55: Red Dragon Acquired

"Xiao Weiqing, Xiao Weiqing, wait a moment."

On the way back to the Ziwei Courtyard.

Xiao Weiqing suddenly heard someone calling him and looked back.

"Manager Wang? What is it?"

"Come with me."

Xiao Weiqing hesitated slightly. Although nothing was likely to happen within the academy, his upbringing taught him not to wander off with strangers.

"Manager Wang, just tell me what it is. I need to go back and Cultivate."

"Our boss wants to see you. Don't worry, it's a good thing."

"If it succeeds, I'll give you the Red Dragon. Even if it fails, I'll return the points for this blade."

Xiao Weiqing raised an eyebrow. Such a good deal?

He opened his Wristband and sent a message to Zhao Jia to ask about the situation.

He received a reply the next second.

"Go. I'll be there in a moment."

Xiao Weiqing felt reassured after receiving the message. "Alright, Manager Wang."

"Then let's go quickly."

Wang Hai led Xiao Weiqing toward the shop.

As they walked, he explained, "Trainee Xiao Weiqing, don't worry. Our boss is also a teacher at the academy, he just doesn't teach your group."

"Oh."

"Well, the boss's Extraordinary Talent is 'Artifact', but it's the forging type, which is why this shop exists."

"I see."

After entering the shop, the two didn't go upstairs but instead went through the back door to the backyard.

The scene changed as they entered the backyard; heat waves rolled through the air, and the sounds of clanging metal constantly came from the surrounding buildings.

They walked into the largest room, and the temperature rose sharply, but this had no effect on Xiao Weiqing.

"Boss, I've brought Xiao Weiqing."

The owner of the weapon shop was a burly man, two meters tall, shirtless, with arms thicker than Xiao Weiqing's thighs and bronze-colored skin. He was swinging a large hammer, strike after strike, beating a sword blank.

"Wait a moment."

Twenty minutes later.

The burly man stopped his large hammer. By this time, Wang Hai was drenched in sweat, but Xiao Weiqing remained completely composed.

"Not bad," the burly man praised.

"I'm Xing Tong, also a teacher at the academy. I teach forging."

Xiao Weiqing: "Hello, Teacher Xing."

Besides the Upper, Middle, and Lower Courtyards, Luo Jiang Academy also had other miscellaneous departments that weren't part of the mainstream combat academies, such as Healing, Forging, Cultivation, and Alchemy. Although they didn't have many people and weren't particularly strong, every single one of them was wealthy.

"I heard about the matter from Wang Hai just now."

Xing Tong beckoned, and a pitch-black metal block flew in front of Xiao Weiqing.

"Try using your fire. If you can melt this, the Red Dragon is yours."

Xiao Weiqing raised an eyebrow. "Teacher Xing, are you serious?"

"Hahaha… Zhao Jia and I have been old friends for twenty years, I wouldn't lie to you. Besides, the Red Dragon means nothing to me; I just forged it using scrap metal in my spare time."

"Teacher Xing, then I'll give it a try."

Without hesitation, Xiao Weiqing placed his hand under the metal block. He focused his mind.

A crimson flame appeared on his palm, but the metal block showed no signs of change.

As the Qi Fire was injected, the flame gradually brightened.

One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes later.

The metal block finally changed. To the naked eye, Xiao Weiqing could see the bottom of the metal block distorting, as if black liquid was about to drip out.

Xing Tong's expression changed, and he walked over.

"Good! Good!"

The next moment, Xiao Weiqing stopped the output. His Spiritual Qi and Qi Fire were almost exhausted.

"Teacher Xing, I don't have enough Spiritual Qi. I consumed quite a bit earlier."

"It's fine."

Xing Tong gave Wang Hai a look, and Wang Hai nodded and walked out of the room.

He returned two minutes later holding a wooden box—the very box containing the Red Dragon.

Xing Tong handed the wooden box to Xiao Weiqing. "Help me melt this piece of Obsidian, and this Red Dragon will be your reward."

Xiao Weiqing said, "Teacher Xing, I don't have enough Spiritual Qi right now, I can't do it."

"It doesn't matter. You'll be able to do it in a week at most. Just come by then. You can take the Red Dragon for now."

Xing Tong's strength far exceeded Xiao Weiqing's, and he could see through Xiao Weiqing's cultivation level at a glance. It was just a matter of melting, and he believed Xiao Weiqing would be able to do it in a week at most.

Xiao Weiqing was tempted; this was practically a no-cost business deal.

Just as he was about to agree, a loud shout rang out.

"Xing Tong, you're dreaming!"

"You vampire, ripping people off, and even targeting a Trainee!"

A middle-aged man strode in—it was Zhao Jia, holding a long piece of cloth that appeared to contain a weapon.

When Xing Tong saw that it was Zhao Jia, he cursed internally, knowing things wouldn't go so smoothly.

"Old Zhao, what do you mean by ripping off? We're both getting what we need, it's a win-win."

"Hmph, Xiao Weiqing might make a small profit, but you've definitely won big."

Xing Tong sighed helplessly, "What did I win? This job is worth a few thousand points at most. Materials, labor, time—aren't those all costs?"

But Zhao Jia cut him off directly.

"Bullshit! Don't think I don't know, you're not just making tens of thousands of points on this sword, would you have given the Red Dragon to Xiao Weiqing so easily otherwise?" Zhao Jia pointed at the sword blank Xing Tong had just been hammering.

Xing Tong cursed his mistake.

Xiao Weiqing might not have been able to tell, but as a weapon Great Master, Zhao Jia could see the quality of a weapon at a glance.

"Old Zhao, listen to me, this is all hard-earned money, hard-earned money."

"It's all hammered out by me, one strike at a time."

"Don't give me that crap. One Red Dragon, plus 1,000 points, for Xiao Weiqing. Also, this blade of mine has a small nick, you need to fix it."

Xing Tong was helpless against such an unreasonable person, "What does this have to do with you?"

"If I hadn't sent Xiao Weiqing to you, would you have been able to solve the problem with this Obsidian? If you had to go to other teachers, wouldn't they charge you a few thousand points?"

Zhao Jia pulled Xiao Weiqing along, "Hmph, Xiao Weiqing, let's go."

Seeing them about to leave, Xing Tong panicked.

"Don't, don't, don't go, we can talk about this."

However, Zhao Jia didn't look back; they held the initiative now.

"Fine, fine, fine… I agree, okay?"

Zhao Jia snorted, "Hand over the Red Dragon."

Xing Tong sighed, "Here, take it."

"Wang Hai, you transfer 1,000 points to Xiao Weiqing."

"Yes, Boss."

Zhao Jia said with satisfaction, "That's more like it."

"Xiao Weiqing, let's go."

Zhao Jia left his large blade behind and led Xiao Weiqing away.

Xing Tong called out from behind, "Xiao Weiqing, remember to come back in a week!"

Xiao Weiqing quickly turned back and said, "Understood, Teacher Xing."

The two walked out of the weapon shop.

Xiao Weiqing was still a bit dazed. The happiness had come too suddenly; not only did he get the Red Dragon, but also 1,000 points, yet he hadn't done anything yet.

Zhao Jia said, "Xiao Weiqing, in a week, just deal with that piece of Obsidian and ignore everything else. If that guy Xing Tong asks you to do anything else, no matter what it is, start at 1,000 points, otherwise don't help him."

Xiao Weiqing said, "Alright, I'll listen to you."

"Mm, you've done me a favor this time. My blade has been broken for a long time and I haven't been able to fix it. All my points as a teacher have been poured into that blade, and they've all been earned by these vampires."

"If you have any questions about blade techniques in the future, as long as I'm at the school, come find me anytime. Consider it my repayment."

Xiao Weiqing was overjoyed and quickly said, "Teacher, what are you saying? If you hadn't sent me here, how could I have encountered such a good thing?"

For a teacher like Zhao Jia, a one-on-one private lesson would start at at least dozens or hundreds of points, and they wouldn't necessarily be willing to teach.

Zhao Jia shook his head, "You don't understand. My weapon is a Companion Divine Weapon. I exchanged it with the savings of most of my life. Even a small nick is not that easy to fix."

"Hmph, this time I finally made that guy Xing Tong bleed a little. If he doesn't fix it for me, I'll tear down his shop."

Xiao Weiqing: "..."

On the other side, Xing Tong had settled one thing and felt relieved. Forging this sword, after deducting Materials, he would make at least 30,000 points.

He then picked up Zhao Jia's blade.

"Tch, a rough brute, and he even has to wrap it in cloth."

He opened the cloth, and Xing Tong was stunned.

"A Companion Divine Weapon?"

"Zhao Jia!"

"Damn you to the Immortals!"

The roar echoed through the entire street.