Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 79: None Other Than Myself

Shengtian, Feng Guard Headquarters.

Clad in a crimson dress, a sash cinched tight around her waist, Qian Hong’s lean, powerful figure was on full display.

“Commander Qian, the blacksmith shop on Chiming Street has reopened.”

A Feng Guard presented the report. Qian Hong’s eyes lit up, and she strode quickly toward the door.

“Is it true? Has Master Li returned?”

The messenger nodded. “The intelligence is accurate.”

“Excellent!” Qian Hong’s red lips curled into a smile, a rare crack in her usually cold and aloof expression.

Just as she was about to head straight for Chiming Street, she paused.

Wait.

Who knew what eccentricities a master craftsman might have? It would be better to send Zhao Yuan, who had met him before, to announce her visit first.

After careful consideration, Qian Hong made her decision. The master smith she had sought for so long had finally appeared; she would ensure every step was taken with perfect care.

“Summon Zhao Yuan.”

***

Chiming Street, inside Li Qing’s blacksmith shop.

Since Gu Yu had opened his own smithy, the neighbors had mostly gone to him for their daily ironware needs. Li Qing was more than happy to enjoy the peace.

At that moment, he was practicing moves from the Fierce Tiger True Intent Diagram. Beside him, the little tiger cub, Fantong, followed along, clumsily mimicking his actions.

Fierce Tiger Plucks the Heart!

Whoosh!

Li Qing’s palm curled into a vicious claw, thick veins snaking up his forearm. Each strike was powered not only by his physical might but also by the Inner Force he had cultivated with the Turtle Breath Technique. Every movement was lethally precise, causing the very air around him to hum and tremble.

If someone were to lift his loose robes, they would be stunned by the physique concealed beneath. His body was a sculpture of pure muscle, devoid of fat, each fiber coiled with potent strength.

Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain! Vicious Tiger Pounces on Prey!

Although Fantong was still too young to truly learn from observation, the act of personally demonstrating the combat techniques of a great tiger was proving unexpectedly beneficial for Li Qing. He gained a deeper comprehension of the Fierce Tiger True Intent Diagram’s core principles, feeling as if he himself were transforming into a ferocious beast, fighting an impulse to throw his head back and let loose a defiant roar.

In the end, he suppressed the urge. The tiger cub did it for him.

“Awooo!”

Before Li Qing could scold it for disturbing the neighbors, the sound of heavy, deliberate footsteps approached the door.

“Is Master Li in?”

Li Qing recognized the voice instantly. It was Zhao Yuan.

“Come in.”

He slowly relaxed his posture, the martial aura around him dissipating.

Zhao Yuan entered a moment later. His eyes fell on Li Qing and the young tiger on the floor, and he froze. For a fleeting moment, he saw not a man and a cub, but two tigers—one large, one small. The smithy itself seemed to transform, taking on the menacing air of a predator’s den.

“What a fierce tiger,” Zhao Yuan praised, his words ambiguous. It was unclear if he was referring to the cub or the astonishingly lifelike martial spirit Li Qing projected.

Li Qing relaxed completely, casually grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from his brow. “Brother Zhao, what brings you here so suddenly?”

Zhao Yuan was silent for a moment before speaking in his usual clipped manner. “The Commander wishes to see you.”

His economy of words left Li Qing unsure how to respond.

He decided to probe. “To forge a weapon, I presume? I haven’t had the chance to congratulate you on joining the Feng Guard.”

Hearing the implication, Zhao Yuan’s expression shifted. He explained hurriedly, “Master Li, if you don’t wish to meet our Commander, it’s fine. I won’t put you in a difficult position!”

Who would believe that? Li Qing thought, rolling his eyes internally. Qian Hong wanted her sword reforged back at the Wuli Army camp. After all this time, she wouldn’t just let this chance slip by. She’s a master of Inner Force, a Commander of the Feng Guard—your direct superior. What gave you the audacity to think you could persuade her to leave me alone?

A meeting was inevitable. Delaying was pointless. Better to face it head-on.

And who knows? Maybe she won’t recognize me.

“Have her come over,” Li Qing said calmly.

Zhao Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, genuinely worried that the young master smith would be displeased with him for revealing his location to their commander.

“One moment, I’ll inform her!” With that, he strode out of the smithy.

It wasn’t long before a new set of footsteps, light and graceful, approached the entrance.

A crimson figure stepped inside. Without a word, before even taking a proper look around, Qian Hong showed impeccable etiquette. She bowed low and clasped her fists in a formal salute, her gaze fixed on the floor.

“Qian Hong pays her respects to Senior Li!”

Seeing a tall, graceful master of Inner Force act with such deference left Li Qing momentarily stunned.

She’s setting her status this low? It seems my value is even higher than I imagined.

A wry smile touched Li Qing’s lips before he quickly suppressed it. He cleared his throat and spoke in a serious tone, “Ahem, there’s no need for such formalities.”

Qian Hong, still bowing, froze.

That voice… Why did it sound so young? And so familiar, like a half-remembered echo.

She straightened up immediately, her eyes locking onto Li Qing.

The next moment, her crimson lips parted, her eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and shock. The face before her, its features, slowly superimposed over the memory of an honest, sturdy blacksmith’s apprentice. The face was the same, yet the aura was entirely different.

“It’s… it’s you!” she finally managed to say, her chest rising and falling with emotion.

Li Qing offered a faint smile. “Thousand-Man Commander Qian. It has been some time.”

Finally, Qian Hong managed to compose herself. “You survived the horse bandit attack on the camp!”

She studied him with a strange, piercing gaze, naturally discerning the dense Outer Force that now coursed through him. The thick calluses on his hands were proof enough that he was a formidable martial artist.

“It’s rather shameful to admit,” Li Qing began, reciting the excuse he had long since prepared, his tone and expression perfectly genuine. “When the bandits launched their surprise attack, I was terrified. In my panic, I thought of my master and fled toward the graves at the border. I was lucky to escape. Afterward, I wandered for many days, had a few fortunate encounters, and gradually lost any desire to return to the army.”

Qian Hong simply waved a dismissive hand. “I have already left the Wuli Army. You have no need to explain such things to me.”

What a ridiculous notion, she thought. The young man before her could forge peerless weapons. Why would she care about some trivial matter from his time in the army? It was utterly irrelevant.

Her tone shifted, her gaze sharpening with anticipation as she looked him straight in the eye. “Zhao Yuan’s Jingji Blade… you forged it?”

Li Qing didn’t deny it. He simply nodded.

“None other than myself.”

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