Chapter 79: Industry Gathering
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"Old Liu, you're here too—"
"Of course, it's rare for a blacksmith to stand out among us, and with the support of the three veteran Blacksmith Masters, to gather all the blacksmiths in the principality for a meeting. How could I miss such an event—?"
In the south of Wood Plant City, at the gate of the Jin Family Manor, a tall and a short muscular man were talking, each leading a young apprentice, heading towards the open gate.
Du Jun, standing outside the gate, stepped forward a few paces, greeting them with a smile, "Master Baru, Master Liu Kuang, thank you both for coming from afar..."
As the deputy manager of the Jingeng Blacksmith Shop, Du Jun, though not as skilled in forging as his fellow apprentices, was exceptional in social interactions, a rarity among blacksmiths.
"Alei, quickly take the two masters in and brew a pot of good tea!"
After a few pleasantries, Du Jun called over a young man waiting nearby and led the two senior blacksmiths from Bilu City into the manor.
Once inside the gate, they saw a courtyard spanning over two acres, with nearly a hundred figures gathered, sitting or standing in small groups.
"Master Chai—"
The tall and muscular Baru spotted a familiar face from a distance and called out.
"Hmm?"
In a corner of the courtyard, a lean and sturdy man standing with a few muscular companions looked over. Recognizing the newcomers, he smiled and waved, calling out, "Ha—! I was wondering who it was, it's you, Baru—! Come on, let me introduce you to some new brothers—!"
Seeing this, Baru nodded to Alei beside him, thanked him, and led Liu Kuang and their apprentices over.
The group met and introduced themselves.
Among them, Master Chai, like Baru and Liu Kuang, was a Senior Blacksmith from Bilu City.
The other muscular men were from Coldwind City, also Senior Blacksmiths.
Or rather, among the nearly a hundred people in the Jin Family Manor courtyard, aside from the younger apprentices, the fifty to sixty older men were all Senior Blacksmiths capable of running a blacksmith shop on a bustling street in a major city.
Time slowly passed, and the number of people in the courtyard gradually increased. The tea and pastries by each person's side were replaced several times, but no one showed any signs of impatience.
The three veteran Blacksmith Masters of Waterwood Principality, Jingang, Fu Shan, and Li Qiang, along with the newly promoted, fourteen-year-old Blacksmith Master Ling Yi, had jointly summoned these Senior Blacksmiths for a serious purpose, not for amusement.
Moreover, the courtyard was filled with the disciples of the three veteran Blacksmith Masters, who were introducing and acquainting each Senior Blacksmith with one another.
For a moment, hearty laughter and conversation filled the air, dispelling the chill of early spring along with the bright sun.
The main hall of the Jin Family Manor was spacious, bright, and simply decorated, fitting the straightforward nature of the elder Jin.
At this moment, only six figures were present in the vast hall.
Around a specially made round table, the six took their seats.
The elder Jin, as the host and the oldest, sat facing the entrance, with Fu Shan and Li Qiang, the two Blacksmith Masters with military and court connections, on either side.
To Fu Shan's left, Ling Yi sat quietly, a warm smile on his lips.
Across from them, two figures sat. One was a handsome middle-aged man in a blue robe, his face bearing a natural smile that made people feel at ease. The other was a middle-aged man in an open-fronted short-sleeved leather jacket, his rugged face and short hair exuding a wild, snow-like aura, even in the sub-zero temperatures.
The handsome middle-aged man was Qingqiu Li, the owner of the Seashore Blacksmith Shop in Bilu City, a Senior Blacksmith and the most influential figure among all the blacksmiths in the Bilu City region.
This was not because his forging skills were the best, but because he was a 45th-level Agility-Attack War Soul Sect member.
Such strength made him the second most powerful person in the Jin Family Manor that day, slightly stronger than the Soul Patriarchs Fu Shan and Li Qiang.
As for the first, it was the short-haired man still wearing a thin leather jacket in the cold weather.
Long Ang, from Coldwind City, the owner of the Blue Flame Blacksmith Shop, a 48th-level Strength-Attack War Soul Sect member.
He was also the Senior Blacksmith in Waterwood Principality closest to becoming a Blacksmith Master.
Yes, he still was the one closest to achieving that status.
His tiger-like eyes scanned Ling Yi from head to toe, finally settling on his fair, youthful face. Long Ang's voice was loud and clear, "You're a man of true talent. I've seen and studied the 'Thousand Scale Armor.' I must say, I, Long Ang, recognize your status as a Blacksmith Master—!"
"Phew—"
With Long Ang's words, everyone except Ling Yi, including the elder Jin, Fu Shan, Li Qiang, and Qingqiu Li, breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The somewhat tense atmosphere, caused by Long Ang's initial silence upon entering, finally relaxed.
Ling Yi, with a humble expression, leaned forward slightly and said calmly, "To receive recognition from Senior Long Ang is a great honor for Ling Yi—"
Though he was a Blacksmith Master and the other a Senior Blacksmith, given the other's strength, just two steps away from becoming a Soul King, and his backing by a powerful soul master family, there were only a dozen or so people in the entire Waterwood Principality who could afford to ignore him.
Didn't the other four at the table show him respect at this moment?
"Hmm~"
Long Ang nodded noncommittally, looked around, and finally turned to the elder Jin, Fu Shan, and Li Qiang, asking, "You should know my nature. Let's not waste time. What's the matter? Why did you gather so many Senior Blacksmiths here?
Your letter wasn't very clear—"
As he spoke, Long Ang's tiger-like eyes met the elder Jin's.
Beside him, Fu Shan and the others also turned their gazes to the elder Jin.
"Ahem—"
Under the scrutiny of these people, the elder Jin felt a wave of unseen pressure. He opened his mouth, but finally, after a light cough, he cast his gaze towards Ling Yi, who was sitting beside Fu Shan, and said, "Um, that... Ah Yi, you explain the content you discussed with Little Fu and Little Li to Master Long Ang and Master Qingqiu Li—"
Following the elder Jin's words, the few people at the table turned their attention to Ling Yi.
Ling Yi's gaze first swept over the elder Jin, Fu Shan, and Li Qiang, especially the latter two. If one didn't know, they might think that these two were as clueless as Long Ang and Qingqiu Li.
Ling Yi shook his head helplessly in his heart but showed no change on his face. He nodded, stood up, and took out a stack of folded papers from his chest.
Laying the papers out on the table, Ling Yi looked around and asked, "Masters, seniors, how much do you know about the current ironware market in Waterwood Principality?"
(End of Chapter)