Su Xin looked at the hateful look on Tao Qian's face,and a faint smile appeared on his face involuntarily.
As long as there is still hatred in the opponent's heart,things will be easier.
Tao Qian said coldly,"Young Master Meng,what exactly do you mean?Are you saying these things to expose my weaknesses?"
Su Xin shook his head and said,"Of course not.I came here to remind Master Tao that if you think the struggle for the position of the heir in Shangshan City has nothing to do with you,then you might encounter big trouble in the future."
"What do you mean?"
Su Xin said in a deep voice,"Master Tao,you should know that the mother of the Ninth Prince Yan Shengheng is from the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Sword Sect.If Yan Shengheng inherits the position of the city lord of Shangshan City,the entire city will undoubtedly become a vassal of the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Sword Sect.Back when you escaped the pursuit of the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Sword Sect to come to Shangshan City,you were safe here because the old city lord was in charge,and they dared not act recklessly.But if Yan Shengheng becomes the city lord,and the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Sword Sect completely takes over Shangshan City,do you think you will still have a way out?You haven't forgotten what happened back then,and I estimate that the people of the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Sword Sect haven't forgotten either.Moreover,you named your martial arts school the East Forest Martial Arts School,which is a provocation to the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Sword Sect.After all,no one wants to keep someone with a grudge against them constantly by their side.Do you think that when that time comes,the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Sword Sect will not completely eliminate you to prevent future troubles?"
Cold sweat instantly dripped down Tao Qian's forehead.
For more than a decade,Shangshan City has always maintained neutrality under the protection of Yan Emperor Nine,and the major martial arts sects in southern Xinjiang dare not cause trouble here.Therefore,Tao Qian had overlooked this point.
But now,after Su Xin's words,he realized that although Shangshan City is currently safe,the future is uncertain!
However,Tao Qian still did not agree.He calmed down and said,"Even so,I don't need to join Miss Yan.To be frank,among all the heirs,Miss Yan has the weakest strength.If I join the eldest and second young masters,their chances of winning the position of city lord are higher than Miss Yan.Anyway,as long as Yan Shengheng doesn't become the lord of the city,it doesn't matter who I join,so why bother joining Miss Yan,who has the weakest strength?"
Su Xin shook his head and said,"No,Master Tao,you are oversimplifying the major martial arts forces in southern Xinjiang.Although there may be friction between them on ordinary days,when it comes to matters that do not harm their interests,they will still give each other face.Even if Yan Shengheng does not become the city lord,as long as the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Sword Sect wants your life and tells others,no matter which force occupies Shangshan City,they will give face to the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Sword Sect.So,besides Miss Yan,who does not have the background of the major martial arts forces in southern Xinjiang,choosing anyone else is not safe.Of course,if you don't believe what I,Meng,said,you can also join the eldest and second young masters.I will leave now."
After struggling for a while,Tao Qian seemed to have figured out something.He asked in a low voice,"Young Master Meng,it's okay to choose Miss Yan,but I really can't see why she can claim the position of city lord.Women are inherently disadvantaged compared to men,and her forces are far inferior to those of the eldest and second young masters."
"Hehe,why?"
Su Xin pointed at himself and said,"Because I,Meng Qingze,am helping her!"
Su Xin's words were resolute,not arrogance but confidence.
Tao Qian was stunned for a moment,then burst into laughter and said,"Good!Then I will join Miss Yan without hesitation."
He agreed so readily that it surprised Su Xin.He originally thought Tao Qian wanted to have a physical confrontation to make things clear,but he didn't expect Tao Qian to agree so decisively.
Seeing through what Su Xin was thinking,Tao Qian smiled bitterly and said,"To be honest,even now,I don't really believe that Miss Yan can win the position of city lord.But what you said,Young Master Meng,if I don't choose Miss Yan,I have no one else to choose.Moreover,although I don't believe in Miss Yan,I believe in you.People on the Strong List are not fools.Since you are confident,I will follow you and take a gamble together!"
Su Xin patted Tao Qian's shoulder and said,"Master Tao,rest assured,you won't regret your decision today."
"Young Master Meng,what do you plan to do next?"
Since he had made up his mind to join Yan Qingxue,Tao Qian quickly entered the role.
Su Xin said,"There are still too few strong individuals under Miss Yan,and two innate martial artists like you and me are not enough.So,I plan to go and recruit a few more people.The next one I intend to find is'Broken Blade Hand'Nie Fang."
Tao Qian said in a deep voice,"I have dealt with Nie Fang before.Almost all the weapons in my martial arts school are ordered from Nie Fang's blacksmith shop."
His skills may not be as good as those refining masters who can create yellow-grade weapons,but all weapons crafted by him are even better than some of the refined blades from the court."
Su Xin nodded.If that's the case,Nie Fang's proficiency in refining is indeed commendable.He is just one step away from being called a master.
Weapons are divided into four levels:Heaven,Earth,Profound,and Yellow.However,in the martial world,blades that truly reach a certain level are very rare.Weapons that can reach that level are unique,have a name exclusive to the owner,and possess various extraordinary qualities.For example,Su Xin's Dragon Sword,even though it's a yellow-grade weapon.
To craft a yellow-grade weapon,the person who crafts it is qualified to engrave their name on it,becoming a true master of refining.
Although Nie Fang is not yet a refining master,his skills are close,lacking only a masterpiece to make a name for himself.
"Tao Master,what is Nie Fang's temperament?Is there a possibility of recruiting him?"Su Xin asked.
Tao Qian pondered for a moment,shaking his head."It's difficult.Nie Fang is described as good-natured or stubborn,depending on how you look at it.He has no interest in fighting and is only interested in crafting weapons.Even if he joins the Wind and Cloud Arena,it's solely for the substantial amount of money he receives upon promotion.His nickname,'Broken Blade Hand,'is quite interesting.He practices a martial art called Iron Refining Hand,using fire-based inner energy to strengthen his palms,making them invincible.When he reaches mastery,he can even melt gold to refine iron,hence the name Iron Refining Hand.He uses this martial art extensively in the Wind and Cloud Arena,aiming to quickly break the opponent's weapon and end the fight.In the end,he even tells his opponents to go to his place for a new weapon at an 80%discount,ensuring it won't break easily."
Upon hearing Tao Qian's explanation,Su Xin showed a strange expression.
According to what he said,Nie Fang is indeed an interesting person.Breaking someone's weapon and then inviting them to his shop for a discount is likely to leave those defeated by him feeling both amused and helpless.
"Well then,let's go meet him first,"Su Xin said.
"Meng Young Master,please wait.I need to take care of the students in the martial arts school first,"Tao Qian said.
He had just joined Yan Qingxue,and managing the East Forest Martial Arts School would be temporarily impossible.He needed to explain to his disciples,who had entered the martial arts school to learn martial arts after paying,about the situation.After all,they had invested money to learn martial arts at his school.
After Tao Qian sent his disciples away,he led the way,arriving at the entrance of Nie Fang's weapon shop.
Nie Fang's weapon shop was extremely simple,almost not deserving the title of a weapon shop.It was better described as a blacksmith shop.The shop front,spanning over ten yards,didn't even have a name.The open door revealed seven or eight blacksmith furnaces on the left side,with various ores scattered on the messy floor.On the right side,the wall was adorned with all kinds of blades.
If you replaced these weapons with various farming tools,it would look just like an ordinary blacksmith shop.
At this moment,a tall young man in his thirties,shirtless,was wielding a hammer to forge a sword blank.His muscular body was exposed,appearing very robust.There were only two young apprentices beside him,assisting with the bellows and filling materials,while another apprentice was attending to the customers.
Although Nie Fang's shop didn't have an impressive appearance,customers were constantly coming and going.Moreover,the prices of weapons here were not cheap.A common stainless-steel longsword was worth ten thousand taels,and there was no room for bargaining.It seemed like a stance of"buy if you want,I don't care."
Nie Fang could be said to be the best refining master in Shangshan City.For a martial artist,weapons were like a second life.
The reputation of the weapons crafted by Nie Fang spoke for itself.Even the poorest martial artists would save money to buy weapons from him.In this regard,no one would be stingy.
After observing for a while at the entrance of the weapon shop,Su Xin exclaimed,"Nie Fang's weapon shop is doing so well.Why doesn't he invest in a better storefront and hire more people?That way,he could make even more money."
Tao Qian sighed,"Meng Young Master,you may not know.Nie Fang earns money quickly,but he spends it even faster.Historically,refining masters and alchemists are the most money-consuming roles.Alchemists fare a bit better;if they follow the prescription to refine a medicine,the chances of failure are very low.But it's different for refining masters.To craft a weapon of the entry-grade level is not easy;each entry-grade weapon is unique.Even if a refining master can craft one,if you ask him to make a second one exactly the same,there will definitely be some changes.It's not like medicines,where if you follow the prescription,the effects are identical.Therefore,Nie Fang spends the money he earns on purchasing various precious ores,hoping to craft a truly entry-grade weapon.Unfortunately,he hasn't succeeded yet.Plus,he needs to buy resources for his cultivation,leaving him with very little money to improve his shop's appearance.Anyway,Nie Fang's reputation in Shangshan City is well-known,so there's no need for him to show off on the surface."
