72: Respect for Teacher Xing's forging skills

The next day.

Xiao Weiqing arrived at a weapon shop as agreed.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

A beautiful woman walked up and asked.

"I'm looking for Teacher Xing."

"Xiao Weiqing, you came faster than expected." Wang Hai walked down from upstairs.

Xiao Weiqing smiled and said, "Hello, Manager Wang. I can't just take your things for nothing."

"Go to the backyard yourself; the boss is inside."

"Okay."

Arriving at the backyard.

There was still the clanging sound of iron being forged.

Xiao Weiqing entered the Artifact Refining room where Xing Tong was.

Inside the room.

Xing Tong was still hammering that sword blank.

At this point, the sword blank had changed significantly, beginning to show its sharp edge.

"Xiao Weiqing, you've come at the right time. I thought it would take another day or two."

Xing Tong was very happy to see Xiao Weiqing arrive.

"I've finished forging this sword blank; I'm just waiting to add the obsidian."

With a wave of Xing Tong's hand, the obsidian floated at the tip of the sword.

"Come, it's up to you."

Xiao Weiqing didn't waste any words.

He flicked his finger.

A wisp of flame flew out and began to calcine the piece of obsidian.

The fiery red flames began to burn, but the obsidian didn't change until Xiao Weiqing injected Qi Fire, at which point it seemed to show a tendency to become fluid.

"Very good, keep it like that."

Xiao Weiqing nodded, roughly calculating that it would consume about 30 strands of Qi Fire per minute.

"Teacher Xing, is half an hour enough?"

"Plenty. Twenty minutes will be enough."

Hearing this.

Xiao Weiqing felt more confident and maintained an output of 30 strands of Qi Fire per minute, otherwise he feared he wouldn't be able to finish in half an hour and would delay things.

"Drip~"

A drop of black liquid fell from the bottom of the obsidian, pitch-black like ink.

As this drop of liquid fell onto the sword tip, Xing Tong picked up the sword blank with one hand and began to hammer it.

Half a minute later, another drop fell.

Xing Tong didn't look up; the sword blank in his hand swung gently, precisely catching the dripping obsidian liquid with the blade's edge before hammering it again.

Just like that.

Drop after drop.

Gradually, the piece of obsidian began to become transparent, while the sword blank in Xing Tong's hand became pitch-black like ink, radiating a cold light.

Until the obsidian became almost transparent, Xing Tong also stopped hammering.

"Perfect!"

"I originally thought I could extract at most 70% of the obsidian essence, but I didn't expect your flames to be so powerful. 90% of the obsidian essence has been extracted."

Xiao Weiqing breathed a sigh of relief in his heart and withdrew the flames; more than half of his Qi Fire had been consumed.

"Xiao Weiqing, come, I'll transfer another 500 credits to you."

"No need, Teacher Xing. This is a collaboration; we're even." Xiao Weiqing quickly refused.

"Don't refuse; this sword is even more perfect than I anticipated."

Xiao Weiqing said, "Then... does Teacher Xing have any other requirements?"

Xing Tong was slightly stunned upon hearing this, then burst into laughter.

"You kid, I have no other requirements. Take these 500 credits with a clear conscience."

Afterward, the two added each other as friends, and Xing Tong transferred 500 credits to Xiao Weiqing.

"Then thank you, Teacher Xing." Xiao Weiqing felt relieved.

As the saying goes, one's hands are short when taking from others, and one's mouth is soft when eating from others.

Zhao Jia had said that with Xing Tong, no matter what the request was, it started at 1,000 credits; he couldn't lose the big picture for a small gain.

"Alright, you go back first. I'll look for you again if I need anything."

"Okay, Teacher Xing."

Although there was no other work, he had gained 500 credits for nothing—a huge profit.

Xiao Weiqing turned and left.

Just as he walked out the door, he encountered an old man.

As the two brushed past each other.

The old man grabbed Xiao Weiqing's arm, "Eh? Supreme Yang Fire?"

The sudden change gave Xiao Weiqing a big fright, but his arm was held by the old man, and he couldn't pull it back at all.

"Hello, could you let go first?"

Hearing the commotion outside, Xing Tong walked out shirtless.

"Old Ghost Yan, take your claws off him. Don't scare Xiao Weiqing."

"Xiao Weiqing? Good name."

The old man let go of Xiao Weiqing and walked into Xing Tong's forging room.

Xing Tong turned back into the room and signaled for Xiao Weiqing to follow. Xiao Weiqing didn't know why, but he followed him in anyway.

"How about it, Xing Tong? Do you want me to help you process that piece of obsidian? I'll only charge you 8,000 credits. Or you can help me forge another furnace."

"Old Ghost Yan, you vampire. 8,000 credits? You have the nerve to say that."

"My name is Yan Xin. Don't keep calling me Old Ghost Yan; it's impolite."

"Hmph!"

Xing Tong gave a cold snort and tossed the obsidian remains to Yan Xin.

Yan Xin caught it and let out a light "eh," "Such a dense fire aura."

"You did this?"

Facing Yan Xin's question, Xiao Weiqing nodded.

Yan Xin opened his Wristband and tapped it a few times.

"Xiao Weiqing, 18 years old, Extraordinary Talent, Samadhi True Fire?"

"18 years old, which means you're a freshman."

"Is it convenient for you to show me your flames?"

Xiao Weiqing was puzzled and looked at Xing Tong.

Xing Tong raised an eyebrow and said, "This guy refines pills and sells medicine; he has more credits than I do."

Xiao Weiqing's eyes lit up, and he readily agreed, "Okay."

Boom!

Extending his left hand, a large fireball one foot in diameter suddenly appeared, with golden Qi Fire inside dancing like spirits within the flames.

The moment Yan Xin saw the golden flames, his eyes lit up, and he clicked his tongue in praise, "It really is the Supreme Yang Fire."

"Xiao Weiqing, are you interested in helping me with something?"

"Help with something?"

Xiao Weiqing's eyes darted around, and then a look of joy appeared on his face; he smelled the scent of credits.

"Teacher Yan, what kind of help is it?"

"Don't forget tomorrow afternoon. I'll send the address to your Wristband."

Yan Xin glared at Xing Tong.

"It's just refining a few herbs; it's much simpler than your quenching of obsidian. What do you think?"

Xiao Weiqing asked, "How many credits will you give?"

Yan Xin gave a gesture with a smile.

"6,000? Deal!" Xiao Weiqing was overjoyed; he had met another good person.

Yan Xin said irritably, "Do I look like a sucker?"

"600, how about it?"

"Not good."

Xiao Weiqing turned to Xing Tong and said, "Teacher Xing, if you need help again, contact me. We can negotiate the credits."

Then he turned to leave, ignoring Yan Xin.

"Hey, hey, don't go! You kid, we're bargaining here."

Yan Xin quickly stopped Xiao Weiqing.

Xiao Weiqing stopped and said, "I helped Teacher Xing quench the obsidian, and Teacher Xing gave me 3,000 credits plus a Crimson Dragon."

"The Crimson Dragon is worth 2,000 credits," Xiao Weiqing added.

"Teacher Yan, are you insulting me with 600 credits? Or are you insulting your own vision?"

"Or are you saying Teacher Xing's vision is flawed?"

"Fine, fine. How much do you want?"

"The same as Teacher Xing, 5,000 credits."

Yan Xin said, "Are you robbing me? How could a vampire like Xing Tong give you 5,000 credits?"

"It's not like I haven't seen that Crimson Dragon; it was forged from the leftover Materials used to make my furnace. It's worth 1,000 credits at most."

Xiao Weiqing remained unmoved, "In my heart, that Crimson Dragon is definitely worth 2,000 credits. This is my respect for Teacher Xing's forging skills. You should know, it was created through Teacher Xing's day and night of painstaking tempering."

"Teacher Xing's skills—who in all of Great Xia doesn't know about them?"

Xing Tong's mouth twitched. If he hadn't heard from Wang Hai about what this kid did when he bought the blade earlier, he would have actually believed him.

"Alright, 2,000 credits to help me refine a few herbs. If there's anything else, we'll calculate it separately. Do we have a deal?" Yan Xin said.

"Deal!"

Yan Xin: "..."

Xiao Weiqing held out his Wristband, "Teacher Yan, is it convenient to pay a deposit?"

Yan Xin smiled faintly, "Interesting." He operated his Wristband for a moment, "The credits have been sent to you. Come to my place tomorrow afternoon."

"I know you've just enrolled and are short on credits. Consider this my investment in you."

Xiao Weiqing was overjoyed to receive the credits, "Thank you, Teacher Yan. Feel free to give me orders if you need anything in the future."

"You kid, you sure change faces quickly. Go on, Teacher Xing and I still have things to discuss."

"Don't forget tomorrow afternoon. I'll send the address to your Wristband."

"Okay, goodbye, both teachers."

After Xiao Weiqing left.

"Old Xing, get me five furnaces. I'll send someone to deliver the Materials to you tomorrow."

"100,000!"

"Get lost!"

"You're taking me for a sucker too, aren't you? These are just for refining low-level Medicinal Pills. 5,000 each. Do it or not? If not, I'll find someone else."

"Fine, 5,000 it is."

"By the way, you haven't refined low-level Medicinal Pills in a long time, have you? Gone bankrupt?"

Yan Xin cursed, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. The Academy ordered them for the new Trainees to use for cultivation."

Xing Tong nodded slightly, "Alright, I got it. I'll get them done as soon as possible."