Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 27: A House Call

That day, on Zhengming Street in Obsidian City.

After Li Qing had thrown Wei Tian out, his neighbors were split between worrying for his safety and fearing they would be caught in the crossfire. The Righteousness Gang was a notorious force in Obsidian City, a collection of thugs with such foul reputations that no sane person wanted anything to do with them.

News of the incident inevitably reached the ears of the Yan family’s second young master. Upon hearing it, Yan Gui’an showed little reaction, merely shaking his head with a dismissive smile.

“It seems that blacksmith is just as you said, Uncle Jing—nothing more than a half-baked martial artist. And Tian Long has always enjoyed bullying spineless fools.”

The burly, middle-aged man named Jing seemed unconcerned. His expression darkened slightly as he sighed. “The age of martial arts is over. People can’t even fill their own bellies. What time do they have for training?”

Yan Gui’an smiled. “No need to be so pessimistic, Uncle Jing. The family is already arranging for a steady supply of meat for you and the other retainers. We’ve also been trying to improve those old wine recipes that stimulate blood and qi. Perhaps we can brew a medicinal wine suited for these times.”

Jing heard the words for the empty comfort they were. Improve the recipes? An absurd notion. Brewing any kind of wine was a monumental task now, with grain being rarer than gold. Besides, the Yan family’s recipes were the result of countless trials by their ancestors. They couldn’t be improved on a whim.

He had long since abandoned any hope of advancing further on the martial path. All he wished for now was to live out his remaining years in peace.

***

Meanwhile, Li Qing was back in his courtyard, practicing his martial arts with tireless dedication. Unlike everyone else in this world, he had enough food. He could feel his progress with crystal clarity every time he trained. In the last few days alone, the power coiling within him had grown stronger, and his mastery of the Gu Xuan Hammer Technique had become more fluid, more instinctive.

Just as he was about to continue, the distant clamor of a mob reached his ears.

*They’re here.*

A group of rough-looking men with hostile glares appeared at the entrance of Zhengming Street. Their leader was a brute of a man in his forties or fifties, carrying a massive, gold-ringed broadsword over his shoulder. Scars crisscrossed his face, his bald head gleamed under the perpetual twilight, and he radiated pure Killing Intent.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

As the gang marched down the street, doors slammed shut and windows were barred. Not a single sound escaped from the terrified households.

“Gang Leader, his forge is just ahead!” Wei Tian whined, his face a perfect mask of grievance. “That blacksmith is unbelievably arrogant! He has no respect for the Righteousness Gang at all!”

The bald, scarred man—Tian Long, leader of the Righteousness Gang—let out a sinister laugh. “Heh, a blacksmith in Obsidian City dares to look down on us? Today, I’ll show him some real color!”

At his words, the men behind him roared their slogan in unison.

“Rob the rich to aid the poor! Our righteousness touches the heavens!”

“Rob the rich to aid the poor! Our righteousness touches the heavens!”

The deafening chant shook the entire street.

Inside his home, Li Qing heard them and rolled his eyes. He methodically donned his refined iron armor and hefted the Peerless Hammer in each hand.

Across the courtyard, Old Man An’s face was etched with worry. “Ah, why are the young so unwilling to listen to advice? He’s stirred up a real hornet’s nest now.” His voice was laced with genuine fear, as if the calamity was about to fall upon his own head.

“Grandpa… will Uncle Li be okay?” An Xuan’s face was pale with fright. Though thin, her delicate features and sorrowful eyes hinted at a budding beauty.

“I don’t know…” Old Man An shook his head, his hope dwindling.

Just then, the footsteps outside exploded into a chaotic storm of boots on stone. The Righteousness Gang had arrived. Old Man An peeked through a crack in his door, his worry deepening as he saw the horde of hulking thugs.

*BANG!*

Without a word, Tian Long kicked Li Qing’s courtyard gate clean off its hinges. The two heavy iron doors crashed to the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust.

As the dust settled, Li Qing stood with his Peerless Hammer, staring at his ruined gate. The corner of his mouth twitched.

*This guy really commits to the role.*

“You had your chance to do this the easy way, kid. Now, how do you want to die?” Tian Long curled his lips into a ferocious sneer and slammed his gold-ringed broadsword into the ground with a deafening clang. Backed by fifty or sixty brutes, the display was undeniably intimidating.

“Gang Leader Tian Long,” Li Qing’s voice rose to match his opponent’s, “you’ve come looking for trouble time and again. Don’t lecture me about easy ways.”

“Hmph! Let’s see what you’re made of, daring to disrespect my Righteousness Gang!” Tian Long roared. He raised his broadsword, the golden rings rattling against the blade, and charged.

Though it was all an act, Li Qing was genuinely curious to gauge the strength of another Outer Force expert. He wouldn’t miss this chance. Gripping the hammer shafts, he swung to meet the charge head-on, his face a mask of defiance.

Behind Tian Long, a few of the more knowledgeable thugs scoffed.

“The fool’s not afraid of death. The Boss is an Outer Force master. His strength is immense. How could a blacksmith hope to match him?”

The next moment, a piercing shriek of metal on metal echoed through the street.

*CLANG!*

The broadsword crashed against the Black Gold face of the Peerless Hammer. The two immense forces collided, sending a shower of sparks into the air.

The man who had just spoken was still gaping, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. Li Qing had actually blocked the blow.

Even Tian Long was inwardly surprised. He hadn’t expected Li Qing to have honed his Outer Force to such a degree. He fought less like a novice and more like a seasoned warrior. But the stronger Li Qing was, the better their chances of success. A thrill ran through him. It had been years since he’d had a real fight, and his blood began to boil with excitement.

He followed up with a flurry of powerful slashes, each strike delivered with his full might. Yet Li Qing met every single one head-on, blocking them without giving an inch.

The other gang members could only stare, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. Their leader was locked in a dead-even battle with a common blacksmith.

Li Qing had gotten a good measure of Tian Long’s strength. Seeing the shock on the faces of the onlookers, he knew it was time to end the show.

*CLANG!*

As he blocked another strike, he leaned in and whispered, “Enough. Save your energy. My true strength can’t be exposed.”

The words snapped Tian Long back to reality. He had gotten too carried away. The fact that Li Qing was an Outer Force expert was the cornerstone of their plan; it had to remain a secret.

He immediately roared, “Hahahaha! Not bad, kid! You’ve got some muscle. But I was only using thirty percent of my power. Now, I’m getting serious!”

Hearing this, his men breathed a collective sigh of relief. So, the Boss was just testing the waters, enjoying the fight.

Li Qing knew this was his cue.

The next moment, Tian Long’s muscles bulged, his clothes straining against his frame. He unleashed another slash, an attack that looked so devastating it could stop a man’s heart.

Li Qing met the blow—all thunder and no rain—and feigned defeat. He staggered back several steps, then threw himself backward as if struck by a battering ram.

“Hahaha! Wei Tian, tie this trash up and bring him back to headquarters!” Tian Long bellowed, his laughter so loud it seemed to shake the very walls of the courtyard. “I’m going to have a lot of fun torturing him!”

“Yes, Gang Leader! Your divine skill is unparalleled, invincible under the heavens!” Wei Tian scurried forward with a rope, shooting Li Qing an apologetic look.

The rest of the gang erupted into a chorus of flattery, praising Tian Long’s martial prowess so extravagantly one would think he was a war god reincarnated.

“Brother Li, my apologies… please bear with it,” Wei Tian whispered, his voice barely audible.

Li Qing gave a slight nod, his face a mask of bitter unwillingness.

Just as Wei Tian finished trussing him up like a pig for slaughter, a slender figure darted out, blocking the thugs’ path.

An Xuan stood with her arms outstretched, tears welling in her eyes. “You… you let Uncle Li go!” she said, her voice trembling. “Don’t take him away!”

The entire Righteousness Gang, Tian Long included, stopped in their tracks. They stared at the small, clean-faced girl with mocking amusement. In this grim era, it had been a long, long time since they had seen a face so pure, or eyes so clear.

“Heh, the little thing is actually quite pretty. A shame she’s so skinny. She’ll be a real beauty when she grows up.” One of the thugs eyed An Xuan with a greedy gaze, like a wolf sizing up a lamb.

“Xiao Xuan, get back here!” Old Man An cried, rushing out in a panic. He grabbed his granddaughter and began bowing repeatedly. “I’m so sorry, so sorry! My granddaughter is young and foolish, please forgive her!”

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it, old man,” another thug sneered. “Your granddaughter looks like she hasn’t had a full meal in months. Why don’t you let her come with me? I’ll take good care of her.”

Li Qing had seen enough. “Ahem,” he coughed loudly. “That girl has caught the eye of the Yan family’s second young master.”

The moment he said “Yan family,” the thugs snapped their mouths shut. All eyes turned to their bald leader. Li Qing’s words were a clear signal for Tian Long to get his men in line.

Tian Long snorted. “Hmph. We’re leaving.”

Just as they were about to move, a look of tormented conflict crossed Old Man An’s face. He took a sudden, determined step forward, his hunched frame blocking the towering Tian Long.

“Gang Leader Tian Long,” he pleaded in a low, submissive voice, “I don’t know how Blacksmith Li has offended you, but I have some Black Wheat Mushrooms at home. Please, could you let him go? He’s just a young man, he doesn’t know any better…”

Tian Long actually smiled. He glanced back at Li Qing, surprised. The blacksmith had a better reputation here than he’d thought, to have an old man risk his life for him.

But letting him go was impossible. It was all part of the plan.

“Get lost!” Tian Long roared, his face twisting into the perfect image of a desperado. “The Righteousness Gang robs the rich to aid the poor! You think we care about your pathetic scraps of food? Get in my way again, and I’ll chop both you and your granddaughter in half!”

The threat terrified Old Man An. He grabbed An Xuan and scrambled back into his house.

Though their retreat was panicked and undignified, a flicker of warmth spread through Li Qing’s chest as he watched them go.