Chapter 4

Huang Zhongtian also raised the Autumn Water Sword that he had forged with his own hands

Huang Zhongtian stared blankly at the night sky and murmured, "Why did I have to wait for that uncivilized barbarian Han Wuer to remind me of such a simple truth?"

The disciples hurriedly followed him down the small hillside, and the youngest disciple, confused, asked: "Master, is Shi Qingquan the famous 'Stone Madman'? What does that barbarian want with him?"

In an instant, the tables and chairs in the hall flew alongside hidden weapons, as Huang Zhongtian hurriedly retreated, leaning against the wall, searching for the trace of Wo'er.

Indeed, this is the eternal pain in his heart. Each renowned sword is forged from extraordinary, rare divine metal that is encountered once in a millennium. Even if his skills are celebrated throughout the world, without such a piece of divine metal, he would be unable to forge a treasured sword that could be passed down to future generations, and his name would fade into obscurity behind him

They turned their horses around, preparing to head south

After a long time, Huang Zhongtian said: "If this furnace of swords brings me shame again, you can all prepare to pack your bags and return to your hometown!"

Lord Wen shook his head: "The Emperor and Prime Minister Cai would not be pleased to see us causing another dispute between the two countries over this matter"

That was a deer-slicing knife forged by Han Wu Er himself, shining with a faint snow-blue light in the dim hall

Ma Yunlong could not help but ask, "I really don't understand, why do you two master craftsmen want to seek out that madman Shi Qingquan"

Indeed, in the hall sat twenty to thirty guests. The sky was overcast, and there were no candles in the hall, making the dim light insufficient to discern the faces of those present. However, the imposing man with a full beard seated in the host's position, upon seeing them enter, exclaimed: "Huang Zhongtian!"

For a master foundryman, this is such a wonderful prospect

Ma Yunlong dispatched four constables to escort Huang Zhongtian back to Kaifeng. Before leaving, Huang Zhongtian repeatedly urged them to ensure they found Shi Qingquan ahead of Han Wuer.

Watching the carriage depart, Ma Yunlong said with a headache: "I never expected that even the Liao people would be involved. Young Lord, do you think we should report this to the Ministry of Justice and increase our manpower to block the Liao people? Han Wuer is gathering Shi Qingquan, but it is to assist the Liao people in smelting weapons"

Both sides experienced a moment of stagnation. On Huang Zhongtian's side, several young and impetuous disciples from prestigious families were the first to react, shouting: "What are we waiting for? Let’s take down this group of Liao dogs first!"

In the late night five days ago

What infuriated him the most was his archrival from the North, the chief craftsman of the Liao Kingdom, Ouer, whose reputation had soared in recent years, posing a significant challenge to him.

Huang Zhongtian's last memory before being struck unconscious was the regretful sigh of Han Wuer: "Southern barbarian, I truly cannot bear to kill such an outstanding opponent as you"

Xiao Wenhou secretly frowned, turned his head away, and resolved not to look at the infuriating smile on Ji Yaoguang's face

Huang Zhongtian instinctively stared at him, a flash of inspiration struck his mind: "Ouer!"

He is truly very unwilling.

Ma Yunlong examined his injuries. Huang Zhongtian's wounds were severe; if it were not for someone applying an exceptionally effective healing ointment, bandaging his wounds to stop the bleeding, and perhaps even administering some kind of miraculous medicine, he would likely have already perished. But why did the person who saved him not take him away, instead allowing him to continue sleeping amidst this pile of corpses

Huang Zhongtian rolled on the ground just in time to avoid being cleaved in two by the unstoppable cutting knife. As he leaped up, he instinctively grabbed the fallen man's saber beside him, feeling so frustrated that he nearly spat blood.

Huang Zhongtian summoned all his disciples, including the seventeen disciples from various sects, bodyguards, and martial artists who were residing at the Huang family estate and waiting to seek weapons from him. They were all compelled to embark on a journey together to find Shi Qingquan. Naturally, their first choice was to leave for Bishi Mountain Villa, the closest location to Fengfu.

"Silence!" Huang Zhongtian angrily admonished his disciple

Upon arriving at Bishi Villa, it was just afternoon when an elderly servant in green came to answer the door. Observing the group of them, armed with swords and daggers, he displayed a look of both disgust and fear on his face. He pointed towards the hall and said, "My master does not know when he will return; there is already a group of guests waiting for him there. You may also go there to wait. The mountain is simple, and I am the only useless old man left to guard this villa. I am unable to properly receive you all, so please bring your own food and drink." After saying this, he hurriedly retreated into his small gatehouse.

How could he, with his extraordinary talent, pass through life so quietly and unnoticed

The crowd standing between the two individuals was kicked aside as if they were mere tables and chairs, and the clash between the cutting deer knife and the autumn water sword finally erupted, producing a shower of sparks

If there is a clear spring beside me

The heavy strike of the cutting deer knife ultimately caused the blocking Autumn Water Sword to break into two pieces

In the inner court, Huang Zhongtian stood with his hands clasped behind his back, observing the flames in the furnace, while several disciples stood behind him, not daring to breathe a word.

The Ji siblings relinquished the carriage, and Huang Zhongtian was placed inside the carriage to be sent back to Kaifeng Prefecture

He should not have taken the most slender and elegant Qiushui sword out with him, but rather the clumsy and unattractive Tugu sword, which is incredibly sturdy.

Upon waking again, what I saw was the group led by the young Lord Wen.

Hearing that someone was already waiting for Shi Qingquan, Huang Zhongtian's expression changed. He signaled his companions and disciples to be on guard and slowly walked into the hall

Upon thinking of this, Huang Zhongtian turned around and asked, "Is there any recent activity in the north?"

Without waiting for Huang Zhong to issue orders, swords and blades were already drawn and directed towards the opponent.

Huang Zhongtian himself felt that someone was treating his wounds, but he was unable to provide any useful information

It seems that he is about to pay a heavy price for underestimating his opponent soon

He must not allow that barbarian from Ouer to forge a legendary weapon that would secure his name in history before him

Lord Wen gazed towards the south: "There is no need to alarm the officials and Master Cai. Captain Ma, you may boldly pursue Shi Qingquan with the official documents from the Ministry of Justice; as for Han Wu'er, leave that to me."

Huang Zhongtian, wrapped up so tightly that only his fingertips could move, cast a disdainful glance at Ma Yulong, as if patiently explaining to a child what common sense is, said: "Where there is cinnabar above, there is gold below; where there is magnetite above, there is copper and gold below; where there is limestone above, there is lead, tin, and red copper below; where there is hematite above, there is iron below. Do you understand?"

Several disciples shook their heads

The figure of Aowuer appeared as heavy as a large bear, yet moved with the swiftness of a leopard. Coupled with the robust and powerful deer-slaying knife in hand, it forced Huang Zhongtian to continuously dodge and maneuver, while inwardly lamenting that he should not have used such a nimble Autumn Water Sword to confront this wild bear, Han Aowuer

Moreover, he truly did not anticipate that Han Wu'er's skills were so agile

No matter how wealthy and experienced in handling cases Ma Yunlong may be, he ultimately cannot compare to a noble scion like Xiao Wenhou in understanding the ever-changing dynamics of the court.

Ji Yaoguang simply pressed her entire body against her sister's back, her face adorned with a lazy, absent-minded smile that seemed as if it would never change

At the moment of departure, Xiao Wenhou glanced awkwardly at the Ji siblings. The constable who was escorting Huang Zhongtian had freed up a horse, so the Ji siblings could only share one mount. They would have to wait until they reached the next relay station to find another horse or a carriage. Therefore, Ji Yaoguang sat behind her sister, and Ji Yaohua, worried that he might fall off, urged him to hold tightly onto her waist.

However, before they had finished shaking their heads, a disciple came stumbling over and exclaimed: "Master, the latest news from the north is that that barbarian seems to have lost his mind, suddenly leading a large group of people south in search of someone named Shi Qingquan!"

Perhaps the one who saved him is the old servant from Bishi Villa, who has long since disappeared from sight

The two of them will ultimately have a confrontation

Several disciples exchanged glances, and among them, the youngest and most favored disciple of Huang Zhongtian mustered the courage to speak: "Master, it is said that the cloth sword stored in the inner court is forged from ancient divine iron. Such divine iron is rare and hard to come by, so it is no wonder that our swords cannot compete with it. This can only be said to be—"

Shiqingquan, who is well-versed in the stones of the world, is undoubtedly also familiar with the mineral veins of the world

Ma Yunlong was stunned for a while before sighing, "I understand."

Auer leaned against the wall, swinging his knife to cut down a bodyguard who charged at him. Through the chaos of the crowd, he gazed intently at Huang Zhongtian for a long time before raising his knife towards him

Huang Zhongtian was momentarily taken aback, but quickly came to his senses: "That damned barbarian, he could think of this move too! We must set off immediately, taking the initiative; we must find Shi Qingquan before they do!"

Huang Zhongtian, choking with anger, turned red in the face and shouted: "You bunch of foolish oxen who only know how to forge iron! I can't be bothered to talk to you!"