Chapter 473: The True Motive of the Weapon Forging Sect

Standing off to the side, Nie Qianyu was utterly delighted, watching intently. She had witnessed firsthand how Zhang Xiaohua had schemed against Lu Meng, and she knew very well how eager he was to learn the art of forging weapons. So this little booklet from the Weapon Forging Sect was clearly a well-placed offering to appeal to his desires—how could he possibly resist taking it?

Tong Ba shook his head and said: “No. Apart from the value of this booklet, it is also a token of goodwill—something Young Hero is well entitled to. I was simply narrow-minded and overestimated myself. I ask that you not take it to heart.”

Zhang Xiaohua chuckled, half pushing, half yielding as he said: “You’re too courteous. Senior Brother Tong, your divine strength is no less astounding. Didn’t they say earlier that you’ve held the title of ‘number one divine strength’ for many years in a row?”

As he spoke, he reached out to take the booklet.

But the moment he applied some force, he realized that Tong Ba had absolutely no intention of letting go. Left with no choice, Zhang Xiaohua had to tug a bit harder and added with a smile: “I’ve always admired the forging methods of your esteemed sect. I simply wish to see how these weapons are truly crafted. I give you my word—I shall guard this secret tightly and never let its contents leak.”

Inwardly, Zhang Xiaohua muttered, “I’ve already flattered him to the skies, practically sworn an oath—what more does he want?”

He gave another tug—still no release. Zhang Xiaohua could only stare straight at Tong Ba, still smiling, and said: “I truly must thank Senior Brother Tong for this guidance. If the chance arises, I’d very much like to exchange a few moves with you.”

So now even veiled threats were on the table—and still the man wouldn’t let go?

Just then, from the banquet table behind Zhang Xiaohua, Si Yakong’s voice rang out.

“Young Nephew Ren, this little booklet is but a small token from our sect. Please accept it. However, this old man does have a rather forward request—I wonder if it would be appropriate to speak it aloud?”

Before the words had fully landed, Zhang Xiaohua stumbled forward. Of course! Tong Ba had finally let go—but Zhang Xiaohua had been listening to the sect master’s words and was completely unprepared.

Looking at the booklet now in his hand, Zhang Xiaohua groaned inwardly, “I knew it—there’s no such thing as a free meal in this world. Just look, the real play is about to begin!”

“Wait—didn’t I already let them inspect my longsword? What more do they want? Don’t tell me they’re after the sword itself?”

But the booklet was already in his hand, and trying to return it now was no longer possible. Tong Ba had taken advantage of the moment Zhang Xiaohua was caught off guard and quietly returned to his seat at the banquet.

“Sigh, Elder, since you already know it’s an unreasonable request, then wouldn’t it be better not to say it at all? Now that you’ve brought it up in front of everyone, how could I possibly stop you from saying it?”

Zhang Xiaohua glanced around at the crowd and had no choice but to cup his hands and say: “Still, I thank Sect Master Si for your kind intentions. But if it’s something truly too difficult or beyond me, then I must ask your pardon for not daring to agree so lightly.”

Hearing Zhang Xiaohua address him as “Sect Master Si”, Si Yakong couldn’t help but smile bitterly to himself: “So much effort building a sense of closeness, and now it’s all been undone. But if I hadn’t taken the initiative to show goodwill first, it truly would’ve been even harder to speak up.”

Off to the side, Valley Master Nie also found it strange. He truly didn’t understand why the elder brother of the Weapon Forging Sect was acting this way today. Glancing at the two of them, he smiled and said: “Nephew Ren is no outsider now. Brother Si, if there’s something on your mind, it’s best to just say it outright. The way you’re handling things now feels a bit like acting first and explaining later—no wonder Nephew Ren feels hesitant.”

Seeing Valley Master Nie step in to play the peacemaker, Zhang Xiaohua gave a slight nod, but said nothing further.

Beside him, Nie Qianyu was beginning to feel anxious. She had called Si Yakong “Uncle” since she was a child, and seeing his actions now, she could tell this wasn’t some trivial matter—certainly not as simple as just inspecting Zhang Xiaohua’s longsword, as she had initially thought. As for Zhang Xiaohua’s temperament, she understood it somewhat—he disliked being manipulated more than anything. Oh, though of course, he very much enjoyed plotting against others. From the look on his face, he was already a little upset.

Nie Qianyu quickly said: “Uncle Si, my father is right. As you are an elder, it’s not my place to say much, but Big Brother Ren has always had a chivalrous heart. If you ask him to stand up for the weak or rid the world of evildoers, just one word is enough—he’d go anywhere you pointed. Just think, I was only a helpless girl back then, and Big Brother Ren was merely a stranger passing by, yet he still escorted me across a thousand li…”

She hadn’t even finished speaking when Si Yakong broke in with a hearty laugh: “Little Yu, you’re absolutely right. Sigh… this matter is rather serious. I gave it much thought before acting this way. If this has made Nephew Ren feel awkward, then I offer my sincere apology.”

With that, he stepped away from the banquet and moved forward to offer a formal bow.

Just now, a single remark from Zhang Xiaohua had nearly drawn everyone’s ‘public anger’, so how could he possibly allow the old man to bow now? He hurriedly stepped forward to stop him and said: “Uncle Si, what are you saying? I was merely trying to set things straight first. If it’s something truly too difficult, then better not to say it, just to spare this junior the embarrassment of declining. But if you feel it’s something within my abilities, then please speak freely. I won’t hesitate.”

Si Yakong still hesitated and said: “This matter is indeed quite thorny. I fear Young Nephew may not be willing to agree.”

“Heavens~” Zhang Xiaohua groaned inwardly, “Since Uncle Si already knows it’s thorny, can he please just not say it? Would that be so bad?”

Si Yakong wore a look of disappointment, nodded, and said: “Sigh, very well. Since Young Nephew feels this way, then this old man had best not disgrace himself further. Let us pretend these words were never spoken.”

Everyone present could tell this was no ordinary request—it must be something extremely difficult. Zhang Xiaohua might not even be capable of fulfilling it. It was better left unsaid, and that way everyone could save face.

Only Nie Qianyu’s eyes flickered with cunning. With a charming smile, she said: “Uncle Si, now I find myself curious. Why not tell me instead of Brother Ren? Let me hear what this is about—what do you say?”

Si Yakong looked at Nie Qianyu, then glanced at Zhang Xiaohua. He opened his mouth but finally just shook his head and said: “Forget it, forget it. Best if it’s left unsaid.”

Seeing the old man so crestfallen, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. Smiling, he said: “Since Miss Nie asked, Uncle Si might as well tell her. She’s always been curious—if you don’t say anything, she’ll probably be thinking about it all night. She might even come knocking on your door in the middle of the night.”

“Hahaha.” The whole hall burst into laughter.

Nie Qianyu spat lightly, “Hmph! When would I ever… disturb you in the middle of the night…”

She trailed off halfway through the sentence.

Everyone’s expression turned a bit odd.

Zhang Xiaohua’s face grew even more unnatural: “Why am I getting dragged into this now?”

Even Si Yakong couldn’t help but laugh. Then, seeing the moment was right, he finally spoke: “In truth, this is something that may very well be asking too much. It concerns Young Nephew Ren’s sect—the Big Dipper Sect—so I imagine this isn’t something he alone can decide.”

The crowd in the hall was puzzled. Si Yakong gave a light cough and said: “I imagine everyone here still remembers that challenge platform Valley Master Nie set up outside Spring Rebirth Valley several months ago?”

Of course—who among them hadn’t heard of it?

“That final match, when Young Nephew Ren displayed peerless might and knocked four opponents off the platform in one go—even causing two of them to suffer serious injuries. When it happened, this old man and several members of the alliance weren’t present. We only heard the details later from Old Second Nie.” 

Everyone still looked confused—what did that matter now?

Si Yakong continued, “I’m sure many of you here know more details than I do. However, what shocked me was something Second Brother Nie told me afterward: those four opponents of Young Nephew Ren’s had used some kind of joint attack technique—a formation meant to be executed by five people. That alone was surprising enough. Perhaps even Second Brother Nie has forgotten, but our Weapon Forging Sect once possessed a lost formation—the Great Evolution Five Elements Formation. It wasn’t just used for forging—it could also be employed in combat.”

Off to the side, Zhang Xiaohua’s expression grew increasingly vivid as he listened.

“What? The Great Evolution Five Elements Formation!” Valley Master Nie nearly cried out in shock, his voice trembling. “Brother Si, you’re not trying to fool me, are you? I know your Weapon Forging Sect had such a formation thousands of years ago, but hasn’t it been lost for ages? Those few little rascals just flailing about on the stage—are you telling me that was your sect’s signature legacy formation?”

“What do you know!” Si Yakong blew out his beard and glared. “You think I’m just making things up? Do you not remember how thoroughly I questioned you at the time? You were so annoyed you nearly walked away!”

“This…” Valley Master Nie’s face turned sheepish. “Elder Brother, I truly didn’t think it was that serious. I figured it was just some five-man joint attack technique. My apologies, my apologies.”

Still, his face showed a bitter smile. Naturally—just hearing the name Great Evolution Five Elements Formation made one feel how formidable it was. And yet, that day, with only four people using it on the platform, they’d already knocked all their opponents off. One could only imagine the true power of the complete formation. Asking Zhang Xiaohua to help Spring Rebirth Valley was one thing, but asking him to hand over the formation itself—that was an entirely different matter, a request as difficult as plucking stars from the sky.

This wasn’t like the pill recipes from Spring Rebirth Valley. Though those formulas were indeed valuable, most had been gathered from elsewhere, and even the Valley’s few unique ones couldn’t be refined without help. Getting Zhang Xiaohua to help concoct them meant letting him study them anyway. But this formation—there was a real chance that the Big Dipper Sect possessed the only copy in the entire world. It was surely a sect-defining legacy. How could anyone expect him to hand it over so easily?

Valley Master Nie glanced at Zhang Xiaohua, then turned to Si Yakong and said: “Brother Si, this request is truly putting Nephew Ren in a difficult position. Even if he were willing, it would still depend on whether the elders of the Big Dipper Sect agree.”

“Yes, thinking back now, I must’ve let my hopes run wild, too eager to obtain the Five Elements Formation from Nephew Ren. I must have been possessed by some foolish obsession. Shameful—truly shameful.”

Seeing Si Yakong so disheartened and dejected, Zhang Xiaohua’s expression became all the more complex. He truly hadn’t expected the Weapon Forging Sect’s true aim to be that Five Elements Formation. When Nie Qianyu had mentioned it to him yesterday, he’d sensed there was something deeper going on. Just now, he had even suspected it might be about the longsword. Yet no matter how he thought about it, he never guessed it would be that formation.

To be honest, among the many formations Zhang Xiaohua knew, the Five Elements Formation was one of the more ordinary ones. He had only spent a short while practicing it before mastering it thoroughly. Otherwise, how could he have so casually broken through it on the platform that day? But something he regarded as little better than scrap was now seen as a priceless treasure by others. If he were to simply hand it over—was that really appropriate?

At this point, Si Yakong had already given up the idea entirely. He felt that in the past few days, he had been swept away by enthusiasm. With a smile, he said: “Come, everyone, let’s return to our seats. How could we not properly enjoy Spring Rebirth Valley’s Hundred Flowers Brew? We must make the most of this gathering.”

Everyone responded and began to sit back down.

Just then, Zhang Xiaohua’s clear voice rang out: “Uncle Si’s request is not something this junior cannot consider.”