"Speaking of which, is the 'Artisan' a real figure? I heard people mention the name when I was in Mondstadt."
"Correct. 'One who hammers and forges is a blacksmith, one who tills and plants is a farmer, but anyone who excels in a single craft with consummate skill may be called a craftsman. Thus, one who creates without being bound to metals and stone should naturally be called an Artisan.' That was the title she gave herself."
"So impressive. Then can she forge weapons?"
"You want her help? Unfortunately, though she has some forging ability, her true craft lies in alchemy to 'create things.' And she lives far away in the Nation of Pyro, only taking commissions when she feels like it. I fear she won't help you."
"I thought so…"
"In Liyue, too, there are many master craftsmen—the Kun family, the Han family, the Yun family. If you bring them rare materials, they may help forge weapons. Perhaps you won't even have to pay."
The rarer the material, the more likely they could not handle it…
Thinking back to his conversation with Ye Caizhen the other day, the tragedy of last night resurfaced in his mind. That matter ended with Ye Caizhen carrying away the sealed Awakened Precepts. How she would deal with it, he did not know.
Victor Wang let out a quiet sigh. A clear, cool yet concerned voice then rang in his ear: "Could it be that someone swapped your mail?!"
"No, no, the package is correct."
After completing four commissions with Shenhe that day, Victor Wang received the dragon tooth he had asked Huai'an to send from Wangshu Inn. It came in the same meaningless 'discreet shipping' packaging—as if any passerby wouldn't immediately guess what it contained.
Leaving the post station, Victor Wang tore open the parcel and showed it to the curious Shenhe.
"Though the elemental power has faded, its quality feels as though it was once condensed from pure anemo."
"This is a dragon tooth, taken from a wind dragon that died over a thousand years ago. Incredibly hard."
"Dragon tooth? Master said true dragons are already extremely rare in this age."
"I plan to commission it into a forged piece," Victor Wang said, stopping in his tracks. "We'll part ways here."
"I will go with you."
"You have your own matters… I won't remain in Liyue forever."
He had spent three full days at Shenhe's side. Her odd behaviors were simply due to inexperience. Simple reasoning worked, and she could grasp deeper meanings once explained. She was obedient!
Even when she couldn't understand something immediately, she would carefully remember and follow it. For instance, when bargaining at shops, she had shifted from her blunt, forceful "Sell it to me for xx Mora" to "If it isn't xx Mora, I won't buy it." Her tone still needed work, but at least it no longer carried threats. And because she said it with such seriousness, the effect was surprisingly good…
Victor Wang didn't mind whether she was clingy or not. But people always part eventually. It was time for Shenhe to grow independent… yet he couldn't help feeling like a father letting go of a daughter who had finally grown up—reluctant.
In Shenhe's heart, bound by red rope, a new feeling bloomed—also reluctance. Her once-blunt mind was changing. She thought she had learned to 'lie,' though in truth it was merely 'tact.' Her red lips parted slightly. "...At least for now, following you to broaden my knowledge is also cultivation in the mortal world."
"…Alright."
How could he refuse when she said that?
…
Sensing someone approach, Han Zhang casually asked, "Looking to buy a weapon or commission a forge? Repairs are free—just help me look out for good ores."
"I want to commission a forge. Can you handle this?"
"Oh? You brought your own material? Let me see what you've got. This, this—" Han Zhang stared at the curved, wind-green cone, touched it again and again. "A dragon tooth?!"
"So, can you work it?"
Han Zhang tried to steady his excited breath, speaking cautiously. "May I… may I first test its hardness?"
Even his Gale Blade couldn't scratch it. Victor Wang hoped Han Zhang could figure something out. But after exhausting every tool, muttering all the while, Han Zhang eventually called them to sit, served tea, and said he needed time to consult the family records.
Soon after, he left in a rush, returning ten minutes later with a bespectacled young man—Kun Jun.
"Quick, look through your family's records. How did the great artisan Kun Wu forge the Dragonspine Spear?"
"Don't panic, don't panic. Let me check…"
Prodded by Han Zhang, Kun Jun reluctantly released the dragon tooth, cradling a heavy tome. His finger stopped on a line, and he read aloud:
"'All creatures of true dragon lineage, their bones are indestructible and thus cannot be melted by mortal flames. Therefore, One must borrow adeptal power, smelting and casting golden cinnabar to forge their form; one must borrow celestial power, honing them with meteorites to sharpen their edge; it is imperative—absolutely imperative—to avoid any impurities!'"
"Brother Zhang, this dragon tooth can't be treated like metal. It needs molten adeptal elixirs to soften for forging, and meteorites to grind the edge."
"Adeptal elixirs? Does your family have any?"
Kun Jun shook his head. "It's been ages since mortals fought side by side with adepti. My family has none. Yours?"
Han Zhang shook harder. "We've never forged dragon bone. We once had a meteorite, but Ancestor Han Ce already used it to make the Blackcliff Polearm. Such rare material was worth a four-star weapon alone—who would waste it as a whetstone?!"
Kun Jun frowned. "As for the meteorite whetstone, since my ancestor wrote it like this, our family should have had one. Strange... I don't think I've ever seen it. Let me check the family records... Here it is, here it is: 'The spear was completed; the meteorite was worn away.' Worn away... worn away?"
"How ruthless! They directly ground the meteorite away!" "Dragon bones are truly domineering?"
"One general's glory, ten thousand bones buried. Such is the way!" Unlike Kun Jun, who had yet to commit himself fully to forging, Han Zhang was already scheming. He cupped his fists to Victor Wang. "Brother, to forge this dragon tooth we'll need special materials. Grant me three days—I promise the weapon will be ready."
"Brother Zhang, you mean to…?"
"I'll seek an adeptus for elixirs. Please check with the Yun family for starstones. If none, buy at high price. If still none, I'll think of something when the time comes to sharpen."
Victor Wang heard it all and waved his hand. "Actually, I only want the dragon tooth made into a sword scabbard. No need to sharpen it."
Han Zhang's pupils shook, disbelief all over his face. "Absolutely not, brother! Don't worry—the materials for forging will be my expense. Just entrust it to me!"
"But I truly only want a scabbard. No need to trouble you for elixirs. I'll ask an adeptus myself."
"Why?! To use dragon tooth as a mere scabbard is outrageous!"
"Any stone by the roadside holds qi and spirit. But this dragon tooth has lost its power long ago… likely all leaked out as slime. What remains is its affinity for anemo and its hardness. That's all I need for a scabbard to amplify anemo elemental power."
Whether perceived through Anemo or Geo, this dragon's tooth has indeed, over a minimum of 2,700 years, has exhausted all its remaining power.
"I've never handled such material. I don't know what you mean by power. True, they say 'in voiceless stone resides spirit,' but could stone truly die?"
"That's exactly it. Besides, my current sword is fine."
"Your current sword, your current sword... could it possibly be better than a Dragon's Tooth Sword?" Han Zhang paced back and forth, holding his head, not knowing how to persuade him anymore.
Kun Jun then joined in: "A Dragon's Tooth Sword, at worst, is a four-star. With luck, a five-star. Even if this one…"
He stroked the tooth carefully, sensing something faintly different from normal stone. "Hmm… it does feel a little lifeless. Still, why give up on it?"
Victor Wang tapped his scabbard. "Enough. Little Wen, recite your introduction."
["At once!"]
Little Wen perked up, floated proudly at their height, and declaimed:
["I who was born of heaven and earth as a spirit stone, ten thousand years ago. Battered by sun, wind, rain, and thunder, I bore dim awareness yet had no form. Later I was taken as a sword embryo, and in my master's hands, nourished by the seven elements, I finally found voice."]
["Hmph! Even if forged, can that dragon tooth speak like me? I am my master's one and only treasure! Without hugging me at night, he can't even sle—mmph!"]
Victor Wang shoved Wentian back into its scabbard. "I already promised not to make a new sword. Must you still spread lies out of insecurity?"
"A sword spirit!"
"This… this is rarer than a five-star weapon…" Han Zhang and Kun Jun exchanged a glance. Still unwilling, they tried again: "But you could wield two swords. Wouldn't that look magnificent?"
"Spare me. I haven't mastered even one blade—how could I dream of dual wielding?"
Seeing Victor Wang's resolve, Han Zhang sighed bitterly. "What a shame… I thought this was my chance to forge a divine weapon to revive the Han family name. Still, just handling such material is rare enough. If you can procure the adeptal elixirs, I'll honor your wish and make it into a scabbard."
"I have adeptal elixirs." Shenhe, quiet all this time, produced a treasure pouch like a Serenitea Pot. She shook it, and a dozen golden pills spilled into her palm.
"You're… an adeptus?!"
"They belong to my master." Shenhe recalled her early days on Mt. Aozang, when she once tossed these like marbles at passing birds. Many were lost, yet her master said nothing. "Is this enough? If not, I'll fetch more from the mountain."
"E-enough, I think. Let me check first…"
So many shocks left Han Zhang nearly speechless. But forging, not words, was his strength. He carefully stored the elixirs, confirmed the scabbard's design with Victor Wang, and with Kun Jun's help consulting the old records, finally fired up the blazing furnace.
"Elixirs must be melted with green fire, and received with vessels of non-metal."
"Green fire…"
Following Kun Jun's guidance, Han Zhang added Flame Jades to raise the furnace's heat, then used a diamond vessel designed for extreme temperatures. The elixirs melted instantly, turning into golden mist that shimmered with immortal radiance.
"What next?"
"Pour onto the dragon bone. If unchanged in shape but red as iron, hammer it, then quench in water to fix its form."
One elixir wasn't enough. Five in total melted before the dragon tooth softened fully.
Han Zhang hefted his hammer, looked around for approval, then struck. The clear ring brightened his eyes with recognition. At last, he felt at home. A cascade of clangs filled the forge as the work began.