After another several dozen zhang, the column split up.
The prefectural yamun could never accommodate so many idle hands in the first place, so Steward Lao Mo led the families of the Auxiliary Army soldiers to the designated posthouse to settle in. More importantly, of course, he was escorting Madam Ying and the others to the Chief Administrator of Xiazhou's new home.
In accordance with He Chunhua's prior arrangements, He Yue followed him to the yamun, while He Lingchuan accompanied Madam Ying.
About a quarter of an hour later, Madam Ying and her son finally arrived at the family's new residence.
It stood fifteen zhang behind the government offices, convenient for the Chief Administrator to commute to work. Mansions belonging to other officials dotted the surrounding area, with the Dunyu County Magistrate living nearby as well, and two or three rows of official quarters directly behind it.
He Lingchuan accompanied his mother on a walk through the interior and grounds. Servants began unloading luggage, tidying up the quarters, sweeping the courtyards, and splashing water to settle the dust; the once-empty residence instantly came alive with bustle.
The state prefecture had prepared the compound well in advance. It was reasonably clean, and several servants had been stationed there permanently to keep it tidy. The moment Steward Lao Mo arrived, he handed these servants generous rewards and sent them on their way.
The lady of the house was only willing to employ hands brought from their hometown, though she would naturally recruit more people over time.
For Madam Ying, whose expectations had built up over the entire journey, this official residence proved deeply disappointing. Never mind comparing it to the Li clan's compound—even the estate of Hu the silk merchant they had passed earlier was twice the size of the Chief Administrator's mansion. The furnishings inside were fairly shabby and second-hand—or third-hand, for all she knew. Though the plaster on the walls and the roof tiles had just been patched, the covered walkways were still damaged, the bluestone pavers in the courtyard were sunken or cracked, and even the plants sprawled wildly and out of control.
With her sharp eyes, Madam Ying even spotted several wormholes in the legs of the living room table.
This place fell far short of her expectations; it was not even as comfortable as their old house back in Blackwater City.
Seeing her face darken by the second, He Lingchuan hurriedly consoled her, "Don't be upset, old lady. The place is in such disrepair that whatever needs tossing can be tossed, whatever needs fixing can be fixed, whatever needs remodeling can be remodeled, and whatever needs buying can be bought. Dad won't be able to say a word against it. Doesn't this give you the perfect chance to display your talents? Does our family lack this little bit of money?"
Their residence in Blackwater City had also been put together piece by piece through Madam Ying's efforts.
Perhaps women had an innate fondness for decorating and renovation. When Madam Ying thought about how she could give her husband an earful once he returned, and spend the next few months renovating the house until everything was arranged to her heart's content, her mood gradually improved.
"Who are you calling old? And why wouldn't our family lack money? Your father has just arrived in Xiazhou; socializing and networking will cost a fortune, while the income for a newly appointed official is slim. We should still save wherever we can... Hmm, look at this garden courtyard—the ground has caved in anyway. Why don't we just dig a deep cistern? In the summer, we can chill melon, fruit, and wine down there!"
A water cistern was essentially a reservoir, but an exceptionally deep one, holding at least a zhang of water. No matter how hot summer became, sunlight could never reach the bottom, keeping it icy cold—ideal for chilling food. In addition, it could store fresh water and serve as an emergency reserve for firefighting.
What Madam Ying said about her husband having less money after his promotion was also true. In Qiansong Commandery, He Chunhua had been an undisputed local warlord, with all sorts of income streams both aboveboard and under the table. Otherwise, with his eldest son spending money like water on ordinary days, how could a commandery prefect's meager stipend have ever sustained them?
As for his promotion to Chief Administrator of Xiazhou, being a newcomer meant it was not yet time to reach into the coffers. An old hand like He Chunhua would surely map out all the local channels and intricacies first.
Men like He Chunhua were not even considered corrupt officials in the Great Yuan Dynasty; instead, they were seen as prime examples of capable, pragmatic men of action. At the very least, he had never dug three feet into the earth to suck the marrow and blood of the common folk dry. On this point, Madam Ying felt quite proud.
She treated her eldest son rather well this time too; before her husband even returned, she assigned He Lingchuan an east-facing courtyard.
The two brothers' quarters were roughly equal in size, which was a little selfish consideration of her own.
Madam Ying went off to busy herself. He Lingchuan walked into his new territory to look around. The courtyard was smaller than his quarters in Blackwater City, but spacious enough to practice martial arts. Along the wall, a row of peach trees had matured into old trunks; come next summer, he would have peaches to eat without having to step outside.
In the courtyard stood a large jujube tree, its branches bare in the winter. He Lingchuan mused that in a few days he could build a small treehouse up there for the medicine ape Lingguang.
The rock wolf followed him inside, sniffing left and right, unable to shake its canine habits. He Lingchuan kindly asked, "Lu Xin, shall I build a little wooden shed for you in the yard?"
"Sure..." Lu Xin was about to agree when he realized something was wrong. "No! Do you take me for a dog? You want me to sleep in a doghouse?"
Wasn't a small wooden hut just a doghouse?
Faced with its low growl, He Lingchuan shrugged. "Then you sleep in the lounge. If you need to take a dump, go to the latrine—not in the yard! And no pissing against the walls!"
Lu Xin ground his teeth. This was asking far too much of a wolf.
The room was fully furnished, but given Madam Ying's temper, everything would be tossed out or replaced anyway.
Steward Lao Mo had already sent servants over with a charcoal brazier, hot water, and a tea tray.
Just as He Lingchuan poured himself a cup of hot tea, someone knocked at the courtyard gate.
"Boss, it's me."
The voice was unmistakably Li Fubo's.
"The gate isn't locked. Come on in."
Li Fubo stepped inside. He Lingchuan smiled and asked, "You didn't go to the yamun to watch the spectacle?" He himself had wanted to go very much.
"No. The marquis went, and he instructed me to come over first to attend to your business."
"Business?" He Lingchuan didn't catch on for a moment.
"Saber planting."
He Lingchuan smacked his forehead. "Even the Marquis of Songyang is more attentive to this than I am!"
This young master was indeed carefree. "The treasured saber must remain undisturbed for half a month, during which it cannot be moved. Is this place suitable?"
"Right here is fine." He Lingchuan rubbed his hands together, unable to hide his excitement. "Come, let me see Songyang Mansion's saber planting technique."
Li Fubo first took out an object and handed it to him. "This has been repaired. Please pass it to your esteemed father."
He Lingchuan took a look. It was that walnut boat—formally known as the Sumeru boat—which had been damaged last time when he hurled it to crush Dong Rui's ghost ape.
"Fixed so quickly? Truly worthy of Master Li!" Compliments cost nothing, and they rolled off his tongue effortlessly.
Li Fubo smiled. "Our marquis repaired this personally."
He Lingchuan let out a long "Ohhh." "I'll be sure to pass along the message."
Inwardly he thought: *Mother is definitely going to blow her top.*
Li Fubo retrieved a bronze furnace from his storage ring, tossed it onto the floor, and muttered a brief incantation.
The palm-sized bronze furnace expanded until it stood taller than a man.
By now, He Lingchuan was no longer surprised by such techniques from Songyang Mansion.
"Step back a few paces, Boss."
He Lingchuan stepped back as told. Li Fubo patted the side of the furnace, and its lid folded open to all four sides, immediately unleashing a fierce wave of searing heat. Even standing a zhang away, He Lingchuan felt the rolling heatwaves. In such a spacious room, the temperature rose by at least five degrees.
And this was only because Li Fubo had exerted great effort to control the furnace's heat; otherwise, if the true fire were allowed to sweep outward, the wooden bed and cabinets would have caught fire in an instant.
With the lid folded open, the furnace body transformed into a platform, convenient for a master craftsman to work on.
He Lingchuan's gaze fell first upon the lump of golden mud.
By now, its color had shifted from blazing gold to a dusky gold tinged with black. In certain corners, there were even hints of faint green and gosling yellow, resembling a pile of charcoal in the countryside that had been trampled by cats, dogs, and geese... far from the pristine beauty it once possessed.
Yet as Li Fubo brought up the flame, the most immediate change was that its volume more than doubled. Although it remained in a solid state, small bubbles like molten lava occasionally burst on its surface, dark red liquid sluggishly flowing beneath, casting a red glow through fissures in the muddy crust.
In short, it looked like a chunk of lava burning relentlessly from within.
He Lingchuan asked humbly, "How does it work? Where is the wujin?"
"The wujin has already been melted into the golden mud, along with seven other ingredients," Li Fubo answered earnestly. "Two of them were personally specified by the marquis. As for the exact formula, please forgive me, but I cannot disclose it."
"The wujin is already melted?" He Lingchuan asked in surprise. "I thought the essence of metal was the hardest thing in the world, requiring ten days to half a month of melting followed by a lightning strike to dissolve."
"True gold does not fear the test of fire," Li Fubo smiled slightly. "Unless there is a catalyst."
He then produced two fist-sized pieces of wujin and handed them to He Lingchuan. "These are the leftover materials. Please keep them safe."
Though they were merely two pieces of scrap, they were still worth many times more than an equal volume of gold.
He Lingchuan took them and put them away.
This showed just how carefree Li Fubo was—he hadn't even called He Lingchuan to bear witness before smelting the wujin. Eldest Young Master He had indeed told him to handle the entire process himself, but without witnessing the smelting in person, who could say whether Li Fubo had skimmed some off the top to line his own pockets?
After all, the piece of wujin He Lingchuan bought was massive, and during smelting, stealing a piece or two would go entirely unnoticed.
"As you know, I began smelting the wujin back in Ru County. The slow simmering over low heat could not be interrupted, and bringing it onto the carriage took no small effort." Li Fubo pointed at the internally burning golden mud. "Wujin is the most vital material for saber planting; only when completely fused into a medium like golden mud can it be absorbed by the treasured saber. Its temperature is dropping rapidly now. You may proceed with the planting."
"How do I plant it?"
Following his instructions, He Lingchuan removed the grip wrap from the saber's hilt and washed its surface with a liquid Li Fubo handed him.
Whatever it was, the liquid hissed and sizzled the moment it was poured over the hilt, sending up wisps of green smoke. The hilt was corroded into a riddled honeycomb of tiny pits.
He Lingchuan's heart ached at the sight, but Li Fubo said, "Draw your blood and coat the hilt completely."
This step was called saber feeding, and it required the blood of its master.
As long as it didn't require blood from his heart, it was easy enough. He Lingchuan pricked his ring finger with a small knife, letting drops of blood fall onto the hilt to fill the tiny holes.
"Spread it evenly."
He Lingchuan followed instructions, but soon discovered the hilt was like a sponge, drinking every drop of blood completely dry.
Its speed could only be described as ravenous.
He simply slashed a deeper cut across his arm, letting the blood flow more freely.
The broken saber was not shy in the least, guzzling down whatever came, showing no reluctance at draining him dry.
Even Li Fubo watched without blinking.
After feeding it for a good while, He Lingchuan felt his skin crawl and couldn't resist asking, "Hey, is this normal?"
"It's not normal." Li Fubo's reply made He Lingchuan's heart skip a beat. "Among all the treasured sabers I've planted, the one that took the most blood used barely twenty percent of this. But now that we've reached this step, you'd best satisfy it."
A treasured saber this bloodthirsty—and thirsty for its master's blood at that—was something he was seeing for the very first time.
Chapter 217