Yunzhou City, Blacksmith Shop.
The continuous ‘ding ding dang dang’ of the forging hammer striking the blade echoed crisply.
Sweat dripped from the muscular Uncle Blacksmith, falling onto the glowing red blade and instantly evaporating into a cloud of white mist.
Beside the Blacksmith Shop, a beautiful girl with black hair like a waterfall sat quietly.
She gazed ahead, lost in thought, completely unaware that many passersby had been staring at her for quite some time.
Such a beautiful girl, so out of place with the atmosphere of the Blacksmith Shop, naturally attracted many eyes.
Some wondered if she might be the Uncle Blacksmith’s daughter.
But that thought lasted less than half a second before they dismissed it themselves.
With such an ethereal beauty, how could she possibly be the child of an ordinary blacksmith?
This beautiful girl was Chi Ming, merely an ordinary customer visiting the Blacksmith Shop.
As the final forging step concluded, Uncle Blacksmith wiped his sweat, handed the completed Long Blade to Chi Ming, and said, “Little girl, this is the best I can do.”
This uncle was a third-rate blacksmith in Yunzhou City.
The blade he just forged for Chi Ming was made at her request and with the fastest speed, prioritizing efficiency but unable to guarantee quality.
Chi Ming’s reason for seeking out this uncle to forge her weapon was simple—she didn’t have much money.
“Though it was rushed and the quality is average, it should be fine for chopping wood and practicing blade techniques. Little girl, how does it feel?” the uncle asked.
“Mm, it’s enough.”
Chi Ming took the Long Blade, inspected it, then sheathed it and paid the Uncle Blacksmith.
“By the way.”
Before leaving, Chi Ming turned to the uncle.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Ask away. My skills may not be the best, but I’ve lived in Yunzhou City for decades and know a bit about most things.”
The uncle spoke without turning around, continuing his forging.
“That Wushen Tower—are there people there today?”
Chi Ming asked.
“Of course. It’s lively.”
The uncle answered.
“As far as I know, ten years ago today, right before the last Recruitment Assembly, many young experts gathered at Wushen Tower to spar and make final preparations for the Recruitment Assembly.”
After answering, the uncle’s hammer froze mid-air.
He suddenly thought of something.
“Little girl, you had me rush a blade for you—don’t tell me you’re planning…”
The uncle turned to ask Chi Ming.
However, behind him was only emptiness.
Chi Ming, who was just there, had vanished without a trace.
The uncle swallowed, his expression oddly complicated.
That little girl had come to a third-rate blacksmith like him, asked him to quickly forge an average-quality Long Blade, and was planning to go to Wushen Tower to PK with someone?
“That girl’s face is cute, but why does her head seem a little off…”
The uncle couldn’t figure it out.
***
On the road, Chi Ming passed by many wandering cultivators coming from the direction of Wushen Tower.
Their voices drifted into her ears.
“Who’d have thought the Xingyue Alliance was this kind of alliance… Looks like they never planned to recruit many people from the start!”
“No kidding! I’ve studied Guo Longcheng for years and thought I had at least a fifty percent chance against him, but the Xingyue Alliance put Wind Immortal—who can one-shot Guo Longcheng—in charge of guarding the tower? It’s insane!”
“Tsk tsk, the Xingyue Alliance probably won’t get much new blood this time. I want to see how long their glory lasts!”
The wanderers’ voices were filled with resentment, but more so with helplessness.
Chi Ming also picked up on key information.
“Fourth Senior Sister’s student… is guarding Wushen Tower now?”
Chi Ming thought silently.
“Can I learn some survival skills of the Right Path from her?”
To Chi Ming, her Fourth Senior Sister, Child of the Wind God, was someone who had successfully left the Demonic Path and started anew.
If she could spar with her student, perhaps she could learn some of the Child of the Wind God’s ways of conduct?
Thinking of this, Chi Ming became even more determined to head to Wushen Tower.
“Alright… I’ll go meet this Wind Immortal now!”
She resolved, quickening her pace.
***
However, after walking some distance, Chi Ming suddenly spotted a familiar figure ahead.
Near a mountain gate, Fang Xiaoyu was being pulled back and forth by several men in a tangled struggle.
Chi Ming’s eyes sharpened instantly.
In half a breath, she flashed in front of Fang Xiaoyu, punched one man in the stomach, and grabbed another’s hand.
As the sound of bones creaking echoed, the man wailed in pain.
“Hey, wait, it’s a misunderstanding! Misunderstanding!”
He pleaded.
“Misunderstanding what? You filthy men, daring to…”
Before Chi Ming could finish, Fang Xiaoyu, seeing her, blinked in surprise, then quickly spoke.
“Little Chi Ming! These are my drinking buddies, not bad people!”
“Drinking buddies?”
Chi Ming froze, releasing the man’s hand.
He staggered back, clinging to the man who’d been punched in the stomach, looking like a pair of miserable brothers seeking warmth.
Fang Xiaoyu then explained to Chi Ming that these were indeed her drinking buddies from last night.
“So why were you all pulling each other here…?”
Chi Ming asked in confusion.
“I… lost my shoes, and I feel like I forgot something important, like where I slept last night. I have no memory at all.”
Fang Xiaoyu scratched her head, bewildered.
“I was looking for my shoes and hoped to remember something, so I kept wandering around.”
“This place leads up to the New Moon Terrace—the site of tomorrow’s Recruitment Assembly! Big Sis was sneaking around looking for her shoes, so we worried she’d be mistaken for a thief and tried to pull her away, but she wouldn’t budge…”
The drinking buddies added.
“Big Sis?”
Chi Ming was a little surprised.
“Hmph, as a senior, I can drink a lot, you know? Not one of these brats could outdrink me last night.”
Fang Xiaoyu boasted, arms crossed, but the confusion on her face deepened.
“I remember being conscious last night, so why can’t I recall anything after that…?”
“It’s not important.”
Chi Ming scratched her head, looking at the two men she’d attacked, and bowed apologetically.
“Sorry… about earlier.”
The two laughed it off.
“No worries, no worries, all a misunderstanding!”
Fang Xiaoyu smiled at Chi Ming.
“By the way, Little Chi Ming, where are you headed?”
“I… Xiaoyu, why did you suddenly add ‘Little’ to my name? It feels weird.”
Chi Ming asked, uncomfortable.
In this world, only her Senior Sisters ever called her ‘Little Chi Ming,’ and hearing Fang Xiaoyu say it now felt strange.
But Fang Xiaoyu didn’t answer her question.
“Little Chi Ming… so pretty.”
She said suddenly, her tone emotionless, and a faint purple aura flickered in her eyes.
As soon as the words fell, the purple light vanished from her gaze.
She looked dazed, patted her head, and spoke.
“That’s weird… That wasn’t something I meant to say. Ah, Chi Ming, don’t mind it, I wasn’t saying you aren’t pretty. I just…”
“Xiaoyu, you’re a bit strange today…”
Chi Ming frowned.
“Maybe you should stop drinking from now on?”
“With my tolerance, this shouldn’t happen…”
Fang Xiaoyu was full of confusion.
She felt as if there was another person speaking in her mind, causing her to unconsciously say those words.
“Did I really drink too much and become abnormal?”
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