"Ha? Female Commander? Waiting with eager anticipation?"
Upon hearing this, Li Qing was momentarily stunned, doubting whether he had misheard.
"Big Boss Fang, why would the Female Commander of Feng Weimen be waiting for me with such eagerness?" Li Qing looked at the other person with a face full of skepticism.
"You must clarify this! Speaking carelessly comes with responsibilities!"
He didn't even need to think back; in his short life of less than twenty years, he had absolutely never provoked any woman, not even visiting a brothel once.
As for a woman capable of becoming the commander of Feng Weimen, that was even more unimaginable, and he could hardly recall anyone fitting that description.
Big Boss Fang chuckled and said, "Feng Weimen, Commander Qian Hong, has been waiting for you with great difficulty during this time."
Bang!
A single stone stirred up a thousand waves; this was the true reflection of Li Qing's inner thoughts upon hearing the name Qian Hong.
Fortunately, he had already grown accustomed to keeping his emotions in check. Though shocked, his expression remained quite natural.
Qian Hong?!
Wasn't she a Thousand-Man Commander of the Wuli Army? How did she become the commander of Feng Weimen?
Ah, right. At the beginning of Feng Weimen's establishment, they had drawn some personnel from the Wuli Army, and Qian Hong must have been among them.
But why was she waiting for him? Could it be that his past as a blacksmith apprentice in the Wuli Army had been exposed?
Impossible, that made no sense at all; he had never mentioned this to anyone.
Moreover, even if it were exposed, so what? Back then, when the border bandits were rampant, countless people went missing. How could a mere apprentice blacksmith attract the attention of a master skilled in internal energy?
Thinking of this, Li Qing's heart gradually calmed down. He looked at Big Boss Fang and asked, "Why is Commander Qian Hong waiting for me? Is there something important?"
"Hahaha, Master Li, I really can't tell if you're pretending to be foolish or just putting on an act; it's quite boring!"
Big Boss Fang laughed heartily and continued, "Of course, she wants you to forge a divine weapon! That Commander Qian has even prepared the materials, but unfortunately, after searching all over the Maple Kingdom, not a single blacksmith capable of forging an unparalleled divine weapon could be found."
"Just so, on the very day you left the Imperial Capital, Feng Weimen held a martial arts competition. The Silent Blade you forged for a warrior named Zhao Yuan made quite a name for itself!"
"Thus, that Commander Qian Hong learned of your existence and is eager to have you forge her an unparalleled divine sword."
After hearing Big Boss Fang's rough recounting of the events, Li Qing understood the whole story.
It turned out it wasn't because of his identity in the Wuli Army; it was actually Zhao Yuan who had leaked his background.
However, this was unavoidable. After all, he couldn't expect everyone to be as low-key as himself, wielding divine weapons yet still working as a blacksmith on the street.
"So it is. I understand!" Li Qing sighed in relief and then continued, "Big Boss Fang, actually, I came to you this time with a favor to ask."
Upon hearing that he could earn another favor, Big Boss Fang's mouth involuntarily curved into a smile. He cheerfully said, "Master Li, what favor? We're all neighbors here; just speak up!"
"Well, I have a senior brother whose family is planning to settle in Shengtian. I would like you to help find a suitable residence and shop for them, if you could keep an eye out."
Before he could finish, Big Boss Fang patted his chest and promised to take care of it.
"Just a small matter; leave it to me."
It must be said that when it comes to buying houses and establishing businesses, the efficiency of the local snakes is surprisingly high.
In less than a day's time, the land deed and other paperwork were presented before Li Qing.
Thus, with a total expenditure of over two thousand taels of silver, the ownership of a residence and a shop was transferred to Li Qing.
When Li Qing took out this sum of gold equivalent to silver, even Big Boss Fang couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Thinking about it, it was only natural for someone capable of forging divine weapons to have such financial resources. No wonder he had asked him to keep an eye on the blacksmith shop; it turned out he was hiding such wealth.
Of course, these thoughts were fleeting. Big Boss Fang was quite clear in his mind; he had made up his mind to befriend this Master Li.
After purchasing the residence, Gu Yu walked in with a look of disbelief.
He gazed at the building constructed of blue tiles and stone bricks, feeling as if he were in a dream.
Traveling from Qingzhou to Shengtian, everything he had only dreamed of was now coming true.
Immediately, Gu Yu intended to kneel before Li Qing to express his immense gratitude.
Fortunately, Li Qing was quick and caught his nominal senior brother.
"Senior Brother Gu, how can you do this? You truly flatter me; quickly get up!" Li Qing supported Gu Yu, firmly refusing to let him kneel.
"Junior Brother Li, I'll shamelessly call you that. You have rescued my family from the perilous land of Qingzhou, which is already a great favor. You even bought such a precious residence and shop. I know my own capabilities; I can never repay this kindness in my lifetime."
Li Qing shook his head firmly and said, "Master Gu has great kindness towards me, but unfortunately, he passed away too early, and I couldn't repay this kindness while he was alive. These matters are merely a token of my appreciation. As for kneeling, that is absolutely out of the question. Senior Brother Gu, please rise quickly."
Thus, Gu Yu and his family moved into the residence located in the center of Chiming Street, and their spirits were immensely high.
From now on, they could be considered to have firmly established themselves in Shengtian.
Before leaving, Li Qing also made sure to leave them a sum of silver sufficient for a long time, thus fulfilling what Master Gu had entrusted to him before his passing, which he believed he had done perfectly.
Returning to his blacksmith shop, Li Qing finally lay back in his bamboo chair, placing his hands behind his head, feeling incredibly comfortable.
The young tiger lying beside him was sound asleep, and occasionally a gentle breeze would blow into the shop. This kind of life was simply wonderful.
"The remaining silver isn't much, only about seven or eight hundred taels, plus a few gold bars. For now, there's no need to worry about money."
Li Qing lay in the chair, murmuring to himself as he contemplated his future days.
"Now that the news of my ability to forge divine weapons has spread, it’s likely that people will come seeking my help to forge weapons. I need to think this through."
Divine weapons must still be forged, but he couldn't forge them indiscriminately; he needed to control the frequency and quantity.
He had already thought of an excuse to declare to the outside world: forging divine weapons requires the right timing, location, and harmony; one must be in a good state to forge them.
After all, rarity adds value. If certain major powers learned that he could forge an unparalleled divine weapon in just a few days, it would certainly lead to trouble.
"I also need to add some more restrictions, such as requiring people to provide some precious special materials."
Sigh!
Ultimately, it still came down to being too weak. If he could break through and reach the level of an internal energy master, he wouldn't have to worry about these matters.
In this era where no masters emerged, internal energy masters were already a top-tier existence among mortals.
It won't be long; as soon as the medicinal wine can be opened, his martial arts realm will soar.
Just now, he had checked, and the two jars of medicinal wine were still intact, showing no signs of being tampered with. Even the few strands of hair caught in the door crevice remained, indicating that no one had entered.
Big Boss Fang's character was indeed trustworthy.
(End of Chapter)