The sound of hammers rang through the smithy. Sparks burst into the air each time molten steel struck the anvil, illuminating Ye Cheng's cold expression. His brows furrowed as he lifted the hammer again, every swing powered by his suppressed frustration.
Yet no matter how precise his strikes were, the result was just ordinary. His blocked meridians cannot circulate spiritual energy properly. His cultivation base was like a cracked jar, no matter how much water he poured in, it would always leak. And the leaking is very large; there was no hope for him at all.
The problem with his meridians were trouble but not impossible to heal. Given the Ye family's current wealth and connections, they could easily take care of it. But his father was already wrapped around that woman's hand and had given up on him.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such a wasted talent. Eight years of effort, all slipping away." A sardonic voice sounded from the corner.
Ye Cheng's grip tightened around the hammer: "Shut up!" He snapped without looking up. He already knew who it was.
As expected, the sword spirit floated lazily into his view, with its head resting on its hand: "Why are you so harsh? I'm merely reminding you of reality. Your future might be crumbling now, but... perhaps your little ger wife can help you." Its lips curved into a sly smile.
"Don't talk nonsense!" Ye Cheng slammed the hammer down forcefully, making the entire bench tremble from the impact.
The sword spirit frowned: "Why is it nonsense? You tasted it yourself, didn't you? The food he cooked contained energy that cleansed your spiritual flow. Even though it was for a little bit, that was progress. Tell me, when was the last you felt that kind of purity enter your body?"
Ye Cheng froze, he didn't want to admit it, but what the sword spirit said was true. The sensation he felt at the time was intoxicating. It was like a locked gate cracking open. He clenched his fist unwillingly.
"See?" The sword spirit chuckled knowingly: "You can't deny it. That boy might look weak, but he has many valuable things on him. You two are already married, you might as well used his things to benefit yourself."
"What if it was just a fluke?"
The sword spirit rolled its eyes: Even if it was a fluke, you're not in the position to judge and be picky.
From the sword spirit expression, Ye Cheng could tell what it was thinking and knew it was looking down on him again.
"Even if Bai Jing has some ability, it doesn't change the fact that he ruined my future."
The sword spirit tilted its head speechlessly: "Ruined? Hah! Your future was already ruined to begin with. Who knows, fate might be giving you a different path. Perhaps through him, you'll achieve what you never could alone. Only those who dare to dash forward will find the most unexpected rewards."
Unexpected doesn't necessarily mean good, but who's going into detail?
Ye Cheng frowned, but the seed of doubt had already been planted: "What do you suggest? Use him as a steppingstone? It feels... wrong."
The sword spirit spread its arms innocently: "Why not? He's already tied to you by marriage. You despise him now but despise is still a form of obsession. If his presence can unblock your meridians, wouldn't it be foolish not to keep him close? Besides, what have you got to lose? Your state is already pitiful; it can't get any worse."
Ye Cheng exhales sharply and returns back to forging. He hit the hammer harder and harder, trying to drown out the poisonous voice from his head. But he knew the sword spirit was right. Nothing would come out of hatred. If there's a chance for his cultivation to be restored, then it doesn't matter what method he used.
...
Meanwhile, back at the thatched house, Bai Jing carefully laid out the mushrooms he had gathered. He sorted them into two piles, edible, and poisonous. Because of the disturbances he encountered, he wasn't able to sort all the mushrooms out in the forest.
Scruffy lounged on the table, swatting at the mushrooms with its fluffy paws: "Meow."
Bai Jing sighed and put it down: "Don't play with those. Half of them could kill you."
The beast meowed again, puffing up proudly as though to say: what poison could harm a majestic beast as me?
Bai Jing chuckled: "Alright, alright, you're amazing. But still, don't make trouble."
Bai Jing picked up a particularly large mushroom and inspected it closely: "This one looks so strange. It doesn't look edible nor poisonous. I wonder what it can be used for?"
Scruffy, disinterested in work, had taken itself to chasing a stray piece of grass instead. But that doesn't stop him from keeping an eye on Bai Jing. This human is full of surprises.
…..
Knock, knock, A soft knock came from the wooden gate followed by a voice: "Bai Jing, are you home?"
"Yes, come in." Bai Jing answered. He recognized Lan Zhu's voice and told to come in.
Lan Zhu held a small pouch in his hand, which he handed over to Bai Jing as soon as he arrived: "This is the money from the mushroom sale. Four silver coins, and eighty-five copper coins. Shopkeeper Li was so impressed by the quality of the mushrooms, that he said he would buy everything you have from now on. Also, his price was the highest."
"That much?" Bai Jing's eyes widened when he heard the amount.
"Mushroom sale makes a lot of income, but the risk is also high. It's also hard on you, I heard that many mushrooms' experts had mistakenly been poisoned by their own mushrooms. You should be very careful." Lan Zhu replied worriedly
"It's alright, I will be very careful. This is the only way to go for now." Bai Jing said with a smile. It's true that he was confident in his ability, but he can't be arrogant about it.
"Thank you, Lan Zhu. I couldn't have done this without you."
Lan Zhu scratched the back of his neck awkwardly: "No need to thank me, you're the one that did all the hard work.
"Even so, thank you." Bai Jing counted the copper coins and handed twenty coppers to Lan Zhu: "This is your pay, if we sell more in the future, I will increase your pay as well."
"No, this is ok." Lan Zhu waves his hand.
Earning twenty copper coins in half a day was something he only got during harvest season. Within five days, he would be able to earn a silver coin which was really generous. After all, he wasn't doing any hard labor except taking the mushrooms to town.
"This is for the transportation cost. Although it's your grandfather's ox cart, we can't take advantage of it." Bai Jing said, handing over another ten copper coins over.
"It only cost two copper coins per trip." Lan Zhu said hesitantly.
"It's alright, you also had goods with you. We're paying for the goods, can't take advantage of the old man." Bai Jing said with a smile.
Lan Zhu was so touched that a layer of tears set in his eyes: "Thank you."
The two chatted for a while before Lan Zhu left with another full basket of mushrooms. This basket was heavier than the last one, but he felt it was much lighter.