Legendary Son-in-Law: The Man with Poison Talismans

Chapter 250 Shabak's Contribution Was Significant

Lin Mu, on the other hand, was getting a little giddy from being called "City Lord" repeatedly.

After all, in the game, the highest achievement for players is to conquer Shabak, become the lord of Shabak, and receive the admiration of all players.

Unfortunately, these people were facing Huo Lie when they shouted, their gazes sweeping over him without pausing for a moment, which somewhat ruined the atmosphere.

However, Lin Mu didn't mind. When someone called him "City Lord," he would just nod in response.

Huo Lie glanced at him, finding it odd that this person kept switching between being a wise man and a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur), but he didn't pay much attention to it. He didn't say anything and continued walking forward, slowing his pace as if he was about to speak.

He was silent for a while before saying, "In ancient times, the city of Shabak was a place that all the major guilds in Mengzhong fought over. Back then, the flags on the city walls could be changed seven or eight times a year. Today you occupied it, tomorrow I would snatch it. The blacksmith shops in the city changed hands countless times."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Later, the world underwent a great change, and demons roamed freely. The imperial court issued a strict order forbidding the common people from fighting each other, and the major guilds finally stopped. Shabak gradually became peaceful after that."

He spoke calmly, as if he were talking about something from a long time ago, “In fact, we have to thank the imperial court. Without that decree, Shabak would probably no longer belong to our Huo family, and our Mengzhong Huo family would not be in the situation we are in today.”

He glanced at Lin Mu, "However, we also pay a considerable amount of taxes to the imperial court every year. Half of the ore from the mining areas and the refined iron forged by the blacksmiths are transported to Bichon. In addition, we have sent a lot of swords and knives from Shabak to support the Demon Sealing and Bai Ri Men regions in recent years. So, our contributions are not insignificant."

He didn't say anything more after he finished speaking, as if he had already said what he wanted to say and left the rest to the listeners to think.

Lin Mu listened from the side, but his mind was racing.

This old rascal has gotten used to the good old days and wants to cause trouble.

The phrase "a great contribution" sounds like a humble expression, but it actually reflects an assessment of one's own worth.

This reminded him of certain people he had met in his previous life.

They caught the wave, made money, and became rich. But they forgot how they got there in the first place. Instead, they felt that they deserved it all because of their own abilities. If they lost it one day, it would be the fault of others, and the government and the people would owe them something.

Lin Mu showed nothing on his face, but simply followed Huo Lie into the huge blacksmith shop.

A wave of heat hit them, the light from the furnace reflecting on their faces, and the hammering sounded one after another, like the heartbeat of a city.

The blacksmith shop was much larger than Lin Mu had imagined.

The storefront appears to be only three rooms wide, but once inside, it is revealed to be extremely deep, with a high-hanging roof and several rows of thick iron pillars supporting the beams. Iron chains and pulleys hang from the beams, along with anvils and molds of various sizes.

The stoves were lined up along both sides of the wall, with seven or eight furnaces burning at the same time. The firelight made the whole shop glow red, and waves of heat surged out, making people's cheeks burn.

In front of each furnace stood a shirtless blacksmith, swinging his hammer and striking the red-hot iron billet again and again. Sparks flew and clanging sounds rose and fell, echoing back and forth in the empty shop like a never-ending drumbeat.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of iron filings and coal ash, which made a rustling sound when stepped on.

Stacks of finished weapons were piled up in the corner: Purgatory, Judgment, Limitless Staff, Bone Jade Scepter, all neatly arranged in rows, their blades and staffs gleaming with a dark luster in the firelight.

Huo Lie led Lin Mu through the central aisle of the shop to a slightly larger stove at the very back.

Standing by the furnace was an elderly man with gray hair but a straight back, wearing a leather apron with countless small holes burned by sparks. He held a short-handled iron hammer in his hand and was gently tapping on a dark red iron billet. It didn't seem like he was forging, but rather like he was talking to the iron.

Huo Lie stopped, his voice a few decibels louder than before: "Elder Shi, this is Young Master Lin, who wants to see our forging skills."

The old man raised his head, glanced at Lin Mu, nodded indifferently, and continued to hammer his iron ingot.

Lin Mu wasn't in a hurry. He waited until he flipped the iron ingot in his hand over before asking, "Elder Shi, I'd like to ask, what's the maximum number of points a weapon can have added to its main attribute?"

The old man's hammer didn't stop. He only spoke after finishing the strike, his voice hoarse, as if he had been exposed to the heat of a furnace for decades: "Theoretically, it can increase the weapon's original attributes by 50%. For example, a Judgment Sword with 30 attack points can theoretically be increased to 45."

He put down the hammer, straightened up, picked up the iron billet with pliers and put it into the water tank next to him. With a hiss, white steam rose up. "But that's in theory. In actual forging, the highest I've ever forged is a Judgment with 50 attack points. That's only if it's a Judgment with a base attack of 37. I've never made anything higher."

He paused, then added, "It's strange, but once the Judgment reaches 50 attack points, the entire staff turns golden and glows, making it easily recognizable as a regular Judgment. When it's below 50, it only emits a faint golden light, not as bright."

After he finished speaking, he bent down and picked up another piece of iron billet, as if he had finished speaking.

Lin Mu thought to himself, "Holy crap!"

Did they somehow forge the Golden Judgment from the game?

He had to admire the chief blacksmith of Shabak; he was truly amazing, capable of even crafting the Golden Judgment. How far away was the Golden Dragon Slayer in the private server?

His mind raced. No wonder his Dragon Slayer Sword didn't fetch a good price at auction; this Judgment Sword, once upgraded, was far more powerful than the Dragon Slayer Sword. A golden Judgment Sword with 50 attack power was far more effective in actual combat than the Dragon Slayer Sword with 42 attack power.

He thought for a moment, then asked again, "Elder Shi, what about upgrading weapons... is there a chance they'll fail and break?"

Old Shi glanced at him, as if he'd heard some outdated joke, and shook his head: "That's ancient history. In the old days, the technology wasn't advanced, and there was indeed a chance of weapons breaking when upgrading them. Modern forging techniques have long since improved. Upgrading weapons won't cause them to break; at most, it won't increase their attributes and will maintain their original state. However…"

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "However, once the upgrade fails, this weapon completely loses the possibility of being upgraded again. No matter who you ask or what method you use, it can't be upgraded. It can only be considered a piece of junk. Fortunately, such junk has one advantage... it's cheap. Most weapons circulating on the market actually come from this. Ordinary casual players can't afford good weapons."

After hearing this, Lin Mu finally felt relieved.

As long as it doesn't break, that's good. His equipment is pretty good. If it breaks, he'll have nowhere to cry.

He reached into his Qiankun bag and pulled out the [Dragon Slayer (damaged)] weapon.

Chapter 251 Weapon Repair and Upgrade

When he returned from the Demon Sealing Hall, he removed all the skeleton's equipment. After all, in a place like the Demon Sealing Hall, if the skeleton got smashed and its equipment fell all over the ground, there would be no one to blame but himself.

Fortunately, the divine beasts and skeletons are currently clearing monsters quite steadily in the Demon Sealing Hall. Occasionally, the experience prompts in my mind will pop up, and the spirit gathering bead on my belt is full again, which means they are still obediently clearing monsters.

Lin Mu held the blade in both hands and placed it on the anvil in front of Elder Shi: "Elder Shi, please take a look at this one."

Old Shi put down the iron ingot in his hand and his gaze fell on the dragon slayer.

The blade was jet black with a ghostly glow, and the cracks and wear were clearly visible. The blade was full of nicks, but the dark red light on the blade was still there, flickering, as if something was struggling to survive inside.

Old Shi leaned closer to examine the cracks on the blade, then gently rubbed the edge before picking up the Dragon Slayer, flipping it over, and looking at it for a while before speaking, his voice a few decibels deeper than before: "This blade... is an old one, and quite badly damaged."

Upon hearing this, Huo Lie also came closer, looking down at the heavily damaged Dragon Slayer sword on the anvil. He glanced at it a few times, then looked up at Lin Mu, his expression more serious than before.

Old Master Shi put down the Dragon Slayer sword, straightened up, and shook his head with a complicated expression: "I've been a blacksmith all my life, and I've handled at least 80,000 to 100,000 weapons, but a weapon like this... I've never seen anything like it in my life. Judging from the remaining attributes, this sword should have originally been a superb piece, with an excellent foundation. It's a pity it's damaged too badly; the cracks in the blade have seeped into the interior, and the nicks on the edge can't be repaired simply by grinding it down."

He paused, then slowly ran his hand along the spine of the blade: "I can try to repair it, but this blade is too badly damaged. I can't guarantee how well it can be repaired. It might recover 30%, or 50%, or if I'm lucky, 70%. But I'm afraid it's impossible to return it to its full glory."

Upon hearing this, Lin Mu felt a weight lifted from his heart.

As long as it can be repaired.

He hadn't expected it to be completely repaired; just restoring some of its attributes so that the Dragon Slayer wouldn't be completely useless would be a pleasant surprise. He nodded: "Then I'll trouble Elder Shi. Repair as much as you can."

After saying that, he reached into his Qiankun bag, took out the dragon-patterned sword he used, and handed it over with both hands: "In addition, I would like to ask Elder Shi to help upgrade this sword."

Old Shi took the dragon-patterned sword, examined it, and nodded: "This one has a good foundation and can be upgraded."

Lin Mu then remembered the important matter and asked, "Elder Shi, how much will it cost if we combine these two items?"

Before Elder Shi could speak, Huo Lie waved his hand, his tone decisive and leaving no room for refusal: "Young Master Lin is a nobleman of Shabak, what is this little forging fee? Elder Shi, forge it well for Young Master Lin, use the best materials, don't skimp."

Old Shi responded and put both weapons away, placing them neatly next to the anvil.

Lin Mu thanked him and then asked, "Elder Shi, how long will it take for these two to be ready?"

Old Shi pondered for a moment, then held up a number on his hand: "One is for repair, the other for upgrading. The processes are different, and both must be done carefully. If we do both together, it will take at least three days. We can't rush it. Weapons are like this; if they're not ready before they're finished, it's better not to make them at all."

Lin Mu nodded. Three days wasn't a long time; he could wait. Then another thought crossed his mind. If the weapon forging in Shabak was so superb, the clothing store's craftsmanship must be excellent too. Since he had to wait three days anyway, he might as well use that time to get the Heavenly Demon Armor sorted out as well.

He thought for a moment, then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Huo Lie: "President Huo, I'd like to go to a clothing store in the city. Is that convenient?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Tieshan strode in from outside the door, his pace quicker than usual, and whispered a few words in Huo Lie's ear.

Huo Lie's brows twitched slightly. He didn't say much, but nodded after listening. Then he turned to Lin Mu and said apologetically, "Please forgive me, Young Master Lin. I suddenly have some matters to attend to and cannot accompany you on your shopping trip."

Lin Mu waved his hand and smiled: "Shabak is such a big city, and it's all supported by the city lord alone. I can handle things on my own, it's no trouble."

Huo Lie nodded, without further pleasantries, and turned to say, "Tieshan, you accompany Young Master Lin around the city. If Young Friend Lin needs anything, just arrange it."

Tieshan paused for a moment, then pointed to himself: "Me?"

Before he could even wipe the "Why is it me?" look off his face, he glanced at Huo Lie's expression and realized this wasn't a discussion, so he could only nod and reluctantly agree, "Don't worry, City Lord."

Huo Lie nodded to Lin Mu again, then turned and led his entourage toward the high platform in the city center.

Lin Mu didn't care about Li Tieshan's feelings. He just watched Huo Lie's back walk away, and a somewhat fleeting thought suddenly popped into his mind.

Huo Lie left, and the warm greetings of "City Lord" were no longer heard on the road. Lin Mu suddenly felt a sense of unease after the liveliness had faded into silence.

Forget it, let's just wait for Gu Changfeng's triumphant return. When we follow Gu Changfeng, everyone will call us "Your Highness" right away. That sounds impressive, not much less so than the city lord.

He couldn't help but think further: what if he followed the Empress? Would he just hear "Your Majesty" all the way?

The thought drifted through his mind like a feather, drifting further and further away until even he himself felt it was somewhat far-fetched.

But Lin Mu's steps did not stop, and he had unknowingly followed Tie Shan through two streets.

Although Tieshan disapproved of Lin Mu's arrogant and spoiled attitude, he still did what the city lord arranged and didn't say much along the way, just leading the way.

"Young Master Lin, we've arrived. This is Shabak's clothing store."

Lin Mu looked up and saw that the clothing store wasn't very big, but the clothes displayed in the window were finely made with dense stitches, showing that a lot of effort had been put into them.

He pushed open the shop door and went inside. The owner, wearing a light blue short jacket, was cutting fabric behind the counter. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and asked, "What would you like, customer? Custom-made or altered?"

Lin Mu glanced at the samples hanging in the shop and got a sense of what was going on.

He walked to the counter, but instead of grabbing anything, he asked, "Boss, can you alter clothes here? To what extent? For example, can you change the style of the equipment? Can you change the gender?"

The tailor put down his scissors, wiped his hands, and said with the confidence of an expert, "You're joking, sir. Altering styles is just basic skill. To be honest, our tailors in Shabak can do more than just alter styles; we can even alter the gender you mentioned. A men's garment can be turned into a women's garment, or a women's garment into a men's garment. As long as the material is good and the craftsmanship is up to par, it's no problem."

After hearing this, Lin Mu understood. The clothing craftsmanship in this world was indeed more than just sewing and mending; if it could change gender, then things would be much easier.

He reached into his Qiankun bag and took out the [Heavenly Demon God Armor (Damaged)], placing it on the counter: "Help me remake this into a women's style. Also, see if you can fix its attributes."

Chapter 252 Clothing Alteration

The shopkeeper put down his scissors, picked up the Heavenly Demon Armor, and examined it closely for a long time. His brows furrowed deeper and deeper. Finally, he looked up, his gaze filled with a complex expression: "Sir, are you sure you want to alter it to a women's version? Although this armor is badly damaged, the base material is clearly of high quality. To be honest, I can't imagine what the attributes of such equipment would be if it were intact... It's such a pity. Clothing is not like weapons. Weapons can be reforged if they are damaged, but once the fabric armor is torn, the fibers are broken, and it can never be repaired to its original state. I will try my best, but I really can't guarantee how well it can be repaired."

Lin Mu nodded: "Yes, modify it to a women's style. As for repairs, repair as much as you can, just do your best."

Then, Lin Mu sat down at the counter: "Since we're going to change it, let's make a big change. Change it the way I say it."

As he spoke, he casually tore off a piece of scrap paper from the counter, borrowed the owner's charcoal pencil, and began to draw.

As he drew, he gestured and said, "Narrow the shoulder armor a bit, raise the waistline, make the skirt armor slit, add a few subtle lines on the side, don't change the color, but tone down the sheen a little..."

He became more and more engrossed in his speech, completely immersed in his artistic creation.

He didn't notice that the shop owner's originally professional smile gradually turned into a strange expression as his drawings became more detailed and his requests became more numerous.

The boss looked at the picture, then at Lin Mu, and then at the Heavenly Demon Armor. His thoughtful expression grew deeper, as if he had seen something beyond his comprehension.

Even Tieshan, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but come over. He was a big, burly man who originally had no interest in the tailor shop, but after standing behind Lin Mu and looking at the sketch for a few moments, the expression on his face began to become subtle.