Becoming Mu Chen's Disciple

Tang Wulin's somewhat rough hands gripped the letter tightly. By the time he finished the last sentence, his eyes could no longer hold back, and two streams of tears surged out.

He wanted to rush out of the workshop the next moment, but he bumped straight into Mang Tian's chest as soon as he reached the door.

Mang Tian gently grabbed Tang Wulin's shoulders, his own eyes slightly reddened. He had no children of his own, and Tang Wulin had been practicing blacksmithing with him for several years; how could there not be any affection after all that day-to-day companionship? In his heart, he had long since come to view Tang Wulin as his own child.

"Wulin, your parents are fine. They have only left for a while. You must be strong during the time they are away, become stronger, and then go welcome them back, alright?"

Hot tears spilled from Tang Wulin's eyes in large drops. Longing, worry, and a myriad of emotions all melted into those falling tears.

Mang Tian did not continue to persuade Tang Wulin, instead pulling him gently into his arms and letting Tang Wulin's tears soak his clothes.

At this moment, crying was the best way to vent.

Na'er has left, Mom and Dad have left, I am all alone now. My home is gone.

It was unknown how much time had passed before Tang Wulin's sobbing slowly ceased.

"Do you want to find them?" Mang Tian asked softly.

Tang Wulin looked up, his eyes red, and nodded forcefully.

"Since you want to find them, the first thing you must do is become stronger. The force that took your parents away is by no means an ordinary one. Until you are strong enough, you don't even have the qualifications to enter that organization," Mang Tian said in a deep voice.

"Thank you, Teacher! I will become stronger!"

Tang Wulin had been strong since he was a child; once his emotions were vented, he gradually stabilized.

Mang Tian nodded with satisfaction, then accompanied Tang Wulin to finish the last piece of metal for his Hundred Refinement commission.

Blacksmith Association.

Tang Wulin had just submitted his forging commission and tucked a stack of Federal Coins into his storage soul device.

"Wulin!"

Tang Wulin suddenly heard a familiar voice and immediately turned around.

"President Mu!" Tang Wulin looked at Mu Chen in front of him with some surprise. He hadn't expected to see him at the Blacksmith Association today; he had heard from others that President Mu rarely appeared at the association.

"Don't overthink it, I was waiting for you," Mu Chen said, walking to Tang Wulin's side.

"President!" Mang Tian bowed respectfully to Mu Chen.

Mu Chen smiled and nodded in response.

"Waiting for me?"

"Wulin, it was I who told the President that you would be coming over today," Mang Tian said.

"Teacher, is there something you need?" Tang Wulin asked, puzzled.

"Let's go up and talk first! There is indeed something important," Mu Chen said.

Soon, the three of them arrived at Mu Chen's office.

"Wulin, are you already capable of Thousand Refinement?" Mu Chen asked, sitting behind his desk.

Tang Wulin's expression shifted slightly, and he turned to look at Mang Tian.

Mang Tian nodded. "Just tell the truth."

"I was indeed barely able to perform Thousand Refinement before I came to Donghai City," Tang Wulin replied truthfully.

Even though Mu Chen had prepared himself, he was still filled with shock when he heard Tang Wulin's answer.

Nine years old—the child in front of him was a genius capable of Thousand Refinement at only nine years old!

"Wulin, don't get excited about what I'm about to say. Whether you agree or not depends entirely on your own attitude," Mu Chen adjusted his expression and said very seriously.

Tang Wulin was a bit confused, but he nodded anyway.

"I want you to take me as your master!" Mu Chen said in a deep voice.

"What?" Tang Wulin thought he had misheard.

"I want you to take me as your master!" Mu Chen repeated.

Tang Wulin looked back at Mang Tian, only to see that Mang Tian had no special expression, not even a hint of surprise.

"President, my forging teacher is Mang Tian. That is an unchangeable fact. Please forgive me for declining your kind offer," Tang Wulin said sternly.

Mu Chen smiled and said, "This matter is exactly what your teacher, Mang Tian, hoped I would propose."

"What?" Tang Wulin looked at Mang Tian in disbelief. "Teacher, you..."

Mang Tian sighed softly and said, "Wulin, it was indeed I who proposed this to the President!"

"Teacher, why?" Tang Wulin almost thought that Mang Tian was going to abandon him too.

"Teacher is only an ordinary fourth-rank blacksmith with average talent, while you have exceptional forging talent. Being able to perform Thousand Refinement at nine years old, you are a genius capable of challenging the title of Divine Craftsman in the future. Teacher has nothing left to teach you, and I don't want to hold you back. I believe that besides that Divine Craftsman, the only people on the entire continent who can teach you are Saint Craftsmen like the President," Mang Tian said, looking at Tang Wulin with complex emotions.

"Teacher, I will never betray my master. I will always be your disciple," Tang Wulin said with full determination. In his heart, he would never allow himself to abandon his teacher.

"Oh my, why are you two being so sentimental? You make it sound like I'm a villain. Mang Tian, didn't we agree? We will both be Wulin's forging teachers. How did this turn into betraying a master?" Mu Chen looked at the pair of master and disciple with a bitter face; at this moment, he felt like he had become the bad guy.

"Both be my teachers?" Tang Wulin was confused by Mu Chen's words. "Shouldn't there only be one teacher?"

"Wulin, why are you so rigid at such a young age? There is a saying: 'Gather the strengths of a hundred schools to avoid the weaknesses of a hundred schools.' Mang Tian will always be your first forging teacher, but he truly cannot teach you any more. If you want to become stronger, you should integrate the strengths of others, don't you think?" Mu Chen felt as if he were begging Tang Wulin to take him as a master. One had to know that in the past, he wouldn't even accept disciples when others begged him; what was happening now?

Mang Tian also urged, "Wulin, just agree to the President's offer! Only he can help you go further on this path of forging. If you become strong in the future, then as your first forging teacher and the one who guided you onto this path, I'll certainly have more to be proud of, don't you think?"

"This..." Tang Wulin was still a bit hesitant.

"Wulin, have you forgotten what you said in the workshop just now? Don't you want to become stronger? If you become a Divine Craftsman in the future, given the status they hold on the continent, every faction will have to show you some respect."

Mang Tian's additional words made Tang Wulin think of his parents; if he became a Divine Craftsman, he would have the ability to protect those he loved.

Thinking of this, Tang Wulin's expression turned resolute as he knelt before Mu Chen.

"President, please take me as your disciple. I want to go further on this path of forging under your guidance."

Mu Chen pulled Tang Wulin up with a beaming smile. "Hahaha, from today on, you are my disciple. Come to the Blacksmith Association every weekend, and I will personally instruct you in forging."

"Thank you, Teacher!" Tang Wulin bowed deeply once more.

Mang Tian watched this scene with great satisfaction. He truly hoped that Tang Wulin could go further on this path of forging, and perhaps, through him, he would finally get to see what the legendary Heavenly Forging was really like.