Before I left, Yvonne was kind enough to give me an introduction to a Blacksmith, a fellow Sect member that specialized in esoteric weapons. There was a small pool of Cultivators that made use of what was considered fringe weapons, Tessen, Whips, Chakram. These cultivators could be powerful but were often discounted, partly because not many techniques had been created and shared that allowed a person to master those weapons, mostly because those weapons took even more time to master than the unending hours that standard weapons like swords, maces, axes, and spears required.

But for those people willing to put in the time and effort and were willing to pay the cost to find someone that could make superior weapons, the results could be amazing. Weapons that allowed the Blacksmith to experiment, to use unique metals and bone, to play with the rules of forging and tempering to come up with something exotic and powerful.

Cultivators that used swords, spears, and daggers were seldom willing to allow any deviation from standard norms. Years of study and combat had proven what was effective, and those that cultivated were often as rigid in their expectations as the weapons they wielded.

When I'd first joined Flowing Water, I had been like those cultivators; I had planned on practicing spear techniques, believing that type of weapon gave me the most flexibility. Elder Shadow had dissuaded me from that opinion and allowed me to find the weapon that sang to me.

By this point, no one could convince me that my Tessen was not a superior weapon, combined with [Tessenjutsu], I had gained a style that was as much art and dance as it was martial forms and technique. The Tessen had powerful defensive and offensive abilities, and because they were so versatile, both in form and adapting to Qi, it allowed me to fight above my tier.

Nero would have easily defeated me if he had gotten within range, or if I hadn't adapted my Platinum spirit root to make the most out of the Tessen, establishing connections with tine, garrote, and cloth. But it hadn't come easily. Elder Shadow had devoted hours of time and teachings each day to help with my progress. I still didn't know why he was so concerned about my development. He could have spent that time working on his own cultivation. That he shared the gift of his time, every day, was humbling. I would be eternally grateful to him, that he had decided to nurture my abilities, no matter the reason.

Yvonne's directions were easily followed, even if they did require me to navigate what seemed a maze of shops and stalls. The second floor wasn't as busy as the first, but it wasn't as large. And booths had been set up along the causeway to supplement the blacksmiths that had permanent shopfronts. Yvonne had allowed me to see behind the facade, to understand that the process of forging and creation was done here, the front counter a means to facilitate exchange.

Almost as far from the stairs as possible, an unassuming shop was stocked with some of those weapons that were rarely chosen. Yvonne had explained that the craftsman was highly skilled and enjoyed tinkering. He was obsessed with testing theories about metallurgy, refining, and forging all in an attempt to create better more advanced weapons. He had an impressive arsenal displayed, but most Cultivators considered the items themselves gimmicks. Small tricks or adaptations that added no functionality.

"Sect Member Davis?" I asked approaching the stall Yvonne had described. A pair of crossed Sickles were mounted, the handles made of bone. I thought the metal was steel, but I wasn't certain. It wasn't an area I had studied much in my previous life. I did know that steel was only a mid-level metal, the lowest-rated metal that could be forged and used as the foundation for a spirit or growth classification.

The difference between the spirit and growth classification depended on what you used to feed the weapon as it advanced. Spirit Stones would result in a weapon that advanced and became a Spirit Weapon, while those cultivators that used beast cores to temper and advance their weapons nurtured growth type weapons. Both were extremely powerful, neither having a real advantage over the other.

The most powerful of these types of weapons were those that were passed down within Houses or Clans. Legacy weapons that had earned a name, weapons that had been able to absorb Spirit Stones or Beast Cores over thousands of years.

The Emperor was rumored to have a Spirit Flail that had been forged in the same year the Empire was formed. Stories were told of previous rulers wielding Retribution at pivotal moments to save the empire. It was a weapon passed down in an unending line of succession from Emperor to an heir.

There were also rumors and whispers that warned that as long as the Emperor held that Flail, the Empire would never fall. That rumor had resulted in many attacks on the Monarchy, as people thought to test the truth. No one had ever been successful, the Flail never seriously jeopardized.

Those that attempted theft had only managed to increase the reputation of both Emperor and Empire as their lifeless bodies were often hung from the Castle's walls. It had reached the point that no one bothered to test the truth or efficacy of the flail any longer. The rumors and whispers had become entrenched in culture until fact and fiction were almost impossible to separate. What could be proven was that the flail was the symbol of the Emperor's power, and proof that the Empire would endure.

"I am Davis," he answered wiping his hands on a rag as he put aside a weapon he had been oiling.

He was young, younger than I'd expected. He didn't have that aura of age that Elves acquired after their second century, a kind of maturity that they wore like a mantel. He seemed to have the same kind smile and expectation that Yvonne had demonstrated when we were discussing armor design. I had a good feeling about him and was happy that Yvonne had pointed me in his direction.

The fact that he was one of the best-looking Elves I had met didn't hurt. He had none of the ethereal thin quality that most Elves were gifted with. It was obvious that he used muscles and hard work to forge his weapons, not array's or Qi shortcuts. His Hanfu, for all the extra cloth that the outfit provided was still stretched tightly across a well-defined chest and bulging biceps.

"I met and commissioned some armor from Yvonne earlier, when we began discussing weapons, she suggested I find you," I explained my reason for disturbing him.

"Then it has to be something other than a sword or spear," he said with amusement. "She wouldn't be above playing a trick or prank on me, but I know her well, and she wouldn't use a prospective customer in one of her schemes."

"She's a jokester?" I asked surprised.

"You wouldn't guess by looking at her, would you?" He laughed. "She has a bit of a reputation within the Sect. Last week she managed to divert the flow from toilet flushes to the showers. Payback for a young miss that had bullied and insulted a young girl that had no way to protect or defend herself.

"She added some chemical to the mixture so the urine that was diverted dyed her hair and skin yellow. No amount of scrubbing could remove the color or the smell," he said between great peals of laughter.

Toilet humor seemed a thing even in a virtual world. And it made me wonder if the person I had insulted when speaking of my disdain of dresses with Yvonne wasn't this same young miss.

"She must have refined Skunk-weed somehow to get the smell to last," I mused. What she had done was certainly funny, and I could enjoy the humor. But my knowledge as an alchemist was more intrigued by how she had done it.

"I don't think so," Davis replied. "The Alchemist and Herbal Hall were unable to devise a solution to remove the after-effects. And Yvonne refused to do so until the woman had apologized publicly to the girl she had been bullying."

I didn't believe for one second that the Alchemist Hall couldn't devise an antidote. It was more likely that they decided not to get involved for some reason. It seemed people like Braun could be found in even the most powerful Sects, but at least there were people like Yvonne willing to stand up for the underdog in Dragon Spire.

I would have to have a chat with her tomorrow, about the formula she used to neutralize the dying agent, as well as the agent she used for the prank. I didn't plan to use it as a prank, but I did think it might make an interesting caustic agent in the tournaments. My ability to control water should make seeding and spraying her invention at my opponents interesting.