The Benefits of Being a Soul Master

When they arrived at the blacksmith shop, Cheng Xiao heard the rhythmic sounds of hammering from inside before they even entered.

"Is this a blacksmith shop?" Xiao Wu curiously looked at the hammer sign hanging above the shop, her large, lively eyes flickering.

Cheng Xiao nodded lightly and led Xiao Wu straight inside.

The moment they entered, a wave of heat hit them head-on. It was the high temperature produced by the blazing forge.

"Kids, it's dangerous here. Stop right there." Seeing the two children enter the blacksmith shop, a burly man bare from the waist up, who had been hammering pig iron, hurried over to Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu. "Where are your parents? Didn't they tell you that a blacksmith shop is dangerous?"

The blacksmith shop was filled with iron tools and miscellaneous items, along with extremely hot furnaces. To prevent children from getting hurt while fooling around, blacksmiths generally did not allow children into the shop. Even when buying things, only adults were allowed inside.

"Hello, sir. I'd like to have two short swords made. Is that possible?" Cheng Xiao asked.

"Short swords?" The burly man glanced at the somewhat bashful Xiao Wu beside Cheng Xiao and immediately laughed. "Making something isn't a problem, but you'll need to have an adult from your family come by. They'll need to tell me the design, materials, and style of the short swords, and pay for the work as well."

Hearing that he still needed an adult from his family, Cheng Xiao frowned slightly. "Is it impossible if it's just me?"

The man was briefly stunned, then explained with a smile, "Of course not, kid. You two look like students, right? It's better to have your parents handle something like having weapons made."

"Sir, I understand what you mean." Cheng Xiao took out a Gold Soul Coin and a Soul Master's Handbook from his clothes and showed them to the man. "Sir, I'm a Soul Master now. I can receive one Gold Soul Coin in allowance from Spirit Hall every month. This is my Soul Master's Handbook, and it can prove my identity."

A Soul Master? A child this young is a Soul Master? the man thought, solemnly accepting the Soul Master's Handbook Cheng Xiao offered.

The Soul Master's Handbook was a palm-sized metal plate. This special metal could only be used by Spirit Hall and served as exclusive proof of a Soul Master's identity.

Taking the cool metal plate, the burly man examined it carefully.

A moment later, the man returned the Soul Master's Handbook to Cheng Xiao. As for the Gold Soul Coin, he kept it.

"Kid, I'll take this job." The man agreed readily, then asked, "Do you have a design for the short swords? Any material requirements?"

"Different materials will affect the price, but don't worry. Once the style is confirmed, I'll forge them for you as quickly as possible."

Hearing the man's words, Cheng Xiao found himself in a difficult spot. Though he had a design for the short swords in his mind, he had no idea what materials would make them practical. After all, he knew nothing about this. He only needed the short swords to match his Throwing Dagger skill.

Seeming to notice Cheng Xiao's awkwardness, the man smiled kindly. "How about this, kid? I won't take this Gold Soul Coin for now. Come back once you have the design ready, along with the materials and such. What do you think?"

Cheng Xiao subconsciously scratched the back of his head. "No need, sir. Do you have any paper here?"

"You're going to design it on the spot?" the man asked in surprise.

"Yes. Going back would be too troublesome, and I happen to know what style of short swords I want. I'd also like to ask you about the materials while I'm here," Cheng Xiao said.

"Alright. I'll have one of my workers go buy some." The man nodded and sent a worker out to purchase paper and pens. "You two wait here for a while."

After a while, the worker returned with paper and pens. Cheng Xiao began drawing according to the short sword design in his mind.

Xiao Wu watched Cheng Xiao draw with complete focus, her large eyes full of curiosity. She had not expected that Cheng Xiao, also a work-study student, would be so outstanding. Even when he was focused on drawing, he seemed different from everyone else.

Time passed second by second, and Cheng Xiao drew faster and faster. By now, he had completely entered the zone. When he finished adding the final detail to the design, the sky had already darkened.

"Whew, finally done." Cheng Xiao let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Let me see." The burly man picked up Cheng Xiao's short sword design, and his eyes lit up. "What a beautiful design. But if you want it replicated perfectly, I'm afraid it'll take quite some time."

"That's fine. As long as you can make it," Cheng Xiao said.

"Alright, then we'll follow your design." The man nodded. "For the material, let's use Profound Iron. But forging it from Profound Iron will take even more time."

"No problem, sir. If you want to forge a good weapon, waiting is unavoidable." Cheng Xiao shook his head. "Then please tell me how much it will cost."

"Kid, I won't overcharge you. For these two short swords, I'll charge you five Gold Soul Coins each. How does that sound?" the man asked.

"Alright. I'll give you one Gold Soul Coin first, then pay the remaining nine over the next nine months," Cheng Xiao said.

"Cheng Xiao, use my Gold Soul Coin too." Seeing that the two had reached an agreement, Xiao Wu suddenly said, "I'm a Soul Master now too, so I can receive one Gold Soul Coin in allowance every month. If I help you, we can pay it off in four months. Anyway, I don't eat much, and the money I earn cleaning the garden every day is enough."

Cheng Xiao was stunned. Looking at Xiao Wu's generous expression, though her eyes were full of reluctance, his heart stirred slightly. "Alright, then I'll count it as a loan from you."

As he spoke, Cheng Xiao handed another Gold Soul Coin to the burly man.

After paying two Gold Soul Coins, Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu left the blacksmith shop under the owner's escort. Perhaps because of Xiao Wu, the man had voluntarily lowered the price before they left, reducing the original ten Gold Soul Coins to nine.

Cheng Xiao did not quite understand, but the man was unwilling to explain. He simply kept saying that Cheng Xiao should treat the young lady better, that one Gold Soul Coin was no small amount, and so on.

Of course, Cheng Xiao had also confirmed the completion time with the owner. It would take about a month. After all, their forging skills were not particularly high, and it was truly not easy for them to forge a weapon with such complicated patterns from expensive Profound Iron for the first time.

"Thank you, Xiao Wu."

Walking down the dimly lit street, Cheng Xiao thought for a moment before thanking the girl beside him, who was walking with her hands behind her back.

"I helped you so much, and all you have to say is thank you?" Xiao Wu sounded dissatisfied. Nuoding City was a small city, and now that night had fallen, the streetlights were dim.

Cheng Xiao could not see Xiao Wu's expression clearly, but he could hear the displeasure in her voice. He immediately said softly, "Then how do you want me to thank you? Treat you to something delicious?"

"Something delicious?" Xiao Wu became somewhat excited, but when she thought of the Gold Soul Coin she had just lost, she pouted. "One meal isn't enough."

"If one meal isn't enough, then two," Cheng Xiao said with a light laugh.

"Only two?" Xiao Wu stopped walking, her tone rising.

"Um... then a month?" Cheng Xiao thought for a moment.

"A month is acceptable." Xiao Wu suddenly moved close to Cheng Xiao. By the dim light, she reached out and pinched his cheek, then muttered to herself, "What's with this? He's obviously a boy, so why is his skin even better than mine?"

Hearing Xiao Wu's muttering and having his cheek pinched, Cheng Xiao subconsciously reached out and pinched Xiao Wu's cheek, imitating her words. "What's with this? She's obviously a girl, so why is her skin worse than mine?"

"Ah! Cheng Xiao, you're awful! How can you copy the way I talk!"