Li Yue Accompanies Xiao Wu, While Tang San Forges Iron

After leaving the master's quarters, Tang San looked at Li Yue and said in a tiny voice that only they could hear, "Brother Yue, I think that master is a little unreliable."

"It's good that you know." Li Yue transmitted his voice to Tang San. "The master isn't very strong, and the theories he published aren't particularly reliable either. But he possesses a great deal of valuable knowledge, and after getting by for so many years, he has built up some connections."

Tang San nodded, understanding Senior Brother Li Yue's intentions.

In this life, they were both commoners. Obtaining such valuable knowledge would be exceedingly difficult, so even taking a laughingstock of the Soul Master world as their teacher was worth it.

Besides, this apprenticeship had not been without gains. Tang San looked at the belt on her hand, which was set with twelve jade stones.

After Yu Xiaogang's explanation, she learned that it was an extremely rare spatial Soul Tool.

The universe fits within one's sleeve; the sun and moon linger within a pot. Something that had existed only in legends in her previous life had actually fallen into her hands just like that.

Li Yue returned to the dormitory with Tang San and found that all the work-study students were there. Xiao Wu sat on her bed, apparently having eaten too much and already looking drowsy.

The moment she noticed Li Yue, she immediately perked up, rose to her feet, and went over to him.

"Brother Yue, you're back." Xiao Wu came to Li Yue's side, wrapped her arms around one of his, and said with a smile, "I ate so much that I'm sleepy to death. Come take a walk with me."

Perhaps even Xiao Wu had not realized that, ever since being defeated by Li Yue, she had become extremely dependent on him and wanted him to accompany her everywhere.

It was because she lacked a sense of security. A soul beast living among Soul Masters who killed soul beasts to obtain soul rings could hardly have much sense of security, especially after she had come to realize her own weakness.

"A walk sounds good." Seeing Xiao Wu's adorable smiling face, Li Yue found it hard not to reach out and give it a pinch. He said to Tang San, "Little San, get to bed early. I'll take Xiao Wu out for a walk."

The unspoken meaning was that she did not need to come along.

Hearing Li Yue's words, Tang San, who had intended to go for a walk with them, immediately stopped and looked at Li Yue in astonishment.

Senior Brother Li Yue, you've changed. You used to only take walks with me!

She fumed inwardly. Sure enough, women would only affect the speed at which Senior Brother fired Hidden Weapons, but she would not. She could help Senior Brother forge Hidden Weapons.

After Li Yue and Xiao Wu left, Tang San also walked out of the dormitory. Not to follow them, but to leave Nuoding Academy and find a Blacksmith Shop where she could work.

She wanted Senior Brother Li Yue to see her value, to know that women were nothing but useless playthings. Only she was his true right-hand woman, his confidante and family.

When she had arrived at the academy, Tang San had noticed a Blacksmith Shop. It had not closed yet, and even from some distance away, she could hear the sound of metal striking metal.

"Uncle, are you still looking for apprentices here?" Tang San stated her purpose as soon as she entered the Blacksmith Shop.

She was indeed anxious. The thought of Senior Brother Li Yue being bewitched by that demoness right now and doing things he did not want to do made her heart ache for him.

"Little girl, this isn't something to joke about. It's dangerous here. Go back quickly." A burly man spoke. His name was Shi San, and this Blacksmith Shop had been passed down through his family.

"I'm not joking." Tang San revealed her Fire Stick martial soul and released her Soul Power, making them understand that she was a noble Soul Master.

"Do you see my uniform? Uncle, I'm a student of Nuoding Academy. My family runs a Blacksmith Shop, and my father is a blacksmith. I've been learning forging from him since I was little, and I'm quite skilled."

"This..." Shi San froze. She was actually a blacksmith's daughter—no wonder she had come to a Blacksmith Shop to become an apprentice. And seeing Tang San's school uniform, he understood that she was telling the truth.

His expression became much friendlier. "Since you're a blacksmith's daughter, I'll make an exception. You can apprentice here and do things like serving tea and running errands. The pay won't be high, but meals are included."

In truth, it was still because of the little girl's status as a Soul Master. Shi San intended to give her easy tasks. Even if she did nothing but watch his blacksmiths work, he would not say anything. After all, the favor of a Soul Master was clearly worth more than a few meals.

But that was not what Tang San wanted. She wanted to forge weapons herself, earn a large number of Gold Soul Coins, and through her conversations with Senior Brother Li Yue, she had learned that her family's inherited hammer technique was no ordinary one.

It was a hammer technique that could refine a piece of scrap iron into Iron Essence with merely dozens or hundreds of strikes. Such a miraculous technique was practically a top-tier inherited hammer technique in the blacksmithing world.

Tang San did not know whether these blacksmiths knew about the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, but that did not stop her from trying. "I don't want to do odd jobs. I want to forge weapons. I know the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer."

"What? The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer?" A blacksmith immediately cried out upon hearing this. "That's one of the most elite forging arts!"

Those blacksmiths who did not know immediately asked the people beside them. This was the kind of thing they talked about when boasting and shooting the breeze.

Shi San was also astonished. "This little girl has quite the family background, to have inherited the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer. I thought this forging method had long been lost!"

He agreed to Tang San's request. "Try it with this piece of pig iron. Let me see whether your Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer is genuine."

"I won't disappoint you." Tang San's gaze was resolute. Standing beside the roaring furnace, she tightly gripped the Fire Stick and wielded it as a hammer, executing the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.

Every swing carried immense force, deforming and shrinking the pig iron beneath her Fire Stick. The force of each previous strike accumulated into the next, every blow stronger than the last.

In only a little over twenty strikes, she had reduced the piece of pig iron by an entire size, leaving the blacksmiths present full of amazement.

After seeing Tang San perform the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, Shi San's expression turned excited. "Fine craftsmanship, truly fine craftsmanship! With your Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, you'll be the best blacksmith in my Blacksmith Shop from now on, and you'll earn the highest wages too."

Tang San did not stop because of Shi San's praise. She knew that only by working hard to earn money and forging even more powerful Hidden Weapons could she defeat that vixen and occupy a greater place in Senior Brother Li Yue's heart.

Thinking of Li Yue's figure, warmth surged through her heart. She wanted to accompany Senior Brother Li Yue until the very end.

Remembering the sight of Xiao Wu holding Li Yue's arm, another burst of strength surged into her hands. It was as though she were treating the pig iron as that vixen, and she swung the Fire Stick with even greater force.

Meanwhile, Li Yue was accompanying the hopping Xiao Wu on a walk through the academy, arriving at a quiet area of the garden with hardly anyone around.

"La la la..." With Li Yue by her side, Xiao Wu happily hummed under her breath, in an especially wonderful mood. Seeing the flowers and plants in the garden made her feel as though she had returned to the Star Dou Forest.

Seeing a stone bench in the garden, Li Yue went over and wiped it with a handkerchief. He and Xiao Wu sat down together and admired the flowers in the garden.

It was already autumn. The sweltering heat of summer had faded, leaving behind a refreshing coolness.

Feeling that the evening breeze was somewhat chilly, Li Yue reached out and wrapped an arm around Xiao Wu. The warmth of two people was greater than that of one.