Immortal Refiner

”Little Brother Li... no, I should address you differently now. Master Li!” Wei Cang’s tone suddenly became respectful.

Hmm?

Hearing the title ”Master Li,” Li Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, completely surprised to hear it from Wei Cang.

Usually, only those in Shengtian who knew about his blacksmithing skills called him ”Master.”

In the Jianghu, only the nickname ”Fierce Tiger” was circulating. Few knew about his ability to forge Peerless Divine Weapons.

”Clan Leader Wei, why do you say that?” Li Qing asked with amusement, watching Wei Cang.

Wei Cang adopted a humble expression and said respectfully, ”Master Li, please don’t take offense. The Wei Family and the Qian Family have been close allies for generations. I only recently learned about your help in reforging my niece Qian Hong’s Qing Hong Sword.”

”But rest assured, only I in the entire Wei Family know about this. I haven’t revealed it to anyone!”

He was terrified of offending the young man before him, who possessed both formidable martial arts skills and such extraordinary forging techniques. His value was immeasurable!

Forging Masters often have their own quirks. Wei Cang’s assurance stemmed from his concern that Li Qing might be a recluse who disliked being disturbed.

”Clan Leader Wei, let’s get down to business. What two things do you want me to do?” Li Qing shook his head, ignoring Wei Cang’s cautious approach.

”Originally, I hoped you would marry my granddaughter. That way, after I’m gone, the Wei Family would still have the protection of an Inner Strength expert.” Wei Cang’s tone turned somber.

Hearing this, Li Qing could roughly guess the situation the Wei Family was facing.

The Wei Family’s martial arts experts were aging, while the hired external retainers were too powerful. Wei Cang worried that after he passed away, the Wei Family might not be able to control Wu Yang.

Witnessing Li Qing’s lightning-fast victory over Wu Yang, coupled with his youth, naturally sparked Wei Cang’s desire to recruit him as a son-in-law.

Unfortunately, Master Li before him seemed utterly devoted to the Martial Path. It seemed the Wei Family wasn’t destined to have such a fortunate match.

”Sigh... Master Li, your forging skills are truly extraordinary. I would like to ask you to forge a pair of curved sabers for me—the same type of weapon I use—that can be considered Divine Weapons!”

With that, Wei Cang handed Li Qing the curved sabers he had used for many years.

Receiving the two curved sabers, Li Qing examined them with a blacksmith’s eye.

Shaped like crescent moons, the curved blades of the scimitars gleamed with a cold, icy light. They felt heavy and substantial in the hand, and the grip was remarkably comfortable.

These two scimitars were already exceptionally fine weapons. The traces of age on the grips and spines suggested they had been around for quite some time.

Li Qing didn’t immediately refuse. He asked, ”What’s the second matter?”

Wei Cang spoke, ”Master Li, if the Wei Family ever faces annihilation, I hope you will lend a hand and save us from disaster.”

Hearing this, Li Qing’s lips curved into a slow smile. He asked, ”If the Emperor were to order the execution of your entire Wei Family, would you still expect me to risk my own life to save them?”

Li Qing’s hesitation to agree outright actually eased Wei Cang’s mind. He thought, ”This Master Li truly is a man of his word, just as Qian Hong described.”

”Of course not,” Wei Cang replied. ”If the Wei Family faces danger in the future, I hope you will intervene once, if it’s within your capabilities.”

Within my capabilities? That’s not entirely impossible.

Li Qing pondered for a moment before saying, ”I can agree to both matters. However, a single Transformed Strength Grandmaster’s Martial Path insights isn’t quite enough to sway me.”

”And the weapons you want are dual blades. That’s practically the same as forging two Divine Weapons.”

After all, Martial Path insights are just insights. Who knows if they’ll even be useful to Li Qing?

Besides, if that Martial Path insight were truly so valuable, why hasn’t the Wei Family produced a new Grandmaster?

Wei Cang had anticipated this. He chuckled awkwardly and said, ”My niece Qian Hong once offered a two-hundred-year-old Bitter Profound Ginseng. Master Li seemed quite interested at the time, didn’t he?”

”As soon as the Magical weapon is complete, I’ll gladly hand over both the Martial Path insight and the Bitter Profound Ginseng.”

Originally, he had intended to use the two-hundred-year-old Bitter Profound Ginseng for a martial arts disciple in his family. This herb helps Martial Artists cultivate their essence and qi, greatly benefiting their physical training.

Unfortunately, a single Bitter Profound Ginseng wouldn’t do much to help someone break through to the Inner Strength realm. At most, it might help a Martial Artist transition more smoothly into the Outer Strength realm.

Back when Qian Hong had offered Li Qing the choice between Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron and the Bitter Profound Ginseng to forge a sword, he had been quite torn.

Now, he couldn’t believe he was getting both.

”Alright, since Clan Leader Wei has put it so plainly, it would seem excessive for me to refuse.” Li Qing flashed his bright white teeth in a sunny, cheerful smile.

”Prepare a forge for me. I’ll have the weapons forged for you within a month at most. Clan Leader Wei, just make sure you have the materials ready.”

Seeing Li Qing finally agree, the elderly Wei Cang let out a sigh of relief and smiled with genuine contentment.

His ancestors had achieved the Grandmaster Realm in the Martial Path, but they had suffered from the lack of a skilled craftsman. They died without ever possessing a pair of Peerless Divine Weapons of their own, a regret that had haunted their final days.

Now, his ancestor’s long-cherished wish was finally being fulfilled through him.

”It’s a deal!”

That very day, news of Li Qing’s victory over Wu Yang, the First Fist of Qing Province, spread like wildfire.

The entire Jianghu Martial World of Qingzhou was thrown into an uproar.

To simultaneously hold the titles of number one in two different fields was almost unheard of!

Qingzhou’s First Hammer and Qingzhou’s First Fist had both fallen to Li Qing.

That evening, to show his sincerity, Wei Cang hosted a grand banquet at the Wei Family Manor in Li Qing’s honor.

In the Wei Family’s main hall, plates of exquisite dishes were served one after another.

All the direct descendants of the Wei Family, regardless of their schedules, had been summoned. Wei Cang had issued a strict order: every single one of them must attend tonight’s banquet.

The purpose wasn’t just to celebrate. It was to make them witness firsthand how someone their age had achieved such heights in the Martial Path, while they, despite having the best cultivation conditions, couldn’t even break through to Inner Strength.

Moreover, Wei Cang wanted them to engrave the image of their potential savior in their minds, lest they forget him someday.

Soon, the Wei Family’s young generation began to arrive. Male and female alike, they all cast curious glances at the young man seated beside their grandfather.

Though his features were somewhat ordinary, his posture was upright, his bearing dignified, and a fierce beast seemed to lurk within his blinking eyes.

”So this is the Fierce Tiger who’s been making such a name for himself lately... He doesn’t look like anything special.”

”Tsk tsk tsk, so Fierce Tiger Li Qing really does have a fierce tiger by his side. I thought it was just a little tiger cub!”

”Raising a tiger is courting disaster. Only someone with absolute confidence in their own strength would dare to actually keep one!”

Beside Li Qing, Fan Tong was devouring an entire slaughtered sheep, completely oblivious to the curious gazes directed its way.

Among the younger generation, a few playful voices chimed in:

”Xiao Qingqing, I heard your grandfather wants to marry you off to that man.”

”Hehe, Sister Qingqing, didn’t you say you’d only marry a peerless martial arts hero? What do you think of this Fierce Tiger? Does his Martial Art measure up to your standards?”

”He’s not handsome, but he does have a certain charm. Xiao Qingqing, why don’t you just marry him? Haha.”

”...”

After all, this was a martial arts clan, and their jokes were as bold as their fighting styles.

In the crowd, the woman named Wei Qingqing wore a sour expression, pointedly refusing to even glance at Li Qing, who was seated at the head table.

With a proud toss of her head, she snorted coldly, ”Hmph, you can marry him if you want. I’m not getting married!”

Li Qing, the Fierce Tiger himself, found himself curiously studying Wei Qingqing.

He had previously thought she was rather plain, but now he saw things differently.

Her skin was fair and delicate, her eyebrows and eyes as exquisite as a painting. The scorpion braid she wore gave her a youthful vitality, though her personality was a bit spoiled.

Li Qing only glanced at her out of curiosity before quickly turning away.

Seeing Li Qing’s attitude, Wei Cang gave up on matchmaking. He glanced at the useless young members of his family, then at Li Qing beside him, and his anger flared.

”Sigh, these good-for-nothing young masters! How can I trust them to take over the Wei Family in the future?”

With a sigh, Wei Cang raised his glass to Li Qing and whispered, ”Master Li, if the Wei Family ever faces a great crisis, we’ll have to rely on you.”

Li Qing smiled faintly and raised his glass in response. ”Old Master Wei, you flatter me. By the time I die, the Wei Family might still be standing tall in Origin Spring City, like an evergreen tree.”

”There aren’t that many great crises in this world!”

As he said this, Li Qing couldn’t help but mentally scoff. Old Master Wei had made a good deal.

Not to exaggerate, with his current longevity, he might still be alive even after the Maple Kingdom fell.

And so, the banquet continued in this strange atmosphere.

Among everyone present, the one who ate the most heartily was Li Qing, along with his gluttonous pet.

(End of the Chapter)

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