Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

Liu also chimed in from the side:

"Yes, sir, this order is of great importance. It would be more reassuring to go and see it in person."

Mr. Li thought for a moment and nodded:

"Alright, let's go take a look."

Li Jiwu and Liu Shi exchanged a glance, a barely perceptible smile appearing on their lips.

Li Jiwu secretly felt smug.

He had already arranged everything, and when he arrived at the forging compound, he was sure to find that the task was impossible to complete.

Then he can use his "backup plan" at the right time, which will not only give the eldest brother a good kick in the face, but also make a great contribution in front of his father.

The three of them arrived at the entrance of the knife-forging courtyard.

Li Chengwen had already received the news and hurriedly came out to greet them, a somewhat unnatural smile on his face:

"Father, what brings you here? It's so dusty here. Why don't you go back first, and I'll report to you personally after the inspection is complete?"

Before Master Li could speak, Li Jiwu chimed in with a smile, "Brother, Father meant well, wanting to see how our Li family's great contributor is doing. Why are you stopping him from coming in?"

Madam Liu covered her mouth and chuckled, "Yes, young master, could it be... that you're not ready yet?"

Li Chengwen's face stiffened slightly. He stammered a few words but couldn't find a better reason to stop him.

Upon seeing this, Master Li's face darkened: "What exactly happened? Was the goods not finished?"

Li Chengwen opened his mouth, wanting to stall for time, but Master Li had already grown impatient, shoved him aside, and strode into the forging courtyard.

Li Jiwu and Liu exchanged a smile and quickly followed.

However, the moment they stepped into the courtyard, the scene before them stunned all three of them.

In the courtyard, the stove fire roared, its orange-red flames illuminating the entire area.

A muscular man, shirtless, stood before an anvil, slowly lifting a long, tempered sword from the water.

The man had a well-proportioned and muscular build. His muscles, illuminated by the firelight and steam, resembled a finely sculpted sculpture, each muscle exuding a powerful beauty.

Sweat streamed down his back, glistening in the firelight.

He then raised his longsword, flicked his wrist, and the water droplets on the blade were all shaken away, turning into a fine mist in the sunlight.

The cold light on the blade reflected on his calm and focused face, and he exuded a sharp and steady aura, like a warrior emerging from flames.

The man was none other than Shen Chu!

Liu recognized him at a glance.

She was the one who brought Shen Chu into the family that very day.

Who would have thought that the skinny little boy from back then would grow up to be this big!

She stood at the courtyard gate, her gaze fixed on Shen Chu's bare upper body.

Her gaze traveled inch by inch down his broad shoulders, then his narrow waist, his bulging chest muscles, and finally his defined abs.

As she looked, Liu felt her mouth go dry, her heart race, and a surge of heat uncontrollably rose from her lower abdomen.

Her legs unconsciously tightened slightly, and her breathing became a little rapid.

In the silence, Sun Ping stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Master Li, and announced loudly, "Master, all 1,500 standard-issue longswords have been forged. Please inspect them!"

Master Li stood in the center of the courtyard, his gaze slowly sweeping over the rows of neatly stacked long knives.

He randomly picked out a few swords and carefully examined their craftsmanship.

At the same time, the sharpness of the blade and the hardness of the blade were also tested.

Every shot was flawless, and his complexion improved more and more.

Master Li put down his long knife, turned to look at his eldest son standing to the side, his gaze filled with a rare gentleness and approval:

"Chengwen, you did a really good job with this batch of goods. You've worked hard these past few days."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengwen seemed frozen in place, remaining stunned for several seconds before reacting.

His nose suddenly stung, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears.

He was about to open his mouth to say something, but felt as if something was blocking his throat, so he could only nod vigorously and mumble a reply:

"Father...this is what a son should do."

Standing to the side, Li Jiwu, with a polite smile on his face, also offered his congratulations with clasped hands.

"Congratulations, Father. Congratulations, Eldest Brother. You've worked so hard this time. You've made such a contribution to the Li family. You are truly a role model for me as your younger brother."

Although he spoke eloquently, his hands clenched tightly in his sleeves.

Liu smiled and echoed her words, but her gaze kept drifting to Shen Chu, who was getting dressed not far away, with a hint of lingering satisfaction in her eyes.

Shen Chu didn't even notice this scene of fatherly love and filial piety. He wiped the sweat off his body, put on his outer garment, and let out a long breath.

It's finally finished!

The intense work over the past few days has finally come to an end, and Shen Chu can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

With the completion of this order, he had fulfilled his promise to Li Chengwen, and the favor he owed Li Chengwen because of the silver-patterned meteorite had finally been repaid.

Next, it's time to plan our departure.

He left the Li family mansion and Changping County, went to a place where no one knew him, started his sword-forging career again, and then lived a peaceful and uneventful life.

After a while of conversation, Master Li left the knife-forging compound with Li Jiwu and Madam Liu.

Li Chengwen stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching his father's figure disappear into the distance, a silly grin still lingering on his face, the kind that one can't help but wear after being praised.

After Li Jiwu returned to his room, the smile on his face vanished instantly.

He plopped down in the chair, his face so gloomy it could drip water, and his fingers tapped impatiently on the table.

"Zhang San!" he called out.

A middle-aged man pushed open the door and entered; it was Zhang San, his trusted confidant.

Seeing Li Jiwu's unpleasant expression, Zhang San carefully closed the door and stood to the side with his hands at his sides: "Second Young Master, you wanted to see me?"

"Didn't you say you had everything arranged?"

Li Jiwu's voice was low, but it carried an barely suppressed anger.

"Didn't you say you had Xiao Liu fill all the knives with materials? Why were all the knives in good condition when we checked them just now? Explain this to me!"

Zhang San trembled in fright and hurriedly said, "Second Young Master, I did indeed arrange for Xiao Liu to do it, that's absolutely true! As for why this happened... I don't know! Could it be that Xiao Liu was discovered before he could finish?"

"What about Xiao Liu?" Li Jiwu suddenly raised his head and stared fiercely at Zhang San, his gaze so intense it seemed he wanted to devour him alive.

Zhang San's forehead immediately broke out in a cold sweat: "I...I went to look for him right away, but I couldn't find him. His place was empty, I don't know where he went..."