Around the martial arts stage, the crowd fell into silence, with only the sound of raindrops pattering down filling the air.
With a single slash, even the weapons of others were severed, a display of might that left everyone in shock.
After a long while, someone finally reacted from the crowd, shouting repeatedly:
"Quick, carry him down and take him for treatment!"
On the martial arts stage, the scarlet blood was soon washed away by the heavy rain, as if nothing had ever happened.
However, the image of that blade light piercing through the rain curtain remained vividly in everyone's minds, causing their hearts to race.
Inside the rain pavilion, Qian Hong maintained her standing posture, squinting her eyes as she fixed her gaze on Zhao Yuan, who was shouldering the Jingji Blade once more.
"That blade is not simple."
As a master of internal strength who had fought alongside the Wuli Army for many years, her experience was naturally vast, and she immediately recognized the extraordinary nature of the blade in Zhao Yuan's hand.
At that moment, Guo Zhentong, who was fond of alcohol, also nodded slightly. He spoke, "It is indeed not simple. Both are external strength cultivators, with not much difference in their abilities, but to sever a weapon with a single slash is definitely not just a matter of personal strength."
The elegant man in white had flickering eyes as he murmured softly, "Divine weapons, a blade that has never appeared before, even its name is unknown."
"Perhaps it's a newly forged divine weapon? Just recently crafted, so it lacks fame." The more Qian Hong spoke, the more the brilliance in her beautiful eyes intensified.
However, Guo Zhentong beside her casually picked his nose, sneering as he said, "There are probably no more than a handful of people in this world capable of forging such weapons. The old ones are old, the dead are dead, the ones who have traveled far have traveled far, and there’s even one who defected to the Liang Kingdom."
"The whereabouts of those old fellows are like dragons that are seen but not heard. Even if they can still be found, they are mostly no longer active."
At this point, Qian Hong could no longer maintain her calm demeanor. She was eager to know who had forged that blade.
Could it be that there was another blacksmith in the world capable of forging divine weapons?
Thinking of this, her breathing gradually became rapid. She was now desperate to find a craftsman with such skills.
The pile of ink gold she had obtained from the borderlands still had not been forged into the weapon she desired, remaining in the warehouse like a pile of stubborn stones.
The reason was as Guo Zhentong had said; several renowned craftsmen had vanished, the old ones were old, the dead ones were dead, and the ones who had traveled far had indeed traveled far. The most infuriating was that one had defected to the enemy kingdom.
Even though the Qian family had extensive connections, they had truly found the trace of a renowned craftsman, but that person was indeed too old to lift a hammer.
Thus, this matter had always been a knot in Qian Hong's heart. Having revered martial arts since childhood and possessing talents beyond the reach of ordinary people, she naturally wanted to have a divine weapon of her own.
People age, no matter how powerful, they ultimately cannot withstand the passage of time. After a hundred years, dust returns to dust, and all fame will vanish into thin air.
But weapons do not age. She longed for her sword to continue circulating in the martial world even after she had grown old and passed away.
For instance, in the current martial world, no one knows the names of the unparalleled masters from several hundred years ago, but divine weapons are different.
Take the now well-known Demon Blade Honglian and the Xuanwu Spear, for example; even now, the names of the original wielders of these divine weapons are still sung in the martial world.
"I must find him and ask clearly!"
At this point, Qian Hong had lost interest in continuing to watch this farcical competition. The most important thing now was to clarify the origin of Zhao Yuan's blade.
With her departure, the elegant man in white and Guo Zhentong could no longer sit still.
If they could seize this opportunity to befriend a contemporary master craftsman, the value would be immeasurable.
In a moment, the usually reticent Zhao Yuan was summoned for a discussion by several leaders.
At Fengwei Gate, in a secluded room with excellent soundproofing.
Zhao Yuan stood silently before the three leaders, waiting in silence.
The three leaders also held their ground, not speaking first. The four of them stared at each other in the room, and the atmosphere became strange.
Finally, Qian Hong could no longer hold back. She cleared her throat and asked, "What is the name of your blade?"
"Jingji," Zhao Yuan replied succinctly.
"Good name!" The man in white's eyes lit up, clearly sensing the meaning contained in this name.
Qian Hong and Guo Zhentong also silently repeated the name Jingji in their hearts before urgently asking, "Which master forged this blade?"
"In the city, Master Li!" Zhao Yuan answered honestly.
As soon as the name Master Li was mentioned, the breathing of the three internal strength leaders became rapid.
Among the known renowned craftsmen, none had the surname Li, and he was still in the city?
How come they didn’t know that a blacksmith capable of forging divine weapons had emerged in the city?
"Where is that Master Li? We wish to meet him. Can you lead the way?"
"Generally, masters like this have their own taboos. Zhao Yuan, you should describe in detail how you met Master Li."
"That's right, you must not offend any taboos. If it's a great master hiding in plain sight, he definitely wouldn't like to be disturbed."
The three leaders expressed their views, and at this moment, Zhao Yuan finally realized that the Jingji Blade forged for him by Master Li seemed to be even better than he had imagined.
After pondering for a moment, he still honestly recounted the entire incident.
It began at Xiao Cuiling, where he and his brother Zhong Hui went up the mountain together. Then Zhong Hui unfortunately died, and he was asked to return the blade to the blacksmith Li in the city.
When he mentioned that it had only cost him fifty taels to forge the blade, the expressions of the three leaders turned blank.
After a long while, the room fell into a deep silence.
"Fifty taels, this is really..." Qian Hong momentarily didn't know what to say, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She had expended countless efforts to find a capable craftsman, even offering unimaginable prices.
Yet this Zhao Yuan before her had only spent fifty taels... It must be said, people really can be infuriating!
The elegant man in white shook his head and said, "But it cannot be said like that. The quality of integrity displayed by Zhao Yuan and his brother Zhong Hui likely moved that mysterious Master Li, which is why he was willing to help forge a renowned blade."
"Indeed, from Zhao Yuan's words, it seems that Master Li is not someone who loves wealth." Guo Zhentong nodded in agreement.
"Let's go, take me to meet that Master Li," Qian Hong said with a serious expression.
"Do not be so reckless. This trip should be as discreet as possible. That Master Li is likely someone who enjoys peace and quiet; it’s best to keep this matter confidential!" Guo Zhentong quickly advised.
"That's right, masters like this often have eccentric temperaments. If we offend his taboos, it would not be good."
Including Qian Hong, none of the leaders asked how old Master Li was or what he looked like.
Because in their impression, such masters were bound to be grumpy old men with various taboos.
However, Zhao Yuan was also a man of few words; if he could avoid speaking, he would. Since the leaders did not ask, he naturally would not say much.
At this moment, he listened to the speculations of the leaders, recalling the previous encounters with Li Qing.
Hmm... It seemed that Master Li wasn't that full of taboos; he didn't have any eccentric temperament, right? He was quite a nice person!
Thinking this, the other three leaders also finalized their plans.
"Alright, let’s first watch the competition normally, then discreetly visit Master Li afterward. At that time, let Zhao Yuan introduce us."
"That sounds excellent!"
Seeking support! Another chapter will be out around evening!
(End of Chapter)