Commanding Wind and Cloud

Chapter 436: Invitation, Murderous Intent from the Mayor

What? How come? Ray Guamin felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured on the head, which drew away all his elation at once. How could his master agree with Qian Jin? Had he gone insane and entered senile dementia due to years of dedication to forging?

Though feeling grudged deep inside, Ray Guamin couldn’t say anything. After all, Yunxing Huisheng was not only his master, but the Number One Blacksmith in Yulee Region, who had the power to cut off his prospects in the blacksmiths’ circle, in which circumstance he would find no blacksmith union to shelter him and had to seek refuge with some influential family by serving as a well-paid blacksmith, while the road to power would be none of his business and he would be of less use to the Ray Family.

“You bloke… no, young boy… no… Qian Jin, you are definitely right.” Yunxing Huisheng changed the way he addressed Qian Jin three times and flashed a look full of infatuation for forging. “However, in case you add red phosphorus by dusk, you will have no time to spray in sulfur…”

“Why should we add sulfur?” Qian Jin wore a doubtful look. “The heat in the sulfur will make the hardness of green copper increase by ten percent and generate severe metal exclusiveness, making it harder for the ingredients to get merged. Besides, there will be a feint blending on the surface of the linking part, while in fact the underlying parts are detached with each other. That is why this sword, not a real Level 9 Warrior Weapon.”

Yunxing Huisheng lowered his head and pondered for several minutes. In raising his head, the twisted eyebrows of him had been softened, and then he kept nodding his head. “You are right… it’s no wonder the metal was harder by ten percent than my estimation.”

“One more thing.” Yunxing Huisheng cracked his finger. “If we put a speck of lime into the water to lower the temperature of the weapon…”

“It needs to be measured accurately.” Qian Jin spoke like an erudite teacher. “Yet the special materials in the lime might reduce the duration and hardness of the weapon. By adding some certain amount of Cloud Powder, the lime inside the formula would be neutralized, and the hardness of the weapon would get intensified.”

“Really?” Yunxing Huisheng took out a pen and a notebook from his robe and wrote down what Qian Jin had said meticulously.

Ray Guamin had worked up his courage trying to say something several times, but on seeing the mesmerized look of Yunxing Huisheng he gave up as he knew deeply that his master was wholly devoted to forging. It was really out of his expectation that Qian Jin could absorb his teacher so much.

Well… York Leigh deemed himself as having seen much of the world which was full of surprise, however, never had he felt as shocked as today. The scene that he thought of as illusion was now displayed in front of his eyes.

The more Yunxing Huisheng recorded on the notebook, the more surprised he felt. As the creator of the Junyang Sword, he ought to be the one most familiar with the merits and demerits of this sword. However, with the comments from Qian Jin, he found that he was, in fact, unfamiliar with it.

What he hadn’t discovered about it included not only many of the demerits, but also a certain number of merits. For the time being, he seemed having turned into a forging apprentice who was observing this Junyang Sword for the first time.

“Mayor, the forging furnace is underway.”

A servant ordered to prepare the forging furnace was standing outside the silent doorway. Having not smelt anything wrong, he was performing his duty meticulously.

Yunxing Huisheng tucked away his notebook and looked at Qian Jin. “Actions speak louder than words.”

Qian Jin shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly and started walking outside. While passing by Ray Guamin, he grasped away the Junyang Sword and began observing it carefully again. Despite the numerous demerits about it, it was made with a handful of creativity, which he found to be of value for reference.

York Leigh looked around the crowd with a screwed look, feeling it both funny and annoying that Qian Jin and Yunxing Huisheng had substituted for him in becoming the leading roles at tonight’s party.

After a short bitter smile, York Leigh resumed his elated look. Admittedly, he never worried that Marc Gavin might be hoodwinking him. After witnessing that Yunxing Huisheng, the Number One Blacksmith in Yulee treated Qian Jin with such an attitude, all looming misgivings inside him were expelled. Now it had been made clear that to support Qian Jin in an all-around way was the inevitable choice for him to reach the saint level.

The Ray Family? York Leigh cast a cold look at Ray Zhen standing nearby. Just now Marc Gavin said secretly that the assassination of Qian Jin last night was designed by the Ray Family. Upon hearing this news, York Leigh thought about suppressing the Ray Family by showing support for Qian Jin in the public.

Now it seemed that… York Leigh cupped his chin with his palm and started meditating. Now that Qian Jin turned out to be much more intelligent than what he had expected, it was a must for him to get Qian Jin into his camp. As for the Ray Family? I’m sorry that you would be in trouble for the days to come, as everything that might be helpful for Qian Jin combat the Ray Family, either implicitly or explicitly, would be unshakable from my obligations without any hesitation.

The Ray Family had hired some assassins? Then I’ll do the same. York Leigh had made up his mind secretly that he would give all the money he had to help Qian Jin. Placed aside without being used in the right business, the gold coins he had wouldn’t help him reach the saint level. So he would spare not a cent of his money to support Qian Jin.

Ray Zhen had goosebumps all over his skin all of a sudden. So he turned to York Leigh, wondering whether this mayor was bearing unexpected hatred towards him.

Clang!

A string of metal clashing sound rang from the backyard. Feeling curious, York Leigh ran outside the hall and galloped through the corridor to the backyard in the mayor’s mansion. Then he saw that Qian Jin was revamping the Junyang with an iron hammer.

Well, Yunxing Huisheng was looking at Qian Jin in ecstasy like an apprentice. Every now and then, he would help his “master” by adding some oil to the fire or evening pulling in and out the bellow.

After a short while, York Leigh came back to the dance floor blankly. What had happened tonight was so strange that he couldn’t find any word to describe his feelings.

Half an hour later, the forging sound died down. Yunxing Huisheng looked at the Junyang Sword grasped in Qian Jin’s hand. The blazing luster of it was replaced by a plain beam of light which seemed to be given out by a hoe.

Admiration. Since setting foot on the forging occupation, Yunxing Huisheng hadn’t felt admiration toward any blacksmith. But at this moment, he was overwhelmed by a strong feeling of admiration.

“There are still some issues waiting to be fixed.” Qian Jin handed the Junyang Sword to Yunxing Huisheng. “You may easily fix them up by yourself.”

Taking back the Junyang Sword, Yunxing Huisheng looked as nervous and timid as a pupil in front of his teacher. “Qian Jin… master… I wonder whether you have joined any blacksmith union.”

A master? Qian Jin screwed his lips, as he knew that he didn’t live up to such a title. As a blacksmith in his early years, he had too sharp of a gap with Uncle Blake in forging techniques. If he started to take on the egotism, he would be left with no room for making progress.

“That is to say you are a freelancer?” Yunxing Huisheng looked at Qian Jin excitedly. “You haven’t joined any blacksmith union?”

“No.” Qian Jin cleaned the forging furnace with his bare hands. “I’m a warrior of the Torrent Battle Fort.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Yunxing Huisheng waved his hands and placed them behind his back. “It doesn’t matter as long as you haven’t joined a sub-union in two or more cities. I wonder whether Master Qian Jin has the interest of joining in our Blacksmith Union.”

Qian Jin looked at Yunxing Huisheng. “Can I see it as an invitation?”

Never had Yunxing Huisheng felt as nervous as this moment in his life, even during the times when he was summoned in front of the emperor. To use the word “astonishing” to describe Qian Jin’s forging proficiencies as displayed half an hour ago was beyond enough. It had reached an unreachable realm.

Right. The Realm. Yunxing Huisheng could say with sheer certainty that should the Gods grant a God-tier Blacksmith Master to Zence Empire, it would undoubtedly be Qian Jin. The realm he had reached in forging was totally beyond the commonly seen level.

Maybe Qian Jin’s overall strength in forging couldn’t be compared to that of the three vice presidents and the president in Central Blacksmith Union in the Holy Capital, but with regards to the realm of forging, Qin Jin was indubitably the strongest in the Zence Empire.

Generally, a blacksmith was specialized in one division with some knowledge about some of the other branches. However, Qian Jin excelled at all divisions in forging.

For a long time, to try one’s luck with all divisions had been deemed stupid in the blacksmiths’ circle. However, after seeing Qian Jin revamping Junyang Sword by borrowing the experience on other wares from time to time, Yunxing Huisheng eventually realized that he had been wrong, totally wrong, and that to reach consummation in one division in a lifetime was a mistake, for that everything in this world was related to each other.

For all these years, he had been stuck in lifting his forging level, behind which the reason was that he had been focusing on pursuing perfectionism in one division.

To get improvement in all fields might be extremely hard at the very beginning. However, once you laid a solid and comprehensive foundation, the growth in all fields would be faster than only focusing on one. With the increase of the realm, the gap would get larger.

“That’s right. I’m sending you an offer of invitation.” Yunxing Huisheng looked at Qian Jin nervously. “I do hope that you could join us in the Yulee Blacksmith Union.”

“Well, this…” Qian Jin put on a reluctant look. “President Yunxing, it’s not that I’m unwilling to join the Yulee Blacksmith Union. But…”

“So…” Yunxing Huisheng asked eagerly, “do you have any difficulties? Are you discouraged by the bloke Marc Gavin? If so, I can help you settle it down.”

Marc Gavin? The bloke? Qian Jin laughed. The only one who dared to refer to Marc Gavin as the bloke might be President Yunxing Huisheng throughout all of Yulee Region.

“It’s not about the Torrent Battle Fort.” Qian Jin made a long and reluctant sigh. “It’s about Mr. Ray Guamin. Well, what you may not be clear of is that I’m in an open and strong conflict with the Ray Family.”