Until the last day, Zhang Heng still couldn't make a decision on whether he should return to reality with the knife.
Zhang Heng thought for a while, and it was indeed better to consult professionals for professional issues.
So he carried Kikuichi Monmonori and Tsuneji Sumamaru, along with the nameless sword given to him by Akane Koyama, and came to the most famous sword shop in Kyoto.
Because he had been coming to look at the knives before, and had specifically told him to keep all the famous knives, the fantou (store manager) and Xiaoseng (the waiter) in the store already knew him.
Seeing him, he immediately smiled and said, "Sir Abe, today is not the day to purchase goods. Why are you interested in coming over to play?"
Zhang Heng casually gave five cents to the young monk who opened the door, which made the latter grin almost to the back of his head.
"Ah, I'm not here to buy knives today. I have a few knives that I want someone to identify."
Bantou and Teshiro (senior manager) looked at each other and both laughed.
"What?" Zhang Heng asked.
"It's such a coincidence that you came here today. The boss is usually not in the store. I don't know why today, but he came here early. This is a good opportunity. There is no sword in this world that the boss doesn't know. From the works of famous artists to the weapons casually crafted by ordinary blacksmiths, he can tell the story at a glance."
"Is it so powerful?" Zhang Heng was a little surprised.
"So no matter what the sword-related question is, just ask him. Of course, your sword must be able to catch his eye." Ban Tou said with a smile.
"Don't worry about this. Please recommend me." Zhang Heng said.
"Come with me." Fan Tou took Zhang Heng to a tea room behind the Knife House.
A thin old man was making tea there.
"This guest hopes that you can evaluate his sword for him." Ban Tou bowed and reminded.
"Thank you for your hard work." The old man replied, nodding his thanks.
Pantou then exited the room. The old man pointed to the tatami on the ground. Zhang Heng saw this, bowed and sat down. He had already stayed in Japan for a while in the Tokyo Drift copy, but at that time, etiquette was not as emphasized as now. He can basically sit wherever he wants.
Now I am doing as the Romans do, and I have also learned a little bit about the traditional Japanese sitting posture. The head joint of the foot is stretched as much as possible, the instep and calf are kept on the same plane, attached to the mat, and the inside of the heel and toes are used as support... Of course, it is still not very comfortable. It is said that this This sitting posture that resembles corporal punishment seems to have been introduced from China.
But in the subsequent history of China, it seems that few people sat like this anymore.
The boss didn't mention the matter of helping Zhang Heng judge the sword, and Zhang Heng was not in a hurry. Anyway, it was still early, and there was still half a day before the dungeon ended. He just sat there and watched the boss make tea.
Japanese tea ceremony is divided into two major sects, matcha and sencha, but in fact they both originated from China. The former was passed down from the Tang Dynasty, and the latter from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Of course, they developed in Japan after they arrived. It is said that the earliest Tea seeds were brought back by Saicho who studied in China during the Nara period.
Sen no Rikyu is the master of all, and his and Jing Qingji's thoughts have a great influence on later generations.
The boss obviously knows a lot about this. He lights charcoal and boils water in one go. He then warms the bowl, puts the tea powder ground by himself in the bowl, mixes the paste and makes tea, stirring continuously with a tea spoon until thick foam is produced (here You can brush the pot with your own imagination), the movements are full of rhythm, and finally pour the tea into two bowls. This is matcha.
Zhang Heng took one of the tea bowls from the boss and turned the pattern on the bowl towards the boss to express his gratitude.
Then he took a sip.
Well, he can't tell much difference in drinking.
"Patience is good." A smile appeared on the boss's skinny face, as if he could see what Zhang Heng was thinking, and shook his head, "Forget it, let's discuss the knife."
Zhang Heng took out the first knife and handed it over.
"Sumaru Tsuneji." Sure enough, the boss only took one look at it and said, "It was made by Aoe Tsuneji during the Heian period. The sword is inscribed with Tsuneji. The blade is two feet and five inches long. The bracelet on the sword is from the previous owner. Nichiren Master, in order to break the evil spirit of this sword, this is a famous Buddhist sword, but then it fell into the hands of the executioner. It can be said that it was entrusted to an inhumane person. The evil spirit that had disappeared has come back a lot. I have to find someone. The Buddhist temple will be maintained for a while longer.”
"The boss is indeed a man who knows how to use a knife." Zhang Heng handed over the second knife.
"Oh, Kiku Ichimonji Norimune, you have a lot of good swords." The boss stroked the blade, "Did you see the quenching marks on it? It's deeper than ordinary swords. This technique is called Ichimonji Ding, and it's from the Ichimonji style. The author is Ichimonji Norimune and Sword Ming Norimune from the Kamakura period. The blade is two feet, four inches and two cents long. The most famous owner is Okita Souji. It’s a pity that this famous sword finally found its destiny. , but it is a short-lived ghost. If you listen carefully, you can still hear its whine. A passionate person deserves a passionate knife. In the final analysis, it is just a mistake of love."
After listening to the boss's comments, Zhang Heng fell into silence. After a moment, he raised his head and said, "What I want to ask is, which of these two knives is more suitable for me."
The boss heard this but did not answer immediately. Instead, he said, "Don't you still have a knife? Why don't you take it out."
"That knife was just a gift from a friend. Although it means a lot to me, I'm afraid it won't catch your eye." Zhang Heng said.
But the boss didn't take back his hand and said, "It's up to me to decide whether you can get into my eyes or not, not you. It's up to you to comment or not to comment."
"As you wish." Zhang Heng finally handed over the ordinary sword given to him by Akane Koyama.
"Well, this knife is really so-so. The person who forged it was so-so. The original owner was also so-so. He didn't even have a name. The inscription on the sword was also blank. Maybe he felt it was too embarrassing. I couldn't find a single word about it in the history books. Its records are not even comparable to the products displayed in my shop."
Zhang Heng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had already said that this knife was average, but the old man in front of him still insisted on commenting. As a result, when he got the knife, he criticized it harshly. He was simply a model of looking for trouble out of nothing.
"Anyway, this knife was given to me by a friend. It's a thoughtful gift after all." Zhang Heng stretched out his hand to take the knife back.
However, the boss did not let go immediately, but said, "In that case, choose this one."
"Um?"
"I said, just choose this one." The boss said calmly, "Sumaru Tsuneji is the sword of Nichiren Shonin, and Kikuichi Monji norimune belongs to Okita Souji. Both of them marked the sword in their own way. They have their own brand, so this is their sword and only their sword."
Zhang Heng seemed to be moved after hearing this.
"Things like knives are famous because of people. It doesn't matter if it doesn't have a name. You can give it a name. It doesn't matter if it doesn't have a history. Just write it yourself. Writing your history is also its history, not to mention this one. Someone's feelings about you are also entrusted in the knife, this is your knife." The boss was like a devil, constantly tempting and tempting in Zhang Heng's ears.
"Co-author, you just don't want me to bring these two famous swords out of the copy?" Zhang Heng said. He had already vaguely guessed the identity of the other party, so he simply showed his cards.
The boss took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "This is your choice. I am only responsible for providing suggestions. If you buy it and leave, no one will regret it."
"But even after you say so much, you can't cover up the flaws of the knife itself." Zhang Heng said speechlessly.
"You yourself know very well that there is nothing perfect in this world," the boss said leisurely, "Swords are like people. Everyone is down and out. Emperors and generals also have many mistakes. The key is to have Please give me a hand."
"So...I'm thinking you mean I'm the one who took advantage of you?"
"Hehe." The boss smiled so hard that he had lost the spirit of the Wind Immortal when he was making tea. "I said, the choice is yours, and he might give you a hand at some point."
Xiao Dai Zhao said
Ha, I recently opened a Sina Weibo, which will recommend books, movies, etc. from time to time. Interested students can check it out.
