"This kid seems to have some skills." Sun Gongping stood beside Yin Wuyou and rubbed his chin.
Yin Wuyou looked at him exasperatedly. He hasn't forged anything yet, so how can you tell that he's skilled?
She knew that if she responded, Sun Gongping would have a hundred sentences waiting for her. So she ignored him and continued watching Zhou Shu forge his weapon.
Although Sun Gongping wasn't a reliable person most of the time, what he said this time seemed to make sense.
However, it was unknown if Zhou Shu could successfully forge a weapon and what kind of weapon it would be.
But just his fluid movements when forging made people feel that he was indeed a forging expert.
Although everyone present was not a Forging Master, they were all experts. Sun Gongping and Cheng Yong had nothing to do with the Forging Division, but they dealt with weapons all day long.
Right now, they were actually looking forward to seeing what kind of weapon Zhou Shu could forge.
"Your Highness, you have just taken over the Forging Division, and the Forging Division has produced two new weapons. Will His Majesty reward you with a large sum of money? How about lending me some money? I've just entered the ranks, and I'm lacking a ranked weapon. Forging Masters charge exorbitant prices. Lend me some money, and I'll get a ranked weapon worthy of me…"
Yin Wuyou didn't say anything. If not for her manners, she really wanted to kick Sun Gongping away.
Ever since Zhou Shu started forging, he had completely forgotten everything about the outside world.
His mind was completely immersed in the forging process.
Since he had already made his decision, he wouldn't hesitate in the slightest. This time, he fully displayed his forging techniques.
He didn't display his martial strength, but his weapon forging speed had already reached the limit of an ordinary person's body.
In less than four hours, a Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber had already taken shape under his hammer.
The shape of the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber's blade was quite different from that of standard long sabers.
Everyone was an expert and could tell at a glance that this blade was more suitable for slashing.
But while the shape of the blade was what made a saber powerful, the materials and methods used to forge it were equally important.
Although the appearance of this saber looked very novel, nobody was certain if it was really a new saber.
It wasn't easy to develop a new saber.
If casually changing the shape of the blade was equivalent to developing a new saber, then a weapon forging genius wouldn't be worth much.
Once the blade took shape, the forging process would soon finish.
After another ten minutes, Zhou Shu finally completed his forging.
A long saber with a blade of more than a meter long appeared in front of everyone. The blade was straight and narrow, with a single-sided edge and a thick ridge. The entire saber looked rough, but it also revealed another kind of wild beauty.
"Your Highness, please try the saber!" Zhou Shu threw the saber to Yin Wuyou.
Yin Wuyou grabbed the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber. The more than one-meter-long saber formed a sharp contrast with her slender body, giving off the feeling of beauty and beast.
The Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber wasn't light. But in Yin Wuyou's hands, it was as light as a feather. She casually swung the saber around.
Then she held the saber with both hands and slashed at one of the wooden stakes meant for testing sabers in the testing ground.
Swoosh! The blade directly cut through the wooden stake. The cut was smooth and flat.
"The strength of an ordinary person can easily cut a wooden stake. The sharpness of this blade is no less than that of the Huben Saber," Yin Wuyou said. She held the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber and displayed a few valiant poses.
"On the surface, its sturdiness should also be above that of the Huben. Not bad. What is the name of this saber?" Yin Wuyou didn't appear too excited. She was a ranked martial artist after all. No matter how sharp an unranked weapon was, she wouldn't be too interested.
"Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber!" Zhou Shu said.
"Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber?" Yin Wuyou nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, this saber should be more suitable for cavalry combat."
"That's right." Zhou Shu nodded. "Your Highness, you should be able to tell how important the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber is to cavalry."
"Just changing the workshop you're in is indeed taking advantage of you." Yin Wuyou nodded.
Although this was a world of elite martial arts, powerful martial artists were only a minority. Ordinary people were the mainstream.
The total number of soldiers in Great Xia's Demon Executing Army and Fiend Eradication Army was not as large as the number of soldiers in a single unit of the Country Protector Army.
Cavalry had always been the top priority of the Country Protector Army.
The value of the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber was above that of the Huben Saber!
Yin Wuyou had merely changed Zhou Shu's workshop, and Great Xia had another powerful weapon. No matter how she looked at it, the Great Xia's Imperial Court had profited greatly.
Yin Wuyou wasn't a woman who liked to take advantage of others. She looked at Zhou Shu and pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.
"I can promise you that as long as you don't betray Great Xia, the ownership of the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber will always belong to you," Yin Wuyou said.
"Grand Minister, this is against the rules!" Xiao Zongshui blurted out.
Only the people from the Forging Division understood what Yin Wuyou meant.
If the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber belonged to Zhou Shu, he would receive a sum of money for every Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber forged by the Forging Division.
This was a treatment only official Forging Masters could receive!
For Forging Apprentices, even if they modified or created a standard weapon, the ownership would still belong to the workshop. At most, they would receive some rewards.
For a Forging Apprentice to have the ownership of a standard weapon was unprecedented!
As the superintendent of a Forging Division workshop, Xiao Zongshui understood the immense benefits that came with it.
Although every ranked weapon was priceless, their quantity was limited.
But standard weapons were different. Although standard weapons were not expensive, they were equipped for the military. The number of standard weapons the Forging Division had to forge every year was an astronomical figure.
Even if Zhou Shu only received a tael of silver for each weapon, with such a large quantity, he would definitely gain a massive amount of wealth!
Yin Wuyou glanced coldly at Xiao Zongshui. She hadn't settled the score with him yet, yet he still dared to speak at this time.
Xiao Zongshui gritted his teeth, but he didn't back down. What he had done previously hadn't broken the rules of the Forging Division. But now, Yin Wuyou had broken the rules!
Yin Wuyou narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "I don't need to explain to you what I do!"
"Grand Minister—" Xiao Zongshui still wanted to say something.
"Shut up!" Yin Wuyou shouted, her charming face filled with rage.
"I said that I don't need to explain my actions to you. If anyone has any objections, let them come to me! Zhou Shu, as long as I am still a princess of Great Xia, my words will not fail." Yin Wuyou no longer cared about Xiao Zongshui. Instead, she looked at Zhou Shu and spoke seriously.
"I believe you, Grand Minister." Zhou Shu nodded.
Yin Wuyou was saying that as long as she was still a princess of Great Xia, her words would be effective; not that as long as she was the grand minister of the Forging Division, her words would be effective.
Zhou Shu naturally understood the difference.
Yin Wuyou might not be the grand minister of the Forging Division for her whole life, but her status as a princess would never be lost as long as Great Xia remained.
In other words, as long as Great Xia was not destroyed, her words would be effective!
It could be said that Yin Wuyou's words gave Zhou Shu a golden rice bowl.
"Thank you, Princess!" Zhou Shu cupped his hands together.
"You don't have to thank me. You deserve it." Yin Wuyou shook her head.
"How many years has it been since Great Xia's Forging Division has innovated? You have contributed two new weapons in succession. This is a great contribution. If I report it to His Majesty, he will reward you handsomely.
"I have taken over the Forging Division and was waiting for a chance to sweep away its rotten aura. You have helped me greatly. The Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber has great strategic significance to Great Xia. The reward is not enough for your contribution.
"Didn't you want to change your workshop? I've decided to set up another workshop outside of the one hundred and eight workshops, the 0th Workshop. You, Zhou Shu, will be the superintendent of the workshop!"
The moment Yin Wuyou said this, the entire place became incomparably silent.
If a needle fell to the ground, everyone would be able to hear it clearly.
By letting the ownership of the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber belong to Zhou Shuang, Yin Wuyou was challenging the unspoken rules that had been in the Forging Division for hundreds of years.
Setting up a new workshop and letting a Forging Apprentice take charge was a move that defied the world!
In the history of Great Xia, there had never been a Forging Apprentice who directly became the superintendent of a workshop in the Forging Division!
Although the superintendent of a Forging Division workshop was only a ninth-rank minor official, it was still an official position.
Forging Apprentices were not even considered minor officials!
Before becoming a Forging Master, they were not qualified to have an official position!
Xiao Zongshui was able to become the superintendent of the workshop after ten years of studying hard!
Xiao Zongshui looked at Yin Wuyou in disbelief.
Just a moment ago, Zhou Shu was a small Forging Apprentice at his mercy. Now, he would be on equal footing with him?
The Forging Division only has the 1st to 108th workshops. What does this 0th Workshop mean?
It's even ranked before the 1st Workshop?
The 1st Workshop is overseen by Grand Craftsmen!
What right does Zhou Shu, a mere Forging Apprentice, have?
Not only were Xiao Zongshui and the others shocked, even Zhou Shu felt that this was inconceivable.
He had only wanted to stay away from Xiao Zongshui's 97th Workshop. He had never thought that he would become a superintendent.
Yin Wuyou was giving him a huge surprise.
"Grand Minister, the superintendent of a workshop is a ninth-rank official and has to be officially appointed by the Imperial Court!" Xiao Zongshui refused to give up.
"His Majesty has already handed over the Forging Division to me, and I naturally have the authority to promote and demote any superintendent. Superintendent Xiao, there's no need for you to worry about this. You just need to take care of your own matters.
"Zhou Shu, I will make it clear beforehand. The 0th Workshop is newly established, and there are currently no other people there. If you need any manpower, you will have to recruit people yourself. At most, I will support you with some fees and materials. As for the rest, you will have to rely on yourself. Do you have any questions?"