The second forge opened on a morning when the first snow of winter dusted the compound roofs.
I stood in the observation area, bundled against the cold, watching as Master Han and Liefeng conducted the inaugural firing. Six weeks of construction had transformed an empty courtyard space into a functional forge—stone walls, proper ventilation, a hearth built to exact specifications that my enhanced analysis capabilities had optimized.
"The airflow is perfect," Master Han said, his weathered face showing rare satisfaction as he studied the flames. "Even heat distribution, consistent combustion. This one has worked forges for forty years, but never one this responsive."
Liefeng adjusted the bellows rhythm, his movements now practiced after six weeks of intensive training. His hands, once callused from sword work, now bore the different calluses of a smith—burns and abrasions that marked him as someone who worked with fire and metal daily.
"Brother looks comfortable at the anvil," I observed to Wenxuan, who stood beside me with his ever-present ledgers.
"He is. Though he still rises before dawn to practice sword forms—says he won't let his warrior skills rust." Wenxuan flipped through his notes. "The timing is excellent. We have fourteen pending orders from the Regional Assembly gift recipients wanting to purchase similar pieces after seeing the quality."
"Fourteen orders from seven gifts. That's good return on investment."
"Better than good. These aren't just purchases—they're relationship building. Three of the orders came with invitations to discuss potential partnerships. The North Wind Sword School wants to contract us as their exclusive weapon supplier. The Frostfang Merchant Guild is interested in distribution agreements across the entire Northern Wasteland Region."
My enhanced analysis engaged automatically, processing implications and probability distributions. The North Wind Sword School contract would provide stable revenue but lock us into their specifications. The Merchant Guild distribution would expand market reach but reduce profit margins and create dependency.
"What's your recommendation?" I asked, deliberately seeking his input rather than just announcing my analysis.
Wenxuan looked pleased by the question. "Cautious engagement with both. Accept the North Wind contract but for limited quantities—say, forty percent of production capacity. That gives them reliability while preserving our flexibility. For the Merchant Guild, negotiate distribution for specific product lines while maintaining direct relationships with key buyers."
"That's exactly what I would have suggested," I said, and meant it. Wenxuan's strategic thinking had matured significantly over the past months.
"Really? I worried it was too conservative."
"Conservative isn't bad when you're managing growth. Aggressive expansion creates fragility—one major client problem and everything collapses. Diversification provides stability."
Movement at the forge drew my attention. Liefeng was heating metal while Master Han prepared the anvil, their coordination showing the developing partnership between warrior-turned-smith and master craftsman.
"The first blade from the second forge," Master Han announced, his voice carrying the formality of ceremony. "Young Master Liefeng will forge it personally, with this one's guidance. Let it represent the Iron Lotus Sect's continued evolution."
Liefeng met his gaze and nodded, then began to work. His hammer strikes were heavier than Master Han's—he hadn't yet learned the old smith's economy of movement—but the rhythm was solid and the metal responded well. The forge maintained perfect temperature, the flux prevented oxidation, and the systematic approach we'd documented showed its value.
"He's good at this," Liu Ruyan murmured from beside me. She'd been standing quietly, but her observations were always worth hearing. "Not just competent—genuinely skilled. This one thinks he found his true calling."
"Better late than never."
"Some people need the long path to find their purpose. Others..." She glanced at me meaningfully. "Others have purpose thrust upon them and must learn to carry it."
Before I could respond, urgent footsteps approached. A servant I didn't recognize—young, out of breath, clearly bearing news.
"Young Master Hanxing," he gasped. "Your father requests immediate attendance in the main hall. There's been... a development."
The tone suggested the development was not positive. Wenxuan and I exchanged glances, then moved quickly toward the main hall, Liu Ruyan following at appropriate distance.
Father stood at the head of the table, Uncle Qingsong beside him, both looking grim. Huiyue was there as well, her merchant's calm visibly cracking.
"What happened?" I asked.
"The Frost Wolf Sect has made a move," Father said without preamble. "They've claimed the iron mine two valleys west of ours—the one owned by the Cloud Peak Clan. Simply marched in with fifty warriors and declared it under their control. Cloud Peak protested, naturally. The Frost Wolves killed their mine supervisor as a warning and left twenty men to hold the position."
My enhanced analysis kicked in immediately. The Frost Wolf Sect was one of the major regional powers—significantly larger and more militarily capable than us. If they were seizing mines...
"They're expanding resource control," I said. "Iron mines mean weapon production means military capacity means political leverage."
"And our mine is smaller and closer to their territory than Cloud Peak's was," Uncle Qingsong added. "If they're taking mines by force, we're an obvious next target."
The predictive models flooded my awareness:
Scenario one: Frost Wolves attack directly. Our twenty warriors cannot hold against fifty. Probability of successful defense: 8%. Probability of negotiated settlement: 22%. Probability of losing mine: 70%.
Scenario two: They demand tributary status instead of outright seizure. Probability of maintaining some control: 65%. Cost: ongoing payments similar to Blood Serpent Gang arrangement, plus potential resource allocation demands.
Scenario three: Form defensive alliance with other vulnerable clans. Probability of deterring attack: 43%. Risk: entanglement in regional conflicts beyond our capacity.
"How long do we have?" Wenxuan asked, already thinking about timelines.
"Unknown. But Cloud Peak was seized three days ago, and word is only reaching us now. The Frost Wolves might already be planning their next move."
"We need to make ourselves too valuable to attack," I said, my mind racing through options. "Or too expensive to hold. Or both."
"How?" Huiyue asked. "We can't match their military strength."
"No, but we can make our mine less attractive as a target. If they seize it, what do they get? Raw ore, yes, but our value isn't in the ore—it's in what we do with it. The refined techniques, the quality production, the merchant relationships we've built."
"They could force Master Han to teach them," Father pointed out.
"They could try. But Master Han's knowledge is only part of our advantage. The systematic documentation, the process optimization, the quality control protocols—those exist primarily in written form and in my head. Seizing the mine doesn't give them access to that knowledge."
"So we leverage knowledge as protection," Wenxuan said slowly. "Make it clear that attacking us destroys the very value they'd want to capture."
"Exactly. And we offer partnership instead of submission. The Frost Wolves want weapon production capacity—we can provide superior weapons through trade rather than them trying to replicate our methods through force."
Father looked skeptical. "The Frost Wolf Sect doesn't negotiate. They take what they want."
"They take what they want when taking is more profitable than negotiating. We need to change that calculation." I turned to Huiyue. "Sister, do we have any contacts with the Frost Wolves? Anyone who could facilitate a meeting?"
"The merchant Zhao has connections. He supplies both them and us with various materials. But approaching them proactively might signal weakness."
"Or it signals confidence. We're not begging for mercy—we're offering mutually beneficial partnership before conflict becomes necessary."
Uncle Qingsong crossed his arms. "And if they refuse? If they simply take our mine and tell us to be grateful they don't take more?"
"Then we have contingency plans. Bury the documented techniques. Withdraw our skilled workers. Make the mine useless to them without our cooperation. Scorched earth if necessary—better to deny them the resource than let them use it against us and other clans."
The room was silent. What I was proposing was radical by Murim standards—proactive diplomacy backed by willingness to destroy our own assets rather than let them be captured.
"That's a dangerous gamble," Father said finally.
"So is doing nothing. At least this gamble gives us some control over the outcome."
More silence as everyone processed. Then Father nodded slowly.
"Make the approach through Merchant Zhao. Request formal meeting with Frost Wolf leadership to discuss trade partnership. Frame it as responding to their regional expansion with business opportunity rather than as reaction to their aggression." He looked at me directly. "You'll accompany Huiyue to any such meeting. Your strategic thinking will be needed."
"Father, I can barely walk distances without assistance. I'll be a liability in any dangerous situation."
"Your mind is the asset, not your body. And frankly, your appearance helps—you don't look like a threat. They'll underestimate you, which gives us advantage."
Liu Ruyan, who'd been standing silently by the wall, spoke up quietly. "This one will accompany Young Master Hanxing. If there is risk, someone must ensure his safety."
Father considered this. "Agreed. Huiyue, Hanxing, Liu Ruyan, and four guards. Enough to show respect without appearing threatening. Wenxuan, you manage things here while we're gone. Your brother Liefeng will handle any immediate security concerns."
"When do we leave?" Huiyue asked.
"Tomorrow. If we're going to do this, speed shows confidence rather than desperation."
The meeting broke up with everyone moving to their assigned tasks. I remained seated, my enhanced analysis running through countless scenarios and contingencies. The Frost Wolf situation was more dangerous than the Blood Serpent Gang—larger force, greater resources, and they'd already demonstrated willingness to use violence.
Liu Ruyan approached once the others had left. "This one is concerned. The Frost Wolf Sect is not known for patience or diplomacy."
"Neither were we, until necessity forced adaptation. Maybe they'll surprise us."
"And if they don't?"
"Then we find out how much pain we can inflict before they destroy us. Make the victory so costly they'll wish they'd negotiated."
She looked troubled. "That sounds like preparing for death rather than survival."
"It's preparing for acceptable outcomes in worst-case scenarios. If we have to lose, we lose in ways that benefit our long-term interests—damage their reputation, create sympathy from other clans, establish precedent that attacking us is expensive. Political and social costs that outlast immediate military defeat."
"This one preferred when the biggest concern was forge temperature and ore quality."
"Simpler times," I agreed. "But we're past simple now. Success draws attention, and attention from predators means we need teeth we didn't need before."
That evening, I documented everything. Every technique improvement, every process modification, every strategic insight. I wrote it all down in clear detail with instructions for implementation, then sealed the documents in waterproof containers that Uncle Qingsong would hide in three separate locations.
"If something happens to me," I told him, "these documents contain everything needed to continue the clan's improvements. Master Han knows the practical implementation, but the theory and reasoning are here. Don't let the knowledge die with me."
My uncle studied me with his weathered face. "You've thought about your death a lot for one so young."
"I've lived with weakness my entire life—this life and before. Death is a constant possibility, not a distant abstraction. So I plan for it."
"That's a sad way to exist."
"It's a realistic way. But Uncle, I don't plan to die tomorrow. I plan to negotiate successfully, establish partnership with the Frost Wolves, and return to continue building the clan's prosperity. The documentation is just insurance."
He gripped my shoulder—gently, aware of my fragility, but firmly enough to convey meaning. "You've done more for this clan in three months than anyone else did in three years. Whatever happens tomorrow, know that we're grateful."
After he left, I sat in my chambers watching the snow fall outside. The Memory Treasure Vault interface glowed softly.
'MEMORY TREASURE VAULT'
'INTEGRATION STATUS: 91% COMPLETE'
'STRATEGIC ANALYSIS: FROST WOLF SITUATION'
'PROBABILITY OF SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATION: 47%'
'PROBABILITY OF VIOLENT CONFRONTATION: 31%'
'PROBABILITY OF FACE-SAVING COMPROMISE: 22%'
'RECOMMENDATION: PREPARE MULTIPLE NEGOTIATION PATHS'
'USER STRESS LEVELS: ELEVATED BUT MANAGEABLE'
'PHYSICAL CONDITION: ADEQUATE FOR TOMORROW'S TRAVEL'
Forty-seven percent chance of success. Better than a coin flip, but not by much.
Liu Ruyan entered with evening meal and found me staring at the snow.
"Hanxing," she said quietly, using my name without honorific as she now did when we were alone. "This one is frightened about tomorrow."
"So am I."
"Will we survive it?"
"Probably. The Frost Wolves have no reason to kill negotiators—that would damage their own reputation and make other clans less willing to deal with them." I turned to face her. "But Liu Ruyan, if something does go wrong, if they take me as hostage or kill me outright, you run. Don't try to save me. Just run and get word back to the family."
"This one will not leave you."
"That's not a request. It's a strategy. My death accomplishes nothing if you die too. Someone needs to report what happened, warn the family, help them prepare for what comes next."
She set down the meal tray with more force than necessary. "Stop planning your death. Plan your survival instead."
"I'm planning both. That's called being thorough."
"It's called being morbid." She knelt beside my chair, her eyes intense. "This one did not choose to care for you just to watch you walk into danger with detailed contingency plans for dying. If tomorrow goes badly, we face it together. That is the end of this discussion."
The firmness in her voice surprised me. Liu Ruyan was usually gentle, deferential, accommodating. But underneath lay steel I'd glimpsed before—the same steel that had survived childhood trauma and chosen loyalty despite having every reason to leave.
"Together, then," I agreed. "But still with contingency plans, because I can't turn off my analytical mind even when it's being morbid."
She almost smiled. "This one would not want you to. Your analytical mind is part of who you are. This one simply insists you use it to plan survival as thoroughly as you plan death."
We ate together in companionable silence, the snow falling steadily outside. Tomorrow would bring danger, negotiation, and uncertainty. But tonight, I had warm food, a safe room, and the presence of someone who'd chosen to stay despite knowing all my weaknesses.
That felt like enough.
---
'MEMORY TREASURE VAULT'
'PREPARING FOR HIGH-STAKES NEGOTIATION'
'RECOMMENDED QUERIES FOR TOMORROW:'
'1. FROST WOLF SECT CULTURAL VALUES AND NEGOTIATION STYLE'
'2. DEFENSIVE DIPLOMATIC TECHNIQUES FOR WEAKER PARTIES'
'3. TRIBUTE AGREEMENTS THAT PRESERVE AUTONOMY'
'DAILY SEARCHES AVAILABLE: 3/3'
'USER STATUS: PREPARED AS POSSIBLE'
'SURVIVAL PROBABILITY TOMORROW: 89%'
'SUCCESS PROBABILITY: 47%'
'NOTE: SOMETIMES SURVIVING IS THE VICTORY'
---