Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 90 "A Few Days in Seclusion"

After descending the mountain, the Ye brothers headed straight for the Sword Casting Manor.

Although the Ye family did employ many craftsmen, they were all in Jiangnan. If they were to invite them from the Ye family's home base in Yuhang Prefecture, the round trip would take a very long time. They would also have to consider the craftsmen's acclimatization problems due to the long journey—craftsmen of this era did not like to travel far.

Within Baozhou, if you want to find a reliable craftsmanship team, it's more convenient to go to a larger sect or organization.

In the past few days, the news that Ye Shuyun, the seventh young master of the Ye family, had joined the White Stone Immortal Sect to cure his eye disease had already spread throughout the martial arts world. The Sword Casting Manor was located at the foot of White Stone Mountain, so it naturally knew about this matter.

Therefore, when Ye Shuyun and Ye Chengyu came to visit, Wan Qizhongqiu personally welcomed them into the manor to keep them company.

After exchanging pleasantries, Ye Shuyun stated his purpose: "I have come here to borrow some craftsmen from your estate. It would be even better if you had a crafts team that I know well."

Large sects like the Sword Forging Manor usually employ their own craftsmen, since there are always places in the manor that need repairs and maintenance due to the large population.

However, the Sword Forging Manor didn't actually raise any, after all, this sect is quite special, because...

"Please excuse our poor performance, Young Master Ye. We don't have any specially trained craftsmen, but most of the sword-making disciples and masters in the manor can do these kinds of jobs. May I ask what needs Immortal Baishi has? We are all neighbors, and our manor is happy to provide manpower and resources!"

Wan Qizhongqiu stroked his beard and, without even asking about the specific uses, readily agreed to take on the entire task.

Ye Shuyun was stunned for a moment, then she understood.

Indeed, the Sword Forging Manor is most famous for its forging craftsmanship. Any disciple or swordsmith who knows forging also knows a little bit of other crafts. Even if they can't compare to the Imperial Workshop of the Southern Chu government, they are more than capable of meeting daily needs.

However, Ye Shuyun wanted to invite the entire crafts team to lead the work, not just to do more work, but also because he had high requirements for the precision of the construction.

As the number one immortal cultivation sect in the world, it can't really be just thatched huts and cobblestone paths, can it? Perhaps our master has his own aesthetic sense, but it's not really appropriate for future interactions with the outside world.

In this situation, the craftsmanship of a specialized craftsman would definitely be better, at least the eaves would be carved and painted.

Therefore, Ye Shuyun said, "My master does want to renovate many places in the sect and plans to build another main hall. Money is not a problem, but he has high requirements for the craftsmanship."

Upon hearing Ye Shuyun's words, Wan Qizhongqiu pondered for a moment before replying, "This matter is not difficult. I can personally invite the craftsmen in the county to form a team. There are also many skilled apprentices in the manor. You may go, so that things can be accomplished as soon as possible."

Ye Shuyun nodded: "Then thank you very much, Second Master. I have already sent a letter to the Ye family to purchase the timber and stone materials and to have them escorted by the Huiyou Escort Agency. However, we still need to consult with the craftsmen before we can make the model."

"It's alright. The samples can be made by my disciples. If Young Master Ye is interested, you might as well stay in the manor for a few days and discuss the design of the samples."

Wanqi Zhongqiu extended a very strong invitation.

Ye Shuyun shook his head: "There have been many trivial matters in the sect lately, so I won't bother the Second Master any longer. The White Stone Immortal Sect and the Sword Casting Manor are neighbors, and it's not far to visit each other. If the Second Master doesn't mind, I can make a trip every day."

"I don't mind, I don't mind at all!" Wan Qizhongqiu was eager to get close to Ye Shuyun, who had the dual "precious" identities of being from the Ye family of Jiangnan and a disciple of the Baishi Immortal Sect. Naturally, he would agree to whatever Ye Shuyun said and not utter a single word of objection.

After agreeing on the matter of borrowing the craftsmen, Ye Shuyun went to Feihu County again to ask Huiyou Escort Agency to deliver a message.

Ye Shuyun herself previously lived in a small building in the city of Jiangnan.

Perhaps because of his blindness, he particularly enjoyed the sounds of the neighborhood, which were vibrant, lively, and energetic.

However, joining the White Stone Immortal Sect is a significant matter, so it's necessary to inform the Ye family. Of course, the main reason is to request personnel and resources.

The White Stone Immortal is a true immortal who doesn't concern himself with anything, except for always worrying about his disciples going hungry; he doesn't pay much attention to worldly affairs.

Although Xu Ying is quite shrewd and resourceful, he lacks experience in managing a sect, so there are bound to be things he overlooks when doing things.

Ye Shuyun didn't like to mention everything, so she could only fill in some oversights first.

For example, hire several cooks and embroiderers.

Although An Chehexiang's cooking skills are edible, he is still young, and it is not appropriate to let a child take care of the entire sect's food indefinitely.

It's manageable now that there are few people, but as the sect grows, there will need to be a proper number of cooks to keep things going.

The embroiderers were the same. In the entire sect, not a single person knew needlework. A few men could barely sew the holes in the clothes into centipedes. Only Murong Ruyan had learned for a few days in the palace, but she could only embroider orchid leaves, and they were very ugly. It is said that she was asked to learn to embroider orchids, but she only embroidered one leaf and then didn't want to learn anymore. In the end, she just did a shoddy job, so she could only embroider orchid leaves, and her stitches were extremely ugly. For example, there was a clump of orchid leaves like weeds on her cloud-patterned robe, and it was uneven to the touch.

In other words, no one in the entire sect has ever made new clothes since the sect was founded!
What a miserable life they've been living!

Ye Shuyun sighed with heartache as she recalled her siblings who needed new clothes made for them every month.

Even ordinary people have to make two new clothes every year because their old clothes are worn out!

If the fabrics sent by various sects and factions are left in the warehouse any longer, they will all fade!
However, Ye Shuyun also made a special inquiry and learned that even those he accepted into the sect to work in the mines were called disciples—although they were outer disciples. Therefore, it seemed that all those who entered the White Stone Immortal Sect would have their aptitudes personally assessed before a decision was made. So, in his letter this time, he asked the Ye family to send more cooks and embroiderers, requesting not only those with good craftsmanship but also those who practiced martial arts.

Although it's unclear whether there's a connection between martial arts aptitude and immortality aptitude, ...what if there is?
It takes nearly ten days for a message to be delivered by fast horse from Feihu County to the Ye family in Yuhang Prefecture.

Ye Shuyun originally thought that when her master said he would "go into seclusion for a few days," it would only be three to five days. However, she did not expect that this seclusion would last for a month.

By the time Zhang Chengdao emerged from seclusion, the disciples of the Sword Casting Manor had already completed three prototypes. The craftsmen that Wan Qizhongqiu had helped invite had also started work. Even the cooks and embroiderers carefully selected by the Ye family had arrived at Baishi Mountain and were settled by Ye Shuyun in a rented courtyard in the Hidden Sword Garden of the Sword Casting Manor.

(End of this chapter)