Weapon Workshops

The Mo Clan's guard recruitment process was extremely casual. They only tested your Dou Qi and Dou Techniques.

After registering, Mo Tang entered Mo Family Fortress for the first time, then lined up in the square with dozens of Mo Clan disciples to have their levels tested.

"Dou Qi: Seventh Stage!"

"Mo Xiao, Dou Qi: Seventh Stage! Grade: High!"

"Very good... Lower-Class Guard!"

Mo Tang nearly laughed out loud.

He had the distinct feeling that the person in charge of testing was deliberately messing with people, because he had seen the young man named Mo Xiao walk into the Third-Class Guard formation with a livid face.

"Next! Mo Tang..."

"Dou Qi: Ninth Stage!"

"Mo Tang, Dou Qi: Ninth Stage! Grade: High!"

"Very good... Lower-Class Guard!"

Well, Mo Tang, who had just been laughing at someone else, received the same treatment himself.

Still, he merely smiled indifferently and joined the Third-Class Guard formation as well.

This time, the Mo Clan recruited only sixty-eight guards in total. Of them, only fifteen were Dou Zhes or above, and not a single one was a Five-Star Dou Practitioner or higher.

It was not that this batch lacked talent, but that those who came to make a living this time were all young people in their twenties.

As members of the Mo Clan's collateral branches, reaching the Dou Zhe level by the age of twenty already counted as exceptional talent. Thus, the family steward in charge of testing was in a very good mood and told everyone, "Very good."

Less than two days after becoming a lower-class Mo Clan guard, Mo Tang was assigned directly to a small city under Salt City called Iron Refining City.

Backed against Crimson Rock Mountain, this small city had a highly developed forging industry and housed the largest weapon workshops under the Mo Clan's control.

Mo Tang had been assigned here to serve as a stationed guard at one of the Four Weapon Workshops of the Mo Clan within the city.

Mo Tang was actually somewhat dissatisfied at being sent to a place like this.

After all, despite all the grand talk about it being the largest weapon workshop and whatnot, it was actually one of the least profitable industries under the Mo Clan...

Although the Dou Qi Continent was a world of endless strife, and weapons were indispensable to every cultivator,

they still paled in comparison to Spirit Herbs, medicinal pills, Magic Cores, cultivation techniques, and the like!

Although the weapon workshops forged and sold large quantities of weapons every day, their customers were mostly ordinary mercenaries. How much would such people really be willing to pay for ordinary weapons?

As for the special weapons used by strong individuals, those were specially commissioned and would never fall into the hands of people like them. Thus, although the weapon workshops appeared to be doing booming business, their profits were the lowest!

Low profits meant less extra money for the people below, so many guards were unwilling to come to such a godforsaken place.

Mo Tang thought it over carefully for quite some time before realizing that he simply did not understand the ways of the world...

He had failed to give a gift to the Deputy Commander of the guards responsible for assigning tasks... No wonder he had been thrown into a place like this.

Served him right!

After silently cursing himself, Mo Tang could only return home, pack his things, and head for Iron Refining City.

Three days later.

Crimson Rock Mountain Range, Iron Refining City.

Mo Tang arrived with his guard token and identity documents.

He now needed to report to the commander of the Mo Clan Guards in Iron Refining City.

Although both were called commanders, the guard commander of a subordinate small city like this was utterly incomparable to the guard commander at the Mo Family Headquarters. Their strength alone was worlds apart.

The guard commander of Iron Refining City was named Zhang Feng. He was considered an in-law of the Mo Clan and possessed the strength of a Nine-star Fighter.

At first, Mo Tang wondered why this man had not chosen to join the family's first-class guards, instead coming to a place like this to command a group of third-class guards like them...

But after meeting him, all his doubts were answered.

Though Zhang Feng was only in his thirties, his face was filled with exhaustion, and he looked as though he had not woken up yet. He did not resemble a cultivator at all...

One look told Mo Tang that the man had indulged himself excessively. If he had been in Mo Family Fortress, his limbs would likely have long since been broken before he was thrown out.

The Mo Clan was now focused wholeheartedly on striving for progress. They did not want a single rotten rat dropping to ruin an entire pot of porridge.

Here in Iron Refining City, far from the center of power, no one cared what sort of person he was!

"Sir, I am Mo Tang, here to report for duty. This is my family token..." Mo Tang said without changing his expression as he looked at the middle-aged man seated above him.

Zhang Feng struggled to open his eyes, but did not even glance at Mo Tang's token or identity documents. He simply waved a hand. "Fine, I understand. East Twelve Districts happens to be short on manpower right now. Go there yourself..."

Seeing the man's manner, Mo Tang naturally had no desire to be polite. He cupped his fists and left directly.

There was no need to build any sort of friendship with someone like that.

Mo Tang felt even more burdened...

He would have been better off giving more money to those above back then and staying in Salt City... He could have been assigned to any market district and lived richly.

Now he had ended up in such a godforsaken place and encountered a superior as useless as mud. Was he really going to waste his best years here?

How could that be acceptable!

Thus, when Mo Tang arrived at East Twelve Districts in a heavy mood, he had not expected to receive a double welcome from both the market steward and the Guard Squad captain.

The steward of East Twelve Districts was named Chen Lin, a lean middle-aged man.

As for the Guard Squad captain, he was a thirty-year-old young man named Mo Chong, with the strength of a Two-star Fighter.

Besides that, the sixteen members of the entire East Twelve Districts Guard Squad were generally only at the Seventh or Eighth Stage of Dou Qi. Mo Tang, at the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi, had instead become the second strongest individual in the market...

Mo Tang did not know whether to laugh or cry at this... Was this place really so neglected?

No wonder Steward Chen Lin and Mo Chong were both so polite to him. At nineteen, with Ninth Stage Dou Qi, he could possibly become a Dou Shi or even a Da Dou Shi in the future. In their eyes, his prospects were limitless!

Thus, no matter their motives, they would place sufficient importance on a "little genius" like Mo Tang.

Perhaps afraid that Mo Tang would be dissatisfied with the environment here, Mo Chong, the Guard Squad captain, said during his introduction, "Actually, little brother Mo Tang, you were quite lucky to come to our East Twelve Districts."

"Our East Twelve Districts is very peaceful. There is usually nothing much to do. Unless the higher-ups occasionally have a task that requires us to move out, we just stay in the market.

"The people who come here are all low-level mercenaries. They do not have the guts to cause trouble in a Mo Clan market. As for the miscellaneous matters below, the others can handle them. There is no need for you to do anything."

"I can see that you've reached a critical point, little brother. You should spend more time cultivating diligently and strive to condense a Dou Qi Vortex and become a Dou Zhe.

"So you can just cultivate at home normally. You do not need to report to me every day. As for the monthly pay that is yours, not a single coin will be missing. Rest assured, rest assured!"