Chapter 68

The news of victory from the Yulong Gang had already been sent back to the docks and the hall. At the docks, a large welcoming crowd quickly gathered, craning their necks as they waited for the fleet to return.

It was not until the afternoon that two large ships finally appeared, heavily laden with goods seized from the Nu Tao Gang, while escorting a batch of prisoners ashore.

More than twenty captives, battered, filthy, and bruised all over, were tied together in a line and escorted by constables toward the county office.

Dock laborers swarmed aboard to unload the cargo.

“Heh!”

“So many crates!”

“Aren’t these the iron ore and salt we lost last time?”

The laborers methodically carried and unloaded the goods.

Crate after crate was moved into the hall’s warehouse.

Taking Fei Zai’s advice, Su Wangchuan brought over more than a dozen apprentices to intercept a share of the haul. Using handcarts, they transported basket after basket of iron ore toward the weapon room.

They had forged a large number of arrowheads and armor-piercing arrows recently, consuming quite a bit of iron ore. This was the perfect chance to replenish supplies.

The guards at the warehouse were already used to this sort of thing and paid no mind as weapon room apprentices went in and out, cart after cart rolling away.

“Brother Fei Zai, we’re hauling away all this iron ore. Is it really fine?”

This was Su Wangchuan’s first time doing something like this, and he felt a little uneasy.

Fei Zai looked completely relaxed.

“Haha, Brother Wangchuan, don’t worry.”

“There are more than a dozen ships’ worth of goods coming in later. Just the iron ore alone fills six large ships. Even if you empty this entire ship, it won’t matter.”

Su Wangchuan finally relaxed.

That was good.

Things were much easier when one had connections.

With more than a dozen helpers working quickly, the empty ground of the weapon room was soon piled full.

Only then did Su Wangchuan stop, preparing to leave.

At that moment, Lin Xun and Hall Master He entered together, chatting and laughing. Both bore wounds and traces of blood. Several gang disciples followed behind them, escorting a man.

“Wangchuan.”

Lin Xun called out to him. “Perfect timing. We caught someone who claims to be a blacksmith. He knows how to forge. Test him. If he’s usable, keep him in the weapon room to work for you. If not, we’ll send him to the county office and collect the bounty.”

Hall Master He nodded in agreement.

“This man is called ‘Qian Sihai.’ He’s a blacksmith the Nu Tao Gang abducted from Huishui County. He claims to be proficient with all kinds of Hundredfold Steel weapons. He should be a talent. If we can make use of him, then there’s no need to keep Zhang Room Master around anymore. Watching him day and night is exhausting.” His words carried a sharp, ruthless edge.

Su Wangchuan’s heart tightened. He pretended not to hear the implication and carefully examined the middle-aged man being escorted behind them.

The man looked weathered and disheveled, his entire body darkened from soot. Yet there was a strong aura of sparks about him—clearly someone who spent his days around furnaces.

Lin Xun added, “Don’t worry. He only knows blacksmithing and hasn’t practiced martial arts. Keeping an eye on him will be easier than watching Zhang Room Master.”

Su Wangchuan nodded.

“Alright.”

“Take him to the weapon room,” Hall Master He ordered.

After they had gone some distance, Su Wangchuan asked quietly, “He looks like he had a hard time with the Nu Tao Gang. If he’s a Huishui County blacksmith, he probably won’t want to run… Does he still have family here?”

“No.”

“When he was taken, his wife had already been violated. He himself suffered a great deal of torture before being forced to stay at the water stronghold to forge weapons. When we captured him, he was still locked in a room.”

Hall Master He explained.

Su Wangchuan sucked in a sharp breath.

What a pitiful man.

“Alright. I’ll head back to settle him in and observe him. If anything comes up, I’ll report to the two of you.”

“Mhm. Go.”

Hall Master He nodded.

…

Back at the weapon room.

The disciples escorting Qian Sihai left.

Qian Sihai stood alone in the open space, at a loss, staring blankly at his surroundings.

“Ergou!”

Su Wangchuan called out.

Chen Ergou appeared at once.

“Room Master.”

“Go buy five meat buns.”

With a wave of Su Wangchuan’s hand, Chen Ergou quickly returned from the dockside bun shop with steaming hot buns.

Su Wangchuan walked up to Qian Sihai and handed them over.

“Eat, then get to work.”

Qian Sihai silently took the buns, moved to one side, and devoured them in large bites. In no time, he finished them all, wiped at his eyes, muttered something indistinct, then stood up and walked straight to one of the forging tables, pushing an apprentice aside.

“You—”

The apprentice was about to flare up, but when he saw the room master gently wave his hand, he backed off.

“What do you want me to forge?”

Qian Sihai grabbed a hammer and stared straight at Su Wangchuan.

Su Wangchuan asked in return, “What can you make?”

“Hundredfold Steel weapons—I can forge them all. Arrowheads, throwing darts, daggers, spearheads, longswords, sabers, hook swords, long staves, even complete Hundredfold Steel spears. There’s nothing I, Qian Sihai, can’t make.”

There was unmistakable arrogance in his voice.

Su Wangchuan’s eyes lit up.

Even his own master, Blacksmith Sun, would probably not dare to boast so boldly.

Could this really be a talent?

“Then forge Hundredfold Steel sabers. How many can you handle at once?”

Su Wangchuan wanted to see how much value this man could truly produce.

Qian Sihai glanced at him again, pondered briefly, then replied, “Forging Hundredfold Steel sabers takes a long time, and the heating time is also long. At most, I can manage three at once. To finish them all as completed products would probably take a day and a half.”

“Then begin,” Su Wangchuan said, lifting his hand.

Qian Sihai immediately picked up a large ladle and the saber molds, scooped a full ladle of refined molten iron, and poured it into the molds. His movements were swift and practiced.

“Ergou, go help,” Su Wangchuan instructed.

Chen Ergou hurried over and poured the second and third saber molds.

With assistance, Qian Sihai immediately began hammering.

Because Hundredfold Steel sabers required a large amount of material, molten sparks flew everywhere.

Qian Sihai did not even blink. His hammer fell in a dense, unbroken rhythm, fully focused, completely immersed.

One-Breath Triple Strike.

He truly possessed the technique and the strength of One-Breath Triple Strike.

No wonder he was so arrogant.

This was a blacksmith no worse than Room Master Zhang.

Su Wangchuan stood to the side, watching intently.

Back in Blackstone Village, he had never learned how to forge Hundredfold Steel sabers.

But with his current level, as long as he observed carefully for a while, he could roughly grasp the process.

Qian Sihai showed no intention of guarding his methods, working openly and boldly, hammering in One-Breath Triple Strike with blazing intensity.

Su Wangchuan watched him complete several full rounds.

Each round involved at least three hundred strikes.

Extremely strict.

True craftsmanship.

Su Wangchuan quietly returned to his own forging table and continued hammering Hundredfold Steel arrowheads.

CLANG!!!

CLANG!!!

As soon as Su Wangchuan entered his rhythm, it caught Qian Sihai’s attention.

Qian Sihai noticed that Su Wangchuan’s forging technique had reached One-Breath Quadruple Strike. Shock and astonishment burst forth in his eyes. He clearly had not expected this young man’s skill to surpass his own.

After observing closely for a while, he realized that Su Wangchuan was forging eight arrowheads simultaneously—and was even alternating between both hands.

The arrogance that had filled him dissipated considerably, and his gaze grew much clearer.

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