"Do you have any questions for me?" Xiao Zongshui asked Zhou Shu, his face expressionless.
The sky was still bright when they left the Forging Division workshop. It was already dark when they left the military camp.
Unknowingly, they had stayed in the Huben troop camp for a full day.
"No." Zhou Shu shook his head firmly.
He had no idea what Xiao Zongshui and General Cheng had talked about in the tent, and he didn't care either.
A worker had to have the awareness of being one. Knowing too much might not be a good thing.
"Really?" Xiao Zongshui's eyes flashed with sarcasm. "You must be thinking that the secret formula of the Huben Saber is yours, so why did it end up belonging to the 97th Workshop."
"I didn't—"
"There is no need to deny it. Anyone would think so," Xiao Zongshui interrupted. "Let me enlighten you. It's because I, Xiao Zongshui, am the superintendent of the 97th Workshop!"
Zhou Shu was speechless. Exploiter Xiao is taking his undeserved gain for granted!
"There's no need to be angry." Xiao Zongshui was unconcerned about Zhou Shu's reaction. "This is how the world works. You can't preserve the Huben Saber's secret forging formula even if it's in your hands. Even if you hand over the formula, it must still go through me. Actually, you should count yourself lucky that General Cheng is interested in the Huben Saber.
"I'll tell you the truth. If you hand over the Huben Saber's secret forging formula to the Ministry of Justice, the reward will only be a few silver pennies added to your monthly income. Now, I'm not the type to keep all the benefits to myself. I'm not going to forget about your share of profit." Xiao Zongshui was very straightforward. Ultimately, he didn't forget to paint a rosy picture for Zhou Shu.
Zhou Shu knew he was telling the truth. He wouldn't gain anything by keeping the Huben Saber's secret forging formula. On the contrary, the precious stone lands its innocent possessor in jail.
His current strength was still insufficient.
As for the benefits Xiao Zongshui mentioned, Zhou Shu didn't take them seriously.
In his previous life, he had witnessed numerous empty promises made by bosses, but how many of them were actually kept?
"This is a banknote worth one hundred taels of silver, and it's usable anywhere in Great Xia." Xiao Zongshui reached into his pocket and tossed a banknote into Zhou Shu's arms. "Write down the Huben Saber's formula for me later."
Xiao Zongshui had never considered that Zhou Shu would refuse.
In reality, Zhou Shu had no choice but to accept. He would most likely die in the wilderness tonight if he dared to reject.
The Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique's first level might not be enough to beat Xiao Zongshui.
Although he felt aggrieved, he kept the banknote.
His monthly salary was half a tael of silver. A hundred taels of silver was the equivalent of 20 years of pay!
General Cheng paid a few thousand taels of silver to this bastard Exploiter Xiao, and now he's going to send me away with a hundred taels?
Just you wait. I'll let you know sooner or later that free stuff is the most expensive. Zhou Shu cursed.
"By the way, you are literate, right?" Xiao Zongshui suddenly remembered.
The majority of Forging Apprentices were from poor backgrounds, and many were illiterate.
Zhou Shu pondered. "I know a little." He did spend two years at a private school in the past.
"It's good that you're literate. Don't forget to write down the secret formula." Xiao Zongshui nodded. "Work hard. I won't mistreat you."
Xiao Zongshui 'considerately' ordered the coachman to bring Zhou Shu back to the workshop. On the other hand, he got off the carriage and went to a brothel to listen to music.
Zhou Shu returned to his work shed with a 'large sum' of a hundred taels of silver in his pocket. He could only sigh as he glanced at the dilapidated slum.
He had signed a contract with the Forging Division. Before the contract ended, unless he advanced to Forging Master, he would have to stay here forever.
Advance to Forging Master? After witnessing Xiao Zongshui and General Cheng's shady dealings, he couldn't guarantee what the consequences would be if he forged a ranked weapon.
He was afraid that Xiao Zongshui would snatch the secret forging formula for the ranked weapon before he could advance to Forging Master.
After all, the value of the secret forging formula of a ranked weapon was not something a mere Huben Saber's could compare with.
For Forging Masters to be respected, they had to be a renowned Forging Master in the first place.
It was obvious how Xiao Zongshui would treat a new Forging Master unknown to outsiders.
[You receive a reward of two years of cultivation because the sharp standard long saber you forged effectively completed a kill!]
The Legendary Armament Canon appeared on its own just as Zhou Shu was contemplating his next move. The pages flipped open, revealing the page with the sharp standard long blade. On the page, there was a line of comments.
He felt his body expand as a surge of heat rushed into it. After a few seconds, he returned to normal.
Another two years of cultivation? Zhou Shu was ecstatic. As expected of a combat unit, they had given him such a wonderful surprise in such a short time!
The two Huben Sabers had been left with General Cheng when he and Xiao Zongshui left the Huben troop camp.
He hadn't expected them to kill enemies so quickly with the Huben Sabers.
He didn't know if they were killing humans or animals, though…
Zhou Shu's gaze fell on the page, only to notice a few small characters after the title on the sharp standard long blade's page. It turned out to be a number.
[Two.]
After a brief moment, Zhou Shu understood. This meant that he had forged two long sharp sabers.
Actually, after obtaining the secret forging formula, he hadn't only forged two sharp standard long sabers. But some of them had been damaged, and the only ones still intact were the two remaining with the Huben troop.
The Huben troop is a troop of Imperial Guards, so there are relatively few opportunities to combat. If it's the border army, then it's a war machine. Zhou Shu smacked his lips, appearing to yearn for more. The feeling of his cultivation rapidly rising was just too satisfying.
But he still had no way of sending the weapons he forged to the border army, so he could only think about it.
As long as I stay in the Forging Division, sooner or later, the weapons I forge will populate the three armies of Great Xia. At that time… Zhou Shu couldn't stop himself from snickering. How would it feel to have thousands of people helping me cultivate?
Good?
Or especially good?
Just thinking about it made him feel excited.
But Zhou Shu was well aware that accomplishing this was difficult.
The three armies of Great Xia were tasked with executing demons, eradicating fiends, and defending the country!
The Demon Executing Army and the Fiend Eradicating Army dealt with powerful opponents. They were also formidable fighters themselves and wielded ranked weapons.
These weapons were provided by the Forging Masters of the first 36 workshops in the Forging Division.
On the other hand, the Country Protector Army was an ordinary army, and the Huben troop was one of them.
A weapon forged by a Forging Apprentice like Zhou Shu could only be supplied to the Country Protector Army.
If he wanted the weapons he forged to be used by all three armies of Great Xia, he had to at least become a Forging Master.
This wasn't urgent, though. Just the Country Protector Army was enough to keep him busy for many years.
Xiao Zongshui promised General Cheng that he would provide three thousand Huben Sabers in three months. Three thousand… It's certainly impossible to rely on just one person. He'll probably pick a bunch of people to participate in the forging.
Zhou Shu didn't care what Xiao Zongshui would do. It wasn't like Xiao Zongshui would give him any money.
What Zhou Shu was concerned about was how many Huben Sabers he could weave in with this opportunity.
If he went all out now, he could easily forge five Huben Sabers a day.
This way, he could make 150 Huben Sabers a month, and he could forge 500 Huben Sabers in three months!
But handing in so many Huben Sabers would expose his strength.
At that time, it would be troublesome if he attracted the attention of someone with an ulterior motive.
Usually, forging two Huben Sabers every day isn't an issue for a Forging Apprentice who works hard. As the creator of the Huben Saber, my forging skills are undoubtedly better. It shouldn't be strange if I work overtime and manage to forge three Huben Sabers every day, right?
Three a day, ninety in a month, and two hundred and seventy in three months… I'll be able to gain five hundred years of cultivation at once if more than two hundred sabers kill enemies at the same time…
Zhou Shu was so giddy with joy that he wanted to sing.
How many levels of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique could he master if he gained 500 years of cultivation?
The first level required two years of cultivation, the second level four years, the third level eight years, the fourth level sixteen years, the fifth level thirty-two years…
For a brief while, he couldn't figure out how many levels of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique he could master with 500 years of cultivation due to his poor calculation skills.
It doesn't matter. In any case, five hundred years of cultivation will undoubtedly make me stronger. Zhou Shu didn't even try to do the math. At that point, putting everything else aside, beating Xiao Zongshui shouldn't be an issue, right?
This is the correct usage of the Legendary Armament Canon. How great can a forger become by relying on a secret forging formula?
It's only satisfying when it's used to increase your cultivation level.
Zhou Shu rolled up his sleeves and raised his hammer with vigor.
Sleep?
What sleep?
Forging brings me joy. I love forging!
Zhou Shu felt the hammer in his hand grow considerably lighter as he envisioned how his cultivation would soar in the near future.
Ding Dang Dang Dang! The sound of pounding resonated like a passionate song in the small shed…