Still Learning To Live As A Cultivator

Chapter Sixty Three - To them, this isn't a storm in a tea cup

Dark clouds formed amid the azure sky, hinting the start of a storm and within a small tea shop in New Julip Town, a storm was stirring just as violently.

Two peoples blissfully unawares yet very much connected to the latter one, were eagerly examining weapons displayed upon the walls of an arms shop. As was often the case in this type of weapons boutique, the swords, halberds, daggers and bows were more glamorous than perhaps was necessary for a tool meant to aid in the matters of kill to not be killed. The handles of the swords and daggers were polished so much that they gleamed and cast artistically with scrollwork or vines and ivy wrapping around glittering gemstones. The halberds long handle and the elegantly shaped bows were all carved from the most expensive and beautiful quality woods. The halberds also had silk tassels dangling from silver cuffs near the sharp and deadly blade on top, while the bows had similar cuffs either side of the curved centre, these were encrusted with stones.

Whether or not these ornate weapons were better than plain weapons, the usual clientele either did not know nor care. Seeing two silk laden youths with jade hairpins, gold cuffs and bangles upon their wrists, the shop owner naturally assumed that this pair were much the same, but suffered a rude awakening.

"Shimmering ice blade?" Sun muttered as he read the description beneath the sword. "But it doesn't shimmer nor does it have the attribute of ice... or any spiritual energy for that matter. Poo!"

"Swan song dagger?" Maimai giggled as she similarly amused herself. "The blade isn't long enough to reach the heart, what 'swan song?' More like a pig's squeal!"

The former heard the latter's words and pointed out another sword and brought her attention to it. "How about this one, Fèng máo lín jiǎo... as rare as Phoenix feathers and unicorns horns... accept the metal appears to be common steel."

"It's crystals are ordinary quartz," Maimai nodded sagely, approaching his side, her eyes filled with mirth. "Should be Chángjiàn rú jīmáo!" Common as chicken feathers! (google translate, probably wrong).

The two cruelly continued to denounce the shop's wares, causing tears of blood to spill down the shop keeper's cheeks as he wished he could silence this disruptive pair immediately. As a new customer turned upon his heel as he heard the words from the youths, the shop keeper had them leave; "This young master, young miss, if you aren't here to purchase, please do leave!"

Maimai chuckled inwardly, before tugging the unhappy man beside her out of the door. "Come on," she urged Sun.

"But he was being rude!" Sun pouted, his face red.

"So were we," Maimai reminded him as she pointed out a fact. "Although he was ostentatious enough to name those pretty toys, he did not go so far as to advertise them as spirit or soul weapons. And they weren't all that expensive, not priced much above their worth. We should leave the man a chance of survival."

"Fine," Sun sighed. He did really want a soul sword that he could truly call his partner one day, but it was also true that it would not be so cheap to obtain such. A soul weapon was not a normal weapon, as any man could use nor even a spirit weapon with a matrix embedded in its form, it was much more than that. It was a weapon that had formed a soul of its own. Even if one had the fortune to obtain one would not mean that the soul weapon would recognise them. Some said that the soul in the weapon formed after hundreds of years or tens of thousands of years, others said it might be born immediately after crafting as if sensing its creators heart within its folds. Jin Li's formerly rusty spirit weapon was good, strong, but it had not formed a soul even after the thousand years after it had been crafted.

"I'll leave first," Maimai told him, before pointing at the tea house. "My sister is waiting for me in there."

"Oh, my cousin went to drink tea in there also," he said, just as the first cracks of thunder rumbled overhead. He shuddered as if subject to an ominous omen. Maimai also felt disconcerted. Their casual steps became quickened ones as they neared the tea shop together. Sure enough...

"History has plenty of pheasants wishing to be phoenixes, but their dreams cannot compare with this miss!"  Her sister's voice echoed in her ears, the not too quiet insult seeming to come from a serene and calm throat, yet Maimai was not unable to hear the trembling anger within it.  It seemed this argument had been stewing for sometime.

"Has my cousin an enmity with your sister?" Sun inquired beneath his breath as that girl's flustered face burst out with an insult of her own.

"Of course my dreams cannot compare!  What dream remains a dream and what can be made into a reality, I am aware!  Whether you have such an ability remains to be seen!"

Maimai had shaken her head at first, but was clearly confused.  The girl with the long brown hair that Sun claimed to be related to, Merylin had not met this person before... right?

"You jest!" Merylin's voice rose by an octave.  "You dream of obtaining a man that is unreachable for this di daughter of a powerful sect!  Are you claiming to be a fox spirit with secret means?"

"What fox spirit?  You're a fox spirit!  Your whole family are fox spirits!" Carmen screamed in return, unleashing the temper that usually only Sun and his brethren had only been subject to before and even that had been away from the prying eyes of adults.  Flashes of lightning brightened the sky now and then, punctuating their curses, but the rain that should have followed did not fall.

Hearing their words tossed back and forth, both Maimai and Sun had an epiphany and turned to each other.  "Jin Li?!" 

They both sighed in unison, though for differing reasons.  Maimai was thinking of her best friend when she exhaled her exasperation; poor Leon.  Yet another girl deluded themselves into thinking that they were the right or only person 'worthy' of his Jin Li.  What made Jin Li so special?  He was just a man!  He had looks and strength, but his tongue was sharper than a sickle and blunter than any spoon!  It could pierce and bludgeon at the same time without warning and yet these silly girls came back to be abused some more!  He was also a bottomless pit when it came to food, what woman could afford him when poor Leon struggled to?!  It was rumoured that he was born noble, but no one really knew the truth and he rarely offers explanation, his 'mysteriousness' which continued to feed the silly girls' imaginations was really just him being lazy.

Sun in the meantime was thinking far more simply.  Why did all the girls like Jin Li and not him?  Not that he wanted Carmen to like him, that would be gross.  He didn't want Merylin to like him either, she was the sort to love not her husband but his position and reputation.  Actually, forget it.  Girls were all too complicated.  Best stick with finding a soul sword for a partner and not worry about the rest...