Chapter 23: Master Craftsman: Not A Penny, I Don’t Want A Single Coin—just My Name, Please, I Beg You
Big Ox Blacksmith Shop.
“Brother Lin, the iron rod you mentioned has been forged. This Big Ox Blacksmith Shop is an old store in Yong’an City with a heritage of a hundred years; that craftsmanship is absolutely top-notch.”
Wu Yong led Lin Fan toward the blacksmith shop. The matter that Brother Lin instructed, even if he didn’t eat, he had to get it done. Moreover, he came over every day to check on the progress, running very diligently.
“Is that so? Then I must take a good look.”
Lin Fan cared a lot about the iron rod. Ordinary wooden sticks couldn’t support his outbursts; with a little force, they would break on the spot, making it feel awkward and obstructed when hitting people.
Although after becoming a constable, he would have a saber.
But he felt that this thing called a knife was not very practical. Chopping people easily got stuck in the bones, not to mention that an inch longer means an inch stronger—this principle was very obvious.
Swinging an iron rod, with one strike down, no matter what part it hit, it guaranteed the opponent wouldn’t even have the chance to cry for their father and mother.
As for the saber.
It was better to just serve as a deterrent, placed on the shoulders of petty thieves, guaranteeing they would behave obediently.
At this time, inside the blacksmith shop.
The master craftsman was polishing the dazzling iron rod. This rod had black threads at both ends, a silver-white body, and carved patterns—it was truly an extraordinary forging craft.
“Master, this iron rod weighs sixty pounds. Can anyone really pick it up?” A burly man with his upper body bare, full of sinewy muscles from years of blacksmithing, looking full of explosive power, asked.
He had tried it; the iron rod was too heavy. He could pick it up, but to use it as a weapon? That was simply bragging. The inertia formed when swinging it made it hard to steady his stance.
The master craftsman said, “Who knows? The customer requested it to be as heavy as possible.”
The burly man shook his head and didn’t ask more. As long as their blacksmith shop made money, it was fine; as for the final use of this iron rod, it wasn’t for them to meddle in.
“Master craftsman, I’m here.”
The person hadn’t arrived yet, but Wu Yong’s voice had already come through.
The people in the shop looked toward Wu Yong. They were very familiar with him, from Loyalty Hall at Jili Wharf. And now, he wasn’t alone; beside him was a handsome, poised young man.
They exchanged glances, pondering in their hearts.
Could it be that this iron rod was for him to use?
But looking at his build, it didn’t seem like he could use it.
Walking into the blacksmith shop, Lin Fan smiled and nodded to everyone as a greeting. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to the iron rod in front of the master craftsman; his eyes lit up—this stick’s style was exactly to his liking.
He couldn’t help walking up to the iron rod and reaching out to pick it up.
The master craftsman was just about to remind him that the iron rod was very heavy and hard to lift with one hand, but he suddenly widened his eyes, as if seeing a ghost.
The other party effortlessly picked up the iron rod with one hand, even weighing it in his hand. This series of actions was performed with ease, as if the iron rod had no weight at all.
Not only was the master craftsman stunned, even the other apprentices were the same.
“Hmm, not bad. Though it’s a bit light, it’ll do for now.” Lin Fan nodded in satisfaction, casually swinging it a few times. The whooshing sound was like muffled thunder, roaring fiercely, with great power.
With this weight, combined with his power, non-martial artists would either be crippled or killed upon contact.
His own built-in panel was very good.
Staff technique and body refining greatly enhanced his flesh body power, especially in this period of time—his beginner body refining had been forcefully pushed by him to the great accomplishment stage.
This was beaten out of him strike by strike.
It contained his blood and sweat.
“Ah! Ah!…” The master craftsman let out a strange exclamation, “Divine power, this is innate divine power! I’ve been blacksmithing my whole life and have never seen anyone use such a heavy weapon so effortlessly.”
Lin Fan smiled and said, “Master craftsman, you’ve dealt with weapons your whole life, so you must have seen some extraordinary people and martial way masters.”
He didn’t really hope to learn about the martial way from the master craftsman.
But as a skilled blacksmith, he must have come into contact with some to some extent.
“Extraordinary people? Martial way masters? What are those? The heaviest knife I’ve ever made in my life was only a dozen pounds.” The master craftsman exclaimed in astonishment.
Alright then.
It seemed he really didn’t know.
The master craftsman’s eyes didn’t look like he was lying; if he were hiding something, there would definitely be fluctuations in his gaze.
Martial way, martial way.
What exactly was the reason that made people hide the martial way so deeply.
What exactly were they afraid of?
“Master craftsman, I really like this weapon. How many silver taels? I’ll give them to you.” Lin Fan gripped the iron rod, feeling power surging through his body. A suitable weapon could often unleash even stronger combat power.
The staff is the ancestor of all weapons.
Naturally, there was a reason for it.
The apprentices were full of expectation. The materials used for this iron rod were all top-grade, the shop’s signature materials, and with the master personally supervising, the price was extraordinary.
But soon, when they heard what the master said, they were dumbfounded.
“No charge, not a single coin. I won’t take a penny.” The master craftsman immediately waved his hand. Then, as if blood surged to his face, his complexion turned red. Excitedly grabbing Lin Fan’s hand, “I have just one request: can you let me engrave the shop’s name on it? Just this one request—even if I have to pay you, I’m willing.”
Now it was Lin Fan’s turn to be stunned.
It was the first time he heard of someone forging a weapon and not charging money, especially since he could feel that the cost of this iron rod was very high.
All costs added together.
Dozens of taels probably wouldn’t cover it.
“Master craftsman, have you thought it through?” Lin Fan asked.
The master craftsman immediately nodded, “I’ve thought it through, absolutely true. No charge. I have a premonition that this stick is destined to go down in history, to make a name for itself. I just want to be credited.”
Hearing this.
Lin Fan smiled; he could understand. Just like a historian, not changing a single word even under threat of execution—as long as you kill me, I’ll go down in history.
The master craftsman before him must be thinking the same.
“Good, I’ll fulfill your request.” Lin Fan said.
“Good, good, good.”
The master craftsman was so excited he was almost jumping up like a child. He immediately fetched tools and engraved a few characters on the iron rod.
【Made by Big Ox Blacksmith】
After engraving.
The master craftsman couldn’t hide his excitement and tried hard to keep Lin Fan, hoping to treat him to a banquet, but Lin Fan politely declined. Who freeloads a weapon and then freeloads a meal too?
After a simple chat, he picked up the iron rod and left the blacksmith shop. The master craftsman enthusiastically and respectfully saw him off, shouting that he should come if there’s any need.
Lin Fan felt he had made a profit.
The master craftsman also felt he had made a profit.
Everyone felt they had made a big profit.
That was a win-win, very good.
After Lin Fan left.
The apprentices gathered around, “Master, really no charge? Then aren’t we losing big time?”
“Charge my ass, lose my ass—we profited! This old man really profited. Going down in history—Big Ox Blacksmith Shop is really going down in history.” Then, the master craftsman fetched incense, went to the spirit tablet placed in the blacksmith shop, lit the incense, and knelt down with a thud, “Master, the dream you’ve longed for your whole life, that you never achieved—your disciple might really achieve it.”
“Sixty pounds, Master, and it was like it had no weight. This person is definitely boundless in the future.”
The surrounding apprentices watched their emotionally agitated master.
For a moment, they looked at each other in bewilderment.
Although they couldn’t understand the master’s thinking, they respected the master’s ideas.
On the way back.
Wu Yong looked at Brother Lin with full admiration on his face.
What is charisma?
This fucking is what charisma is.
Regretful—why wasn’t he born a daughter? Then he could offer himself.
Smack.
Wu Yong angrily slapped his own mouth.
What was he thinking? How could he have such extravagant hopes? Actually wanting to offer himself—being freelooaded by Brother Lin once would already be great.
Lin Fan asked puzzledly, “What are you doing? Why slap yourself out of nowhere?”
“Nothing, nothing.”
“Oh.”
New book period, seeking monthly tickets, seeking everything. Godfathers, give some please.
