Douluo: Blade Template, Death Omen Approaching

Chapter 82 Qian Renxue's Visit to the Thatched Cottage (Together)

In fact, the blacksmith's shop, where the iron is hand-forged, is indeed simple and unpretentious, without any superfluous decorations or luxurious furnishings.

The walls of the iron shop are made of rough stones, and the gaps between the stones reveal a primitive beauty.

The roof is covered with thick thatch, giving it a simple yet sturdy feel.

Inside the blacksmith shop, besides the necessary tools such as hammers, pliers, and anvils, everything else was just some tools that blades could freely exchange from the shop, suitable for beginners.

These tools may look unassuming, but their practicality goes without saying. Each one seems to have been carefully selected, waiting to be polished and used.

Soon, Ren stood outside the blacksmith shop, arms crossed, his face expressionless, simply explaining to Zhu Zhuqing.

"As a craftsman, striving for perfection is one aspect."

"And another point is to adapt to local conditions."

Ren continued, his gaze sweeping across every corner of the blacksmith shop as he examined his work.

"Just like swordsmanship, a true master has no sword in hand, yet he is as good as if he had one."

"And artisans, even without good materials or a good environment, can still use their hands to create excellent finished products from the materials they have."

"That is, turning waste into treasure."

His voice was calm yet powerful, making Zhu Zhuqing feel as if every word contained profound philosophical meaning!

After Ren finished speaking, a subtle emotion flickered in his eyes—a sentiment born of the passage of time, a recollection of past glories.

His fingers unconsciously stroked the tools in the blacksmith's shop, as if touching the comrades who had fought alongside him.

In the game Honkai Impact 3rd, I remember how Yingxing, the predecessor of Blade, faced those who deliberately made things difficult for him during the Great Forging of the Hundred Refinements of the entire Immortal Ship that led to his victory.

They contemptuously pushed a pile of defective products and waste in front of Yingxing, trying to make this short-lived species back down.

However, Ying Xing did not back down. There was no fear or anger in his eyes, only a resolute light.

During that long alternation of day and night, he sat alone in the corner of the blacksmith's shop, the hammer in his hand rising and falling, sparks flying, as if playing a song of iron and fire.

Finally, when the morning light illuminated the blacksmith shop again, Yingxing had actually created a mechanical lion. Every joint of it could rotate freely, and its movements were so lifelike that it seemed as if it would roar and run at any moment.

This is the true ability of Master Baiye to turn waste into treasure!

After all, not just anyone can become the leader of the Industrial Construction Division, or create miracles in adversity.

It was on that occasion that Yingxing, a short-lived species, finally won over the entire Immortal Ship with her wisdom and skills!

The shortness of his life and the difficulties caused by others could not make Yingxing yield.

On the contrary, these challenges are like whetstones, making him shine brighter and stronger!

At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing naturally knew some of the legends about her master. Her big eyes sparkled, and her gaze followed Ren's figure closely. She listened attentively to every detail, afraid of missing any precious words.

At the same time, she nodded like a precise clock, the rhythm firm and powerful, never stopping!

She wanted to imprint every single word her master said clearly in her mind!

After all, in the past few days, her master had taught her everything he knew, and every word he spoke was incredibly precious. The sheer number of words he taught her was comparable to the total amount taught in the past few months.

This treatment made Zhu Zhuqing feel both excited and moved. She knew that it was her master's special care and expectations for her.

This special treatment made Lan Yin, who had always been by her master's side and was regarded as the right-hand woman of the Blade, extremely envious.

Every night, when the two whispered secrets to each other, the Blue Silver Emperor would always ask Zhu Zhuqing curiously, "What did Master say to you today?" That envy and curiosity made Zhu Zhuqing feel both warm and a little smug.

"Yes, Master! I understand. Now, what should we forge next?"

Zhu Zhuqing eagerly stepped forward, her little face beaming with a thirst for learning.

Upon hearing this, Ren snapped out of his thoughts and slowly pointed with his bandaged hand to the wood that had been prepared not far from the blacksmith shop.

"From now on, you'll have to make your own wooden sword for practicing swordsmanship."

"So, let's start with wooden swords."

"Next, I will demonstrate how to make it."

"Learning to use your strength effectively will make your efforts twice as efficient."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded her little head repeatedly!

"Yes, Master!!"

Ren paused, then added:

"These next few days, you'll have plenty of time. Besides forging the wooden sword you're training with..."

"Once the Blue Silver Emperor brings the materials, you will need to forge yourself a suitable weapon for actual combat."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing instantly became excited!

Master Blade's divine weapon is the legendary Shattered Sword, whose power seems capable of tearing through the void. If unleashed at full power, it could even surpass the limits of this world.

Zhu Zhuqing couldn't even imagine whether she could forge a weapon that was even one-thousandth the size of her master's work.

Even so, she was still filled with excitement and pride.

Her little face beamed with uncontainable joy, for under her master's careful guidance, she would have the opportunity to forge a sword of her own.

This honor and this opportunity are incredibly precious and exciting to her.

Immediately, Zhu Zhuqing's chest heaved slightly. She took a deep breath and then responded:

"Your disciple will certainly not fail in your mission!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a hint of hesitation flashed across her eyes, and she lightly licked the corner of her lips with her tongue, as if searching for the right words.

"only."

"Master, I have a small request."

Zhu Zhuqing's voice immediately softened, as if afraid of disturbing the surrounding tranquility.

With a gentle touch of her fingertips, her cheeks instantly flushed like ripe apples, a mixture of anticipation and shyness that made her even more adorable.

Upon hearing this, Ren's gaze sharpened. He glanced at Zhu Zhuqing indifferently, his brows furrowing slightly, his expression somewhat puzzled. He coldly said:

"Just say what's on your mind."

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head, like a student whose name had been called by the teacher. Her eyes darted around, and she said somewhat shyly:

"Um, Master, I'd like to..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, almost disappearing into the air, but she still mustered her courage and continued:

"Master, could you make another sword for me? Hmm, Master, it doesn't need to take too much effort. What I want is to keep the sword that you made for me as a keepsake."

As she spoke, a hint of sadness lingered in her voice, and her eyes reddened slightly.

"After all, that sword was already broken by that traitor, but..."

Zhu Zhuqing's voice gradually lowered. She dared not look up, afraid that her master would see the guilt and disappointment in her eyes.

That sword was more than just a weapon to her; it carried her master's expectations and care, as well as her own original aspirations and dreams.

Ren raised an eyebrow, seemingly not taking Zhu Zhuqing's request to heart.

He remained calm, as this was nothing more than a simple matter for him.

Soon, he simply nodded slightly, letting out a deep, magnetic "hmm" from deep in his throat, brief yet full of affirmation.

This simple, unwavering affirmation, like a spring breeze brushing across ice, instantly melted away Zhu Zhuqing's unease and anxiety.

A bright smile bloomed on the little girl's face, her joy as radiant as the sunshine, illuminating her entire face.

Despite her usually aloof personality, she smiled like a blooming flower at this moment, and that joy emanating from within made her look even more vivid and lovely.

"I love Master the most!!"

And on the other side,

The Blue Silver Emperor completed the mission.

After a day and a night of hard work collecting materials, her efforts have yielded fruitful results.

Her storage ring contained what could be considered the finest metal materials available in this world, each piece gleaming with an alluring luster, revealing their extraordinary value.

They could be considered to have returned with a full load.

Moreover, this collecting trip not only allowed her to obtain the materials she needed, but also unexpectedly led her to meet an "old" friend—Xue Qinghe.

Back then, when the Blue Silver Emperor was bidding for those rare metals at the auction, the eldest prince of the Heavenly Dou Empire engaged in fierce competition with her. The scene was tense and intense, with their bids going back and forth like evenly matched chess players, neither gaining the upper hand.

Blue Silver Emperor would naturally not give up this auction item easily. She knew that this was a task given to her by her master, Blade, and that she had volunteered for it! Its significance was beyond words.

Besides, she is not short of money.

Not only does her master, Blade, possess countless riches, but she herself has not wasted her time following Blade all these years.

Her versatility was fully demonstrated during the missions she undertook, and the wealth she accumulated was already staggering.

Her wealth is like proof of her ability; even a small fraction of it is enough to leave people speechless.

Later, Xue Qinghe, who stayed here, originally only intended to take some casual photos of items as a pastime.

However, during the bidding process with the Blue Silver Emperor, she gradually lost patience, and the anger in her heart was like ignited gunpowder, ready to explode at any moment.

She immediately dispatched a trusted confidant to investigate who was secretly challenging her and daring to confront her at the auction.

When his trusted aide returned and reported back, revealing the identity of the opposing bidder, Xue Qinghe couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise.

It turned out that the uninvited guest who was bidding against her was none other than the woman next to Ren who had given her a strange smile in the coffee shop earlier—Blue Silver Emperor!

Xue Qinghe's heart stirred. She had been looking for an opportunity to meet them again so that she could offer to recruit them.

Unexpectedly, this time the opportunity came to us on its own initiative.

She immediately ordered someone to convey a message to the Blue Silver Emperor, revealing her identity as a prince, and made a generous decision—to give the auctioned items to the Blue Silver Emperor!

Xue Qinghe also made a special effort to convey her apology, saying that she did not know before that the person who wanted to bid for that piece of metal was the Blue Silver Emperor.

Her attitude was sincere, and her words revealed respect for the Blue Silver Emperor and regret for the misunderstanding. She knew that such actions might increase the chances of success for her recruitment plan.

Lan Yinhuang couldn't say anything. Knowing the plan, she naturally wouldn't antagonize Xue Qinghe, a potential colleague, at this crucial moment. At that time, she simply nodded elegantly, exchanged a few pleasantries with Xue Qinghe, and maintained a polite and appropriate distance.

Xue Qinghe was already full of curiosity about the mystery of the blade and the Blue Silver Emperor. Once he started talking, it was like a flood that couldn't be stopped.

She asked one question after another, showing great interest in the Blue Silver Emperor collection quest.

Finally, when Xue Qinghe learned that Blue Silver Emperor was collecting specific materials, she immediately and repeatedly expressed her desire to send Blue Silver Emperor some more of what he needed, as an apology for the previous bid that had caused the metal to fetch a premium at the auction. Her attitude was sincere, and her eyes revealed genuine remorse.

Blue Silver Emperor naturally did not refuse Xue Qinghe's kindness. Moreover, this was the second time Xue Qinghe had shown generosity.

The first time was during a chance encounter when Xue Qinghe paid for the coffee. This time, she not only gave away the metal she had bought at a high price to Blue Silver Emperor for free, but also saved Blue Silver Emperor time by giving him the materials she had not yet collected.

Blue Silver Emperor understood that this move had undoubtedly established a delicate relationship between the two parties and laid the foundation for future cooperation.

Of course, adhering to the principle of reciprocity, and considering that this person was similar in nature to Zhu Zhuqing, after consulting with Ren through some means, Lan Yinhuang directly invited Xue Qinghe to come to the small thatched hut where she and her master Ren lived, so that they could sit down and have a chat.

Upon hearing this, Xue Qinghe's expression instantly brightened.

Although she usually cultivated a calm and composed demeanor, and appeared quite shrewd, at this moment, her inner anticipation and excitement were hard to conceal.

At that moment, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing a genuine smile. Her joy was like that of a child who had received a long-awaited toy, indescribable in words.

After all, the past few days of waiting had been agonizing. If she didn't get a chance to meet Ren again, she would have to return to Tiandou City as planned.

The anxiety and anticipation in her heart intertwined into a tight, airtight net, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Do we have to wait another year?!

And so, by chance, she encountered the Blue Silver Emperor—her opportunity had arrived! She learned that Blade was hidden in an inconspicuous little village, in a simple thatched hut. This news was like an oasis in the desert, instantly giving her hope.

Now she finally found a suitable opportunity to get to know this Blade, whom she had investigated for a year without finding a single clue!

She definitely won't let this go!

She couldn't wait any longer and immediately gave the orders, while simultaneously arranging for the Blue Silver Emperor to ride in her convoy, rushing towards Blade's hiding place. The sheer size and grandeur of the convoy were a sight rarely seen even in the entire Heaven Dou City!

Moreover, a titled Douluo personally escorted and led the team!

The caravan sped through the fields toward the small thatched hut. Xue Qinghe's heart pounded with each bump of the carriage; she knew that this journey might uncover countless secrets hidden behind the blade!

All for this person, someone she, the young master of the Spirit Hall and the eldest prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, had spent countless efforts and time investigating without ever finding out who she was!

She truly didn't believe in superstitions!

(End of this chapter)