Chapter 151

After Niu Dingtian finished speaking, he quietly sized up the pretty face before him, and the force in his hand unconsciously eased.

Needless to say, this woman's icy composure at first sight, her flustered panic while climbing the mountain, her earlier explosive anger, and her current quiet, endearing demeanor—none failed to stir his heart at this very moment.

After a long while,

Fen Tian slowly came to her senses.

Faced with Niu Dingtian's gaze at this moment, she forcibly suppressed her panic and pretended not to notice, took a deep breath, then softly said, "First release your hand; I'll give you the Universe Shift later."

Saying that, she gave her forearm a light tug, trying to break free from Niu Dingtian's grip.

She hadn't really hoped for it, but this time the arm that had been clenched for a while slipped out easily.

Fen Tian instinctively froze for a moment; suddenly, amidst her complex emotions, an inexplicable sense of loss arose.

Is this his goal? He's just trying to fool people again, isn't he?

Niu Dingtian's senses are extraordinarily keen; upon noticing, he blinked slightly, reached out to grab her again, but Fen Tian had already swiftly dodged.

"I'm really stupid! Really," Niu Dingtian inwardly chastised himself, "Next time I catch something in my hand, I'll never let go!"

The next moment—

The atmosphere grew somewhat silent; the hall was especially quiet, to the point that even the sound of their breathing could be clearly heard.

Niu Dingtian glanced over, breaking the silence: "The strongest martial art openly known in the jianghu is the Nine Yin Classic; few know there is also a Nine Yang True Scripture, which is in no way inferior to the Nine Yin Classic."

"Last year, I passed the introductory mental method of the Nine Yang Divine Skill to my trusted subordinates for practice, and I plan to, after the Divine Sect is formally established, open the introductory mental method to core disciples and high-ranking cultivators. Deputy Sect Master, do you have any good suggestions?"

Fen Tian blinked slightly upon hearing this, evidently unaware of this secret.

But upon hearing the title "Deputy Sect Master," her eyes flickered unnaturally; after a brief silence, she lightly said, "Just do as you please."

Niu Dingtian's face twitched slightly; "Just do as you please" equals "just do whatever," so wouldn't saying "Just do whatever" be more concise?

Women, sigh~

He let out a light sigh and said, "Although the Nine Yang Divine Skill is strong, it's not entirely suitable for women to cultivate; the utmost rigid and yang true qi might affect one's temperament, and I fear that one day you might become as fiery and explosive as a blazing flame."

"So, you'd better cultivate the Nine Yin Classic; I also have that scripture. Although it's for the sect's development, I can't just let you produce the Universe Shift for nothing—consider it my compensation for you."

Upon hearing this, Fen Tian opened her mouth to speak, but the words faded away before they could leave her lips.

She suddenly felt a grudge toward Niu Dingtian.

These successive divine techniques were slapped onto her face one after another, making her seem like a petty miser hoarding wealth.

Thinking of this, Fen Tian couldn't help but glare at Niu Dingtian with annoyance.

Niu Dingtian, however, seemed lost in his own monologue, saying, "Besides, last year I broke into the Sutra Pavilion of the Shaolin Temple, borrowed a few books, and have some karmic ties with those monks that need to be settled."

"As Deputy Sect Master, you also need to figure out how to deal with them over the coming period—whether to pay a small price to appease them or to eradicate them once and for all. You need to come up with a plan."

"The last matter is that we have a deadly, irreconcilable grudge against the imperial family of the Great Song; sooner or later we'll end up on opposing sides. Also, last year I suffered a loss at the hands of an old eunuch whose martial prowess was not inferior to that of today's Murong An."

"This grudge must also be avenged!"

"It's not that I can't take a loss or can't swallow my anger; rather, often if you don't seek them out, they'll come looking for you, so we might as well take the initiative."

"My Deputy Sect Master, I've turned out all the pockets of the Sect Leader for you; you'd better prepare yourself mentally for the upcoming struggle!"

Upon hearing this, Fen Tian finally couldn't help but stare blankly at Niu Dingtian—Is this what you called doing great things openly and aboveboard?

"When darkness offers no room to act, one can only do things openly and aboveboard; I must have boarded a thief's ship, right?"

Thinking of this, Fen Tian's heart involuntarily sank.

"Exactly, you've boarded the thief's ship!"

Niu Dingtian saw the meaning in Fen Tian's eyes, returned the same look, noticed her growing silent, then slowly stepped before her, fixed his gaze on her bright eyes, and chuckled lightly:

"Deputy Sect Master, do you want to regret? It's not too late to regret now; the Sect Leader permits you to disembark."

Although he said that, his face appeared calm, but Niu Dingtian's heart inexplicably felt a bit tense.

"If she truly wants to regret, would I really let her go so easily?"

"\"Regret? \" Fen Tian murmured to herself.

Then she instinctively shook her head, remained silent for a moment, and softly said, "I can't get off the boat anymore."

Upon hearing this, Niu Dingtian couldn't help but grin; this decision made him extremely happy, and he immediately shouted toward the hall's exterior in a deep voice, "Niu Kui!"

"Sect Leader!"

Niu Kui flashed out from the night curtain and quickly appeared before Niu Dingtian.

"This is the Deputy Sect Master!" Niu Dingtian pointed to Fen Tian beside him, his tone exceedingly solemn: "From now on, aside from the Sect Leader, she holds the highest rank in the sect! Tomorrow, summon all the persons in charge in the city, as well as the high-ranking members of the Manichaean Sect."

"I will announce this publicly!"

This move gave Fen Tian great face, and more importantly, it firmly established her position.

Otherwise, as an outsider who just joined the sect and is also a woman, this second-in-command authority would be nonsense!

……

The next morning,

After a brief meeting, Fen Tian officially became the Deputy Sect Master of the Divine Sect and began handling some internal affairs.

Of course, when encountering some more important matters, the decision-making authority rests entirely with Niu Dingtian.

Thus, on just the first day, Fen Tian kept running back and forth to the Sect Leader's side to report and execute, report and execute…

Add to that her icy, aloof beauty, and she is utterly a cold female secretary.

If you add black silk stockings to that,

Hiss…

Unbearable!

Niu Dingtian shouted, "Unbearable! Where is there such a test for leading cadres!"

—Thus,

Just after noon had passed, Niu Dingtian shouldered a large precious sword, and under Niu Kui's leadership, headed to a blacksmith's shop in a remote rural village.

Vast heaven and earth, great things to be done. Niu Dingtian stood at the village crossroads, watching farmers return together, parting at the crossroads, village women greeting—he sighed inexplicably.

In these times,

Not only do scholars and refined gentlemen like to retreat into seclusion, but painters and calligraphers take up hoes in the countryside, and even masters of weapon forging return to the fields to make kitchen knives and hoes.

If one day, when one's thoughts have become enlightened, one might also seek out such a small mountain village.

One tills the fields, the senior sister washes clothes by the river, Rong'er lights the fire and cooks rice, the sister-in-law feeds chickens in the courtyard, the little secretary occasionally runs to the field ridges to deliver meals, and everyone else sits under the mulberry trees minding the children.

Hiss~

Imagining this scene, Niu Dingtian couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air, not knowing how many would come when that time truly arrived.

Putting aside his thoughts, Niu Dingtian and Niu Kui walked all the way to the village.

Wherever they passed, whether adult or child, upon seeing Niu Dingtian shouldering a large iron sword, they would point and whisper from afar, chattering away.

Not long after, several children wielding wooden swords could no longer hold back, gathering around Niu Dingtian, staring at the big iron sword on his shoulder and chattering away with questions:

"Uncle, can you let me touch it?"

"Uncle, do you know martial arts?"

"Uncle, are you here to find Zhang the Lame to forge a sword? My mother says Zhang the Lame is no good now—he can't even harden a notched kitchen knife, so he can't take money!"

"Hahahaha~"

"Hahaha~"

"You little brat, you god‑poking thing! Old lady will surely whip you to death today!"

Suddenly a woman burst from the crowd, the gaggle of children scattering in an instant, while the little rascal selling daughters bolted desperately toward the village head.

Niu Dingtian couldn't help but laugh.

However, the child was not wrong—the surnamed Zhang swordsmith is indeed a lame man, but more importantly, he is the direct descendant of the famed Tang dynasty sword‑forging master Zhang Ya‑jiu.

In his youth he followed his father in the Yue Family Army, forging weapons; later, due to some changes, he retreated to this village to make a living by forging farm tools.

A thousand years after the death of Ou Zhizi, spirits secretly imparted their knowledge to Zhang Ya‑jiu, who forged swords in the Wu Mountains, with heaven and sun lending their power at the right moment.

Speaking of Zhang Ya‑jiu, few may know him, but the Ya‑jiu sword he forged ranks fourteenth among ancient and modern weapons; setting aside the Spring and Autumn and Warring States sword masters, he has been the strongest in the past few hundred years.

Yet as the direct heir of Zhang Ya‑jiu, Zhang the Lame keeps his talents well hidden.

After several searches, if it weren't for Niu Kui finding the farm tools he forged in his early years and discovering their hardness defied blades and swords, this hidden dragon might truly have slipped away.

Not long after, Niu Dingtian and Niu Kui arrived at a mountain stream behind the village.

Beside the stream lies a sizable green bamboo grove, within which stand two dilapidated bamboo huts; as the two stepped into the grove, a blacksmith's forge beneath a bamboo canopy came into view.

And on the large iron anvil beside the forge sat a lame old man.

Upon noticing Niu Dingtian and his companion approaching, the lame old man gave them a faint glance, then withdrew his gaze and ignored them further.

Seeing this, Niu Dingtian stepped forward, shouldered his sword, and with a "thud" planted his black iron heavy sword into the ground, then cupped his hands and said: "I am Niu Dingtian, grandson of Niu Gao of the Yue Family Army; I dare to call on you, Master Zhang, and ask you to reforge a weapon for slaying barbarians!"

For a reclusive sword‑forging master, the reasons for not coming out of the mountains vary wildly—truly a thousand and one motives. If one seeks neither fame nor profit, it is hard to move him.

After repeatedly considering Zhang the Lame's life story, Niu Dingtian still decided to lay his cards on the table—reveal the divine iron, reveal his identity, reveal his righteous cause.

One must know that in this era, the Yue Family Army is undoubtedly a sacred presence to the common folk, let alone someone who has served in the army, undergone the baptism of military spirit—even if the other party was merely a blacksmith back then.

And celestial black iron, such a divine material for forging, is an immense temptation for any swordsmith.

Sure enough, upon hearing Niu Dingtian announce his identity, Zhang the Lame's gaze, which had been fixed on the black iron heavy sword, snapped over to him in an instant.

After scrutinizing Niu Dingtian's face for a long while, he muttered: "You resemble, you truly resemble—except your complexion is too pale, lacking the heroic bearing of Deputy Marshal Niu."

"Heaven has eyes—I never expected he would still have descendants alive today."

Niu Dingtian: "……"

Zhang the Lame slowly withdrew his gaze, shook his head, and softly sighed: "It's a pity that after the Yue Family Army, there are hardly any decent fellows left to resist the Jin."

Having said that, Zhang the Lame self‑mocked: "If you had come two years later, I fear this old man couldn't even swing a hammer—so tell me, what weapon do you want forged? Consider it my final contribution to the anti‑Jin cause in my remaining years."

Clang!

Seeing this, Niu Dingtian swiftly drew the black iron sword from the ground, his eyes shining, and said: "Please, Master Zhang, forge one sword and one blade—name the sword 'Heaven‑Leaning' and the blade 'Dragon‑Slayer'!"

……

In the days that followed,

Niu Dingtian and Niu Kui remained in the bamboo grove, one wielding an iron hammer, the other pumping the bellows.

From dawn's rosy glow to a sky full of stars, the sound of ding‑ding‑ding hammering echoed constantly within the bamboo grove.

Three days later,

Suddenly a visitor appeared in the forest, handed Niu Dingtian a parcel, and then hurried away.

Niu Dingtian took the parcel to find Zhang the Lame; the two, inside the bamboo hut, exchanged words back and forth, debating and arguing all day, before finally stepping out together to resume swinging the large iron hammer.

Thereafter, Niu Dingtian spent each day amid the ding‑ding of hammer strikes, fortunately with Niu Kui beside him keeping the bellows going.

The hardness of the black iron surpassed imagination, especially mixed with a large amount of western refined gold; even after high‑temperature quenching, each blow Niu Dingtian struck on the black iron lump made it hard to discern any change at all.

Yet the sword and blade blanks forged by his own hammer‑and‑anvil, when held in hand, seemed to carry a special feeling.

It was as if… their bloodlines were merging. (End of chapter)