To Cyrus

It was an artifact.

As soon as he woke up in Lilia's house, Shui dashed out and went to Bartos to ask about his creation and that was the response. Bartos started explaining about what artifacts were and such information, but Shui knew more than he did as he read up on them in the Primordial Library. Artifact was the general name for all objects made for cultivators. All artifacts had special effects that separated them from mortal tools and had their own classification. The lowest rank was special, normally used by Soul Realm cultivators, and each rank could be separated further into three classes, normal, blessed and supreme. The knife was a blessed-class special-rank artifact.

"As for the effects, try holding it yourself."

Bartos took out the knife from his forge and gave it to Shui. The knife was now in a brown sheath and had a similarly coloured handle. Though he didn't make its handle or sheath, the knife felt special to him. Furthermore, as soon as it reached his hand, his entire body felt lighter and at peace with nature.

"Huh, what is this feeling?"

As he was focused on the knife, Shui completely forgot a certain fact. A normal mortal wouldn't be this sensitive to nature and so wouldn't experience the feeling he did. Therefore, by showing that he could feel that sensation, he had confirmed Bartos' guess.

"That's the effect of your artifact. As a weapon, it isn't much, but it's a great support item. According to my appraisal, it has a harmony effect that allows the wielder to feel closer to the surrounding environment. Honestly, I've never seen this kind of effect from a special-rank artifact."

"Woah..."

'So this is the result of my effort...'

Shui stared as if fascinated by the knife for several minutes before being disturbed by Bartos clearing his throat.

"So, what do you plan on doing with it?"

"Uh, I,"

When Shui looked at the knife again, he was no longer simply mesmerized by it, but analyzing its worth. Though this was his first true creation, it wasn't very useful to him at the moment so instead of hoarding it, he decided to use it in the way he planned from the start.

"I want to sell it."

"Are you sure?"

Shui nodded. This was the reason he wanted to learn forging to begin with. In order to reach his goal, in order to live freely, he had to gain as much strength as possible, and money would be necessary for that.

"Okay. You're the only one who made anything decent this time so it'll just be me, you and Yur going."

"Going where?"

"To Cyrus. We're participating in the auction being held there."

Uncle Bartos told him he could rest for the day, but once Shui learnt he would once again be able to go to the town, he was overcome with excitement. He skipped up and down the plateau before making his way to the Library. During this session, he was too hyper to calm down and cultivate so he simply read books. Increasing his own knowledge was both a hobby and a necessity to him. For as a wise one once said, 'Knowledge is power'.

Additionally, according to legend that wise one also died from unknowingly eating a poisonous mushroom which further proved he had the right idea. Knowledge was a necessity.

He focused on books on alchemy and plants since the information from them would be very useful in coming days.

Three days after he made the knife, they set off to Cyrus by carriage. By this time, Shui had reached the third level in the Mortal Realm. After settling down from the initial anticipation of this trip, he broke through in the Library. Shui's approach to cultivation was to breakthrough only when he felt comfortable doing so, and completing his first true creation made him feel like the time was right. His way of cultivating was like a kid stuffing ice-cream into a cup. Only when the cup could take no more even after he pressed down on the cream would he be satisfied.

Shui had been working hard to improve his craft, so he was badgered by Kate and Lilia to, 'appease' them. Naturally that meant he had a few more pages in his crossdressing black history, one of the few reasons he sometimes hated his good memory. Luckily, he only had to endure that for one day and none of his seniors saw him, but Bartos was oddly silent the day after it happened. Only when work was over for the day did he rest his hand on Shui's shoulder and say,"Puberty will come."

A line that was worse than the odd silence.

The carriage they were in was the smallest in the clan and Yur was leading the horses. Normally, they would walk to the town, but there was no way Lilia would agree to that since Shui would be going with them, especially when she wasn't completely okay with him leaving in the first place. After all, anything could happen outside. However, she believed that her husband would bring him back safely.

Shui might have been able to make the distance, but he would have undoubtedly been tired so he was appreciative for the comfort. He was diligent in his training, but not masochistic.

From outside the walls, the town looked the same to Shui. He hadn't been back since that one time with his mother, but he didn't plan on taking the money his mother left for him for the time being. It wasn't that he made an oath or anything not to take it. No, he just decided that he would only take the money when he left the clan.

Similar to when he came with his mother, they made it into the Cyrus quickly since the guards were familiar with Yur and Bartos. Since the auction would be at night, they would need to stay the night in the city and so they went to find an inn. The inn Bartos normally went to, Barbarian's Rest Stop, wasn't very far from the gate so it didn't long for them to reach there.

While Yur and Shui waited outside, Bartos easily secured a room for the three of them so next up would be visiting the auction house, which was near the center of the town. Now that they were in the town, they couldn't use their carriage since only residents were allowed to drive on the streets, and so Yur was the one holding Shui's knife. They weren't advertising the artifact, but in the crowded town there were many who would use the opportunity to search their pockets without their knowledge.

Shui had no problem with this arrangement since the knife would be sold regardless of which of them had it. Instead, he was looking around him with visible excitement. He might have read many books, but he could always find out more by gaining experience. He was so excited that Yur was worried he would wonder off somewhere when he wasn't watching him.

When the auction house was in sight, and Shui stared at the large building with the appearance of a small castle painted in silver and gold, he was suddenly knocked to the ground.

"Ahh, what the,"

After sitting up while rubbing the back of his head, Shui looked at the one who knocked him down and was still in front of him. It was a girl who seemed a bit older than he was, wearing a purple frilly dress with a few tears that exposed skin blemished by red wounds. Kate was the prettiest girl in his age group at the clan, but he never thought much of it since they knew each other from they were little. However, the same couldn't be said of this girl. Her eyes were like stars that begged him to admire their beauty, while her small pink lips and slim cheeks imprisoned his attention. As he looked at her long, dark purple hair that flowed smoothly to her knees like a river, Shui was frozen in place.