Chapter 87: New Shopkeeper of the Weapon Forge

In mid-August, the weather had already turned cool.

Inside the forging room, however, it was a scene of intense activity; bellows blew, fierce flames rolled, and the sound of hammering on iron merged into a continuous roar.

"The Autumn Water Sword is forged from cold iron, Profound Iron, and mixed with red gold. To craft an exquisite piece, the fire control is paramount; the Profound Iron must be refined a hundred times, melting the cold iron and red gold into one..."

"Afterwards, use the folding forging method, folding it more than eighteen times, ensuring the iron layers stack to over thirty-two thousand layers..."

"There are sixteen different liquids for quenching, with cold spring water and Spirit Ox blood being the best..."

Amidst the rising and falling hammer sounds, Li Yuan seemed to hear nothing, immersed in the relentless process of hammering.

The Art of Forging was far more complex than the Bai Yuan Cloak Hammer; every type of weapon required a different forging technique, and even among swords, there were numerous distinctions.

The forging technique for the Autumn Water Sword was not considered complicated among swords; most blacksmiths, when choosing to forge their first exquisite blade, would often select this sword.

Clang!

Clang!

The forging hammer flew up and down, striking the red-hot iron; the blows were dense and even, with the force of every strike being just right, neither too much nor too little.

"Hammering talent also provides a tremendous boost to forging..."

Sparks flew in all directions as Li Yuan focused his mind to experience it.

Under the blessing of hammer-type talents, he truly seemed to have become a genius.

As the forging hammer rose and fell, he could even feel whether the force on the iron beneath was even, where the impurities were heavier, and the degree of heating...

The magnitude of this amplification to the Art of Forging was self-evident.

What normally required ten days of folding and hammering was completed in a mere five days.

"It's a pity quenching cannot be so intuitive..."

The forging process was already memorized by Li Yuan; under the blessing of a Perfect-level hammer technique and hammer-type talents, he had almost touched the threshold of a Perfect-level Art of Forging.

What was lacking was only the grasp of the timing for quenching and the water temperature.

Quenching an exquisite blade has strict requirements for the temperature of the iron and the water temperature; a difference of half a degree results in a completely different effect.

"Huff~"

Amidst the scorching fire, the iron sword, now taking shape, gradually turned red; Li Yuan calmly perceived it, and at a certain moment, suddenly reversed his hand, plunging it straight into the cold spring water.

Hiss~

Thick smoke and water vapor rose together.

Zhang Ben, having put down his forging hammer at some unknown time, stood nearby, quite nervous, constantly reminding:

"Cold iron and Profound Iron are superior iron materials; weapons forged from these two materials require more than six quenchings to bring the iron to its limit.

Every quenching is extremely important..."

"Reduce the fire!"

After taking the iron sword out and extending it back into the forging furnace, the four apprentices pulling the bellows immediately breathed a sigh of relief and slowed their movements.

"Puff!"

As the iron sword gradually glowed red, Li Yuan spat a mouthful of water onto the blade; droplets of water skated across it and leaped up.

"Five more quenchings are needed, and this Autumn Water Sword will be done!"

Zhang Ben also breathed a sigh of relief.

If an exquisite piece became a superior-grade piece, the cost of the iron materials would result in a loss of over a hundred taels; no wonder he was so nervous.

"Cold spring water, Spirit Ox blood, mixed blood water... Quenching is far more difficult than hammering."

Placing the sword back on the forging table, Li Yuan resumed hammering, his heart filled with an intense longing for a thermometer.

If there were even just one, the problem of quenching water temperature could be completely solved, and there would be no need to be so nervous over a difference of half a degree or one degree.

"No step is simple; you think hammering is simple because your hammer technique is Perfect and your talent is excellent! There are no shortcuts to quenching; it can only be accumulated..."

Zhang Ben set his mind at ease, turned around, and returned to his own forging table.

Although he had already been promoted to Third Shopkeeper, the exquisite heavy hammer he had previously accepted from the Yuan family could currently only be forged by him, so naturally, he could not let go.

"An exquisite heavy hammer!"

Li Yuan glanced at it.

Zhang Ben's forging table was quite large; outside the furnace, six apprentices were constantly pulling the bellows, the flames leaping high, the temperature extremely high.

The forging of an exquisite blade requires

extremely high temperatures; the furnaces they two were burning in contained 'Fire Wood,' which, when burning completely, could release temperatures far exceeding those of a normal furnace.

However, what he noticed was naturally the large hammer in Zhang Ben's hand, gradually taking shape.

Long handle, massive hammer.

"With Master's skill, this Handle-heavy hammer, once forged, will surely be Third Tier..."

Li Yuan felt quite tempted.

A Third Tier heavy hammer forged by a Grand Perfect Forger!

"Huff!"

After glancing a few more times, Li Yuan collected his thoughts and prepared for the hammering before the second quenching.

One Third Shopkeeper and one Half Shopkeeper, who had been personally promised Shopkeeper treatment by the Head Shopkeeper, were both forging iron with all their might.

Hearing the unceasing hammer sounds, the other blacksmiths in the forging room dared not stop either; one by one, they gritted their teeth and exerted themselves, so that by the time work ended, all were drenched in sweat, their arms sore and weak.

"Huff!"

Having completed two quenchings within a single day, Li Yuan wiped a layer of sweat and prepared to end work, while Zhang Ben was still forging.

An old man nearing seventy, with his upper body bare and covered in muscles, was grunting and groaning as he hammered.

Li Yuan sealed the fire and observed from the side, comparing the gap between himself and Zhang Ben, thinking and learning.

"Tomorrow, the final quenching should be possible!"

Zhang Ben paused, panting a bit; his skill had grown ever more proficient, but the inevitable decline of his blood and qi had begun to affect his craft.

In earlier years, forging a single hammer like this would have required nowhere near such immense effort and expenditure of spirit.

"Old master, you're pushing yourself too hard."

Li Yuan felt a touch of concern.

In terms of hammer techniques, he was no longer inferior to Zhang Ben, but in the deep immersion of blacksmithing, he could not compare to this master craftsman who had hammered iron day after day for decades.

"My old man's stamina has declined sharply; perhaps this hammer will be his final masterpiece before retirement. One must always take it seriously."

Taking the water Li Yuan had fetched and wiping his upper body, Zhang Ben glanced at his own disciple:

"The Grand Shopkeeper values you highly; your treatment is even better than mine. Three taels of red gold were given without a second thought. If you can forge a few top-grade blades later, the Second Shopkeeper can be promoted to First Shopkeeper immediately..."

Though he did not quite approve of Cao Yan's methods, he feared Li Yuan might harbor resentment, so he would offer guidance from time to time.

What could Li Yuan do about his own master? He could only nod in agreement.

"Inside the Zhe Long Mansion, our shop is also under renovation. Next year, the Grand Shopkeeper will surely take you to the Zhe Long Mansion. Afterward, you'll settle down in Fucheng, take a wife,

and bring your elder brother and sister-in-law over. Wouldn't that be a prosperous life?"

Zhang Ben kept muttering: "The Divine Weapon Valley isn't that great either. Qiu Long was a disciple of the Divine Weapon Valley, yet he still met a violent death in the wilds."

"You're absolutely right, old master!"

Li Yuan readily agreed, saying "Good, good, good," and "Yes, yes, yes," with utmost sincerity.

"Enough, enough."

Zhang Ben knew perfectly well he was being brushed off and only felt weary at heart:

"Come early tomorrow. This heavy hammer's final quenching requires your careful watch..."

Shaking his head, and without waiting for Li Yuan's response, Old Zhang headed back to his room.

"Old Zhang understands everything; he's just too attached to the shop. Qiu Long met a violent death in the wilds, and Wang Ding met a violent death on the streets..."

Shaking his head inwardly, Li Yuan tidied up and locked the main door of the forge.

While the sky was still light, Li Yuan bought some cooked meat and two fish, then hurried back to Chaiyu Fang, to his second brother's home.

These past days, Sun Hao had returned every few days; Li Yuan sometimes ate out, but most often ate at his second brother's house.

It wasn't for convenience, but because he feared Li Lin would be reluctant to buy good food.

Over the past half-year, he had occasionally slipped in some silver, but Li Lin didn't understand at all, saving it all, truly determined to use it to marry him off.

"The Wang sister from the front street has found another matchmaker to come again. Are you willing or not? You should at least go meet her. When you were little, I carried you door to door begging for milk; the Wang sister gave the most..."

Just

as he entered the courtyard, Li Lin's nagging followed him in.

"... Meet one, and there's a whole crowd. Second brother, if you're willing to meet them, you go ahead."

Li Yuan lowered his head to scrape fish scales.

Over the past half-year, especially the last two months, he couldn't count how many matchmakers had come; at first it was somewhat novel, but later it became tiresome.

What decent person meets matchmakers every single day?

"You..."

"Shut up!"

Wang Juan couldn't hold back; she held her waist with one hand and the doorframe with the other, her voice still sharp:

"Other brothers hope for their siblings' good fortune, but you? You're trying to trap your younger brother, aren't you? The Wang sister from the front street has been a widow for years; her daughter looks presentable, but who knows how many different fathers she might have!

If the third brother marries her daughter, don't expect any peace afterward!"

"Speak more quietly!"

Li Lin was startled by that shout and hurried to cover his wife's mouth, only to be cowed by Wang Juan's glare.

"The third brother is far superior to you; stop meddling in his marriage matters!"

Only a sister-in-law could say that!

Li Yuan mentally cried out, "Well said!"

His second brother was good in every way, except for his chattering mouth; he could repeat one thing for three or five months straight, which Li Yuan truly couldn't endure.

"Then, alright."

Li Lin truly dared not anger his wife; he carefully helped her into the room, then came out again to help Li Yuan scrape fish scales:

"Your Grand Shopkeeper treats you very well. A few days ago, he even sent someone specifically to say he wanted to take us to live at the shop..."

Li Yuan frowned: "You didn't agree, did you?"

"Your shop is noisy with clanging all day long; your sister-in-law simply can't endure that."

Li Lin shook his head.

"Sister-in-law is seven or eight months pregnant; it's quieter outside."

Li Yuan stood up, went to the kitchen to stew the fish, and his expression immediately darkened. This Cao Yan, unwilling to part with red gold, was quick to resort to underhanded tactics.

"Bai Shen Fa."

Back in the small courtyard, after tossing a few pieces of meat to the squealing, hungry little mouse, Li Yuan picked up the several books Master Wang had given him.

These books were all borrowed from a neighboring county; many contained records about the Baishen Sect and the Bai Shen Fa.

"A thousand years ago, because the Great Ancestor practiced the Bai Shen Fa, the Baishen Sect once became the state religion, its power unprecedentedly vast, with temples and branch halls spreading across all the circuits, prefectures, and commanderies..."

"Over seven hundred years ago, the Baishen Sect split internally and collapsed overnight. Though it still had many followers, numerous branch halls gradually vanished..."

"Martial artists who practice the Bai Shen Fa often suffer distorted minds, falling into madness and demonic possession, slaughtering at will, burning, raping, and plundering, committing every kind of evil..."

The Baishen Sect, once the state religion of the Dayun, collapsed overnight seven hundred years ago. Though it was never officially branded a heretical cult, it has been quietly suppressed by the imperial court and the major sects.

By now, ordinary people no longer know that the Bai Shen Fa exists.

By lamplight, Li Yuan flipped through the pages, summarizing and analyzing in his mind:

"But the temples spread across the land still stand… so the Baishen Sect must have split into two factions internally—one within the imperial court, and one hidden in the shadows?"

"The group suppressed in the shadows is the one mentioned in that book as 'false Dao, false scripture, false god'?"

Flipping through the books, Li Yuan mulled it over.

Over these past few months, he had never practiced that so-called Bai Shen Fa, but had asked Mr. Wang to borrow him many books about the Baishen Sect.

Unfortunately, the harvest was slim.

What could be confirmed was only that the Baishen Sect still existed, and had split into two factions—one following the original doctrine, venerating oneself as god,

while the other 'invited evil gods into the body.'

Li Yuan continued flipping through the pages, and soon, he discovered records—or rather, rumors—about 'inviting gods into the body.'

"The Baishen Sect has thirteen divine arts, all named after gods. The ones relatively well known are the Divine Leg Scripture, Divine Palm Scripture, Divine Eye Scripture, Divine Viscera Scripture…"

"The foundation of these thirteen divine arts

is 'venerating gods.' Venerating gods, again, splits in two—one faction venerates oneself as god, the other invites gods into the body…"

"The former is grand and upright, hard to learn and hard to master; the latter advances by leaps and bounds, yet practitioners often have their minds twisted, going mad and falling into demonic deviation…"

……

Closing the book, Li Yuan speculated:

"What I got from Yu Zhen's body is this part—the heretical sect's Wu Gong of inviting evil gods into the body. The orthodox one is with the imperial court?"

The more he understood, the greater his interest in the Bai Shen Fa became.

This Wu Gong was the only divine art on record that had the effect of prolonging life.

Legend had it that the Dayun Grand Ancestor, Pang Pang Wenlong, lived for over four hundred years precisely because of this Wu Gong.

This point could also be corroborated by the temples spread across the land.

"Over four hundred years!"

In these times, a person reaching seventy was rare since ancient days. The lure of over four hundred years—even Li Yuan felt his heart stir.

"Too bad it's a Xie Fa. If only it were orthodox?"

Taking a deep breath, restraining his impulse, Li Yuan put away the wooden tablet and prepared to run a few sets of stake-posture exercises before sleeping. Suddenly, his brow furrowed—

he heard the sound of wind landing outside the San Yuan Wai.

"Again?!"

Li Yuan gripped the hammer handle tight.

In the courtyard, Feng Gang stood holding his sword, his mood seeming quite good:

"Very good—quenched twice in just five days. Looks like twenty days won't be needed; at most eight days, and the Autumn Water Sword will be forged!"

"Who exactly are you?"

Li Yuan's heart chilled slightly.

He could now be certain that the person outside was connected to Cao Yan. His second quenching could only be known to Zhang Ben and Cao Yan.

"Have you ever heard of the Star-Plucking Tower?"

From outside the door came a voice.

"Star-Plucking Tower?"

Not the Xieshen Sect?

Li Yuan spread his five fingers and clenched them again, ready to spring into action at any moment.

"Seems you haven't heard of it. But no matter—once you join the Star-Plucking Tower, you'll know naturally."

In the courtyard, Feng Gang smiled faintly:

"Once you forge the Autumn Water Sword, there aren't many days left either…"

As the drifting words lingered, Li Yuan pushed the door open and darted out. A shadow flipped onto the rooftop and vanished without a trace, but this time, he caught the gleam of a blade.

【Thousand-Eye Bodhisattva Wooden Tablet (Tier 1)】

"About the same as what Yu Zhen carried. Sure enough, it's those Xieshen Sect people causing trouble! Yu Zhen, Cao Yan, even the people behind that Magistrate Lu—all of them!"

Li Yuan felt a sudden clarity in his heart.

All these affairs in Gao Liu County—Qiu Long, Yu Zhen, Cao Yan—were at their core, the struggle between the Xieshen Sect and the Divine Weapon Valley!

"Not many days?"

Li Yuan thought of the Autumn Water Sword and heavy hammer about to be forged, and his brow smoothed out:

"Indeed, not many days left!"