"Alright, I might not fully get what you're saying, but I suppose it's a vision of the future worth considering."
The two parted ways, and Gu Sanqiu pulled his Vision from his waist, casually holding it in his mouth, causing his words to sound a bit muffled.
"The future... it's quite an intriguing word."
The next morning, the front gate of the Gu family was knocked on.
"Mmm, I knew you'd be here."
Gu Sanqiu was munching on some crystal shrimp dumplings. "Have you eaten? I made enough for three."
Xingqiu's face was dark. "Yes, I've eaten."
"But that doesn't mean I can't have more," Chongyun said as he stepped in front of Xingqiu. "Good morning, Old Gu."
"Come in, then. No point in talking at the door. And remember to leave that remnant outside."
"Don't worry, I already left it at Xingqiu's place," Chongyun said, patting his chest confidently. "Thanks to that thing, I can suppress my Pure Yang body for short periods now. But after a while, I'll still need the remnant's power."
"Good, that's a promising start."
Gu Sanqiu served them both some crystal shrimp dumplings, but Xingqiu's face remained sour.
"Did you think that making my favorite dish would make me forgive you?"
"I did nothing wrong."
With a single line, Gu Sanqiu managed to make a vein throb on Xingqiu's forehead.
"Are you going to eat or not? If not, I'm taking it away."
"Eat!"
The three sat by the courtyard's ornamental pond, and Xingqiu glanced around, letting out a sigh.
"It's been a while since I've visited. Nothing's really changed here."
"These dumplings are pretty good. Is this your secret recipe, Old Gu?"
"Mhm, you could call it my secret recipe. The shrimp used in this dish are quite special."
Xingqiu's eye twitched. "You didn't make shrimp out of carrots, did you?"
"Of course not. That's the ingredient I use for fish dumplings."
Gu Sanqiu grinned. "Carrots finely diced, mixed with shredded cabbage and fish meat, seasoned with just a touch of pepper and salt. The steamed dumplings will give you a taste of both fields and ocean."
Having already devoured a whole basket of shrimp dumplings, Chongyun discreetly swallowed a gulp of saliva.
It had been a long time since he'd had such a warm meal, and Old Gu's cooking seemed even better than the Feiyun family's chef.
Not that he was craving it or anything!
"So, you two coming here first thing in the morning means you're planning another journey, huh?"
"Right," Xingqiu said, setting down his chopsticks. "We came to say goodbye, but we also wanted to ask if you could enhance our weapons."
"I've thought about it. Our current weapons are fine for regular monsters, but if we encounter something stronger, we'll need an upgrade."
"Why come to me? There are plenty of skilled craftsmen in the Feiyun Commerce Guild."
"I trust your craftsmanship more than theirs."
"Good answer. Did you bring everything?"
"Of course, even your fee is included," Xingqiu said with a roll of his eyes. "This way, I won't have to agree to another 'carrot feast' as payment."
"Smart move."
Gu Sanqiu complimented him and then stood up. "Gather your things and follow me to the basement. You should already know the way."
As the underground forge blazed to life, Chongyun stood at a distance, holding the secret technique Gu Sanqiu had given him, occasionally cooling himself down with talismans.
"I was going to deliver this to you, but since you're here, it's more convenient to hand it over now."
Gu Sanqiu looked at the two swords lying on the forge table. "What's the deal with these weapons—matching set?"
The two swords, one large and one small, were white with blue patterns, making Gu Sanqiu's comment understandable.
"No, they were made by the same master, that's all."
Xingqiu's face darkened. "Why would your mind even go there?"
"Well, you two just give off that impression."
"Really?"
Xingqiu looked skeptical. "That's just your baseless assumption."
"Want to go outside and ask people?"
Gu Sanqiu shot him a glance. "Speaking of, where's the material you brought? Don't tell me you're planning to use my stock."
"Oh, right! I left it outside the door."
About ten minutes later, Gu Sanqiu was staring at five large crates on the floor, rubbing his forehead.
"Leaving all this outside? I seriously wonder what goes on in your two's heads."
Opening the crates, he found four filled with glittering Mora and the last packed with various rare materials, each exuding distinct auras. Gu Sanqiu picked up a horn, tapping it lightly with his finger.
"Hmm, not bad. Above average quality. Anything less might've resulted in subpar enhancement."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Simple enough. Won't take long."
Gu Sanqiu wiggled his right index finger, and the Mora in the four crates melted into streams of golden liquid, which flowed into the forge.
"Get over here and lend a hand. When I tell you to toss in a material, do it. Leave the rest to me."
"Got it. I'll handle my part."
Standing by the crates, Xingqiu began tossing materials into the forge as directed. The flames inside roared and dimmed in response, while the golden liquid from the Mora gradually mixed with the melted materials, seeping into the weapons.
"Lower the flame."
"Third row, fourth box from the left."
Xingqiu dashed over, retrieved the box, and opened it, wrinkling his nose at the faintly fishy odor.
"What's in here?"
"A mix of Firefly ichor, Hydro Slime, and Anemo Slime gel."
With a soft hiss, Gu Sanqiu reached into the forge, grabbing the two swords. After the enhancement, the swords lost their initial gleam, replaced by a visibly sharper aura that made one's skin crawl.
"Not bad. The master who forged these really earned the title. They withstood my enhancement process flawlessly."
"Use the finest magical crystals to maintain them when you get back. In five days, their performance should stabilize."
Gu Sanqiu tossed the swords back to Xingqiu. "Go outside and give them a try. Just don't wreck my garden, or you'll have me to answer to."
"Old Gu, your enhancement method seems different from what I've seen before."
"It's very different."
Xingqiu handed the larger sword to Chongyun. "Which blacksmith have you seen just toss all the materials in at once?"
"Oh, right." Chongyun looked enlightened. "A typical enhancement involves using Mora to stabilize the weapon first, then applying secondary materials in stages. Old Gu did it all at once."
"That's exactly why I came to him."
Xingqiu patted Gu Sanqiu's shoulder. "So, care to explain?"
"Any slight temperature change in a forging area affects the final product. The proper way is to blend everything simultaneously. Only Vision holders or those of us in the craft know how to do it."
"The two-step forging method you mentioned only became common recently. It's just the more accessible option."
"But my method? It's the optimal way to enhance weapons."
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