"It seemed like it really worked."
Song Chengan looked at the iron blank in his hand.
"It was even purer than the iron blank Hong Ying had forged during the day."
"But it didn't seem to hold much significance."
Song Chengan stared at the iron blank and pondered.
At first, he had thought this could allow low-level cultivators to forge higher-quality magic artifacts.
But at that moment, he suddenly realized something.
This was a world filled with cultivators. To cultivators—
Alchemy, talismans, and artifact refining were all merely offshoots of cultivation.
What they truly pursued was greater cultivation, was immortality.
Not forging more powerful magic artifacts.
They only needed to cultivate. Once their cultivation rose, they could naturally refine powerful magic artifacts with a wave of their hands.
There was no need to study how to make a Dao Seed Realm disciple forge a magic treasure.
I wonder whether the Demon Subduing Staff in my hand has a chance to evolve into a low-grade magic artifact.
Magic artifacts were divided into magic treasures, spirit artifacts, and spirit treasures, with each grade further divided into low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and supreme-grade.
As for the Demon Subduing Staff in Song Chengan's hand, it did not even reach the level of a low-grade magic treasure.
At most, it was an ordinary weapon inscribed with an array.
"Let me see the iron blank in your hand."
Hong Ying spoke.
Only then did Song Chengan realize that dawn had come.
He had been so immersed in hammering the iron blank that he had forgotten the time.
Hongying had appeared at his side at some point.
Song Chengan handed the iron blank in his hand to Hong Ying.
Hong Ying took it and examined it, and her eyes lit up.
"The quality is even better than the one I forged."
"You aren't a blacksmith, and this is also your first time encountering artifact refining."
"How did you do it?"
Song Chengan did not hide anything.
"It was Mysterious Sand."
"Mysterious Sand can extract the impurities from Blood Jade Stone, improving the quality of the Blood Jade Stone."
"How did you discover that?" Hong Ying widened her eyes.
"It was an accident. I accidentally dropped a piece of Mysterious Sand into it."
"This seems very useful."
"You've rendered a great service."
Song Chengan said, "Is it really useful?"
"An iron blank like this can only be used to make somewhat stronger ordinary weapons. Those magic treasures and the like use immortal gold and divine iron as materials. Those divine materials are already extremely pure, so there's no need for this method."
Hong Ying shook her head. "You're right, but that isn't absolute."
"The top-tier magic artifacts naturally have no use for it, but aside from those top-tier magic artifacts, the Fire Refining Sect also helps the Chen Kingdom's army forge weapons and armor."
"This method will greatly improve the quality of the weapons and armor they forge."
"Why do you think new disciples have had to practice forging these iron blanks all these years? Manufacturing and selling weapons and armor is one of the Fire Refining Sect's most important industries."
"You're a genius." She marveled.
"It was just good luck. It's good enough if I can help the sect..." Song Chengan said.
He had merely tried it casually with the Void Heaven Mirror...
Hong Ying was somewhat excited.
She was happy for Song Chengan.
"You've rendered a great service."
"The sect actually has several subordinate sects that have been forging weapons and armor for the Chen Kingdom's army for years. But Divine Weapon Valley has risen in recent years, and the sect has already lost most of its orders from the Chen Kingdom."
"A large portion of the sect's income relies on those orders."
"With your method, the sect may be able to reclaim those lost orders."
"You no longer need to be a Menial Disciple!"
"With this contribution, you can directly become an outer sect disciple. You may even have a chance to become an inner sect disciple."
"I'll take you to see Elder Hong!"
Song Chengan was startled the moment he heard that.
"Senior Sister Hong, could we go this afternoon instead?"
"I'm really too sleepy." He hurriedly said.
"That's true. You stayed up all night. Go rest first. I'll come find you this afternoon, and we'll go see Elder Hong together."
Just as Song Chengan was about to leave, he saw an old man being escorted down the mountain by several Fire Refining Sect elders. He looked over instinctively.
"He is the head of the Wei River Zhu Family."
"The sect's Vermillion Fruit has ripened, and he came to request one."
"His grandson suffered severe injuries."
"But the sect's five Vermillion Fruits had already been allocated before they even ripened. There are simply no extra Vermillion Fruits for him."
Seeing Song Chengan's curiosity, Hong Ying explained casually.
"Senior Sister, you know quite a lot about sect affairs?"
Hong Ying nodded. "I heard it from a friend. He has come several times."
"Uncle Qiaoan, why are you only coming back now?"
After returning to the Menial Disciple courtyard—
Yuan Fusheng looked at Song Chengan and asked curiously.
"I got you some porridge from the dining hall. Drink it first."
Song Chengan said.
"It was Senior Sister Hong. She had me watch the furnace for her last night."
"Oh, oh."
Yuan Fusheng struggled to sit up and drank the porridge.
He still felt a little groggy.
So after finishing the porridge, he fell asleep.
"Elder, what happened?"
Qiao Wei asked cautiously.
The moment he entered, he saw Hong Lang and Hong Ying wearing grave expressions.
He did not know what had happened, but he keenly sensed that trouble seemed to be brewing.
Because the last time Elder Hong had been this stern was when Qiao Wei embezzled half of his subordinates' monthly allowances and the matter reached the Discipline Elder.
"You said Qiao An is one of your nephews?"
Qiao Wei's heart skipped a beat when he heard that.
Could Qiao An have caused some great disaster?
"Perhaps...?"
Elder Hong nearly died of anger upon hearing that.
"What do you mean, perhaps?"
"If he is, then he is. If he isn't, then he isn't. Is he or isn't he?"
"I'm not sure either."
Qiao Wei wore a miserable expression.
"When he chatted with me, he said he was my distant nephew."
"And you believed him?"
Elder Hong said irritably.
Qiao Wei said, "I didn't believe him either. Didn't I write back to the village to ask?"
"There really was a nephew who had left the village, and his name really was Qiao An."
"Did you verify the letter?"
"How was I supposed to verify it?"
Elder Hong nearly died of anger again upon hearing that.
"What did he give you?"
"One Wonderful Grass Pill."
After dawdling for a long while, Qiao Wei finally pulled out that Wonderful Grass Pill.
"You..."
Elder Hong stammered for a long time, but in the end, he could not say anything.
"Forget it, forget it. Get out of here."
In the end, he could only say helplessly.
Qiao Wei immediately slipped away upon hearing that, but after taking several steps, he could not help turning back.
"Elder, my pill..."
"Take it and get lost."
Elder Hong picked up the iron blank on the table.
"This method truly works."
"But the problem now is, what exactly is this Qiao An's identity?"
"This letter... no matter how I look at it, it seems like he fled in secret..."
There was also a letter on the table.
There was only one sentence written on it.
Elder Hong, thank you for your care. I think Mount Luofeng is too hot, and I cannot bear it.
And that was all.
There was no signature.
But Hong Lang knew who had written it.
"The Menial Disciple living in the same courtyard as Song Chengan, Yuan Fusheng, was drugged."
"It was a drug that makes people sleepy. Then he thought he was ill and lay in bed for several days."
"But there was nothing seriously wrong with him," Hong Ying said.
Hong Lang looked utterly puzzled. "Qiao An's actions are too strange."
"If he really was some sort of spy, then what secrets could a Menial Disciple who had only been here for a few days possibly steal?"
"The artifact-refining secrets of our Fire Refining Sect are inaccessible even to inner sect disciples, unless they are personally accepted disciples of those core elders, much less a Menial Disciple."
"Too strange."
"And when this man left, he even gave us such a great gift."
"The sect has been at its wits' end because of Divine Weapon Valley in recent years. But now, as long as we deliver this iron blank to the Prince, all the problems will be solved as easily as slicing through bamboo."
Hong Ying did not understand either.
Because after spending the past few days with him, she truly felt that Qiao An did not seem like a bad person.
Of course, he did not seem like a down-and-out scholar either.
Wait!
Hong Ying suddenly thought of something.
That was right.
Other than when they first met, when Qiao An wore shabby cloth clothes and looked haggard—
When had he ever looked down-and-out afterward?
"Grandpa Hong sent out so many people, and they still couldn't catch him?"
Hong Lang shook his head. "Qiao An clearly knew we would be looking for him."
"He hired eight carriages, which left Yanghua Town at different times and in different directions."
"I caught up with every carriage, but there was no sign of him."
"If my guess is correct, he has already left Yanghua Town by now."
"Who exactly is he? He seems like an undercover agent, but nothing he did resembles an undercover agent's actions in the slightest."
"He gained no benefit at all, so why did he leave in such a rush?"
"Perhaps he already obtained what he wanted." Hong Ying hesitated before guessing, "It's just that we don't know what that thing is."
"What could he have obtained?"
Hong Lang said, "The few meals he ate in the dining hall, or that introductory artifact refining book you casually threw to him?"
Hong Ying did not know either.
She asked, "Then Grandpa Hong, should we continue investigating him?"
Hong Lang shook his head.
"My recent movements have already aroused others' suspicions."
"If we continue making such a fuss over investigating Qiao An's identity, it will inevitably draw the curiosity of others."
"He has left... Let us just assume he truly left because Mount Luofeng was too hot. A trickle becomes a river; there will naturally be a chance to meet again in the future."
"With this man's knowledge, he will definitely not remain a nobody in the Chen Kingdom."
"What about this Mysterious Sand forging method?"
Hong Ying pointed at the iron blank on the table.
Elder Hong pondered for a moment, then said, "Just say you discovered it."
"This method is very important to the sect. We cannot be careless."
"But..."
Elder Hong said, "Are you worried that Qiao An will return someday?"
"There is no need to worry."
"If he returns and explains his identity clearly, I will naturally give him a satisfactory reward."
He looked at Hong Ying, his gaze full of affection.
"What sort of person do you take your Grandpa Hong for? Some shameless old man who seizes the credit of his juniors?"
"This merit is important to you as well. With it, the sect will devote more resources to nurturing you."
"Among the younger generation of the Hong family, you have the brightest future."
"After I am gone, only you will be able to protect them."
"Grandpa Hong, you..."
Hong Lang smiled and waved his hand.
"I mean in the future. Your Grandpa Hong can still live for quite a few more years!"
Hong Ying said nothing more.
She also knew that this method was extremely important to the Fire Refining Sect. By both sentiment and reason, she had to reveal the Mysterious Sand forging method.
But she could not say that Qiao An had invented it.
Because if she did, the Fire Refining Sect would certainly spare no effort in investigating Qiao An's identity.
She felt that would not be right.
Since Qiao An had acted this way, he presumably did not wish to expose his identity.
She could only wait until she had a chance to meet Qiao An again and explain it to him.
"Oh, right, Grandpa Hong."
Hong Ying hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
"Among those people in the villages who are related to the Hong family, you cannot agree to every request just because someone comes knocking."
"You are a Great Cultivator of the Golden Core realm!"
"One of the seven great elders of the Fire Refining Sect!"
"But what do those people at home take you for? Even relatives separated by eight poles dare come to beg you for help!"
"Do they not understand the weight of a Great Cultivator of the Golden Core realm?!"
Hong Ying was utterly helpless.
It was because this Grandpa Hong of hers had simply too good a reputation back home.
No matter how distant the relative, as long as they could no longer get by, they dared come to Yanghua Town to seek out Hong Lang.
And Hong Lang never turned anyone away.
Even if he did not agree at first, as long as they came pleading a few more times, crying and wiping away tears, Hong Lang's heart would soften and he would agree.
Hong Lang said, "How could I not understand that?"
"It is just that when I left back then, this household gave me a cake, that household gave me an egg, and little by little, they scraped together a pile of things for me."
"I can no longer remember who helped me back then, so I simply treat it as though everyone helped me."
"Besides, doesn't Yanghua Town need people too?"
"I thought that employing outsiders was not as good as employing our own people."
"I just never expected Qiao Wei to go so far as to disguise an outsider as one of our own and send him in."
"I need to have a proper word with him later."
"Just have a word with him?" Hong Ying was speechless.
"No, that is not right. I will punish him and confine him for several months."
"Grandpa Hong had no choice either. They are all fellow townsfolk, after all. When they come begging to my door, I cannot simply ignore every one of them."
Hong Ying drew a deep breath. "Grandpa Hong, even the deepest bond has lasted over a hundred years by now."
"Every year you return home, you hand out silver to everyone. Even in the years you did not go back, you still gave them plenty of silver."
"Some idle men in the village do no work at all, yet live more comfortably than those who rise early and labor until dark. They survive entirely by clinging to Grandpa Hong."
"Whatever debt of friendship there was should have been repaid long ago."
"You little girl, and now you are lecturing your Grandpa Hong?"
Hong Ying said coquettishly, "I am not lecturing Grandpa Hong."
"I am only worried that too many clansmen will ruin Grandpa Hong's reputation."
"I am not saying Grandpa Hong should not help the people at home."
"Do not the sect elders often recommend the younger members of their lineages and their relatives to enter the Fire Refining Sect?"
"I only hope that when elders help these relatives in the future, they first verify their identities, and then ensure they meet the sect's requirements, rather than showing favoritism."
"I know, I know. You have made your Grandpa Hong so ashamed he has nowhere to show his face."
He chuckled, his words full of indulgence.
Hong Ying had lost both her parents in childhood and had been raised by him and his wife.
By seniority, she was of the grandchildren's generation, but in truth she was no different from a daughter.
"I will certainly be more careful in the future."
"This time, I was deceived by that bastard Qiao Wei. I never expected him to be so bold."
"It is indeed time to knock some sense into him."
Wushan Mountain.
Everything proceeded according to Song Chengan's plan: let Yuan Fusheng sleep for a few days, take his place in tending the furnace, then use the Earth Fire within it to refine the Southern Bright Illusory Fire True Qi.
The only unexpected matter was that iron blank.
Fortunately, it had been a false alarm. Hong Ying had not expected Song Chengan to flee, and by the time she went looking for him that afternoon, Song Chengan had already left.
Song Chengan had directly disguised himself and left Yanghua Town.
At first, he had planned to return straight to Spirit Mound.
But when he passed through Wushan Mountain, he suddenly heard that an immortal's cave abode was about to emerge in the mountains.
The moment Song Chengan heard that, how could he possibly miss it? He came straight here.
He wanted to see whether he could pick up a few magical treasures.
"Immortal, I want my fortune told."
"I want to know whether my mother's illness can be cured."
Song Chengan raised his head.
It was a child carrying a medicine basket on his back.
When he saw Song Chengan looking over, he immediately lowered his head.
His voice was somewhat timid.
"I do not have any money. Can I pay with medicinal herbs?"
He set down the medicine basket and rummaged through the pile of herbs inside until he found a stalk of grass.
"This is Mountain Dragon Grass. The medicine shopkeeper said it can calm the mind and help one sleep."
A smile appeared on Song Chengan's face. "All right."
Yesterday, he had absorbed the Dao Fruit of the Divination Art. Since the immortal's cave abode had yet to emerge, he had decided to tell fortunes here to pass the time.
He had not expected that in such a short while, his first customer would arrive.
Before you continue