The sun was still high when Luo Feng turned to Kael and Lin Wang outside the fountain. The ox-cart stood fully loaded with bolts of cloth, sacks of salt, jars of medicine, and everything else the village would need.
"Kael, Lin Wang," Luo Feng said calmly, "can you take all the stuff back to the inn? Miya and I need to head toward the blacksmith. I want to forge some weapons."
Kael wiped sweat from his brow and grinned. "No problem. We'll get everything stored safely."
Lin Wang nodded, already grabbing the oxen's reins. "We'll meet you back at the Silver Lantern before sunset."
Miya slipped her hand into Luo Feng's, the new lotus hairpin gleaming in her hair. The two of them asked a passing merchant for directions, then walked hand-in-hand through the winding streets until they reached a sturdy stone building with a wide-open forge door. Smoke and the ringing sound of hammer on metal filled the air.
They stepped inside. Heat washed over them. Behind the anvil stood a broad-shouldered dwarf with a thick black beard braided with iron rings, his muscular arms covered in soot. He looked up from the blade he was shaping and wiped his brow.
"What do ye want to buy, travelers?" the dwarf asked in a deep, rumbling voice.
Luo Feng bowed politely. "I'm not here to buy. Can you forge a spare, a katana sword with a dagger, and a few sets of armor—for three people?"
The dwarf raised a bushy eyebrow. "Aye, I can forge. But I'll need materials. Good ones. Nothing cheap."
Without a word, Luo Feng reached into his Storage Bag and pulled out two large chunks of pure Adamantite and several bars of shimmering Mithril—the same legendary ores he had mined in the Forbidden Forest months ago. The dwarf's eyes widened like saucers. He stepped closer, running a calloused finger over the glowing metal.
"By the ancestors… Adamantite and Mithril of this purity? Ye didn't find these in any normal mine." He grinned, showing strong teeth. "Tell me exactly what ye want."
Luo Feng explained carefully. "Use the Adamantite for one katana and one dagger. With the Mithril, forge two swords like the ones hanging on your wall there." He pointed at a pair of elegant, slightly curved blades displayed behind the counter. "And make three sets of light armor from the Mithril. One more spare set from the remaining Adamantite."
The dwarf scratched his beard, studying the metal. "I can make all that. Finest work ye'll ever see. But… what in the nine hells is a 'katana'? Never heard the word."
Luo Feng picked up a piece of charcoal from the forge floor and a scrap of parchment from the dwarf's workbench. He quickly drew the long, slightly curved single-edged blade with its distinctive square guard and long handle, showing the balance and the way it was meant to be held.
The dwarf studied the sketch, nodding slowly. "Hmm… curved like a wave, sharp on one side only. Interesting. Different from our straight blades, but I like it. I'll make it true to your drawing."
He wiped his hands on his leather apron. "Come back after one week. It'll be ready—honed, balanced, and ready for battle or ceremony. No extra charge for the strange design; the metal alone is payment enough."
Luo Feng bowed deeply, and Miya curtsied beside him. "Thank you, master blacksmith. We'll return in seven days."
They stepped back out into the bright street, the ring of the dwarf's hammer already starting behind them. Miya squeezed Luo Feng's hand, eyes shining with pride and love.
"You really are full of surprises," she whispered. "Weapons for the village… so we'll never be helpless again."
Luo Feng smiled softly and kissed the top of her head. "For all of us. For our future."
They walked back toward the Silver Lantern Inn, where Kael and Lin Wang were already unloading the last of the goods. The capital hummed around them, but Luo Feng's thoughts were already turning toward home—toward Eden Village, the green fields, and the quiet life he and Miya would build together once the new blades and armor were ready.
One week. Then they would head back with everything their people could ever need… and a few quiet secrets still hidden in his Storage Bag.