Chapter 39: Words as Meaningless as Flatulence

“Very well. Should I catch even the faintest rumor about me in the wind, rest assured, I will find you.”

With this ominous warning hanging in the air, Zhang Shen pivoted and walked away.

“In a rush to leave, Senior? Would you honor us with your name so we may be eternally grateful?” Bai Haisang interjected, his voice tinged with urgency.

Zhang Shen had no initial intention of divulging his name, but something about Bai Haisang struck him as peculiar. Remarkably, they had crossed paths twice now during perilous moments. 

What extraordinary confluence of fate and fortune was this?

A single encounter might be chalked up to chance, and twice could still be sheer coincidence. But should a third occasion arise, it would surely call for profound reflection.

Mulling this over, Zhang Shen concluded that if such a third encounter were to transpire, whether by design or fate, it would likely be beyond his current power to counteract. ‘Might as well form a fortuitous bond,’ he mused, ‘and pray our trails never cross again.’

“Lin Fanyun,” he finally uttered, launching skyward before vanishing from sight.

Bai Haisang remained fixed in place, his eyes transfixed on the direction of Zhang Shen’s departure, his mind awash with complex emotions.

“Lin Fanyun,” he whispered as if tasting the name, savoring the enigma it presented.

With his quest fulfilled, Zhang Shen’s enthusiasm to continue venturing through the Hundred-Mile Volcano Cluster waned. Without a precise objective, these treacherous lands offered him little appeal.

He unfolded a map and set his course for the nearest reputable marketplace, where he could find a master blacksmith.

The Sunfire Market.

Hidden beneath it flowed a minor fire vein, meager in comparison to the fractured volcanic vein that ran deep beneath the Hundred-Mile Volcano Cluster.

However, its true strength was its unwavering reliability, even capable of crafting True Core grade artifacts.

After paying the market’s entry fee of two low-grade spirit stones, Zhang Shen casually strolled through, scrutinizing various blacksmiths to find one that met his specific needs. Crafting his own tools was simply not an option. Without foundational skills, it would take him years to master the craft from scratch. Far better to employ a skilled master to do the job.

Along the way, he discreetly assessed several potential candidates. Some lacked the requisite skill, while others priced their services exorbitantly.

Unperturbed, Zhang Shen decided to first rent a residence, allowing himself ample time to continue the search.

One day, after completing a session of Qi-focusing fist exercises that complemented his Mountain of a Thousand Layers cultivation technique, he felt invigorated and set out once more to find his ideal blacksmith.

“Master Li, it’s high time you relinquished that Spirit Fire of yours. Don’t be so stubborn, it could cost you your life,” Luo Di said, chewing a piece of sugarcane and eyeing Li Shuang mockingly.

‘This intractable old fool was offered an opportunity to serve my family and yet he squandered it. He’ll soon understand the harsh realities when we’re forced to beat him into submission,’ Luo Di thought to himself.

“Impossible! You can covet my Spirit Fire in your next life,” Li Shuang retorted. 

Though he was severely wounded, his fiery spirit was undiminished. Given that the Luo family had gone so far as to send assassins after him for this Spirit Fire, his escape back to the market was nothing short of miraculous.

Such grievous wrongs were not easily forgiven. There was no chance he would capitulate now. So, a verbal sparring match erupted.

The moment the seasoned Li Shuang let loose, his spittle flew across the air, splattering Luo Di’s face with an offensive odor.

Fuming, Luo Di barked, “Damn you! You stubborn old mule, just stay here and wait for your death!”

He was so incensed that he lost even the desire to continue chewing his sugarcane, hurling down his final threat as he stormed off.

This heated exchange attracted a sizable crowd of rubberneckers, Zhang Shen included.

From eavesdropping on the conversations among the spectators, Zhang Shen managed to piece together the backstory. The man named Li Shuang was a veteran blacksmith who had acquired a Spirit Fire some years ago. Though not top-tier, this Spirit Fire was extraordinarily effective when it came to crafting Innate grade artifacts.

This fact had not escaped the notice of minor factions, including a certain True Core family, thereby sparking their covetous ambitions.

If the terms had been favorable, Li Shuang might have acquiesced. He only had a small family to consider, after all.

However, the Luo family had been unscrupulously aggressive, laying claim to Li Shuang and discouraging other interested parties from making offers. Yet, the conditions they proposed were so inadequate that they were virtually asking him to be their contracted servant.

Hearing such outrageous terms almost brought tears to Zhang Shen’s eyes.

They were attempting to exploit him to the hilt. No rational person would agree to such conditions, let alone a highly regarded blacksmith like Li Shuang.

And so, the current impasse.

“To hold a gem is to court misfortune,” Zhang Shen murmured to himself.

Upon making discreet inquiries, he discovered that Li Shuang had a sterling reputation in this marketplace, being a blacksmith who dealt justly and held his own honor in high esteem.

An idea was gradually forming in Zhang Shen’s mind, though he still needed to verify some details.

“Is that True Core family operating in the vicinity?”

“They’re currently engulfed in internal strife over the selection of their next family head,” came the response.

With that Zhang Shen pinpointed the root of Li Shuang’s woes.

“In order to gain an advantage in their internal squabbles, they’re extending their unscrupulous grasp toward independent cultivators, hoping to demonstrate their capability and thereby raise their status within the family. It’s an age-old tactic.”

Zhang Shen pondered over the purchased intelligence concerning the Luo family, searching for any actionable information.

“Troublesome. The Luo family is surprisingly close to the Sunfire Market.”

Come nightfall, the once-bustling Sunfire Market lost its daytime liveliness, though people still came and went.

For martial artists, the distinction between day and night was less strict, but the cover of darkness was generally preferred for covert activities. The people navigating the marketplace at this hour appeared to be in a rush, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

After comforting his children, Li Shuang retreated to the backyard of his smithy. His face contorted in agony. He felt an overwhelming surge of pain coursing through him, throwing his internal energy into disarray. He was a far cry from the somewhat weakened but otherwise composed figure he presented during the day.

“It appears that the Luo family has inflicted upon you wounds that are difficult to heal,” a cold voice broke the silence, catching Li Shuang off guard.

“Who’s there?” Li Shuang exclaimed in distress.

His well-hidden secret had been discovered? Despite the protective wards he had laid out around his workshop, someone had infiltrated them without making a sound. He was gripped by a sense of urgent alarm.

Emerging from the shadows in the soft moonlight was a man with a weathered face and imposing aura.

“Who am I? Someone who can help you,” responded Zhang Shen.

“Help me?” Li Shuang scoffed. “You may be powerful, clearly among the higher echelons of Innate experts, but do you really think you can afford to cross the Luo family? You’re just another individual lured by my Spirit Fire. Why bother with pretenses and false promises?”

Li Shuang was frank and unabashed, mincing no words.

“Pretenses?” Zhang Shen retorted, his voice heavy with deliberation. “Do you really have any other options?”

“Your body exudes an aura of frailty,” said Zhang Shen, his tone emotionless. “Given the rate at which your life force is draining, you have no more than six or seven years to live. You’re a dead man walking.”

During the day, Li Shuang had managed to hide the severity of his condition. However, the leakage of his life force in the dead of night had not escaped Zhang Shen’s acute perception.

Li Shuang looked incensed upon hearing his well-guarded secret exposed.

“So you’re laying out the bitter truth, are you?”

“You’ve already become an enemy to the Luo family. Whether or not you hand over your Spirit Fire, they won’t let you go,” Zhang Shen remarked, his expression unfazed. “While you’re alive, they may hold back. But once you’re gone, what future awaits your children? They are far from reaching the Innate stage. Even if they stay within the safe confines of the market, what good would it do?”

The Luo family was embroiled in internal power struggles, especially among those at the Innate stage. They would probably refrain from acting against Li Shuang as long as he didn’t provoke them. Moreover, warriors of Luo Di’s caliber posed no genuine threat to him, let alone when factoring in the alliances and social credits he had garnered over the years. As long as he refrained from directly challenging the Luo family, some would still lend a helping hand.

But favors vanish with the deceased. Once Li Shuang passed away, those allies would likely be reluctant to stand against the Luo family to protect his offspring.

This was also why Li Shuang had limited himself to verbal confrontations without initiating any physical conflict. He could express his displeasure but couldn’t afford to take direct action, especially not actions that would significantly tarnish the reputation of the Luo family. That would be tantamount to digging his own grave.

Hearing his innermost concerns so clearly articulated, a complex blend of emotions washed over Li Shuang’s face. Anger, sorrow, and despair all mingled together.

With his current limitations, he saw no way to break this unyielding cycle.

“But why should I trust a stranger who just appeared out of nowhere?” Li Shuang questioned. “How can I be certain you’re not another opportunist aiming to take advantage of my weakness?”

Harnessing his inner qi, Li Shuang managed to subdue his internal injuries. 

“If you’ve said all you came to say, then I ask you to leave,” he said.

Though Zhang Shen’s words had resonated with him, Li Shuang was skeptical of his ability to help.

“There’s no need for haste,” Zhang Shen responded, unruffled. 

Solving the issues with the Luo family wasn’t simple, and he had no intention of incurring significant costs to negotiate peace for Li Shuang and his family. 

“I’ll return in two years at most. You can make your decision then. Remember the name, Lin Fanyun.”

Undeterred by Li Shuang’s lack of reaction, Zhang Shen faded back into the night’s shadow.

As he briskly navigated through the bustling night market, he reflected, “Li Shuang’s response was within expectations, but the seed has been sown. When the time is ripe, he’ll be more open to the transaction I propose.”

Zhang Shen had never planned on winning Li Shuang’s trust in a single encounter. He certainly had no desire to openly oppose the Luo family just for Li Shuang’s sake. 

“The likelihood of an intervention by a True Core expert from the Luo family might be slim, but it’s not zero,” he considered.

Moreover, if two years later he found himself lacking the strength to go toe-to-toe with the Luo family, he would simply disavow this night’s conversation as if it had never happened.

“They were just words, not ironclad promises,” he thought. “Even formal commitments can be reneged upon, let alone casual remarks. Anyone naive enough to take such non-binding words to heart is simply asking for disappointment,” Zhang Shen thought to himself.

In his newly leased courtyard residence, he glanced at his personal interface.

“Two years should be ample time for my bodily metamorphosis to complete.”

With that, he took out a secretive manual he was studying and began to contemplate its teachings.

If the Great Sun Blade Technique was beyond his reach for now, he could always concentrate on other martial techniques. Regardless, none of this would impede his accrual of experience points.

For an extended period after that, he secluded himself in a life focused solely on cultivation, tuning out the outside world. Maintaining a low profile, he ventured out only occasionally to procure essential resources for his training and had minimal interactions with others.

He kept himself aloof from any developments concerning Li Shuang.

When he did step out, it was as if he wore a disguise layered upon another, effectively rendering him almost invisible in the Sunfire Market where he had lived for a year and a half.

He had left scarcely a trace of his presence among the locals.

The only individuals who remembered him were his landlords, who appreciated a tenant who paid without delay.

One day, within the solitude of his cavernous residence, a figure appeared.

“Ah, the Cultivation Concealment Technique mastered to perfection, impressive indeed,” he softly said to himself. “So effective that it could render even one’s own shadow invisible unless deliberately sought.”

While many would undoubtedly covet such an ability, he himself had no particular attachment to it.

The experience points generated from mastering this mid-grade Innate martial skill enhanced his physical attributes. In a moment of sudden clarity, Zhang Shen knew that the day of his breakthrough arrived.