Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 80: The Choice

When Li Qing admitted it so freely, a peculiar glint flashed in Qian Hong’s eyes. She leaned forward, her voice filled with anticipation.

“Master Gu once said you’d mastered seventy or eighty percent of his craft. It seems he was being modest. Back then, I truly believed you were just an ordinary blacksmith’s apprentice!”

She smiled. “From now on, I should address you as Master Li.”

Li Qing waved a dismissive hand. “Merely a stroke of luck, Commander Qian. You flatter me.”

Qian Hong, a woman of direct temperament, saw no need for further pleasantries. “I want you to forge a sword for me. I have prepared the materials myself. As for your fee, simply name your price.”

*Finally,* Li Qing thought.

In truth, he had little interest in gold or silver. Money was a simple matter. If he had enough, fine. If not, the Extreme Night World always offered a solution. From Qian Hong, however, he sought a different kind of compensation—special ores like Black Gold, a material that had long captured his interest.

“Commander Qian, you must understand,” Li Qing began, his tone measured. “A Peerless weapon cannot be forged on a whim. It requires my mind, body, and spirit to be in perfect harmony. As for the treasures you mentioned… I am not a man driven by wealth.”

Qian Hong had expected as much. She wasn’t disappointed, merely concluding that her initial offer was insufficient to move a man of his caliber. It was perfectly normal for him to refuse money; a blacksmith with his skill would never be poor.

“Master Li, you seem to have an interest in the martial path,” she offered. “I possess a top-tier secret manual for an internal martial art.”

Before she could finish, Li Qing shook his head with a faint smile. “I only practice to maintain my health. I hold no great ambition for higher realms of martial arts.”

*A martial arts manual?* He scoffed internally. Frankly, his time was already stretched thin. Cultivating the Golden Body Art and the Turtle Breath Technique, while also refining his Fierce Tiger True Intent Diagram and the Gu Xuan Hammer Technique, consumed nearly all his energy. He had even been forced to temporarily shelve his leg-training regimen. There was simply no time for another art.

Qian Hong accepted his refusal without suspicion, clearly having come well-prepared.

“My family in Quanshan City acquired a two-hundred-year-old Bitter Xuan Ginseng. It is exceptionally potent for nourishing one’s essence and refining qi—a great boon for any martial artist!” she continued, her voice rising with excitement. “Furthermore, in my years of searching for materials to forge my own Peerless weapon, I came across a most peculiar ore. It is said to be the remnant of a fallen star, and they call it Skyfall Meteorite Iron!”

At this, Li Qing’s composure finally wavered. He hadn’t expected her to possess such a treasure.

However, her next words quickly tempered his excitement.

“The Skyfall Meteorite Iron or the Bitter Xuan Ginseng. Master Li, which will you choose?” Qian Hong’s smile was confident. She was certain she had him.

And she was right. Li Qing was indeed moved, and he fell into deep thought. *Why must it be a choice? I’ve always been terrible at making them.*

“Commander Qian, if I may ask, how large is the piece of Skyfall Meteorite Iron?”

“Roughly the size of a man’s head,” she answered honestly. “As long as you aren’t forging a greatsword or a massive blade, it should be just enough.”

It was clear that while Qian Hong was eager for his services, she was no fool. Both the meteorite and the two-hundred-year-old ginseng were priceless treasures; she would never part with both at once.

Seeing him still deliberating, she added, “Regardless of your choice, Master Li, I will owe you a favor. If you ever need my help in the future, I will do anything within my power.”

A favor… its value was subjective, difficult to measure. Still, securing such a promise from a Feng Guard commander was a significant gain in itself.

After a moment of careful consideration, he made a decision befitting his identity.

“I find myself quite curious about this Skyfall Meteorite Iron. I will choose that.”

A genuine smile finally broke across Qian Hong’s face. “Excellent. I will have the forging materials and the meteorite delivered to you within three days.”

“Then I shall await your good news.”

With that, Qian Hong, clad in her striking red dress, turned and departed from the smithy.

Three days passed in a flash. In that time, news from Qingzhou sent shockwaves through the martial world of Feng Country.

Sun Qi, the object of countless ambitions, had been ambushed by several Inner Force masters. The night was a storm of flashing blades and deadly swordplay. In the end, Qingzhou’s foremost swordsman was gravely wounded. To save his own life, he was forced to cast away the so-called Immortal Ascension Opportunity.

Before all witnesses, Sun Qi had used his Inner Force to project his voice across the battlefield. “The Immortal Ascension Opportunity is nothing but a useless token! You have all been fooled!”

Despite his words, the bloody scramble for the token continued unabated.

Even after escaping, the wounded Sun Qi could not shake his pursuers. Cornered at a precipice in Qingzhou, he chose to leap, his fate now unknown. As for the token he had thrown, no one knew who had claimed it in the chaos of that night. Experts from every major power had descended into a bloody melee, making it impossible to tell who had emerged victorious.

Some whispered that the Nine Lotus Sect had secured it. Others claimed the court’s own Feng Guard had seized the prize. Still others believed it had fallen into the hands of an unknown, independent master.

Reading the intelligence reports, Li Qing couldn’t help but sigh.

“This world of martial artists… it truly is a treacherous place. How many have died for a token whose purpose isn’t even known?”

In this era, human life was perhaps the cheapest commodity of all.

As he mused, he heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching his shop once more. Who else could it be but Qian Hong?

“I didn’t realize you paid such close attention to the affairs of the martial world, Master Li,” she said, stepping inside with a bright smile. In her right hand, she carried a heavy sack that clanked with a dull, metallic sound as she walked.

Li Qing smiled back. “With all the fantastic rumors surrounding the Immortal Ascension Opportunity, one can’t help but wonder if immortals truly walk this earth.”

*Thud!*

Qian Hong set the heavy sack down before him. As she untied the cloth, she said, “Immortality is a distant myth. It is better to focus on the present, Master Li.”

The fabric fell away, revealing a cluster of sharp, angular stones, their surfaces streaked with patterns like swirling ink. Beside them lay a larger rock, the size of a man’s head, with a snowy, silver luster. The mere touch of it spoke of its incredible density and hardness.

“This is the Black Gold and the Skyfall Meteorite Iron?” Li Qing narrowed his eyes, his fingers tracing the unyielding surface of the meteorite.

Qian Hong nodded. “That’s right. I imagine Master Gu told you about it. The Wuli Army is stationed at the border of Wangyuan City precisely for this strange and special ore.”

She paused, her gaze fixed on the gleaming stones. “The yield is incredibly low, but make no mistake—this is far more precious than its weight in gold.”