I Am Loaded with Passive Skills - Chapter 3782 - 1828: Hidden Bitter (Part 2)

Chapter 3782: Chapter 1828: Hidden Bitter (Part 2)

“Ninth-grade spiritual sword, plenty of flaws, but it can fetch a good price. Just wonder which unlucky fellow it’ll accompany to get stuck in some trial place, tsk.”

Squeak—

The wooden door was pushed open, and the old blacksmith turned his head.

A young boy rushed in with urgency, carrying a large bundle, and shouted: “Old Li, bring out the tenth-grade spiritual sword, I’ve saved enough Spirit Crystals!”

“Xu Xiaoshou?”

When he heard his name here, Xu Xiaoshou’s mind was slightly touched and couldn’t help but smile.

Is this Hidden Bitter’s past?

The river of time is truly fascinating, he continued to watch.

“The Windcloud Competition is approaching, all the good tenth-grade spiritual swords have been snatched up. What’s left are old, recycled ones, mostly third or fourth-handed with slightly nicked edges, but still usable. Do you want one?”

“I want brand new, not second-hand, I’ve got plenty of Spirit Crystals!”

“Then take a look at this newly forged ninth-grade spiritual sword?”

“Old Li, you might as well kill me, I can’t afford a ninth-grade, don’t joke!”

“Tsk.” The old blacksmith glanced up and down at the young boy and soon thought of something, then diverted the topic, “Three years, right?”

The young boy’s face turned dark: “Old Li, what do you mean by that!”

“Ha ha ha, kid, if you come last in this year’s Windcloud Competition again, you’ll be kicked out of Spirit Palace, right? Why don’t you consider going outside early, get a job as an executive, and spend the rest of your life peacefully?”

“Old Li, I see you’re insulting my Path!”

Path…

Xu Xiaoshou rubbed his chin.

The words spoken by the youthful and reckless are full of phrases worth sighing over by those half a lifetime returning.

The old blacksmith appeared to have a story; hearing the words, his face showed a ridiculing smile, yet in his weathered eyes, a hint of melancholy flickered.

He remained silent for a long while before offering, “About your Path, add five hundred Spirit Crystals, and I’ll sell it to you for two thousand five hundred.”.

“You might as well kill me; it’s too expensive, got no Spirit Crystals!” The boy waved his hand.

“Just five hundred more! The money for a tenth-grade spiritual sword, to buy a ninth-grade spiritual sword, and it’s a newly forged top-grade one, it’s the friendship of three years I’m selling!”

“Huh? Three years, five hundred Spirit Crystals?” The boy raised his eyebrows upon hearing, “Our friendship isn’t worth much, nor is the past three years valuable!”

Time…

What is time?

Seeing this, Xu Xiaoshou gained more insight.

To the common people in this world, time is money, is Spirit Crystals.

Time can be measured in price.

Time is filled with the smell of money but doesn’t carry derogatory meaning; it is given actual “value.”

Time can bring fragrant meals, can have the warmth of fireworks, and in the realm of Spiritual Cultivation, it means new life growing upward, and it’s the beginning of a struggle over the Path.

Pat pat pat…

The boy’s personality was urgent; he opened the bundle, revealing bags of money inside, and he dumped them all onto the table, instantly filling it with Spirit Crystals:

“A total of two thousand and one, all are Spirit Crystals, plus some tickets, check them.”.

“That extra Spirit Crystal is our three-year friendship. It’s all I have, sell or don’t sell!”

Old Li’s anger turned into amusement; he didn’t count the money or tickets and casually snatched a Spirit Crystal from the table, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg:

“So my eye’s friendship is worth five hundred Spirit Crystals, but yours is worth just one?” He slammed the Spirit Crystal heavily on the table, full of anger, as if feeling insulted.

All said and done, the boy had managed to become the Eldest Senior Brother in the Outer Yard over three years, not feeling overwhelmed, pointing at the Spirit Crystal, he said:

“Is this ’one Spirit Crystal’?”

He clenched his fist and passionately declared: “To me, this is called ’everything,’ this is called ’giving it my all,’ this is called ’all or nothing’!”

All or nothing… The old blacksmith folded his arms and tilted his head, as if he heard something, squinting as he slanted a glance at the boy, silent for a long time.

“Sell or not?” The boy slapped the table with both hands, leaning forward.

“Sold, you spoke to this point, even ’giving it your all’~” The old blacksmith said slyly, “Tsk! Can I not sell?”

The boy didn’t mind the tone, chuckled, reached out and patted the old blacksmith’s shoulder in gratitude, then swiftly took the black sword.

“What’s its name?”

“Freshly forged, not named yet; you’re the new owner, give it a name.”.

“It’s pitch black, how about calling it ’Black Dog’?”

“Xu! Xiao! Shou!” The old blacksmith snapped, “Put down the sword for me!”

“Hey, don’t, just kidding, uncle…”

The youth hugged the treasured black sword, chuckling as he retreated to the door.

His smile finally dimmed, his lips twitched a few times, his face showing a bit of bitterness, as he looked down at the black sword in his hand, its spiritual quality as low as his own, and murmured softly:

“Let’s call you ’Hidden Bitter’…”

“Hidden Bitter?” The old blacksmith rolled up his pant leg, feeling satisfied with the artsy name, he put down his iron boot, “What does it mean?”

“To hide all the suffering, eventually welcoming the dawn…”

“Ho, a cultured person!”

The youth thanked him and waved goodbye.

He came in a rush and left with the speed of greased lightning, afraid that Old Li might change his mind.

The blacksmith shop returned to tranquility.

The old blacksmith didn’t continue forging, bending down to put on his iron boots again, he stumbled on his prosthetic as he walked to the door.

The setting sun’s glow fell on the youth running in the distance.

He knew that youth will ultimately pass, just as the sun sets in the west, and though tomorrow’s sunrise may rise again, how should one get through the long, long night?

Old Li took out the large pipe from his waist, stamped his iron prosthetic on his left leg, shook off the numbness, and the illusionary pain retreated, he lit the pipe and took a deep breath.

He exhaled smoke rings, letting the evening breeze wrinkle them, seemingly seeing the youth returning with glory and sharing the good news with him.

“Good luck to you.”

After muttering to himself, Old Li chuckled, tidying up his sentimental self, he turned back into the shop, ready to close the door.

Da da da…

Quick footsteps came from afar.

“Thanks for your blessing!”

— So it wasn’t a hallucination, this guy came back, what does he want?

Old Li panicked, sensing something was off, he was about to lock the door from behind, but the quick-footed youth stuck his hand to stop the door, poking his grinning face inside.

“Uncle Li, you just said Hidden Bitter was just fired up?”

“Don’t call me Uncle Li, it irritates me… Xu Xiaoshou, what do you want! Out with it!”

“So distant, Old Li, I heard there’s a technique in forging called ’Blood Refining,’ can you melt my blood with Hidden Bitter and quench it one more time, its spiritual quality is lacking, but what if after blood refining, it directly births a sword spirit?”

“Sword spirit?!” The old blacksmith shrieked, “Xu Xiaoshou, are you dreaming, a ninth-grade spiritual sword, and you want to birth a sword spirit?”

“What if!”

“What if my foot, this Hidden Bitter is surnamed Li, not Cao, do you think I’m an immortal from the heavens?”

“Uncle Li~~~”

“Don’t call me Uncle Li!”

“Hmm… Uncle Li~~ not others, I know Uncle Li, you’re from the Inner Yard~~ Master Uncle Li~~”

“Ugh! I’m gonna puke last night’s dinner! Blood refining is strenuous, I don’t have the energy to play along with your games!”

“Uncle Li, just one blood refining, just one~”

“Don’t grab my leg! Don’t pull my pants… what are you doing!” Old Li’s face suddenly looked horrified.

“Eh? Uncle Li, why are you wearing pink undies? With cute little sheep~”

“Xu! Xiao! Shou!”

“Hehe, if no blood refining then no blood refining, I’m going to find Elder Qiao now, hehe, little sheep~”

“Xu! Xiao! Shou! Get back here for me!”

“Oh.”

The youth stood at attention, respectfully handed over the black sword Hidden Bitter, his face full of gratitude, “Uncle Li called me back, is there something important.”

The old blacksmith snatched the black sword, jammed his finger on the youth’s forehead till it swelled, and knocked him to the ground angrily:

“With your sleazy manners, and your marinated mischief, even if Hidden Bitter was blood refined, it doesn’t need to birth a sword spirit, a bit more spiritual quality, this sword is useless.”

The youth giggled as he got up, patting the dust off his backside, he cheerfully followed into the shop:

“Thank you, Uncle Li! Grateful to Uncle Li!”

“Grateful to Uncle Li for the free blood refining for our Hidden Bitter!”

“Oh, I misspoke, it’s ’our,’ this is our shared treasure, hehe…”

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