"Grandpa Meng, what's wrong? What good thing is it?" Qi He's legs were fast, his voice even faster. He hadn't entered yet, but his voice arrived first.
Grandpa Meng's voice seemed to drift from the heavens, as if coming from beyond the clouds.
"Little He, go quickly and find your father. Grandpa Meng has found a good sword for your father."
Upon hearing Grandpa Meng utter the words "good sword," Qi He had already reached the doorway of the east room. When he clearly saw the long-handled saber placed on the bluestone floor, his entire body seemed to turn to stone. With one foot inside and one foot outside, he stood there dumbfounded, motionless.
Fu Yu, hearing the commotion, also came over. Being tall, he stood behind Qi He and saw everything.
Seeing the two of them with wide eyes, staring blankly at the same spot without even batting an eyelid, Grandpa Meng's pride was evident all over his smiling face.
"How is it? Isn't this saber magnificent? If Yuan Shan were to wield this saber in battle, he would be invincible and capable of stopping an army of ten thousand."
Qi He was now extremely excited. His mind was filled with Grandpa Meng's praise for his father, and he was almost grinning like a simpleton.
"Father, where did this saber come from?" Fu Yu's heart was now pounding like a kitten scratching, and he desperately needed to know the answer.
Grandpa Meng had already thought of an excuse for his granddaughter. "This saber, I requested it from Ci'er's master."
"Father, when did Ci'er take a master? How come I didn't know?"
Fu Xin Ci: She didn't know either.
Once the first lie was spoken, it became easier to continue.
"Yu'er, do you remember three years ago?"
"Of course, I remember." He recalled that on the Double Ninth Festival, he and his father had gone climbing, and Ci'er had wanted to join them.
His father and he had readily agreed. Little did they know that halfway up, both his father and Ci'er claimed to be tired and wanted to rest.
Later, his father said he was old and Ci'er was still young, and that they wouldn't hold him back. They would wait for him on the mountainside, and he should continue to the summit with his page.
He had been unwilling at the time, but his father insisted. Reluctantly, he continued a bit further with his page.
Standing at a spot where he could see his father and daughter, he didn't ascend further, fearing that the old man and the child might encounter any accident.
Unexpectedly, an accident did occur. The mischievous daughter lost her footing and rolled down the slope. Fortunately, a passing Daoist priest caught Ci'er, otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
They rushed down the mountain to express their gratitude, but it was too late. Seeing that the little girl was unharmed and her family had arrived, the Daoist priest gracefully departed, leaving only a receding figure disappearing into the mountains.
At that time, father and son had shouted after the Daoist priest's receding figure, "Daoist priest, please wait!"
However, the Daoist priest did not turn back, vanishing like a carefree cloud at the end of the small path.
Because of this incident, he had sent people to search for a long time but had received no news of the Daoist priest.
He never expected to hear such a turn of events from his old father today.
Looking at his son's expression, Grandpa Meng knew that his son believed him.
If he believes, then things are easy!
Fu Xin Ci, however, was a bit bewildered. Why did she have no memory of this at all?
However, it didn't matter if she had no memory; she would wholeheartedly assist her grandfather in deceiving her supposedly cheap father.
With their shared goal, the grandfather and granddaughter soon had Fu Yu completely befuddled.
Fu Xin Ci: The art of embellishment, who can compare to me?
Qi He, who had been waiting nearby, also listened with a muddled mind. However, this did not prevent him from holding onto one firm belief: that Sister Fu's master was an extraordinary person.
When Grandpa Meng urged him again to find his father, he finally came to his senses and rushed out of Grandpa Meng's house with a loud shout.
This startled Meng Yu Tang, who was chopping firewood at his own doorstep. He chased after Qi He, holding his axe, and asked, "Qi Ge, what happened?"
"Good news." Qi He replied, but his feet didn't stop. He needed to quickly get to the garrison and tell his father this good news.
He had heard his father mention that this was the season when the Tatars liked to raid and steal. Those scoundrels would steal grain and then flee, hiding until the weather warmed up before reappearing.
At the garrison, they had also received orders from the thousand-household commandery that there was activity from the Tatar side again, and all garrisons were to prepare for battle in advance.
When Qi He arrived, he saw his father assigning tasks to the soldiers of the garrison.
"Father."
"Little He, why are you here?"
"Father, quickly come with me to Grandpa Meng's house. Grandpa Meng has found a saber for you."
"Uncle Meng found a saber for me?"
"Yes, it was sent by Sister Fu's master."
"Xin Ci has a master? I've never heard of it."
"I only just heard about it. He's a Daoist priest with an ethereal demeanor." Qi He then recounted everything he had just heard to his father.
"No wonder, from the first glance I had of that little girl, I felt she was extraordinary. So, she has a powerful backer behind her."
After hearing his son finish, Qi Yuan Shan's heart was also stirred. A saber! Hearing his son describe it so vividly, he knew it must be a good thing.
He glanced at the saber placed beside him, which had been his companion for several years in the harsh winds and rains of the northern frontier.
"Father." The saber Grandpa Meng found for you from Sister Fu's master is very different from this one.
"How is it different? Tell us."
Sergeant Zheng had heard everything Qi He said. He was now more curious than Qi Yuan Shan about what the saber looked like.
"Well, it's so silvery and shiny that it reflects people's shadows. Sister Fu wouldn't let me get too close, saying that the saber's edge was too sharp and might hurt me if I got too close."
"Silvery and shiny?" Qi Yuan Shan and the men at the garrison were all captivated by this description.
"Could it be made of refined steel?"
"Possibly. Little He said it reflects people's shadows."
"Commander, hurry to Uncle Meng's house and carry that saber back for us to see. Let us be happy too."
"Yes, if that saber is truly made of refined steel," even if I just get to see it, it would be worth a lifetime.
The crowd erupted in a clamor, making Qi Yuan Shan unable to stay put. "You all watch the garrison. I'm going to Uncle Meng's house to take a look now."
"Commander, you must go and come back quickly. We are all waiting for you."
"I know, you grown men, why are you all so talkative today?"
"How can we not be talkative? We're all waiting to see something good."
"Alright, I'll be back soon." After saying this, Qi Yuan Shan led his chestnut horse forward, first placing his son on the horse's back, and then went to retrieve his saber.
However, the saber was already in the hands of Sergeant Jin. "Commander, you have a new tool now. This old saber can be given to your subordinate."