Chapter 248 – Happyland, Undying Husk Slaughters a Fifth Rank Foe, Enemy Right Beside You! - Part 2

Li Yuan arrived at the Cui residence. Waiting for him was a tall man in a loose blue robe, someone with a free-spirited air. Upon Li Yuan’s arrival, the man stood up and bowed. This was Gu Mo, an elder from the Holy Tree Temple and someone associated with Gu Xuejian’s faction, so he had a particular fondness for Li Yuan.

They exchanged pleasantries before Gu Mo explained, “Master Li, I’d like you to forge me a spirit shield. I’ve brought all the materials; sorry to trouble you.”

“Elder Gu, are you heading out on a campaign?” Li Yuan asked.

“At the end of this year,” Gu Mo answered cheerfully. “I want a new spirit artifact before I leave, give myself an extra trump card. As for asking Master Gong for help...well, every time I deal with him, it’s like swallowing a fly. He’s so tedious. Better to rely on one of our own.”

Li Yuan was already aware of Master Gong, whose full name was Gong Lang. He forged brilliant spirit artifacts, but his high standards and perfectionism made him hard to approach. Anyone who wanted him to craft something had to endure his endless deliberation. Though his weapons were top-notch, he produced very few. Nor did he seem inclined to turn out a wealth of high-end seventh rank weapons just to make money.

By contrast, Li Yuan was a people-friendly weaponsmith who maintained lower prices and higher output, forging nearly anything for anyone. It wasn’t the lofty demeanor others might expect from a master craftsman, but he had a reason. He needed funds to support his growing network. Lacking concerns about his own lifespan, he preferred to build a safe and solid power base for himself. That required money...and plenty of it.

Li Yuan offered a polite smile. He was keenly aware of the rumored bad blood between Gong Lan and his father-in-law. Speaking ill of Gang Lang in this situation would only do more harm than good. So, he simply said, “If Elder Gu trusts me, rest assured I’ll forge that shield to the very best of my abilities. I won’t let you down.”

Gu Mo laughed heartily. “You’re too modest, Master Li. We’re all on the same side, aren’t we?”

They chatted a while longer, after which Gu Mo brought over 2,000 taels of blood gold as payment. Although it was heavy in mass, its overall volume was surprisingly small. Gu Mo then took his leave, leaving Li Yuan to store the forging materials temporarily in the Cui Clan’s smithing hall, under the care of its disciples.

Afterward, Li Yuan was guided to the residence’s rear courtyard, where a languid-looking young man in white stood in a pavilion. Noticing Li Yuan’s approach, he turned and smiled. This was Cui Wuji, the Cui Clan’s patriarch.

“Master Li,” Cui Wuji greeted.

“Patriarch.” Li Yuan bowed.

Cui Wuji said with a hint of amusement, “Lately, Huayin has been visiting the third gate quite often. We’ve prepared the life chronicle for her there; she’s free to consult them whenever she wishes.”

Li Yuan’s face lit up with gratitude. “The Holy Tree Temple has been incredibly generous. I’ll be sure to thank them on Huayin’s behalf.”

Li Yuan knew that seventh rank disciples couldn’t freely consult the life chronicle; they were typically granted just one opportunity per year, which they seized with all their might. Yet Cui Huayin could now access them daily—an absolute privilege. And she owed it entirely to her husband’s status as a weaponsmith.

Still, she’d never mentioned this amazing perk to him. It only confirmed that, although he had her body, he didn’t fully possess her heart. To her, he was likely just a somewhat talented man who’d inherited her father’s craftsmanship and barely met her standards for a husband.

Recently, however, she had started seeing him in a new light, especially after noticing how he secretly controlled the underworld of the Holy Tree Temple’s city stronghold and cultivated ties with the rich merchants. She realized he wasn’t without his methods. Even so, she’d only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg.

Sensing Li Yuan’s thoughts, Cui Wuji seized the chance and said, “All the same, Master Li, wouldn’t it be much more convenient if you moved behind the third gate? You’d have better security, more frequent visits with Ping’an, and no more hassle with Huayin commuting every day. As for that little restaurant you like, just say the word and we’ll bring their chef right to your doorstep.”

Li Yuan sighed. “Patriarch, I’m from a small place and have come to enjoy the bustle and clamor here within the first gate. I’m just not comfortable with grand surroundings. I like wandering these lively streets; it inspires me. A weaponsmith relies heavily on having the right feel, you know? So please understand; otherwise, how could I not want to live behind the third gate?”

“I see.” Cui Wuji nodded thoughtfully, clearly making a mental note. Then he added, “The temple recently got its hands on 150 kg of blood crystal marrow. Our temple master, who values talent, has decided to gift it all to you.”

Blood crystal marrow?

Li Yuan froze. That was an incredibly valuable resource. It weighed more than regular blood crystal, yet had a smaller volume, and its price was about double. 150 kg of the stuff was roughly the size of 7.5 kg of iron, but carried a market value of some 9,000 taels of blood gold. By comparison, regular blood crystal in the same quantity would cost about 4,500 taels of blood gold.

Normally, forging a spirit artifact required just 100 kg of blood crystal. Now the temple master was outright handing over 150 kg of high-grade blood crystal marrow. That was quite the gesture.

“I can’t accept such a gift without giving something in return,” Li Yuan remarked. “What does the temple master want from me?”

Cui Wuji chuckled. “Nothing in particular. He just thinks highly of you. You’re not only our Cui Clan’s weaponsmith but also the Holy Tree Temple’s. This war has made everyone realize how crucial a skilled forger can be.”

With that, he sighed. “Zhu Ban’s half-finished array has already taken a grim toll on many of our experts. Master Gong is still deep in thought, trying to find a way to counter it.”

Realizing there was no graceful way to refuse, Li Yuan gave a wry smile. “Then I suppose I’ll gratefully accept this generous gift. Please pass my thanks to the temple master. And yes, I am part of the temple; there’s no doubt about that.”

Cui Wuji returned his smile. “Take it. There will be more benefits down the line.”

A short while later, Li Yuan left the rear courtyard, the 150 kg of blood crystal marrow in his possession. An inexplicable heaviness settled over him. If even the Gu Clan was on the move, perhaps the situation at the front lines was dire. And the temple master’s attempt to secure him with such a lavish gift didn’t seem like the act of a faction enjoying a period of calm.

“The half-finished array, undying husks, and the growing might of the ghost domains...” Li Yuan muttered to himself. “Compared to the enemy, the Holy Tree Temple seems stuck in the old ways. Aside from all the local forces they’ve gathered over the years, they don’t have much else. Meanwhile, the Four Lotuses have the perfect mix of advanced methods and conventional warfare. Undying husks paired with martial experts, bolstered by a new type of spirit artifact...that alliance could be deadly.”

Li Yuan caught the faint scent of blood drifting on the wind from far away, but there was nothing he could do about it. Whatever he realized, the temple surely had people who also understood. But there was no world in which the Holy Tree Temple would cooperate with undying husks. Nor would any undying husks align with the temple.

Shaking his head, Li Yuan dismissed his ominous thoughts. Now wasn’t the time. He took a few steps to prepare, swallowed a fasting pill, and began forging the requested spirit shield.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Half a month later.

FWEEEEH!

A quenching rang out as white steam billowed from the cooling trough. Li Yuan used tongs to lift the red-hot shield from the icy water. A faint greenish hue danced at its center.

“It’s done.” He let out a breath, wiping sweat from his brow. Even though he succeeded every time, weaponsmithing demanded meticulous attention—truly a craft where one stray thought could ruin everything.

The most crucial step was sensing and stabilizing the source blood in that swirling metal mixture. Its

stability range

was never the same from one spirit artifact to the next, and the closer a weaponsmith approached a top-tier result, the easier it was to destroy everything in the process.

After examining the shield, Li Yuan handed it over to Gu Mo. “Elder Gu, this shield should have self-repairing properties and a healing effect for its bearer.”

Gu Mo, who had been waiting nearby, burst into hearty laughter. He took the shield token and gave it a try. “Excellent! With this, I’ll be much more confident in the battle at year’s end.”