Chapter 20: Sells Swords, Not Armor — Customers Say It's Top-Notch!
The reason Mr. Yao could recognize Xiao Xun'er's extraordinary nature at a glance was because… he had once met someone just like her.
From that moment on, he understood that behind breathtaking beauty often lay a kind of hidden, unspoken power.
His words left Jiang Lin quietly shaken. Even with just a bit of intuition, Jiang Lin could guess that the beautiful person Mr. Yao referred to… was undoubtedly his own mother, whose fate remained unknown.
Jiang Lin touched his smooth, firm cheek. Years of blacksmithing had turned his fair skin a bronze wheat color, yet it remained flawless. If he were to put on women's clothes, he'd probably be a striking androgynous beauty.
Now, Jiang Lin was pretty sure Mr. Yao knew his real name… He'd just never brought it up—just like Mr. Yao had cast aside his own name in the Izumo Empire, maybe he believed Jiang Lin should do the same.
Wait… Mr. Yao rarely calls me "Jiang Lin"… Except when introducing me to others, he always says "Lin'er." Yep. He definitely knows more than he lets on.
Jiang Lin had avoided telling Mr. Yao his real name because he remembered his mother's warning: never reveal their surname—it would be dangerous.
While I was still trying to figure out what made Xiao Xun'er feel so different from the rest of the Xiao Clan, Mr. Yao had already deduced through experience that she wasn't someone to provoke. As expected of a man who's traveled across several empires… Jiang Lin thought to himself.
"Let's go. We're heading to the Miteer Auction House. They host smaller auctions every three days and a larger one every half month. Timing's perfect—we'll hand over our items today, wrap everything up tonight, and buy what we need before heading back," Mr. Yao said, snapping Jiang Lin out of his thoughts with a light tap on the head.
Meanwhile, within the Xiao Clan, Xiao Zhan was hosting Lin Shi for a family dinner. Present were Xiao Zhan himself, his three sons—Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, and the prodigy Xiao Yan.
During the meal, Xiao Zhan introduced his sons, all of them Fighters, and said to Lin Shi, "Brother Lin, I'll entrust these two boys to you on their journey."
Lin Shi grinned. "Don't worry, Big Brother Xiao. I'll look after them well in the mercenary corps."
It turned out Xiao Ding and Xiao Li planned to head to Black Rock City with Lin Shi to build something for the Xiao Clan, believing that now Xiao Yan had broken through to Fighter rank, he could stay behind and look after their father.
After the meal, Xiao Yan handed each of his two brothers a pair of gauntlets. "I don't know who gave them to me, but since you two are determined to venture out, I won't stop you. These Low-Tier Yellow Rank gauntlets should help keep you safe."
The gauntlets—Flowlight—were actually gifted by Jiang Lin. Xiao Yan didn't feel he needed them.
What he didn't know was that, in the near future, he'd pay a steep and unforgettable price for this moment of careless generosity.
Because this pair of gauntlets, pulled directly from Jiang Lin's own arm, was the only defensive Dou Weapon crafted and released under the Youlin brand in Wu Tan City for the next three years.
Sells swords, not armor—customers say it's top-notch!
As he handed them over, Xiao Yan noticed the cute engraving of two little "sky-facing dogs" on the surface and chuckled. "No idea which childish smith made these—adorably silly."
Jiang Lin: Don't worry. A whole batch of blades is coming. Hope you don't get cut to death by the cuteness!
Elsewhere, shortly after Xiao Xun'er left, her shadow guard found her.
Ling Ying: "That Mr. Yao is sharp. He seems to have figured out you're not someone to mess with. He even warned Jiang Lin not to stir trouble."
Mr. Yao: See? Even a Dou Emperor has to respectfully call me "Mister."
If only more people in this world were that smart, Ling Ying muttered internally. He was sick of all the brainless idiots out there who thought they could scheme against Miss Xun'er just because she "looked like an ordinary girl."
"Don't worry about them, Elder Ling. I already have a good idea of who that boy is," Xiao Xun'er said in her room, looking out at the sunlight beyond her window.
"Hm?" Ling Ying hesitated, but knowing his place as her guard, he didn't ask further.
"As you wish, Miss." He vanished in an instant.
Xiao Xun'er sat on her bed, lost in thought.
Could there really be traces of Central Plains bloodlines here in this tiny corner of the Jia Ma Empire?
There's something faintly strange about Jiang Lin's aura. It feels… familiar, like someone from Zhongzhou. I didn't live in the Central Plains long, but that feeling is hard to ignore…
Could it be the Soul Clan? Have they already tracked me down? No… if it were them, Elder Ling would've been on alert already.
A girl's intuition can be terrifying. From just a glance, Xiao Xun'er felt Jiang Lin's aura gave off "Central Plains vibes." Even if she barely remembered anything from Zhongzhou, her instinct told her this wasn't normal.
Elder Ling said he's an orphan? Maybe he's some descendant of a lost Central Plains bloodline…
If that were true, it would explain why he felt so unusual. Likewise, if he found her odd, it would make sense. Well, sort of. Okay, maybe not.
How could he recognize something so special about me just like that? Was it my imperial bloodline? Or the golden flame seed sealed in my body?
Come on, be reasonable! What, is he from one of the Eight Ancient Clans or something? With ultra-high spiritual perception that lets him see through my secrets??
Impossible. Absolutely impossible! (hands on hips)
After thinking it over, she concluded it was more likely that Jiang Lin had been stunned by her dazzling cuteness and beauty than anything else.
After all, none of the ancient clans had the surname Jiang.
"If that's the case… He must have strong innate soul power, and someone smart guiding him. That would explain why he can sense I'm different."
With that old fox Mr. Yao at his side, her deduction made perfect sense.
Central Plains folk—being a little strange was totally normal.
And just like her own irrational intuition…
There were many things in this world that didn't need a reason.
(END CHAPTER)
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