The Spear

The morning after Qing Shan's 'introductory dinner' with the members of Three, Qing Shan immediately headed for the individual training center. Because Qing Shan was only really planning on mediating and hand-to-hand combat exercises, this was the place that Qing Shan planned to be.

As soon as he entered the lowest level individual training hall, he felt an immediate change come over him. For most people, it would be a small change, but he noticed it immediately. His thinking speed was somehow increased, and concentration became easier. Qing Shan could willingly slip in and out of a meditative state even while walking around. Perhaps the enhancements of the room where increased due to Qing Shan's speed of thought, but Qing Shan did not need to worry about that now. In fact, Qing Shan did not need to think about anything except for his circulation as he began his meditation.

After meditating for a while, Qing Shan stood and looked around the individual hall. It was small, only about four cubic meters, but it had enough room for Qing Shan to practice as he wanted. Instead of sinking into his normal stance that he used when practicing with his hand-to-hand martial skills, Qing Shan pulled his Staff from his primal pocket dimension and settled into a strange stance.

Qing Shan bent his knees, keeping his body firm, and rotated his body leftward so that both his feet were facing the same place as his eyes. He held his Staff at the level of his waist and held his left hand up by the top of the Staff. He then grabbed an area between the middle and bottom of the staff with his right hand.

From this point, Qing Shan began practicing thrusts. These movements had more power behind them that his normal Thrust with a staff, as if he was trying to force the tip through something. Qing Shan continued to practice these movements for some time, before looking at a place on the wall. Qing Shan had been assured that these walls were quite sturdy, and it would take a cultivator at the Origin Soul realm to even scratch them. Thus, Qing Shan knew that he did not have to worry about damaging the wall.

Keeping his eyes on that one point, Qing Shan began thrusting forward, making the tip of his staff hit the exact same spot on the wall repeatedly. After he was satisfied with this motion, Qing Shan began shifting his stance, yet keeping the same grip as before. He spun around his staff and moved his body repeatedly, as if he was dodging attacks from an opponent. Qing Shan began attacking that one point on the wall, slashing at it with the tip of his staff, thrusting at it, and slamming the butt of his staff into it. There was a distinct reasoning behind this practice.

Qing Shan was unsure whether he wanted to keep the staff as his main weapon. Thinking back to when he was choosing his weapon in Liu Tiansheng's cave, Qing Shan had not only felt something from one weapon. Although the staff had called out the loudest, there had been another weapon that resonated with Qing Shan. That weapon was much like the staff, except that it was well known for its dominance in battle, and was much more effective at killing than the staff, which symbolized peace.

The weapon that had called to Qing Shan ever so faintly back then, was the spear. Its call had been hidden by the peaceful resonance of the weapon that Master Liu had used in its prime. However, the path of peace was not one that Qing Shan felt he was fit to walk. His attribute was lighting, a harmonious mixture between the peaceful winds and the bloodthirsty flames. Qing Shan had learned that his ideals had not really tilted toward the peaceful side of his nature. Whenever Qing Shan faced an obstacle, his first instinct had always been to destroy that obstacle with force, rather than find a peaceful resolution. The main factor of Qing Shan's decision was that he completely agreed with his instinct. He was the type of person that would tie up all loose ends and snuff out any rebellion before it could grow. Although he was capable of showing mercy, that was not something that Qing Shan could resort to before force.

Thus, Qing Shan felt that the spear was the weapon that suited not only his battle tastes, but his personality.

After spending his first morning secluded in the Fallen Sky's individual training halls, Qing Shan headed back to the Smith's Respite.

On his way there, he mentally posed himself a question.

'I wonder if anyone's still reading my book. I can count the number of comments on one hand, and the last one was over a month ago. Even my daily updates don't tell me about any new collections, or even comments.'

As Qing Shan thought about this, a feeling of sadness descended over him. It was a sadness so profound that it broke through the locks he had placed on his emotions.

Qing Shan walked into the bustling Smith's Respite, pushing away his depressing thoughts.

Qing Shan, who disliked being late, had arrived ten minutes before the noon breaktime started. Qing Shan responded to some of the customers' greetings as he made his way to the front desk.

"You go to the back room and forge. I can man the front desk."

Tang Hua gave Qing Shan a grateful smile and returned to the backroom. Qing Sha stayed at the front desk and continued to make small talk with the customers and help them out.

Soon, the customers left, and Tang Hua said he was going to go get some lunch at a nearby store.

Once Tang Hua left, Qing Shan began operating the forge. He used some of the steel that Tang Hua had an excess of, and began heating the metal. Once it was hot enough to shape it, Qing Shan slid it into a circular vice that was next to the anvil. The original piece of steel was two meters tall, and five centimeters thick and in length. Qing Shan compressed the vice around the hot metal, and worked to make it round. Qing Shan continued this process for some period of time; he heated up the metal, placed it in the circular vice, and molded the metal into a cylindrical shape, sort of like a staff. However, one end of the two meter metal pole was still square. Qing Shan began to work this side, carefully shaping the head into the sharp blade of a spear.

Once he had finished making the shape of the spear and was satisfied with his work, Qing Shan left the back room. However, Qing Shan was immediately surprised. Apparently, the lunch break had ended, as Qing Shan saw Tang Hua manning the front desk and many customers roaming the shop.

"Sorry about that. I shouldn't have used work time to make something for myself."

Tang Hua grinned.

"No problem. I like knowing that a budding smith is working hard to improve his skill."

Tang Hua walked into the back room, and Qing Shan remained at the front desk for the final seven hours until closing time.

At the end of the day, Qing Shan walked into the back room to pick up the spear he had forged at lunch. He did not want to ask Tang Hua to enchant it without giving compensation, so Qing Shan did not expect to keep the spear long. Nevertheless, he had put a lot of work into making the spear.

Once Qing Shan walked into the back room, he could not find his spear. At least, not immediately. Propped up against the anvil was a spear, and it took Qing Shan a moment to realize that it was his. The reason for this was because it looked far superior to Qing Shan's hastily yet carefully forged spear. The blade seemed sturdier and sharper, and the design on it had been enhanced, framing the edges of the blade. There were many carvings in the pole part of the spear, and it looked as though two runes had been fitted into the weapon. Qing Shan looked closer and realized that the two runes were simpler runes, yet some of the most used. They were 'Lightness', and 'Fortification'. The fortification rune was always helpful, and lightness helped Qing Shan immediately overcome the one hang-up that he had with a steel spear, its heavy weight.

Qing Shan ran out the door with his beautifully designed spear in hand, looking for Tang Hua. Qing Shan felt an obligation to pay the man who had assisted him. Unfortunately, the man was long gone, and Qing Shan did not have an inkling of where he lived.

Qing Shan gave up, and carried the beautifully carved and forged spear back to the Fallen Sky Sect.

Once he arrived back at Three Qing Shan's spear immediately got whistles of approval from the twin weapon enthusiasts, Shi Yin and Shi Yang. As their names suggested, they were opposites in every way. Shi Yin was a shy girl with an attitude that could be cold, and Shi Yang was a courageous boy that always knew how to brighten up a room. In fact, their interest in weapons was probably the only thing that the twins had in common. The two where sixteen making them the second and third youngest in Three. Qing Shan wanted to ask which was youngest, but had learned his lesson after asking the same question the night before; it had resulted in a full scale wrestling match that made Qing Shan doubt their actual combat skills.

"Where'd ya get the spear."

Shi Yang asked in excitement. Meanwhile, Shi Yin stuck out the spear, not so kindly ordering Qing Shan to hand over the spear.

Qing Shan complied, curious as to what the girl would think of the weapon.

Qing Shan watched in amusement as the girl caressed the spear, twirled it around, tried to balance it on her finger, and even tested the sharpness of the blade with her tongue, which resulted in a cut. Despite this, Shi Yin kept a smile on her face, before finally speaking. Unlike her normally shy behavior, many words tumbled out of her mouth in enthusiasm.

"It is a good spear! The balance of the weapon is perfect, and it is light, despite being made of steel. It is so durable that the blade would not crack if repeatedly slammed against the ground, and it definitely will not chip from hitting hard surfaces. On top of that, it is expertly sharpened so that it could possibly cut through parchment!"

Qing Shan nodded at the girl's good review.

'Tang Hua is really amazing.'

On top of his approval of the weapon, Qing Shan was itching to try it out in combat.

'Is anyone willing to help me try out my new weapon?'

"Me!"

Long Wan jumped down the stairs; he was someone who felt physical pain if he avoided a fight. There was absolutely no way that he would give up this opportunity.

"Thank you."

"No problem at all. I've been looking for a chance to beat up the newbie."

Qing Shan chuckled dryly, before walking onto the stage in the middle of the Outer Ring. Long Wan followed, a shortsword strapped at his waist.

"That's your weapon?"

Qing Shan had never seen someone wield only one short sword before. Usually, when shortswords were used, they were either a pair or a secondary weapon. Qing Shan was curious to see how this would work.

As he was observing Long Wan, Qing Shan began to swing around his spear. He quickly found that the balance was really similar to that of his staff, which was quite remarkable. Most times, a spear was much heavier at the but end than at the blade end. This must have been what Shi Yin meant by "balanced".

"Alright, let's get started."