Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 69: The Eccentric Master Li

A hush fell over the grounds surrounding the martial stage, the only sound the steady pitter-patter of falling rain.

A single slash had not only defeated an opponent but had cleaved through his very weapon. The sheer power of the strike was staggering.

After a long moment, someone in the crowd finally broke the silence, shouting, “Quickly! Get him down from there! He needs a physician!”

On the stage, the crimson bloodstains were swiftly washed away by the downpour, as if nothing had happened at all. Yet, seared into the minds of all who watched was the afterimage of that blade’s light, a flash that had pierced the curtain of rain and sent a tremor of fear through their hearts.

Inside the rain pavilion, Commander Qian Hong remained standing, her eyes narrowed into slits, fixed on Zhao Yuan as he re-slung the Jingji Blade onto his back.

“That blade is no ordinary weapon.”

As a master of Inner Force who had campaigned with the Wuli Army for years, her eye for such things was sharp. She had recognized the blade’s exceptional nature at a glance.

Guo Zhentong, a man who loved wine more than life itself, gave a slight nod. “No, it’s not,” he agreed. “They’re both Outer Force practitioners, so the gap in their skill isn’t that wide. To sever a weapon in one blow… that’s not something raw strength can account for.”

The refined, white-robed man’s gaze flickered with uncertainty. “A divine weapon,” he murmured. “One that has never been seen before. It has no reputation, no name.”

“Perhaps it’s newly forged?” Commander Qian Hong mused, a brilliant light growing in her eyes. “Crafted only recently, which would explain its obscurity.”

Beside her, Guo Zhentong began to pick his nose with a distinct lack of decorum. “The number of smiths in this world capable of forging such a weapon can be counted on one hand,” he scoffed. “And they’re all either old, dead, or wandering in some distant land. One even defected to the Liang Kingdom.” He flicked something from his finger. “The whereabouts of those old masters are a complete mystery. Even if you could find one, they’ve all but retired from the forge.”

At this, Qian Hong could no longer maintain her composure. She had to know who had forged that blade. Could there truly be a new master smith in the world, one capable of creating divine weapons?

The thought made her breath catch in her throat. She desperately needed a craftsman of that caliber. The pile of Black Gold she had acquired from the borderlands was still sitting in her warehouse, a useless heap of stubborn rock, because she couldn’t find anyone skilled enough to forge it into the weapon she envisioned.

The reason was just as Old Guo had said: the few renowned masters had all vanished. Old, dead, or traveling—and the most infuriating of all, one had turned traitor. The Qian family had leveraged all its influence and had actually managed to track one down, but the man was so ancient he could no longer lift a hammer.

The matter had become a persistent frustration for her. A lifelong devotee of the martial path, blessed with talent beyond the reach of ordinary people, she naturally craved a divine weapon to call her own.

Mortals aged. No matter how powerful, none could defy the relentless march of time. In a century, all would be dust, their fame and glory scattered like smoke.

But a weapon could endure. She yearned for a blade that would live on in the martial world long after she was gone. After all, who now remembered the names of peerless masters from centuries past? But divine weapons were a different story. The legendary demon blade, Red Lotus, and the indomitable Xuanwu Spear—even today, the names of their first wielders were still spoken with reverence.

“I must find out who he is!”

Qian Hong had lost all interest in the farce of a competition. The most important thing now was to uncover the origin of Zhao Yuan’s blade.

As she moved to leave, the refined man and Guo Zhentong rose as well, unable to sit still. If this was a chance to connect with a living master craftsman, the opportunity was immeasurable.

Moments later, the taciturn Zhao Yuan found himself summoned before all three commanders.

They met in a secluded, soundproofed room within the Feng Guard headquarters.

Zhao Yuan stood before them, silent and waiting. The three commanders, in turn, maintained their authoritative posture, saying nothing. The four of them simply stared at one another, the atmosphere growing stranger by the second.

Finally, Qian Hong broke the silence. She cleared her throat and asked, “What is the name of your blade?”

“Jingji,” Zhao Yuan replied, his words as sparse as gold.

“A fine name!” The white-robed man’s eyes lit up, as if he could sense the profound meaning behind the word.

Qian Hong and Guo Zhentong silently savored the name before pressing on. “And which Master forged it?”

“A Master Li,” Zhao Yuan answered honestly. “Here, in the city.”

The words “Master Li” made the three Inner Force commanders’ breathing quicken. Among the handful of known living masters, none bore the surname Li. And he was in the city? How could they have been unaware of a smith capable of forging divine weapons right under their noses?

“Where is this Master Li? We wish to meet him. Can you take us?”

“Hold on,” the white-robed man interjected. “Masters of this caliber often have their own… peculiarities. Zhao Yuan, tell us everything about your encounter with him, in detail.”

“Exactly,” Guo Zhentong added. “We mustn’t offend him by violating some taboo. If he’s a great master hiding in plain sight, he surely values his privacy.”

As the commanders voiced their theories, it finally dawned on Zhao Yuan: the Jingji Blade that Master Li had forged for him was far more extraordinary than he had ever imagined.

After a moment of thought, he recounted the entire story. It began on Xiaocui Ridge, where he and his sworn brother, Zhong Hui, had ventured. He told them of Zhong Hui’s tragic death and his final request: to return a blade to a blacksmith named Li in the city.

When he mentioned that the forging of his new blade had cost a mere fifty taels, the faces of the three commanders froze.

A heavy silence descended upon the room.

“Fifty taels… truly…” Qian Hong was at a loss for words, a storm of emotions churning within her. She had spent a fortune and exhausted countless resources searching for a capable master, yet this man had acquired such a weapon for a pittance. The comparison was infuriating.

The refined man shook his head. “It’s not that simple. The integrity shown by you and your brother, your commitment to honoring a promise—that must have been what moved the mysterious Master Li. It was your character that convinced him to forge a famed blade for you.”

“I agree,” Guo Zhentong nodded. “From what Zhao Yuan says, this Master Li is clearly unconcerned with worldly wealth.”

“Let’s go,” Qian Hong said, her expression grave. “Take me to see this Master Li now.”

“We mustn’t be so rash!” Guo Zhentong cautioned. “Our visit must be discreet. A man like him surely values his tranquility. This matter must be kept secret!”

“Well said,” the other man agreed. “Masters of his caliber are often eccentric. It would be disastrous if we were to inadvertently offend him.”

None of the commanders, not even Qian Hong, thought to ask about Master Li’s age or appearance. In their minds, a craftsman of such skill had to be a crotchety old man, burdened with a thousand peculiar rules and taboos.

Zhao Yuan, ever a man of few words, saw no reason to elaborate since they hadn’t asked. As he listened to their wild speculations, he recalled his actual interactions with Li Qing.

Hmm… Master Li didn’t seem to have many rules. And he wasn’t particularly eccentric, was he? He seemed like a decent person.

While he mused, the three commanders finalized their plan.

“Alright. We’ll see the competition through to its end. Afterwards, we will discreetly pay a visit to this Master Li. We’ll have Zhao Yuan go ahead to announce us.”

“An excellent plan.”