Chapter 318: Refining Artifacts in the Rain

Before dawn, Master Lu was busy with his apprentices.

Refining important Dharma artifacts requires borrowing the timing and geography, and of course, a sacrificial ceremony is indispensable.

Not only must they sacrifice to the ancestor of the blacksmith trade, Taishang Laojun, but they must also sacrifice to Captain Guan Sheng Di Jun at the same time.

Offering sacrifices to Laojun in a Buddhist temple is somewhat inappropriate.

Therefore, the sacrificial venue was moved outside the temple.

In an open space on Mount Fuhu behind, not only were offering tables set up, but there were also spirit tablets for Taishang Laojun and Captain Guan Di Sheng Jun.

At the very front was a newly built furnace, as well as bellows, hammers, anvils, and other utensils.

All of these had been tied with red cloth.

Master Lu also changed into an outfit today: black coarse cloth, a huge leather apron hanging on his body, a white cloth wrapped around his head, and a red rope tied around his waist.

And hanging at his waist was a wooden tablet.

It looked ancient, with the words "Da Guang Iron Smelting" carved on it. It was clearly not an ordinary item.

Li Yan and Sha Sha Li Fei were outsiders, so they stood in the distance to observe the ceremony.

"What is 'Da Guang Iron Smelting'?" Li Yan whispered.

Sha Sha Li Fei smiled and replied: "Coincidentally, I just inquired about it."

"Iron smelting was extremely prosperous in the Song Dynasty. 'Da Guang Iron Smelting' was the imperial court's iron smelting yamen, which gathered many master craftsmen of that time, and they also cooperated with Shen Kuo to compile the 'Dream Pool Essays'."

"Master Lu's ancestors were casting masters of 'Da Guang Iron Smelting' at that time, and this tablet is also a Dharma artifact, which has become a token of his sect."

"So that's how it is."

Li Yan nodded slightly, not expecting Master Lu to have such a background.

In the distance, the sacrificial ceremony officially began.

Master Lu and others lit incense and candles, placed offerings, and bowed and kowtowed three times and nine times to Taishang Laojun and Captain Guan Di Sheng Jun respectively.

Subsequently, the old man stood up, holding the "Da Guang Iron Smelting" order, constantly pinching formulas in his hands, chanting words, opened the wine on the offering table, and sprinkled it in all directions.

And his disciples moved quickly.

They used scissors to cut off all the red cloth on the utensils, and then another disciple carried a large rooster, bit its crown, and sprayed chicken blood on all the utensils.

Clatter!

Black coal like glaze was poured into the furnace, and those disciples were fast, burning the furnace fire red in no time.

Sha Sha Li Fei clicked his tongue and said: "Master Lu spent a lot of money this time. These are all white coal transported from Zezhou Prefecture, with extremely high quality, no smoke or smell, and very fierce firepower."

As he spoke, he whispered again: "I also heard another piece of news. A lot of high-quality coal essence was discovered in Jinzhou, and the imperial court has sent people to mine it in large quantities, and people from the Commandant Office send it to the capital every day."

"It is mostly transported to the Divine Machine Camp in the capital."

Li Yan was not surprised at all, nodded and said: "This matter concerns the destiny of the imperial court, the Emperor definitely won't rest assured to hand it over to others. It is estimated that it will also be used to restrain various places with new-style gunpowder in the future."

As they spoke, two disciples had already taken off their upper clothes, revealing muscular bodies, letting the drizzling rain roll off their bodies.

The two of them took out a yellow talisman at the same time, stepped on the Gang steps, and chanted: "Snow Mountain Master, Snow Gate opens, Snow Mountain Master descends snow,... I obey Taishang Laojun, act as fast as the law!"

Snow Mountain Method?

Li Yan was a bit strange, why use magic arts for sacrifices?

But soon, he knew the reason.

As soon as the Snow Mountain Method came out, cold air rose all over their bodies.

They wore straw hats casually, came to the furnace fire, one took out the red-hot iron water pot, and the other scooped it up with an iron spoon.

In the open space behind, a six-meter-high double-layered flower shed had already been set up, covered with fresh willow branches, and tied with fireworks and firecrackers.

"Hey!"

With a roar, the disciple threw the red-hot iron juice up.

The iron juice collided with the flower shed, and in an instant, thousands of iron flowers fell and splashed, brilliant and colorful, lighting up the darkness.

At the same time, the fireworks and firecrackers on the shed were also lit.

The crackling sound resounded through the wilderness.

It turns out to be hitting iron flowers!

Li Yan crossed his arms and smiled, appreciating this gorgeous and strange scene.

This "hitting iron flowers" was originally a Dharma ritual for praying for blessings and warding off evil. It is also a sacrificial ceremony for craftsmen of the five gates of gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin, with a very long history.

Such a lively scene, not to mention the guards of the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce, even the young novice monks of Yuquan Temple ran out to watch.

After the ceremony, the sky was already slightly bright. 【318-4

The "Grinding-Knife Rain" continued to drizzle down without stop.

Master Lu took his disciples to eat a vegetarian meal, then used willow branches soaked in water to cleanse their hands, and everyone tied red cloth around their heads.

Next, not only did they have to complete the final step for the magical artifacts, but every single artifact also had to undergo a consecration ceremony, which would last until late into the night.

The first items to be forged were six flying knives.

These were the Soul-Severing Flying Knives that Li Yan had specifically commissioned.

He had also shown his Dust-Severing Blade to Master Lu; the craftsmanship was so exquisite that Master Lu himself admitted he couldn't match it, and adding even a single stroke would be superfluous.

As for his original sleeve-hidden blade, it could be detected by experts with supernatural senses, and since he now also had the Soul-Hooking Rope, he used it less and less.

The secret technique left behind by Liu Gang allowed the Soul-Hooking Rope to control the Soul-Severing Flying Knives, so Li Yan had Master Lu forge six of them.

The frame of the Soul-Severing Flying Knives had already been made, hollowed out in the center, and forged from meteorite iron.

This meteorite iron was also no ordinary material; it had been collected after falling from the nine heavens, first refined into iron blanks, then forged a hundred times into steel, and finally hidden in the treasure cellar of Mount Hua to absorb the innate Geng metal Qi of the Western Peak.

Just lying there, it already shimmered with a cold light.

As for the hollowed-out center, it was ground from Earth Dragon bone, and inlaid with white copper from Dianzhou to form Suanni patterns composed of tiny talismans.

Of course, the two parts had not yet been joined.

Master Lu suddenly turned and said, "Lad, there are two methods. I wonder which one you choose?"

Li Yan hurriedly cupped his hands, "I ask for the Master's guidance."

Master Lu said in a deep voice, "I have two methods. The first is the Precious Light Suanni, which can hide in mist and clouds, and is flexible to control. The second is the Blood Suanni, which requires your fresh blood to refine; it is fierce and domineering—once the blade is drawn, it must see blood, otherwise, it will devour its master."

Li Yan laughed, "No matter how good a magical artifact is, it is still used by people. What use is a thing that devours its master?"

"Although the killing intent is heavy, if killing alone were effective, there wouldn't be so many troublesome matters in this world. Let's use the Precious Light Suanni method."

"Well said!"

Master Lu stroked his beard and laughed, "At such a young age, you already have such insight. You will surely achieve great things in the future, and it won't be a waste of my craftsmanship."

After saying this, he turned abruptly, his expression becoming solemn.

"Fetch the water from Zhuodao Spring, quench the fire!"

At his command, a disciple immediately brought over the biting cold spring water.

Master Lu, already gripping the "Great Broad Iron Smelter," stepped in a ritual pace, formed hand seals, and used a more advanced craftsman's technique called the "Bronze Decree." His entire body was wreathed in martial Qi, and his muscles and bones became swollen and taut.

This technique was not only like the Snow Mountain method, allowing him to fear no boiling molten iron, but it also made his whole body as hard as iron and granted him boundless strength.

He clamped the six flying knife blanks, placed them into the furnace fire to calcine, and swung his iron hammer, sending sparks flying everywhere, continuously quenching them in the water.

Sha Sha Li Fei's eyes were full of excitement as he whispered, "Zhuodao Spring is Yang, used for forging and sharpening weapons; the cold spring water of the Overlord Well is Yin, used for the white copper talismans."

"Listen for the sound in a moment. As long as the sound of a dragon's roar rings out from the blade within nine strikes, that means we have borrowed today's good fortune."

Sure enough, during the third forging strike, as the hammer fell, the blade vibrated, and a clanging sound actually rang out in the surroundings, resembling a dragon's roar.

"Hahaha... a good omen!"

Master Lu laughed heartily, placed the forged flying knife blank aside, and took another one to forge.

The timing of the dragon's roar varied; for some, it appeared on the second strike, and for others, it only rang out on the very last one.

Although Li Yan didn't understand the principle behind it, he could smell that the flying knives had gained a biting, sharp Qi. "Cold spring water!"

Master Lu gave another low shout, and the disciple immediately changed the water.

The Earth Dragon bone was tough, but it was bone after all and could not be put into the fire to be forged. However, he had another method; he switched to a small hammer and a whetstone, formed hand seals, and continuously adjusted them in this grinding-knife rain.

Finally, all the Earth Dragon bone cores were inlaid into the flying knives, fitting perfectly as if they had grown together naturally.

After finishing this, Master Lu mixed the two types of spring water and sharpened the knives on a whetstone. Every little while, he would form seals and recite:

"By decree, the precious blade reflects Yin and Yang; the Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiends transform into divine weapons. First, sever the demons and ghosts; second, sever the evil spirits and specters... I obey the decree of the Supreme Lord Lao, the divine weapon acts as swiftly as the law!"

This was the consecration ceremony.

As soon as it ended, the flying knives seemed to gain spirituality, vibrating with a hum.

"Good blades!"

Master Lu picked up a flying knife and took a look, "This technique is also marvelous; it seems to have the style of the Craftsman Sect from Mount Tai."

!.

Saying this, he waved his hand casually, "Catch the blade!"

Whoosh!

The flying knife tore through the curtain of rain, whistling toward him.

This Master Lu was also a martial arts expert, using a clever force. It looked fierce, but Li Yan simply flipped his wrist and caught it, holding it in his palm to examine.

The blade was exquisite and full of baleful Qi. The more he looked, the more he liked it, and he couldn't help but hold the flying knife and form seals with his hand.

Clatter!

The Soul-Hooking Rope burrowed entirely into the flying knife.

Those present who possessed the "Ear" supernatural ability seemed to hear something and looked at Li Yan with suspicion.

Li Yan couldn't be bothered to care. He flicked his hand, and the flying knife whistled out, circling around him. But because it was pulled by the Soul-Hooking Rope, it always stayed within three meters, flying up and down with extreme agility.

"Flying sword?"

Sha Sha Li Fei's eyes widened instantly.

"Hahaha... just a small technique, it doesn't count as a flying sword yet!"

Li Yan laughed heartily and waved his hand gently, and the flying knife returned swiftly, inserting itself into the leather sheath prepared at his waist.

He spoke modestly, but his heart was somewhat proud.

This Soul-Severing Blade could shuttle within three meters, which was a small matter, but because it was infused with the power of the Soul-Hooking Rope, it could also directly pin down an enemy's soul.

Although it couldn't compare to the legendary flying swords, it was not to be underestimated.

Master Lu paid no attention, instead focusing entirely on continuing to refine the artifacts. It took a full hour to finish all the flying knives.

And the flying knives were still the easiest magical artifacts.

He took a simple drink of water and, with a solemn expression, took out a firearm. The firearm was a flintlock pistol, also commissioned by Li Yan.

Like the flying knives, only the final assembly and consecration remained.

Of course, this magical artifact had already taken shape, and the grip used Earth Dragon bone and black sandalwood spirit wood, which also couldn't enter the furnace fire. So, he switched to another technique, taking a Bagua treasure mirror and shining it at the firearm.

This technique was something Li Yan had never even heard of, and it looked extremely strenuous; even Master Lu had sweat breaking out on his forehead...

…………

Just as they were busy, all parts of Ezhou were also filled with jubilation.

Inside the Baotong Zen Temple in Near Wuchang City, in the Hall of the Protector King, numerous monks chanted Buddhist scriptures, the sound of wooden fish clattered, and incense smoke swirled.

In Buddhism, the Second Brother Captain Guan is the Protector King Buddha, but in Daoist temples and some other shrines, he is the Sage Emperor Captain Guan.

Almost all the Sage Emperor Captain Guan temples in Ezhou had people performing sacrifices, and even some gangs hired people to perform rituals, taking turns offering incense to the Second Brother Captain Guan.

This is the prestige of a top-tier folk deity.

Never mind Ezhou; at this moment, the entire Divine Land was holding sacrificial ceremonies in all the Sage Emperor Captain Guan temples.

And outside the Captain Guan Mausoleum in Dangyang, the gongs and drums were even more deafening.

In the Near Wuchang three cities, it was the "Grinding-Knife Rain," while here, it was called the "Single-Blade Meeting."

Outside the Captain Guan Mausoleum, from the mountainside down to the foot of the mountain, tents of all sizes were set up. Some were performing plays, others were putting on shows; all kinds of martial artists gathered, and even more were various small vendors.

The common people near Dangyang, and even from Jingzhou and Xiangyang, had all traveled thousands of miles to participate in this grand event.

Captain Guan Zhou Peide, with a smile on his face, led several local gentry to preside over it.

Under the gaze of the crowd, he recited the sacrificial text. Below the stage, everyone from the Prefect to the County Magistrate, as well as local scholars and gentry, were all gathered here.

After the sacrificial text was read, firecrackers roared and crackled.

The Captain Guan family members entered the Captain Guan Mausoleum together to offer incense and pay their respects. At this moment, they were the protagonists, and even the officials had to follow behind.

Watching the temple fair proceed smoothly, Captain Guan Zhou Peide couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and while he was at it, he prayed for Li Yan's blessings before the Sage Emperor Captain Guan.

Perhaps it was this prayer that took effect; outside the Yuquan Temple, the process of refining the magical artifacts also went extremely smoothly.

Soon, Li Yan received his firearm and played with it in his hands with excitement.

This flintlock pistol was about a foot long; it couldn't compare to the exquisite firearms of his previous life, but it had a bit more grandeur.

The black sandalwood grip was inlaid with white jade-like Earth Dragon bone, and the brass bolt was engraved with Bagua evil-suppressing talismans, forming a dragon-shaped decoration at the front of the grip.

It looked simply like a work of art.

"Little Brother Yan, here."

Sha Sha Li Fei took out a leather belt inlaid with twelve yellow ammunition clips, about the size of a child's fist, as well as a leather holster.

"I have already filled them all with gunpowder. The bullets use iron pellets, and the outside is sealed with oil paper, so they aren't afraid of rain or humidity. When you use them, tear off the oil paper and insert them into the rear..."

After Sha Sha Li Fei's explanation, Li Yan quickly figured out how to operate it.

To put it plainly, it was the same principle as a breech-loading cannon.

Hanging the bullet holster, with the flintlock pistol on one side and the six Soul-Severing Flying Knives on the other, plus the Dust-Severing Blade at his waist and the two fire-caltrops Sha Sha Li Fei had given him, Li Yan was armed to the teeth.

With this gear, his combat power had also soared.

He couldn't stop grinning and continued to wait for the artifact refining.

Meanwhile, inside the main hall of the Baotong Zen Temple's Protector King Buddha, the ritual to sacrifice to the Sage Emperor Captain Guan had also ended.

Zen Master Master Tongxuan slowly opened his eyes, "Master Chengjue, begin."

At his command, Master Chengjue immediately led the monks of the Law Enforcement Hall to the offering table, covered the twelve small statues of the Sage Emperor Captain Guan with red cloth, and then carefully carried them out one by one.

At this moment, quite a few people were already waiting outside.

Even the Near Wuchang Garrison had sent three hundred men to escort them, a hundred of whom had firearms strapped to their backs.

Everyone immediately mounted their horses and arrived at the Near Wuchang City wharf.

At this moment, it was already a sea of people. Many commoners were craning their necks in anticipation; some held umbrellas, while others simply ignored the rain.

And on the Yangtze River outside the wharf, twelve dragon boats were waiting.

"The Sage Emperor Captain Guan is here!"

Following someone's cheer, many commoners hurriedly lit the three sticks of incense in their hands; some bowed respectfully, while others knelt directly in the mud to kowtow.

Crackle, pop!

The sound of firecrackers accompanied the sound of gongs and drums.

The entire wharf was instantly filled with noise...

Second update at 12:00

(End of chapter)