Translator: AnubisTL
Chongning County, West Sand Street.
This place was less of a street and more of a shabby alley built from yellow mud.
Li Qing couldn't even imagine how muddy the road would become if it rained here. Even the conditions in Jade Mountain Village at Small Jade Ridge weren't this primitive—at least the roads there had gravel!
"When Master was young, he was quite the passionate man. He stormed into the government office in anger and severely injured the county magistrate."
"If it weren't for the Wu Li Army taking a liking to his forging skills, he would've been executed after the autumn trial!"
These were all things Li Qing had heard from He Baosheng. Attacking a government official was a capital offense no matter where you were.
However, at that time, Master Gu had already gained some fame for forging the Nine Dragon Halberd, which could definitely be considered a magical weapon.
Unfortunately, his reputation hadn't fully spread yet. Back then, Master Gu was merely a renowned craftsman, not yet a legendary one.
Nowadays, the Nine Dragon Halberd had gained quite a reputation in the martial world, but its owner's whereabouts remained elusive. It rarely appeared in the world, so its fame paled in comparison to the Demon Blade Red Lotus and the Black Tortoise Spear.
After walking halfway through the alley on West Sand Street, Li Qing finally found the place where Master Gu's descendants lived.
It was a dilapidated tiled house, with even the wooden door full of gaps.
According to He Baosheng, Master Gu's descendants had followed in their father's footsteps and worked as blacksmiths on this street, barely scraping by.
"Is Master Gu Yu at home?"
Li Qing thought for a moment and decided not to knock on the door with his hand. It felt like the wooden door might fall apart with just a little force.
Soon, the door creaked open, and a disheveled middle-aged man cautiously stepped out.
"That's me. Who are you? Are you here for forging?"
Before Li Qing could explain his purpose, a little mud-covered kid rushed out from inside, holding a branch and chanting:
"Who goes there? State your name, yiyaya~"
The kid had just charged out when he was startled by the roar of a tiger.
"Roar!"
A tiger cub, about the size of a large dog, was crouching at Li Qing's feet, baring its teeth. The mud-covered kid was completely terrified.
Thud!
The kid fell to the ground, the branch in his hand dropping as tears welled up in his eyes. But he didn't burst into crying—truly a descendant of Master Gu!
"You little brat, get back inside!" Gu Yu, visibly alarmed by the tiger at Li Qing's feet, kicked his child back into the house.
Li Qing also frowned and gave the tiger cub a kick, sending it into a pile of junk by the wall where it couldn't be seen.
"Sorry, Master Gu. I mean no harm. I just came to ask you to forge something." Li Qing thought for a moment and decided not to reveal his true intentions right away, wanting to observe just how difficult the family's living conditions were.
Hearing that there was business, Gu Yu's face immediately lit up with a smile.
"So you're here for forging? Please, come in! What would you like me to make?"
Li Qing followed him inside and glanced around. Spotting a mining pick in the corner, he spoke without hesitation, "A pickaxe, about this size. How long will it take?"
"Just a moment, sir. It'll be ready before nightfall."
With that, Gu Yu reignited the furnace and prepared to begin forging.
Typically, the furnace in a blacksmith's shop would remain at a high temperature most of the time. From this alone, it was clear that Gu Yu's business was unusually slow.
Watching Master Gu's son assume a familiar yet not entirely standard stance, Li Qing nodded slightly.
There was indeed a hint of the Ancient Mystic Hammer Art in his movements, but his foundation was weak, and his posture was mediocre. It seemed that Master Gu hadn't been able to pass on all his skills to his son before being taken away by the Wu Li Army.
As for why Master Gu hadn't left the original manual of this martial art to his son, Li Qing couldn't say for sure. Perhaps he was worried it might attract unwanted attention.
Thinking this, Li Qing casually asked, "Besides pickaxes, what else can you forge? Can you make weapons?"
At this, Gu Yu's expression changed slightly. He lowered his voice and said, "Sir, due to certain reasons, the authorities have forbidden me from forging blades. If I'm caught, I'll face severe punishment."
"No worries, I was just asking," Li Qing nodded.
As the furnace gradually heated up, Gu Yu began the forging process.
From Li Qing's current level of forging expertise, this craftsmanship was nothing remarkable. Gu Yu was merely an ordinary craftsman, having not inherited Master Gu's true skills.
When the forging was halfway done and the rough shape of the pickaxe head had taken form, a voice of a local ruffian suddenly came from outside:
"Master Gu, the hoe you made for me last month is no good! Look, it's already loose after just a few uses!"
Accompanying the voice, a shirtless young man walked in and casually tossed a hoe onto the floor.
"How could that be? Under normal use, it shouldn't loosen so quickly," Gu Yu said, looking at the hoe on the ground.
The ruffian kicked the hoe with his foot, and indeed, the joint between the wood and the hoe head was shaking.
"See for yourself! It's only been used a few times, and it's already this loose. How am I supposed to hoe the soil? What lousy craftsmanship!"
"Now, because of this broken hoe, my farming schedule is delayed. You owe me two taels of silver!"
At this, the blacksmith Gu Yu's face turned grim. He knew full well that this ruffian was here for money.
"This... Feng Jin, wait a moment. I'll forge you a new one, free of charge. Two taels is too much. I only charged you two mace for the hoe in the first place."
The ruffian named Feng Jin sneered and said, "Forge a new one? The farming season is already delayed. What's the use of you forging another one? What if it loosens again?"
"Because of this hoe, my family's harvest this year is ruined. You're definitely going to compensate me. Hand over the money now, or I'll report you to the authorities!"
At the mention of the authorities, Gu Yu's face grew even paler, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
At this moment, Li Qing bent down, picked up the loose hoe, and gently ran his fingers over the blade. He said softly, "This hoe didn't loosen naturally. The blade has been struck hard, leaving clear marks. The wooden handle at the joint has also been shattered."
"Most likely, someone deliberately used this hoe to dig into rocks or other hard objects, which is why it ended up like this. If you want compensation, you should go after the person who damaged it."
Upon hearing Li Qing's explanation, Gu Yu wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes filled with gratitude.
The local ruffian, Feng Jin, grew furious and shouted angrily, "Who the hell are you? This hoe has been in my house every day. Who else could have damaged it?"
"Are you saying I damaged it myself?"
Li Qing didn't even glance at him. He casually tossed the hoe over and said indifferently, "I don't know about that. All I know is that the damage to this hoe has little to do with the blacksmith's craftsmanship."
"Fine, fine! Old Gu, you've got someone backing you up now, huh? Just you wait!"
The ruffian, holding the hoe, had originally intended to teach Li Qing a lesson. But seeing that Li Qing was tall and strong, he realized he was no match for him alone. So, he decided to go out and gather some accomplices to settle the score.
However, before he could even step out of the door, a powerful tiger's roar suddenly echoed through the air:
"Roar!"
The roar shook the surroundings, and even the walls seemed to tremble.
Feng Jin, the local ruffian, turned pale at the sound, his legs went weak, and his body trembled slightly.
The tiger cub darted in, shaking its head, and already exuding a bit of the ferocity of a full-grown tiger.
This time, Li Qing didn't scold the tiger cub. Instead, he let it rub against his feet.
Feng Jin's gaze moved upward from Li Qing's feet until it met Li Qing's icy, frost-like eyes. Suddenly, he remembered a rumor he had heard earlier that day.
The bandits outside the city had been mostly killed by a young man who had entered the city with a tiger.
"Gasp!"
Feng Jin took another sharp breath, his heart turning cold. He stammered incoherently:
"You... you're the Fierce Tiger..."
"You're the one who killed all those bandits outside the city?"
Li Qing raised an eyebrow, still pondering the meaning of "Fierce Tiger," when Feng Jin suddenly knelt down:
"Sir, spare my life! I shouldn't have tried to extort money. I was blind and foolish!"
How quick to kneel! He had never seen someone so cowardly!
Li Qing couldn't help but feel like laughing, but he maintained a cold demeanor and said, "Get out!"
Without another word, Feng Jin scrambled out, running for his life.
However, when he turned around, Gu Yu's expression also changed. He looked at Li Qing with a complex gaze and said, "So, you're the Fierce Tiger who's been the talk of the town, the one who kills without mercy?"
Kills without mercy? Fierce Tiger?
What kind of nickname is that!
Li Qing, who didn't particularly like the nickname, felt his face darken. He figured it must have been spread by those bandits who had escaped. Now, he felt like finding those people and having a word with them.
Why did they give him such an unpleasant nickname? It sounded like the kind of name a short-lived villain would have. What if someone decided to take him out one day?!
(End of the Chapter)
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