Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 89: A Master in Giant Rock City

Inside the Righteousness Gang’s granary, Tianlong ordered his men to bring out an Armored Pig, a fresh delivery to Obsidian City.

The creature’s form vaguely resembled that of an overgrown piglet, but its hide was covered in a carapace of slate-gray scales. Its tail was thick and whip-like, hanging straight instead of coiling like a common swine’s.

“This is the Armored Pig traded from Giant Rock City,” Tianlong said with a note of disdain. “They slaughter every last one before shipping them out.”

The reason was obvious: they were terrified of other factions stealing their monopoly.

*Crack.*

Li Qing crouched, prying off a single scale. He held it in his palm, examining it closely. It wasn’t hard, as he had expected, but strangely flexible. It offered no real protection.

He raised the scale toward a sliver of crimson moonlight filtering down from the horizon. Against the bloody glow, he could discern the faint, unnatural veining within the scale.

“Back in the sun-era, did you ever see a pig like this?” Li Qing asked.

“Never. These strange things only started appearing in the last few years,” Tianlong replied. “What is it, Brother Li? Did you find something wrong?”

Li Qing remained silent, his gaze fixed on the scale, his mind racing.

*A new species?*

The sun had vanished only a few decades ago. Evolution didn’t work this fast. This had to be the result of human intervention. It was likely the work of the faction holding the monopoly on Armored Pigs—they had bred a new type of livestock, one that fed exclusively on Black Wheat Mushrooms and could thrive in any environment. This Armored Pig seemed like some unnatural hybrid of a scaled creature and a common pig.

Li Qing found himself curious. What methods had they used to create such an animal? It also seemed remarkably easy to raise; the fact that they slaughtered them all before sale suggested that breeding them wasn’t difficult.

“I haven’t found a problem,” Li Qing said, breaking the silence. “Just curious. I wanted to see for myself how peculiar this Armored Pig really is.”

Tianlong shook his head, then seemed to recall something. “These Armored Pigs are sold by a faction in Giant Rock City called the Red Fish Chamber of Commerce. If you’re interested, you could pay them a visit.”

He paused, his eyes glinting. “By the way, they’ve even posted notices, buying up any kind of beast they can find from the old sun-era!”

“If you go to Giant Rock City, they’ll definitely come after that tiger of yours.”

“Heh,” Tianlong chuckled. “The young pups in the gang couldn’t recognize that beast you brought in, but I knew it at a glance. Where did you find it? A creature like that is a true rarity now. I thought they were extinct.”

Hearing this, Li Qing committed the information to memory.

*Buying animals from the previous era?*

That was intriguing. It seemed the Red Fish Chamber of Commerce truly possessed the means to cultivate species adapted to this age of darkness.

*So, there’s a master at work.*

“I found the tiger by chance during my years of travel,” Li Qing recited his well-rehearsed story. “I decided to keep it by my side.”

In truth, life was far more tenacious than most imagined. Even in this dark, desolate era, some species had managed to adapt and survive. The Red Fish Chamber of Commerce wouldn’t be buying up old-world beasts if they hadn’t already found evidence of wildlife still clinging to existence. That was why Tianlong, while surprised, hadn’t been completely shocked to see Li Qing arrive with a tiger.

“Speaking of which, Gang Leader Tianlong, do you know what experts reside in Giant Rock City?”

Having dealt with the city for years, Tianlong was well-informed.

“You’ve asked the right person. As far as I know, Giant Rock City has two major powers: the City Lord’s Mansion and the Red Fish Chamber of Commerce.”

“On the surface, each faction is overseen by an Inner Force expert. What they hide in the shadows, who knows.”

“The rest are third-rate gangs, with an Outer Force martial artist at the helm if they’re lucky. Much like the old Righteousness Gang.”

With that, Li Qing had a clear picture of Giant Rock City. It was worth noting that the City Lord’s Mansion had no connection to the old imperial court from the sun-era. In the chaotic period after the sun vanished, someone from the Mansion had raised a banner and carved out a bastion of order in this dark, frozen world. That martial expert had declared himself City Lord, establishing his rule over the mighty city.

Originally, the Black Wind Region had held several cities, but not all had survived like Giant Rock City and Obsidian City. Refugees had migrated and consolidated, leaving only three mutually-defensive cities in the entire region. Giant Rock City was now the largest of them all, more vast and prosperous than Obsidian City and Black Earth City combined.

Sensing that Giant Rock City was Li Qing’s next destination, Tianlong spoke with genuine reluctance.

“Brother Li, must you really leave?”

“Why not stay? It would be for the best. In a few more years, I’ll hand the Righteousness Gang over to you. All of Obsidian City will be yours.”

“Besides, that girl An has come to see me as her godfather. And I can tell she hasn’t stopped thinking about you all these years.”

“Stay. I’ll arrange the wedding for you two. After that… we can address each other as we see fit!” Tianlong finished with a hearty laugh, clapping Li Qing on the shoulder.

*Address each other as we see fit? More like you want to pull rank on me.*

Li Qing suppressed an eye roll and offered a wry smile. “Gang Leader Tianlong, you jest. I have only two ambitions in this life: to walk further down the path of martial arts, and to travel the world and see all its sights.”

For now, at least, that was the truth. Settle down in Obsidian City? Marry and have children? He’d have to be insane. The Extreme Night World was already a bitter struggle for survival. What if things grew even worse?

He held the secret of traversing two worlds. If he had a family, he would be faced with an impossible choice. Could he bring them to a better world? He knew himself; he could never abandon a wife and child to this one. Therefore, it was best to form no attachments at all.

Besides, he was a long-lived species. He had over a century of life left, and that would only increase. What good would marriage do? He had no way to grant his family the same longevity. He would be forced to watch them age and die while he remained unchanged. The pain of that would be unbearable.

Li Qing knew he wasn’t a man who could easily sever his heart from others. The grief would be inevitable. To avoid that fate, he had resolved to walk his path alone. Unburdened and unfettered, he would be truly free.

“Ah,” Tianlong sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I understand. I won’t force you.”

He looked up at the dark sky, a deep weariness in his eyes. “It’s just… the gang is bigger now, and so are the troubles.”

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This week, the trial run continues into the third round. With little hope for the Three Rivers ranking, it will likely be released next Friday!