Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 23: The Burglar

“You’re telling me that blacksmith had a sudden pang of conscience and gave all his Black Wheat Mushrooms to Old Man An?”

Inside the opulent Yan family estate, a young master draped in silks and brocade lounged in a heavy chair. His face was a sickly, bloodless white—the unmistakable mark of overindulgence.

This was none other than Yan Gui’an, the Second Young Master of the Yan family, the very man who had set his sights on An Xuan.

Standing before him, the shifty-eyed Yan San bowed deeply, nodding his head in rapid succession.

“Yes, Second Young Master. I saw it with my own two eyes,” Yan San replied, his gaze fixed on the floor.

Yan Gui’an’s eyes narrowed. He tapped a pale finger against the armrest, lost in thought.

“I also heard that this same blacksmith taught a lesson to the three Qi brothers—the ones who used to run rampant through the market, weren’t they?” Yan Gui’an asked.

“Correct. The Qi brothers ambushed him as he was leaving the market, but he took care of all three of them by himself,” Yan San confirmed.

Hearing this, Yan Gui’an let out a cold laugh. “Hah. So I give him a few cheap manuals, and he actually manages to make something of himself?”

“Uncle Jing, what’s your assessment? How strong could this blacksmith possibly be? He must have some skill to beat the three Qi brothers alone.”

At his words, a burly middle-aged man stepped out from behind the chair. In a world defined by scarcity, it was hard to imagine anyone could maintain such a powerful physique.

The man called Uncle Jing had a placid expression, his voice as still as the water in a deep well. “A blacksmith’s strength already surpasses that of an ordinary man. Give him a few basic fighting techniques, and dealing with a handful of starving street rats is hardly a challenge.”

“As for his actual martial skill? I doubt it’s anything impressive. A martial artist cannot progress without a steady diet of meat. It’s simply impossible.”

Uncle Jing spoke from experience. He was an expert who had mastered Outer Force and was now on the cusp of breaking through to the realm of Inner Force; he understood these matters intimately.

Of course, Uncle Jing had no way of knowing about the massive stores of grain and cured meat Li Qing had hauled from the abandoned military camp. Without them, his assessment would have been perfectly accurate.

“Hmm. Still, the man’s smithing skills are exceptional. It would be foolish to make an enemy of him without cause.” Yan Gui’an mused for a moment before a slow grin spread across his face.

“Yan San, arrange for the Righteousness Gang to test the blacksmith’s mettle. He humiliated their men; surely they haven’t just swallowed that insult, have they?”

Yan San immediately bowed again. “Consider it done, Second Young Master. I’ll see to it personally.”

After Yan San departed, Uncle Jing spoke up. “Second Young Master, if you wish to deal with the blacksmith, allow me. Why resort to such troublesome, roundabout schemes using others as your pawns?”

Yan Gui’an, however, simply shook his head with a smile. “When teaching a lesson, it’s always best to keep one’s own hands clean. Besides,” he added with a dismissive wave, “I don’t want him dead.”

“Let the Righteousness Gang test the waters. If he turns out to be nothing more than a paper tiger, they can dispose of him for us.”

Hearing this, Uncle Jing said no more and closed his eyes once more. He recalled the manuals they had given Li Qing: the Qingluo Leg Technique, the Turtle Breath Technique, and the Fierce Tiger True Intent Diagram.

None of the three were top-tier techniques. Mastering them so quickly was impossible. At best, Uncle Jing mused, the blacksmith might have reached the Novice stage with the Qingluo Leg Technique. As for the Turtle Breath Technique and the Fierce Tiger True Intent Diagram? He doubted Li Qing could even begin to comprehend them in such a short time.

What threat could a mere blacksmith pose?

***

Li Qing finished tidying his workshop, stowing the Peerless Hammer and his iron armor. He was about to return to Feng Country when he froze.

Since breaking through to the realm of Outer Force, his senses had sharpened dramatically. By simply focusing his will, he could pick up the faintest sounds from the street outside, even from within his sealed room.

And right now, a sound broke the utter silence of the night: a single, soft footstep from the street.

The step was slow, deliberate, and impossibly light—like a cat’s prowl, nothing like the tread of an ordinary passerby.

A burglar? Li Qing thought, a flicker of amusement in his mind. How odd. Who would bother robbing a poor blacksmith? Or has the Yan family already made their move?

A cold smile touched Li Qing’s lips, a razor-sharp glint in his eyes. He dismissed the thought of returning to Feng Country. Instead, he settled onto his bed, cross-legged and still as a mountain, and waited.

He was curious to see what this uninvited guest wanted.

Moments later, a slender figure clad in black scaled the courtyard wall, landing silently on the packed earth within. The intruder scanned the yard, and after confirming the coast was clear, crept toward the main house.

The moment he neared the door, an intoxicating aroma hit him.

The burglar swallowed hard against a rush of saliva. It was the rich, savory scent of cooked meat.

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath. “Since when do blacksmiths live this well? He can actually afford meat… No wonder the boss sent me here.”

The scent was indeed from Li Qing’s recent meal, a lingering trace the intruder had been unlucky enough to catch.

Upstairs, Li Qing’s eyebrows rose in surprise. The muttered words had reached him as clearly as if whispered in his ear.

Not the Yan family, then? A gang leader’s orders… That could only mean the Righteousness Gang.

The realization wiped the amusement from Li Qing’s face, replacing it with a glacial calm. He couldn’t believe it. After all this time, the Righteousness Gang still held a grudge over the Qi brothers. To think they’d finally send someone for revenge now.

Being remembered by such people for so long was a deeply unsettling feeling.

“The Righteousness Gang… Daring to come to my door,” Li Qing murmured, swinging his legs off the bed.

Thanks to the Qingluo Leg Technique, his movements were utterly soundless—even quieter than a stalking cat. The burglar below, busy rummaging through the kitchen, heard nothing.

Li Qing descended the stairs and watched the man’s back as he searched the kitchen. A cold smile played on his lips.

“Damn it, where did he hide the meat…?” the thief grumbled.

Frustrated, the scrawny thief gave up on the food and turned to look for other valuables. He didn’t get a single step before his entire body locked up, rigid with shock.

A powerful hand had clamped down on the back of his neck like a vise.

He felt an irresistible, absolute power—a grip that held his life and death in its palm.

“M-Master, I was wrong… P-please, spare me…”

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