Night of the Broken Gliph

“Class will end here today. I will be in the staffroom if you have any questions,” Chor Shing Chit said as he closed his textbook. He glanced around the class before focusing on Chui Yim. “Chui Yim, follow me.” 

Chui Yim spoke to Lam Ming briefly before going off with Chor Shing Chit, leaving Chan Ngou Tin staring at his back angrily. 

Chor Shing Chit was the sole reason why Chan Ngou Tin enrolled in the Riding Clouds Academy. With his family background, Chan Ngou Tin had many other choices, but they chose to send him here as Chor Shing Chit was the youngest two-chambered glipher in Southary, and nobody else was even close to his age. Thus, they wanted Chan Ngou Tin to learn from him while simultaneously roping him into the Chan Clan. 

However, it had been four years, and Chor Shing Chit still treated Chan Ngou Tin as a regular student. Meanwhile, Chor Shing Chit spoke to Chui Yim casually and placed special attention on him. 

Thus the more special Chor Shing Chit treated Chui Yim, the more Chan Ngou Tin hated Chui Yim. 

Back in the staffroom. Chor Shing Chit sat in his seat, looking at Chui Yim. “What did you mean yesterday? When you said that your father abandoned you.” 

“Sir, you’re too serious. It will be hard for you to get a girlfriend if you’re like this.” Chui Yim laughed as he lamented.

“That’s none of your business,” Chor Shing Chit replied, turning stiff on hearing Chui Yim.

“I’ve noticed that Miss Fa pays considerable attention to you,” Chui Yim scooted closer to Chor Shing Chit and whispered. 

Chor Shing Chit looked at him blankly and subconsciously followed Chui Yim’s line of sight, which ended with him looking towards Fa Yin’s seat that wasn’t far away from them. Fa Yin happened to be watching them, and when she met Chor Shing Chit’s eyes, she blushed red and turned away immediately. Chui Yim let out a mischievous laugh at her reaction. 

“Busybody!” Chor Shing Chit smacked Chui Yim’s head. “I wanted to ask about the Chan Clan incident. I thought that your father had a solution, but I guess not.” 

“Mr Chor, don’t worry. It’s a small matter that I can handle myself. Mr Chor’s lifelong happiness is more important.” Chui Yim shrugged.

“Get your ass over here, Chui Yim. Run if you dare.” A cold growl rang out in the staffroom, accompanied by a teenager’s laughter. It made everyone who heard it smile. 

A few days went by. 

Since Chui Yim was exempted from fitness lessons, there was no class for him on Fridays. Today, he informed Lam Ming that he would be returning late before going to Kiu Chi Gong’s shop.

As per usual, he walked into the back room. Kiu Chi Gong might now have a high success rate in forging grade one gliph weapons, but Southary’s weapon industry was still in the Chan Clan’s hands. The Chan Clan was most gliphers’ first choice when purchasing or customising a gliph weapon. 

In fact, all gliph weapon shops besides those belonging to the Chan Clan were on their deathbed. 

“Oh! Young brother Chui! You’re here!” Kiu Chi Gong was pondering over something when he saw Chui Yim. “I was brainstorming some techniques., you’re here just in time.” He smiled. 

But Chui Yim stopped him. “Today, we’re going to do something special.” 

Bang! Plop! 

The doors of the shop shut with a bang, and a sign was hung outside, which read,.“Shop closed today, owner has business to attend to.”. 

“Young brother Chui, what are we going to do today? Why so mysterious?” Kiu Chi Gong said, staring at Chui Yim doubtfully.

“We are going to forge a grade two gliph weapon today.” Chui Yim giggled. 

“Hahaha, young brother Chui, you’re good at joking!” Kiu Chi Gong burst into laughter after a pause. 

“Ha… Ha…” He turned to Chui Yim, but he stopped laughing when he realised that Chui Yim was serious. “How can I do it?” he asked, unable to believe Chui Yim. “I don’t have the ability!” 

“It’s fine, I do.”

“Young brother Chui, I know you’re an incredible talent, but you still only have a ten-year-old body…” He glanced at Chui Yim and spoke slowly.

“No, no, no.” Chui Yim stopped him. “You and I, we are going to do it together. 

“I’m just going to be honest. I’m in trouble, and I need a grade two weapon. Are you willing to help me?” Chui Yim looked at Kiu Chi Gong seriously.

Kiu Chi Gong hesitated, but Kiu Chi Gong nodded, remembering how Chuy Yim taught him the past four years. “Okay! What do you need me to do?” 

The fire on the forging platform grew vigorously as Kiu Chi Gong stepped on the bellows repeatedly without stopping. He held a specially made circular vessel in his hands carefully. There was a pitch-black liquid inside it.  

It was the fallen star’s stone, the main ingredient of the weapon that Chui Yim commented on when he and Kiu Chi Gong first met. 

Kiu Chi Gong was panting from the hard work, while Chui Yim sat at the side like his boss, swinging his legs. He glanced at the liquid inside the vessel and said, “That’s enough. Pour it into the mould now.”  

Unlike Chui Yim, who was relaxing, Kiu Chi Gang’s was extremely serious. His palms were covered in sweat out of nervousness. Well, this was his first time trying to make a grade two gliph weapon, after all. 

Kiu Chi Gong removed the black cloth on his arm, revealing his gliph. He had a Super-strength gliph tattooed on him. 

There was a gliphic plant that grew in the wild called strength grass that increased one’s energy when consumed. It was a common gliphic plant, but it was valuable if used as a g-food ingredient; it strengthened and invigorated when eaten. If it was made into a strength pill, it recovered stamina immediately. When used as an ingredient for one’s gliph, it could be tattooed into a Strength gliph. 

To many one-chambered gliphers, they would usually choose the Strength gliph. Strength grass wasn’t an expensive ingredient while the Strength gliph increased their strength, giving them more career choices. 

As for the Super-strength gliph, it was the upgraded version of a strength gliph. It was rarer than the original, and the strength grass used must be at least a hundred years old in order to be made into a Super-strength gliph. 

Kiu Chi Gong only got it at the cost of the last assets of the Kiu Clan. 

The liquid metal mainly consisting of fallen star’s stone was now in the mould. It was a long mould made of iron, with the centre part concaved; you could tell that it was a long weapon. Due to the Super-strength gliph tattooed on him, Kiu Chi Gong was able to hold the vessel firmly. 

Every drop of liquid metal was used, and the mould was now full. Chui Yim nodded in satisfaction on seeing this.

The technique that was passed down the Kiu family was indeed something. Kiu Chi Gong might be lacking in crafting and carving gliphs, but he was as good as a grade two metalsmith in terms of forging and preparing the materials. Forging was like a water bucket; it depended on the lowest wood slab instead of the highest. Due to his gliph carving and crafting skills, he was restricted to creating grade one weapons. 

That was the reason why the mould was there. 

Kiu Chi Gong couldn’t help but admire Chui Yim’s thinking. Since Kiu Chi Gong’s crafting skills were too bad and he couldn’t make a nice figure for a weapon, he might as well not craft and use a mould. 

Unlike most weapons, a rod was considered a weapon that didn’t kill. It wasn’t as sharp, and there was no need to polish it like swords or knives, so it required little to no crafting abilities. 

With his gigantic iron hammer, he made the liquid metal fill the mould even better and smoothed it out as it started to cool down. 

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

Kiu Chi Gong’s skills might not be the best, but due to his Super-strength gliph, he was strong and able to exert a lot of power when hammering, creating thunder-like sounds. 

Not long after, the liquid metal cooled down.

“It’s almost done!” Chui Yim yelled. 

Hearing him, Kiu Chi Gong immediately kept his hammer and stepped back. Chui Yim jumped down from his stool and went to the forging table. 

The both of them took turns to stand at the table, showing their good chemistry. As soon as Kiu Chi Gong backed off, Chui Yim was already at the table. Compared to the tall and huge table, Chui Yim looked tiny. 

But when the expression in his eyes changed, Kiu Chi Gong squinted his eyes in surprise.  

What type of expression is that? It’s as if… He is putting his mind, no, his soul into the weapon. 

The sound of the bellows, flame, and trickling of liquid metal… “Don’t breathe. Your breathing is too noisy,” Chui Yim said slowly, leaving Kiu Chi Gong speechless, but he subconsciously held his breath. 

Everything was in Chui Yim’s mind. 

The difference between him and Kiu Chi Gong was just like him and Chui Tin in gliphism. 

Just with a glance, it looked like Chui Yim had suddenly enlarged in Kiu Chi Gong’s eyes. He felt like a colossal mountain whose peak couldn’t be seen and Kiu Chi Gong actually felt afraid of the pressure.

“Huff.” Chui Yim took a deep breath and stuck out his right index finger. A red light appeared on the finger; it was the Flowing Flame Finger.