Over the next week, Dahe would spend his mornings working in the various workshops around the sect. He tried his hands at just about all the trades, including Blacksmith and Alchemist. Firstly, because if he avoided those two, it might seem suspicious. And secondly, because it would be useful to have information. He had a long life to look forward to, hopefully. So he wasn’t going to ignore any piece of information. He might wind up being accomplished at all those trades, even if they weren’t where his talent lies.

He would rotate through all of them again and again. Yet, nothing stood out. He felt nothing in particular from any of them. At first he thought that his talent would be revealed by repeated exposure to the proper trade, but nothing happened. He began to think that perhaps, the reason was that his trade wasn’t being represented in the sect.

So he started to vary his routine. He began to hunt and gather herbs, because he judged it an efficient use of his time. He would still drop in to the various workshops. He even made friends. One of which was a novice blacksmith. He had accessed energy recently and had been officially entered as a third circle blacksmith apprentice. However, Xin Shou Jin had trouble remembering the advice of his teacher, Gao Ji Gong.

Dahe had been there enough to hear the advice and instruction Gong Shi had given to Xin Shou Jin. One day, during his evening studies, he wrote down all the pieces of advice that Gong Shi would shout at Xin. Then he gave it to Xin, in the hopes that the young metal worker could review before the day started. And hopefully, make an improvement.

It worked. Gong Shi noticed an improvement, and when Gong Shi complimented his student, the honest Xin Shou Jin could only explain that he had help from a friend, in the form of a study guide.

Gong Shi was interested and asked to see it, and Dahe. He praised the idea of a study guide, but he warned Dahe, that sometimes what they discussed might be trade secrets and not merely the basics. If Dahe were to start recording trade secrets, it would cause consternation amongst the instructors of the sect. Dahe promised not to do so, and to check before writing down his observations.

With Xin talking to others, Dahe suddenly became quite popular. Many people requested him to write guides for them. Students and teachers. He was offered money and points. He agreed. He arranged a schedule, he would go around to each workshop, and listen to the more common instructions, and later would write them down. More and more people commented on his impressive memory. Dahe thanked them with humility.

He had done well in the few months he had been there. He had earned a reputation for being friendly without being foolish. For being fair and smart. He was even getting compliments from Zao Qi Jiao for being quick at learning. He had even started trying to use a spear while sparring. He found that things were going better than he had thought they would.

It was a few months, by Earth reckoning, after Dahe had joined the sect that the merchants came. He was breaking his fast with Di Yi and Di Er again, and Di Er had mentioned that the merchants were coming. Dahe had accepted money in exchange for helping craft study guides, but he had no idea what to do with it. Suddenly the appearance of the merchants solved that problem. Perhaps he might find something interesting. And he might also gain information on the outside world.

It was another few days before they arrived. The merchants set up in the sparring yard, as it had wide open land with plenty of room. Each merchant had a selection of goods, but also seemed to specialize in something. Some had weapons, some had armor, and some had clothes.

‘That’s where it comes from.’ Dahe thought, he had been wondering where their clothes came from. He hadn’t seen any weavers. ‘It’s imported from merchants.’ He began to look around quickly, his eyes darting from item to item. The merchants would be here for a few days, but he didn’t want to miss anything. He found a leather breastplate that would be good at resisting stabs and punctures. It would be helpful for hunting in the area. Also a pair of greaves and bracers. He looked through the weapons, but he didn’t find anything that he thought was amazing. He saw a few spears that were a cut above his own, but not by much. He didn’t want to spend the money for a small improvement. He decided to keep using the spear the goddess had given him.

Dahe looked around again, and saw a merchant selling what appeared to be hobby items. Toys and simple items to help pass the time. Energy collectors were busy with training, but could definitely use the occasional time to relax. He looked over the toys for a bit. Some of them seemed to train the mind or the hand. He was enjoying just looking. Finally he began looking at the hobbies. A calligraphy set, some tools for blacksmithing, alchemy, and what looked like a small loom. ‘A loom?’

Dahe picked up the loom, ‘I haven’t tried weaving. There aren’t any weavers here. Wait a minute . . . oh come on. She didn’t-did she?’ He had a certain suspicion about a goddess, and was feeling annoyed. He hoped it wasn’t true, but he felt that it was more likely to be true than not.

The merchant quickly approached him, confusing his furrowed brow for deep interest. “Welcome, brave warrior! I see you have seen the portable loom. It is a wonderful device. I have noticed a lack of weaving in The Flowing River sect, so I have brought this here hoping to pique someone’s interest.”

The merchant clasped his hands together, a gentle smile on his face. His eyes gazing at Dahe’s face. Dahe could only respond. “It is interesting. Does it come with instructions?” The merchant’s smile grew wider. “Yes, it does! I have a few different books here that I’ll throw in, for free. After all, what use would a loom be if you couldn’t use it?” Dahe held the loom in the air and twisted it around, as if he was inspecting it from different angles. “How about thread or yarn?” Dahe kept his voice flat and his face smooth. “Ah! I’m glad you asked. I have quite a few bundles of different threads that can be used for many different projects. If you wish to purchase the loom, I will sell the skeins at a reduced price.”

Dahe had already decided to buy the loom, so he asked to see the books and skeins the man had available. And if it turned out he didn’t have a talent in this area, then he would simply be learning another skill.

The merchant laid the goods out, and named a price. It wasn’t too bad, and Dahe could afford it, so he only dickered a bit before agreeing to buy from the merchant. He was given a large sack to hold his goods, and he walked back to the barracks. Once there he placed it into the footlocker at the end of his bed.