With Yuan Fang leading the way, Han didn’t need to present any identification. He was immediately welcomed into the Qianbing Workshop.

  Young Master Yuan truly had impressive influence.

  Before long, Master Yuan appeared and greeted Yuan Fang with a smile.

  “You little rascal, why aren’t you working at the Ghost Gods Division? What brings you to my humble place?” Master Yuan laughed.

  “Uncle, I’ve come to ask for your help.” Yuan Fang grinned. “This is my friend—someone you’ve met before. Today, I need to ask you to lend a hand.”

  “It’s you!” Master Yuan immediately recognized Han.

  “Greetings, Master Yuan,” Han said with a smile. “Sorry to trouble you again.”

  “I’m just a blacksmith, forging weapons for people—it’s all part of the job, nothing troublesome about it,” Master Yuan responded.

  “What kind of weapon are we forging this time?” he asked, turning his attention to Han’s request.

  Master Yuan didn’t mention any conditions and immediately agreed to assist Han. Of course, a reward would be expected afterward, but that was something they wouldn’t haggle over in front of each other. A simple gesture of appreciation was enough.

  Yuan Fang had brought Han here, and for various reasons, Master Yuan couldn’t possibly refuse to forge weapons for him.

  Previously, it had been Lu Qingmo who directly requested his help, and Han had fought alongside Yuan Yihan before. Master Yuan had already made a mental note of Han, recognizing his boundless potential and his good relationship with the Yuan family.

  As the head of Qianbing Workshop, Master Yuan was known for being difficult to approach. He was highly respected, after all, and his skill was unmatched. His arrogance was well-earned, and many people admired him for his talent.

  But arrogance didn’t mean he was above everyday matters.

  Han took out the Taibai Sword, the Haixin Armor, and the other two materials he had brought with him.

  “Would it be possible to use these materials to enhance the sword and the armor?” Han asked.

  Master Yuan examined the Haixin Armor and the materials, nodding in approval.

  “This is an excellent inner armor. The crafting technique is flawless, as if it was made by nature itself. There isn’t a single imperfection. The person who forged this armor must be a true master.”

  Well, of course—it had been infused with the Fusion Light from Brother Shu’s crystal, so it was indeed a masterpiece.

  “As for these materials, they are treasures and are a perfect match for these two weapons.”

  Master Yuan nodded again. “Your request is possible.”

  “Three days—give me three days, and you can come back to pick them up.”

  “Only three days?” Han was surprised. The last time he had forged the Taibai Sword, he had waited much longer.

  Seeing Han’s doubt, Master Yuan explained, “Enhancing an existing item takes much less time than forging something from scratch.”

  “More importantly, both the sword and the armor are flawless, so they don’t need to be reforged. We just need to work with the two materials.”

  “If the sword or armor had defects, even with the right materials, it would take longer to fix those flaws, and it would require a higher level of skill.”

  Now Han understood a little better.

  Master Yuan took the four items and left without much ceremony, not bothering to entertain Han and Yuan Fang. Instead, Yuan Fang led Han on a tour of the place.

  “I’m not sure if Brother Zhou is interested in forging,” Yuan Fang said. “But if you are, I can show you the forging area in the back.”

  “Don’t the forging techniques need to be kept secret?” Han asked.

  Yuan Fang shook his head with a smile. “There are plenty of regular blacksmiths, forgemasters, and apprentices here. It’s fine for you to take a look.”

  “Then I’ll take you up on your offer.”

  Han was genuinely curious about the craft of weapon forging.

  Not that he intended to learn it, but he was interested in seeing how it was done.

  Yuan Fang took Han to the back courtyard of the Qianbing Workshop.

  Unlike the grandeur of the front hall, the back courtyard was filled with forge houses, all uniform in design and focused on durability and practicality. As soon as they entered, the temperature increased, and the air was thick with the scent of molten metal.

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  The front of the workshop catered to clients, so it had to be impressive. But the back was for production, and practicality took precedence.

  Each forge house had a guard, but no one dared stop Yuan Fang.

  He chose a forge house and led Han inside.

  The heat was intense, like stepping into a furnace. Inside, the space was large, filled with the sounds of hammering, flames crackling, and the hissing of red-hot metal being quenched in water.

  Young apprentices moved briskly, working without pause. Upon seeing Han and Yuan Fang enter, they were surprised, but no one had the time to inquire—they were too busy with their tasks.

  “These are apprentices,” Yuan Fang explained. “They’re here either to learn a craft or to gain experience in forging weapons.”

  “Do they pay to learn?” Han asked.

  “Or they work for their tuition,” Yuan Fang replied. “If you don’t have money, you work two years of odd jobs and another two years assisting before you start learning how to forge. Once you’ve learned, you still have to work here for two years for free. After that, you’re free to leave if you wish.”

  “You mean they have to spend at least six years here before they can leave?” Han asked, surprised.

  “Yes,” Yuan Fang nodded. “Qianbing Workshop is generous compared to others.”

  “Some forging workshops make apprentices work twelve or thirteen years before they’re allowed to leave.”

  The Yuan family was well-off, and they didn’t need to squeeze every last bit of value from their apprentices. But rules were still rules, and they weren’t running a charity.

  Han shook his head. If they weren’t advanced cultivators, who had six or ten years to waste?

  But Han understood—many of these apprentices had no choice. In this era, if you weren’t skilled in literature or martial arts, learning a craft like forging was a good way to survive.

  Once they completed their training, they could at least support themselves.

  In this world, having a skill was already impressive.

  Had Han come here with nothing, he would have been glad to become an apprentice at a place like this, and he would have considered himself fortunate. The opportunity to learn a trade like this was rare, and he would have taken it eagerly.

  Too bad there were no “what ifs.”

  Han watched a blacksmith at work and realized that forging weapons had its own set of unique techniques. This, too, was a form of knowledge.

  Surprisingly, the blacksmiths here were all martial artists, though none of them had high cultivation.

  “Most of the forgemasters here can only craft ordinary weapons,” Yuan Fang said. “Except for my third uncle, there are only a handful of people capable of forging martial weapons. They all hold high positions.”

  Yuan Fang then led Han to see a master who could forge martial weapons.

  This master’s forge was much larger and quieter, and even the apprentices had some level of cultivation.

  Forging martial weapons wasn’t as simple as throwing the materials into a furnace and performing a series of magical operations. It was a slow and precise process, with each hammer strike requiring great skill.

  This wasn’t like the fantasy methods Han had imagined, where everything was automatic. The forging of martial weapons was an art, and it demanded careful attention.

  After watching for a while, Yuan Fang led Han out of the workshop.

  "Now comes the crucial moment where the blacksmith must channel their spirit to complete the forging of a weapon—this is the greatest difference between a weapon and a hundred-refined item, apart from the materials," Yuan Fang explained.

  "This step is typically not open to spectators; it's considered a secret skill passed down only among blacksmiths."

  "I understand."

  Although Han felt a bit disappointed that he couldn't witness the most critical part of the process, he also understood that it wasn’t right to force someone to reveal the core of their craft.

  After leaving the forge, the two of them engaged in casual conversation.

  "I heard from my second uncle about your deeds in Yinhua County," Yuan Fang said. "You truly are a hero, righting wrongs and punishing evil. I admire you greatly."

  "It’s nothing, just doing what needed to be done. I couldn’t have done it without Yuan Vice Commander’s help. If it weren’t for him, the Soul Demon Master’s soul would have escaped," Han replied modestly.

  "The Soul Demon Master, a powerful evil lord from the Sacred Realm," Yuan Fang remarked. "He’s been active in Tianyue County for many years. Both the Ghost Division and the Dismissal Division have tried to take him down, but they’ve never succeeded."

  "The bounty on his head has been raised repeatedly, but no one has ever returned with his head to claim it."

  Han asked, "Does the Tianmu Sect really dare to appear so openly?"

  "Their underlings wouldn't, but the Soul Demon Master and those like him, those formidable evil lords, are extremely difficult to capture. They are cunning and elusive, their power immense," Yuan Fang explained. "Twenty years ago, my master fought one of the three major demons of Tianyue County, the Young Lord of the Yin Sky. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, he managed to escape before reinforcements arrived."

  As they continued their conversation, they made their way back to the Ghost Division.

  Along the way, Yuan Fang also mentioned his younger brother, thanking Han for providing the information about Black Mountain to Yuan Hua.

  Yuan Hua had already returned to Tianyue City. People of their status typically wouldn’t venture into places like Black Mountain, but Yuan Hua was an exception.

  After arriving at the Ghost Division, they parted ways.

  "Did everything go well?" Lu Qingmo asked.

  Han nodded. "Master Yuan said I can pick up the weapon in three days."

  "Why don’t we stay in the county city for three days then?" Lu Qingmo suggested. "If we go back now, we’ll only have to come back soon, and that would be more troublesome."

  "Three days..." Lu Qingmo thought for a moment before agreeing. "Staying here for three days works."

  "But your... well, will that go to waste?" she asked hesitantly.

  "My... what?" Han was puzzled.

  "Come on, you know what I mean," Lu Qingmo teased, knowing full well what she was hinting at.

  Han’s eyes widened as he realized what she was referring to—the chance to experience the Dao in his dreams.

  "It shouldn’t be a problem," Han said confidently. "I’ll try tonight to see if I can reach Master Jie and the others."

  Lu Qingmo nodded in agreement. "We’ll see. Anyway, it’s getting late, and we won’t be able to return until tomorrow."

  "By the way, I asked Old Ye to collect some scriptures for you," Lu Qingmo continued. "They don’t contain the aura of the Dao like the books you’re used to, but they’re still classics. You’ll receive them tomorrow, and you should study them carefully to gain insight into the principles within. Hopefully, you'll..."

  Lu Qingmo didn’t finish her sentence, but Han understood what she meant. She wanted him to study these texts and gain more understanding to increase his spiritual power.

  Han felt a warmth in his heart. This was likely one of the reasons Lu Qingmo had come to the county city—this trip was mostly for his benefit. The collection of scriptures, the arrangement for weapon forging—it was all part of her genuine care for him.

  "Thank you, Mo Yi," Han said sincerely.

  "You’ll thank me by succeeding sooner rather than later," Lu Qingmo replied with a smile.

  Han promised silently, I will succeed soon, and we will become a family as soon as possible.

  Such a deep kindness was beyond repayment. In this life and the next, he would repay her with all his heart and soul.