Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 91: Challenge

“Brother Li, are you in there?”

The soft, tentative voice could belong to no one but An Xuan.

Li Qing didn’t bother turning around. His eyes remained fixed on the Shadow-Seeking Footwork manual in his hands as he replied with a calm, even tone, “I am.”

A slender silhouette stepped through the entrance of the martial library. An Xuan nervously tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “My adoptive father mentioned you’ll be leaving us again soon.”

“I am. The world is vast, and I intend to see it.” Li Qing chuckled softly, snapping the manual shut.

He finally turned to face her. Looking at An Xuan, his mind flashed back to the starved, trembling little girl she had once been. Time was a ruthless but fascinating sculptor. That malnourished, terrified waif had bloomed into a striking, graceful young woman.

“Can’t you stay?” An Xuan held his gaze, her dark eyes pleading. “The outside world is descending into chaos and darkness. At least here in Obsidian City, you’d never have to worry about a roof over your head or your next meal.”

Li Qing stifled a faint sigh. He had to admit, her beauty was undeniable—it was exactly why that arrogant second young master of the Yan family had targeted her years ago.

“Comfort is a trap,” he replied simply. “My path is tied to the martial arts. I need to tread new ground and test myself against true experts. A quiet life in Obsidian City just doesn’t suit me.”

It was a half-truth. The reality was that he couldn’t remain in the Extreme Night World permanently. His required periodic disappearances back to his original world lasted for months at a time. Lingering here too long would inevitably draw unwanted scrutiny. While the Righteousness Gang posed absolutely zero threat to him now, keeping his immortal nature a secret was pure pragmatism.

An Xuan’s shoulders slumped minutely; she understood. He was leaving, and nothing would change his mind.

“If it weren’t for you… my grandfather and I would have died shivering in the gutters, and no one would have even blinked.” Her voice trembled slightly. “I owe you a debt greater than my life. Xuan’er has no way to repay it.”

A glossy sheen welled up in her clear eyes. The unspoken words hung thick in the air between them—a desperate willingness to promise oneself in marriage.

Biting her lower lip, she cast her gaze toward the floor. “Brother Li… will you ever come back?”

A beauty’s heavy gratitude is nothing but a tether, Li Qing thought, his mind coldly rational even as he sighed inwardly. Outwardly, his expression remained an impenetrable mask.

“Of course. I roam as I please. Who knows? Perhaps one day, just like this time, my path will loop back to Obsidian City to visit old acquaintances.”

“You vanished for six years last time. How long will it be now?” An Xuan sniffled, hastily wiping her eyes. She forced a strained, bitter smile. “But I understand. Since your mind is made up, Xuan’er wishes you unbroken victory on your martial path!”

With that, she spun on her heel and strode out the door.

She had always been like this—pragmatic and painfully sensible, knowing better than to become a burden. Li Qing watched her retreating silhouette. A fleeting pang echoed in his chest, but he ruthlessly crushed it down, keeping his mouth clamped shut. He simply watched her fade away into the dim, eerie glow of the nightlight mushrooms.

A day later, Li Qing finalized his preparations. He had liquidated his spoils into hard currency, tightly packing the heavy sacks of gold, silver, and precious jewels onto the broad, sturdy back of Fantong (Rice Bucket).

The morning of his departure brought a small crowd to the gang’s courtyard. The familiar faces of the Righteousness Gang had gathered to see him off.

Tianlong, the towering, battle-scarred gang leader, stared at Li Qing. A grim intuition settled in the old gang leader’s gut: This will be the last time I ever see this man.

“Brother Li,” Tianlong boomed, stepping forward to clap a heavy, calloused hand onto Li Qing’s shoulder. “No matter the time, no matter the place, the doors of the Righteousness Gang will always remain open to you!”

Looking at the man who had treated him like blood, Li Qing felt a rare flicker of genuine respect. “Take care of yourself, Brother Tianlong.”

“Master Li! Safe travels!” Wei Tian stepped forward, bowing respectfully.

Li Qing returned the nod. His sharp gaze swept over the gathered crowd, mentally cataloging the faces. Everyone was here. Everyone, except An Xuan.

At that moment, the crowd parted. Zhao Kou stepped forward, his posture rigid and spine perfectly straight. His eyes were locked onto Li Qing with intense focus.

“Brother Li. Before you go… could you grant me a single request?”

Li Qing arched an eyebrow, mildly surprised. He remembered Zhao Kou well. When the kid had first begged to join the Righteousness Gang, Tianlong had mercilessly carved a blade across his chest, declaring that only those with a hard enough life could survive their ranks. Zhao Kou had survived. He proved his grit. More recently, during the bloody purge of the Yan family, the kid’s vicious, utterly unscrupulous methods had genuinely earned Li Qing’s approval.

“Let’s hear it,” Li Qing said, a faint, indulgent smile touching his lips.

“Before we part ways, I want to test myself against your strength. Over these past few years, I’ve finally broken through to become an Outer Force martial artist!”

Zhao Kou’s eyes burned with a sudden, manic intensity. It was the feral, hungry glare of a true martial fanatic.

“Hah! A trivial matter.” Li Qing laughed, thoroughly amused. He didn’t mind demonstrating a fraction of his current power to leave a lasting impression. “Make your move.”

Zhao Kou licked his dry lips. He dropped into a combat stance, the vital energy and blood roaring through his veins, flushing his skin red.

The Righteousness Gang only boasted two Outer Force martial artists: himself and Tianlong. But Tianlong’s external martial arts relied on raw physicality, and the old man’s vitality was steadily decaying with age. Challenging the gang leader was both disrespectful and pointless. Li Qing’s return was a godsend—a perfect, rare whetstone to sharpen his own blade against.

Catching the scent of blood and violence, the surrounding thugs and lieutenants immediately formed a wide ring around them. As men who bathed in the grime of the underworld, there was nothing they loved more than a brutal sparring match.

Standing on the sidelines, Tianlong furrowed his brow but made no move to intervene. He, too, was quietly burning with curiosity. Six years ago, Li Qing was already capable of crippling Outer Force experts. After such a long absence, what terrifying realm had the man reached?

“Brother Li, are you not going to draw your weapon?” Zhao Kou narrowed his eyes, noticing that Li Qing hadn’t even reached for the massive, bone-crushing hammer strapped to his back.

Li Qing shook his head dismissively, his posture entirely relaxed. “No need. Draw your blade. Don’t worry about me.”

What a joke, Li Qing mused coldly. Against a mere Outer Force martial artist, a true Inner Force expert drawing a weapon wasn’t a duel; it was just cruel bullying.

Zhao Kou fell silent. A second later, the sharp rasp of steel echoed across the courtyard as he unceremoniously ripped his long blade from its scabbard.

“Brother Li, forgive my offense!” Zhao Kou barked. “If I wound you, you’ll just have to stay in Obsidian City a few extra days to heal! Don’t blame this little brother for being ruthless!”

Without waiting for a reply, Zhao Kou exploded forward. The cobblestones cracked beneath his boots as he closed the distance with terrifying speed. He angled his blade, unleashing a furious, blistering assault. His technique was savage and predatory, his slashes cutting through the air at brutally unorthodox angles.

Li Qing didn’t even twitch. He stood rooted to the spot, his hands resting easily at his sides. As the deadly edge of the blade carved a diagonal arc straight toward his neck, his apathetic expression didn’t waver a fraction of an inch—as if the lethal steel whistling toward him was nothing more than a passing breeze.

The onlookers collectively held their breath, their eyes widening in shock. That was the full-blooded strike of an Outer Force expert! Was Li Qing actually going to take it head-on?!

The next instant, a sharp, ear-piercing metallic screech shattered the silence.

Clang!

The blinding flash of steel vanished abruptly in mid-air. The lethal momentum died in a heartbeat. The heavy long blade had completely disappeared from Zhao Kou’s grip!

(Author’s Note: Suddenly realized this chapter wasn’t posted previously…)