Clang!
Iron Hammer drew the third black blade.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the spine.
“Turning to battle across three thousand li with one body, one blade once withstood a million troops!”
Young Master Qin read the engraved words aloud.
“I just said Master Jin, one man with one blade, routed the Dangxiang until they fled in chaos. You asked if it was true or false. Now do you believe? Master Jin himself said he turned to battle three thousand li alone, one blade holding off a million mighty soldiers!”
“Good heavens, one man against a million. Master Jin is too incredible!”
The maids knew nothing of hyperbolic rhetoric and took it as Jin Feng’s real experience.
If Jin Feng were here, he would surely cover his face and laugh bitterly, regretting copying that line on a whim.
Well, the storytellers now had fresh material.
Luolan’s lips curved slightly. She did not explain, secretly a little expectant.
Should she visit a restaurant tomorrow to hear what new tales the storytellers spun?
But as a capable shopkeeper, Luolan soon suppressed stray thoughts and said, “If everyone truly admires Master Jin, remember to tell your masters when you return. Come support us three days from now at the wei hour!”
“Miss Luolan, rest assured. I will definitely tell the lord.”
“My lord loves weapons most. He will surely come to buy.”
The maids promised one after another.
In truth, their masters had sent them to watch for new treasures from the Jinchuan Chamber.
Such fine Star Cutter blades naturally had to be reported.
Whether the masters bought them was not their concern.
It was not their money, after all.
The two young noblemen left with regret, off to scrape together funds.
That very night, as the maids returned home, word of the Star Cutter blades spread.
Countless young noblemen grew curious about a blade that could cut hair when blown across and slice iron like mud.
Countless old generals lay sleepless because of “Iron steeds and golden arms for three thousand li, one blade’s cold light across sixteen provinces.”
The old generals could stay composed, sigh with emotion, then go to court or squabble as usual the next day.
But the young noblemen’s fire burned far less steadily than their fathers’.
Early the next morning, young noblemen from military families arrived one after another at the Jinchuan Chamber, asking about the Star Cutter blades.
Iron Hammer was waiting. Whenever someone asked, he said little, just lifted his hair and blew, picked up coins and chopped.
The young noblemen found it novel. Using the excuse of checking if the blades truly did not chip, they egged Iron Hammer on to perform nonstop.
Amid gasps of wonder, they tossed silver to Iron Hammer like rewarding courtesans in a brothel, cheering all the while.
All scions of great families, none were stingy. The smallest ingots were one liang.
A few generous ones even threw two fifty-liang ingots, nearly smashing Iron Hammer’s toes.
But Iron Hammer was not angry. He grew even more energetic.
In one morning, Iron Hammer and several old soldiers nearly went bald. They amassed a small basket of shattered coins.
As for tables, they replaced four that morning, and that was with Iron Hammer trying to be careful.
Yet they did not lose out. Broken coins still held value, and they collected over a hundred liang in tips. Each old soldier got more than ten liang, enough for two splendid visits to a second-tier brothel.
The three black blades withstood the test. After a morning of chopping, not one showed a nick.
This effect outperformed any advertisement.
Thus, even more young noblemen came in the afternoon to watch the black blade show.
The Jinchuan Chamber had practically become a circus.
The morning was to draw crowds and prove quality, so Luolan allowed Iron Hammer’s antics.
But no matter how tough, the blades could not endure endless coin-chopping. If one chipped during a show, not only would the blade be ruined, but the hard-won reputation might collapse.
So in the afternoon, Luolan stopped Iron Hammer from chopping freely as before. She scheduled one performance per hour, rotating the three blades.
The blades held strong, remaining flawless for three full days until the auction began, without a single issue.
This was Great Kang’s first auction. Luolan thought a dozen or twenty attendees would be good. Who knew that right after lunch, dozens of carriages gathered at the Jinchuan Chamber’s door, blocking the wide street.
If they were common folk, the constables would have kicked them away without a word.
But the lanterns on those carriages showed each owner outranked the last.
The constables dared not offend these young lords. They could only plead, begging each to move their carriage and clear the road.
For this, the constables, usually quick to kick commoners, endured countless kicks themselves.
By the time the road cleared, several constables were covered in dense footprints.
The restaurant Luolan had leased was spacious. Selling soap and black blades used only two counters; the rest was still under renovation.
Now finished, the former restaurant hall had been cleared. Luolan originally planned the auction in the hall.
But seeing the crowd, the hall might not fit everyone. She quickly changed the venue to the wider courtyard.
Time was short for elaborate setup. Luolan had the veterans move the display platforms over, then added some tables, chairs, and benches.
Her decision proved right.
Just the young noblemen from various families numbered thirty or forty. None came alone; each brought at least one or two maids and guards. Those who loved ostentation arrived in droves.
By the wei hour, over two hundred people surged into the Jinchuan Chamber.
The former restaurant hall, though large, could never squeeze in two hundred.
Fortunately, the courtyard was vast enough, or Great Kang’s first auction might have ended in failure.
Great Kang prized culture and luxury. Though most young noblemen came from military families, nearly all were pampered. Many frowned at an auction held in a courtyard without even tables.
“Miss Luolan, your Jinchuan Chamber must have earned plenty selling soap recently. Is there need to be so stingy? We are all people of note in the capital, coming to support you. No tea, no water is one thing, but not even a table? Is this not too much?”
A young nobleman at odds with the Qing family confronted Luolan, his tone hostile. “Or does the Jinchuan Chamber think soap and black blades are exclusive trades, planning to bully customers with your big shop?”
