Master Qian? Elder Qian?

"Thump, thump, thump."

Shortly after 9:00 AM the next day, three rhythmic knocks on the door jolted Shi Fen awake.

Shi Fen sat up abruptly from his bed, scanning his surroundings in a daze; it was still his familiar bedroom, unchanged from the night before.

"It really was a dream," Shi Fen muttered with a sense of regret.

The dream last night had brought him so much joy—things he had craved in his past life but could never attain. A perfect family environment, relatives and friends gathered together, and his beloved—all of them had been in that dream.

But a dream is, after all, just a dream.

Three more rhythmic knocks sounded.

At the same time, an elderly voice came from outside, "Hello, is this the Shi residence?"

Shi Fen felt a jolt of electricity run through him. He scrambled out of bed, swept his World Ring across the room to store all the documents and secret patterns, and after tidying his hair and clothes, he hurried to open the door.

Shi Fen opened the door to see an old man standing alone on the threshold.

The old man was dressed in a simple summer tracksuit. He stood at least 185 centimeters tall, with bronze-colored skin and terrifying muscles that defied his age; the muscles of his upper body seemed ready to burst through his T-shirt. His physique could only be described as burly and imposing.

The old man's face was remarkably handsome. Time had left its mark, but it did nothing to diminish his "handsomeness"—the traces of age only added a layer of mature charm.

If a stranger were to look from a distance, they would surely mistake the old man for a robust, handsome young man.

The person in Shi Fen's memory looked almost identical to this old man. Although his physique had changed and become incredibly powerful, Shi Fen was far too familiar with this face to ever mistake it.

Seeing this old man, Shi Fen's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He said in shock, "Professor Qian, you've come here too?"

Before the old man could even speak, he had been recognized by Shi Fen, which secretly pleased him. He hadn't expected that after retiring from the front lines for so many years, someone would still be able to recognize him at a glance.

"You know me?" the old man asked with a smile.

Shi Fen froze. Because of the dream last night, he had inadvertently slipped into that mindset and blurted out those words. The moment he said them, he immediately regretted it.

Ever since opening the door, Shi Fen had been staring intently into the old man's eyes.

There was a hint of surprise and pride in the old man's gaze, but absolutely no joy of a long-awaited reunion.

Shi Fen's current appearance was slightly different from his past life.

Shi Fen was now 178 centimeters tall, a few centimeters taller than before. His face was still the same, though the contours had shifted slightly, making him look quite a bit more handsome than he used to be.

While he wouldn't call himself a "heartthrob," he certainly wasn't ordinary. Compared to his past life, the difference wasn't huge. If this old man were truly his master from his past life, he should have been able to recognize him.

Although this old man looked exactly like his former master, he was definitely not the same person.

"Elder Qian, someone as legendary as you—I saw you on the news once and never forgot it." Who was Shi Fen? He was a genius; relying on his astonishing brain processing power, he instantly concocted an excuse.

"I was wondering how you knew me. In my early years, I did appear on the news quite often," the old man said with a sudden realization.

Shi Fen reached out and invited the old man inside.

As the old man entered, he glanced around. When he reached the bedroom door, his eyes flicked toward the books on the desk, and he couldn't help but be secretly startled. Shi Fen was truly a remarkable character; these theoretical physics books were not things an average person could read. It seemed his trip today would not be in vain.

Shi Fen invited the old man into the living room. Noticing the old man's interest in his books, he invited him to browse at his leisure, using the excuse of making tea to "excitedly" dash into the kitchen to prepare tea and snacks.

In reality, Shi Fen rushed into the kitchen to frantically search for information on scientists with the surname Qian. During the brief moment it took for the water to boil, Shi Fen rapidly browsed the information he found, and as he read, he was truly stunned.

"This old man's background... how is it so similar to my master from my past life!"

Not only did the old man look exactly like his former master, but his name was also the same: Qian Wu.

Both of them had backgrounds in scientific research.

The slight difference was that this old man was the strongest forging master in the Huaxia Republic and the representative figure who had developed the high-grade Kro Alloy on Earth.

The old man had once led a team during the most difficult period of humanity's struggle against monsters to develop the 79-series, S-grade, and SS-grade Kro Alloys, and he had unhesitatingly released his invention patents to the world. This provided powerful warriors during the monster tide era with the weapons needed to fight back.

In the circle of warriors, he was a scientist and forging master of absolute, awe-inspiring status. Many of the powerhouses among the older generation of warriors had used weapons that Elder Qian had painstakingly forged while working overtime.

After the old man retired to the second line, many powerhouses became even more obsessed with the exquisite weapons he had forged...

This story was widely circulated on the internet. Anyone who paid attention to news from the Great Catastrophe era could find this information. Unfortunately, Shi Fen had never been interested in such news, and it was only now that he learned of this great figure.

Seeing the old man's profile, Shi Fen had a hunch.

Teacher Yi must be up to his old tricks again! First my brother Shi Tian, then Master Qian Wu—if there's nothing fishy going on, I'll be damned!

Shi Fen suddenly thought of something. His eyes widened, his fists clenched tightly, and he felt a surge of horror in his heart: Wait? Is it possible that my parents... It looks like I'll have to go back and ask...

The whistling of the kettle sounded. Shi Fen hurriedly composed himself, poured two cups of tea, took some snacks from the refrigerator, and placed everything on a tea tray.

Shi Fen carried the tray out of the kitchen and saw the old man squatting there, flipping through the books Shi Fen had been reading.

"Elder Qian, would you like some tea?" Shi Fen asked softly.

"Ah? You go ahead and drink. I'm just looking at what kind of books you usually study to have become so strong in forging just by self-study." The old man waved his hand, declining the offer.

Shi Fen was speechless and had no choice but to sit obediently on the sofa. He didn't touch the tea or snacks on the table, just quietly watching the old man flip through the books piled up in the living room.

Shi Fen waited in silence.

The old man had no interest in social niceties; what interested him most was how Shi Fen had managed to teach himself.

After obtaining all the information on the Shi family, he had spent the last few days reviewing the data repeatedly. He had watched the "birth certificates" and recordings of many blades, and the old man had determined that all the complex blades had been forged by one person.

Combined with the footage of Luo Feng, he had recognized at a glance from the forging techniques which weapons had been crafted by Shi Fen. Over the past few days, he had traveled to many places, visiting in person to inspect the blades and swords Shi Fen had forged.

Having witnessed these masterpieces, the old man was certain that Shi Tie's strength alone could not have produced someone like Shi Fen. Others might not see it, but his own discernment was beyond question.

The more the old man looked, the more shocked he became, for Shi Fen's forging level was not much inferior to his own. Especially regarding the Youquan Blade, Shi Fen's ability to handle the finer details of forging left the old man feeling inferior.

The old man felt that only his own raw power surpassed Shi Fen's; in other aspects, it was truly hard to say.

Having discovered such a talent, how could he sit still? After finishing his investigation, he immediately went to visit Shi Fen in person.

To ensure he was the first to visit Shi Fen, he had fiercely threatened all other factions: whoever dared to seek out Shi Fen before him would find their respective organizations barred from ever using high-grade SS-level or SSS-level weapons for the rest of their lives.

Elder Qian held a very special status in the forging world.

When Elder Qian spoke, there was no one who dared not listen.

This was why, for so many days, no one had contacted Shi Fen.

The old man moved quickly, spending about twenty minutes flipping through the books in the living room and bedroom.

With a belly full of questions, the old man sat on the sofa, feeling unreconciled, and asked Shi Fen helplessly: "Did you teach yourself just by relying on these books?"

Shi Fen smiled slightly; he knew what the old man was referring to and replied calmly: "Books are merely a guide; the important thing is enlightenment."

"A fine 'enlightenment.' You are truly worthy of being called a genius," the old man laughed heartily.

The old man noticed the tea and snacks on the coffee table had not been touched at all, and a strange feeling rose in his heart. Without hesitation, he picked up the teacup, took a sip of the now-cold tea, and ate an entire piece of pastry.

Seeing the old man eating with such gusto, Shi Fen felt hungry himself and could not help but join him, eating without regard for his image.

Watching Shi Fen before him, the old man's admiration for him grew even deeper.

"You must have guessed that someone would come, right?" the old man asked while eating the pastry.

"Yes, though I didn't expect it to take you so many days to arrive," Shi Fen replied.

The old man felt a surge of joy, secretly sighing that it was fortunate he had blocked all those other people. The old man continued: "Your forging skills are extremely strong; the craftsmanship of the Youquan Blade is enough to rank in the top ten globally. And the Youquan Blade was merely the result of your first time forging with Blue Gold. One can imagine that your forging ability does not stop there."

Shi Fen nodded gently, signaling for the old man to continue.

The old man was not annoyed and continued: "You are currently lacking resources, and I can provide you with a vast amount. Although my forging ability is not much stronger than yours, this old bag of bones still has some foundations."

"For now, resources, experience, and worldly wisdom are all things you need."

"I ask you, are you willing to take me as your master?"

Shi Fen stood up immediately, bowed respectfully, and said: "Greetings, Master."

The old man was stunned; he truly had not expected the apprenticeship to go so smoothly. Moreover, Shi Fen had called him "Master" rather than "Teacher." Between the two, the recognition implied by "Master" was far higher than that of "Teacher."

Isn't it said that Shi Fen has a very strange temper? How is he so easy to talk to? The old man could not quite figure it out.

However, being able to take Shi Fen under his wing so easily made the old man extremely happy. He grinned and said: "A fine 'Master.' I accept you as my disciple. Can you tell me why you answered so readily?"

Shi Fen pondered for a moment, his tone firm: "I admire your faith."

"Good!" A smile immediately appeared on Elder Qian's face, his eyes shining with a strange light. The more he looked at Shi Fen now, the more pleasing he found him.

The faith Elder Qian had held his entire life was not a religious one, but a determination for the prosperity of the country and its people, and for the progress of humanity! He had dedicated his whole life to this.

Elder Qian laughed and said: "A genius is indeed different!"

"A genius is still a person, after all."

Shi Fen also smiled. Having a master in two lifetimes gave him the feeling that they were the same person. Shi Fen increasingly felt that Teacher Yi must have used some method.

Shi Fen did not know if these people possessed memories of their past lives. If they did, that would be wonderful.

This was something he would need to uncover slowly.

Perhaps after completing a few more trials, a miracle would occur?

"Alright, I've arranged a villa for you in the Bright Moon Residential District; you should move in today. The paperwork is all finished, and the moving crew should arrive soon. Tell your parents to pack their luggage. Once you've handled your affairs, call this number, and I will send someone to pick you up."

Elder Qian handed Shi Fen a slip of paper with a phone number written on it.

"A villa? Moving today?" Shi Fen looked at the smiling Elder Qian, surprised.

Elder Qian's expression turned serious: "Hurry up. Let's start forging sooner; I am very eager to see your skills. I've delayed quite a bit of work these past few days because of your affairs, and I need to get back to handle them."

After saying this, without waiting for Shi Fen to react, Elder Qian stood up, opened the door, and left.

"Still as swift and decisive as ever." Shi Fen stared at the slip of paper in his hand, feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness.