"Lord Cai...Lord Cai...isn't this somewhat against the rules?"
Yang Chao couldn't help but speak up.
For the White Jade Gang to have them forge a batch of armor was undoubtedly a very dangerous affair.
Cai Tong's voice was cold as ice as he said, "Do what you're told to do, and cut the chatter. You won't be shorted any money, so don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong!"
With Cai Tong's firm tone, Yang Chao and the others exchanged glances, all of them inwardly bitter with a wry smile.
Now that the White Jade Gang had come, if they didn't obediently comply, leaving would likely be difficult!
"Why does the White Jade Gang want to manufacture armor? Could it be for...?"
While Su Changkong was surprised that the White Jade Gang was forging armor, he also speculated on the gang's motive.
"Black Cavalry Gang!"
Quickly, a light bulb went off in Su Changkong's head as he thought of the three words.
Making armor naturally served to enhance combat strength!
The Black Cavalry Gang, having recently risen in power, claimed territory by force and acted overbearingly. Yet, with formidable strength, they made opposing them frightening!
The White Jade Gang, a long-established force within the martial community of Clearwater City, mainly engaged in lucrative jade and stone trades. They usually did not clash with the Black Cavalry Gang, but now it seemed that some incident had occurred between them, possibly leading to conflict.
Just in case, the White Jade Gang was possibly forging armor to prepare for a fight against the Black Cavalry Gang, a precautionary measure for uncertain times.
After all, for a martial artist, especially those robust ones in the Strength Refinement Realm and above, donning armor increased their combat power manifold—it wasn't an exaggeration to say it could enhance their strength several times over. With armor, one could stay agile whilst being impervious to blade and sword, thereby multiplying their battle capability!
A squad of elite martial artists clad in armor would possess truly terrifying combat strength, capable of overpowering even those much stronger, and encircling and killing martial arts masters of far greater ability!
The White Jade Gang had sought out Black Iron Manor, known for its forging, and due to the armor's special nature, they couldn't be too conspicuous and risk exposure. That's why they employed Su Changkong and others to come to the estate of the White Jade Gang.
Of course, all this was Su Changkong's own speculation. He felt it was very likely, but only the White Jade Gang would know for sure.
"Well...then let's do as Lord Cai says."
Facing Cai Tong's cold, unwavering gaze, Yang Chao sighed and could only agree.
After all, the armor to be forged was for the White Jade Gang; they were merely responsible for the manufacture!
"Good, here are sufficient materials. Craft one piece of finished armor first, so we can see the quality. Speak up if you have any requests or needs."
Cai Tong's expression softened a bit as he spoke. He turned to leave, whispering a few instructions to the White Jade Gang disciples guarding the entrance to the forge.
"What to do now? Forging this armor isn't an easy task, it could bring us trouble if mishandled."
A Forging Master from Black Iron Manor said with a troubled frown.
The White Jade Gang was paying a hefty sum to employ them—indeed, there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world!
"We just need to make sure the White Jade Gang is satisfied." Another person, seeing the situation for what it was, understood that they had no other choice but to obey while within the domain of the White Jade Gang.
"Su Changkong, do you have any suggestions?" Yang Chao then turned to Su Changkong for advice.
Although young, Su Changkong's exceptional talent in forging was astonishing, and everyone greatly respected him.
Su Changkong pondered and said, "The armor the White Jade Gang needs is for martial artist use; it can be a bit heavier. Let's forge iron armor then."
There were many types of armor, the most common being chain armor, leather armor, cotton armor, iron armor, etc.
Of these, iron armor undoubtedly offered the best defense, but its drawback was its excessive weight.
A set of light iron armor weighed over 30 taels, while a full set could weigh as much as 100 taels.
Such heavy armor, when worn, would make it difficult for an ordinary person to move, let alone fight with all their might!
But this iron armor was intended for the elite martial artists of the White Jade Gang; its weight wouldn't be a problem for them to wear and use, given their physical stamina.
"Fine, it's settled on iron armor," Yang Chao and the others agreed with nods.
"I'll start by drawing up the blueprints." Su Changkong then began drawing, recalling the design of armor from a certain ancient dynasty he had seen in a past life.
Soon enough, the rudiments of a suit of armor appeared on paper, comprising a helmet, breastplate, backplate, shoulder armor, arm guards, hand guards, and lining, among other components.
Then there were the materials. The White Jade Gang had provided enough; a suit of iron armor was mainly iron, complemented with copper and leather.
"Let's divide the labor and get started on crafting," said Yang Chao, organizing the crowd to start producing a finished product.
With a few people responsible for each step and clear division of labor, efficiency could be improved.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
In the workshop, the flames from the furnace rose high, and everyone started bustling about.
Although previously Su Changkong and the others had only made weapons like swords, the basic skills of forging were in place, so crafting a set of armor was not a difficult task.
Despite their reluctance to make armor, the forging masters at Black Iron Manor had the basic professional quality and all worked diligently to complete their respective tasks.
Piece by piece, armor plates that had been hammered thousands of times, both large and small in size, were crafted; then came coarse grinding and drilling holes, using leather strips to link the plates into a whole, knitting them into armor. The inner armor was mainly made of more flexible copper.
Creating a set of armor, compared to swords and other weapons, required higher technical content and was more troublesome.
With the combined efforts of Su Changkong and the twenty people, the first finished piece took a full five days to produce.
Su Changkong's contribution was undoubtedly the greatest; his physical strength was too exceptional—for forging armor plates, his efficiency was equal to several people!
Given time, he alone could craft a complete set of armor.
"It's done..."
Five days later, everyone looked at the suit of armor before them—with its dark color shining a metallic luster under the firelight, exuding a sense of weight—and smiles unconsciously spread across their faces.
The full set of armor, while still keeping in mind defensive strength, was made to be as light as possible. Even so, this set of armor weighed about sixty or seventy pounds; a normal person would be exhausted after moving intensely while wearing it for a short time! But for elite martial artists, it should not be a problem!
"Sir, the finished product is out. Please have Lord Cai come and check it. If it's acceptable, we'll mass-produce it to these specifications,"
Yang Chao said to a White Jade Gang disciple at the entrance of the workshop.
"Wait here."
The White Jade Gang disciple nodded and quickly left to notify the people above.
Before long, the burly Cai Tong arrived at the workshop, and he saw the set of armor.
"You, put it on."
Cai Tong said to a young White Jade Gang disciple.
"Yes." The young disciple nodded upon hearing the order and began to put on the armor.
Once fully dressed in the armor, the young disciple, except for his eyes and nose, was fully encased in armor, radiating a faint sense of oppression.
"Swoosh!"
Without any warning, Cai Tong suddenly drew his sword—a flash of cold light passed by—and he chopped directly at the young disciple's chest!
"Clang!"
Amid the crisp sound of metal clashing, the young disciple was caught off guard and struck squarely, the force of the blade causing him to stagger uncontrollably backward and plop down on the ground.
But upon closer inspection, there was only a shallow scratch on the armor, and the young disciple was completely unharmed.
The defensive power of the armor was indeed strong, especially in this era of cold weapons, it could make one impervious to swords and spears, standing invincible!
"Not bad! Good! Let's mass-produce with this quality,"
Cai Tong was clearly very satisfied. He nodded in approval and motioned for the work to continue.
"Hold on a moment."
Cai Tong was about to leave when Su Changkong called out to him.
"Is there something else?" Cai Tong looked back at Su Changkong.
Su Changkong spoke up, "Previously, Young Master Bai promised me that if I came to the White Jade Gang, he could grant me some requests. I have something I'd like to ask for his help with."
Su Changkong had accepted the employment with the White Jade Gang, in part due to the generous conditions offered by Bai Shao, and had been told that any further demands could be raised. He needed the materials for Vital Qi Spread and wanted to leverage the connections of the White Jade Gang to procure them, which was why he chose to accept the employment.
Upon hearing this, Cai Tong glanced at Su Changkong and said indifferently, "Young Master Bai has been away from the gang recently. I will inform him when he returns."
It was clear that Cai Tong's claim that Bai Shao was not within the gang was a brush-off!
When initially inviting Su Changkong, Bai Shao and others seemed very sincere and considerate. But in their eyes, Su Changkong was just a blacksmith. After he arrived at the White Jade Gang and the objective was met, why would they care about his requests?
Cai Tong couldn't be bothered to disturb Bai Shao on account of a single Su Changkong, not even bothering to ask what Su Changkong's request was.
This made Su Changkong's brow twitch: "Fine, I also happen to be tired; I need to rest for a while. We'll talk when Young Master Bai returns!"
Su Changkong tossed aside the hammer in his hand and strode out of the workshop.
The White Jade Gang hadn't informed them at the beginning that they were forging forbidden armor. Su Changkong worked hard to produce the finished product, but to be brushed off by Cai Tong naturally made him angry.
If they weren't even willing to ask about his request, then it wouldn't be a big deal just to strike and stop working!