Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 34: The Curtain Falls

With Master Mo Nan’s surrender and Yan Qitian’s death, the Yan family was utterly broken.

A chilling silence fell over the grand estate, punctuated only by the terrified whimpers of the surviving family members, who huddled and trembled in the darkened side rooms.

“The Yan family is finished,” Tianlong declared, his voice laced with ice. “But their eldest son is still alive. Seven Kills Squad, hear my order! Find Yan Guifu. Bring him to me, dead or alive!”

Of the thirteen assassins who had begun the assault, only ten remained. Two had fallen to Yan Xu, another to Mo Nan. The survivors were men bound by blood feuds, their eyes still burning with a raw, unquenched hatred. To tear the Yan family out by the roots was their singular obsession.

Li Qing opened his mouth, a plea to spare the women forming on his lips. But one look at the bloodshot eyes of the Seven Kills Squad and the words died on his tongue.

It was Master Mo Nan who spoke, his voice heavy with reluctance. “Spare the women. They are innocent, after all. Just drive them from Obsidian City.”

Tianlong let out a cold, humorless laugh. “Master Mo, is there a single man in my Seven Kills Squad whose family wasn’t butchered by the Yans? When you were taking their silver, did you ever spare a word for the families *they* destroyed?”

The old master flinched, speechless. He could only let out a long, weary sigh and say no more.

A short while later, a series of terrified, shrill screams echoed from the rear courtyard.

Li Qing simply closed his eyes. “It’s easy to preach kindness when you haven’t suffered their pain,” he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. “If any Yan survives to seek revenge on me, I’ll be waiting.”

Hearing this, Tianlong roared with laughter. “Hahahaha! Brother Li, you see things with perfect clarity! Old man Mo, you’ve lived a long life and still don’t get it!” He then bellowed, “He’s right! If any Yan is still breathing and wants revenge, come find me first—if you have the guts!”

Tianlong infused the shout with his Outer Force, and the challenge boomed across the estate, a thunderous proclamation to all within and without.

“Brothers!” he roared to his men. “Take what you want! Eat what you want! Just try not to burst!”

At his command, the eyes of every Righteousness Gang member lit up with avarice. It was time to claim the spoils. The exhaustion of battle vanished, replaced by a feverish energy as they began to plunder the mansion.

Li Qing had no interest in looting. He walked over to Jing Tai.

The former Yan family retainer was fading, his life guttering like a cheap candle. His breathing was a faint, shallow whisper. Li Qing leaned on his Peerless Hammer, looking down at the dying man.

“Never… thought…” Jing Tai rasped, his words broken. “You’d actually… make something of yourself…”

“The three martial arts the Yan family gave me,” Li Qing asked, his tone flat. “Did you choose them?”

“Yes… I thought you’d master none of them. Truly… unexpected…”

In an age where a full stomach was a luxury and meat a distant dream, Li Qing had somehow reached the Outer Force realm in a shockingly short time. It defied all of Jing Tai’s expectations. He stared up at Li Qing as if gazing upon a true martial prodigy. His eyes held a tangled knot of envy, regret, and a strange flicker of pity.

Then, the light in his eyes faded completely. The last thread of his breath snapped.

Li Qing turned and walked to the body of the Yan patriarch. Or rather, what was left of it. It could no longer be called a corpse; it was unrecognizable as anything human. Fueled by the hatred of the Seven Kills Squad, the once-powerful master of the Yan family had been reduced to a heap of bloody sludge and shredded silk.

Li Qing crouched, his brow furrowed. He carefully picked a small, torn fragment of a Yellow Talisman from the gore.

“Gang Leader Tianlong, Master Mo Nan,” he called out. “Do you know what that golden light around Yan Qitian was?”

Tianlong snorted dismissively. “How should I know? Some trick he bought off a wandering Daoist, probably. Looked scary, but it was useless in the end.”

*What kind of wandering Daoist could conjure such a thing? And why waste it on the Yan patriarch?* Li Qing didn’t believe it for a second. He turned his gaze to Mo Nan. The old master had served the Yans for years; surely he knew something.

“In all my years here, I never saw anything like it,” Mo Nan admitted. “I have no idea where he got it. Perhaps from the old days, before the sun vanished.” He paused, hesitating. “However…”

“However what?” Li Qing and Tianlong asked in unison.

“Well, for many years, the Yan family sent men to a place called Tianliang Mountain,” Mo Nan said, his eyes narrowing in thought. “They would deliver large shipments of grain periodically. They haven’t gone as often in recent years, though.”

*Tianliang Mountain.*

Li Qing burned the name into his memory, marking it with a single, silent tag: *danger*.

“Master Mo, Gang Leader Tianlong, what do you know of this mountain?” he pressed.

Both men simply shook their heads. They had never heard the name, nor did they know of any mountain nearby that went by it. Seeing their ignorance, Li Qing let the matter drop.

“Hahahaha! Who gives a damn about some mountain!” Tianlong boomed, his good mood returning. “Tonight, we celebrate our victory right here! Bring out those Blood Jade Mushrooms and White Meat Mushrooms! Let’s feast!”

Tianlong was a blunt instrument, not one for pondering mysteries. The Yan family was gone, making the Righteousness Gang the strongest power in the city. All their lands and granaries now belonged to the gang.

On his orders, Zhao Kou and Wei Tian immediately tore down the ornate plaque above the mansion’s main gate, smashing it to splinters. They hauled over the Righteousness Gang’s own sign and mounted it in its place.

As of tonight, the Yan family was history.

That evening, a massive bonfire roared to life in the main courtyard, its fierce light casting dancing shadows across the entire estate. Table after table was laden with food. To everyone’s surprise, the Yan granary held a hidden stash of cured meats, and even some fresh cuts. More astonishingly, they found rice and flour—relics from a forgotten era.

Both Mo Nan and Tianlong had lived through the age of the sun. When they saw these foods, they trembled, their eyes welling with tears at the sight of a world they thought was lost forever. The supply was tragically small—enough for a few people for a couple of months. For martial artists with appetites like Tianlong and Li Qing, it would last a month at best.

At a table groaning under the weight of fragrant dishes, Tianlong, Li Qing, and Mo Nan sat together.

“Brother Li, I’m a man of my word,” Tianlong said, tearing into a piece of roasted meat. “Starting today, you are the second-in-command of the Righteousness Gang. When I die, the gang is yours. What do you say?”

To the astonishment of everyone listening, Li Qing simply shook his head. “Thank you for the honor, Gang Leader, but I prefer a quieter life. The position of second-in-command… I’ll have to decline. I would be content to serve the gang as a patron.”

Become the second-in-command? It wasn’t a lack of ambition; it was pure self-preservation. Until he understood the mystery of Tianliang Mountain, Li Qing had no intention of sinking any deeper into these treacherous waters. A patron could walk away. A second-in-command was chained to the ship, and Li Qing could already see the storm on the horizon.

“Hahahaha! Brother Li Qing, if you’re not willing, I won’t force you,” Tianlong declared, slapping the table. “Wei Tian!” he shouted toward the back of the courtyard.