Chapter 18: Then, do you happen to know...

"Were those bruises inflicted by your parents or family?"

Seeing Lu Shijiu remain silent, Lan Yin immediately drew her own conclusion.

"Aren't you afraid?" Lu Shijiu widened her dull, lusterless eyes, staring straight at Lan Yin.

"Afraid of what? Your eyes?" Lan Yin looked momentarily bewildered.

"I am a person of ill omen; those who come near me meet with great misfortune. It would be better for you to stay away from me!" Having dropped these words, Lu Shijiu turned to leave.

*Delayed for so long, I wonder if I can still make it to the blacksmith shop?*

"Little sister, let me take you to a medical clinic to have your wounds tended to!" Lan Yin quickly picked up the book that had fallen to the ground and hurried after Lu Shijiu.

"No need! If they heal, they will just get injured again; there is no need to waste the money." Leaving this behind, Lu Shijiu bolted toward the source of the "clanging" sounds.

She had to return before the Xue woman finished her business, or else another brutal beating would be waiting for her. Lately, the Xue woman and the others would strike her at the slightest provocation. Perhaps it was because their family’s fortunes had plummeted—especially after the death of Lu Tianming—and with nowhere else to vent their grief, they had turned her into their punching bag. That was how Lu Shijiu had come by all these scars.

The blacksmith shop was located at the end of the street, a building that had seen many years. In the center of the room sat a large furnace, currently burning with a fierce fire. Beside it stood a bellows; the flames within leaped and surged in rhythm with the wheezing sound of the air being pumped. Directly opposite the furnace stood a large iron anvil, upon which lay a heavy hammer and iron tongs.

The walls of the room were covered with various iron implements, categorized and hung in order. There were farm tools like plowshares, rakes, hoes, picks, and sickles; household items like kitchen knives, spatulas, planes, and scissors; as well as smaller objects like door knockers, decorative nails, and door latches. They were either hung directly or secured to the walls with ropes.

Lu Shijiu approached and stood at the entrance, scanning the room several times, but she could not find any daggers or swords.

"Child, what does your family need to buy?" A burly, middle-aged man finished working the bellows and looked up just in time to see Lu Shijiu.

"Do you have any daggers here?" Lu Shijiu asked.

"A dagger? Is your family looking to buy one?" The man paused, puzzled. "What does your family want with that?"

"My father is a hunter; he needs it to process game," Lu Shijiu said, the excuse rolling off her tongue.

The man used his tongs to pull an iron object from the furnace, inspected it, shook his head, and put it back in. "Tell your father to come and buy it himself!"

"Why?" Lu Shijiu asked, confused. "My father's blade has many gaps in it; I wanted to surprise him by getting him a new one!"

"Haha, I didn't expect a little one like you to be so thoughtful!" The man was amused by her words. "Fine, I don't mind telling you. Our Great Sheng has a regulation: any commoner wishing to purchase weapons like daggers, arrowheads, or swords must bring their household registration papers. We are required to register the purchase and file a report with the county magistrate's office."

"It's that troublesome?" Lu Shijiu pursed her lips, her expression growing somber.

The household registration papers were the items Old Master Lu treasured most and kept under lock and key. She had never seen them in this life or the last, and getting her hands on them would be anything but easy.

Perhaps because the iron in the furnace needed more time to heat, the man felt like chatting. He placed his tongs back on the anvil and, while wiping the sweat from his face with a rag draped over his neck, continued to talk to Lu Shijiu.

"What else did you expect? Daggers are lethal weapons; they aren't meant for just anyone to buy. The imperial court does this to control the circulation of weapons and, to a certain extent, curb the rise of bandits and robbers."

Lu Shijiu lowered her head and hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "About how much silver does a dagger cost?"

"That depends on the size, material, and craftsmanship of the dagger; the prices vary wildly based on those details." The man finished wiping his face and took the rag off to scrub his entire head.

"How much for one that is sharp and sturdy?" Lu Shijiu continued.

"If you're just processing game, an ordinary dagger would be between half a tael and one tael of silver. Better ones can cost anywhere from three to five taels," the man explained with great patience.

"May I take a look? I just want to buy one like the one my father had before."

"That won't do! These things must be purchased by your father himself before we can show them to you. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, we wouldn't be able to bear the responsibility," the man shook his head repeatedly.

"Are you looking to buy a dagger?" A clear, elegant female voice interrupted.

Lu Shijiu turned around and saw that it was indeed the young woman who had bumped into her earlier. She couldn't gauge the woman's intentions, but she nodded honestly.

Lan Yin’s willow-leaf brows knitted together slightly. "Commoners, apart from hunters, bodyguards, and butchers, are not qualified to purchase daggers."

Lu Shijiu hung her head and remained silent.

"I will buy it for you."

Lu Shijiu snapped her head up, looking at Lan Yin in confusion. "Why?"

Lan Yin did not answer immediately. Instead, she took Lu Shijiu’s hand and led her into the shop, instructing the man, "Boss, bring out the daggers you have so we can choose."

The man stood where he was, unmoving. "Miss, since you know that commoners besides hunters, bodyguards, and butchers are not qualified to buy daggers, you should also know that even they must present their household registration papers to make a purchase."

Lan Yin nodded calmly. She took a square, pitch-black tablet from her waist and held it before the man’s eyes. "You said 'commoners,' but I am of the Lan family from the capital."

The man’s eyes narrowed the moment the tablet appeared.

"A waist tablet forged from mysterious iron?"

"Precisely. Good eye, Boss!" Lan Yin did not spare the praise.

"Waist tablets of mysterious iron are reserved for the Three Ducal Ministers and the Nine Ministers and their direct descendants!" The smile on the man's face vanished entirely.

"Is that sufficient qualification to choose a dagger in your shop?" Lan Yin asked in a low voice.

"You are too kind, noble lady! Please, feel free to choose any dagger in the shop. Follow me!" The man’s attitude became instantly respectful as he led Lan Yin and Lu Shijiu toward the display.

*Three Ducal Ministers, Nine Ministers...* Lu Shijiu repeated to herself.

"Are you from the capital?" she asked.

"Yes, but would you keep this secret for me, little sister?" Lan Yin tucked her tablet away and offered her a gentle smile.

Lu Shijiu nodded blankly. *From the capital...* Her heart couldn't help but beat a little faster, and a light suddenly sparkled in those clear, black-and-white eyes. "Then do you know..."

The question swirled on the tip of her tongue, but she found she could not bring herself to ask it. The light in her eyes quickly faded. *Of course. At this time, they don't even know I exist. Even if I get news of them, what good would it do?*

As Lu Shijiu’s expression turned despondent, a hand gently stroked her hair. She looked up, confused.

"Although I don't know why you are sad, you must remember: your fate is in your own hands. Do not compromise easily!"

Lan Yin looked at her with eyes full of encouragement. In those autumn-water eyes, shimmering like starlight, there was no disdain, no mockery, no disgust, and no fear. It was a look Lu Shijiu had never seen before; for a moment, she was stunned.

"Thank you."

After her lips trembled for a long time, Lu Shijiu finally let the words of gratitude escape.

Lan Yin’s eyes curved into crescents as she heard this. "What a clever little sister!"