The Blacksmith of Snake Valley

Hearing the vendor mention white snake oil, Gu Bing and I exchanged a knowing smile. I asked, "What do you mean by perfect?"

"If we could find snake oil from a white snake that's been around for a few hundred years and mix it in, then those two flaws I mentioned earlier would no longer exist! I could make the most perfect repair oil in all of Baiqi City—no, in all of Tianyuan Continent!" the vendor said excitedly.

"That's easy!" With that, I took out a large jar of white snake oil from my Qiankun Bag. We had found it earlier when we processed the white snake's corpse. Gu Bing had mentioned that this stuff might come in handy, at the very least for lighting torches, so we each collected several large jars.

The vendor was momentarily stunned. He took the jar, opened it, sniffed it carefully, and inspected it closely. His face showed utter disbelief as he trembled and asked, "Where did this come from?"

"We killed a white snake that was a few hundred years old," I answered calmly.

"Incredible!" The vendor gave me a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "Those useless fools at Feitian Fight School—they really failed to recognize a true talent! Not accepting you was their loss! So, how much do you want for this oil?"

"I'm not selling it! I'm giving it to you, but in return, you have to give me that perfect repair oil! How many bottles can you make with this jar? If it's not enough, I have more!" I estimated that I still had enough gold coins for now, and carrying around so much snake oil was quite heavy. If he could truly make perfect repair oil, it would be useful to bring some along for our future adventures.

"Ah!" The vendor looked utterly shocked. "This jar alone is enough to make over a hundred bottles of perfect repair oil."

"Great. We have some things to take care of now, but we'll come back in ten days to collect it. Set aside twenty bottles for us—ten for me and ten for my brother here. You can sell the remaining eighty bottles yourself," I said.

The vendor nodded enthusiastically, promising there would be no problem. He also told us that his surname was Cheng and that he usually set up his stall by the river on the south side of the city, so we could pick up our order there in ten days. Before we left, he even stuffed a torch into each of our hands, boasting that his torches were the best in all of Baiqi City and insisting that we accept them.

That evening, when we returned to Snake Valley Village, Gu Bing invited me to his home for dinner. His parents were kind and simple folk, making me feel very comfortable in their presence. After dinner, Gu Bing mentioned that the snake gallbladder we had collected earlier had already been soaked in wine, and we could try it tonight.

I didn't know whether it was due to some secret method they used or just the quality of the wine itself, but it wasn't as harsh and unpalatable as I had imagined. Instead, it had a smooth and mellow taste. One sip sent a wave of warmth and comfort through my entire body. With a wine jug in hand, the two of us sat on a haystack at the village entrance.

Gu Bing took a sip of wine, pointed at a well-lit house in the village, and said, "That's Blacksmith Zhu's place. Lately, they've been hammering away late into the night every day. I have no idea what they're working on."

His comment reminded me of something. Back in Ninefold Ridge, he had mentioned seeing a similar emblem to the one on my tent fabric at this blacksmith's place.

"Want to go check it out?" I asked with a glance.

"What's there to see?"

"Come on, we've got nothing else to do."

Before long, we arrived at Blacksmith Zhu's house. They were repeatedly hammering a piece of metal on the anvil. When they saw us approaching, they hesitated for a moment but then greeted Gu Bing.

"Old Zhu, this is my friend, Zheng," Gu Bing introduced.

"Oh, oh. What brings you here?" Old Zhu wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked.

"Old Zhu, I heard from Gu Bing that you're quite skilled. I have a short sword that's a bit worn. Could you help me repair it?" I took out my short sword from my Qiankun Bag and handed it over.

Old Zhu examined it and said, "No problem. Can you pick it up in a couple of days?"

"Old Zhu, we're leaving the village tomorrow. Could you fix it for me tonight?" I asked sincerely. Gu Bing also helped me plead my case.

Old Zhu hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed. He told us to wait in the courtyard while he worked on the sword.

As we wandered around the courtyard, I whispered to Gu Bing, "Where exactly did you see that emblem last time?"

Gu Bing pointed ahead. I followed his gaze and saw a pile of objects covered with thick cloth. Carefully lifting the fabric, I found a heap of swords—at least a hundred or two hundred of them. Each hilt bore a circular emblem. However, in the dim courtyard light, partially obscured by the cloth, I couldn't make out the details clearly. Still, it definitely resembled the emblem on my tent fabric.

"What exactly does this emblem mean?" I mused. "Could it be some kind of blacksmith guild mark?" The ridiculous thought made me chuckle.

In reality, such marks typically had two meanings: either a well-known blacksmith would leave a signature symbol on their work, or the client belonged to a particular group that used a unified emblem, including on their weapons. Blacksmith Zhu hardly seemed like a renowned master, so the second possibility seemed more likely.

Could the HuYong Chieftain's Orc Clan have commissioned Blacksmith Zhu to forge weapons for them? But why would they need so many weapons?

Before long, Old Zhu finished repairing my short sword. I had to admit, his craftsmanship was impressive—the sword looked as good as new. I wondered if Old Cheng's so-called perfect repair oil could achieve the same effect.

"Shall we drink some more?" Gu Bing asked. The small jug of wine we had brought earlier was already empty by the time we left Old Zhu's place. The night was still young, and I figured I wouldn't be able to sleep right away anyway, so I agreed.

The two of us sat on the haystack at the village entrance, drinking and chatting under the vast, starry sky. I told him about the Demon Clan, but he showed no sign of fear. To him, life was about living in the moment—when the time came to die, there would be no escaping it.

Compared to Gu Bing, I was always overthinking, always planning for tomorrow and the day after, always burdened by worries. But in his mind, life existed only in the present moment.

Before we knew it, the moon was high in the sky. Whether from the alcohol or simple exhaustion, we both dozed off in the haystack.

I had no idea how long we had been asleep when I suddenly heard hushed voices beneath us. The words were indistinct at first, but before I could make them out, the two people speaking quickly parted ways—one heading into the village, the other walking toward the outskirts.

I gently shook Gu Bing awake and gestured for him to follow quietly. He glanced at the person walking into the village and whispered, "That looks like Zhu Fei, Blacksmith Zhu's son."

Then who was the one heading out of the village? I turned my gaze toward the departing figure. He was exceptionally tall and muscular, draped in animal pelts—an Orc!

"Let's follow the one heading out of the village," I whispered.

Once the Orc had walked a fair distance away, we leaped down from the haystack and started tailing him. Then, I suddenly realized how foolish I was being. If he was part of an Orc Clan, how long would we have to follow him before getting anywhere? No, I couldn't just let this be a wasted effort. Even if it was risky, I had to try something.

I told Gu Bing my plan—I wanted to ambush the Orc, capture him, and extract some information. Gu Bing, looking at the direction he was heading, told me there was a shortcut we could take to cut him off. Without hesitation, we slipped into the forest and quickly made our way ahead of the Orc.

I turned to Gu Bing and asked, "Do you think Orcs are afraid of ghosts?"

"Huh? I think we could just take him head-on, couldn't we?" Clearly, he had great confidence in his swordsmanship and seemed eager to prove himself.

I instructed Gu Bing to hide behind a large tree at the bend ahead while I positioned myself off to the side in the woods. Then, I started making eerie noises—wailing sounds that stretched out into long, haunting echoes.

It was the dead of night, the forest was pitch-black, and my ghostly sounds created an unsettling atmosphere.

I kept an eye on the Orc. He had clearly heard the noises and paused for a moment before hastening his pace. He looked like a foolish, timid one.

I continued producing the eerie sounds as I slowly moved closer. The Orc, feeling increasingly uneasy, picked up speed, almost jogging now. As he reached the bend where Gu Bing was hiding, I suddenly stopped making the noises.

Panting, he leaned against the tree, scanning his surroundings nervously. What he didn't know was that Gu Bing was right behind him, pressing a steel sword to his neck.

Just as he was about to bolt, I stepped forward and delivered a solid kick to his stomach. He clutched his abdomen and collapsed to the ground.

Seeing such a burly Orc fall from just one kick, I realized my strength had indeed increased significantly.

I took out my Pioneer's Blade and twirled it in my hand before turning to Gu Bing. "Do you know why the tip of this blade has such a sharp little hook?"

Gu Bing, still holding his sword to the Orc's neck, shook his head. "Why?"

"The craftsman who gave me this blade told me that this sharp little hook can easily pierce into a person's wrist or Achilles tendon. Then, with a quick pull and twist, their tendons get severed, leaving them crippled for life." I deliberately dangled the blade in front of the Orc's face.

"I wonder if it works the same way on an Orc?" I mused aloud. "I heard their tendons are quite thick. Oh, by the way, didn't your bowstring snap? Maybe I should use this Orc's tendons to make you a new one."

By now, the Orc was trembling like a leaf. His voice quivered as he pleaded, "Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!"

"I won't, as long as you answer my questions honestly."

"O-okay, okay," he stammered. He seemed relieved that I was merely questioning him.

The Orc's name was White Fang. He had come here to discuss the delivery time and location for the weapons being forged by the blacksmith, Zhu. That much, I had already guessed. However, what surprised me was that he had never heard of HuYong Chieftain. He claimed to be from Woma Forest, not the Greatwood Forest to the west of Baiqi City.

"What do you need so many weapons for?" That was the question I was most eager to get an answer to.

"I… I can't say!" This Orc was truly foolish. If he couldn't say it, that meant he knew the reason.

"Well then, do you want me to cut your wrist tendons or your Achilles tendons? After that, you'll have to slowly crawl your way back to Woma Forest. And don't even think about lying to me—if you try to fool me, you'll be dead before you know it." I traced the Pioneer's Blade over his wrist and ankle, letting the sharp edge brush against his skin.

He struggled internally for a moment before finally spitting out a shocking revelation.

"We're preparing to attack Baiqi City!"