Views of the Universe from a Starskiff: The Xianzhou Zhuming

... ... The kid called Yingxing turned out to be a short-life species and an Outworlder, here to learn his craft. I spent a lot of time buttering up this shy kid on the way before I learned of his background (he seemed a little insecure, but kids would always need a little encouragement before opening up to you). Just as Elixir Seekers rush to the Luofu in a neverending stream, so too is the Zhuming up there with Pier Point and Screwllum for craft apprentices (or any other holy sites for manufacturing excellence that I may not be aware of). Countless Outworlders come to the Zhuming from all over the cosmos to study skills, and most return to their homelands afterward to disseminate those learnings. But not Yingxing. He has no homeland to which he may return. His homeland was destroyed by the borisin and transformed into one of their weapons nurseries. I knew what that meant. This kid's family will become literal pieces of meat with no dignity, nutrient to those mountainous mechabeasts. And upon arriving at the Xianzhou, so fresh from escaping the clutches of death, this child pledged to strive toward one goal and one goal only: To learn how to make weapons for the Cloud Knights to root out those terrifying and malicious monsters. He was incredible at his work, earning his accolades, and now entitled to be called a craftsman at such a young age. "However... Other celestial masters tell me I've still got a long way to go." "It's not that I'm lacking in enthusiasm or motivation..." "It's just that I can't keep living on and on like they can... So my knowledge is always going to be limited." "Maybe I'll never even live to see the day my parents are avenged." Seeing his dejected look made me feel dispirited. "Just ignore all those old guys. Pfft, they're no celestial! They're just jealous of you!" "Short-lived geniuses who only live a few dozen years are actually a dime a dozen in the Genius Society! Their achievements are still glorious enough to shake the entire cosmos. What difference does it make to your achievements, whether you're a long-life or a short-life species?" "Just focus on what you want to do, and let fate take its course." The kid seemed to have a brighter expression on his face. Suddenly, he shook his head once more. "But I shouldn't ignore everything said by those old guys! Master Huaiyan... He respects me a lot, and has taught me a lot, too!" Such vengeance bestowed by cruel fate, such a piteous backstory, and such precocious endowment... I couldn't help but pat the kid on the head. But he seemed to see right through me in a second, covering up my hand with his own smaller one and patting it in comfort. As if suddenly returning to his senses, he remembered the purpose of his visit. "Uh... Um... My master urged me to take you on a visit to the Flamewheel Forge." "Should we get down to business and talk about the reinforcements and weapons first?" "I... I'm just passing on Master Huaiyan's orders." "Forges wrought a million stars bright, irons craft heroes' soaring flight. Miniscule lights into martial might made, only with sharp blades are peace and plenty saved." These verses hang in adornment in the main hall of the Flamewheel Forge. The Records of the Early Nation showed that an unknown emperor of the Primeval Imperium days once gifted the master craftsman of the Zhuming, Yang Di, with a weapons-casting mold in honor of its maiden voyage. To this day it remains, passed down through the ages to be pride of place in the palace. Some sixty or seventy percent of all the Xianzhou's armory comes from the artisans of the Zhuming — and the Flamewheel Forge is the foundational base of the Zhuming's Artisanship Commission, in which we stood. My peers on the trip were perplexed by this strange arrangement. Had Huaiyan brought us here to show off how precious his forged weapons were, and to use that as a bargaining chip with the Yaoqing? Did he send a kid because he was planning on rejecting us? The thought of possibly engaging in debates made me irritable. You can't just go complainin' on somebody else's turf — that's something my great-grandma always taught me to save my hide. I made up my mind there to not express any dissatisfaction until Huaiyan met with us personally! ... ...