Commanding Wind and Cloud
chapter-434

Yunxing Huisheng lifted his short white eyebrows as a surprise for his composedness in replying to him. Even Marc Gavin, the bold and somewhat uncouth warrior union president would show a hint of timidity in front of him. The only one who treated him calm and wise was Fabreidis, yet such a poised attitude was trained through times of encounters over the past years.

Yunxing Huisheng couldn't help looking Qian Jin up and down. Against this acute gaze, Qian Jin also started to observe this old blacksmith who successfully inlaid himself with the smell of iron.

In contrast with delicately dressed Ray Guamin, the clothes worn by this blacksmith union president was more than shabby. Once he put on a set of fire-protective clothing around his chest, he would look completely like a mundane blacksmith forging by the fireplace.

Were it not for the encircling crowd by his side and the unique and strong aura he carried, he would be easily taken as an anonymous blacksmith of some forging shop. No one would recognize him as the top leader of Yulee Blacksmith Union.

Simply dress mingled with strange aura… Qian Jin was surprised to find that he had not a hint of dislike for this master of Ray Guamin who was very likely to find troubles with him here. Instead, he felt inclined to this old blacksmith who gave him the similar feeling as Uncle Blake.

"I hear that you know how to forge?" Yunxing Huisheng gazed at Qian Jin's hands with suspicion. If he had been practicing forging, there should be lots of calluses and scalded wounds on his hands.

However, on the hands of this young man, no scalded scars could be seen, nor could the calluses typically seen on warriors to be seen. They looked more like a pair of hands of an ordinary person.

Was this a pair of hands of a blacksmith? Yunxing Huisheng looked at Qian Jin's palms bemusedly. He once saw a similar pair of hands in a sculpture of a God-tier blacksmith Master instead of in a real person.

A God-tier blacksmith Master? Yunxing Huisheng released a smile. How come? Even if this little boy started practicing forging from the moment he was a fetus, he wouldn't have become a God-tier blacksmith Master within the past two decades.

Qian Jin lifted his hand to feel his nose. In the eyes of Uncle Blake, his forging technique was nothing worth mentioning. "Given my young age, I have to say that I have a little knowledge of it."

Yunxing Huisheng turned back to look at his disciple Ray Guamin, according to whom this boy called Qian Jin was a highly conceited person. But his above reply was such a manifestation of modesty. If he was proficient in that technique described by you, he wouldn't reply so lightly but would say with certainty that he knew how to forge.

Ray Guamin looked at Yunxing Huisheng, aggrievedly. During their very encounter, Qian Jin behaved extremely arrogant. Instead of talking with anyone, he directly grasped his hammer to "smash" the intruders out of the Torrent Battle Fort.

"I hear from my disciple that you are good at forging," Yunxing Huisheng asked in an inquisitive way. "Could you please show me that?"

Hearing this, Marc Gavin made a quiver. York Leigh also had his heart rise to his tongue, as it turned out this amiable-looking president of the Blacksmith Union came here for bringing up the old scores in the presence of all celebrities in Yulee City.

"No problem." Qian Jin nodded his head and paid a look around. "But there isn't a furnace and this may not serve as a convenient site."

The crisp laughter of Yunxing Huisheng spread over the dancing floor. Then he locked his eyes on York Leigh. "How could the mayor's mansion be in lack of a forging furnace? Am I right, my mayor?"

York Leigh uttered a sigh. Any and all forces would recruit blacksmiths to serve them and the mayor was of no exception. If he told Yunxing Huisheng that he didn't have a forge in his house, those blacksmiths who worshipped Yunxing Huisheng would pack their things and file a resignation to him, saying that they didn't want to continue their service to the mayor anymore.

Satisfied with York Leigh's reply, Yunxing Huisheng waved his hands slightly, beckoning two blacksmiths holding a simple-looking wood box of four feet long and one and a half feet wide to step forward. Then they placed the box in front of York Leigh.

"I have just been informed of your birthday. Having nothing else at hand, please allow me to humbly use this newly forged weapon, Junyang Sword, as my present for you. Respected Mayor York."

As the brown box was opened slowly, a long sword cloaked by a plain leather sheath came into the view of the crowd. Seen from the surface, this sword bore no difference from an ordinary iron sword forged by a shabby blacksmith shop along the street.

York Leigh bent over to hold the sword handle, the touch of which brought about a quiver onto his body. A light of exultation flashed out of his eyes and then he shifted to the smiling Yunxing Huisheng blankly.

Warrior weapon! High-level warrior weapon! As a warrior, York Leigh felt by instinct that this was a quality warrior weapon in the shabby leather sheath.

Drone!

A screech rang in the air as a speck of warrior power was infused into the sword. Under the blending of the warrior power and the aura of the sword, the leather sheath blasted into pieces to expose the resplendent and blazing body of the sword.

"Wow!"

The crowd of people in the hall uttered a collective exclamation and then started to gasp for air, while Ray Guamin nearly protruded his eyeballs out of the sockets. Level 9 Warrior Weapon! It was a Level 9 Warrior Weapon!

Xander could no longer remain as an outsider indulged in the drama. Though being a mage, he was able to tell that this sword in the mayor's hand was a real deluxe warrior weapon; it might be even above Fabrieidis' weapon!

What a luxurious present! What graceful bearings! Xander looked at Yunxing Huisheng and gave him a thumbs up at him secretly, lamenting on the sharp differences between the vice president Ray Guamin and him. To get the support of the mayor in fighting against the Torrent Battle Fort, President Yunxing Huisheng showed no hesitation to use a Level 9 Warrior Weapon as a present.

With time, the mayor would naturally grow old and retain only certain amounts of money and honor to be passed down to his son, but he had no way to bequeath his warrior strength to his offspring. But with this Level 9 Warrior Weapon, he would add much color and confidence to the rejuvenation of the family.

"Level 9 Warrior Weapon." York Leigh flicked the edge of the sword softly to feel its crisp sound and the surging warrior power inside its body. "What a fine sword it is."

In the presence of all envious looks cast by the surrounding guests, Yunxing Huisheng felt a strong sense of satisfaction. Then he turned to look at Qian Jin. "Young boy, now that you have picked up a little about forging, why not try commenting on this sword?"

It was the first time for Qian Jin to witness a warrior weapon with a level above 8 except for his Zhanmadao in the Zence Empire. Eager to appreciate such exquisite forging technique, he hurriedly nodded his head. "My pleasure."

Ray Guamin released a screeching sneer against the silence of the dancing floor. How could Qian Jin behave so arrogant to try commenting on the weapon forged by my master? Well, you ask for the coming humiliation.

Xander joined in Ray Guamin's snort and screwed his lips at Qian Jin to show his contempt. What did critique mean? It was not as easy as giving out a conclusion of "fine sword" as the mayor. The so-called critiquing in the blacksmiths' circle was listing out the merits and demerits of a certain piece of equipment, where, the more you addressed, the higher forging proficiencies you would be deemed to grasp.

What if you addressed no meaningful critique? You would be severely satirized by the other blacksmiths.

Due to the special processing techniques used on a piece of equipment by a skillful blacksmith, few people could tell its merits clearly, though most of these commenters could recognize the fineness of it. As for the demerits of the appraised equipment… could anyone in Yulee City see through the defects of the weapons forged by Yunxing Huisheng? You must be joking.

Yunxing Huisheng had served as a judge for God-tier blacksmith Master Competition that was held every three years by the Central Blacksmith Union three consecutive times.

What made a judge? It concerned not only the sharp vision. As there was indubitably internal strife among the blacksmiths, in case one certain piece of armament was criticized to be plain and unsophisticated by one commenter, the producer of such armament would be enraged and urge the commenter to make a better piece than him.

Therefore, to be a qualified judge entailed not only acute insights but also supreme forging techniques to support the critiques.

Ray Guamin seemed to have visualized Qian Jin taking over the sword and scratching his ears and chins in speechlessness over the merits and demerits of the sword. Ability to forge didn't equal ability to critique, and vice versa.

The next competition would be in several months. On thinking that his master would again show up as the judge for the fourth time, Ray Guamin held a strong sense of pride, as the service of his master would also serve as a stepping stone for himself to get promoted in the future.

By that time, he would deliver some backbiting remarks on the Torrent Battle Fort to torture the delegation sent by them to the Competition site.

Qian Jin took the Junyang Sword from York Leigh and weighed it with his bare hands. By doing so, some wisps of warrior power were transmitted into the body of the sword along the handle. Next, a beam of cold light coupled with a groan of the sword rang in the hall again, attracting the attention of all. For this moment being, the look of greed, envy, and jealousy coming from all directions was fixed on the Junyang Sword grasped in Qian Jin's hand.

Ray Zhen crossed his arms over his chest and sneered at Qian Jin, waiting to see him be embarrassed and humiliated.

"Is this a Level 9 Warrior Weapon?" Qian Jin retreated his warrior power and looked towards Yunxing Huisheng with a slightly bemused look.

Ray Zhen uttered a scornful snort. Was there anything to doubt about the level of this warrior weapon which had been verified by the mayor? Do you want to play any tricks on it?

Yunxing Huisheng took over the Junyang Sword from Qian Jin and threw it to Ray Guamin. "Have a look at it."

"Sure, master." Ray Guamin held the Junyang Sword in his palm carefully, just to find a strand of mellow warrior power exuded from its body, which, upon falling on the human skin, produced a painful feeling resembling the cut of a sword.