Forging a Long Spear

Wang Yuan accepted the jade box, still warm to the touch. It felt slightly heavy in his hand, and he could even sense the qi and blood contained within.

He nodded to Shi Long. "Thank you, Senior Disciple Brother."

With matters settled, Shi Long had no desire to linger. He patted Wang Yuan on the shoulder.

"Let's go, Junior Brother. Master must be getting anxious waiting for us."

The two turned and prepared to leave.

Just as they were about to step out of the Training Ground.

Wang Yuan seemed to remember something. He stopped, turned around, and faced Zhao Chuan, whose face was livid and whose eyes seemed ready to spit fire.

As well as the Flowing Cloud Martial Hall disciples, whose expressions were complicated and who dared to rage but not speak. He cupped his fists and said in a sincere, humble tone:

"Today, I presumptuously came to spar and disturbed my senior brothers' cultivation."

"Your martial hall's spear techniques are exquisite and ever-changing. They opened my eyes and benefited me greatly."

"This junior shall take his leave."

He had only said it out of basic courtesy.

And he genuinely felt that this sparring match had indeed deepened his understanding of spear techniques.

Yet to Zhao Chuan and the Flowing Cloud Martial Hall disciples, who had just suffered a crushing defeat and lost a precious Crimson Blood Ginseng, those words were no different from pouring oil onto a fire.

This was naked mockery and provocation!

Benefited greatly?

You fucking knocked our martial hall's genius disciple flat in three moves, shattered our White Wax Wood spear with your bare hands, and now you wanted to leave after lightly tossing out a line about benefiting greatly?

And "exquisite spear techniques"?

Exquisite my ass! If they were so exquisite, could you have beaten us this badly?

"You...!"

Zhao Chuan trembled with rage, pointing at Wang Yuan. Unable to catch his breath, his vision went black in waves.

Even the rebuke that should have followed was forcibly lodged in his throat, and he could not utter a single word.

He felt that his old face had been pressed to the ground and rubbed raw again and again today.

The Flowing Cloud Martial Hall disciples were all filled with righteous indignation, glaring at Wang Yuan, yet none dared step forward to stop him.

Even Senior Brother Li Liang had been defeated so miserably. Wouldn't they only be humiliating themselves if they went up?

Seeing Zhao Chuan on the verge of passing out from fury, Shi Long nearly burst out laughing. He quickly grabbed Wang Yuan and tugged him away.

"Let's go, let's go! Junior Brother, stop talking nonsense!"

"Don't provoke Master Yun into coming out and beating the two of us black and blue. Then we won't even have anywhere to cry."

Wang Yuan looked somewhat baffled at Zhao Chuan, who was too angry to speak.

He did not understand what he had said wrong this time.

Still, he followed Shi Long and strode out of Flowing Cloud Martial Hall beneath countless angry, aggrieved, complicated gazes.

Only after the two figures vanished from sight.

Did Zhao Chuan let out a relieved sigh. "It's over. Flowing Cloud Martial Hall's reputation is completely gone."

Back in the inner courtyard of Panshi Fist Academy.

Shi Long could no longer hold it in. His bell-like laughter rang through the courtyard.

He slapped Wang Yuan hard on the back, jolting Wang Yuan's qi and blood until they churned.

"Hahaha! Junior Brother, well done!"

"You didn't look closely at Zhao Chuan's face. It was like he'd opened a dye shop—first green, then purple, then black."

"Refreshing! Truly refreshing!"

Shi Long grinned from ear to ear.

Clearly, he was immensely pleased to have made Flowing Cloud Martial Hall suffer.

He stopped laughing, pointed at the jade box in Wang Yuan's arms, and said seriously:

"This Crimson Blood Ginseng is good stuff. For martial artists at the First Blood Change, it's a great tonic."

"It can greatly strengthen your qi and blood, speed up your accumulation, and save you a great deal of hard work when you advance to the Second Blood Change."

"For someone at the Third Blood Change like me, its effects are negligible. So this spoils of war rightly belongs to you."

Feeling the warmth from the jade box, Wang Yuan nodded.

"Thank you, Senior Disciple Brother."

Shi Long waved a hand. His gaze fell upon the White Wax Wood spear Wang Yuan had casually set aside, and he raised a brow.

"Junior Brother, this is what you're using now?"

Wang Yuan followed his gaze and nodded.

"Yes. It's the training spear Master gave me."

Hearing that, Shi Long burst into another round of laughter, his voice shaking the roof tiles.

"Hahaha! This thing counts as a spear?"

"It's just a fire poker. Junior Brother, you're already a martial artist who can stand on his own."

"And you're a True Disciple of our Panshi Fist Academy. How can you not have a true killing weapon that belongs to you?"

His smile faded, and a note of gravity entered his voice.

"You know Gaoye City hasn't been peaceful lately. The Black Wind Bandits are rampant outside the city, and undercurrents are stirring within it as well."

"Your talent may be good, but while open spears are easy to dodge, hidden arrows are hard to guard against. It's always better to have a weapon that suits your hand for protection."

Wang Yuan's heart stirred.

Indeed, a Refined Iron spear was far superior to this wooden spear in both power and durability.

Seeing Wang Yuan was interested, Shi Long swept a broad hand through the air and said generously:

"Junior Brother, you may not know this, but my family runs a blacksmith shop."

"Shi Family Blacksmith Shop has some reputation in Gaoye City's Outer City."

"A batch of top-quality Refined Iron arrived recently. The quality is excellent."

"Leave your spear to your senior brother."

"I guarantee I'll forge you a good spear that fits your hand!"

Only then did Wang Yuan understand.

No wonder Senior Disciple Brother was so massive and powerfully built, far surpassing ordinary martial artists.

So his family did this for a living. He must have tempered his bones and muscles and built up his strength from childhood.

He hurriedly waved his hands.

"Senior Disciple Brother, this is too much trouble for you, and Refined Iron is quite valuable. I..."

"Hey!"

Shi Long cut him off directly. Waving a palm as broad as a cattail fan, he said without a care:

"Why be so polite with your senior brother?"

"It's only a bit of Refined Iron. It's nothing."

"Just tell me, what kind do you want?"

"The length, the weight—do you have any special requirements?"

"In a few days, I'll forge it and bring it back for you!"

Seeing Shi Long's enthusiasm and generosity, Wang Yuan no longer stood on ceremony.

He knew full well how important a suitable weapon was to a martial artist.

And given the current situation, he truly needed one.

After pondering for a moment, recalling how the White Wax Wood spear had felt in his hands and the characteristics of his Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone, he said:

"In that case, sorry for the trouble, Senior Disciple Brother."

"This junior does not ask for much. Make the shaft black, suited to my height, and as for the weight... make it fifty percent heavier than an ordinary standard spear."

"The spearhead should be sharp and tough."

"Mm... preferably in the form of a Three-Edged Armor-Piercing Cone."

He was taller than others his age, and his strength far exceeded those of the same realm. Ordinary spears were indeed too light for him.

Black was inconspicuous and suited for moving at night.

A Three-Edged Armor-Piercing Cone spearhead had strong penetrating power, and the wounds it inflicted were difficult to heal, making it even more lethal.

Shi Long listened carefully. A gleam flashed through his bull-like eyes, and he grinned.

"Good! Black is steady, and fifty percent extra weight suits your build perfectly."

"A Three-Edged Armor-Piercing Cone? Hehe, Junior Brother, you're quite the ruthless one."

"No problem, leave it to me! Just wait and see!"

It was as though he could already see that fierce spear about to be born.

As well as the heroic sight of his junior brother sweeping across the land with spear in hand. His heart brimmed with excitement at forging a divine weapon.

For a blacksmith, being able to forge a personal weapon for a martial artist of limitless potential was itself a kind of honor and pleasure.

Watching the eager Shi Long, Wang Yuan also felt a trace of anticipation rise within him.

With a true Refined Iron spear, combined with his increasingly proficient Mountain Breaking Spear Technique and the tremendous strength of his Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone, what kind of power could he unleash?

As for payment, a custom spear mixed with Refined Iron would cost at least a thousand taels of silver.

He could not afford it, and Senior Disciple Brother Shi Long did not care about such a small sum.

But Wang Yuan firmly remembered this favor in his heart.

His nature had always been to repay kindness and avenge enmity.

Speaking of enmity, the Black Tiger Gang had been quiet for a long time.

Wang Yuan still remembered every bit of the pressure they had forced upon him in Bluestone Alley.

Now all he had to do was wait. Once the spear arrived, it would be the Black Tiger Gang's day of death.