"Yes," Jing Wei confirmed. "The young man did not treat me as a slave. He released me from the contract immediately."
Lin Mu felt some of the tension in his chest ease.
"What did he want in return?" he asked.
"Service," Jing Wei replied. "Not ownership."
He set his mug down gently.
"He belonged to a small but rising noble clan," he explained. "They lacked a proper weapon forger. They needed someone skilled to elevate their standing."
"And you agreed," Lin Mu said.
"I did," Jing Wei replied. "It was a fair exchange. I had my freedom. They had my skill."
Lin Mu nodded.
"How long did you stay with them?" he asked.
"Five more years," Jing Wei said.
"That long?" Lin Mu said.
Jing Wei gave a small shrug.
"It was beneficial," he explained. "They had access to better materials. Better techniques. More resources."
His eyes held a faint gleam.
"My understanding deepened further," he said. "I was no longer just refining what I knew. I was expanding it."
