Black Tiger Tooth!

In the end, Tang Soso took a bit of time on her bed to freshen herself as Old Jiang caused mayhem within her residence trying to prepare everything in fifteen minutes.

Buckets were flying around in the courtyard as streams of water were heard being poured into a nearby large tub. Old Jiang thoroughly rummaged around Tang Soso's kitchen and caused a small earthquake in the room next door before coming back to Tang Soso's bedroom with a smile on his face, indicating that everything was prepared. Funny enough though, the bath and meal were actually prepared in just ten minutes.

It seems like the old man lost track of time and overdid it. But hey! She won't complain about some extra time being saved!

With just that, Tang Soso could only grumpily accept his apology and quickly get back to work. She downed the still-hot soup in front of her and took a quick rinse in the tub, before immediately rushing out the front door.

On her shoulder was a small bag filled with rations just in case her journey would take more than a day and now she is ready to take on the old cave! 

Tang Soso quickly opens the door...

The sun was already up in the sky, blasting her pale face with its agonizing heat. What was once her pale smooth skin immediately turned bright red from from its mere exposure.

Goodness, what a weather Sichuan has... she's definitely going to travel under the trees this time. If only she had some long robes to cover her skin while at it... curse that damn old man! Sacrificing her dresses just to make two useless black coats!

After preparing herself thoroughly, Tang Soso quickly set off back toward Chengdu City!

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'Hmm... This should be the place...'

After a few hours of walking around, Tang Soso quickly arrived at her first destination. She stood in front of a small workshop somewhere on the main streets of Chengdu City, wearing a modest hanfu and her usual black blindfold, covering a third of her face.

Everywhere around her was bustling with an endless crowd of people. Along the massive street, some people were simply loitering around in hopes of getting some fresh air, some were on about their business trying to make profits, while some people were checking on the new bounty poster of a small figure in a black cloak that was pasted all over the town.

However, she didn't really notice them...

After all, those people mentioned above were just a small portion of the crowds around her. Most of the people nearby, especially men walking along the streets were simply there to stop by and gaze at Tang Soso's beauty.

Although she couldn't see them, she could totally feel their creepy gazes. They surrounded Tang Soso left and right, successfully ruining her day.

'Ugh!'

Do these men think she didn't notice? She already wore some things to cover herself, why does her beauty still shined through? Does she really have to wear a full-on face mask to blend in with the atmosphere around her and stop sticking out?

However, even though she complained a bit in her heart, there was nothing she could do about it. In the end, she continued to do what she needed to do.

Tang Soso's Qi Sense started flaring up and scanned the building with every nook and cranny. There were at least around twelve people present. The sounds of forges flaring up with blazing fire along with the frequent clang of metals echoed through her ear. The scent of iron rushed through her nose as the memory of the battlefield crawled back to her mind.

After a brief while, she retracted her Qi Sense and a smile appeared on her face. This is indeed the place she was looking for! A weapon shop!

Just a while earlier before Tang Soso arrived at this place, she stopped by a conspicuous river and threw away her blunt dagger that she used to kill the two guards away. It floated away to the forest nearby, washing away the blood that was carried along with it.

Although she now became somewhat defenseless without any weapons, she didn't mind it too much. Keeping that dagger could become detrimental to her since it was one of the evidence that tied the two guards' murder to her. Thus, she had to get rid of it at all costs!

But now that she is here, it's time to get a better weapon! An actual weapon many times stronger than that useless lump of metal!

With an excited expression, Tang Soso quickly entered the small workshop only to be greeted by a shirtless burly man with a small hammer in his hand.

His muscles were so big that even she wondered how this man managed to attain it by just smithing. If it wasn't for his cheerful aura, she doubted anyone would dare to approach him!

"Welcome! Welcome to the Smoking Iron Smithy!"

After noticing Tang Soso entered the building, the burly man quickly approached her with a bright smile on his face, wanting to greet his new customer. However, after noticing her blindfold covering her eyes as well as a third of her face, he flashed a look of sympathy and confusion before quickly shifting back to his cheerful persona.

What is a blind girl doing in his shop?

"Well, hello there, little missy! I've never seen someone blind and fragile like ye came into this place before! Are you sure you went into the right building? Just to be clear, this is a place to buy weapons, not a tea shop!"

[ Ah, then I must've come to the right place. ]

As soon as Tang Soso flashed her signboard out, the burly man flashed another look of sympathy. To think this young girl is mute too... Just how much misfortune did this poor girl encounter in her life?

"Mute too, eh? You sure had a rough life, little missy. Ye are lucky I have learned to read in my life, or else I doubt anyone would come to understand ye..." 

[ Indeed. Have you never seen someone with a little impairment before? ]

"Oh trust me, not once in my thirty years of living as a blacksmith did someone blind ever visit this place. Only city guards and those bastard martial artists visit weapon shops like ours, and I doubt anyone who is blind would even get close to a life of drawing swords and blood!"

[ Haha, is that so? Well, then it seems like I am the only exception. Old man, you are truly someone with a great personality, however, I am currently not free enough to have some small chitchats. I am here to buy a weapon. ]

Tang Soso flashed a serious expression as those words were written, and the burly man could see the conviction behind them. He could tell that this girl was not joking in the slightest.

"Ah, is that so? Are you a martial artist?"

[ Indeed, I am. ]

"Oh heavens, are you trying to court death trying to be a martial artist with those blind eyes of yours?"

[ That is exactly what everyone else thought until I started drawing my blade! ]

"Hoho! It seems like you are not someone ordinary then... Or is that what you think I would say?"

A massive look of doubt was plastered all over his face and his previous cheerful personality was immediately wiped away. Does this little girl think that he is easy to fool?

Throughout his life within the smithy, he had seen countless people come and go with his weapons that he made with blood and sweat. And among these people, some were even talented martial artists with a dream as high as the sky!

Yet, most of them eventually disappeared and never returned again. They all died miserably and were sent to the underworld carrying his weapons along with them. So much of the blood and sweat he poured into these weapons became completely wasted and ended up as a faint memory in the end...

And now this disabled girl thinks she's a hot shot?

"Listen to me, young lass. The world is cruel and treats humans no differently than a branch on the side of the road. Leave this place now and never come back, since this will be a short road toward death. A crippled lady like you doesn't need weapons, since-"

[ I have twelve pieces of gold. ]

"..."

Just as those six words were written on Tang Soso's signboard, the burly man froze on his track. He immediately stopped his rambling and hung his mouth agape as he processed this information...

GOLD!?

And twelve pieces at that!?

A mischievous grin immediately appeared on his face, replacing the serious expression he had just a moment ago. This was a massive amount of money that he had never seen in the past decade. These golds will definitely be enough to elevate his weapon business to a whole new level!

Forget about everything he said! He changed his mind now!

With that thought, the burly man swooped those golds away from Tang Soso's hand and clasped his hands furiously like a cunning businessman...

"Well then, please come in and have a look, honorable young lady~"

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Tang Soso and the burly man proceeded to take a look around at every weapon that this smithy has to offer. She walked along a narrow path behind the common room with the burly man as her guide.

Along the way, she also saw a few people hammering rods and blades on each of their forges and continuously producing goods without rest. She could feel the blaring heat they exuded around her skin as she watched them closely.

Most of the weapons that were deemed ordinary were put away in boxes before being placed in storage to be exported to martial sects and clans. The excellent ones, however, were hung on the back of the store to be marveled at.

The burly man had said to her that there had been nobody to come into this place for the past two years. Simply the thought of it was enough to make her feel satisfied. And now, Tang Soso was here to choose one of those weapons to take for herself!

As she went on further into the building, she arrived at a place where the excellent weapons were kept.

In front of her were grandiose swords, heavy spears, and edgy daggers that exuded dangerous auras. They came in all shapes and sizes, molded by the smithy's excellent craftsmanship. Each of them was extremely exceptional and would send martial artists to drool just by looking at them.

However, this isn't the case for Tang Soso, who had been through numerous battlefields and had seen numerous divine weapons with her own eyes. She simply stared at them all with disinterest.

'Hmm...'

'This sword feels too flashy and definitely won't match my style of combat... Heavy spears? Out of the question! As for those daggers, they were more of a decoration the more I looked at them. Experts back at the Tang Clan would definitely mock me if they saw me carrying them in my hands...' Tang Soso pondered deeply as she walked around and inspected each weapon the smithy had to offer.

Along the way, Tang Soso kept inspecting many weapons carefully before she snorted at them with disinterest. She immediately disregarded them and went around looking for the ones that could at least barely pass her expectations. This had been going on for about fifteen minutes and the burly man's confidence was draining with each passing second.

Hey, it can't be helped! In her previous life, all her weapons were made of high-quality cold iron and she has since been spoiled by them, thinking any weapons below them were trash!

'Ugh, it seems like this place doesn't have any weapons good enough for me. To think I just wasted my precious time like this... Hm...?'

However, suddenly, her senses noticed a strange glint somewhere near her. Her eyes were immediately locked on a single weapon that was hung at the back of the room.

The burly man noticed this and saw his chance to shine, his confidence and pride returning to his heart like a gentle breeze. He immediately got up and asked her, "Did something catch your eye, honorable young lady?"

[ Yes, but please stop calling me that. ]

"Yes, honorable young lady."

Without a slight hesitation, Tang Soso immediately pointed to a short blade that was hung on the wall, surrounded by other flashy weapons. The short blade's appearance was ordinary and inconspicuous, making it feel unsightly to be hung alongside other grandiose-looking weapons.

The short blade was built using a sharp, black-hued steel lodged in a simple rope-tied hilt. It didn't exude any dangerous aura or any of the sort. It's just a simple blade that could mostly be found in an ordinary guard's house.

However, Tang Soso's Qi Sense and intuition go way beyond that!

She could tell that this dagger was made of reinforced steel unlike other weapons within this smithy. It's a material that is just slightly behind cold iron in terms of its power and durability. This weapon could definitely cut through every other weapon in this building like they are butter!

'Finally, a weapon that could actually be utilized! I was extremely disappointed when I thought this smithy only had decorations for weapons or something...' Tang Soso grinned as she further inspected the short blade with her Qi Sense.

Seeing what Tang Soso wanted, the burly man flashed a surprised expression before slowly regaining his composure. With some reluctance, he slowly treaded toward the short blade and released it from its hanger, before delivering it toward Tang Soso.

"This is very surprising... I had never thought anyone would even bat an eye at such an inconspicuous short sword amongst many other strong weapons, but here you are. Are you sure this is what you wanted, honorable young lady?" The burly man asked with a disappointed tone. However, Tang Soso could sense within that voice some feeling of reluctance. It was as if this man didn't want to trade this single piece of weapon even at the price of more than ten golds.

[ I would like to have that weapon. ] Tang Soso firmly stated her wish.

After noticing that Tang Soso had firmly set her mind on getting this weapon, the burly man could only sigh as he handed it over to her. He slowly took a glimpse at her facial expression...

Not a single expression of doubt was present on her face. Her lips were still firm and her gaze was focused on the inconspicuous short blade on her hand. It was as if she knew exactly what she was doing.

sighs...

It seems like he underestimated her. This young girl did not want this weapon out of curiosity, but rather because she knew that this was a good weapon!

"Young lady, you actually saw this short blade's true value, didn't ya? That's why ya chose it amongst the other weapons. How'd ya even spot this masterpiece among every other weapon?" The burly man asked from curiosity.

[ Every martial artist has their secrets. ]

"Agh, ya bummer! Share a thing or two will ya!? Just so ya know, that short blade was personally made by my late master who had disappeared ten years ago! Although the old man was lacking in funds at the time, he managed to scrap some things to make the reinforced steel and used it exclusively for that short blade!"

"With that as the material, I assure you that any weapon that's made of things below cold iron would fold under its prowess! Its great craftsmanship also makes sure that it can help you kick out even other weapons made of reinforced iron out of competition! That's how great this weapon is!"

With his hands clapped into a begging position, he approached Tang Soso with a pair of puppy eyes... "Are you sure you won't share this old man a thing or two after I'm giving away such a precious weapon?"

[ No, I'm good. I paid this in gold and I'm leaving with it. ]

As that last statement scratched Tang Soso's signboard, she tapped her foot as her figure suddenly disappeared like smoke along with her new short blade.

The burly man was left alone in the room doing an awkward pose by himself as his veins bulged with complicated feelings. As his client had already disappeared, all he could do was sigh and get on with his day...

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A moment later, Tang Soso arrived back at a nearby alley on the surface with a smile on her face. She quickly tied her new short blade beside her hips as it rested comfortably beside her.

'To think I just spent twelve gold on a single piece of blade. I wonder if this is worth it... Those twelve golds were all the savings that I could find within my residence after all. Let's just hope Old Jiang wouldn't mind having his wallet empty for a month or two~'

At this moment, Tang Soso used her Qi Sense to sense for any people near her. When she found out that she was alone in this alley, she let out a quiet grin.

She glanced at the black-hued short blade on her hand with a whistle. After a few seconds of pondering, she suddenly clutches her hand as she swung the blade onto a nearby tree!

swoooosh....

The blade traveled at an extremely fast speed as it flowed with the wind. The original dull dagger that Tang Soso had used would've bounced off the trunk if it was not imbued with Qi. However, as the blade made contact with the tree, it cut through its trunk as if it was butter.

Strangely, unlike other weapons that was not imbued with Qi, the dagger made absolutely no sound as it left a clean cut on the tree. It was as if this blade's edges was so sharp that it had cleanly cut through the wind and wood without any extra friction being made!

Now on the tree's large trunk, a slim yet deep cut was present. It seemed as if a first-rate martial artist made this slash!

'AHAHAHA! This blade is indeed quite decent! What a deal I've made! Although twelve golds might still be a bit too much, I've now found a very reliable weapon to travel with!' Tang Soso laughed with glee. Her heart was practically bouncing back and forth inside her chest.

'I'll name this short blade... Black Tiger Tooth. Yeah, that sounds kind of cool!' 

'With this guy on my hands, I should be able travel anywhere with ease. Unless I encountered a first-rate martial artist or anyone stronger than that, I should have no problem protecting myself. Then since I've gotten stronger, I should just go to the northern forest and cut some time on this journey...'

With that last sentence, she left the quiet alley and went back to the main road. She dashed with the wind to the northern gates and carried on with her journey to the Old Cave just like earlier. But now, with a deadly weapon accompanying her hand.

With this, she should be safe... right?