Under the clumsy performances of the Qingshan Hall Master and Zhang Lai from the Feiyun Martial Hall, the monthly fees paid by the merchants on Chiming Street increased by one or two silver coins.
Everyone dared to feel anger but could not voice it. No matter how much they complained, they knew that against the Feiyun Martial Hall and the Qingshan Martial Hall, they, as merchants, could not change anything.
Some merchants who could not afford the increased fees, or those unwilling to continue being exploited, chose to leave—either departing from the street or leaving Shengtian altogether.
Time slowly passed, and winter was nearing its end, with temperatures reaching their coldest point.
During this period, Li Qing persevered in his martial arts training, refining his physique daily. His external strength became increasingly solid through continuous effort.
The business at the blacksmith shop gradually improved. Initially, only neighbors came to him for ordinary ironware like kitchen knives, but as the year-end approached, someone finally sought him out to forge a long knife.
The visitor was a disciple from the Qingshan Martial Hall named Zhong Hui, whose earthy-yellow face often bore a smile.
“Master Li, I’ve heard you usually forge kitchen knives and iron pots. Can you forge the long knife I need?” Zhong Hui asked cheerfully.
In response to this question, Li Qing did not answer with words. Instead, he walked to the back wall of the blacksmith shop and lifted a curtain that had been obscuring a section of the wall.
Swish!
On the thick wall hung a row of weapons radiating a chilling cold light.
Swords, spears, sabers, halberds!
From their quality alone, it was evident that these weapons were all exquisite, each one carefully forged by Li Qing.
Zhong Hui from the Qingshan Martial Hall was momentarily stunned by the weapons on the wall, his mouth agape in astonishment.
Li Qing brushed the dust off the curtain and smiled, “So, are you reassured now?”
Hearing this, Zhong Hui nodded repeatedly, his head bobbing like a chick pecking at grains.
“Reassured, reassured, very reassured!”
Since Li Qing’s Ancient Hammer Technique had been steadily improving, his blacksmithing skills had also become better. For an ordinary piece of iron, each strike of his Wushuang Hammer was equivalent to the efforts of an ordinary blacksmith striking it over ten times.
With the enhancement of a cultivator's external strength, every weapon he forged was extraordinary. If he were to use even more refined materials, they could rival some renowned divine weapons in the Jianghu!
“Speak, what weight and length do you want for the long knife?”
Zhong Hui hurriedly replied, “I want a saber-style long knife, weighing about fifty jin. If it’s heavier, I won’t be able to wield it. It should be sharp, and the length should be about this long.”
With the gestures of his hands and feet, Li Qing understood Zhong Hui’s requirements for the long knife and had a rough idea in his mind.
“Eighteen taels of silver. Pay half as a deposit first, and then the other half when it’s finished,” Li Qing said without looking up.
This price was actually quite reasonable. Given Li Qing’s current skills, meticulously forging a weapon that had undergone a thousand temperings would typically sell for dozens or even hundreds of taels of silver outside.
However, Li Qing was not merely in it for the money; he primarily valued the longevity he could gain from forging weapons, which was why he set the price relatively low.
Yet, Zhong Hui seemed to be quite strapped for cash, even frowning at the eighteen taels.
“Haha, Master Li, can you lower it a bit? We’re all neighbors,” Zhong Hui said awkwardly, scratching his head.
Li Qing replied in a neutral tone, “It’s precisely because we’re neighbors that I’m charging you eighteen taels. Otherwise, if someone else asks me to forge a weapon, I wouldn’t even consider it for less than several dozen taels.”
Sitting nearby and watching the snow scene, Qi Kang couldn’t help but scoff, “If you don’t have money, why are you asking for a weapon? If you have money, go learn martial arts at the school; if you don’t have money, why buy a knife?”
Since the incident at the Qingshan Martial Hall, Qi Kang’s impression of those rushing to the Martial Hall to pay for training had plummeted to the lowest level. He found any disciple from the Qingshan Martial Hall displeasing to the eye. This even made him become taciturn, losing hope in the world and feeling gloomy every day.
“Shut up!” Li Qing frowned and reprimanded.
Upon hearing this, Qi Kang turned his head away, silent.
Zhong Hui was not particularly bothered by Qi Kang’s mockery. He forced a smile and said, “It’s fine, Master Li, don’t blame your disciple.”
“To be honest, I currently only have twelve taels of silver. I can leave one tael for myself and use the remaining eleven as a deposit. Within seven days after the knife is finished, I’ll pay you the remaining ten taels!”
His tone carried a sense of urgency and pleading, as if he were in a hurry.
This piqued Li Qing’s curiosity, and he casually asked, “Isn’t Shengtian quite stable lately? Why are you in such a rush for a knife?”
Zhong Hui’s expression became conflicted. After thinking for a moment, he finally spoke, “Sigh, it’s fine to tell you, but Master Li, you must not leak this information!”
He glanced around and lowered his voice, “Outside the city, at Xiao Cuiling, a tomb from a previous dynasty has been discovered, suspected to belong to a renowned internal strength master. The Yu Wangfu has hired us martial artists to explore this tomb!”
“Moreover, the treasures within the tomb will not cost the Yu Wangfu a single coin; they only want the martial arts legacy left by that master!”
At this point, Qi Kang, sitting in front of the blacksmith shop, perked up his ears.
“However, it seems the Jiulian Sect has also set their sights on that master’s tomb, and the news seems to have leaked out. There may be others from the Jianghu who will come to meddle, which is why I came to you to forge a weapon for self-defense.”
“Master Li, rest assured, once this matter is over and I obtain some wealth from the tomb, along with the reward from the Yu Wangfu, I will definitely pay you for the weapon!”
After hearing this, Li Qing nodded and said, “I see. Brother Zhong, since you’ve gone this far, it would be a bit unkind of me to refuse.”
“Hahaha, no, no, Master Li, you’re too polite.”
Thus, the two parties reached an agreement. Zhong Hui left behind the eleven taels of silver and clasped his fists in farewell.
Li Qing watched Zhong Hui’s departing figure for a long time before he said solemnly, “Qi Kang, fetch the iron!”
After a while, Qi Kang finally reacted, patted his backside, and brought over the iron ingots.
“Master, about that tomb at Xiao Cuiling…” Qi Kang tentatively asked, observing Li Qing’s expression.
However, Li Qing’s response once again disappointed him.
“The things the Yu Wangfu has their eyes on, along with the Jiulian Sect lurking nearby, do you think that tomb is something I can covet?” Li Qing said indifferently.
Upon hearing this, Qi Kang finally lowered his head in dejection.
He knew that once his master made a decision, no one could change it.
During this time, no matter how much he pleaded, Li Qing had been unwilling to teach him martial arts, which left him feeling hopeless.
However, he also understood that Li Qing treated him very well, never skimping on food and shelter, and was genuinely teaching him how to forge.
Everything was fine, except that he was a bit too Zen-like, almost like a monk!
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(End of Chapter)