Chapter 64 Worth That Much

The stout man also realized he had lost his composure and quickly said, "Young lady, please do not be afraid. I meant no offense, only that your scabbard and sword are quite magnificent, and I lost my composure for a moment."

Is that so? Hong Xiaoduo found it somewhat hard to believe. If it were merely decent, it wouldn't warrant such an exaggerated reaction—his eyes had looked as though they were about to pop out of his head.

Seeing her full of wariness and doubt, the heavy-set man quickly took a step back. "I am the owner of this weapon shop. For five generations, my family has run this establishment, and since childhood, I have been quite infatuated with these kinds of items. Therefore, upon seeing something of superior quality, I couldn't help but react this way. I wonder, young lady, where did you acquire this sword?"

"This? I'm not entirely sure of its origin; my family never mentioned it to me. Seeing how the proprietor reacted, it seems you might know something about this sword?" Hong Xiaoduo's curiosity was also piqued.

"Young lady, this way please." The plump proprietor gestured for her to take a seat in the small inner room behind the curtain.

Hong Xiaoduo glanced back outside the shop; the children were still gathered around the peddler's load, so she stepped inside.

The room within also held two racks of weapons. Although Hong Xiaoduo knew nothing about such things, a mere glance told her they were of a higher grade than those displayed outside. Another wall featured a bookcase, and the plump proprietor was currently fetching a book from the very top shelf, standing on tiptoe atop a chair.

After stepping down, he walked toward Hong Xiaoduo while flipping through the pages. "Look, isn't the sword pictured here identical to the one you have?"

Hong Xiaoduo took it, examined it closely, and then unhooked her own sword to make a careful comparison. She nodded, confirming they were indeed exact matches. "So it's identical—what does that prove? A master swordsman might forge multiple swords of the same pattern and dimensions; surely this isn't the only one in existence. Or does it possess some other special quality?"

Hearing her inquiry, the plump proprietor dragged his chair closer to her, cast a glance back toward the outer curtain, and then turned back to point at the sword on the table. "Young lady, let me tell you, this sword was personally forged by the previous dynasty's master swordsman, Wen Xizi, on his sixtieth birthday. At that time, Wen Xizi had already stopped forging and had handed over the casting pits to his disciples and son. However, the smelting furnace was accidentally ignited by a bolt of divine lightning. Forgetting even his birthday celebration, Wen Xizi stood guard by the furnace and personally forged this sword, bestowing upon it the name 'Thunderfire Sword.' Once the sword was completed, numerous generals and martial arts heroes came offering heavy fortunes to purchase it, but he politely refused all of them, stating that he intended to keep this sword as an heirloom for his own family. Afterward, all news regarding this sword vanished completely."

Hong Xiaoduo gazed at the sword beside her hand. "You mean to say this is the only sword of its kind?"

The plump proprietor shook his head, then immediately nodded. "Although two were forged at the time, the second one had a flaw and was thrown back into the smelting furnace by Wen Xizi to be melted down. Therefore, this should indeed be considered the only one of its kind."

"Is that really true? Could it be a replica made by another swordsman?" Hong Xiaoduo recalled the times she had used this sword to hack through vines and chop wild game, feeling a slight pang of guilt on its behalf. No wonder a light, casual swing had easily sliced off that bandit's arm! She had wondered how she could possibly be that formidable—turns out the sword itself was the incredible part!

"Young lady, you actually hit the nail on the head regarding one thing: later on, other swordsmen did attempt to replicate this sword, and those swordsmen and generals fought eagerly to acquire even the known replicas. But as for this sword of yours, I would stake my head on the absolute certainty that it is a genuine article."

If you don't believe me, how about parting with it and letting me have it at a high price? The plump proprietor wore an expression of eager anticipation.

"Name your price, young lady. Whatever I can afford, I will not bargain. Furthermore, I have three master-crafted swords in my private collection, and you may choose one of those to take as well," the plump proprietor added.

Hong Xiaoduo listened in silence, wondering within herself just how great her current martial prowess actually was that she had been dealt such a high-tier starting configuration.

"Judging by the look of you, Proprietor, you don't seem like a deceitful person. Can you tell me honestly how much it's truly worth?" Hong Xiaoduo pointed at the sword and asked.

The plump proprietor found himself in a difficult spot. It would have been fine if he didn't want it, allowing him to speak the truth, but the problem was he desperately wanted to acquire this sword now!

"Sigh, let's put it this way: it could be considered priceless. But if you wish to sell it, we must settle on a price, no?" The plump proprietor mentally cursed himself for not being able to act like a cunning merchant just this once.

"Moreover, and please forgive me if this sounds offensive, young lady, you do not appear to possess exceptional martial arts skills, yet you wander about carrying such a weapon. If someone who knows their wares recognizes it and is overcome by greed, not only will you be unable to protect it, but your own life might be in jeopardy as well. It would be far better to sell it to me at a high price for my collection. I can help you select a suitable sword in return, which won't hinder your heroic bearing in the least." The plump proprietor had spoken with utmost earnestness, and every word was the truth; he was certainly not just spinning tales to scare her into relinquishing the sword.

Hong Xiaoduo glanced sideways at the plump proprietor. "You might as well just come out and say it, Proprietor: I simply don't measure up to this sword."

Cough, cough, cough. Faced with such a blunt question, the plump proprietor was left entirely at a loss for how to respond.

"Proprietor, you can already tell that I know nothing of its value. Can you tell me what kind of price you are willing to offer? I merely wish to understand its worth; it doesn't mean that once I know the price, I will definitely sell it to you," Hong Xiaoduo stated clearly. After all, this chubby proprietor genuinely seemed like a decent sort.

Hearing this, though the plump proprietor felt a wave of disappointment, he still thought about it seriously, raised one hand toward Hong Xiaoduo, and splayed his fingers.

"F-five thousand taels of silver?" Hong Xiaoduo mentally calculated, dismissing the figure of five hundred taels; given that this plump proprietor didn't look like someone who could produce fifty thousand taels, she tentatively ventured a number.

The plump proprietor smiled and shook his head, thinking to himself that she truly was a young girl who knew nothing of the world.

"Fifty thousand taels?" Hong Xiaoduo found it hard to believe. Are weapon shops really this lucrative?

"Five thousand taels of gold. To speak plainly, this is virtually my entire family fortune." Regardless of whose daughter this young lady was, households with a foundation of five thousand taels of gold were few and far between. With these five thousand taels of gold to cushion her, she could live in luxury and ease for the remainder of her days.

Hong Xiaoduo mentally calculated: assuming a rate of eight to ten taels of silver per tael of gold, five thousand taels of gold amounted to over forty-five thousand taels of silver. By ancient standards, this could safely be described as striking it extremely rich.

"Thank you, Proprietor, for telling me the truth. Now I have a rough idea in my mind." Hong Xiaoduo offered her sincere thanks, never imagining that this sword would be so valuable!

"Then you...?" the plump proprietor asked with lingering, reluctant anticipation.

Hong Xiaoduo stood up, re-slung the Thunderfire Sword at her waist, and said, "I am not selling the sword. However, if the day ever comes when I do need to part with it, I promise you that I will seek you out first and sell it to you."

Having learned the sword's true value, Hong Xiaoduo had already formed a plan in her heart. If one day she were to encounter someone reliable and trustworthy enough to care for the seven children, she could liquidate this sword. Over forty thousand taels of silver would be more than enough to raise the seven children and help them establish their households. However, the person entrusted with their care would not only need to ensure their safe upbringing but also foster their ability to make an independent living. She had no intention of letting these children rely entirely on this fortune to live lives of idle luxury—that wouldn't be helping them; it would be destroying them. Furthermore, she had no intention of directly dividing the proceeds from the sword among the seven children; acquiring wealth without labor is the easiest way to ruin a person and their entire life.

Hong Xiaoduo's words left the plump proprietor deeply disappointed. Although she promised that if she ever truly needed to sell the sword, she would sell it to him, he didn't take her words entirely to heart, for he also doubted she would be able to protect the Thunderfire Sword in the future.

"Proprietor, I came here wanting to pick out a reliable whip—a soft whip. Do you have any?" Having spent too long in the shop, she was growing uneasy about the children and feared they might be hungry.

The plump proprietor repeatedly assured her that he did, and personally led her over to inspect a row of whips hanging from a rack, explaining the materials used for the soft whips.

Hong Xiaoduo picked them up one by one, giving them gentle flicks to test the feel, and ultimately selected a soft whip crafted from water buffalo hide, which felt far superior in the hand to the rope whip Tianshu had been using.

Though he failed to coax the Thunderfire Sword away from her, the plump proprietor, despite his disappointment, sold her the soft whip—normally priced at eight hundred copper coins—for just five hundred copper coins. It wasn't an attempt to curry favor so she would remember him first if she ever sold the sword; he simply found this young lady's words and demeanor quite endearing.

Having acquired a suitable weapon and realizing the immense value of the sword at her waist, which would guarantee the children's survival in the future, Hong Xiaoduo walked out with a light heart.

Before she even reached the entrance, she heard the sound of a dispute outside: "Whatever I, your young master, want to take, you must yield whether you like it or not!"

That voice did not belong to any of the seven children. Hong Xiaoduo quickened her pace out the door, arriving just in time to see a robust youth shoving Tianshu to the ground, while the other six children angrily lunged forward...