Knife splashing

Chapter 724 Academy Weapon Forging
"this…"

Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes gradually turning red.

He wasn't stupid, but after years of suppression and guardedness, he dared not think in this direction. After Chen Wenxian's guidance, he suddenly understood many things. While he was overjoyed, a bitter feeling welled up in his heart.

"Your Highness, it's all over now."

Chen Wenxian, being intelligent, saw through the Crown Prince's thoughts and quickly comforted him, saying, "His Majesty has made his stance clear. From now on, as long as you don't make any mistakes, there will be no more setbacks. The most urgent task is to handle the matter of the royal fleet. His Majesty is generous and often allocates silver from the Imperial Treasury for rewards. As long as you can stabilize the Imperial Treasury, His Majesty will be able to see the Crown Prince's talent."

Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng hesitated for a moment, "Regarding the steam engine, several teachers..."

"Absolutely not!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Wenxian immediately shook his head, his expression grave, and said, "The steam engine has now become the eye of the storm. Everyone can see the profits involved, and everyone wants to compete for it. The Emperor is clearly turning a blind eye in order to promote this product."

"But this matter involves the interests of all parties. If Your Highness gets involved, no matter how much you gain, it will bring a lot of trouble. At this time, it is best to remain calm and not make any moves. Just do the job that His Majesty has assigned you."

Xiao Jingheng suddenly realized what was going on and quickly cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

"This is the duty of a subject."

Chen Wenxian's lips trembled slightly as he returned the greeting with a serious expression.

Although he came from the Minzhou Chamber of Commerce, he had lofty ambitions since childhood and was unwilling to be just a profit-seeking merchant. Therefore, after the Kaihai faction decided to fully support the Crown Prince, he took the initiative to go to the Crown Prince's residence and volunteered himself.

For strategists, the Crown Prince's respect was more precious than any reward.

Thinking of this, he composed himself and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, with the support of the Maritime Conquest, rebuilding the fleet is not a problem. The difficulty lies in the fact that the royal fleet has already been exposed. If we continue to hide it, we will be ridiculed by others. If we are escorted by the navy every time we go to sea, we will also be accused of competing with the people for profit."

Xiao Jingheng frowned slightly. "This won't work, that won't work, what should we do?"

Chen Wenxian said thoughtfully, "I have a general idea in mind. Let's go back and discuss it further..."

The two whispered to each other, then got into the sedan chair and left under the escort of guards.

After they left, in the shadows, a small paper figure suddenly burst into flames…

.........

Inside the room, Li Yan suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the "Thunder Meteorite Mystic Gold" in the box.

This thing is extremely sensitive to the Qi of the Gang Sha.

zizi~
As he ran his finger across it, static electricity flickered on it.

"What a wonderful treasure..."

Looking at this object, Li Yan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This was the best item he had obtained among all the spiritual materials.

The magic artifacts used to suppress evil spirits in the capital city of Daxing in the previous dynasty naturally required the best spiritual materials.

Even fragments are rare treasures.

No wonder everyone is working so hard to squeeze into the center of power.

If something of this caliber were to fall into the hands of the martial arts world, it would inevitably spark a bloody struggle among the mystical sects.

In the capital, however, it was merely a small gift.

He had overheard the conversation between the Crown Prince and Chen Wenxian.

The current emperor is domineering, but his methods are quite shrewd.

When Pei Zongti, the High Priest of Xuan, tried to invite him to court, he was refused. Emperor Xiao Qixuan was quite displeased and openly said in the main hall that people from the martial arts world were not worth relying on. Therefore, even if he had made contributions to the Central Plains, he would never be able to meet with the emperor again.

Unexpectedly, the emperor was still persistent and sent the crown prince, who had a better personality, to meet with him.

If it were an ordinary person from the martial arts world, encountering a prince who treated scholars with such respect and courtesy, they would surely be willing to die for him.

But Li Yan, having lived two lives, seeks only freedom; only a fool would find himself a master.

As for future cooperation, we can just follow the rules.

Just then, Zhao Wanfang suddenly spoke up, saying quietly, "Brother Li, have you thought this through? The food of the imperial family is not so easy to eat."

"But it tastes good too."

Su Yu also walked in from outside, took the teapot, poured a cup of tea for Li Yan, looked at the spiritual materials in the box, and said meaningfully, "Mysterious Gold is the road to heaven, but under the Eastern Palace, every step is a ladder to heaven. If you walk steadily, a bright future is within reach."

Li Yan shook his head calmly and said, "No rush, let's talk about it later."

He had already made up his mind; after finishing his miscellaneous tasks, he would leave the capital as soon as possible.

This place is simply a vortex of worldly desires, a spiderweb of greed.

They're not mature enough; if they stay too long, they might never be able to leave.

Thinking of this, Li Yan closed the wooden box and said seriously, "There is something more urgent, Senior Su. I asked you to inquire about Zhao Qingxu. Do you have any clues?"

The Imperial Guard Commandery has the most publicly available intelligence.

But when it comes to the private lives of all sorts of people, Jin Yan's connections are far more unconventional.

"Not yet."

Upon hearing the inquiry about intelligence, Su Yu's expression also turned serious. "Young Master Li, it's not that we haven't done our best, but that Zhao Qingxu is far too cunning."

"Upon receiving your letter, I dispatched all available resources to search for information everywhere."

"His disciples scattered three hundred 'gray threads'—beggars, brokers, and vagrants—plucking clues from black market transactions, gambling den coded language, and rumors circulating in the City God Temple. It turned out that everyone connected to this matter had already been silenced and disappeared..."

"The three major gangs and the local tycoons were completely clueless and knew nothing about it."

"You probably know what's going on with the imperial court. With the 'Peach Banquet' destroyed and the steward of the Prince of Yan's mansion committing suicide, all the connections have been severed."

Li Yan was slightly disappointed, but still said, "I know all of this. Senior Su is an expert in investigation and reconnaissance. In your judgment, where in the capital would Zhao Qingxu be hiding?"

Su Yu pondered for a moment and then said, "As the saying goes, the wind leaves a sound and the wild goose leaves a trace. As long as people are alive, they cannot live without eating, drinking and defecating. Therefore, the more people there are, the more flaws will be exposed."

"In fact, we had already been aware of the 'Peach Banquet' affair, but with so many powerful and influential people protecting us, we didn't want to cause any trouble and invite disaster upon ourselves."

"Zhao Qingxu has cut off all the leads, which clearly means he intends to act alone. The capital city has a population of one million, and people from all walks of life gather here. He is highly skilled, and if he truly wants to hide, he will be difficult to track down. We can only start by targeting him."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "His target should be the academy's divine artifact, but now that the steam engine has been made public and the imperial court is promoting it vigorously, various forces will get it sooner or later. It's really hard to figure out what the other party wants to do."

Su Yu shook her head slightly, "The academy, perhaps, is just a fog..."

After saying that, he looked at Li Yan and said, "Young Master Li, this Zhao Qingxu is a Jianmu demon, and he must be a sinister criminal. However, his background is being hidden by the Commandery. If we know these things, we may be able to find clues."

"Senior Su truly lives up to his reputation as an elder of the Golden Swallow Sect."

Li Yan chuckled and shook his head, saying, "It's alright to tell you this matter. The Commandery doesn't disclose it to outsiders because it involves Longhu Mountain, and they have concerns and dare not speak recklessly, but I, Li, don't care."

"This Zhao Qingxu is not human, but a demon reincarnated!"

He didn't hide anything and revealed all of Zhao Qingxu's background.

The reason why these demons of Jianmu can stir up trouble behind the scenes is often not because of their Taoist skills. After all, there are many hidden talents in this world, and their era has long passed. If the Wudang Sect Leader Yu Chanzi were to take action, he could cut them all down with the Zhenwu Sword.

What makes them even more terrifying is that they have accumulated knowledge of many of the world's secrets over the years.

Revealing their background means first removing the veil of mystery surrounding these people.

"Money-grubbers...the chaos of the paper money crisis..."

Su Yu was clearly also somewhat shocked, but he forced himself to nod and said, "Young Master Li, rest assured. The Jianmu demon is wreaking havoc in the land. Although we are people of the martial world, it is our duty to capture this person. Let me carefully consider where to start."

"Thank you for your trouble." Li Yan clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, then picked up the box and left.

It was already late at night, and the gates of the capital were closed, but he had a token from the academy that allowed him to leave in a hanging basket and return to the academy as soon as possible to forge magical artifacts.

"Master..."

After he left, Zhao Wanfang, who had been silent with her head down, finally spoke.

She had just advised Li Yan not to provoke the Crown Prince, which was for Li Yan's sake, but such an action violated the Golden Swallow Sect's principles. At this moment, she was uneasy, afraid that Su Yu would be angry.

"It doesn't matter."

Su Yu shook her head slightly, "Although my Golden Swallow Sect values ​​the pursuit of profit, we must also uphold the code of chivalry. All those we associate with are outstanding individuals. Only by treating each other with sincerity can we gain true friends. From now on, you will be in charge of the Twelve Yuan Chen line. Now, go down."

"Yes, Master."

Zhao Wanfang breathed a sigh of relief and carefully withdrew, cupping her hands in greeting.

Not long after she left, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through the room, and the candlelight flickered dimly.

After the cold wind dissipated, a little girl appeared opposite Su Yu.

She looked no more than four or five years old, dressed in palace attire, with skin as white as jade, and was none other than the hidden immortal of Su Garden.

"Greetings to the ancestor."

Su Yu respectfully kowtowed, then recounted what had happened, and asked with some doubt, "Master, I've never heard of a demon being reincarnated as a human before. Is it true or not?"

"How is it impossible?"

The little girl, as delicate as a porcelain doll, sat upright, and spoke in a tone no different from that of an old man.

She sneered, "Erlang Zhenjun in Sichuan has been reincarnated as a human. As long as one can replenish one's three souls and six spirits with the power of incense, and be reborn into a good family with the help of others, and have someone to protect one's Dharma, one's cultivation will naturally be able to suppress demonic energy after it is improved."

"But it's impossible to do this without help. Either the Jianmu demon will help, or it will be the traitors who defected to the Xuanmen sect in the capital back then."

Su Yu said helplessly, "This matter is from a long time ago, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to investigate."

The "little girl" said thoughtfully, "Zhao Qingxu's betrayal of Jianmu this time is probably for a very big purpose, and we have been prepared for it for a long time."

"Perhaps you've all gone in the wrong direction..."

…………

The next morning, the firelight in the academy's workshops burned brightly all day.

The "Thunderous Mysterious Gold" gifted by the Crown Prince was already glowing red-hot and placed on the anvil.

This thing is indeed extraordinary. Zhao Huogong used a secret method to burn it for a whole day before it was completely burned through.

"Make way, everyone!"

Wearing deerskin gloves, he personally picked up the heavy iron hammer, gave Li Yan a wink, and then unleashed his inner strength, his back and upper arm muscles bulging as he swung it down suddenly.

clang!
There was a loud bang and sparks flew everywhere.

Even stranger, several arcs of electricity also spread outwards with the crackling of the sparks.

The disciples watching from the sidelines were all dumbfounded; it was the first time they had ever seen such a treasure.

Li Yan was already prepared. He stretched out his left hand, and all the overflowing lightning was absorbed by the Soul-Hooking Lightning Rope.

"Good guy!"

Zhao Huogong was also not in good shape, and was forced to retreat repeatedly by the shock, with the muscles in his upper arm trembling.

Looking again at the red-hot black gold, it showed no change whatsoever.

"It's troublesome."

The old man threw the hammer to the ground and said helplessly, "I've heard people say that this treasure fell on the top of a high mountain in the north during the early Tang Dynasty. It was struck by lightning for over a hundred years, and later it was brought back by someone with great effort."

"The previous dynasty greatly promoted the forging of the Leizu statue, and invited many master craftsmen and a grandmaster to help it succeed. Although it is only a fragment, I am afraid that my strength is not enough."

"Easy to say!"

Li Yan immediately sent someone to fetch Wu Ba.

Speaking of strength alone, Wu Ba is naturally unmatched; even the heaviest iron hammers used by craftsmen are handled with extreme ease.

Ding!
Zhao Huogong tapped the spot with a small hammer to pinpoint the location, and Wu Ba then swung his large hammer down fiercely.

And so, Zhao Huogong with his small hammer, Wu Ba with his large hammer, and Li Yan, who absorbed the overflowing lightning, worked together seamlessly, and it took them an hour to break the fragment into a long strip.

The next step, drawing out the threads, is also troublesome.

Using a specially made black silver disc from the Mo Sect, thirty-six bare-chested disciples stood on connecting rods, working in conjunction with a thousand-pound waterwheel to draw silk.

Every so often, it must be returned to the furnace to be heated until red-hot.

It took another whole day to draw this treasure into fine threads.

And this is just the beginning.

The master weaver "Wan Baiqiao" deftly wielded his fingers, using a specially made meteorite iron needle to thread the lightning-patterned silk. Li Yan, in turn, had to absorb the electric light nearby. The warp and weft threads intertwined continuously, taking another two days to complete.

With this treasure, the new arm guard "Thousand Thoughts" was finally completed.

Li Yan unleashed the "Heavenly Thunder Demon-Subduing Hammer" repeatedly, the lightning on his arm guards dazzling, yet it did not burn the silk threads.

The next step was to repair the "Five Directions Luofeng Flag".

This time, not only did the brocade master "Wan Baiqiao" repair the flag, but also the Mo family elder Tao Fengchun made the flagpole.

The flag itself is the "Yellow Heaven Five Elements Flag" forged by Zhang Jiao in the past. It is woven with silver threads and the Taiping Dao's "Yellow Heaven Should Stand" cloud seal script. It was also pierced with the "Six Jia Secret Blessing" Yin Talisman of the Taiping Scripture by a master. Later, it fell into the hands of the Yin Talisman Sect and became the sect's treasure.

The Yin Fu sect's methods are mostly about exorcising ghosts, so they used the dark cypress wood from the Han tombs in Mangshan as flagpoles.

After years of nurturing, it has become a deadly weapon for summoning souls and exorcising ghosts, capable of restraining the gods of Mangshan, which shows its power.

Although the flag was damaged after the Battle of Luoyang, its essence remained intact.

"Wan Bai Qiao" used gold thread to embroider thunder patterns and cloud seal script, and Tao Fengchun used dragon blood wood to make the flagpole.

The demonic banner, originally brimming with malevolent energy, became majestic and awe-inspiring after being countered by lightning magic…

Meanwhile, Shalifei was also refining weapons.

Thunderous Mystic Gold was unsuitable, but Fatty Lin Yu managed to find some hard Mystic Iron through someone else.

Used to make gun barrels and firing pins, they were powerful enough to withstand the power of new gunpowder.

Even so, the refining process is not easy.

Every time Zhao Huogong hammered the gun barrel using the nine-layer forging method, Sha Lifeng had to cut his wrists and let his blood soak all over the parts.

Even with healing medicine, he was still unsteady on his feet and pale-faced.

However, the effect was quite good; after the gun barrel was quenched in the cold spring, it even showed up with tangled blood patterns.

Shalifei's cultivation was limited after all, and it was only by using this blood refining method that he had the opportunity to achieve "man and spear as one".

While they were busy, the capital was in turmoil.

The steam engine attracted not only various forces from across China, but also experts from surrounding foreign lands who infiltrated the capital...

(End of this chapter)