Night of the Broken Gliph

Southary, Weapon Street, The Chan Clan. 

Bang!

A loud smack landed on the table, sending a warm wave across the entire room. As if set on fire, the table started to burn slowly. 

“Tell me, how many times has this happened? This is the sixth time you’ve been robbed of a grade two-weapon in four years! What the heck are you doing?” 

A voice full of anger rang across the Chan Clan. It belonged to Chan Tiet, the current Clan leader of the Chan Family, also Chan Ngou Tin’s father. After the previous Clan leader who created a grade-three weapon years ago that granted the clan instant success and title of the best-forging family in Southary stepped down, Chan Tiet took over the clan. 

Seeing their Clan leader in front of them rage, his subordinates dropped to the ground onto their knees in fear immediately.  “Clan leader, please calm down. This thief is extremely sneaky; as if able to see the future, he strikes every time we are the least guarded. By the time we realised it, the weapon was gone…” 

“Excuses! These are all excuses!” Chan Tiet bellowed. He might be the son of the previous clan leader, but he was very different. Chan Tiet’s father was still alive and kicking. However, he knew that Chan Tiet had no interest in forging but was talented at management. Therefore, Chan Tiet’s father handed the clan over to him and put his whole heart into forging.  

“Do you know that this news has spread, and now the entire Southary is laughing at us? They call us the nouveau riche who don’t have the ability to protect our weapons!

“If we only have the ability to create gliph weapons but not protect them, we will be devoured by those wolf-like thieves in no time, and there will only be more of such incidents! In the end, we will become their production line of gliph weapons! Do you guys want to see that happening?”

“Ahem.” 

The elderly man sitting next to Chan Tiet coughed softly. Chan Tiet turned to him immediately with respect. “Great elder, what’s your opinion on this?” 

The elderly man was Chan Shue Gun, the great elder of the Chan Clan. As the great elder, he was obviously not an ordinary person. He was a gliphist who helped tattoo all the disciples of the Chan Clan. Thus, his status in the Clan was only below that of Chan Tiet and his father. 

“From what I see, even if we can’t capture the thieves, we need to make someone take responsibility for this,” Chan Shue Gun said, stroking his beard. “At least to let those watching us know that we aren’t letting the thieves do what they want. We are taking action, and we aren’t just people who can be bullied as they wish.” 

“Elder, you mean…” Hearing Chan Shue Gun, Chan Tiet pondered hard. 

“When the first incident happened four years ago, it was after a student took a look at the first stolen weapon, the Water Reflected Moon.” Chan Shue Gun said slowly.

“I heard about that incident too, great elder. But he was only a grade one student,” Chan Tiet said, frowning. “Moreover, he was just six, and also Ngou Tin’s classmate. How could it have anything to do with him?” 

Chan Shue Gun shook his head. “What I meant is to let him take responsibility for it. It’s unknown if he was an accomplice of others who stole our weapons. We are not letting him take full responsibility anyways; we are only going to punish him with a monetary penalty.” 

“Monetary penalty?” 

“Just make him pay for the estimated cost of Water Reflected Moon four years ago and let the matter slide.” Chan Shue Gun stood up and walked to the door slowly with his cane. “I’ve already given my suggestion; now it’s up to the clan leader.” 

Chan Shue Gun returned to his residence. As the great elder and gliphist of the clan, they specially built him a huge residence. His favourite spot was the small lake where he enjoyed spending his time idling.  

“Great elder.” A cheerful voice rang across his residence.

“Siu Tin? Come in,” Chan Shue Gun said, smiling gently. 

Siu Tin was none other than Chan Ngou Tin. Chan Shue Gun had devoted his entire life to gliphism, so he didn’t have any children. When he became too old to break through again, he realised that he was all alone. Therefore, he treated Chan Ngou Tin just like his son. He was even closer to Chan Ngou Tin than Chan Ngou Tin was to Chan Tiet who were related by blood. 

“We entered the Cultivation Style Pavilion today, and Chui Yim is still as stuck up as always…” Every time Chan Ngou Tin visited Chan Shue Gun’s residence, he’d talk about the things that happened in the academy, and as his “enemy”, Chui Yim’s name surfaced the most. 

Remembering his suggestion to Chan Tiet, Chan Shue Gun narrowed his eyes. This is an excellent chance to give that boy that made my precious Siu Tin unhappy a lesson.