Night of the Broken Gliph

“Not bad.” Chui Yim patted his shiny bald head. This had always been a habit of his.  

“Is that so?” Kiu Chi Gong heaved a sigh of relief. He was drenched in sweat. 

Chui Yim nodded, focusing fully on his metalsmithing now. “Casting and carving gliphs has always been your weakness. On the other hand, refining is your strength due to your family’s secret skills. Now, you have improved greatly in casting until it’s almost as good as your other refining skills. The only thing you are lacking in is gliph carving. But it might be because you only learnt to refine since young,” Chui Yim said as he took the sword. It was a light sword with a fuller on the blade. Kiu Chi Gong had intentionally designed it in this manner to train his casting skills. 

After learning the basics of gliphism for four years, Chui Yim had improved a lot. “As the saying went, “Methods may vary, but the principle always holds true.” Gliphs weapons are inevitably linked to gliphic formations too. You know too little about gliphism. Learn more if you can, and such things will be easier for you in the future. 

“What a pity… This sword is very close to being a grade two gliph weapon.” It was negative feedback coming from Chui Yim, but Kiu Chi Gong was smiling from ear to ear. I’m close to becoming a grade-two metalsmith? 

This thought made him look at Chui Yim with heartfelt admiration. Within these four years of basic guidance from Chui Yim, Kiu Chi Gong had learned more than from his past ten years of secluded self-practice. Now, becoming a grade-two metalsmith was already in his reach. 

“It’s getting late now,” Chui Yim said, looking out of the window. “It’s the weekend, so I’ll head home and return on Monday. Remember to continue practising your casting and drawing of gliphs. I’ll check them.” Chui Yim waved his hands as he left Kiu Chi Gong’s shop and walked towards the city gate. 

As soon as he reached the gate, he saw a familiar figure. “Old coachman.” 

Seeing Chui Yim, the coachman lamented. “Little boy, you are growing so fast. Soon, you’ll become even taller than me.” 

Chui Yim laughed when he heard him. This coachman had ferried him between Southary and home every week the past few years; they were very close to each other by now. After working together with Kiu Chi Gong, Chui Yim only spent his money on taking the hardyhorse coach besides giving some money to Lam Ming for ingredients. 

He made a deal with the coachman, to take him home and back to Southary weekly for eight silver taels per ride. Since it was a long-term deal, he managed to negotiate a discount.

Very soon, Chui Yim arrived at his home. Like always, he could smell the food as soon as he entered.

Since young, Chui Tin would always be cooking when Chui Yim reached home as if he could predict the future. But perhaps due to habit, Chui Yim never felt weird about the fact that Chui Tin was always able to predict the time of his return. Eating dinner together and talking about his week at school was a habit by now.

“Bring your friend Lam Ming back for a meal if you have the chance. I’ll show him how the food from an excellent chef tastes.”

“Why compete with a child?” Chui Yim said, looking at his father who was childishly throwing a tantrum. 

“You always praise his cooking, but never mine,” Chui Tin snorted and picked up his food. “I’m not boasting, but I’ve never met anyone who cooks better than me other than the one who taught me.” 

Chui Yim snorted in response. He could already imagine how arrogant Chui Tin would be if he actually praised him.

“You have already learnt the basics of medicine. I can now start teaching you how to be a glipheon,” Chui Tin said as he cleared the table after their meal. 

Chui Yim, who was lazing on the chair, sat upright immediately after hearing this. During the past four years, his school had taught him about basic gliphism. As for fitness lessons, he was exempted due to his heart condition. That was why Chui Yim placed all his hopes on being a gliphist instead of a glipher which was similar to the martial artists on the Sallow Continent. 

With his heart deficiency, there was no way he could compete in speed or strength, when fifteen minutes was his limit for strenuous activities. Thus, Chui Yim aimed to become a gliphist. 

However, he knew nothing about being a gliphist.  Even Chor Shing Chit was only one of the handful gliphers in Southary, and all gliphists had an academy or clan as their support. 

Despite this, Chui Yim wasn’t worried about it, as he knew that Chui Tin was somehow a remarkable gliphist after seeing the gliphs he drew for him to learn.

Those were so much more advanced than basic gliphs. 

There were many ways to judge a gliphist’s ability, such as the quantity and quality of the gliphs they knew. The more powerful a gliphist, the more mystical gliphs they would know. 

“What do you think a gliph is?” Chui Tin kept the cutlery and returned to the table. 

“A method to release energy,” Chui Yim answered after some thought. “If I were to compare it with water, gliphs would be the river that allows seawater to go through it to be used.” 

Chui Tin nodded, looking at Chui Yim seriously. “Right, but also wrong.

“You take gliphs too simply. There’s something that I’ve constantly been repeating.

“This is the world of gliphs.”