Chapter 122 - 121: Cultivating a Measure of Killing Intent

Chapter 122: Chapter 121: Cultivating a Measure of Killing Intent

Zhuang Bo was efficient. He quickly led Wu Chen through the Casting Area, a space echoing with the ceaseless, sharp clang of hammer against anvil, to find a Blade Forger.

"This is Zhuang Yan. We’re sworn siblings—not by blood. We begged on the streets together as children until our master took us into the sect."

Zhuang Bo introduced her to Wu Chen with a half-joking tone, "Younger Brother Wu, just tell her your requirements for the weapon. I’ll go make us some tea."

Wu Chen nodded. He had a faint impression of this Zhuang Yan.

The first time he came to Refining Valley with Stone Ox to deliver the fiend heads, she had been on duty with Zhuang Bo under the sect’s archway.

Furthermore, their physiques were quite similar; she had the powerful build of a warrior.

Wu Chen didn’t waste any words. He handed the blade in his hand to Zhuang Yan, who stood on the other side of the forging platform.

He then took out the piece of Ink Steel from his storage pouch, worth over three hundred and sixty Contribution Points, and placed it on the platform.

"Keep the shape of the blade the same as this one. I have no other requirements."

Zhuang Yan took the dark blade, glanced at the Ink Steel, and nodded. "So you want a Tier One weapon forged? Well, you’ve certainly come to the right place."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Wu Chen was curious. ’Don’t tell me I’m about to luck into something good again?’

"My master says that at my current skill level, if I try to forge a Tier One weapon, I’ll succeed once out of every hundred attempts."

Zhuang Yan said, "You’ve come at the perfect time. I’ve already failed the last ninety-nine times."

"This one’s guaranteed to be a success!"

"...Are you sure?"

Wu Chen’s mouth twitched as he looked at the powerfully-built girl with her hands on her hips.

’Why does that sound so unreliable?’

"Zhuang Yan, are you causing trouble again?"

Zhuang Bo brought tea from the adjacent break room, stepping into the sweltering heat of the smithy and glaring at the large-framed girl.

He filled a cup with fragrant tea for Wu Chen and said with a smile, "She’s just joking with you."

"If we only succeeded once every hundred tries, Refining Valley would have gone out of business long ago! How could we possibly withstand that kind of loss!"

"..."

Actually, Wu Chen had already figured it out. Besides, even if the forging failed, they would just throw the material back into the furnace, melt it down, and start again.

Furthermore, a place as large as Refining Valley wouldn’t quibble over a single weapon.

"In that case, I’ll entrust the forging of this weapon to Miss Zhuang."

After saying that, he asked, "I was just wondering, how many Contribution Points will it cost to forge this weapon? And how long will it take?"

"A Tier One weapon forged only from Ink Steel isn’t difficult. It will only cost fifty Contribution Points."

Zhuang Yan said, "As for time, it will take two days to complete."

"When the time comes, after you’ve inspected the weapon and confirmed it’s satisfactory, you just need to give the Jade Pendant that stores your Contribution Points to the forging Elder."

Wu Chen nodded. "Alright, I’ll come back to pick it up in two days."

Two days wasn’t too long. He planned to use this time to get some proper rest.

Once he had the weapon, he would spend a few more days searching for Martial Arts, and then he would prepare to head to Purple Mist Mountain on his quest to find the Blood Slaughter Sect!

If he really couldn’t get his hands on any Martial Arts, he planned to sneak into the residences of those two escort agencies in Mountain Mist City and "borrow" their Jade Bone Realm Martial Arts for a look.

Afterward, he would leave behind two thousand taels in silver banknotes at each place as an apology for his sudden intrusion.

’As for whether this counts as stealing techniques?’

’How can anything related to Martial Arts be considered stealing!’

’That’s what they call, "A body without chains, a Martial Path without end!"’

"Younger Brother Wu, don’t be in such a hurry to leave!"

Zhuang Bo called out to stop him. "We have guest lodgings right here in the sect. Besides, it’s going to be lively for the next couple of days. Why not stay and rest in the valley for two days?"

Wu Chen wasn’t interested in any "liveliness," but he stopped to think about it.

He had nothing to do for the next two days anyway. It was a rare chance for some leisure, so he might as well stay in the valley. After being so used to the bustling city streets, a change of scenery to the mountains would be quite nice.

"Alright!"

Seeing Wu Chen agree to stay, Zhuang Bo once again happily took the lead. "Younger Brother Wu, this way, please!"

"..."

「A tranquil mountain peak, several miles from the Casting Area.」

A small, red-brick courtyard near the summit was the residence Zhuang Bo had arranged for Wu Chen.

The mountains overlapped one another, and the sea of clouds was vast and boundless.

From this high vantage point, the view was breathtaking.

For a rare change, Wu Chen allowed himself to be lazy. He lounged in a reclining chair, his eyes half-closed, leisurely gazing at the mountains, the water, and the clouds.

Before he knew it, the sun had begun to set in the west, and the sky grew dim.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!

As his stomach let out a soft cry, Wu Chen woke from his drowsy state.

Here in Refining Valley, surrounded by countless experts, he had slept more soundly than ever.

He rose leisurely, splashed his face with some cold mountain spring water, and felt himself fully awake.

Humming a little tune, he walked toward the courtyard gate, planning to head down the mountain to the Refining Valley kitchens to get something to eat.

The entire mountain where he was staying was covered with houses for the sect’s disciples, so the paths up and down the mountain were paved with brick and stone, with multiple routes available.

Though they were winding, the paths were smooth, wide, and easy to walk on.

It would only take a moment to run down to the base of the mountain at full speed.

But just as he was about to move, there was a knock on his door.

"Younger Brother Wu, open up, it’s me!" Zhuang Bo’s voice came from outside.

Perhaps it was because it was rare for a peer to visit the sect—let alone one who was not only powerful but also specialized in hunting fiends—that Zhuang Bo was so excited. More than that, he was full of admiration.

So, as soon as he got off duty, he went to the kitchens and bought a few roast ducks. He also had a red-lacquered wooden food box containing seven or eight side dishes, and he was carrying two jars of wine.

"I was supposed to treat you, and yet you went and bought all this..." Wu Chen was a little speechless, looking at all the bags and boxes in Zhuang Bo’s hands.

"Ah, Younger Brother Wu, it’s all cheap stuff. Nothing valuable."

Zhuang Bo spread the food and drinks out on the small table in the courtyard. Since they were both straightforward men, they dispensed with the pleasantries and began to eat and drink heartily.

They each devoured a whole roast duck and downed several cups of wine. The nighttime mountain breeze was incredibly refreshing.

Wu Chen wiped the grease from his mouth, recalled how Zhuang Bo had mentioned things getting "lively," and asked curiously:

"Senior Brother Zhuang, you mentioned today that things would get lively in Refining Valley over the next couple of days. What’s that about?"

Zhuang Bo knew he would ask about this eventually. No matter how detached his personality was or how many fiends he had killed, he was still a young man of seventeen or eighteen. How could he not be interested in a bit of excitement?

He wiped his greasy mouth and said:

"It should be within the next two days, or five at the latest. The Direct Disciples from the four sects who have been out traveling will all be returning."

"Hmm? Direct Disciples need to travel?" Wu Chen didn’t understand. In his view, didn’t it make no difference where one practiced Martial Arts?

"Of course they do!"

Zhuang Bo’s expression was a mixture of yearning and a little fear. "These Direct Disciples are all at the late stage of the Jade Bone Realm, or even at the Perfection level. They’re just one step away from breaking through to the Organ Refining Realm."

"The Sect Leader says that before entering the Organ Refining Realm, one must cultivate a ’killing intent.’ And to cultivate this killing intent, they have to fight to the death with experts of the same realm."

"Only by entering the Organ Refining Realm with the blood of fiends and villains on their hands can they possess that awe-inspiring presence without needing to show anger."

"That’s why he gave a strict order, sending them all out to travel, precisely to cultivate this killing intent before their breakthrough."

Wu Chen nodded, understanding quickly.

It made sense. After all, there was a world of difference between someone who had taken a life and someone who hadn’t.

And since these Direct Disciples were the future successors of the sects, they wouldn’t be able to command respect without some real-world experience and skill.

"That doesn’t sound particularly lively to me!"

Wu Chen figured it was just a group of people returning, followed by a welcome-home reception from the sect—at most, some eating and drinking.

You could see that kind of "liveliness" every day in Mountain Mist City. It was nothing special.

"Just their return certainly wouldn’t be considered a big event."

Zhuang Bo added, "But there’s something you don’t know, Younger Brother Wu."

"The reason the sects’ Direct Disciples are all rushing back at this time is that in ten days, the four sects will be holding a grand disciple tournament."

"At that time, anyone from the surrounding cities who isn’t a Blood Evil fiend or a notorious outlaw, and is under the age of thirty-five, can come and participate in the competition."

He took a sip of wine to wet his throat and continued, "Younger Brother Wu, weren’t you looking for Martial Arts?"

"As long as you place in the top ten in the tournament ten days from now, you’ll have your pick of Martial Arts, medicinal pills, and even Tier Two weapons!"