Chapter 421: Chapter 415: The Blacksmith Has a Request
Luo looked at Qin Liuxi, who had not come alone; there was an old man with her, who, although was being helped, appeared dignified with especially sharp eyes. Being looked at by him, Luo couldn’t help but sweat a little on his forehead.
Could it be that the prosthetic limb was for this old man?
Luo subconsciously looked at the old man’s hands, but he had all his limbs intact.
Qin Liuxi greeted him and smiled, "I heard that the prosthetic limb is ready."
"Yes, yes, please come in," Luo stepped aside to let her enter the house.
Qin Liuxi walked in and saw a middle-aged man dressed in a dark red robe standing inside the house, and she took a second look, her eyebrows slightly raised.
"Little Daoist, please wait a moment, I’ll go get it," Luo went into the inner hall.
The Dongyang Marquis had been observing the small blacksmith shop and the swords hanging on the wall, had someone take them down for a closer look, and nodded in approval, saying to Qin Liuxi, "The craftsmanship of this blacksmith shop is not bad."
"Their family has a hundred years of reputation, passed down from generation to generation, they are also descendants of a side branch of Lu Ban, and know a thing or two of Lu Ban’s technique."
The Dongyang Marquis exclaimed once more, "Li City truly is a place full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."
Qin Liuxi smile said slyly, "It has good feng shui."
The Dongyang Marquis laughed heartily, then picked up a dagger, examining it closely in his hand, and even cleaved the air a few times with it.
When Luo came out, he saw the Dongyang Marquis wielding the dagger with vigor, thrusting and slashing; his moves clearly those of someone who frequently handles knives.
"Old master, you wield that dagger quite smoothly."
"It’s your fine work, the edge isn’t even sharpened yet, but it seems sharp enough, and it’s sufficiently hard. I see you even carved your own surname on it," the Dongyang Marquis complimented with a smile.
Luo said, "These items have marks on them, which also makes it easier for officials to check."
He handed the wrapped prosthetic limb to Qin Liuxi, "Please take a look."
Qin Liuxi opened it, and a prosthetic limb appeared before her eyes, not too heavy, with a traction device fitted at the arm part for attaching a severed limb, and a mechanism added at the elbow to allow the arm to move and bend. At the wrist connection, there was also a mechanism, and the hand was finely crafted.
"You’ve made this so quickly; you must have been working on it day and night," Qin Liuxi said to Luo.
Luo smiled honestly, "We didn’t take any other orders in the shop, and since it’s something you wanted, we naturally made it a priority."
Qin Liuxi was somewhat helpless.
"Let me take a look," the Dongyang Marquis couldn’t wait, excitedly moving closer and taking the prosthetic limb to weigh it, clicking his tongue in admiration, "This is really well made, what’s the purpose of this mechanism?"
"It’s for ease of movement," Luo took it back and demonstrated, "But to move it smoothly, you’ll still need to practice. Once practiced well, covered by clothes and gloves, I reckon it won’t be noticeable as fake, and the little Daoist will also decorate it further."
"It still needs decorating?"
"We plan to attach a layer of human skin to make it more realistic," Qin Liuxi explained with a smile.
"Human skin?"
"The kind of material commonly used for martial world masks."
The Dongyang Marquis, who had seen plenty in his life, still couldn’t help but be astounded upon hearing this, "This is already excellent; it can be made even better? You have made it extraordinarily detailed."
"I haven’t done it before, but I want to try and see how it turns out," Qin Liuxi shrugged his shoulders.
The Dongyang Marquis’s eyes revealed envy: "That person is indeed fortunate."
Qin Liuxi couldn’t help but laugh and cry, saying: "You don’t need to show an envious look. What kind of fortune is there in having hands and feet amputated, a fake is still a fake, no matter how lifelike it still is fake."
Dongyang Marquis chuckled awkwardly.
Qin Liuxi wrapped up the prosthetic limb again, and said to Old Luo: "This craftsmanship is delicate and consumes energy and spirit. Later, I will have Chen Pi bring over some silver."
"No need, aren’t you treating me like an outsider?" Old Luo hurriedly waved his hands.
Qin Liuxi pretended to be stern: "Familiarity aside, each must be treated on its own merits. Your eldest son is soon to marry, the betrothal gifts must not be saved on, and Erdan is growing up too. If you don’t accept, then I won’t dare to take this away."
"Alright, alright, you win, I’m scared of you. If you want to give, just give whatever you like, just a few taels of broken silver, I still have a favor to ask of you." Old Luo pulled his old friend, who’d been cowering in the corner, forward, rubbing his hands together and said: "This is my old friend, surname Deng, name Fucai, a landlord from Zaozi Village."
As he spoke, he pushed Deng Fucai forward, saying: "Hurry up and greet the little Taoist. Although I call you little Taoist, you are the Junior Temple Master of Qingping Temple, with the Daoist name Buqiu."
"Great master, greetings." Deng Fucai clasped his hands together, and also glanced at the Dongyang Marquis.
Qin Liuxi had an impressive air about him, but the old man’s dignity was even more commanding; he must be some big official, one glance was enough to frighten people greatly.
Dongyang Marquis acted as if he did not see the fear in Deng Fucai’s eyes and asked the servant to take down a bow to look at, but his ears remained perked up.
Qin Liuxi looked at Deng Fucai and smiled, "Content with little wealth, a flourishing house and family; Deng the Good Person has accumulated virtue for generations, that’s very good."
There was Merit Golden Light on his body, making him shrouded in golden light, indicating that he is a person of great goodness, yet besides the golden light, there was also a strand of dark aura entwined around him.
That was an evil spirit.
With merit to protect his body, this evil aura could not harm him, but in the long term, it definitely wasn’t something good.
And his facial features, the Children Palace is broad and flushed, which indicates many children. However, the area of the right eye is dark and the muscles there are withered. Since the left side indicates male and the right indicates female, this means that there is trouble with his daughter at home.
"What has happened to your daughter?" Qin Liuxi asked directly.
Deng Fucai was immediately shocked but then overjoyed. He had yet to say anything, and she had already seen that his daughter was in trouble?
"Master, indeed something has happened to my girl. Half a month ago, I don’t know why, but she suddenly became lazy and sleepy. My wife and I thought it was due to winter laziness and weren’t alarmed, but she has been sleeping longer and longer, and has also gotten thinner and thinner, devoid of any spirit. We invited a doctor to look at her, but he couldn’t find any problems. A witch was also summoned, and she drank the talisman water, but the child still did not get better."
As Deng Fucai spoke, his eyes reddened, he said: "In recent days, my girl has been in a deep sleep all day, and if it weren’t for her breathing, we would think she had passed away."
Qin Liuxi frowned.
"What did the witch say?"
"She said she encountered something evil, but even after performing exorcisms and drinking talisman water, there was no improvement."
Qin Liuxi was speechless: "And you didn’t try changing doctors? Or ask for a real Taoist or Monk to take a look?"
Deng Fucai seemed somewhat ashamed, saying: "I came to the city this time intending to invite a doctor from Changsheng Hall to take a look. Our Zaozi Village is close to Ling County, my mother-in-law had gone to Ling County’s Blessing Temple to pray for her."
Old Luo critiqued with disappointment: "Since there’s been no improvement, you should have gone to the Daoist Temple or Buddhist Temple. Isn’t Wuxiang Temple and Qingping Temple the most famous in Li City? You’ve really dragged out the child’s condition."
Deng Fucai hurriedly said: "I didn’t manage to do it before, it’s the same now. Master, tell me what exactly is wrong with my girl? I have many sons, but only one daughter, she can’t have any misfortune."
Qin Liuxi pondered for a moment: "Is it convenient to talk about your daughter’s birth date?"