Chapter 180: Solving Problems

Just as Zhou Heng was processing the items and maps he had prepared, A Yin, who had been floating beside him like a ghost without saying a word, finally spoke slowly, a look of intolerance on her face.

"I didn't expect Tai Tan to be such a person. I remember when I visited the Strength Clan in the past, they were all very kind."

"Isn't that a normal thing? People are diverse," Zhou Heng said without looking back, while using metal scraps to feed Xiao Yin, who had transformed into a belt.

"Tai Tan considers himself Tang Wu's most loyal slave; he would practically kneel upon seeing Tang Hao. In his heart, Tang Hao is likely more important than his own relatives and clansmen combined.

When you were with Tang Wu, you were the matriarch to Tai Tan. Could he have been even half-disrespectful to you?

But when you look at it from the perspective of an outsider, Tai Tan is simply overbearing, unreasonable, and extremely tyrannical.

Think about it: if you hadn't been with Tang Wu back then, and the members of the Strength Clan had recognized your identity as a Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast in human form, what kind of attitude do you think Tai Tan would have had?"

A Yin remained silent and did not answer, and Zhou Heng did not care about A Yin's opinion, continuing to speak to himself while feeding Xiao Yin.

"Obviously, he would have been quite proactive in hunting you down.

Tai Tan is greedy; he listened to rumors and wanted to demand treasures from Lou Gao. Since Lou Gao is my person, I naturally have to protect him, so Tai Tan received his punishment.

If I weren't here, in that state just now, Tai Tan would likely have severely wounded Lou Gao and then forcibly searched the Blacksmith Association for these so-called treasures.

But I am here, so Tai Tan was crippled.

On this continent, these are very common occurrences, nothing could be more ordinary.

For the sake of profit, husbands can even betray their wives; compared to that, isn't it much more reasonable for Tai Tan and Lou Gao to turn against each other and fight?

One can be kind, but one cannot be stupid; otherwise, stupid kindness will only become a tool for evil people to harm others, bringing more misfortune and pain to others.

To be honest, I originally thought you would speak up just now. Whether it was to express emotion or to plead for Tai Tan, I had considered both.

But I didn't expect you to choose to speak only after the matter was over. It seems you are not as stupid as I thought."

"I was just a bit unaccustomed to it."

After accepting the fact that she had been betrayed by Tang Hao, A Yin seemed to have grown a lot.

After hearing that speech from Zhou Heng, she just sighed and did not continue to argue.

Unlike that fellow Tang Wu, who was so arrogant he looked down on everyone, A Yin's personality was still quite kind and gentle.

No one knew how the two of them had ended up together in the first place.

In Zhou Heng's view, even Tang Hao's older brother, Tang Xiao, was much better than Tang Hao.

Zhou Heng killed time in the forging room, chatting idly with A Yin, strengthening their relationship.

After about an hour or so passed, a knock came at the door of the forging room, and after receiving Zhou Heng's permission, Lou Gao pushed the door open and entered.

"Hall Master, thank you for your help. Otherwise, if Tai Tan had made a move this time, my Blacksmith Association would surely have suffered a blow unseen in hundreds of years."

As soon as he entered, Lou Gao cupped his hands in a salute to Zhou Heng, thanking him from the bottom of his heart.

"Our Blacksmith Association was originally just a place for a group of blacksmiths, looked down upon by the Spirit Masters of the Douluo Continent, to gather and find shelter; it was originally just a place to focus on forging.

I never expected that with our development, a phenomenon like Tai Tan, who holds a high position, would actually appear."

"Sigh," Lou Gao sighed, not knowing what else to say.

"Wherever there are people, there is a world; wherever there are people, there will be disputes. It is nothing more than being large or small, open or hidden.

There have never been a shortage of issues in the Blacksmith Association; it's just that the usual matters were too small to be seen.

And this time, the incident simply turned the Blacksmith Association upside down.

Elder Lou, I cannot be stationed at the Blacksmith Association forever. I was here when the incident happened this time, so I could handle it, but if something happens in the future, I might not happen to be around."

Zhou Heng took two tokens out of the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch at his waist. As one of the tokens was revealed, A Yin's expression changed instantly; if it weren't for the fact that she was only an illusory projection, her body would likely have started trembling with tension right now.

One of these two tokens was the Seven Treasure Token of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, which Lou Gao had seen Ning Fengzhi hand to Zhou Heng with his own eyes, so Lou Gao was somewhat mentally prepared for it.

But the other one made Lou Gao's expression change instantly, and his breathing became rapid.

That was a token of the Spirit Hall, a Consecrator Token gifted by Qian Daoliu. It was one of the very few replicas of the Consecrator Token belonging to Gan Daoliu himself, imbued with a gentle yet powerful holy-attribute soul power, representing the approval of Qian Daoliu himself.

It can be said that within the Spirit Hall, this token representing the Grand Pontiff has a very special significance.

"Elder Lou, I have two ways to strengthen the power of the Blacksmith Association, but both rely on external forces.

I have never managed the Blacksmith Association, so the specifics still need to be decided by you."

"The first," Zhou Heng picked up the Seven Treasure Token and explained to Lou Gao, "I take the Seven Treasure Token to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, ask Sect Master Ning for help, and have a few Soul Saints transferred over from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; it's not impossible that a Spirit Douluo could come as well.

With the signboard of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, very few people on the continent would dare to be as presumptuous as they were today.

But if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's token is used, then the Blacksmith Association will owe the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect a favor, and in the eyes of some, it will be branded with the mark of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. This favor will need to be repaid by you in the future."

"The second," Zhou Heng put down the Seven Treasure Token and picked up Gan Daoliu's token.

"This token is a replica of the token belonging to the former Pope of the Spirit Hall, and the current Grand Pontiff of the Offering Hall of the Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu.

With this token, I can go to the Spirit Hall and mobilize a Title Douluo of average strength to secretly protect the Blacksmith Association.

You must understand how noble the status of a Title Douluo is on this continent, and what kind of status the Grand Pontiff of the Spirit Hall holds.

The favor owed for this matter is much greater than the Seven Treasure Token. If there is nothing going on in the future, it is fine, but if the Spirit Hall makes a major move, then the Blacksmith Association will inevitably be implicated."

"Elder Lou, you choose one." Saying this, Zhou Heng put down the tokens and handed the choice to Lou Gao.

Looking at the two tokens on the table, Lou Gao fell into deep thought.

Finally, under Zhou Heng's gaze, Lou Gao pointed to the Spirit Hall's Consecrator Token without any hesitation.

"I choose the help of the Spirit Hall."

"Why?" Zhou Heng asked in return.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Consecrator Token was handed to the Hall Master by Sect Master Ning while I watched; this Seven Treasure Token represents a Spirit Douluo-level consecrator, and it is Sect Master Ning's investment in the Hall Master.

But the Spirit Hall Grand Pontiff's token represents the entire Spirit Hall and can even mobilize a Title Douluo; this is no longer something that can be explained by simple investment."