Centurion

Clang!

As Li Qing brought his hammer down for the final time, the Black Iron Sickle on the anvil took its initial shape, the blade glowing with a crimson hue that signaled intense heat.

He carefully submerged the finished sickle into water; in an instant, the surface began to boil, bubbling and hissing.

Once the quenching was complete, the notification regarding his increased lifespan soon appeared.

[Successfully forged farm tool: Black Iron Sickle, rewarded with one day of lifespan!]

Yes, only one day.

Perhaps because he was forging a mere farm tool, the lifespan reward was pitifully small—a meager single day.

Fortunately, the volume was high; this time, Li Qing had forged twenty-three sickles in one go, successfully reaping twenty-three days of lifespan.

What would have taken three days of work in the past had been completed in just one, and the quality of every single blade was quite impressive.

"Even though these are just farm tools for harvesting Black Rye Mushroom, they're sharper than many actual weapons. To only reward one day? That's too stingy!"

Li Qing muttered to himself before carefully putting away the sickles as they cooled.

Night was approaching, and he didn't intend to keep the blades in his tent for long; he would transport them to the Eternal Night World to fulfill his quota once the dead of night arrived.

After tidying everything up, Li Qing let out a soft breath, then closed his eyes to feel the surging blood and energy within his body.

Thanks to years of blacksmithing, his physical foundation was already solid, and with the extra portions Fatty Wu often gave him at the kitchen, his muscles were now quite sturdy.

Now that he had just begun to grasp the basics of Stance Training, the flow of blood and energy throughout his body was much smoother than before.

If he had performed such high-intensity forging in the past, he would have been too exhausted to even lift his arms, yet now he remained full of vigor, his physical stamina having increased significantly.

Putting down his hammer, Li Qing took his two food bowls and headed toward the kitchen as usual.

The cook on duty tonight was a different man, pot-bellied and with a face so greasy it shone, looking quite wealthy.

Li Qing, who had originally intended to probe Fatty Wu for news about the army, immediately abandoned the thought.

His current persona was that of a law-abiding blacksmith apprentice; showing too much interest in matters outside of smithing would likely draw unwanted attention.

After filling his two bowls as per usual, Li Qing left the kitchen without a word.

But soon, the sound of footsteps approached from not far away, accompanied by hushed conversation.

"Damn bandits, they actually ambushed and slaughtered the Grain Transport Team. It seems a battle is unavoidable now."

"Centurion Yuan of the Mingzi Camp has already begun calling for troops. Our Wu Li Army certainly won't swallow this insult."

"Sigh, keep your voice down. Our Centurion said not to spread this around, fearing it would affect morale."

Li Qing, who had always possessed keen hearing, caught every word of this.

However, his expression remained unchanged, and he walked toward his tent with his usual composure.

After delivering the meal to his master, Li Qing noticed that Master Gu's aura had begun to wane, his breathing becoming as thin as a gossamer thread.

Every time the old man coughed, Li Qing feared he wouldn't hold on; it was a sign that life was reaching its end.

"I can't eat anymore. You've started practicing Martial Arts, so you should eat more. From now on, my portion is yours, cough, cough, cough!" Master Gu said weakly from his bed.

Li Qing's expression shifted slightly at these words, and he said, "Master, how can I do that!"

Yet Master Gu didn't even glance at him, simply continuing to mutter to himself, "It's a waste if you don't eat it. The Wu Li Army will soon go to war with the bandits, and I expect Daliang will get involved too. This border fortress is hard to defend."

"Master." Li Qing didn't know what to say, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.

Seeing Master Gu in this state as he neared death, he resolved to live much longer himself. He had previously thought living to a hundred was enough, but now he realized that ambition was far too small.

For those who practice Martial Arts, reaching the twilight of life was truly a sorrowful thing.

He did not want to experience such a fate; he wanted to live longer, and to remain forever young and strong!

Just as Li Qing was feeling sorrow for Master Gu, the latter's eyes snapped open, and he said in a deep voice, "Who is there!"

Someone was there?!

Li Qing, who hadn't sensed a thing, felt his heart skip a beat.

Soon, a magnetic female voice rang out from outside the tent.

"As expected of Master Gu, even while bedridden and ill, you remain so well-informed about the affairs of the army."

The tent flap was lifted, and a tall figure clad in light armor stepped inside.

She was very tall; Li Qing estimated she must have been nearly six feet, the tallest woman he had ever seen.

She wore her hair tied back, her features full of heroic spirit, her thighs firm, and every movement she made exuded a dashing, valiant grace.

"Cough, cough, cough, this old man greets Madam Qian!" Upon seeing who had arrived, Master Gu struggled to rise to offer his respects.

Madam Qian? And a woman?

That could only be the female Centurion of the army! She was a true heroine, said to be as fierce and brave as any man when galloping across the battlefield.

Li Qing had expected a woman with thick, muscular arms and a waist like a barrel, but to his surprise, she was quite striking, her narrow, long eyes radiating a unique charm.

Li Qing immediately prepared to offer his own respects, but Qian Hong interrupted, "Enough, there are no outsiders here, no need for such formalities."

As she spoke, Qian Hong walked to the side of Master Gu's bed, her clear eyes sweeping over both Master Gu and Li Qing.

"I do not know."

Before Master Gu could finish his question, Qian Hong said with a solemn expression, "I have come this time to ask for your help, Master Gu, to re-forge the Green Rainbow Sword."

Upon hearing these words, Master Gu was stunned for a moment, then he said with a trembling voice, "In the mines, was that special ore unearthed again?"

Qian Hong nodded with a grave face and said, "Yes, but the quantity is small, only enough to refine one weapon. I nearly had a falling out with the other two thousand-man commanders to get my hands on it."

Master Gu heard this and let out a bitter laugh, saying, "Madam Qian, look at my current state; do I look like I can even lift a hammer?"

"There are other blacksmiths in the army; I think it would be better if—"

"Hmph! Those blacksmiths only have brute strength. How could their forging techniques possibly compare to yours? I cannot rest easy letting them forge such special ore," Qian Hong said with a cold snort.

Li Qing, who was trying his best to minimize his presence nearby, felt his whole body jolt, his blood and qi even vibrating slightly.

This female thousand-man commander could affect his blood and qi with just a single cold snort, which left Li Qing somewhat startled.

She was definitely a powerful martial artist; otherwise, she could not have reached the position of a thousand-man commander as a woman, and it seemed she even vaguely held the upper hand over the other two commanders.

Standing beside her, Li Qing felt like a small rabbit next to a lion, trembling with fear.

"Cough, cough, cough... then let this disciple of mine try. He has already learned seven or eight parts of my craft; perhaps he might succeed," Master Gu said while coughing.

Li Qing's heart jumped into his throat, and he quickly waved his hands, saying, "No, Master! With my meager skills, how could I possibly forge it!"

His first instinct was to refuse. This involved the personal sword of a thousand-man commander, something the other party valued highly, and it required the use of some unknown, special ore.

Regardless of whether he had the ability to refine it, he had no intention of taking this job.

Although he might gain a significant amount of longevity if he succeeded, he did not want to enter the line of sight of these powerful commanders; it was better to keep a low profile.

Fortunately, Qian Hong had no intention of letting Li Qing do the refining. She raised an eyebrow and looked Li Qing up and down.

Finally, she withdrew her gaze, shook her head, and said, "Forget it. I will go to other provinces to find someone else. This kid looks even more frail than you."

After saying this, Qian Hong sighed and walked out of the tent.

Hearing this, Li Qing's face flushed slightly.

Having spent years blacksmithing, he had developed a sturdy physique, yet he was described as frail, even less impressive than an elderly man on the verge of death.

However, Master Gu began to laugh: "Heh, don't be indignant, kid. Madam Qian is a Hundred Battles Realm expert who has cultivated Internal Energy; she could crush you with one hand. It is no problem for her to call you frail."

Hearing the terms Hundred Battles Realm and Internal Energy, Li Qing pricked up his ears and hurriedly asked, "Master, what is Internal Energy, and what is the Hundred Battles Realm?"

Master Gu seemed to be in a good mood tonight, so he said, "The path of martial arts is divided into three levels: first is Outer Strength, second is Internal Energy, and third is Transforming Energy."

"In the martial arts world, Outer Strength experts are called the Body Tempering Realm, Internal Energy experts are called the Hundred Battles Realm, and those who can cultivate Transforming Energy are Martial Arts Grandmasters!"

"Gulp!" Li Qing swallowed hard, his eyes filled with longing, and he asked offhandedly, "Master, what level am I at now? Do I count as an Outer Strength expert?"

Master Gu couldn't help but roll his eyes and discouraged him, "You count as nothing of an Outer Strength expert. You've only been practicing stance training for a few days!"

No wonder his body had shuddered when that Commander Qian glanced at him; it turned out the gap was that large.

"Sigh, it is a pity you couldn't build a connection with Madam Qian today. If you had volunteered to forge the Green Rainbow Sword for her, she might have appreciated you in the future," Master Gu said leisurely.

However, Li Qing didn't feel it was a pity at all. He scratched his head and said honestly, "Master, I am doing just fine as I am. I can eat my fill every day and forge iron; that is enough."

"You blockhead, cough, cough, cough!" After saying this, Master Gu began to cough again, and finally, he waved his hand to shoo Li Qing out of the tent.