NOVEL WEB Chapter 79: The Industry Gathering
“Of course, with such a rare talent among us blacksmiths, backed by the support of the three legendary blacksmith masters, a meeting is convened for all the blacksmiths of the entire duchy. How could I miss such an event?”
In the southern part of 'Mu Plant City', in front of the grand gates of the Jin Mansion, two muscular men of differing heights chatted as they each led a young apprentice towards the open gate.
Standing outside, Du Jun immediately took a few steps forward, greeting them with a smile, "Master Baru, Master Liu Kuang, thank you for coming from afar..."
As the acting manager of the Jin Geng Blacksmith Shop, Du Jun might not match his senior brothers in forging skills, but in the art of welcoming and bidding farewell, he was an exceptional figure among blacksmiths, notably adept.
"Alai, quickly take the masters inside and prepare some good tea!"
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Du Jun called over a youth waiting by the side to escort these two esteemed blacksmiths from 'Bilu City', another major city in the Shui Mu Grand Duchy, into the mansion.
Once inside the gates, they were greeted by the sight of a courtyard spanning over two acres, where nearly a hundred figures were either sitting or standing in small groups of three to five.
"Master Chai—"
The tall, robust man named Baru spotted a familiar face from afar and immediately called out with a loud voice.
"Hmm?"
In the corner of the courtyard, a lean yet muscular man, surrounded by several hulking brutes, turned his head upon hearing the call.
Identifying the newcomer, he immediately broke into a smile and waved, shouting, “Ah—! So it's you, Baru! You've arrived—!”
“Come over, let me introduce you to a few new brothers—!”
Seeing this, Baru nodded his thanks to Alai beside him, then strode forward purposefully, bringing Liu Kuang along with their apprentices.
The group gathered, exchanging introductions.
Among them, like Baru and Liu Kuang, Master Chai Yi was also a senior blacksmith hailing from 'Azure City'.
The other brawny gentlemen were similarly seasoned blacksmiths from 'Coldwind City'.
In fact, nearly a hundred people filled Jin Mansion’s courtyard, and aside from a dozen or so young faces, the remaining fifty to sixty older figures were all accomplished enough to sustain a flourishing blacksmith shop on a bustling city street.
Time flowed gently by, and the courtyard continued to swell with attendees.
Each person had their tea and refreshments refilled multiple times, yet none showed a hint of impatience.
The illustrious forefathers of the 'Shuimu Dukedom'—King Kong, Fu Shan, Li Qiang—and the newly risen star, merely fourteen-year-old Ling Yi, had collectively summoned these master blacksmiths for what was certainly not a trivial purpose.
More than that, within this courtyard, the disciples of the three veteran blacksmith masters were being introduced by familiar faces, acquainting themselves with every senior blacksmith.
The courtyard quickly filled with lively laughter and conversation, which, together with the brilliant spring sun, dispelled the chill of early spring.
In the spacious and bright main hall of the Jin Mansion, the decor was simple yet fitting, reflecting Old Master Jin's straightforward personality.
At this moment, the large hall was occupied by just six figures.
Around a specially commissioned round table, the six were seated.
As the host and the eldest, Old Master Jin sat with his back towards the interior of the hall, facing the main entrance.
To his left and right were Fu Shan and Li Qiang, both blacksmiths with ties to the military and the court respectively.
Sitting quietly to the left of Fu Shan was Ling Yi, his lips curled in a gentle smile.
Across from the four sat two figures.
One was a handsome middle-aged man in a blue cloth robe, whose easy grin—much like Ling Yi’s—instinctively engendered goodwill.
The other was a robust middle-aged man in a short-sleeved fur coat, despite the still freezing temperatures outside, his appearance as rugged as his curt hairstyle, exuding a wild, storm-like presence.
The reason wasn't his superior forging skill; rather, it was because this handsome man was a Level 45 agile attack soul master, a second strongest presence today at the entire Jin Mansion, surpassing both Fu Shan and Li Qiang, who were also soul masters.
As for the number one spot, it belonged to that short-haired man who wore a thin fur coat even in the cold.
Long Ang, hailing from 'Cold Wind City', the owner of the [Blue Flame Blacksmith Shop], and a Level 48 Soul Manipulating Sorcerer.
Moreover, he was once the closest advanced blacksmith to becoming a true blacksmith master in the entire [Shimizu Principality].
And he still remains the closest advanced blacksmith to mastering the craft.
His tiger-like eyes scanned Ling Yi up and down, finally resting on that handsome and somewhat youthful face, Long Ang's voice boomed: "You, kid, have real talent. I examined the 'Thousand Scale Armor' and worked on it a bit myself. I have to say, I, Long Ang, recognize your potential to become a master blacksmith!"
"Phew—" *4
As Long Ang's voice fell, everyone except Ling Yi, be it Elder Jin, Fu Shan, Li Qiang, or Qingqiu Li, let out a unanimous sigh of relief.
The previously tense atmosphere, caused by Long Ang's silent entrance, eased up in an instant.
With a humble demeanor, Ling Yi slightly bowed his upper body forward and said unhurriedly: "It is an honor for Ling Yi to receive recognition from Senior Long Ang."
Although he was already a master blacksmith, and Long Ang was an advanced blacksmith, Long Ang's strength, just two steps away from becoming a Soul King, coupled with the support of a formidable family of soul masters, made him someone whom only about a dozen people in the entire [Shimizu Principality] could afford to dismiss.
Despite not looking at the other four people at the table, all of them showed respect toward this individual at this moment.
"Hmm~"
Long Ang nodded noncommittally, surveying the room before finally setting his gaze on Elder Jin and the other two, and asked, "You've probably heard of my personality. Let's not waste time. What have we gathered so many senior blacksmiths here to discuss?
Your previous letter wasn't very clear—"
After speaking, Long Ang's tiger-like eyes met Elder Jin's gaze.
Beside him, Fu Shan and the others also shifted their gaze to Elder Jin.
"Ahem—"
Feeling the invisible pressure from their stares, Elder Jin felt a sense of pressure overwhelm him. He opened his mouth, coughed lightly, and turned his gaze to Ling Yi beside Fu Shan, and said, "Well, Ah Yi, tell Master Long Ang and Master Qingqiu Li about what you discussed with Xiao Fu and Xiao Li earlier—"
Following Elder Jin's words, the people at the table directed their attention to Ling Yi.
Ling Yi first glanced at Elder Jin, then at Fu Shan and Li Qiang, especially the latter two. Anyone unaware of the situation might think they, like Long Ang and Qingqiu Li across from them, knew nothing at all.
Despite his inner frustration with his teammates' performance, Ling Yi remained composed on the outside. He nodded slightly, rose to his feet, and reached into his chest pocket to take out a stack of papers that had been folded multiple times.
Unfolding the papers on the table, Ling Yi looked around at those present and asked, "Master, esteemed seniors, how much do you know about the current iron market in the Principality of Shuimu?"
(End of Chapter)
