Chapter 3: Benefits Move the Hearts of People

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

“Did you forge this saber?” a man in his thirties with an average figure asked while caressing the saber with his fingers.

“Yes,” Zhou Shu replied in a dazed manner.

His gaze traveled around the wooden stake.

He had chopped the wooden stake, which was approximately half a meter in diameter, in half?

Although this body had been forging since an early age and was considered strong, it was only at the level of an ordinary adult in terms of strength…

Was it because the blade was too sharp?

This didn’t make sense…

Zhou Shu felt that his scientific knowledge was being challenged. Any blade, no matter how sharp, had to be used with enough force to cut through a wooden stake. This was basic physics knowledge from middle school…

But since this wasn’t Earth, perhaps the rules of physics were different?

Indeed, there appeared to be unmatched experts here, capable of flying through the air and burrowing beneath the ground…

“Your name is Zhou Shu?” Xiao Zongshui continued asking.

“Yes.” Zhou Shu nodded.

“Your grandfather is Zhou Guangzu, and your father is Zhou Niantong?”

“Yes.” Zhou Shu had no idea what this superintendent was looking for, but he answered truthfully.

Xiao Zongshui was the workshop’s superintendent and Zhou Shu’s superior. Zhou Shu’s fate was in his hands.

“Both of them were adept. What a pity.” Xiao Zongshui nodded and went on. “You’re not too shabby either. Even though this saber is unranked, it is a top-tier standard long saber.”

“Top-tier standard long saber?” Zhou Shu was a little disappointed. It was just a top-tier standard long saber. With this saber, becoming a Forging Master appeared to be impossible.

But his disappointment was fleeting. With the Legendary Armament Canon, it was only a matter of time before he became a Forging Master.

How powerful would ranked weapons be if a top-tier standard long saber was already so powerful?

Zhou Shu’s hopes to become a Forging Master intensified.

Xiao Zongshui sized up Zhou Shu. “Given your age, being able to forge a top-tier standard long saber without the assistance of a master means that your ability surpasses that of your grandfather and father. Perhaps you’ll become a genuine Forging Master one day.”

“Then, I must thank Superintendent Xiao for your nurturing,” Zhou Shu said while cupping his hands.

“I didn’t nurture you.” With a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, Xiao Zongshui stared at Zhou Shu. “Your father and grandfather don’t think as vividly as you do. It’s no surprise you were able to forge such a top-tier standard long saber.”

“You flatter me,” Zhou Shu said awkwardly. In his previous life, he had never been able to suck up to others.

“Alright, performing your job well is more important to me than saying anything,” Xiao Zongshui said and waved his hand. “This top-tier standard long saber is of exceptional quality. One can compare to several ordinary standard long sabers.

“In the future, one top-tier standard long saber can replace three ordinary standard long sabers, provided you forge this kind of top-tier standard long saber.”

Then with his hands behind his back, Xiao Zongshui walked away.

Who knew whether on purpose or not, but he didn’t return the sharp standard long saber in his hand to Zhou Shu. Instead, he took it…

Exploiter Xiao! Zhou Shu spat inwardly after Xiao Zongshui left.

A sharp standard long saber was comparable to ten ordinary standard long sabers. But when it came to Xiao Zongshui, it could only compare to three. How blackhearted!

Zhou Shu finally calmed a little after cursing a few times.

A sharp standard long saber could replace three ordinary standard long sabers. His original task every month was to submit 100 standard long sabers. In other words, now he had to hand over 33 sharp standard long sabers.

The complexity of forging these two sabers seemed similar to Zhou Shu. To put it another way, his workload had drastically reduced, and he no longer needed to work overtime to forge weapons.

At the very least, his sudden death crisis was resolved…

After returning to his ‘kennel’, Zhou Shu tossed and turned on his hard wooden bed, unable to sleep. After spending a long time studying the Legendary Armament Canon, he decided to get out of bed. He walked over to the shed and got to work.

Not long later, a sharp standard long saber appeared in his hand again.

Zhou Shu wore a contented look on his face. He appeared to have truly grasped the method of forging sharp standard long sabers. Even if he solely used this method in the future, he could still make a livelihood in the Forging Division.

Whoosh!

Zhou Shu was admiring his work when the sound of wind breaking behind him startled him.

He bowed his head reflexively, and a rush of wind blew past the back of his head. Even his scalp hurt.

Bang!

A muffled sound came from the anvil in front of him, as if something had slammed into it.

Zhou Shu’s back was immediately drenched in cold sweat. It was obvious from the sound that the object was extremely heavy.

If he hadn’t dodged quickly, it would have hit his head instead of the anvil!

“Who is it!” Zhou Shu yelled while abruptly turning around.

“It’s best if you don’t move.” An ominous voice sounded in Zhou Shu’s ear. “Don’t force me. I don’t want your life.”

Opposite Zhou Shu was a tall thin man. With a hammer in his hand, he glared at Zhou Shu with a steely glance.

The hammer was the size of an adult’s head, and the handle was almost as tall as the man. If he swung this thing…

Zhou Shu could see his head being blasted to bits like a watermelon.

His entire body shuddered, and he instinctively gripped the sharp standard long saber in his hand. Only then did he feel a little safer.

“Who are you? What are you trying to do?!” Zhou Shu shouted, trying to draw the attention of the other apprentices with his voice.

Unfortunately, his plan didn’t work. As though no one heard his words, the clanking noises surrounding him continued.

The tall thin man opposite Zhou Shu had a mocking grin on his face. “There’s no need to waste your energy. Before dawn, no one will care even if you scream until your throat cracks.”

Zhou Shu’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t know why this man was so certain, but he knew no one would come to his rescue anytime soon.

“The money is hidden beneath the bed. If you want it, go ahead and take it!” Zhou Shu screamed while pointing at the wooden bed in the room.

“I’m not interested in money!

“Hand over the forging formula of the top-tier standard long saber, and I will spare your life,” the tall thin man said, his triangular eyes flickering with a malevolent gleam.

As he approached Zhou Shu, the tall thin man wielded his big hammer. He didn’t appear to be afraid of the long saber in Zhou Shu’s hand at all.

No matter how good a weapon was, it was only as good as the person wielding it.

The tall thin man clearly didn’t take Zhou Shu seriously.

Zhou Shu’s heart sank. He came for the weapon’s secret forging formula?

I only forged the sharp standard long saber a few hours ago, yet someone is already tempted?

This is the Forging Division’s workshop. How does he dare?

The sharp standard long saber’s exposure was beyond Zhou Shu’s expectations. He wouldn’t have gone to the testing ground to test the saber if he had realized it was that sharp.

He also hadn’t expected the news to spread so quickly. Not only did the superintendent, Xiao Zongshui, show up and take the saber away. But now, this guy, who appeared to be a Forging Apprentice, came to rob him!

Zhou Shu locked his gaze on the tall thin man. This person was unfamiliar to him. The Forging Division has a total of 108 workshops, and the number of apprentices in the 97th Workshop alone was in the hundreds. He couldn’t possibly have seen so many people before.

Even if they knew each other, this tall thin man would probably be unconcerned about their relationship.

Bang!

The tall thin man’s large hammer slammed heavily on the ground, creating a dull thud.

The man appeared feeble, but his strength wasn’t negligible. The massive hammer was as light as a feather in his grip.

“Is it worth it for the formula of an unranked weapon?” Zhou Shu clutched the sharp standard long saber in his hand while peering intently at the tall thin man.

“Hmph!” The tall thin man snorted coldly. He wouldn’t dare to rob a ranked weapon’s forging formula.

Only Forging Masters and above were capable of holding the forging formulas for ranked weapons. Even if he seized one, he wouldn’t be able to keep it.

But Forging Masters wouldn’t be concerned with this top-tier standard weapon’s formula, and it was valuable enough to improve people’s circumstances. This was the most suitable item for an ordinary Forging Apprentice!

The tall thin man had no desire to explain himself to Zhou Shu. He clutched the hammer’s handle and fixed his gaze on Zhou Shu like a hawk. He said harshly, “Give me the secret formula!”

“The secret forging formula is here. Come get it yourself if you want it!” Zhou Shu pointed at his own head.

In the blink of an eye, he had both hands on the handle of the sharp standard long saber and took the initiative to attack the tall thin man.

Zhou Shu didn’t know martial arts, but he was young and strong. Plus, he wielded a powerful weapon. Using brute force to attack, he was also incredibly strong.

The tall thin man’s visage was full of contempt. Despite the fact that they were both Forging Apprentices, there was still a distinction between individuals.

His forefather had received expert guidance and had learned a set of martial arts. Although his legacy dwindled over the years, the combat ability of the tall thin man still considerably outstripped that of ordinary people. He was considered invincible among the Forging Apprentices.

Ordinary people would be scared by Zhou Shu’s attack. But was he an ordinary person?

The tall thin man sneered. He swung his arm, and the enormous hammer raised high. He was confident that this hammer attack would be able to break a couple of Zhou Shu’s ribs, as well as knock away the standard long saber in his hands!

Ding!

The hammer and the standard long saber collided with a sharp sound. The tall thin man seemed to already see the standard long saber fly away and Zhou Shu wailing as he fell to the ground. A cruel and savage grin appeared on his face.

Suddenly, his nasty grin froze on his face, and his eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

Bang!

The enormous hammer fell to the ground. On the tall thin man’s chest, a visible line of blood emerged. The stream of blood continued to extend, and blood gushed out a few moments later.

“How… how is this possible!” The tall thin man left behind his final words in the mortal world before collapsing to the ground with a thud. He died with unresolved resentment!

[The sharp standard long saber you forged effectively completed a kill. You are rewarded with a cultivation technique: the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique!]

The Legendary Armament Cannon surfaced in front of Zhou Shu’s eyes automatically. It flipped to the page with the sharp standard long saber, and a line of text emerged on the page.

Suddenly, a slew of silhouettes jumping around materialized in front of Zhou Shu’s eyes, and a vast amount of data slammed into his head at the same time.