"My name is Shi Kai. It's an honor to meet the Master of the Gu family!"
In the lobby of the Gu family, a burly man with a long chin and a bushy beard bowed respectfully to Gu Qingfeng. Shi Kai's muscular arms suggested explosive strength, yet his expression now radiated deference.
It was clear why.
The person before him was none other than Gu Qingfeng, the head of the Gu family.
The news of the Qingyang Sect's fall had spread far and wide. The Gu family had obliterated the sect, though a small number of its disciples managed to escape alive. But the truth of the matter—that the Qingyang Sect had been crushed by the Gu family—could not be hidden.
Furthermore, it was rumored that during the battle, both the Sect Master and Qingyang Ancestor appeared but were slain on the spot.
Rumors now claimed that the Gu family patriarch, Gu Qingfeng, had likely reached the Golden Bone Perfection Realm, or even entered the Marrow Cleansing Realm.
Faced with such a formidable opponent, Shi Kai dared not show a trace of disrespect, even with the backing of the Sword Forging Sect.
Regardless of the Sword Forging Sect's prestige in Baishidao, outside its borders, the name "Zhujianmen" carried little weight. If they had confronted a force like the Qingyang Sect, their entire sect could have been eradicated in a heartbeat.
Even the mighty Qingyang Sect had met its end. The Gu family, being the one to destroy it, commanded an aura that made Shi Kai wary.
With Shi Kai's reserved demeanor, Gu Qingfeng smiled lightly.
"Master Shi, there's no need to be so formal. I invited you here today because I need your help in forging a weapon. Here's the blueprint. Please have a look."
As he finished speaking, Gu Qingfeng produced a set of plans and handed them to Shi Kai. The man took a glance at the design, which depicted a long sword that seemed fairly ordinary at first glance. Shi Kai skimmed through the details and returned the blueprint.
"Does the Master of the Gu family have any specific requirements for this sword?"
"I do," Gu Qingfeng replied. "I have two requests. First, the sword must be extremely sharp. Second, it must be exceptionally tough. Additionally, I would like gold mixed into the forging process."
"Gold—?"
Shi Kai was momentarily taken aback. In his years as a blacksmith, he had rarely seen requests to incorporate gold into weapons.
The reason was simple.
Gold was precious. Many common people had never even seen it, let alone owned it. But Shi Kai, being well-versed in the craft, quickly composed himself.
"If that is what you wish, then there will be no problem. However, regarding the materials for forging, has the Gu family prepared them?"
"Naturally."
Gu Qingfeng clapped his hands, summoning a servant. After giving him a brief instruction, the servant bowed and left. Moments later, Gu Yang entered the lobby.
Gu Qingfeng spoke, "This is Master Shi Kai of the Sword Casting Sect. Yang'er, take Master Shi to the Gu family's warehouse and allow him to select the necessary materials for forging the weapon."
He paused briefly before adding, "And as agreed, the payment for forging the weapon will be 10,000 taels of silver, regardless of success or failure."
"Ten thousand taels of silver is quite generous," Shi Kai responded, his face lighting up with delight, though his tone remained courteous.
Gu Qingfeng chuckled softly. "Master Shi, there's no need to be modest. Time and effort spent by the Sword Casting Sect on behalf of the Gu family cannot be undervalued. If word spread that we underpaid, it would damage the Gu family's reputation."
"Thank you, Master Gu!" Shi Kai laughed heartily.
Ten thousand taels was indeed a considerable sum for the Sword Casting Sect. Normally, a weapon from them would range anywhere from tens to hundreds of taels, and only in rare cases would it exceed a thousand. To receive 10,000 taels was exceptional.
Initially, Shi Kai had been prepared to work for free. After all, with the growing power and prestige of the Gu family, maintaining close ties with them would benefit the Sword Casting Sect immensely.
——
Half a day later, Shi Kai departed.
Before leaving, he promised the forging would be completed in no less than ten days and no more than a month.
Gu Qingfeng didn't rush him.
During the following period, Gu Yang oversaw the Gu family's expansion while Gu Qingfeng immersed himself in martial arts training. True to his word, he also began instructing the family guards in various techniques.
For the guards in the Leather Refining Realm, Gu Qingfeng taught them the "Hunyuan Iron Shirt," a technique from the first part of the Hundred Refined Golden Body.
As for those in the Blood Refining Realm, he passed down the "Thirteen Taibao's Golden Bell Cover," an advanced technique acquired from the Qingyang Sect. At its peak, this martial art could grant its practitioner mastery at the Bronze Bone Perfection stage.
Additionally, the Qingyang Sect possessed another unique skill—the Qingyang Jue. If practiced to its full potential, it could elevate a warrior to the Golden Bone Perfection stage, making them a force capable of rivaling even those on the cusp of the Marrow Cleansing Realm.
However, Gu Qingfeng was cautious. He did not intend to share this martial art lightly. Even though some guards had served the Gu family for some time, they were not entirely trustworthy yet. For now, the Thirteen Taibao's Golden Bell Cover, which could lead a practitioner to the Bronze Bone Perfection, was more than sufficient.
——
During this time, Xu Yulan, aided by the Realm Breaking Pill, had successfully broken through to the peak of the Blood Refining Realm, becoming the second most powerful figure in the Gu family.
Even though Gu Qingfeng had known about the Realm Breaking Pill's potency, witnessing someone advance from the early stages of Skin Refining to the peak of Blood Refining in less than half a month still amazed him.
For many, such a leap was impossible to achieve in a lifetime. Even for geniuses, it would take considerable time. Yet the Realm Breaking Pill defied common sense.
——
While everything at the Gu family seemed to settle into routine, the news of the Qingyang Sect's destruction had spread throughout Guangyang Prefecture and beyond.
The fall of a sect that had stood for hundreds of years naturally stirred shock across the region.
Especially for those aware of Qingyang Sect's true strength, the knowledge that the sect was destroyed and its ancestor slain was earth-shattering.
In Guangyang Prefecture's capital, the Evil Suppression Bureau had taken note of these events. The complete account of the Qingyang Sect's destruction had already been compiled and quietly delivered into the hands of Lu Wenxuan, commander of the Zhenxie Division's branch.