Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Zhang Zhi said, “This flying sword looks fine and intact but something is extremely wrong inside…”
Dugu Ce chuckled. “Act all you want! Only cultivators like us know what is wrong with the flying sword!”
“You are trying to say the internal formation went wrong, am I right? The problem is not that severe, any cultivator would be able to find out the problem by infusing their spiritual power into the sword, what’s there to be proud of?”
Before Dugu Ce could answer, Zhang Zhi added, “The most important factor is that this flying sword is flawed from the moment it was forged, which became the main reason that the internal formation stopped working!”
Embarrassed, Dugu Ce got angry. He thought Zhang Zhi, as a mortal, would never find out the problem with the flying sword, hence he wanted to use it to insult the blacksmith. However, he did not expect Zhang Zhi to find out the problem quickly and even used it against him by saying it was nothing to be proud of.
Dugu Ce felt like he got slapped in the face, and the burning sensation on his face stung him.
However, he quickly got himself together. His eyes glistened as he noticed a little flaw in Zhang Zhi’s explanation. “I knew it, you are just guessing blindly! You might be right about the internal formation but this sword is forged by a Golden Core stage senior, how can it be flawed? You are talking nonsense here!”
Zhang Zhi clicked his tongue and said, “I don’t know about any Golden Core stage senior, all I know is that the one who forged this flying sword chose to go for extreme nimbleness and agility. In fact, a speed boost formation would be more than enough but 3 maces of earth essence were added to further boost the nimbleness.”
“The senior who forged this flying sword might have superb forging skills that allowed him to fuse the earth essence into the iron but as time goes by, the earth essence will separate itself out from the iron and then damage the sword’s structure from the inside.”
After hearing what Zhang Zhi said, Dugu Ce wanted to argue but he could not find the right words. After all, he too understood the characteristics of earth essence, plus Zhang Zhi’s precise and professional insight, Dugu Ce failed to rebuke the flawless explanation.
Dugu Ce was further embarrassed, the imaginary burning sensation on his face further stung him. He was rendered speechless by a mortal in front of his junior sister.
Then, whether it was intentional or not, Zhang Zhi’s following words critically struck Dugu Ce’s heart. “This sword feels light when wielded, it’s nimble and agile, it reminds me of a large swan that flies in the sky. Let me guess, its name is Flying Swan?”
Dugu Ce was devastated by the defeat. ‘You are just a blacksmith! I can understand your professional insights but the sword reminds you of a large swan and you got the name right? Why don’t you think of a pig instead!’
Han Ling’er, who had been quiet for a while, was surprised multiple times by Zhang Zhi’s professional insight, and when she heard him calling the sword’s name correctly, her eyes shone. The admiration that overflowed from her eyes made Dugu Ce extremely jealous.
“Yes! The sword’s name is indeed Flying Swan! Master, you are really an expert!” Han Ling’er was so excited that her face flushed, she cupped her fists respectfully at Zhang Zhi.
She addressed Zhang Zhi as the owner when they first met, and now she called him master. It was obvious that Zhang Zhi’s status in her heart had changed drastically.
Zhang Zhi smiled. “I’m no master, just call me Zhang Zhi.”
Truth be told, with Zhang Zhi’s current eyesight, it was impossible for him to understand that much and even guessed the name of the sword correctly.
However, when he got the flying sword in his hand, the Forging System in his mind provided him with detailed information.
Name: Flying Swan
Type: Flying Sword
Rank: Low-tier Artifact.
Material Used: Refined Iron 2 catty, Black Iron 4 taels…
Fault: Internal formation malfunction, forging flaw…
Therefore, all Zhang Zhi needed to do was read the information out loud and act like a pro. What he said was able to astonish Dugu Ce and Han Ling’er to the core.
On the other hand, Han Ling’er was deeply surprised. Zhang Zhi possessed such professional insights about swords, yet he was not arrogant or proud at all, he even requested her to call him by name.
It was a rare virtue and it made Han Ling’er size him up carefully. A little hesitation later, Han Ling’er asked, “Zhang Zhi, can you restore my flying sword?”
Han Ling’er calling Zhang Zhi by his name did not feel strange at all, instead, it was a sign of respect and admiration, it was a lot better than Owner Zhang or Master Zhang, it felt much closer.
Dugu Ce was extremely jealous though, even he had never gotten his junior sister to call him by name.
“Of course. 100 low-tier spirit stones,” said Zhang Zhi.
Han Ling’er understood that she had to pay first before Zhang Zhi could start restoring her flying sword. She quickly searched her body but quickly realized something was missing.
She looked at Dugu Ce and said, “Senior brother, I forgot to bring my purse, can you lend me the money first? I’ll pay you back when we get back.”
“Junior sister, are you really going to pay him a hundred spirit stones?” Dugu Ce never liked Zhang Zhi from the start and now, his junior sister wanted him to pay a hundred spirit stones to the vexing blacksmith.
He rejected it without a second thought. “I think 50 spirit stones will be more than enough.”
Zhang Zhi chuckled but did not say a word. He pointed at the signage he put outside.
“Price is non-negotiable.”
Dugu Ce got angrier but he did not want his junior sister to be mad at him. He then took a little pouch and tossed it on the counter, “I can give you a hundred spirit stones but if you made any mistake in the process, I’ll take your little life instead!”
Dugu Ce really hoped that Zhang Zhi would screw up during the restoration, then he would have an excuse to take this mortal’s life after embarrassing him a few times.
“Senior brother!” Han Ling’er felt her senior brother was being extremely rude, he had been going against Zhang Zhi from the moment they met, but before she could utter a word, Zhang Zhi took the pouch and replied, “Then what if I can restore it?”
“If you can, the 100 spirit stones are yours,” Dugu Ce said.
“I think you are missing the point here. The 100 spirit stones is my payment to restore the sword, it’s what I deserve for my work.”
Even though Zhang Zhi had a good temper, he started to feel irritated by Dugu Ce’s argument.
He said, “If I fail, you take my life; if I restore it, all I get is what I should be taking, no extra rewards. It doesn’t sound fair right, this little bet of yours.”
Dugu Ce understood what Zhang Zhi was trying to express, he said with a chuckle, “So you are saying you want to take my life?”
“I’m a businessman, why should I take my customer’s life? How about this? If I restore the sword, you’ll have to stand in front of my blacksmith and shout ‘Zhang Zhi is handsome, his skills are awesome’ three times. What do you say?”
Zhang Zhi sounded serious when he voiced his condition but it sounded amusing in Han Ling’er’s ears, she could not hold back her emotions and giggled.
Dugu Ce’s ember of jealousy burned even more powerful when he saw how amused Han Ling’er was, he bellowed, “Fine! I accept your challenge! If you fail to restore the sword, I’ll take your life!”
Dugu Ce was confident with the bet because the internal formation of the flying sword could only be carved by a cultivator. Therefore, even if Zhang Zhi could fix the forging flaw of the sword, he would not be able to restore the formation carving, which would mean he failed.
Han Ling’er found her senior brother was rude and arrogant, he was not as humorous and cavalier as Zhang Zhi. Just when she was about to say something, Zhang Zhi smiled and said, “Fret not, I do this for a living, I know my way around all these things.”
Zhang Zhi then walked to the hearth and tossed the flying sword into the Samadhi True Fire.
Since there was just a thin screen between the front and the back of the blacksmith, Dugu Ce was horrified when he saw the scene. Just when he was about to stop Zhang Zhi, Han Ling’er stopped him. “Senior brother, since we’ve decided to ask for his service, we should trust him.”
Even though Han Ling’er felt that treating the sword roughly was inappropriate, she believed Zhang Zhi was an expert, and he must have a certain unique method to treat the sword.
Dugu Ce was stunned for a moment. He let Zhang Zhi have his way because if something went wrong during the process, it would save him a lot of trouble to kill the blacksmith.
Zhang Zhi could not feel the temperature of the Samadhi True Fire but in the blink of an eye, the sword became blistering red. He knew it was ready, he then pulled the sword out of the hearth and put it on the anvil coated with Stardust Iron before hammering it with the artifact-level hammer.
Kakroom!
Han Ling’er and Dugu Ce were shaken by the loud noise, they thought a clap of thunder sounded above them but quickly realized it was Zhang Zhi’s hammering noise.
Zhang Zhi looked like a quiet young man, but he was able to swing the hammer skillfully, his movements seemed to contain an ancient rhythm. Every smash on the anvil caused electrical sparks to ignite. No other blacksmith in the world could smith as grand and blinding as Zhang Zhi!
Han Ling’er and Dugu Ce were astonished but Zhang Zhi did not notice the look on their face. He concentrated on hammering the flying sword.
With a single smash, Flying Swan Sword’s shape changed a little and with another smash, the sword’s shape and structure returned to normal. The process repeated itself endlessly, Zhang Zhi used this forging method to reforge the Flying Swan Sword, giving it a new life.
After countless smashes of the hammer, Zhang Zhi put Flying Swan Sword into the hearth again. When the sword glowed in blistering red, he took it out and soaked it into the colorful quenching pool.
Sizzle! Colorful steam rose from the pool, even the air smelled a little aromatic.
After the quenching process, Zhang Zhi took the sword out. A blinding white light shone from the sword, forcing others to look away.
Han Ling’er and Dugu Ce were captivated by Zhang Zhi’s forging method. They only regained their senses when the blinding light shone on their faces, forcing them to cover their eyes with their hands.
When the white light faded, Zhang Zhi brought the shining Flying Swan Sword out.
“It’s done.”
His forehead was covered with sweat. As a mortal, restoring an artifact demanded quite the strength and stamina from him.
Han Ling’er thanked him sincerely but before she could take the sword, Dugu Ce seized it away. He sized up the sword carefully.
The sword’s blade was shining, it could even be used as a mirror. The reflection from the blade did not look distorted at all, meaning its surface was flattened to the extreme.
He was in awe of Zhang Zhi’s forging skills but a moment later, he chuckled sinisterly. “I have to say, your forging methods are quite rare. Unfortunately, the internal formation of Flying Swan Sword is still damaged, it can only be restored and recarved by a cultivator, so you did not actually fully restore it!”
It was then, Dugu Ce seized Flying Swan Sword at Zhang Zhi’s neck. A little swing from his wrist and he could separate Zhang Zhi’s head from his body.
“Senior Brother, stop being rude!” Han Ling’er also felt strange because she did not see Zhang Zhi perform any kind of formation carving, but she did not want to see Zhang Zhi dead, hence the interference.
“Junior sister, one must accept defeat and give me his life! This is what we agreed upon!” Dugu Ce frowned, he got angrier when Han Ling’er tried to cover for Zhang Zhi.
Han Ling’er was at a loss for words and actions. It was a bet between Dugu Ce and Zhang Zhi after all.
“Hold up,” Zhang Zhi said as he nonchalantly looked at Dugu Ce.
“What’s wrong? Trying to back away from the bet? It’s too late for you to regret the bet now, but if you kneel in front of me and beg me, maybe I’ll spare your petty life…” Dugu Ce grinned sinisterly.
“I’m just trying to say you might not see me perform any formation carving but it doesn’t mean I didn’t restore the sword.” Zhang Zhi looked at Dugu Ce with disdain.
“Hmph! You will cry when I bring you your coffin!” Dugu Ce grunted coldly and infused his spiritual power into the sword as the final test.
However, a moment later, the ferocious grin on Dugu Ce’s face slowly faded and was replaced by doubts. In the end, the doubts turned into awe, he realized the internal formation of the flying sword was working!
Since he had infused his spiritual power inside the sword, the sword tried to fly away from his hand. Dugu Ce clenched his teeth and held it tightly, he even had to use his spiritual power to suppress the flying sword’s movement just so he could accuse Zhang Zhi of failure.
The flying sword’s movement slowly calmed down and Dugu Ce sighed a breath of relief, he chuckled. “There, it’s not restored, as I said.”
Before his voice even subsided, the flying sword vibrated strongly. Even though he mustered all his strength in holding it, Flying Swan Sword flew away from his hand and flew out of the blacksmith.
It turned into blinding light and flew up into the sky.