Chapter 65: Double-Edged

Returning home, Cheng Feng temporarily stopped exercising; he needed to rest for a few days.

His Qi channels were weak, so he needed to rest for another two or three days.

For now, Cheng Feng did not mind.

According to his master, the Closed-door Disciple would basically be sparring against new disciples from other Martial Arts Halls.

In terms of realm, they were still struggling at the Skin Refining stage.

This would not be a waste of Cheng Feng's painstaking efforts.

If he didn't surpass them in realm,

how could he fight them?

Cheng Feng was not too concerned about this kind of competition.

As long as he didn't lose face too badly, it would be fine.

Since he was already a Closed-door Disciple, it wouldn't be excessive to tie with a new disciple, right?

He certainly wouldn't lose.

But there was no need to show off.

Cheng Feng did not need his master's praise.

He didn't care about food or drink; he only wanted money.

Liu Tiechui said he would definitely finish forging the blade the day before the competition.

He only had twenty-five taels left in his bottom-of-the-box savings, plus two taels of broken silver.

Once the remaining twenty taels were paid,

he would only have seven taels left.

The sense of crisis from having no money arrived.

He still had three pregnant women, two women, and one maid to support.

He wished the next month's dividends would come quickly.

His own liquor was also made every ten days.

One could tell from his own volume,

the tavern's liquor was selling quite well.

This month should also be around fifty taels!

Cheng Feng knew in his heart that once the first month's dividends came out, he would no longer be afraid.

At the very least, he could maintain a corresponding level of income.

Now it all depended on his blade.

That so-called crippled swordsman had put too much pressure on him.

At that time, he had no realm and no weapon.

He couldn't even put up a fight.

Now his realm had improved, and his blade would soon be finished.

As for the small three sets—clothes, realm, and weapon—

he was still short a little money to make himself two sets of fine silk robes.

And then get a house.

That would be a proper middle-class life.

Cheng Feng could distinguish between what was important and what was not.

So, he still had to get the blade first.

Clothes could wait a while.

He had already seen some progress regarding the house.

Right now, he was empty-handed.

It would still take some time.

Fortunately, the promise to practice martial arts with Lao San was for after his eldest brother's wedding.

He could still manage that.

Cheng Feng occasionally savored Wang Tieshan's words; ever since entering Blood Refining, Cheng Feng could always receive small private lessons from Wang Tieshan.

It wasn't about practicing martial arts, but rather chatting with Cheng Feng about realms, the surrounding powers, and Cheng Feng's future development direction.

Cheng Feng wasn't too interested in other things, but Wang Tieshan's introduction and planning gave Cheng Feng a clearer understanding of himself.

Cheng Feng now also truly accepted Wang Tieshan as his master from the bottom of his heart.

He really had nothing to complain about regarding how he was treated.

Wang Tieshan told Cheng Feng to hone the Blood Refining realm well, as this stage was the most fundamental and important for the future Bone Refining and Organ Refining realms.

He should polish his Blood Qi as pure as possible.

The purity of Blood Qi concerned future breakthroughs in realm.

To forge a pair of tough bones, one must let threads of fresh blood slowly seep into every bone crevice, and then let a continuous stream of hot blood invade the depths of the bone marrow; only in this way can the purification and refinement of the blood be completed. After this series of steps, not only can the blood become incomparably pure, but the bones can also become increasingly strong.

As for Organ Refining, it can only be carried out when the bones and skin have been tempered sufficiently well. At this time, it is necessary to redirect the Qi and Blood to the internal organs, focusing on developing the most critical respiratory organs to expel various impurities that have accumulated in the organs for a long time. It is precisely because of this that there is the saying, "the purer the blood, the better."

At this stage, basic dishes like ordinary meat, rice, and steamed buns can no longer fully satisfy the growing physical needs of Martial Artists.

After entering the Blood Refining realm, Martial Artists usually choose to consume more Medicinal Meals to assist in their cultivation. If the family's financial conditions are limited, they must also ensure that Medicinal Meals are paired with meat and refined white flour, at least ensuring they can eat one Medicinal Meal every seven days to maintain the purity of the Blood Qi within their bodies.

With the advancement of the path of cultivation, the requirements for the quality and variety of food become increasingly stringent.

Therefore, many Martial Artists go to the wilderness to hunt Strange Beasts, or are killed by Strange Beasts.

Cheng Feng indicated that he understood.

Everything here is based on the principle of willingness.

Either you become stronger, or I become stronger.

After an in-depth conversation with Wang Tieshan, the topic of factions was brought up. Regarding the direction of future development, there was no doubt that Cheng Feng's goal was to head to the Prefecture City.

However, there was a crucial prerequisite before that—he had to possess sufficient wealth.

Only then would it be easy to settle down and buy women.

Only after honing his own skills to an extreme level would Cheng Feng step out of this "newbie village" of Qingxi County.

Honestly, it would be a lie to say he had no interest in the outside world. After all, who wouldn't want to see a broader world?

Yet, the world is exceptionally treacherous these days, with Great Zhou engaged in constant warfare; wandering the world alone is no easy task.

Cheng Feng knows his own abilities are not yet great enough, and survival comes first; he truly dares not take risks lightly. Before his own strength meets the standard, he had better stay put honestly to avoid going out and throwing his life away for nothing.

On the second day, a shop assistant from the blacksmith shop came to the door to say the swords were forged.

Cheng Feng replied that he would be right there.

Clutching the silver, he strode toward the blacksmith shop.

What man doesn't hope to have a good sword?

To have a Xiuchun Dao?

Cheng Feng, at any rate, loves it immensely.

Cheng Feng does not know much about the forging industry of Great Zhou.

But the only one with a name in Qingxi County is this blacksmith shop.

Recalling past interactions with Master Liu, one cannot help but feel that this person is quite reliable in handling matters.

He acts decisively and cleanly; once he makes a mistake, he is brave enough to admit it and apologizes and compensates sincerely in a timely manner. Once the apology is over, he can cleverly use the opportunity to win over new customers, successfully achieving the most basic information blockade.

In this way, he both demonstrates his own sincerity and goodwill, and avoids creating extra complications.

After all, if I treat you well, you naturally feel embarrassed to go around spreading news of my side's faults, right?

It stands to reason that Cheng Feng would be very familiar with the ways of this, and choosing to spend money to resolve the trouble was undoubtedly a wise move, leaving neither himself nor the other party at a loss.

The old master's way of conducting himself was something Cheng Feng only came to appreciate later.

This person, indeed, is different from before.

He stepped into the back hall.

He placed the silver on the table.

His gaze fell straight upon the two identical long swords placed on the table.

These two swords were about one meter four in length, slightly longer than ordinary swords.

Drawing a sword to test it, its exterior design was unique, with a thick hilt and a thin blade; this structure was not only conducive to gripping and exerting force, but could also unleash astonishing power in battle.

The blade shimmered with a chilling cold light, emitting a bone-piercing, icy aura. That incomparably sharp edge seemed capable of severing all obstacles in the world, making one shudder with fear.

Merely gazing at these two swords, one could feel an indescribable pressure. They were like two sleeping tigers; although they lay quietly there at the moment, they would wake up immediately at the slightest sign of movement, displaying unparalleled might.

Standing before these two swords, one could even clearly feel an invisible, sharp aura rushing toward them, as fierce as a sudden storm, making one unable to help but feel awe.

However, what was most astonishing was the color of the two blades. One presented an ordinary, bright steel tone, no different from common blades; while the other was unique, with a blade as black as ink, as if it were the ruler of the dark night.

Cheng Feng held the twin swords, his eyes flashing with excitement. He first swung the ordinary bright-colored sword and slashed fiercely at an ordinary test iron sword placed beside him. With a crisp "Crack!", one slash cut down, and it actually split the test iron sword in two with ease!

Immediately after, Cheng Feng carefully plucked a hair of his own and placed it gently on the blade. Then, he took a deep breath and blew hard—in an instant, the hair strand snapped as if brushed by a light breeze, without any resistance!

Cheng Feng's face was full of joy, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "A good sword! Truly a good sword! Many thanks to Master Liu!"

He couldn't put down these two freshly forged precious swords and happily tucked them into their scabbards.

At this moment, the burly blacksmith still stood in place, smiling as he added: "The master felt this sword seemed to lack a bit of heat, so he specifically added some Black Iron Essence."

Cheng Feng did not understand the preciousness of the materials, but he still thanked him again.

Only then did he walk out of the blacksmith shop, carrying the sword case on his back, and head toward home.

His own weapons had arrived.