A hidden dragon lies in the deep.

In the tenth year of the reign of Di Xin, the fortune of the Yin-Shang dynasty was gradually waning. Within the city of Zhaoge, pools of wine and forests of meat abounded, and the screams of those subjected to the paoluo (burning pillar) torture never ceased; yet by the banks of the Huan River outside the city, there stood a secluded foundry workshop.

The master of the workshop, Zi Mang, was a member of the declining royal clan of Yin-Shang. Uninterested in the factional strife of the court, he poured all his heart and soul into the furnace fires. After three years of toil through winter and summer, Zi Mang finally refined in his hidden furnace a type of "dark gold" (xuanjin) — of profound, mysterious luster and extraordinary toughness. If forged into spears and halberds, this metal would surely cut through iron as if it were mud, unmatched in sharpness. It was the foundation upon which he planned to revive his clan and achieve great deeds.

One day, Zi Ji, a grand master of the city, came to visit. Upon seeing the dark gold sword blank, he was greatly astonished. Zi Ji said urgently: "The king is currently on an eastern campaign against the Renfang tribe, and is troubled by the bluntness of his weapons. If you present this dark gold to him, you will surely receive rich rewards. Then the revival of the Zi clan, and the building of merit and achievement, will be just around the corner!"

Zi Mang gazed at the dark red sword blank in the furnace, the firelight reflecting on his weathered face. What rose in his mind, however, were the tragic scenes in Zhaoge: loyal ministers having their hearts cut out, and the feudal lords turning their backs on the throne. He knew full well that if he presented the treasure now — if he succeeded, he would be aiding a tyrant, merely adding to the bloodshed across the realm; if he failed, he would surely incur the king's suspicion and bring disaster of clan extermination upon himself. How could the success of one's cause be built upon perverse and unjust actions?

"I appreciate your kind intention, Grand Master," Zi Mang slowly shook his head. "But our sovereign is muddleheaded now, and the way of Heaven waxes and wanes. If I present the gold, far from reviving the clan, I would instead invite calamity."

Zi Ji stamped his foot and sighed: "Then what will become of the Zi clan's hundred-year legacy? How can your peerless talent be buried forever in this mud and dark furnace? A great man born into this world should rise when the time is right!"

Zi Mang fell silent. He took up the heavy bronze hammer, held it suspended over the sword blank, yet hesitated to strike. After a long while, he let out a long sigh, threw the hammer to the ground, and said in a deep voice: "The oracle inscriptions of our ancestors say: *Qian long wu yong* — The hidden dragon should not act. The dragon lurks in the abyss not because it has no will to soar through the clouds, but because it awaits the meeting of wind and cloud. Now the Shang mandate is nearing its end, and the times are like boiling water. I shall hide my weapon within myself, and bide my time to act. The legacy of the Zi clan lies not in glory gained in a single morning or evening, but in a foundation that will endure for a hundred generations. Before the time is ripe, those who force their way to the fore will all be ground to dust."

With that, Zi Mang picked up the unformed dark gold sword blank, turned, and walked toward the Huan River. Zi Ji tried to stop him but was too late, and could only watch helplessly as the dark, mysterious metal block sank into the deep water, stirred up a few ripples, and vanished in an instant.

Zi Ji sighed repeatedly, flicked his sleeve, and left, dismissing Zi Mang as a piece of rotten wood that could not be carved.

Deep in the still of night, the Huan River flowed silently eastward. Zi Mang sat alone before the furnace, adding a few pieces of charcoal. As the furnace fire flickered, his gaze was profound, fixed on the endless night sky. He knew that lying low was not giving up, but rather building the strength to soar skyward when the true heavenly time arrived. The dark gold at the bottom of the water was merely awaiting the day to come.