Settling Old Scores

The fierce gust of force made Fatty Zhou turn pale with shock. He had just begun to react when he felt a chill at his neck.

"Zhou the Skinflint, long time no see."

As the voice sounded, a figure appeared. It was none other than Lu Ming. He had infiltrated this place ahead of time, timing it perfectly, but he had never expected to stumble upon such a good show.

"Ghk... ghk..."

His throat sealed by a single slash, Fatty Zhou's vision had gone black, but he could still make out who had come. "It's you... How is this possible..."

He had clearly recognized Lu Ming. Clutching his neck, he wore an expression of utter disbelief.

Then he collapsed limply, just like the beggar in the courtyard.

"The blade is still a little too short. Otherwise, at such a short distance, with my speed, there's no way he could have detected me beforehand."

After landing his strike, Lu Ming did not hurry over. Instead, he wiped the blood from his blade while reviewing his actions.

What he had used just now was the Gale Style.

He had merely changed the target from the man himself to the air before his neck, letting the blade sweep sideways through it and thus complete the throat-sealing strike.

Only after confirming that his opponent was completely dead did Lu Ming step forward and take the manual and the hundred-tael banknote from him. He had seen them clearly while lying in wait inside and naturally was not going to leave them behind.

He then searched the room for a while longer and found more than a dozen taels in loose silver.

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

Not intending to linger, Lu Ming prepared to leave. As he passed through the courtyard, he saw the beggar lying on the ground with his throat caved in and shook his head.

This beggar and Li San were precisely the two familiar faces he had encountered when entering the city that day. They had often robbed the original owner of his belongings.

He had originally intended to teach them both a lesson this time, but they were already dead now. There was no need for him to act.

"Our grudges are settled."

With a sigh of feeling, Lu Ming left at once.

What he had witnessed had given him a more direct sense of this world's cruelty. The big fish ate the small fish, and human lives were no more than grass. The slightest carelessness could make one vanish.

And he was caught up in it all. The only thing he could do was grow stronger without stop.

Now, he was going to exchange for a suitable blade so that he could bring out his full strength.

In one of the larger blacksmith shops in the city, the place was still bustling despite the sky having already darkened.

Blacksmiths, stokers, and people buying weapons were all packed inside, making the shop seem somewhat cramped.

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

Only after a handsome, richly dressed young master left with a group of attendants did the blacksmith shop become spacious again.

"Take care, Young Master Yang. Our shop will certainly forge the long sword as quickly as possible and deliver it to your residence."

An old man with a small mustache respectfully saw him out of the shop before returning.

At this moment, a strong and sturdy servant hurried over. "Shopkeeper, was that the Young Master of the Yang Family just now? He has so many guards following him even when he goes out. What an imposing display."

"As the Young Master of one of Shuofeng City's three great families, how could his display not be grand?"

The shopkeeper stroked his beard.

The servant's face was filled with envy, and he began chattering on. "I heard that an Inner Sect Elder of the Seventh-Rank Sect, the Nine Heavens Sect, passed through here and is staying at the Yang Family's residence."

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

"An Inner Sect Elder of a Seventh-Rank Sect—that's a powerhouse of the Gang Qi Realm! And the minimum is the mid-stage of the Gang Qi Realm. He's even stronger than our City Lord."

"Young lad, your information is quite well-connected."

The shopkeeper stroked his beard, then instructed him:

"Then we can't delay. Quickly start a furnace with greater firepower. The ore Young Master Yang gave us is no ordinary material. It's difficult to smelt, so we'll need to spend more time."

"You must finish forging the treasured sword before Young Master Yang leaves, then deliver it to him."

"Understood."

The servant quickly left.

Lu Ming had already arrived some time ago, and he had listened to their conversation with great interest.

Through Old Man Zhao's collection of books, his knowledge had greatly expanded. He knew what the Nine Heavens Sect, a Seventh-Rank Sect, represented.

In this world, the various powers were ranked from first to ninth grade according to their strength.

First rank was the highest, and ninth rank was the lowest.

Whether a power had entered the rankings or not made an enormous difference in strength. Even the weakest Ninth-Rank Power was far stronger than one that had not entered the rankings.

Just like in Shuofeng City, there was not a single power that had entered the rankings.

And the Zhao Kingdom Royal Family could only be considered a Ninth-Rank Power.

From this, it was clear what kind of colossus the Nine Heavens Sect, a Seventh-Rank Power, was.

As for Young Master Yang, the fact that he could take an Inner Sect Elder of the sect as his master showed what an enormous stroke of fortune had befallen him.

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

Perhaps Lu Ming had been standing there for too long. The shopkeeper noticed him and came over to ask.

Lu Ming came back to himself and replied:

"Yes, I want to buy a blade. It should be about half a finger wide, and as for the length..." He measured against his height. "It only needs to reach my waist."

"Then about thirty inches long."

The shopkeeper's eye was sharp. He calculated the distance at a glance, then asked, "What price range are you looking for?"

Lu Ming asked in return, "What price ranges do you have?"

"There are quite a few. Good materials cost several thousand or even tens of thousands of taels, while poorer materials only cost dozens or hundreds. Unusual designs need to be custom-made, but the thin blade you want happens to be available. What price range are you looking for?"

As he explained, the shopkeeper sized up Lu Ming's clothes. Although the young man appeared to be wearing a coarse hemp shirt, the shopkeeper showed no hint of disdain.

Businessmen believed in harmony bringing wealth. Perhaps the other party had no money today and could not afford something expensive, but what if he struck it rich tomorrow or the day after?

So it was always good to leave behind a favorable impression.

Lu Ming did not care much about that. After considering his purse, he said, "Then something costing dozens."

"Come with me."

The shopkeeper was not very surprised by his choice. He led him to the counter, then took out a long, slender blade with a black sheath and handed it to Lu Ming.

"See if this one suits you."

Lu Ming took it and first tested its weight. Finding it just right, he drew the long blade from its sheath.

The blade was as white as snow, with a neat row of sawtooth-like patterns along it.

"This was forged from Bintie Iron and other materials. Don't worry—even though it's the cheapest blade in the shop, it has still been hammered a full hundred times, so the blade is exceptionally tough."

The shopkeeper proudly introduced it from the side.

Lu Ming nodded. As he listened, he carefully examined the blade. He discovered that it looked remarkably similar to the Miao Dao he had seen in his previous life.

Its hilt was likewise very long, perfectly suited to being gripped with both hands.

"Can I try it?"

Lu Ming asked.

"Come with me."

The shopkeeper did not refuse. He brought Lu Ming to a wooden post as thick as a bowl and let him test the blade.

Lu Ming did not delay. He raised the blade with both hands, then swung with all his strength. In an instant, the wooden post split in two, the cut smooth as a mirror.

"Excellent, excellent! I never expected someone so young to wield a blade with such clean, decisive force. Your fundamentals are clearly very solid."

The shopkeeper was also a Martial Artist, and his cultivation was not low. His eye was therefore sharp. He could tell that Lu Ming had not mobilized his inner force for that slash.

He had relied entirely on the strength of his physical body.

And judging by his slender build, the physical strength he possessed absolutely could not have been enough to cut through the wooden post specially used by the shop to test blades.

Yet he had cut it down. This showed that Lu Ming could use technique to draw out even more power from his body.

Without diligent, painstaking training, he absolutely could not have reached such a level.

That was why the shopkeeper had praised him so sincerely.

"I merely took advantage of the blade's sharpness."

Lu Ming was modest for a moment, then asked, "This blade is quite good. How much does it cost?"