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Chapter 161: The Night Before the Apprenticeship, the Grand Young Master of the Wei Family
When Lu Qing and the Wei Manor's chief steward left the Foundry, they were seen off by Lin, the old master craftsman, and his apprentices, who treated them with the utmost respect.
The spectacle left the middle-aged shopkeeper, who had been watching from outside, utterly stunned. He couldn't fathom why the master craftsman and his apprentices were being so deferential to the young man.
Even when they had encountered the County Lord in the past, the master craftsman had never been so humble.
"Young Master Lu, do you plan to gift that thousand-refined sword to Master Ma?" The chief steward asked after they had left the Foundry.
"Indeed. In a couple of days, Master Ma and the young master will hold their apprenticeship ceremony. Master Ma is skilled in both swords and knives, and since a sword is a gentleman among weapons, it is a fitting gift," Lu Qing replied.
Lu Qing was also surprised that he had been able to forge a thousand-refined sword embryo. He had been worried about what gift to give at the apprenticeship ceremony, but now it seemed that problem had been solved.
As for the hundred-refined sword embryo, he didn't take it with him but instead left it at the Foundry as payment for using their furnace.
"That's quite a heavy gift, Young Master Lu," the chief steward said with a laugh. "A thousand-refined sword is incredibly valuable and rarely seen, even in the prefectural city. Whenever one appears, it stirs the desires of countless swordsmen."
A thousand-refined longsword was a true treasure, capable of cutting through iron like mud and slicing a hair in a breeze. Even a prestigious family like the Wei family only possessed a handful of such swords in their collection.
The fact that Lu Qing could give one away so casually left the chief steward in awe. Moreover, the fact that Lu Qing had forged it in just a couple of hours made it even more impressive.
Before accompanying Lu Qing to the Foundry, the chief steward had never imagined that Lu Qing possessed such extraordinary skills in smithing, capable of effortlessly crafting a thousand-refined blade.
This level of craftsmanship was on par with the renowned master craftsmen of the world.
Combined with his formidable strength, which could defeat a Martial Arts Master, the chief steward found himself increasingly intrigued by Lu Qing, a young man full of surprises.
The chief steward realized that the more he interacted with Lu Qing, the more he felt there was to uncover about the young man's hidden talents, each one more astonishing than the last.
Lu Qing, however, was oblivious to the chief steward's internal turmoil. He was quite satisfied with the outcome of their visit to the Foundry.
The fact that he could forge a thousand-refined sword embryo using ordinary iron meant that his smithing skills had reached a new level of mastery.
Once the Wei family head helped him gather the necessary materials, he could begin crafting his own battle dagger.
Upon returning to the Wei Manor, the chief steward immediately reported this important news to Wei Xinghe: Lu Qing possessed smithing skills comparable to those of a master craftsman.
Wei Xinghe was equally astonished by this revelation and quietly elevated Lu Qing's importance in his mind, ordering his men to expedite the search for the materials Lu Qing required.
In the following days, Lu Qing remained in the Wei Manor, content to cultivate and study. He had already sent word to Zhang and the others in Jiuli Village that he would be staying in the county town for a while, so there was no rush to return.
Two days later, just in time for the apprenticeship ceremony, the Foundry delivered the thousand-refined sword embryo, now a fully-fledged treasure, to the Wei Manor.
"Young Master Lu, please have a look. Does this sword meet your requirements?" asked the master of the Foundry, Lin, who had personally delivered the sword.
Chapter: Astonishing the City
Lu Qing held a beautifully decorated long wooden box, which he respectfully handed to Lu Qing.
Even Wei Xinghe, who was present, was astounded by this show of respect.
Old Master Lin was renowned for his superb casting techniques, making him one of the best in the county. He usually carried himself with a proud demeanor.
Who would have thought that he would be so respectful to Lu Qing? It seemed that, just as the chief steward had said, he was completely won over by this young master Lu.
Lu Qing took the box, opened it, and inside lay a long sword.
He drew the sword, his fingers plucking lightly to unsheathe it.
A cold light flashed, and everyone felt a sharp aura wash over them.
The sword in Lu Qing's hand had a snow-white blade adorned with intricate and exotic patterns, making it a sight to behold.
Lu Qing plucked a hair from his head and tossed it into the air. With a slight flick of his wrist, countless sword shadows filled the space in front of him, and in an instant, he had unleashed an uncountable number of strikes.
This sudden display of swordsmanship stunned everyone present.
Even Wei Xinghe's eyes widened in surprise.
He imagined himself in that situation and realized that even he would have difficulty defending against Lu Qing's swift swordplay.
Swish!
As Lu Qing sheathed his sword, he looked at the hair on the ground, now cut into countless segments, and nodded in satisfaction.
The hair had been weightless in the air, yet this sword could easily slice through it, a testament to its sharpness.
"This sword is excellent. Thank you, Master Lin," Lu Qing said.
Master Lin's mind was still reeling from Lu Qing's swordsmanship.
"Young Master Lu, you're too kind," he replied. "It was our honor as blacksmiths to be involved in the creation of such a treasure. It is I who should be thanking you."
Moreover, while he had been polishing the sword these past two days, the elderly Wang from next door had paid him a visit.
When he saw this sword, his eyes had widened in disbelief, and Master Lin had felt a burst of pride. Even now, he felt incredibly pleased just thinking about it.
After Master Lin left, Lu Qing sheathed the sword, returned it to its box, and handed it to Wei's chief steward, asking him to add it to the gift list for the following day.
Meanwhile, various forces within the county town were also preparing for the apprenticeship ceremony to be held at the Wei Manor the next day.
Over the past few days, ever since the Wei family had sent out invitations, news of the young master of the Wei family taking Ma Gu of the Ma family as his master had spread throughout the city.
Initially, some forces had been perplexed about who this Ma Gu was to be worthy of becoming the master of the young master of the Wei family.
Some even speculated that he might be one of the two mysterious individuals who had appeared at the city gate that day.
However, when they investigated, they were surprised to discover that Ma Gu was actually a distant branch member of the Ma family.
Furthermore, his cultivation was not high, only at the Sinew Changing Realm.
The fact that the Wei family would have their young master take a Sinew Changing Realm cultivator as his master baffled the various forces in the city.
Could this Ma Gu have some extraordinary abilities?
Or was he like the mysterious youth from that day, possessing strength far beyond his realm?
Suddenly, all the forces in the city became curious about this so-called apprenticeship ceremony.
As they prepared their gifts, they also anticipated the upcoming event.
Thus, the entire county town was enveloped in an unusual atmosphere.
In the midst of this, in the afternoon, a caravan entered the city with much fanfare and made its way toward the Wei Manor.
At the same time, Wei's chief steward received news and hurried back to the manor with a delighted look on his face.
"Master! Master! The young master has returned!" he exclaimed.
(End of Chapter)
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