Across all the surrounding towns, townships, and villages, how many people wish to apprentice under him and have no way in? This proves Ninth Young Master is a one-in-ten-thousand talent, superior to ordinary folk many times over." Look at that. Truly a maidservant of a great household—pretty to look at and sweet of tongue. Positively decadent! Liang Qu raised a loose fist to his mouth and coughed. "Well... why don't you wait outside for now? You can come back in after I've changed." "Yes, young master." Once the guest room was empty, Liang Qu took off his outer garment and prepared to dress. The clean clothes he was currently wearing had been given to him by Hu Qi the night before, making him look presentable. If he had come today in his coarse brown hemp clothes, not only would it have looked improper, but he wouldn't even have had a decent undershirt, and throwing fine attire over that would have looked thoroughly awkward. It was his first time wearing proper robes, and Liang Qu had to study them for a while before figuring out how to put them on correctly. Poor folk had no such finicky customs; their open-collared hemp clothes slipped straight over the head and shoulders, done however was most convenient. The gold-trimmed robe, the white-soled cloud boots, the wide mountain-ox belt, the serene jade pendant and blackwood waist tablet at his waist, the tungsten-steel bracers, the black dog-bear hide cloak... Liang Qu picked them up one by one and donned them. In the mirror, a brand-new Liang Qu made his grand debut!