Qian Renxue watched her walk away and shook her head helplessly before hurrying after her.
The two mounted their horses and galloped toward the Strength Clan.
Along the way, Ye Yunxi rode with her red dress fluttering gently in the wind, drawing frequent glances from passersby.
She tugged at her skirt with an annoyed look, cursing the system a thousand times in her heart while still looking forward to that Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Seeing her alternate between frowning and grinning to herself, Qian Renxue couldn't help asking:
"What are you plotting now?"
"Nothing~" Ye Yunxi turned to him and shot him a coquettish wink. Her smile shone all the brighter against her red dress. "I was just thinking about how to get that old man Tai Tan to willingly hand over the Strength Clan's forging techniques to the Heaven Dou Empire~"
"If only you had that kind of ability. You're never serious."
Qian Renxue scolded her, then rode faster toward the Strength Clan.
Still, she was curious to see whether Ye Yunxi had a good plan.
They hadn't ridden for long before they reached the Strength Clan's territory.
To show their sincerity, she hadn't brought any guards. Only she and Ye Yunxi had come.
"So this is where the Strength Clan lives? Since breaking away from the Clear Sky Sect, they've ended up in quite a remote backwater."
Ye Yunxi jumped down from her horse and looked around. It really was poorer than she'd imagined.
"They were only one of the Four Great Sects' four affiliated clans. And after the Clear Sky Sect shut its gates, it stopped caring whether those four clans lived or died."
As Qian Renxue spoke, she led Ye Yunxi toward the Strength Clan's grounds.
When the disciples guarding the entrance saw the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, they were startled.
"Your Highness, Crown Prince, and Your Highness, Crown Princess, may we ask why you've come?"
"Could you two handsome fellows let Clan Chief Tai Tan know that the Crown Princess and Crown Prince have come to discuss a partnership?"
Ye Yunxi winked at them. Her tender, affectionate look made both guards blush.
"Please wait a moment, Your Highness. We'll go right away."
As soon as he finished speaking, one guard stayed at his post while the other ran inside to report.
"You certainly know how to talk," Qian Renxue remarked coolly.
"Some things are better left to me." Ye Yunxi smiled faintly.
Before long, one of the guards returned, accompanied by a man.
Ye Yunxi stepped forward to get a better look and realized he was Tai Nuo, Tai Tan's son.
Tai Nuo noticed that only Ye Yunxi and Qian Renxue were at the entrance, without a single guard. Though puzzled, he didn't dare neglect them.
After greeting them, he led them into the Strength Clan's main hall.
An elderly man with white hair sat in the hall. Though advanced in years, he was powerfully built. He was none other than Tai Tan, clan chief of the Strength Clan.
"Clan Chief Tai Tan, I've long admired you."
Qian Renxue stepped forward to greet him.
"Your Highness, Crown Prince, you've come all this way to see me. What kind of partnership are you looking for?"
Tai Tan asked mildly. In truth, he knew the Crown Prince wanted to bring the Strength Clan under his control.
Ever since the Clear Sky Sect had shut its gates, the surrounding powers had all tried to recruit them, including Spirit Hall.
But after meeting Tang San in person a few days ago, the Strength Clan had found new hope.
Qian Renxue was just about to speak.
But Ye Yunxi stepped forward first, speaking bluntly:
"Clan Chief Tai Tan, let's get straight to the point. The Strength Clan's forging skills are impressive, but your current situation doesn't look too good, does it?"
Tai Tan furrowed his brows and looked up at her, confusion filling his eyes.
"What do you mean by that, Your Highness, Crown Princess?"
"Nothing complicated."
Ye Yunxi tapped a fingertip lightly, her tone carrying a note of certainty.
"The weapons you forge are hard enough, but they lack toughness. They're prone to cracking in battle.
"Besides, your clan lacks high-quality iron ore, and even the ground fire used to smelt metal is unstable. Your forging is inefficient, and your yield is low."
She paused and glanced around the hall at its sparse furnishings.
"Since the Clear Sky Sect shut its gates, no one has supplied you with resources. Spirit Hall is closing in step by step. You want a reliable patron, but you're unwilling to lose the Strength Clan's dignity. Am I right?"
Tai Tan's expression shifted. This young woman had hit every vital point!
He spoke in a deep voice.
"Young as you are, Your Highness, Crown Princess, what do you know about forging? You've only heard rumors."
"Rumors?" Ye Yunxi raised an eyebrow, her voice turning colder. "You don't get to decide whether I know what I'm talking about."
She took a step forward and spoke faster, every word sharp and precise. "Forging isn't brute force. The proportions of the ores must be exact. Combine dark iron and star-patterned steel in a three-to-seven ratio, and their toughness will improve by thirty percent.
"During smelting, the ground fire must be kept at 3,200 degrees. Any hotter, and it will destroy the metal's structure; any cooler, and it won't remove the impurities.
"And the Thousand-Hammer Forging Technique you use is outdated. You should infuse a trace of Soul Power while hammering, guiding the metal molecules to rearrange themselves. That's how you make weapons both hard and flexible."
"Besides, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family has the high-quality iron ore you lack, and I can help you find a stable source of ground fire. The Crown Prince can even provide the things you need for forging."
When she finished, not a sound stirred in the hall.
Tai Tan sprang to his feet, shock filling his cloudy eyes as he stared at Ye Yunxi.
"You... you really understand forging?"
In all his years, he had met countless master smiths, yet none had ever been like this young woman.
She had pinpointed the Strength Clan's core problems, then laid out solutions in such detail!
The ore ratios, the ground-fire temperature, the infusion of Soul Power—these were all things the Strength Clan had studied for decades without fully understanding!
Qian Renxue was stunned too. She hadn't expected Ye Yunxi to actually know so much. She'd thought Ye Yunxi was just making things up before.
Ye Yunxi lifted her chin smugly.
"I told you, I know more than you do. Did you think the Crown Prince came to force your clan into submission? We came to work with you. You provide the forging techniques, and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family provides resources and protection. We all win."
Tai Tan's breathing quickened. He looked at the confidence in Ye Yunxi's eyes, then at Qian Renxue's calm expression, and felt a storm surge in his heart.
Just who was this Crown Princess?
A young woman of peerless beauty who also understood such profound forging techniques—it was simply unbelievable!
He fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a much gentler tone.
"Since Your Highness understands forging, allow this old man to ask you something. How exactly do you infuse Soul Power to guide the metal's reorganization?"
Ye Yunxi knew Tai Tan was tempted. A smile curled at the corner of her mouth.
"It's simple. I'll demonstrate it for you. But we'll need to go to your forge."
Tai Tan rose at once.
"Good! I'd like to see it with my own eyes!"
The group followed Tai Tan to the forge. The clanging of hammers rang out along the way, and the air was thick with the smell of iron filings and sulfur.