Arrangement

[You successfully forged an elemental sword and gained 999x690 experience!]

[You have learned and mastered Intermediate Forging]

[Intermediate Forging evolved to Expert Forging]

The blade shimmered in the light, its sharp edge gleaming with power. The sword was a masterpiece, its quality unmistakable.

The crowd was left speechless.

"He… he really did it," one of the blacksmiths finally muttered, awe clear in their voice.

"He not only did it on his first try? Just look at the quality! This guy is on a completely different level!"

Bai Zhen's face went pale as he realized the extent of Ryu's skill.

His pride crumbled as he stared at the blade Ryu had effortlessly forged. It was something he might never be able to achieve, no matter how much time he spent refining his craft.

"This… this can't be real," Bai Zhen stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief.

Ryu remained calm, looking at Bai Zhen with an even gaze. "I told you, you're out of your league. Whether in blacksmithing or anything else, you won't beat me."

Zhang Wei, now fully impressed, couldn't hide his excitement. He glanced at Bai Zhen, whose face had drained of color, and spoke calmly.

"Master Bai, it seems Brother Ryu has won. From now on, he will be the chief blacksmith of Ironhand Forge. Do you have any objections?"

Bai Zhen forced a weak smile. "Master Ryu is young, but his blacksmith skills far surpass mine. It would be an honor for him to take the position."

Lowering his head in shame, Bai Zhen added, "I didn't realize Master Ryu's real skill. I was blind to your abilities. Please forgive me for my earlier disrespect."

At this moment, Bai Zhen finally accepted his defeat.

Ryu had proven his skill; he was far better than him and far younger. Insisting further would not benefit him; it would only destroy his reputation and earn him the wrath of Zhang, the young master and a potential genius.

Ryu didn't care much for Bai Zhen; he might have taunted him, but this also gave him the opportunity to show his skill. What mattered was that Bai Zhen had already admitted defeat. If he hadn't, Ryu had been prepared to deliver a final blow.

He just needed to ask how long Bai Zhen had been crafting, then whisper how long he had been blacksmithing.

The knowledge would be more than enough to deal a fatal blow to Bai Zhen's pride, enough to make him choke on blood.

He turned to Zhang Wei and said, "I can agree to take the position for Zhang Pavilion. But you know I'm also a student at Lingyun Martial Academy, so..."

"No worries, Brother Ryu. You don't need to be at Zhang Pavilion all the time. You can just hold the title, and I'll bring the materials to you."

He smiled and added, "Once the weapons you make are sold, Zhang Pavilion will give you 30% of the profit."

"Oh yeah, one more thing, Brother Ryu, what is the sword's name?"

It's common for blacksmiths to name weapons of such quality. Calling it just a cold sword wasn't enough.

Zhang Wei looked at it with a gleam in his eyes; he could feel the bitter coldness even without infusing it with Qi.

Ryu shook his head. "I don't want any profit. Just give me 30% of the materials as a reward. I also need a special discount for herbs."

"That's no problem at all. You can just tell me what materials you need. As long as it's within my capability, I'll get it for you," Zhang Wei replied without hesitation.

"Then it's settled. Whenever Zhang Pavilion needs me to refine something, bring the materials to my accommodation, No. 69."

"Don't worry, Brother Ryu. I'll also retrofit it to make sure you can do all your work there."

He asked for materials since that was what he needed the most. Taking money might seem more profitable, but Ryu knew it wasn't. With this arrangement, he would get materials at a far cheaper price and could even request special ones.

This would also help hide what kind of things he made. Right now, people only knew him as a blacksmith; only a few had seen him make a pill through alchemy.

If they knew, Ryu would be showered with invitations from many pavilions with very profitable offers. Even his current skill alone in blacksmithing would get him some attention. He was sure Zhang Wei would do his best to hide all this information.

It was a win-win situation. He would get to grow without worry, while Zhang Pavilion could monopolize investing in him for now.

With the arrangement made, Ryu left Zhang Pavilion and noticed it was already night.

'I wonder where Teacher Song is now?'

He wanted to look for her but didn't want to be direct about it. If anyone asked and became suspicious, it wouldn't do him any good. Ryu planned to use Teacher Song to create pills for his own cultivation and to sell them to Zhang Pavilion.

Whether it was pills or weapons, he was sure Zhang Wei wouldn't mind. He would then have enough time to focus on more important matters like his cultivation.

He walked around for a while and then passed by a restaurant named Sasu Ramen. His eyes squinted as he saw a familiar face there.

"Ryu, what a coincidence. I didn't expect to see you here."

Ryu frowned as he saw Chen Yunhong and Chen Qianhe approaching him.

"Chen Yunhong, why are you here in Lingyun City instead of staying at home?" Ryu asked with a raised eyebrow.