The carriage drove out of the borders of Heaven Dou City, and the trees on both sides of the road retreated continuously.
Xiao Wu held a book in one hand and cradled a flowerpot in the other. She sat by the window, her fingertips idly toying with the leaves of the Blue Silver Emperor.
After her attentive care, Ah Yin's consciousness had recovered quite a bit, and the gold veins between the leaf veins shone with a soft light in the sunlight.
Lou Xu unwrapped the letter.
The old man's handwriting was vigorous enough to pierce the back of the paper, the gist being that the divine artifact had already been received and the research of the master and four disciples was considered smooth.
The secondary-system rune array of the tier-three runic weapon had already been conquered, and the main-system rune array of the tier-four had also made progress.
A parting admonition was appended at the end.
Since the rune-forging heritage of Heaven Dou City has already been implemented, return sooner; Gengxin City is too busy to handle everything on this end.
Lou Xu put down the letter, smiled bitterly, and shook his head.
Combining the affairs of Gengxin City and the Blacksmith Association, just looking at them gave him a headache, let alone the master and four disciples who had devoted heart and soul to runes.
Even the second senior apprentice, Siyu, had set the chamber of commerce aside and spent whole days happily transporting metal ores.
Returning to Gengxin City was out of the question.
His plans in Heaven Dou City were not yet finished; the post delivered to the Dugu Family had sunk into the sea with no news, and the Poison Douluo had an eccentric temperament and historically never saw outsiders. The head of the Ye Family had also gone into seclusion.
He had pondered the matter of the Immortal Herb for too long; he certainly couldn't go back empty-handed.
Yet for the past month, he had been busy passing down rune-forging to the Heaven Dou City Blacksmiths' Association and delivering runic weapons and divine artifacts to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. His soul power realm had yet to break through, so he indeed needed to make a trip to the Star Dou Great Forest to acquire a soul ring.
He leaned against the carriage, his gaze falling into Xiao Wu's embrace.
This trip called for asking the Myriad Demon King about Ah Yin; keeping that stalk of the Blue Silver Emperor nurtured like this all the time wasn't a proper solution.
Fasinuo Province, Nuoding City.
Inside the blacksmith shop, the blacksmith Shi San sipped hot tea, smiled cordially as he looked at Tang San, and praised him to the people around them.
The child had come for two months; his strength was great, his hands steady, he was diligent in his work, and he spoke little, winning the deep affection of everyone.
Tang San touched the refined iron he had picked up today inside his pocket and said nothing.
At evening work's end.
Just as Tang San was about to return to the academy, Shi San squatted on the threshold and suddenly called out to him.
"What is it, Third Uncle?"
"A joyous occasion, a heaven-shaking joyous occasion."
Shi San said with a smile.
"You know Lou Gao the Divine Craftsman of Gengxin City, don't you? People have researched a method of rune-forging, and the runic weapons they beat out can let ordinary people defeat soul masters!"
Tang San's heart stirred slightly.
He knew about rune-forging; if used in crafting hidden weapons, the forged hidden weapons would definitely make a name for the Tang Sect.
"Mn, I heard people talking about it at the restaurant."
"Little San, you've caught the right wave, too."
"Our Nuoding City dispatched a master a few days ago, saying he wanted to pick a few apprentices with good foundations first to teach the basics of rune-forging."
Shi San lowered his voice.
"I have some old ties with Manager Wang, so I put in a word for you. Tomorrow you go give it a try. With your Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, it's a sure bet."
Tang San lowered his head and cupped his fists, blocking the joy in his gaze.
"Many thanks, Third Uncle."
If Father were here, he would also be interested in the techniques researched by a divine craftsman, wouldn't he?
The next day, in the backyard of Nuoding City's largest blacksmith shop, Manager Wang lay on a rocking chair with his eyelids drooping.
"The rules are very simple: the time of one incense stick, purification. Those who achieve a hundred refinements stay; those who cannot leave."
The assessment began.
More than ten apprentices around rolled up their sleeves, their complexions flushed red.
Outside the crowd, Shi San rubbed his hands together, even more nervous than Tang San.
Tang San glanced at the group of ordinary blacksmiths all around, a flash of disdain passing through his eyes as the Mysterious Heaven Skill quietly circulated.
Mysterious Jade Hand!
The heavy hammer swung down fiercely, and his gaze changed as well.
His steps shifted slightly, waist and hips exerting force, the hammer momentum continuous.
The Purple Demon Eye continuously observed the impurities within the black iron, and the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer descended like raindrops.
Clang, clang, clang, clang...
At first Manager Wang was still narrowing his eyes, but after ten strikes, his eyes snapped wide open.
That hammer momentum linked one ring to another, each strike heavier than the last, layering level upon level to faintly evoke the sound of wind and thunder!
What kind of terrifying forging method was this?
Wait-
"Stop!"
Manager Wang's gaze changed abruptly, and he rushed over with an ashen face.
"What hammer method is this?"
The sound of the hammering gradually subsided, and Tang San lowered his hands.
"A family-transmitted hammer method, inconvenient to disclose."
The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer was passed down by his father, and his father had admonished him not to reveal its name to outsiders.
"A fine family-transmitted..."
Manager Wang circled around him to size him up once before suddenly asking.
"That person who broke into Gengxin City and nearly killed Divine Craftsman Lou, what relation is he to you?"
"Who?"
"Tang Hao!"
Hearing this name, Tang San's heart contracted violently.
Tang Hao... Clear Sky Douluo?
Father was a Titled Douluo?!
The palpitation that had lurched in his heart for days, Father's unfathomable disappearance, the lowered whispers of the merchants, the brocade-clothed youth at the village entrance, the emptied mound of earth in the cave...
Countless threads twisted into a single strand at this moment, choking him almost to breathlessness.
He faintly grasped something, but the flash of insight in his mind was fleeting.
Seeing that Tang San did not speak, Manager Wang took him to be harboring a guilty conscience.
He pointed a finger at the gate, his voice cold as a piece of cold iron.
* * *
"Off with you. No need to test; no matter how well you forge, the grandmaster cannot possibly take you in."
As his words fell, the courtyard erupted in an uproar.
Shi San squeezed through the door anxiously, a ingratiating smile on his face.
"Master Wang, the child is slow of tongue. Little San, quickly make an apology to Manager Wang..."
"Old Shi!"
Manager Wang barked a halt to him, his eyes permanently nailed to Tang San.
"Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer-that beast Tang Hao uses this craft as well! You didn't know, so I won't blame you, but... him!"
His finger pointed rigidly at Tang San, his chest heaving violently.
"Kid, I don't care who your dad is, and I'm not making things difficult for you. But this craft of rune-forging, do you take it for something that fell from the sky?"
"Divine Craftsman Lou Gao and his old self burned out their lives to cook a bowl of rice for us grassroots artisans. Holding this rice bowl, we cannot forget our roots!"
"If a person's heart turns foul, no matter how good the hammer method is, they can't forge good things!"
Tang San's gaze congealed, his left fingertips groping toward the triggering mechanism, locking down slightly.
The fifth rule of the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record: Tang Sect disciples must not lightly provoke right and wrong, but should anyone actively commit aggression, they must repay it with thunder!
He swept his gaze across the courtyard full of people, either vigilant or hateful.
Twenty-odd pairs of eyes, and there were only three Silent Sleeve Arrows. Even if he slaughtered everyone here, Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire would place a bounty on him, and schooling would be out of the question.
Gritting his teeth, he finally let go of his hand.
"Bang!"
Tang San released his knuckles, dropped the hammer, cast one deep look at Manager Wang, and turned to walk out of that door.
Behind him, the courtyard gate slammed shut with a bang, and the sound of forging resumed without pausing for him in the slightest.
Returning to Nuoding Academy, Tang San picked a sparsely traveled path to the back mountain.
Beneath a marked tree, he buried the refined iron he had picked up today in his pocket.
In two months, he had accumulated close to twenty catties of refined iron, enough for him to forge a few hidden weapons for self-defense.
Tang San sat on the hillside, watching the sun in the distance descend.
Father was the idol his teacher always worshipped-that Clear Sky Douluo who suppressed Spirit Hall.
This conjecture made her sit on pins and needles.
There was also that special Blue Silver Grass he encountered when running into Lou Xu-the gold veins, the wilted and soft leaves, which caused his martial soul to stir the moment he drew close, wells of indescribable sorrow surging in his heart.
His father's affairs, the matters of that Blue Silver Grass-he would investigate them clearly, piece by piece.
Both Shi San and Manager Wang recognized the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, so he could no longer frequent the blacksmith shop. Furthermore, since that youth carried the surname Lou, the high probability was that he was an enemy rather than a friend. He had to strike first before his information could be transmitted to Lou Xu.
He stood up and dusted the dirt from his body.
His killing intent was hidden very deeply, yet his gaze slowly grew cold.
Gengxin City... Lou Xu, you had best pray that Father's matters have nothing to do with you; otherwise, our next meeting will see me slay you for certain!
Before you continue