Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 67: Legendary Weapons of the Jianghu

*Clang!*

[Successfully forged Mortal Grade weapon: Fine Iron Longsword. Lifespan +4 months!]

As the notification materialized in his vision, Li Qing held the straight, lightweight longsword, admiring the newly completed weapon with the critical eye of a master craftsman.

The sharp blade reflected a cold, deadly gleam. In terms of craftsmanship, it was flawless. While it couldn’t cleave through steel as if it were mud, it was sharp enough to sever a hair that drifted onto its edge.

*Sigh, the rewards are diminishing again. At this rate, forging a blade like this will soon net me only a single day of life.*

Li Qing sighed internally, a shadow of concern clouding his brow. Still, a few months was better than nothing. With his current skill, forging such a longsword took two days at most. He had told Boss Fang it would take three, a simple precaution against any unforeseen delays.

“Mortal Grade, Mortal Grade…” he mused. “Even the Jingji Blade, a weapon I poured countless hours into and consider my masterpiece, is only rated as a high-quality Mortal Grade weapon.”

“Even the Peerless Hammer, forged with the special material Black Gold, couldn’t escape the same classification.”

“And yet, in the Jianghu, both the Jingji Blade and the Peerless Hammer would absolutely be considered legendary weapons!”

This wasn’t self-praise; it was a cold, hard assessment. Weapons like his Jingji Blade and Peerless Hammer simply lacked fame. Once they had time to build a reputation, or fell into the hands of a true martial expert, the martial world would undoubtedly recognize them as legendary armaments.

He was certain of it. The quality of his work was in no way inferior to the few famous weapons circulating in the Jianghu. In a few decades, or perhaps a century, he had no doubt there would be a famed blade known as Jingji.

Currently, two legendary weapons were most widely known throughout the Jianghu.

The first was the Xuanwu Spear. Legend claimed it first appeared three hundred years ago and was now wielded by Lü Guanghong, the commanding general of the Wuli Army. This was the primary reason many speculated that General Lü was a peerless expert of the Grandmaster realm. As the old saying went, a fine saddle for a fine horse, a treasured blade for a true hero. How could an ordinary man possibly hold onto a weapon of such renown without the strength to back it up?

The second was the cursed blade—Red Lotus!

This was the heirloom blade of the Nine Lotus Sect, passed down since the time of their second-generation Sect Master. Only the current master was permitted to wield it. It was worth noting that in its long history, the sect had seen fourteen masters. Only the second was named Red Lotus; all others were known by the title of the Black Lotus. The cursed blade had been named in honor of that second master. The reasons for this were a mystery to outsiders, a secret known only to the sect’s inner circle.

The current, fourteenth-generation Black Lotus Master of the Nine Lotus Sect was a confirmed Grandmaster. It was an ironclad rule of their sect: only a Grandmaster could assume the mantle of leadership. They would rather leave the position vacant and leaderless than break this tradition. Incredibly, they had succeeded, producing a Grandmaster for every generation, earning the awe and fear of the world.

Many whispered that the sect possessed a unique method for reaching the Grandmaster realm, but one that surely came with severe limitations—perhaps something as extreme as a direct transfer of power from one generation to the next. Of course, no matter how tempting the secret, no one dared to move against the Nine Lotus Sect. The organization was simply too formidable; any one of their nine core members was a top-tier expert capable of unleashing a storm of blood upon the Jianghu.

***

A day after the longsword was completed, Boss Fang arrived as promised to collect it.

“A fine sword!” Fang Long, a man from a rough and tumble background, exclaimed the moment his hand closed around the hilt.

It was indeed a weapon of exceptional quality. The razor-sharp edge seemed to radiate a cold light, and just pressing a thumb lightly against the flat of the blade sent a stinging sensation through his skin.

“Master Li, does it have a name?” Fang Long asked, his eyes burning with admiration.

Li Qing just smiled and shook his head. “It is yet unnamed. Let Brother Yang decide on one.”

It wasn’t arrogance; he simply had no desire to name such a common weapon. Only creations like the Jingji Blade or the Peerless Hammer were worthy of that honor.

“Hahaha, Master Li, I doubt there are many smiths in the entire world who can match your skill,” Fang Long praised.

Li Qing waved his hands dismissively. “You flatter me, Boss Fang. I’m just a humble smith trying to make a living in the capital. Please, you’ll embarrass me.”

“You’re too modest, Master Li. One day, when I’ve saved enough silver, I’ll be commissioning a proper iron staff from you.”

“Of course, that would be no problem,” Li Qing said, his tone shifting. “But Boss Fang, I actually have a favor to ask.”

“Oh? And what might that be?”

“I plan to leave the city for a while to take care of some personal business,” Li Qing explained. “I’m a little worried about leaving the forge unattended. I was hoping you could help keep an eye on it.”

Hearing this, Fang Long slapped his chest and boomed, “Consider it done! A small matter like that, leave it to us brothers from Liangzhou. If any blind fool dares to cause trouble, I, Fang Long, will skin him alive!”

With Fang Long’s assurance, Li Qing offered his thanks. “Then I’m in your debt, Boss Fang.”

Boss Fang waved it off as if it were nothing. In truth, ever since Li Qing had revealed his skill, Fang Long had wanted to foster a closer relationship with the Outer Force blacksmith. In this day and age, blacksmiths were common, and Outer Force martial artists weren’t rare either. But a blacksmith who was also an Outer Force martial artist and could forge such magnificent weapons? That was a man worth knowing.

“Well, Master Li, I’ll be on my way!”

The two men clasped fists and parted ways.

A weight lifted from Li Qing’s mind. With Boss Fang’s promise, he no longer had to worry about his forge being robbed. The brothers from Liangzhou were not the same men they used to be. Everyone on the street knew one of them had joined the prestigious Feng Guard. Having connections in high places earned you a certain degree of respect.

After watching Boss Fang’s figure disappear down the street, Li Qing turned and began to pack. He carefully wrapped the copy of the Gu Xuan Hammer Technique that Master Gu had given him and gathered a substantial amount of silver for his travels.

“Qingzhou Province, Chongning County,” he murmured, looking at the thick, bound manuscript. “I wonder if any of Master Gu’s family are still there.”

His thoughts drifted. It was Master Gu who had set him on this path, giving him both the art of the forge and the way of the warrior. Both had been invaluable.

Fulfilling his master’s last wish was a debt he intended to pay.