Chapter 43: The Legendary Blade "Bright Moon" is Forged!

"This is simply... looking passable."

Old Zhang gave a dry cough.

Noticing the gazes of the surrounding apprentices and Guan Qing and the others, he forcefully swallowed back the words of astonishment that had been on the tip of his tongue.

This brat was definitely doing it on purpose!

Su Mu had forged a saber that could be called a divine weapon, so where was he supposed to put his face?

Could he possibly admit that he, an old blacksmith revered by others for decades, was inferior to a young man like Su Mu?

Wasn't this just slapping his own face?

"Old Zhang! I feel like the Captain's saber looks much better in terms of craftsmanship than any of the ones you've forged before, doesn't it?"

Guan Qing, standing nearby, couldn't help scratching his head and asked with a puzzled expression.

The corner of Old Zhang's mouth twitched, and he gave him a sideways glare full of annoyance.

"What do you little brat know?"

"The most important thing about forging weapons is sharpness!"

"Although this saber looks pretty good on the outside, compared to the ones I've forged, there's still quite a gap."

Su Mu instantly understood Old Zhang's intent. He glanced at Guan Qing and said with a stern expression, "Did you hear that? Follow closely behind Old Zhang from now on, watch carefully, and learn well!"

Guan Qing smiled awkwardly and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Understood!"

Seeing this, Old Zhang could no longer contain the excitement in his heart and pulled Su Mu into a nearby room.

Looking at the saber in Su Mu's hand, Old Zhang acted as if he were beholding a peerless beauty, leaning close to the weapon to examine it in meticulous detail.

"Whether it's the shaping of the blank or the subsequent quenching, this is simply flawless!"

Old Zhang gently tapped the blade, and upon hearing the melodious sound it emitted, a look of pure intoxication washed over his face.

"Flawless! This sound is simply too perfect!"

"This is undoubtedly the absolute peak masterpiece I have ever laid eyes on!"

"Does this saber have a name?"

Su Mu lowered his head, gazing at the long saber treated by Old Zhang like a treasured artifact, while countless scenes from his past life flashed through his mind.

In his past life, in order to delve into the martial arts, he had closed his ears to all affairs outside his window.

He had neglected the companionship of his family.

By the time he turned back, it was already too regretful.

His loved ones passed away one after another.

Thinking of the portrayals by various poets in his past life, Su Mu traced his finger along the blade.

A trace of nostalgic longing flashed through his eyes.

"Bright Moon."

"May this saber help me pacify the chaos under heaven and allow all common people to behold the bright moon hanging high in the sky!"

Old Zhang was momentarily stunned.

At that moment, he realized that although he was older than Su Mu, when it came to depth of awareness, the gap between him and Su Mu was simply too vast.

For him!

As long as he could live day after day, that was enough.

As for the peace and security of the common people under heaven, to him, that was too ethereal, too grand!

Never had he expected!

Su Mu, standing right before him, would utter such words.

Old Zhang let out a sigh filled with deep emotion.

"It's wonderful to be young... If I were twenty years younger! I would definitely be just like you, striving my whole life for the peace of the world."

"But as for now..."

Hearing this, Su Mu interrupted Old Zhang.

"It is not too late now."

"Old Zhang, if I'm not mistaken, before you became a blacksmith, you must have wielded a long spear, right?"

"Furthermore, throughout all these years, you should have maintained the daily habit of practicing the spear."

"That is why you have thick layers of calluses on both sides of the web of your thumbs."

"The muscles in your arms were partially developed precisely through the long-term use of a spear."

Su Mu looked at Old Zhang with a profound and meaningful gaze.

Old Zhang froze, staring at Su Mu in sheer bewilderment.

He couldn't help taking two steps backward.

"You brat!"

"No, you even guessed that?"

Old Zhang was completely dumbfounded.

One had to know that all these years, he had been practicing the spear in secret, all by himself.

Not a single soul had ever discovered it.

Yet Su Mu had actually figured it out?

And deduced it through such a method, no less!

This kid had quite the sharp pair of eyes!

"Being able to persist like this day after day proves that deep down in your heart, you are still yearning for the day when you can go to the battlefield, slaughter the barbarians, and avenge those brutally murdered commoners, right?"

Su Mu said solemnly.

Hearing this, Old Zhang opened his mouth, his emotions tangled and intensely complex.

"I am old already; I am not what I used to be."

"Now, all I want to do is handle the logistics and provide backup for you all."

"If the entire Tiger Might Camp needs weapons, they can all come to me, but as for going to the battlefield to kill the enemy, forget about it!"

Su Mu gave Old Zhang a meaningful look and shook his head.

"You will change your mind."

Old Zhang watched Su Mu's departing figure and stood frozen for a moment.

Would he?

...

The Yamen.

Lei Yan clenched his fists, staring at the white-faced masked man sitting opposite him, his breathing somewhat hurried.

"You have quite some nerve, Your Excellency!"

"As a general of the Tiger-Wolf Cavalry, you actually dared to go alone to Qinghe Town for negotiations. Weren't you afraid of losing your life here?"

The white-faced man crossed his legs, cast a lazy and playful glance at Lei Yan, and revealed a mocking smile.

"I believe you are both intelligent men and should know what the consequences would be if you were to make a move against me?"

"If you kill me, the thirty-thousand-strong army of the Tiger-Wolf Cavalry will instantly arrive outside Qinghe Town! By then, thirty thousand Tiger-Wolf Cavalry will be enough to trample the entire Qinghe Town into dust."

"And you will pay the price for this foolish act."

Chen Jun, sitting in the main seat, furrowed his brows and gently tapped his fingers on the armrest.

"The price?"

"I would very much like to hear what kind of price we would pay."

The white-faced man curled the corners of his lips and folded his arms across his chest.

"The Tiger-Wolf Cavalry will slaughter every single commoner in Qinghe Town. At the same time, the families of both of you will be completely wiped out because of your erroneous decision!"

Chen Jun's pupils contracted and he let out a cold snort.

"Ridiculous! My family is residing within the capital city. Could it be that you people are capable of sneaking into the capital and murdering my family without a sound?"

The white-faced man flexed his fingers and said nonchalantly, "Lord Chen, there is no need to speak with such absolute certainty. I know you still have a son, who should currently be within the city of Youzhou, am I right?"

Chen Jun's expression changed drastically.

The fact that his son was in Youzhou city was a piece of information that not even a handful of people in the capital were aware of.

Yet the white-faced man before him was actually privy to this crucial piece of intelligence.

"What on earth is it that you want?"

Chen Jun took a deep breath, his complexion extremely unsightly.

The white-faced man clapped his hands and let out a light chuckle.

"Very simple! Two matters."

"The first matter: I can spare Qinghe Town for now, on the condition that once the seven border cities are all breached, you will hand over Qinghe Town to us then."

"By that time, Lord Chen can once again prove your competence to the imperial court, and you can also make a clean retreat unscathed. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

Hearing this, Lei Yan clenched his fists tighter.

The very thing he feared most had finally happened!

"And the second matter?"

Chen Jun pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice.

The white-faced man extended a single finger and placed a scroll onto the table before them.

"Help me find someone! As long as you find him, I will handsomely reward you!"

Upon seeing Su Mu's face depicted within the scroll, the pupils of both Chen Jun and Lei Yan dilated, and they exchanged a glance.

It was him?