Local Flavor 1

Du Yan's eyes went wide. Where was Qin Feng going with this? Could it be that he was less interested with regard to his medication - that same stuff that he was pouring into his mouth! And was more concerned about the state of the Duchy's armaments?

No, that didn't seem right! From what little he knew of Qin Feng so far, it was unlikely that the young man would bother with something so inconsequential as that. Besides, wasn't there someone else from the South, that young lieutenant, who was in-charge of the Second Ducal Prince's Bodyguard? Surely he would be the one dealing with such matters. So why would Qin Feng be bothered with what sort of weapons were available thereabouts?

On the other hand, Du Yan was a little upset. While it could not be denied that he was the foremost expert on weapons and armor who was tied to Li Changhai, did Qin Feng really have to push such a question at him at this point in time? Surely it would be a little more appropriate to ask about the medication that he was pouring into his own mouth?

After all, it was rather clear that Du Yan was working on his alchemy, rather than concentrating on his weapons-crafting, wasn't he? At least, right at the moment.

Didn't the potion that he had just offered to the younger man make that obvious?

But Qin Feng had already pushed out his left hand, and there was a loud clattering sound before the two men as a rather large and heavy-looking sword fell onto the wooden table top in front of them. And Du Yan was somewhat shocked to hear the younger man's bitter snort as he pointed at the same:

"There! That is what I am talking about! Why do you lot in the North only come up with these sort of heavy weapons? I mean, that was all that I saw, when I went out to the weapon shops and smithies around the City. Don't they even have proper dueling weapons? Like the sort that I use?

"Like the one that I broke?"

"What do you mean 'you lot in the North'? We are in the Westlands! The Westlands! Don't compare us to those manner-less brutes in the North! Are you out to cause trouble for us?!"

Du Yan turned his head towards the door, and saw that it was Lin Liushui striding through the same. The latter was wearing a broad grin on his face, and it was clear from the tone of his voice that he was only joking with the pair inside the room earlier. Obviously, he was teasing Qin Feng for the latter's comment on the smithies of the West.

The handsome scholar chuckled as he stepped next to the table and wrinkled his nose at the dregs in the bowl that Qin Feng had just finished moments ago. "Oh dear. I suppose that we should have warned you about our dear Brother Yan's propensity to come up with all these medicinal tonics that are supposed to be good for strengthening your body. I see that he had managed to coax one of them down your throat already."

Lin Liushui gave out a mock sigh then, shaking his head at Qin Feng. Then he turned on Du Yan, and pointed his folded fan haughtily at the taller, brawnier fellow. The expression on his face was one that promised punishment, if Du Yan dared to oppose him:

"This is too much! Brother Sanlang had told us clearly to take good care of Younger Brother Feng here. And you are forcing your bitter-tasting medicines into him already? What are you thinking?

"Tell me: how should you be punished?"

"What do you mean by that? My medicine wasn't bitter! Isn't that right, Brother Feng? It didn't taste bitter, did it?"

After he had shared how he had used honey in the same, Du Yan knew that it was unlikely for Qin Feng to sell him out. Besides, the youngest one of them all had drunk it all down, hadn't he? Surely that should be enough to shut Lin Liushui up!

True enough, Qin Feng gave a shake of his head at that question. And waved the newly arrived Lin Liushui's attention back to the war sword lying on the table in front of him. Du Yan also took the opportunity to examine the weapon more closely, as Qin Feng explained what was going on to the handsome, scholarly fellow:

"You two know that I had bought a new sword - and that stupid thing broke in less than four days since I bought it! What a bloody waste! I should go back to the store and demand a refund! And it had cost me a pretty bit of money too! Almost thirteen thousand silver coins! That is just ridiculous, to be fair. But there weren't any other weapons of that style hereabouts. So I didn't really have a choice."

Qin Feng grumbled on, as Du Yan looked over the weapon that the young man had brought out earlier. This was a totally different weapon, as far as the muscular fellow could see. It had a thick, broad blade, and was at least the width his palm wide at the base of the blade, where it met with its circular, disc-like guard.

Even without having seen the actual weapon that broke, Du Yan would not have believed it if anyone had told him that a proper sword-of-war like the one before his eyes now had broken in a fight. That is, a fight in the city streets, between people in civilian clothing, and not heavy armor that was meant fo the battlefield.

"You are talking about this flimsy, little thing here?"

Another weapon joined the first on the table, and Du Yan recognized it immediately. It was the one that Qin Feng had used, back at the assassination attempt against the Second Ducal Prince. He did find it somewhat surprising, however, that Lin Liushui had bothered to pick up the shards of the sword, and bring it to Qin Feng now.

Then again, it did make some sense, when he thought about it. It was Qin Feng's weapon, for all that it had snapped into two. So it should be returned to its owner as soon as possible. But why had the young man brought out the heavier sword-of-war then? What point was he trying to make, with regards to that?

Suddenly, everything came together, and Du Yan understood immediately, what Qin Feng was so annoyed about:

Qin Feng was clearly a swordsman, so it made sense that he was not too pleased with the lack of a proper weapon, that could match his fighting style. Even though he had such an exemplary example of a weapon already in his possession, the heavy war-sword was not something that he could use. Not if he wanted to bring out the sword techniques that he had learnt!

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