Preparing to Go to Oirat

"Hundred Refinements Heavenly Craftsman?"

The appraisers and craftsmen at the Xuan Yao Pavilion's northern branch looked at each other, their brows furrowed so tightly they could have pinched a fly. The name sounded powerful, but in the entire blacksmithing guild of the northern territories, or even the whole Great Ming's forging circle, who had ever heard of such a person?

To forge a sword comparable to Zhao Hai, the "Blazing Fire Divine Hammer," one would have to be an old monster who had been immersed in forging for decades. How could an unknown figure suddenly appear out of nowhere?

"Master Craftsman!" The branch manager hurried forward, bowing so deeply his back was almost parallel to his knees. His voice was practically overflowing with reverence. "Are you planning to auction this Master Craftsman-grade sword at our pavilion?" His peripheral vision flickered towards Lin Zhao. That faint, almost imperceptible pressure of Internal Breath he'd felt earlier still lingered in his mind—that was the undeniable aura of a Peak Martial Master! To have cultivated both the Martial Path and forging to such a level, surely he had a powerful force backing him? Who would believe otherwise!

One had to realize how expensive it was to cultivate a Master Craftsman. A hundred jin of fine iron yielded only one jin of usable material. The charcoal had to be burned from Northern Desert hardwoods, and the quenching water had to be from a deep, living pool. Just these costs alone could bankrupt an ordinary business. Since "Blazing Fire Divine Hammer" passed away twenty years ago, Great Ming had not seen a legitimate Master Craftsman. Now, with this "Heavenly Craftsman" appearing, not only Xuan Yao Pavilion, but even the Celestial Masters' Manor and the Duke's Manor would scramble to curry favor.

"Precisely." Lin Zhao nodded, gently tapping the sword's hilt with his fingertip. "Furthermore, I wish to establish a long-term partnership with your pavilion. From next month onwards, I will bring a batch of Master Craftsman-grade weapons and armor, personally forged by me, for auction each month." He had already calculated it: he would only release three to five items each time. Firstly, forging consumed a lot of mental and physical energy, and producing too much could reveal flaws. Secondly, scarcity drove value. Too many would devalue the items, and a steady, gradual approach would allow the "Heavenly Craftsman" name to truly gain renown.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!" The manager's eyes lit up like lanterns. He patted his chest and guaranteed, "It is our Xuan Yao Pavilion's fortune to cooperate with a master! I will immediately send word to my superiors. From now on, when you come to the Northern Garrison City branch, your entry fee will be waived, and our auction commission will be reduced by thirty percent—no, by fifty percent!"

Shifting his tone, he carefully rubbed his hands together, his voice lowering even further. "It's just that, according to the pavilion's rules, we need to conduct a small assessment for the master before we can cooperate. It's not that we don't trust you; we just want to witness your forging process firsthand and confirm that the sword was indeed made by your own hands. There is absolutely no offense intended, please bear with us!"

How could Lin Zhao be afraid of this? His forging skills were hammered out one strike at a time. True gold fears no fire. Following the manager into the blacksmith shop privately set up by Xuan Yao Pavilion, he deliberately slowed his pace. When starting the fire, the charcoal was piled like a small mountain, and the furnace fire roared up half a person's height, making the shop scorching hot. When hammering, the force of the hammer blows was precise, and the "ding-ding-dang-dang" sounds struck at people's hearts, each blow making the anvil tremble slightly. During quenching, he dipped the sword blank into the cold water, and with a "zi la" sound, white mist instantly filled the air, carrying the smell of iron.

After a full two hours, another long sword, identical to the first, was finally forged. Lin Zhao named the two swords: one was called "Lake Light," its blade shimmering with a cold, watery sheen; the other was called "Autumn Hue," its spine bearing frost-white patterns.

As soon as "Autumn Hue" came out of the furnace, the appraisers and old craftsmen present crowded around. As their fingers brushed over the blade, even their breathing softened. The sword's spine was as straight as the ice prisms of the northern territories, the forging patterns were so fine they could reflect a person's image, and the quenching was done with perfect timing. They were even stronger than the most top-tier official craftsmen in the blacksmith guild by a margin of three points!

"Sign! Sign the contract now!" The old craftsman grabbed the brush and ink, his hands trembling, fearing that this precious item would slip away. Lin Zhao looked at the terms of the contract and breathed a sigh of relief. From now on, his forged weapons would have a stable sales channel. Once the "Heavenly Craftsman" name became well-known, small border trading forces like the Wild Jackal Gang would become useless. At that time, he could not only settle old scores with the Wild Jackal Gang but also bring Zhang Laochui back from there. Zhang Laochui had endured for so long; it was time for him to come back and enjoy some peace.

As night fell, the Xuan Yao Pavilion's monthly auction began on time. The main hall was packed with people: the silk robes of the nobility, the sturdy outfits of Martial Masters, and the coarse cloth shirts of craftsmen mingled together, creating a clamor. Lin Zhao hid backstage, uninterested in the other items. He flipped through the entire list but found neither the Mystic Ice Technique nor rare items like Netherworld Grass or Evil Dust.

After the warm-up, two shop assistants carried brocade boxes onto the stage. The red silk made the precious swords look even more dazzling. The Xuan Yao Pavilion's exclusive emcee, dressed in a light green dress, was graceful, her voice as clear as a wind chime. "Esteemed guests! What we will be auctioning next are the twin swords, 'Lake Light' and 'Autumn Hue,' personally forged by our pavilion's exclusive Master Craftsman—Master 'Hundred Refinements Heavenly Craftsman'!"

"These twin swords are made from the finest Northern Desert iron. The master poured his heart and soul into them, refining them for twenty-one days through a thousand hammer blows! In terms of forging quality, they are indistinguishable from the works of the legendary Master Craftsman 'Blazing Fire Divine Hammer' from twenty years ago!"

"Boom!" The audience erupted instantly.

"Master Craftsman? Is there still someone who can reach the Master Craftsman realm?"

"Who is 'Hundred Refinements Heavenly Craftsman'? I've been in the blacksmith guild for thirty years and have never heard of such a person!" A burly man with a full beard slammed the table, knocking over a teacup and spilling tea all over the floor. He was an official craftsman from the Northern Garrison City Blacksmith Guild, and he couldn't stand anyone impersonating a high-level forger. "Is Xuan Yao Pavilion trying to inflate prices by making up a fraud?"

The emcee was not annoyed. She smiled and gestured towards the back hall, "Someone, bring out the 'Blazing Fire Divine Hammer's' old sword, treasured by our pavilion!" Soon, a long sword wrapped in old cowhide was carried onto the stage. Although the four seal characters "Blazing Fire Divine Hammer" on the scabbard were somewhat faded, they were still vigorous.

"If this master has doubts, why don't you and a few knowledgeable guests come on stage to appraise it? The authenticity will be clear with a single glance." The emcee cupped her hands towards the bearded craftsman.

The bearded craftsman, with his neck stiff, went onto the stage. Together with two guards from noble households, they examined the three swords back and forth. After a while, his face turned from pale to red. The luster of the blades of "Lake Light" and "Autumn Hue," and the forging patterns on the guards, were indeed not much different from the old sword of "Blazing Fire Divine Hammer"!

But he was still unconvinced and shouted, "Just looking at the appearance doesn't count! Weapons are meant to be used in battle! We need Martial Masters to fight with these swords to determine their quality!"

"Alright!" The emcee smiled even more sweetly. "Since you are also a craftsman, why don't you bring out a sword you forged, and let two Martial Masters of comparable skill spar with 'Lake Light' and your sword, how about it?"

The audience immediately started cheering, "Fight! Fight!" the shouts shaking the hall. The bearded craftsman was in a difficult position and could only grudgingly have his most prized sword brought out, gritting his teeth, "Fine! I don't believe ordinary fine iron can be forged into anything special!"

Soon, two low-level Martial Masters stepped onto the stage. One held "Lake Light," its blade emitting a cold light; the other held the bearded craftsman's sword, its body also exuding a certain sharpness. As the emcee announced "Begin," the two swords instantly clashed—"Clang!" The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the hall, sparks flying half a person's height, even splashing onto the hem of the front-row guests' clothes, scaring them into shrinking back.

The sword wind caused the curtains on the stage to flutter. The two exchanged blows, and in a flash, they had fought over ten rounds. Suddenly, a crisp "crack" sound was heard—everyone looked closely, and the edge of the bearded craftsman's sword had already rolled, and a fine crack had appeared on its body; while "Lake Light" remained as cold and sharp as ever, without even a trace of a dent!

"This... this is impossible!" The bearded craftsman's eyes widened, and he rushed onto the stage like a madman, grabbing "Lake Light" and examining it repeatedly, his fingernails almost scratching the blade. "This sword must have been mixed with Northern Desert Cold Iron! Otherwise, how could ordinary fine iron be so strong? You cheated!"

"Master, don't rush." The emcee was prepared. She had someone bring out a black stone. "This is an iron-testing stone—it turns blue when it encounters Cold Iron, and remains unchanged when it encounters ordinary fine iron. Look." With that, she placed the iron-testing stone on "Lake Light." The stone remained black, showing no reaction at all.

Lin Zhao, listening from backstage, let out a cold laugh. He tapped the anvil beside him with his finger. "If there were any Cold Iron, I would have melted it down to forge the Frost Condensation Sword: Verse Four long ago. Why would I sell it? Truly shortsighted."

Faced with irrefutable evidence, no one could say anything more. The bearded craftsman's face turned as red as a pig's liver. Holding his broken sword, he almost fell off the stage and finally, amidst laughter, slunk away—some people were laughing so hard they slapped the table, and even the nobles shook their heads. "This craftsman, he lost but refused to admit it."

The truth was simple: the same fine iron, a Master Craftsman could extract its potential to the extreme, while an ordinary craftsman could not—this was the difference in their realm.

Ultimately, "Lake Light" was sold for two thousand taels of silver, and "Autumn Hue" for two thousand five hundred taels, a total of four thousand five hundred taels! Keep in mind, a fine iron sword sold at an ordinary blacksmith shop could be bought for five taels!

This premium was largely due to the "Master Craftsman" status. For the nobility and Martial Masters, owning a sword personally forged by a living craftsman was not only practical but also a symbol of status. Back then, even a rusty old sword from "Blazing Fire Divine Hammer" could be sold for over a hundred taels, let alone these two brand-new ones.

Lin Zhao held the silver notes of his share, and the steward approached again, a smile plastered on his face. "Master Heavenly Craftsman! Many distinguished guests just asked me if they could commission you to make weapons—the Martial Masters from the Celestial Masters' Manor want armor-piercing sabers, and the captain of the guard from the Duke of Dingguo's Manor wants Mystic Iron Armor. What do you think..."

"I don't have time for private commissions," Lin Zhao refused directly, still tapping his money pouch.

"What if... they are willing to pay more?" The steward rubbed his hands, his voice lowering even further. "The people from the Duke of Dingguo's Manor said they are willing to pay fifteen hundred taels for a custom armor!"

Lin Zhao paused, a smile curling at the corner of his lips—fifteen hundred taels was enough to buy tens of thousands of fine iron. "If they pay more, it's not impossible to discuss." He thought for a moment and added, "But the number shouldn't be too large, at most two items per month. You can arrange the specifics as you see fit. Anyway, I will hand over the weapons I forge to your pavilion for disposal."

With that, he pocketed the silver notes and left Xuan Yao Pavilion. He found a secluded inn to stay in. At night, he took out the Oirat Tribal Records and Northern Desert Vocabulary he had bought during the day. After flipping through a few pages, he frowned—he tried to correlate the content of the books with his "Proficiency Panel," but the panel showed no reaction at all, not even a "Beginner" prompt.

He tried one book after another, but the result was the same. Lin Zhao closed the books and sighed—it seemed that relying on books to quickly learn the Oirat language was not feasible. Even so, he still had to go to the Oirat Northern Desert. Only there would he have a chance to buy enough Pangolin Dragon Essence to help him break through to the Heavenly Gang Realm.

"I need to find a Northern Desert expert familiar with the terrain to be my guide," Lin Zhao gazed at the moonlight outside the window, his eyes becoming resolute. The Northern Desert was harsh and cold, with Oirat cavalry roaming around. Without a reliable guide, he might get into trouble before he even found the Pangolin Dragon Essence.