His father's back was always so big. Clad in impressive robes, his strict face hunted him in his dreams. Fu Tengfang let out a sigh his left fist trembling a little as he stared at the door of his cultivation room, he always took a small nap after his cultivation sessions and this time he woke up to a bad dream about his father.

His father had started out as a scholar, coming from a tiny cultivation family, he had unusual talent and smarts. he quickly became an official at court, with the connections and experiences he made at the imperial court he founded a trade organization, with his leadership it quickly became the top-dog in the empire accending to a size that was until now unseen in the empire. Only they actually had business partners with another kingdom far behind the savage barbarian lands! Fu Tengfang had seen those people himself. There was no way those elders in the sect or even the emperor could compare, the women were like fairies and the men like handsome heroes - each one of them having an overpowering aura!

These people and the trade his father did with them was one of the big reasons his father was now very very rich and powerful. But they were also his biggest problem.. even the current emperor would talk friendly and respectful with his father! But these people from far away lands refused to even see him as a person! They had him grovel on the ground like some stray dog begging for food!

Every time they came his father would be in a poor mood the following days! He was a very proudful man after all but in front of absolute power he was little more than an insect and these people made it a fun past time to make that very vividly clear for him.

Therefore Fu Tengfang was always honed strictly by his father, his talent had been a bit above average but his father used a lot of money and resources to catapult the boy to the middle of the first realm even before he joined a sect, having him on the same level as the scions of big aristocratic houses. He expected him to rise above everyone, expected him to be better than anyone! He wanted his son to get the outsiders to shut up and finally show him some respect! It was almost like an obsession for him!

So when Fu Tengfang suddenly made large progress in cultivation he received many letters of praise from his father telling him to keep improving and that he was proud of him, something he rarely did - Fu Tengfang was pampered by his mother and servants but very much desired the recognition of his father. So this quickly went to his head! Even more so since the progress did not stop he was now in the middle of the second realm - his powers having jumped almost half a realm in a very short time. Fu Tengfang did not know why that was, he had not changed anything, so he simply went with "My hidden talent has awakened".

Fu Tengfang was arrogant, he was better than normal commoners, he was destined for greatness, and he would make his father proud in the future! And for now the quickest steps for more prestige would be to work for the prince, it was just fine that this played into his general dislike for the thief girl, stealing from him?! She would regret it!

"Wuuuuh!" Nobody could hear her at the moment so Kou called out with a wide grin on her face, jumping from roof to roof was fun! The wind brushing over her face - the freedom of being able to move around as she liked was awesome! She was very happy she took this way to travel to Kiel's workshop instead of joining the masses down in the streets - she felt like a feather as she dashed over the roofs, kicking the tiles she flew through the air just to land on the next one!

Cultivators were a strange bunch, they would stroll around in their long robes even though they could just do their shopping in minutes they would carefully move along the streets - trying to look as imposing and aloof as possible. Apparently not showing that you wanted to be done fast was a thing of manners and "face" (Meaning reputation)

Apparently! People cared about things like that, something that was very confusing to Yun Kou - she did not give a damn what anyone thought of her after all! Her gaze wandered down to all the people down in the streets moving elegantly and full of confidence - so silly! Kou shook her head at that - and put the thoughts about other cultivators out of her mind.

This was the best way to travel! Only flying could be better! She quickly arrived at Kiel's store the young man sat in front by his forge just like the last time - dirty and in the middle of work. Kou's golden eyes focused on him, her ears tilted backward, DING DING DING, he was hammering on his anvil as she approached - the young man - that was fully engrossed in his work did not notice her at all. She slowly pushed back her hood while watching him work silently - she did not want to interrupt him.

It took him a while to notice her his eyes finally meeting his as he let his hammer sink to the ground. He reached up with his dirty hand and brushed some sweat and hair out of his face - which just left a dark mark on his forehead as his thick callused hands were covered in soot and ash. "Ah, ya back." He acknowledged her. "Oh? Got a nice cloak there, Core treasure, eh? Mh, well isn't that fancy." he grinned and waved at her to come closer. "Came to get an explanation, he?"

Kou had not said a single word, she was surprised the man could tell what kind of grade her cloak was so easy and he even knew what she wanted from him - after a moment she simply nodded "Mh.. want to know - didn't have time last time.." Kou reached up and pulled some hair back behind her left shoulder while tilting to the side. "Please tell." She felt a little self-conscious for some reason and curled her nose slightly at the unwanted feeling.

"Ah, fine - sit down somewhere - and get 'em out." He placed his hammer to the side and turned around to face Kou while pulling the heavy smithing apron down and throwing it off to the side. He was really shameless! He just wore his pants now his chiseled chest was out in the open! Kiel really did not care about appearing proper or clean at all! Kou looked at his chest a moment before sitting down directing her golden eyes up to him blinking while she pulled out the daggers.

"Ah, so those two are around late second grade. If you can afford to upgrade them at some point they would be decent 3rd grade. Well, ya used them at all yet?" To his question, Kou quickly shook her head and stayed silent. "Fine, ya go and direct some of ya Qi inside of the dark one."

Kou nodded and closed her eyes, she gathered some Qi letting it flow through her arm into the weapon. The Metal started to look like it was about to melt, but it quickly reformed itself becoming longer and thicker! In just little more then a second the dagger had transformed into a dark one-edged sword. Kiel grinned. "He, Daggers are fine and all, but sometimes ya need a weapon for a prolonged fight, girly ya gotta learn how to use a sword at some point so better start now! It's also very nifty to suprise enemies with - won't expect your dagger to be a sword, right? Now do the same with the other one, but hold it away from me and you."

Once more she nodded and concentrated, activating this dagger was HARD she had to focus a significant amount of Qi into it! Nothing happened? The weapon just devoured her Qi! "Here hit this." Kiel picked up a piece of raw metal and threw it towards Yun Kou, she did what he had told her - and the dagger sliced through it like a hot knife through butter. She did not even have to put any force into it.

"That one is for your first attack - ya channel your Qi inside of it and it will get sharper and sharper, neat, eh?" He grinned " Of course that takes a lot of energy so ya should only use it when you are sure you can get a hit in."

Kou glanced at her daggers, there was a hint of disappointment when she used the dark one first, she did not really want a sword, but together they were quite good if she could not win in one strike she could use the sword for a prolonged fight with a hopefully weakened enemy! Kiel had put some thought into this and she was now very satisfied with her weapons! Now it was just about time to try them out, Li Zhi had a trial she wanted to do after all!

"Satisfied." She glanced back at Kiel while sheating her daggers once more - a rare smile on her face. Kiel grinned back "Come back if ya need anything else, ya don't seem to fit too well into the ickymicky stores that try to seem as transcended as possible. Good 'ol Kiel will take your money and make you something good for it."