Weapon Forging Workshop, Settling Down in the City

"Take off your bamboo hat."

The young man did as he was told.

"Where are you from?"

"Qingshui Town."

"What brings you to the city?"

"Visiting relatives."

The Qingyun Army soldier at the city gate glanced at the young man's still somewhat youthful face and quickly let him pass. The young man noticed that the guards at the city gate had more than doubled compared to a month ago.

Could something have happened in the city this past month?

The young man thought to himself.

After successfully entering the city, Su Mu did not head to the Weapon Forging Workshop immediately.

"I'll check on the Cloud Crane Medical Hall first, then make plans."

The deadline given by the Weapon Forging Workshop was before the Start of Autumn. There were still half a month left. Su Mu knew that removing the Gu Poison from his body was the most crucial thing right now; everything else could wait.

Su Mu had visited Qingyun City once a month ago. The benefits of his Comprehension were evident now. With his current Comprehension, he wouldn't forget an ordinary path after walking it once, and he could memorize books at a glance.

Su Mu soon arrived at Jiuchen Alley, where the medical hall was located. It was said that Qingyun City's wineries were once extremely prosperous, with numerous wine shops, and the air was filled with a faint scent of wine, giving the alley its name.

Time passed, and the world changed. Jiuchen Alley was no longer the same; the east of the city was now a place where commoners gathered.

Deep in the east of the city was a small courtyard with green bamboo. Su Mu arrived at the serene courtyard again, but the medical hall's bamboo gate remained tightly shut, and the small wooden sign was still hanging.

Just as Su Mu was about to leave, he suddenly heard a faint sound from inside the courtyard, like someone watering crops.

Su Mu's heart leaped with joy. He went to the bamboo gate and knocked gently.

"Forgive my intrusion, is Pharmacist Lin here?"

After calling out, Su Mu heard the faint sound of watering stop, followed by the sound of footsteps on mud. Su Mu stopped speaking and waited quietly outside the courtyard.

Soon, a girl of fourteen or fifteen, with an oval face, wearing a light yellow dress, and with two pigtails, timidly peeked out from a corner of the bamboo courtyard.

Su Mu noticed the girl immediately. The girl in the courtyard looked at Su Mu several times before revealing herself when she realized he was a young man of similar age.

"Master is away on a journey and hasn't returned yet. Young master, please come back another day."

"Young Physician, I am anxious to seek medical treatment. May I ask if there is an approximate date for Pharmacist Lin's return?"

"He should be back soon... in about ten days."

"Thank you, Young Physician, for letting me know."

Su Mu was delighted to receive an answer. After thanking her, he turned and left. He could wait ten days.

Watching the young man's retreating back, a hint of worry appeared in the medical hall girl's eyes. She recalled that her master had said he was going south to purchase a batch of hundred-year-old medicinal herbs before leaving on his journey, but he was already overdue.

Su Mu was unaware of the girl's worry. After leaving the medical hall, he asked passersby in the city for directions. When people heard the name "Weapon Forging Workshop," they immediately pointed him in the right direction.

It seems the Weapon Forging Workshop is quite famous in the city.

The Weapon Forging Workshop was not far from Jiuchen Alley, only three streets away, located on Metalworking Street.

Su Mu walked briskly and soon arrived outside Metalworking Street. Before even stepping onto the street, the sound of clashing metal was incessant. Su Mu was surprised to find so many iron shops on this street; there were no less than a dozen as far as the eye could see.

But the Weapon Forging Workshop was also easy to find. It was the largest one at the end of the street. The Weapon Forging Workshop was quite renowned in the city. When martial artists in the city wanted to forge a suitable weapon, they would think of the Weapon Forging Workshop first. Even the Qingyun government and the people from the five major powers were regular customers of the Weapon Forging Workshop.

However, the Weapon Forging Workshop only forged weapons and did not participate in faction disputes.

Clang, clang, clang!

Su Mu's eyes lit up as he approached the Weapon Forging Workshop. Several hammering sounds, much louder than those from other iron shops, emanated from within. His blacksmithing skills were now close to perfection, and he could discern the skill involved from these sounds alone.

The scale of the Weapon Forging Workshop was also much larger than other shops. From the outside, it looked less like an iron shop and more like a small manor.

After finding the Weapon Forging Workshop and taking a general look, Su Mu turned and left. Having received the reply of ten days from the medical hall today, he did not plan to report to the Weapon Forging Workshop immediately.

Turning around, Su Mu went to Sparrow Street, two streets away from the Weapon Forging Workshop. He found a realtor of similar age who looked shrewd to help him find a residence.

"I need to establish myself in Qingyun City next. I'll find a place to stay first."

This was not only because of the Weapon Forging Workshop but also because Su Mu knew that the Gu Poison in his body would not be easy to remove. He also needed to continue practicing martial arts. This city was not like the countryside; when he practiced martial arts, he would inevitably make noise.

Therefore, Su Mu planned to buy a spacious courtyard for convenience when practicing martial arts in the future. At the same time, this street was close to both the Weapon Forging Workshop and the medical hall, making it a good location.

"Young master, what do you think of this courtyard?"

This young realtor was sharp. The most important thing for a realtor doing business was their discernment. He noticed that although Su Mu was dressed simply, he could faintly sense an extraordinary aura from him.

He then led Su Mu to a not-so-small courtyard.

"Let's take a look inside."

"Certainly, young master, please."

Su Mu walked in, his eyes slightly shining. It was a courtyard similar to a siheyuan in his previous life. The courtyard was serene, facing south, and the yard was spacious enough for practicing martial arts. Moreover, this courtyard was relatively secluded, not in the center of the main street.

After a brief look, Su Mu was satisfied but sighed and frowned.

"This courtyard is a bit dilapidated. It will need some repairs before it's even habitable... What is the price of this courtyard?"

The realtor saw Su Mu frown, his tone laced with disdain, and immediately lowered his original quote. "Are you looking to buy this property, young man, or rent?"

"Tell me about both."

"Although the east of the city isn't as densely populated with wealthy families as the south, it's still Qingyun City, so land and property aren't cheap. If you want to buy, it's three hundred and fifty taels."

Su Mu couldn't help but gasp at the price. It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, but it was too expensive.

After killing Wu Heng, he had received a sum of silver. After deducting the cost of medicinal soup and daily expenses, Su Mu still had seven hundred and fifty-five taels. Three hundred and fifty taels was almost half of that.

Su Mu knew very well that future medical treatments would incur significant expenses, and he also needed to maintain the cost of medicinal soup and food. Spending half his silver on buying a property outright wasn't feasible, so renting first seemed like the better option.

"If you're renting, it's three taels of silver per month."

Three taels of silver a month was actually not cheap. Even in Qingyun City, three taels was enough for a family of three to live comfortably for several months. This amounted to thirty-six taels a year, with the rent being roughly one-tenth of the purchase price.

However, compared to buying outright, it was still acceptable.

"Three taels is too expensive."

"Young man, how about this: if you're looking to rent long-term, I can charge you for ten months a year. This will save you six taels of silver, and you'll only need to pay thirty taels."

The realtor observed Su Mu's expression and continued, "But in that case, you'll need to pay the full year's rent upfront."

"Alright, then I'll rent for a year."

Su Mu immediately paid the thirty taels of silver. The realtor was efficient, and soon both parties signed the contract, with Su Mu receiving the property's keys on the spot.

"Finally, I'm settled."

Su Mu wasn't particularly attached to living arrangements or luxuries. He quickly bought a set of medicinal decoction utensils in the market and, closing the door, began brewing medicine and practicing martial arts.

For several days, Su Mu kept a low profile, venturing out only for meals and a trip to the medical hall. The rest of his time was spent practicing martial arts in his new residence.

One evening, as the Weapon Forging Workshop was closing its furnaces, several blacksmiths were chatting. Someone suddenly spoke up.

"Didn't Workshop Master Wu say he was expecting an apprentice a few days ago? I saw him looking outside for a while these past few days, but where is this person?"

"I think I heard something about that too. I heard someone wrote a letter of recommendation for Workshop Master Wu, but I don't know the specifics."

"No need to think about it. That person probably wouldn't dare to show up. What good talent can come from a small-town iron shop? Besides, joining our Weapon Forging Workshop requires a test."

"Hmph, in the past few years, several people have written letters of recommendation for Workshop Master Wu, but not a single one could stay. Among the apprentices recommended from small towns, not even one could consistently forge a Ten Refinements Weapon. After that, I rarely heard about recommendations. To be a blacksmith, you need to be strong yourself. I, for one, despise those who try to rely on connections and backdoor dealings."

The blacksmiths changed the subject, no longer discussing the matter of recommended apprentices, dismissing it from their minds.

Time flew by, and five days passed.

In the quiet of the night, a figure was drenched in sweat, practicing punches in the courtyard.

Buzz------

At a certain moment, the figure trembled violently, and the acupoints all over his body resonated with a humming sound. A look of joy appeared on the young man's face.

"I've broken through... Hidden Force is about to reach great completion!"