Chapter 235 – Seizing Control Underground, Forging Weapons For Battle - Part 1

At the Cui residence, outside the smithing hall, Li Yuan had just completed crafting a new spirit artifact, a paperweight.

In essence, it was like a flying brick that could attack and defend. Compared to the gourd Elder Zhu used to unleash a swarm of mosquito-like needle attacks, the gourd was more about quantity and wide coverage, while the paperweight was solid and forceful with every strike.

However, Li Yuan could sense that this paperweight was just barely above average, certainly not on par with that gourd. He could not help wanting to complain.

Back in his previous life, the treasures he read about in novels could grow larger when tossed out, might be wreathed in phoenixes or coiled with dragons, or even radiate rainbow-colored brilliance that could blind onlookers.

Compared to those, the spirit weapons in this world felt almost underwhelming. Then again, it was possible such flashy artifacts did exist; he had simply never reached the level to witness them.

Before long, Mu Chen, an elder of the Holy Tree Temple arrived. He cradled the paperweight carefully, studying its crimson surface. It resembled a piece of solidified lava from a volcano, with a faint glow within—traces of the same source blood Mu Chen possessed.

Because the spirit artifact was fused with a person’s own source blood, the owner could still pour power into it from a distance. This power would then be magnified through the artifact, creating either explosive or sustained attacks, depending on its nature.

Closing his eyes momentarily to sense his connection to the new artifact, Mu Chen let out a hearty laugh. “Excellent! I’ve gained another deadly treasure. Thank you, Master Li!”

With that, he tucked the hefty paperweight into his sleeve, evidently planning to whip it out and crush his foes with a dramatic wave of his arm.

He then gave Li Yuan a bright look of appreciation. “I’ve heard of your reputation for quite some time but never had a chance to meet you. Today, not only do I get to see your skill firsthand, you’ve also forged a spirit artifact for me. I’m truly grateful. Whenever you have free time, visit us at the Mu Clan.”

As he spoke, he took out a wooden family token and offered it to Li Yuan.

Li Yuan accepted it politely. “You do me too much honor, Elder Mu. I should be the one visiting you.”

Mu Chen laughed. “Your son is a direct disciple of Deputy Gu, and I myself once benefited from her guidance. That technically makes your son my junior brother. Now, how does that place us in the hierarchy? Ha!”

After some friendly banter, Mu Chen prepared to depart. Li Yuan called after him, “Elder Mu, remember to display the spirit artifact somewhere well-frequented. In nine months or so, it will awaken its spirit, and only then will you be able to fully utilize it.”

Mu Chen turned back with a smile. “Understood, I appreciate the reminder!”

Li Yuan watched him leave, still somewhat surprised at how smoothly the smithing process had gone. He was sure there was something he must have missed, yet he could not pinpoint it.

Not long after Mu Chen was out of sight, the Cui Clan members finally gathered around Li Yuan, all eager to get acquainted.

“You’re a real weaponsmith now!”

“Our Holy Tree Temple has only two recognized weaponsmiths, and you’re one of them!”

“Exactly, across the entire Silkfloss Province, there are only three. Some powerful sects only have one to their name!”

“That’s amazing!”

“I’m Cui Zhichang, cousin to Huayin. We’re family now!”

“And I’m Zhao Wan, Huayin’s brother-in-law. Master Li, come visit my place sometime!”

Everyone chimed in at once. Li Yuan responded with a warm smile, “Thank you, thank you. Absolutely,” and “Yes, Zhichang, we’re family now,” alongside “Zhao Wan, we’re both wedded into the Cui Clan, so we’re practically relatives,” and so on.

In the distance, at a small hilltop pavilion, a graceful woman in a pristine white dress—Cui Huayin—looked down on the bustling smithing hall. She watched Li Yuan surrounded by the crowd, and her eyes, as gentle as flower petals drifting on water, shone with faint displeasure.

Next to her stood her maid, Yao Jue, who had been smiling brightly until she noticed her mistress’s expression. With a huff, Yao Jue muttered, “Ugh, now that he’s a true weaponsmith, look at him! Acting all friendly, trying to please everyone. Honestly, I can’t stand watching it, yet he’s your husband. It’s so annoying! So irritating!”

Cui Huayin said quietly, “You shouldn’t badmouth him.”

Hands on her hips, Yao Jue pouted. “But, my lady, just look at him! He can do it, so why can’t I say it? Hmph!”

Cui Huayin instinctively wanted to defend Li Yuan, but she bit back her words. Instead she scolded gently, “You sly thing. Don’t think I don’t know whose side you’re on. You act like you dislike him so you can coax me into speaking up for him instead.”

Yao Jue’s cheeks reddened. “I’m not doing that at all!”

After a pause, Cui Huayin only said, “Let’s go back.”

Yao Jue asked, “Aren’t we waiting for the master—um, your husband?”

Cui Huayin said coolly, “Since he’s so glib, let him come back on his own.”

Just then, the two women heard a commotion in the distance—Li Yuan’s voice, echoing clearly.

“Everyone, you might not know this, but before crafting a spirit artifact, a weaponsmith needs to get a feel for the process by crafting regular weapons. That’s why I forged two swords and a dagger beforehand, though I only completed the blades and haven’t fitted the hilts yet. Today, I’d like to give them away.”

His words immediately stirred the crowd.

“Master Li, please give one to me! I’m in dire need of a seventh rank sword, and anything you forge must be top-tier.”

“A good seventh rank weapon is so hard to come by these days. My son just advanced to seventh rank. I’m even willing to pay with blood gold if I have to. Would you sell one to me?”

Amid the clamor, Li Yuan produced two swords and a dagger. Their blades gleamed, clearly superior examples of seventh rank weapons. Each bore a faint marking resembling the

Yuan

(元) character, formed by carefully arranged dark metal. It was his way of leaving his signature.

It took some effort for him to escape the eager throng. After exchanging a few words with the clan head and patriarch, Cui Heng and Cui Wuji, Li Yuan finally left. He discovered his carriage at the front gate, even though he was sure it hadn’t been there earlier.

Cui Huayin was already inside.

“You said you wouldn’t wait for me,” Li Yuan teased, stepping up. Of course, given that he was almost at fifth rank in cultivation, he had heard every word she and her maid had exchanged.

Cui Huayin shot back with a cold laugh. “And you still bother arguing with women?”

Just then, Yao Jue flicked the reins. The whip cracked sharply through the air, and the wheels rumbled over the stone road. The young wife sulked, the husband tried to placate her, and the maid looked quietly amused—somehow making the short journey home feel oddly harmonious.

Back at the estate, the temple master’s payment of a thousand taels in blood gold arrived promptly. The sum was more than generous, almost as though it were a gift.

After all, an aspiring weaponsmith’s first attempt at crafting a spirit artifact was the hardest. Some even agreed to smith the first spirit artifact for free—fearing that if they failed, they might have to pay damages out of their own pocket.

Until a blacksmith completed their first spirit artifact successfully, the world wouldn’t recognize them as a true weaponsmith.

But in Li Yuan’s case, the temple master had paid in full, letting him start with the simplest type of spirit artifact, a paperweight, so he could succeed more easily. And he had assigned it to Elder Mu of the Mu Clan, who were well-known for their honor and sense of righteousness. All signs pointed to the temple master being an enlightened and generous leader.

Still, Li Yuan couldn’t shake the unease in his heart, partly thanks to the ominous note left behind, and partly because of Zhu Ban’s betrayal.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

That night, Li Yuan was in bed, holding Cui Huayin close, just about to indulge in some marital intimacy.

She wriggled her hips, slipping from his arms. Once out of reach, she stared him down. “I need to ask you something. Today, why did you give those swords and that dagger away for free? Even if they’re

just

seventh rank, they were still top-quality. They carry real value...you can’t keep handing out your work like that. It cheapens you.”

Li Yuan murmured a half-hearted, “Oh,” and tried to continue what he’d been doing. In truth, he was a bit intoxicated by his new wife’s beauty. It was only after he married her that he realized she had been disguising herself before.

Phrases like

flawless jade and delicate fragrance

or

a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms

hardly did her justice. Previously, a combination of her sensitive status as the Yin Consort, her habit of remaining secluded, plus her deliberate attempts to appear plain had shielded her from countless admirers. But all that simply ended up benefiting him.

Now, though, Cui Huayin twisted around to face him head-on, refusing to let him wrap his arms around her. She fixed him with her gaze and demanded, “Also, why did you leave your name on those weapons? Were you worried no one would realize you made them? If any of those weapons are used for murder, and the victims’ relatives can’t find the killer, don’t you think they might come looking for

you

—the one who forged them? They could shift all their hatred onto you. Why...? Why would you do something so—”

She trailed off, averting her eyes at the last moment rather than hurling the final insult at her husband.

Li Yuan, though, finished it for her, “Stupid.”

Her lovely face turned livid. With a cold huff, she kicked at him and tried to yank away the blanket, snapping, “Go find another blanket. You can sleep by yourself tonight.”

But Li Yuan held fast. She couldn’t kick him away or snatch the quilt. It looked as though the poor blanket might tear in two before he finally spoke. “What makes you think I

didn’t

do it on purpose?”

Cui Huayin’s delicate fingers loosened their grip, and she peered at him intently.

Li Yuan’s voice grew serious. “You may not know this, but I’ve had people looking into some peculiar matters. Right before I received that spirit artifact commission, someone was digging into my family’s private affairs. They investigated where Xue Ning lives, where my daughter Sheng’er lives, where Tang Nian stays....

“Yet in the end, nothing happened at all,” he said quietly. “My family remained safe, and the Jing Clan ended up cutting off Jing Yunhe’s head themselves and sending it over to us. I’ve often wondered what kind of person, or what kind of clan, would kill their own son over something like this? What could possibly motivate a clan patriarch to sever the head of his own flesh and blood?”

Cui Huayin asked, “Have you figured out the reason?”

Li Yuan shook his head. “I haven’t. That’s what makes it terrifying.”

She frowned. “So what exactly are you trying to do?”

“Nothing,” Li Yuan replied. “I just don’t want to be blind.”

Cui Huayin pressed on. “Then what does that have to do with you crafting weapons, giving them away for free,

and

stamping your name on them as if you were afraid no one would know you made them?”

Li Yuan explained, “My lady, have you considered this: if it becomes deeply ingrained in people’s minds that

any

blade marked with the

Yuan

character is forged by Li Yuan, then they’ll also assume that any blade without that mark is

not

made by me? And more importantly, who would ever suspect a

good guy

’?”

Cui Huayin’s eyes widened in realization.

Li Yuan went on. “In this world, those sixth rank and above are few and far between, compared to everyone else. Even among martial artists, seventh rank martial artists are far more common than sixth rank ones. Now, think about what a top tier seventh rank weapon means in that situation.”

“An absolute advantage,” she replied. “But even an emperor can’t guarantee loyalty. Playing this game is like playing with fire.”

Li Yuan’s eyes held a hint of determination. “Whether it’s playing with fire or not, you’ll see soon enough. And don’t mention this to anyone.”

Then he gently wrapped his arms around her from behind once more. This time, she didn’t resist. Yet Li Yuan simply stayed still, holding her in quiet calm.

Before long, night set in more deeply.

Cui Huayin suddenly spoke. “I’ll be watching what you do.”

Li Yuan chuckled. “So there’s a reward in it for me?”

She said nothing. Her gaze wandered to the furniture and decorations in their small room, the moonlight filtering in through the window and casting thin, pale shadows across the chairs and cupboards. Her eyes were as pure and pristine as freshly fallen snow.

Noticing Li Yuan still hadn’t made a move, she finally snapped impatiently, “Don’t dawdle! If you want to do something, just do it.”