The Blacksmith Association was an organization entirely composed of smiths who devoted their lives not to battle, but to the forging of masterpieces of tal.
Its mbers, though often possessing decent spirit ranks, rarely stepped onto the battlefield. Instead, they poured their souls into hamr and fla, refining ores, tals, and rare substances into works that carried both beauty and power.
Gengxin City itself thrived because of this dedication. Known throughout the continent as the “City of Blacksmiths,” it was a place where the ringing of hamrs never ceased, and the fiery glow of furnaces illuminated the night.
Occasionally, the best works crafted here would be put up for auction in the grand Auction Hall of the Blacksmith Association, drawing nobles, sect envoys, and rchants from all across the land.
Wu ng had little interest in browsing common shops. Instead, she headed straight for the Blacksmith Association, her steps asured and deliberate. The black robe she wore swayed with each stride, catching the sunlight in faint gleams. Her presence carried a quiet dignity, one that made passersby glance twice yet hesitate to approach.
The Blacksmith Association building itself was imposing. It rose high into the air like a fortress of steel and stone, its walls reinforced with tal plates, gleaming faintly in the sunlight. Heavy bronze doors stood at the entrance, pulsed with a faint luster, signifying both prestige and the association’s wealth. Dozens of people flowed in and out, so carrying heavy iron ingots, others dressed in fine robes clearly belonging to rchants or nobles. The clamor of trade, the tallic clang of forging, and the sll of burning charcoal lingered faintly in the air.
At the main gate stood a youth tasked with greeting visitors. He was lean and sowhat awkward in posture, clearly still in the throes of adolescence. His na was Si Long. Unlike the seasoned, humble young man recorded in the future storyline, the Si Long of this mont was rely a fifteen-year-old boy, still brimming with inexperience.
Only days ago, fate had smiled upon him—Lou Gao, the Divine Craftsman himself, had accepted Si Long as a personal apprentice. The boy’s world had turned upside down since then. With his modest background, he could never have dread of stepping so quickly into the inner circles of the Association.
As his gaze drifted along the bustling street, it suddenly froze.
From the far end of the avenue, a figure approached. A young woman, black-haired and strikingly beautiful, her expression calm yet carrying an indescribable sharpness. Her steps were neither hurried nor slow, but with each movent she seed to command the space around her.
Si Long’s breath caught in his throat.
‘She’s… beautiful.’
A faint warmth rushed to his cheeks, betraying his youthful inexperience. Perhaps it was the stirrings of puberty, perhaps simply the aura she carried, but his heart fluttered in a way it never had before.
‘I’ve never seen her in Gengxin before… Could she be from outside the city?’
The thought left him both curious and nervous. Instinctively, he straightened his back, trying to appear more dignified, though the flush on his face betrayed him. His hands itched to fidget, but he clasped them tightly behind him, silently praying he didn’t look foolish.
The woman’s eyes flicked briefly toward him as she drew near. For the briefest instant, her gaze brushed over him like the edge of a blade—sharp, discerning, and entirely unshaken by his presence.
Si Long’s heart skipped again. That single glance, indifferent as it was, left him feeling as though she had seen straight through him.
He swallowed, forcing himself to speak when she reached the steps.
“Miss, are you new to the city ? If you need any information, I can tell you everything. I know every nook and cranny of this place.”
His voice cracked slightly at the end, and his ears burned with embarrassnt.
‘Who is she? To look so young, yet to carry herself like that…’
As they stepped past the courtyard filled with the rhythmic clanging of hamrs and the scent of burning coal, the boy couldn’t help but steal glances at the mysterious visitor. Every strike of tal echoed the pounding in his own chest.
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Wu ng had co directly to the Blacksmith Association because she wished to et Lou Gao, the divine craftsman of this era and the president of the association. His reputation as a master of forging had reached every corner of the continent; naturally, he was a person Wu ng needed to co into contact with sooner or later.
However, just as she was about to step past the towering gates of the association, a teenage boy suddenly blocked her path.
“Miss, are you new to the city?” he blurted out in a single breath, his words tumbling together. “If you need any information, I can tell you everything. I know every nook and cranny of this place.”
Wu ng paused, raising her brows in amusent. She could feel the boy’s eagerness radiating off him—half pride, half a need to impress.
When he finally ran out of air, Wu ng smiled lightly and said, “Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first before offering such services?”
The boy froze for a second, then his face flushed crimson. Scratching his head awkwardly, he stamred, “Ah—yes, yes. My na is Si Long. I… I am the first disciple of Master Lou Gao.”
Wu ng’s eyes narrowed slightly with surprise.
‘So fate favors today… to stumble upon Lou Gao’s disciple before even stepping inside.’
She curved her lips into a polite smile. “My na is Wu ng. I’ve co here precisely to et your master.”
(Author Notes: How many of you thought at first she was sent to find trouble with yers? She only knows information of yers , but she was sent to contact Lou Gao.)
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