Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 113: Chapter 95: Entering the Treasure Land! Frenziedly Stealing Celestial Secrets

Wan Ze quickly finished browsing, closed the booklet, and looked at Tie Qingyang with a smile. ”Looks like I owe you another big favor, Brother Tie.”

Tie Qingyang immediately waved his hand and laughed heartily. ”Favor? What favor? We’re practically family; there’s no need for such talk. Even without me, with your skill and judgment, Brother, finding a good sword and some suitable Swordsmanship to study wouldn’t be difficult. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, presenting a gift with borrowed hands.”

His tone then shifted as he gestured to the sword beside Wan Ze. ”However, the sword’s current condition really does it a disservice. It needs to be properly restored. I remember a Master Ge in the south of the city who specializes in restoring Ancient Weapons. His craft has been passed down through his family, and he’s one of the best in the business. He’s just a bit eccentric, and his shop is tucked away in some nook, making it hard to find. I happened to do him a small favor years ago, which is how we met. Shall I take you there this afternoon?”

”There’s no need to trouble you to make the trip yourself, Brother Tie,” Wan Ze said with a smile. On the way here, Tie Qingyang’s communicator hadn’t stopped buzzing; he was clearly a busy man.

Tie Qingyang glanced at his communicator, which was vibrating again, and gave a helpless smile. ”Alright then, I’ll have Feiyang go with you. He knows the way and has met Master Ge a few times, so he can help you get a word in. That old man... can be particular about who he deals with.”

”Alright, I won’t refuse this time,” Wan Ze agreed readily.

Lunch was authentic home-style cooking, but the ingredients were exquisite and the preparation masterful. Host and guest were both thoroughly pleased.

After the meal, accompanied by Tie Feiyang, Wan Ze left the estate with the Ancient Sword and headed straight for the shop in the south of the city.

The afternoon sun chased away the morning chill. The car drove through the downtown streets, soon passing through a tunnel and onto West Bridge.

The buildings on both sides of the road suddenly became much shorter; the skyscrapers of the city center were rarely seen here.

Tie Feiyang sat beside Wan Ze, murmuring something in a low voice.

Ever since he was intercepted by Jie Bufan last time, he now traveled with bodyguards to avoid any more trouble.

An unknown amount of time passed.

”Brother Wan, we’re here,” Tie Feiyang called out softly.

Wan Ze rubbed the bridge of his nose, returning from his meditation.

The driver had already deftly circled around to the side and opened the car door for him.

The distinct smell of old wood, characteristic of the old district, washed over him.

The road was narrow. Just then, a two-horse carriage passed by with a JINGLE JINGLE, its hooves making a dull CLOP CLOP sound on the stone pavement.

Wan Ze stepped out of the car. Tie Feiyang came around from the other side and pointed to a narrow alley beside them, only wide enough for two people to walk abreast. ”Brother Wan, we have to go in here. Go to the end, turn left, and number 23 is Master Ge’s shop... It’s really hidden away.”

”This place... If Brother Tie hadn’t given us directions, an ordinary person would never find it,” Wan Ze said with a laugh. He sized up the alley; its entrance was so gloomy that someone fainthearted probably wouldn’t dare come here at night.

”Heh, skilled masters all have their quirks. They love picking quiet places like this,” Tie Feiyang said with a grin, leading the way. ”My dad said he also stumbled upon it by chance back in the day, or he’d never have found it either.”

The alley wasn’t long. At the end, a left turn revealed an inconspicuous old wooden door. A small wooden board hung on the lintel, but the writing on it was so faded by wind and rain that only the character for ”Ge” was faintly discernible.

The door was closed, but a sliver of light shone from underneath.

Tie Feiyang went forward and knocked hard on the door. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

”Master Ge! Are you home? Open up!”

With a CREAK, the door opened by itself.

Tie Feiyang froze, instinctively glancing back at Wan Ze.

Pushing the door open revealed a moderately sized front room that also served as a workshop, brightly lit.

The furnace was out, but the faint smell of charcoal still lingered in the air, mixed with the scent of metal and oil.

All sorts of unidentifiable tools, half-finished metal blanks, and some restored sabers, swords, and other weapons were placed all around.

”Master Ge?”

”Is Master Ge here?”

Tie Feiyang called out several times, but there was no response.

’I could just die right now.’

Last time he’d driven to pick up Wan Ze, he’d been ambushed by Jie Bufan with a gun.

This time he came looking for Master Ge, and the door was ajar but the person was gone...

’Don’t tell me I’m a walking jinx.’

Steeling himself, Tie Feiyang took a few steps inside, looking around.

Wan Ze, following behind, was unhurried. His calm gaze swept over the workshop’s furnishings.

Fortunately, from behind a simple, partially-closed wooden door to the side, he heard a faint snore.

Wan Ze gave a signal, and Tie Feiyang quickly stepped forward and pushed the door open.

Inside was a narrow partitioned room, just big enough for a bed and a table.

A small, scrawny old man was curled up on an old wooden bed, fast asleep. His sparse hair was gray and messy, and his face was covered in red marks from long-term exposure to the furnace’s heat.

His work clothes were washed-out and stained with grease. One of his cloth shoes was still half-on, while the other had fallen to the floor.

A strong stench of alcohol hit them.

Tie Feiyang was both exasperated and amused. His anxious heart finally settled down. He bent down, picked up two empty glass bottles, glanced at the labels, and couldn’t help but tease, ”Master Ge’s tolerance isn’t so great, is it? Two bottles of 9% beer was all it took to knock you out?”

He moved closer to the bed and called out again, raising his voice.

Only then did Master Ge groan groggily on the bed. He struggled to open his eyelids and stared blankly at Tie Feiyang for several seconds before slurring, ”You... here to have somethin’ made? Or to buy somethin’?”

”Master Ge, it’s me! Feiyang! Tie Qingyang’s son!” Tie Feiyang said helplessly, forced to introduce himself again. He suspected the old man was just pretending not to know him; otherwise, why would he make him introduce himself every single time?

”Oh... Tie Boy... I remember now... Where’s your dad? Never mind, forget I asked.”

Master Ge seemed to sober up a little. He struggled to sit up, leaned against the headboard to catch his breath, and rubbed his temples before shakily getting out of bed.

He shot a glance at Tie Feiyang and asked in a gruff, muffled voice, ”Spit it out. What do you want made?”

”It’s not me, it’s Brother Wan. He’d like to ask you to re-forge and polish a sword,” Tie Feiyang said, quickly stepping aside to reveal Wan Ze behind him.

Only then did Master Ge’s gaze fall upon Wan Ze, who had been standing quietly by the door all along.

His inspection was direct and devoid of pleasantries. With no intention of making small talk, he simply held out a heavily calloused hand. ”The sword? Let me see.”

Wan Ze handed over the cloth-wrapped Ancient Sword.

Master Ge took it. The slight weight in his hand made his eyebrows raise involuntarily. Without another word, he gripped the hilt and tried to draw the blade. Perhaps due to the weakness from his drunkenness, combined with the severe corrosion inside the scabbard, he failed to draw it on the first try.

He frowned, took a deep breath, and put more strength into it.

SHIIING-CLANG!

The blade was finally drawn about half a foot.

Under the dim yellow light, the red and green intertwined corrosion on the blade’s body was revealed.

”Whoa, look at this rust...”

Master Ge leaned in to examine the color and extent of the rust, his brow furrowing even deeper. He looked up at Wan Ze, his tone displeased. ”Young man, a treasured sword has a spirit. It must be constantly wiped and maintained. If you’re going to abuse it like this, you might as well have left it buried in the ground.”

Before Wan Ze could speak, Tie Feiyang jumped in to explain, ”Master Ge, you’re blaming the wrong person. Brother Wan just acquired this old item from someone else today. The original owner had no idea how to maintain it and left it in a corner for who knows how many years. If it weren’t for Brother Wan’s discerning eye, in a few more years it would have rusted through and become a true piece of scrap metal.”

Hearing this, the displeasure on Master Ge’s face lessened slightly. He grunted and returned his attention to the sword in his hands.

He seemed to be pondering something. Then he walked to his workbench, turned on a brighter, professional-grade lamp, and picked up a magnifying glass. He began to meticulously examine the sword inch by inch, from the guard to the tip, scrutinizing the material’s grain, the depth of the corrosion, and the remaining forging marks.

As he looked...

The drunkenness on his face seemed to dissipate, replaced by intense focus. He couldn’t help but let out amazed clicks of his tongue. ”Tsk, tsk.”

”This grain... these layers of folding... and this ridgeline... incredible.”

The old man muttered to himself, his fingers carefully stroking the few uncorroded spots, feeling them intently.

”This isn’t ordinary work. This is a masterpiece forged through a thousand refinements using ancient methods by a true old master. To think... to think it would end up in this state.”

He shook his head, a mix of regret and the palpable excitement of a hunter who’s found worthy prey.

’Only a ”patient” like this is worthy of my skills.’

”Wait.”

Master Ge said nothing more, his words concise.

He turned, took a toolbox from a shelf, put on gloves and goggles, and began by carefully cleaning the surface dust with a soft brush and a special air blower.

He then selected several types of special sandpaper with different grits and some polishing paste, expertly mixing a pungent-smelling rust removal solution.

But the old man didn’t start work immediately. Instead, he first performed small-scale tests on different rusted areas, observed the reactions to determine the best approach, and only then began to polish and clean along the blade’s grain, from coarse to fine...

Seeing this, Wan Ze didn’t make a sound to disturb him.

His gaze was then drawn to several other old weapons displayed in the workshop, and he strolled over.

Most of these old weapons also bore the marks of time, but they had clearly been meticulously maintained, and they gleamed faintly under the lights.

He reached out and lightly placed his finger on a short sword.

A familiar cool sensation instantly shot up from his fingertip, like a startled little fish.

A smile touched Wan Ze’s eyes, and he felt a sense of certainty in his heart.

’It seems I’ve really come to the right place this time.’

...

[Stealing Celestial Secret 1: Sword Momentum · Flying Feather] (100%)

...

He continued his search.

Tie Feiyang wasn’t the type to sit still. Seeing Wan Ze move about, his interest was immediately piqued, and he followed alongside to join in the fun.

He soon took a fancy to a simple, unadorned curved saber. Its scabbard was dark leather, a gold thread was wrapped around the hilt, and the whole thing had a bronze-gold sheen.

He took it in his hand and made a couple of practice swings, finding it felt exceptionally good. He couldn’t help but grin at Wan Ze. ”Brother Wan, look at this. Cool, right? Doesn’t it have the vibe of a bladesman from the Western Regions?”

”Not bad. It suits your personality,” Wan Ze said with a glance and a smiling nod.

Hearing this, Tie Feiyang became even more pleased, playing with it, unable to put it down.

Wan Ze smiled and put the sword he was holding back.

「At the same time.」

He discreetly glanced at the data panel.

[Stealing Celestial Secret 1: Sword Momentum · Hu Ben] (100%)

[Stealing Celestial Secret 2: Stubborn Stone] (100%)

[Stealing Celestial Secret 3: Tiger and Wolf Momentum] (100%)

...

Wan Ze let out a small sigh of relief. Out of more than twenty weapons, he had found four old artifacts.

He now possessed three Sword Momenta... Wangshan, Hu Ben, and Flying Feather.

Wan Ze was eager to try them out.

’It’s a shame there isn’t an opponent here, or I’d really test them out.’

He suppressed the joy in his heart.

A sound came from behind him.

A soft SIZZLE, like liquid dripping onto hot metal and evaporating instantly, was followed by the crisp DING DONG of a small hammer tapping on an anvil.

Wan Ze turned at the sound and saw that Master Ge was completely engrossed in his work, the earlier drunkenness and laziness long gone.

While he was waiting, a faint vibration came from his pocket.

’It’s Miss Ling.’

A trace of confusion crossed Wan Ze’s mind.

After her Rain Bell was stolen last time, Miss Ling had stayed at the Dragon Eagle Inn for a week. Only after confirming it was completely safe did she move back to her own home.

’Why would she suddenly call now?’

”Hello, Miss Ling?”

The moment Wan Ze spoke, he heard Miss Ling’s panicked voice. ”Wan Ze, is... is it a convenient time for you to talk?”

Wan Ze froze.