Chapter 60: Qin Tie Reveals His Identity

Li Dong kicked off and rushed out the door. Seeing the sudden change in circumstances, the man outside was clearly caught off guard; he hadn’t expected to be discovered, and his face showed surprise. He turned hurriedly and left the smithy, fleeing at a breakneck pace.

His flight confirmed Li Dong’s suspicions: this man harbored a significant secret and would not let him off so easily. The stranger’s footwork was swift, and in moments, he had widened the distance, heading straight for the west gate. Li Dong followed closely, refusing to let him escape.

As the chase unfolded, Li Dong observed the man’s footwear: white socks and black shoes, a clear sign that he held a position within the government, not an ordinary citizen. After entering the west gate, the man, pressed by Li Dong’s pursuit, slipped into the crowd of common folk, hoping to use the chaos to make his escape.

Yet the more desperately he ran, the deeper Li Dong’s doubts became. Officials were usually arrogant and domineering; why would one flee in panic from a mere civilian?

Having observed the man’s attire in detail earlier from the shadows, Li Dong was able to pick out his figure even amidst the throng. He followed at a distance, careful not to lose sight of him.

After a journey of about a mile, the crowd thinned and there was nowhere left to hide. The man darted into a deserted alley, with Li Dong close on his heels.

Inside, the alley was empty. The man stood upright a short distance ahead, no longer running, as if waiting for Li Dong’s arrival.

“Why do you pursue me so relentlessly? I am not afraid of you; do not push things too far!” The man called out, his voice carrying across the ten paces that separated them.

Li Dong halted abruptly, standing firm at a distance, and retorted, “You hold a public office. Your actions ought to be open and honorable. Why act so furtively and disgracefully? Are you not afraid of sullying the reputation of your department?”

“This has nothing to do with you. Take my advice—don’t get involved in this mess,” the man’s tone grew cold, his official airs weak but his manner full of the swagger of the underworld.

Li Dong let out a cold chuckle, unsettling the man. He replied decisively, “The matter of the Qin family’s smithy is my business. No matter how large or small, I am determined to see it through.”

“In that case, you’ll see for yourself soon enough. Ha!” With that, the man turned and left.

Li Dong called out after his retreating figure, “I’ll let you go for now, but next time you won’t be so lucky!”

“Reading while riding a donkey—we’ll see who wins in the end!” The man shot back as he accelerated out of the alley, disappearing from Li Dong’s sight.

Li Dong let him go because he couldn’t yet make sense of what trouble had befallen the Qin family’s smithy. He could have dealt with the man mercilessly, but the authorities would surely send others to investigate. He couldn’t simply eliminate every official that appeared; there would be no end to it.

The best solution was to address the root of the problem, to find out whether the Qin family had provoked someone they shouldn’t have, done something forbidden, or perhaps crafted a weapon involved in a criminal case.

All these questions needed to be answered in person by the Qin father and son. With this in mind, Li Dong returned to the smithy from the city.

Upon his return, Qin Qiong stopped his work and hurried over to ask, “Who was that man? What happened?”

There were many people outside the smithy, the place bustling with noise—not the moment for confidential discussion. Li Dong reassured him, “It’s nothing, just a passing stranger. I was overthinking things.”

Qin Qiong’s expression eased, no longer so tense; he went back to the forge and resumed his work. Qin’s father eyed Li Dong coldly, clearly not welcoming him.

Li Dong pretended not to notice, walked over to where the finished goods hung, and flicked at the iron tools, which rang with a clear, resonant hum. Each piece bore the stamp “Qin Family Smithy,” a detail that suddenly struck Li Dong.

Perhaps the issue lay here. He asked subtly, “Has your shop made any unusual weapons recently?” He watched Qin Qiong’s reaction closely.

Qin Qiong looked puzzled at first, then fell into deep thought. After a moment, he shook his head. “Most of what we forge here are hammers, ploughshares, pitchforks for hay and crops—farm implements. Weapons are rare, mostly just knives for slaughtering pigs or boning, nothing longer than a foot or wider than two inches.”

“Weapons are seldom made. Last year, we repaired two—a spear and a bronze club—but only as a favor. We didn’t stamp them with the smithy’s mark.”

Before Li Dong could respond, Qin’s father interjected, “He hasn’t been working with me for long and doesn’t know much about these matters. In the past, we made a great many weapons—too many to recall details.”

Li Dong listened and felt he was beginning to understand, though he couldn’t be certain the problem lay here. He pressed further, “Have you encountered any strange people or unusual happenings lately?”

“Yes!” This time, Qin’s father answered without hesitation.

“What happened?” Li Dong asked urgently.

“Far away, yet right before your eyes!” Qin’s father replied coldly.

Li Dong was taken aback. Was Qin’s father referring to him? He thought for a moment, then smiled.

It was no wonder Qin’s father saw him this way. He’d arrived with a massive stone, returned again the next day, and despite being told the job couldn’t be done, still lingered at the smithy. Compared to anyone else, he was indeed something of an oddity.

But Li Dong knew better than anyone—the greatest threat currently facing the Qin family’s smithy was not himself. On the contrary, he intended to help them through their difficulties.

Yet Qin’s father, due to his preconceived notions, continued to obstruct him. So Li Dong would turn to Qin Qiong, who was straightforward and willing to let him get involved.

With the crowd and confusion, it wasn’t the right time for further questions. When things quieted down, he would carefully inquire about recent events. With this thought, Li Dong stepped outside, preparing to leave with his ox cart, when a voice called from the smithy.

“Leave the stone here. We can give it a try.” The voice was crisp—obviously Qin Qiong.

Li Dong was delighted and quickly asked, “Where should I put the stone?”

Qin Qiong came out of the smithy and sighed, “Just leave it by the door. Once we finish our work, we’ll try to break it. Such a heavy thing—most people couldn’t move it anyway.”

Li Dong had Luo Shixin place the stone beside the smithy where it wouldn’t be in the way, and he thanked Qin Qiong repeatedly. Qin’s father did not object to leaving the stone, perhaps curious to test his own skills to see if the strange rock could be forged into a desired blade.

Li Dong whispered to Qin Qiong, “We’ll be back soon. After noon, we will certainly return. Please wait for us.”

Qin Qiong nodded firmly, giving his definite promise.