Chapter Thirty-Seven: Weapons

‘Man’ led Li Le around the stifling, fiery forge, occasionally steering her clear of hurried blacksmiths, while explaining, “Just so you know, there aren’t usually many people in the forge—at most fifty or sixty. The hunting team returned these past couple of days, so there are more people. Besides, something else happened… That’s why it’s so crowded now.”

His voice was rough and booming, but when he mentioned ‘something else,’ he glossed over it vaguely.

Li Le’s heart stirred: What happened? Did something go wrong with the hunting team?

Looking at her guide, Li Le kept her curiosity to herself, not asking about it aloud.

“These are the weapons District Chief Bai uses regularly. They’re some of the best we forge…” ‘Man’ stopped before a wall, gazing at the array of knives and spears with envy, clicking his tongue. “Crafting these blades and spears takes immense effort; they’re all at least ‘hundred-forged’ weapons, sharp enough to slice iron like mud! They can even pierce the hide of a Green Fang Beast! Too bad… they’re a little expensive. Only someone like District Chief Bai can regularly pick one out…”

Li Le knew that weapons in this world were classified as ‘ten-forged,’ ‘hundred-forged,’ ‘thousand-forged,’ and ‘ten-thousand-forged.’ As for higher grades, she had no idea.

Clearly, the weapons hanging before her belonged at least to the ‘hundred-forged’ category—barely qualifying as excellent.

‘Man’s’ gaze lingered regretfully on the weapons, like a connoisseur admiring fine wine: even knowing he couldn’t have them, he was still captivated by their allure.

His resources were nowhere near as abundant as Bai’s, the district chief; at least he couldn’t afford to buy weapons the way Bai did…

Li Le’s eyes flashed with intrigue as she examined the weapons displayed on the wall: sharp, ancient spears; heavy, intimidating blades; sturdy, unadorned greatswords; a longbow that reached her waist…

Though none had yet tasted blood, Li Le sensed these weapons were fundamentally different from those she’d seen in her previous life’s markets.

They shed all ostentatious decoration, crude but exuding a primal aura of violence.

For example, the arrows: aside from ordinary ones, there was another kind that looked quite peculiar.

These arrows were crystal-clear, tinged with blue light, resembling the bone spurs that grew from the Green Fang Beast’s joints she’d seen recently. Their sharpness was palpable, yet they were almost works of art.

“These weapons look marvelous… It must have taken great skill to make them…” Li Le sighed inwardly.

She wondered how, in this primitive era, their ironworking could have reached such heights.

“Big brother, could you take down that bow for me? I’d like to buy thirty regular arrows and ten of those Green Fang arrows.”

Li Le pointed to the bow and arrows on the wall, addressing ‘Man,’ who was lingering nearby, still reluctant to leave the weapons.

She’d already decided: given her current eyesight, the bow and arrow were the perfect choice.

Besides, she had no desire—at least for now—to fight monsters like the Green Fang Beast up close…

As for archery, she’d had some experience in her previous life; not enough to claim mastery, but she knew the basics.

Accuracy could always be improved with practice.

‘Man’ was momentarily taken aback. He looked at Li Le, then at the bow and arrows, and asked with some confusion, “Little one, are you sure you want this?”

“I remember District Chief Bai isn’t especially skilled with bows. And the bow isn’t cheap. Once you take it, unless there’s a problem with its quality, you can’t return it…”

He was clearly trying to persuade her, but genuinely concerned for Li Le and Bai, not wanting them to waste money.

Li Le smiled, her voice light and cheerful from beneath her hood, “It’s alright, big brother. Please take them down. They’ll be useful. Bai wants me to practice archery.”

“Well, since you’ve made up your mind, big brother won’t say more!” ‘Man’ smiled, scratching his head, and continued, “District Chief Bai is a master with spear and greatsword. I thought you were here to help him replenish his arsenal!”

Li Le’s heart stirred. She glanced at the weapons, pondered a moment, then added with a smile, “Thanks for reminding me, big brother—I nearly forgot. Could you take down that silver spear for me, and pick out three more spears? As for the style…”

She considered, then said, “Just get the kind Bai buys most often.”

“…We’ll settle everything together at the end.”

…

Not long after.

The people in the forge watched Li Le leave, their expressions tinged with surprise.

Li Le walked away, carrying a bow and quiver on her back, her arms full of spears and long weapons trailing along the ground.

“Little one, are you sure you don’t want big brother to help carry these back?” the burly man asked, scratching his head, unable to resist.

“No need, big brother. I can manage myself.”

Li Le, cloaked and hooded, never revealed her face, though she felt a bit helpless: everyone here was exceptionally tall, and the weapons were made to match. No wonder she had to drag and carry them all the way home.