Chapter 2009 - Cooperation

"Patriarch Yuan, greetings," Liu Wuxie and Long Yuanxiong said, rising together and cupping their fists as Yuan Xiangtian approached them.

"Please, be seated," Yuan Xiangtian replied, courteously gesturing toward their seats.

After everyone took their seats, the steward stepped back and lowered his hands to his sides.

"I'll get straight to the point, Patriarch Yuan. We're here to discuss a partnership with the Yuan Clan," Liu Wuxie said. Empty pleasantries held no appeal for him, and Yuan Xiangtian could plainly see his distaste for hollow formalities.

The steward responded to Yuan Xiangtian’s questioning glance with an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

The situation was clear now. Liu Wuxie was the one making decisions, while Long Yuanxiong merely accompanied him.

"What kind of partnership do you have in mind?" Yuan Xiangtian asked, intrigued.

"We've come to Azure Cloud City to recover the debts the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion has owed us for the past two decades," Liu Wuxie explained, laying out the circumstances before making his offer.

A gleam entered Yuan Xiangtian's eyes. He had long known that the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion had withheld twenty years of tribute from the Azure Jade Palace. Numerous disciples had come on the sect's behalf to collect it, only for the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion to send them away with flimsy excuses. Not a single envoy had returned with payment.

Settling two decades of debt in one payment would leave the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion's finances crippled, perhaps beyond repair. Its decline would give the Yuan Clan an opening to surpass it completely.

"I'm listening. Go on," Yuan Xiangtian urged, his interest growing.

Long Yuanxiong kept silent beside Liu Wuxie. Without knowing the plan's finer details, he felt it was best not to interrupt.

"I need your clan's help. In exchange, I'll ensure that the Yuan Clan claims first place in the upcoming blacksmith tournament," Liu Wuxie said.

His strategy was straightforward. He wanted to turn the Yuan Clan's local influence against the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion and bring it down. Having secretly betrayed the Azure Jade Palace and joined the Heavenly Alliance, the Blackwood Blacksmith Pavilion gave him no reason to spare it. He held the Law Enforcement Token, and even the sect's upper echelons couldn't overrule his actions.

A mocking voice interrupted the conversation. "Such arrogance! What makes you so sure you can win first place for us?"

A youth in his early twenties strode into the hall, bearing an unmistakable resemblance to Yuan Xiangtian.

Liu Wuxie's brow furrowed slightly. Few things tried his patience more than being interrupted.

"Grandfather, don't believe his nonsense. The Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion beat us last year only because it got lucky. This year, we'll defeat them and take back the championship that's rightfully ours!" the youth declared, walking past Liu Wuxie and Long Yuanxiong without so much as a glance.

"Please excuse him. My grandson, Huan'er, means no harm. I hope you won't take offence," Yuan Xiangtian said quickly, attempting to ease the situation. The Yuan Clan could not lightly disregard the standing Liu Wuxie and Long Yuanxiong held as disciples of the Azure Jade Palace.

"You call that luck? Our information says the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion has acquired an ancient forging technique believed to be lost. Beating them won't be nearly as simple as you think," Liu Wuxie replied with a faint, cold smile.

He met Yuan Xiangtian's gaze without losing his composure. Long Yuanxiong's thorough investigation of the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion's recent activities had supplied that information.

Yuan Xiangtian's eyes narrowed slightly. He had badly underestimated the young man. His original willingness to meet them had rested entirely on their affiliation with the Azure Jade Palace. Otherwise, the steward would have handled their visit. Now he understood that this Profound Immortal was far more capable than his appearance suggested.

"Could you tell me more about your proposal, Young Master Liu? How would you help us defeat the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion?" Yuan Xiangtian asked. His manner had shifted, and he now addressed Liu Wuxie as an equal.

"I can pass a lost forging method on to your clan. It will guarantee your victory over the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion," Liu Wuxie replied calmly. He meant to pit the two factions against each other. Once the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion was driven to the brink, recovering its debt would be easy.

Yuan Guanghuan sneered.

Yuan Guanghuan sneered. "Absurd! The Yuan Clan's forging heritage ranks among the finest in Azure Cloud City. Why should we need a mere Profound Immortal to teach us our own craft?"

Ignoring him, Liu Wuxie glanced at Long Yuanxiong. Understanding at once, Long Yuanxiong drew a longsword from his spatial storage and handed it over.

"This is the latest weapon from the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion. If your clan can forge a better artifact right now, I'll leave at once. If you can't, I expect you to give my proposal serious consideration," Liu Wuxie said, setting the longsword on the tea table between them.

The steward came forward, lifted the sword, and respectfully offered it to Yuan Xiangtian.

After accepting it, Yuan Xiangtian flicked the blade lightly. A clear, resonant chime carried through the hall.

"Their craftsmanship has advanced this much in only six months..." Yuan Xiangtian murmured. As an Immortal Lord Realm expert, he could assess the weapon's quality at a glance. He inspected it, then handed it to his grandson.

For a century, the Yuan Clan had produced no forging genius to compare with Yuan Guanghuan. All of the clan's finest creations had come from him.

"Grandfather, I've achieved significant breakthroughs lately. I'm certain I can forge a better weapon," Yuan Guanghuan said after carefully examining the blade. Despite his words, a trace of strain showed in his eyes.

"I believe in you, Huan'er," Yuan Xiangtian said softly. He didn't want to wound his grandson's pride, though he knew the gulf between their clan's techniques and the pavilion's was widening rapidly.

"Don't forget your words, brat! If we forge a better sword, you leave!" Yuan Guanghuan said, turning a sharp, defiant gaze toward Liu Wuxie.

"Huan'er, show some respect!" Yuan Xiangtian scolded, cutting him short with a stern look.

"Grandfather, they're nothing but a pair of swindlers! Don't fall for their lies! Why would the Azure Jade Palace choose mere outer disciples to negotiate with our clan? They want to take advantage of us! Haven't you dealt with enough frauds already?" Yuan Guanghuan pleaded, stomping his foot in frustration.

In the days leading up to the tournament, many visitors had come to the Yuan Clan, claiming that, for a small price, their ancient forging techniques would guarantee victory. Yuan Xiangtian had exposed each one of them and ordered them to be thrown out.

Azure Cloud City saw plenty of such scams at this time of year. Desperate clans bought what they believed were rare forging manuals, only to discover the deception too late. To Yuan Guanghuan, Liu Wuxie's claims sounded exactly like the swindlers'.

"Since you question my abilities, Young Master Yuan, how about a wager? Each of us will forge a sword. If yours surpasses the weapon from the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion, I'll apologize and leave at once. If mine proves better than theirs, you'll apologize and address me as Master every time we meet from now on," Liu Wuxie proposed, smiling faintly.

Yuan Guanghuan would be obliged to call him Master whenever they met, but only as an honorific. The arrangement would not make him a formal disciple.

Liu Wuxie set those terms for a reason. Across the Celestial Weave Domain, etiquette required absolute respect for a master. Assisting the Yuan Clan would inevitably mean teaching its members his forging techniques. This arrangement would ensure that they could not share those methods with outsiders without his permission.

"Agreed!" Yuan Guanghuan answered without hesitation. Losing to Liu Wuxie seemed impossible to him. Even if surpassing the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion's sword proved difficult, he wouldn't believe a mere Profound Immortal could forge anything remarkable.

Yuan Xiangtian opened his mouth to intervene, but the agreement had already been made.

"In that case, Patriarch Yuan, please have two forging chambers prepared for us," Liu Wuxie said, rising and cupping his fists.

"Come with me, please," Yuan Xiangtian replied with a helpless smile. He led Liu Wuxie and Long Yuanxiong deeper into the estate.

Beyond its commercial workshops, the Yuan Clan kept several private forging chambers where it developed and refined its techniques. Their route took them through several quiet courtyards to rows of stone chambers. Outside the doors lay heaps of discarded fragments from defective weapons.

"This chamber will do," Yuan Xiangtian said, opening a heavy stone door. Scorching heat rushed out. Inside, there was enough space for more than a dozen blacksmiths to work simultaneously.

"Grandfather, give us two identical sets of materials. I won't have anyone saying I took advantage of him," Yuan Guanghuan said.

Superior materials would make victory hollow. Despite his arrogance, Yuan Guanghuan bore no malice. He only wanted to keep his grandfather from being deceived.

Liu Wuxie nodded in approval. Yuan Guanghuan possessed talent, but his temperament was far too impulsive. He needed to understand that there was always a higher heaven, always someone more capable. Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie knew he could not stand alone against the Heavenly Alliance's full might. He needed formidable allies.

Yuan Xiangtian soon supplied two identical sets of materials, matching their age and purity.

"Let's get started," Yuan Guanghuan said, opening the underground fire vent. An emerald-green flame surged beneath the forge as Azure Cloud Fire flooded the chamber, sending the temperature soaring.

Long Yuanxiong remained quietly behind Liu Wuxie. From the side, Yuan Xiangtian and the chief steward watched.

Yuan Guanghuan set to work with practiced ease. Liu Wuxie approached his workbench casually and began by rearranging the materials.

Yuan Xiangtian had arranged the raw ores in a specific order to streamline the forging process. Why Liu Wuxie had rearranged them puzzled everyone.

After finishing the rearrangement, Liu Wuxie opened his fire vent instead of summoning his own flame. He chose the first material and tossed it into the furnace, where Azure Cloud Fire wrapped around the ore and steadily burned away its impurities.

Yuan Guanghuan's movements were marked by speed and precision. His hands wove complex, glowing runes in midair, using them to temper the metal.

Liu Wuxie showed no sign of concern, yet his progress lagged far behind. He had not even started inscribing runes. A frown creased Yuan Xiangtian's face. Could his grandson have been right all along?

Yuan Guanghuan began pouring molten alloy into his sword mold, while Liu Wuxie continued methodically refining his raw materials.

Even Long Yuanxiong's face grew solemn as he watched. Doubt stirred in him. Did Liu Wuxie truly understand the art of blacksmithing?