Hearing Li Qing's candid admission, Qian Hong's beautiful eyes sparkled with a hint of excitement, and she eagerly asked,
"Master Gu mentioned that you had learned his skills quite thoroughly. It seems there was some truth to that. Back then, I truly thought you were just an ordinary blacksmith apprentice! Now I should be calling you Master Li!"
Li Qing waved his hand modestly, saying, "It's just good luck, you think too highly of me, Commander Qian."
Qian Hong was straightforward and didn't want to continue the pleasantries with Li Qing.
"I would like you to forge a sword for me. I have already prepared the materials; just name your price."
Finally, it had come!
To be honest, Li Qing wasn't particularly interested in gold and silver treasures. As long as he had enough money, it was fine; if he didn't, he could always find a way to obtain some in the Eternal Night World.
However, with Qian Hong, he wanted to gain some other benefits, such as special ores like Mo Jin, which had always piqued his interest.
"Commander Qian, you must know that forging an unparalleled divine weapon isn't something that can be done casually. I need to maintain my qi, spirit, and energy in a very good state to forge it."
"As for the gold and silver treasures you mentioned, I am not someone who values wealth above all else."
Qian Hong had anticipated Li Qing's response and was not disappointed, knowing that her offer was not enough to sway him.
Not asking for money was quite normal; a blacksmith with such skills would certainly not lack for funds!
"I see that Master Li seems to have an interest in martial arts. I have a high-grade martial arts secret manual, which is an internal martial art."
Before Qian Hong could finish her sentence, Li Qing smiled and shook his head.
"I practice martial arts merely to strengthen my body; my pursuit of martial arts realms is not that intense."
Martial arts manual?
Li Qing was straightforward; he simply didn't have enough time now. Not only was he cultivating the Golden Body Technique and Turtle Breathing Technique, but he also had to refine his Fierce Tiger True Intent and Ancient Hammer Technique. These martial arts consumed all his energy.
Even the leg training technique had to be temporarily set aside; he had no extra time to practice.
Qian Hong did not doubt him. To invite Li Qing to take action, she had clearly made ample preparations.
"I have a two-hundred-year-old Bitter Black Ginseng from my family in Fengzhou Quanshan City, which is beneficial for nourishing qi and spirit, greatly aiding martial artists!"
"In addition, over the years, I have collected a very rare ore to forge my unparalleled divine weapon. It is said to be left behind by a fallen star from the heavens, called Heavenly Fallen Iron!"
Now, Li Qing could no longer remain calm. He hadn't expected to find such unexpected gains with Qian Hong.
However, Qian Hong's next words dampened his excitement somewhat.
"Heavenly Fallen Iron and Bitter Black Ginseng, which one do you want, Master Li?" Qian Hong revealed a confident smile, believing that these two items would impress Li Qing.
In fact, Li Qing was indeed moved, and he began to ponder seriously.
Why did it have to be a choice? He had always been someone who struggled with decisions!
"May I ask, Commander Qian, how large is that piece of Heavenly Fallen Iron?"
"About the size of a human head. As long as it's not for forging large weapons like swords or sabers, it should be sufficient!" Qian Hong answered truthfully.
Clearly, while Qian Hong was eager for Li Qing to take action, she was not a fool.
Whether it was the Heavenly Fallen Iron or the two-hundred-year-old Bitter Black Ginseng, both were invaluable treasures, and it was impossible for her to give both to Li Qing.
Seeing that Li Qing was still contemplating, Qian Hong added, "Regardless of which one Master Li chooses, I owe you a favor. If you ever need my assistance in the future, as long as it is within my capabilities, I will definitely help."
Favors like this depend on how they are used; their value is not easily measured.
However, receiving a promise from her was enough for Li Qing. After careful consideration, he ultimately made a decision that did not betray his identity as a blacksmith.
"I am quite curious about the Heavenly Fallen Iron, so I will choose that."
Seeing Li Qing agree, Qian Hong finally smiled.
"Not a problem. I will deliver the forging materials along with the Heavenly Fallen Iron within three days."
"Then I will await your good news!"
As her words fell, Qian Hong, dressed in a striking red dress, left the blacksmith shop.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and a piece of news from Qingzhou shook the entire martial arts community of the Maple Kingdom.
The coveted Sun Qi was besieged by several internal strength masters. That night, amidst the clash of blades and swords, it was perilous.
In the end, the number one swordsman of Qingzhou was heavily injured and had no choice but to throw away the so-called Immortal Fate Token to save his life.
In front of everyone, Sun Qi used his internal strength to announce to the world,
"The so-called Immortal Fate Token is just a useless token! You have all been played!"
Yet even so, countless people still fought over it, even to the point of bloodshed.
Moreover, the heavily injured Sun Qi still could not completely shake off his pursuers. In desperation, he chose to jump off a cliff in Qingzhou, his life and death unknown.
As for the token that Sun Qi had thrown out in the end, it was unclear who had obtained it. In any case, the situation that night was chaotic, with experts from various factions fighting in a tangle, and no one could tell who was who.
Some said it was the Jiulian Sect that obtained it, others claimed it was the Maple Guard of the court that snatched the token, while some said it fell into the hands of an unknown martial arts master.
After reading this information, Li Qing couldn't help but sigh.
"This martial arts world is truly perilous; countless lives have been lost over a token of unknown use."
In this world, human life was likely the least valuable thing.
As he sighed, Li Qing once again heard soft footsteps coming from outside the shop.
Who else could it be but Qian Hong!
"I didn't expect Master Li to be so concerned about the affairs of the martial world."
Qian Hong walked in with a bright smile, her right hand carrying a heavy package that made a dull clattering sound as she moved.
Li Qing smiled in response, "Who made that so-called Immortal Fate Token so mysterious, making people wonder if there really are immortals in this world."
Bang!
Qian Hong placed the heavy package in front of Li Qing, opening it as she spoke, "Matters like immortality are too mysterious; it's better to focus on the present, Master Li."
As she lifted the cloth, a number of angular stones, resembling ink wash, were revealed.
In addition, there was a large piece of snow-silver stone the size of a human head, and just touching it allowed one to feel its hardness.
"Is this Mo Jin and Heavenly Fallen Iron?" Li Qing squinted his eyes, continuously feeling the hardness of the fallen iron.
Qian Hong nodded and replied, "That's right. It seems Master Gu should have mentioned it to you. The Wuli Army stationed at Wangyuan City is precisely for this kind of rare and special ore."
"Although the yield is extremely low, it is definitely more valuable than gold of the same weight!"
(End of Chapter)