Settling Old Scores

The sharp gust of wind startled Fatty Zhou, making him turn pale. Before he could react, he felt a chill on his neck.

"Skin-Peeler Zhou, long time no see."

As the voice spoke, a figure appeared. It was Lu Ming. He had infiltrated the place beforehand, timing it perfectly, and unexpectedly stumbled upon a good show.

"Hh... hh..."

His throat slit, Fatty Zhou's vision darkened, but he still clearly saw the person who had appeared. "It's you? How is that possible..."

He clearly recognized Lu Ming, clutching his neck with a look of shock.

He then collapsed powerlessly, just like the beggar in the courtyard.

"The blade is a bit short. Otherwise, at such a close distance, with my speed, the opponent wouldn't have been able to detect me beforehand."

Having succeeded with one strike, Lu Ming didn't rush over. Instead, he wiped the blood off his blade while reviewing his actions.

What he had just used was the Gale Style.

However, instead of stabbing a person, he had stabbed the air in front of the opponent's neck, letting the blade's edge sweep across, thus achieving a fatal throat strike.

Seeing that the opponent was completely dead, Lu Ming finally stepped forward and took the secret manual and one hundred taels of silver notes from him. He had been lurking inside and saw everything clearly, so he wouldn't let it go.

He then rummaged through the room for a while longer and found over ten more taels of loose silver.

He knew this was the limit, as the opponent had used all his savings to buy this courtyard.

Without lingering, Lu Ming planned to leave. As he passed by the courtyard, he saw the beggar lying on the ground with a sunken throat and shook his head.

This beggar and that Li San were the two acquaintances he had met when he first entered the city. They used to rob the original owner of his belongings.

This time, he had intended to deal with them both, but now that they were both dead, he didn't need to lift a finger.

"Grudges settled."

Lu Ming sighed and left directly.

The events he had just witnessed made him feel the cruelty of this world more intuitively. The strong preyed on the weak, and human lives were as insignificant as grass, disappearing with the slightest carelessness.

And he, being in the midst of it all, could only strive to become stronger.

Now, he was going to get a suitable blade so he could unleash his full strength.

In a relatively large blacksmith shop in the city, even though it was already dark, the place was still bustling with activity.

Blacksmiths, fire tenders, and customers buying weapons were all crammed inside, making it a bit crowded.

"Iron Shopkeeper, I've already paid the deposit. You need to forge the sword for me according to my requirements as soon as possible."

After a handsome young master, dressed in rich attire, left with a retinue of followers, the blacksmith shop became more spacious.

"Farewell, Young Master Yang. Our humble shop will certainly forge the long sword quickly and deliver it to your mansion."

An old man with a mustache respectfully saw the guest out of the shop and then returned.

At this moment, a strong and sturdy young attendant hurried over. "Shopkeeper, was that the young master of the Yang family? He has such a grand entourage even when going out."

"As the young master of one of the three great families of Shuofeng City, how could his entourage not be grand?"

The shopkeeper stroked his beard.

The attendant looked envious and chattered on. "I heard that an Inner Sect Elder from the Seven-Rank Nine Heavens Sect passed by here and is staying at the Yang family's residence."

"And it seems he took a liking to Young Master Yang and wants to take him as a disciple."

"An Inner Sect Elder from a Seven-Rank sect, that's a powerhouse in the Gangqi Realm! And they are at least in the middle stage of the Gangqi Realm, stronger than our City Lord."

"Your boy has quite up-to-date information."

"Then we can't delay. Hurry up and fire up a bigger furnace. The ore block Young Master Yang gave is not simple and is difficult to smelt. It will take more time."

"You must finish forging the treasured sword and deliver it before Young Master Yang leaves."

"Understood."

The attendant quickly left.

Lu Ming had arrived a while ago and was listening to their conversation with great interest.

Through Old Man Zhao's collection of books, his knowledge had greatly increased, and he knew what the Seven-Rank Nine Heavens Sect represented.

In this world, major powers were divided into nine ranks based on their strength.

Rank one was the highest, and rank nine was the lowest.

There was a huge difference in strength between whether a force was ranked or not. Even the lowest-ranked Nine-Rank forces were far more powerful than unranked ones.

For instance, within Shuofeng City, there were no ranked forces.

And the Zhao Kingdom's royal family could only be considered a Nine-Rank force.

From this, one could see what a colossal entity the Nine Heavens Sect, a Seven-Rank force, must be.

And for Young Master Yang to be able to become a disciple of an Inner Sect Elder from such a sect, it showed what great fortune he had.

"This young man, are you looking to buy a weapon?"

Perhaps because Lu Ming had been standing for too long, the shopkeeper noticed him and walked over to inquire.

"Yes, I want to buy a saber. The blade should be about half a finger wide, and for the length..." He gestured to his own height, "Up to my waist is fine."

"So, about thirty inches long."

The shopkeeper's gaze was sharp; he immediately gauged the distance and asked, "What price range are you looking for?"

Lu Ming countered, "What price ranges do you have?"

"Oh, we have quite a variety. Good materials can cost a few thousand, even tens of thousands of taels. Inferior materials are just dozens or hundreds. Plus, unique designs require custom orders. The thin blade you want, we happen to have a ready-made one. What price range were you thinking of?"

As the shopkeeper introduced the options, he appraised Lu Ming's attire. Despite seeing him in coarse linen clothes, he didn't show any contempt.

Businessmen believe in harmony for prosperity. Today, the customer might not have the money for an expensive item, but perhaps tomorrow or the day after, he'll strike it rich?

So, it's always good to leave a positive impression.

Lu Ming didn't think that far ahead. After considering his wallet, he said, "Then, something in the dozens range."

"Follow me."

The shopkeeper wasn't too surprised by his choice. He led Lu Ming to the counter, then took out a long-handled, thin saber with a black scabbard and handed it to him.

"See if this one suits you."

Lu Ming took it and first tested its weight, finding it just right. Then, he drew the long saber from its scabbard.

The blade gleamed like snow, and a row of neat, serrated patterns adorned it.

"This is forged from Bin Iron and other materials. Rest assured, even our cheapest sabers undergo a hundred refinements, making the blade exceptionally tough," the shopkeeper proudly explained.

Lu Ming nodded, listening intently while examining the blade. He noticed that this saber strongly resembled the Miao Dao he had seen in his previous life.

The hilt was equally long, perfect for gripping with both hands.

"Can I try it?" Lu Ming asked.

"Follow me."

The shopkeeper didn't refuse and led Lu Ming to a wooden post about the thickness of a bowl, allowing him to test the saber.

Lu Ming didn't hesitate. Gripping the saber with both hands, he raised it and swung with all his might. In an instant, the wooden post was cut in two, the cut as smooth as a mirror.

"Not bad, not bad at all. I didn't expect someone your age to wield a saber so cleanly. Your fundamentals are clearly very solid."

The shopkeeper was also a martial artist, and not a low-level one at that. His judgment was sharp. He could tell that Lu Ming hadn't used any inner energy for that strike.

It was purely based on physical strength.

Looking at his slender frame, the physical strength he possessed shouldn't have been enough to cut through the wooden post specifically used for testing sabers in his shop.

Yet, he had cut it. This meant Lu Ming could utilize techniques to maximize his physical strength.

Without diligent practice, he wouldn't have reached this level. That's why he was so impressed.

"It's just the sharpness of the blade," Lu Ming said modestly. Then he asked, "This saber is excellent. How much is it?"