"How would I know?" Qian Jin smiled as he looked at the inquiring merchant, "If not, shall I go out with you to find President Li?"

Go out to find President Li? After exchanging glances, the few merchants repeatedly shook their heads. Where would they even start looking? President Li had gone with the Kai family and the Faquel family to the Luo family's territory, intending to swallow it whole. The fact that the Luo family's primary Guardian and the current family head, Luo Qingqing, were standing right here was explanation enough.

The merchants of the Chamber of Commerce were all astute; although they didn't dare to be certain that Qian Jin would slaughter everyone who went to cause trouble, they vaguely sensed that President Li was in deep trouble this time.

Who was Qian Jin? The last time he returned because of Luo Lin's death, he had taken up his blade and eliminated all of the Kai family's influence in Auckland City. He carried an aura of bloodlust and aggression, and he was at an age where impulsiveness precluded any notion of negotiation. And they were suggesting he go looking for President Li with him?

Even if President Li were still alive, who could guarantee that after going out with Qian Jin, one would even live long enough to see him? [The Demon Race is currently infiltrating the city to carry out assassinations.] Everyone had seen through such so-called tactics. The City Lord would absolutely never offend a Demon-Slaying Warrior who could erupt into a frenzy and start hacking at anyone over a dead merchant without any concrete proof.

"Then?" Qian Jin surveyed the crowd, "Does anyone else object to Qinghe being appointed as the new President of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce?"

"This... Mr. Qian Jin..." An elderly merchant, completely white-haired, leaned on a cane and stepped out of the crowd, "I am Feng Tesaixi of the Chamber. You may not be aware of the Chamber's regulations. The selection of the new Chamber President requires only nomination rights from President Li, and the decision must be reported to the Grand Chamber..."

"Then report it," Qian Jin surveyed the merchants in the room again, "Is there anyone else who wishes to be a candidate for Chamber President? I'll say it plainly today: Qingqing must become this President. Whoever dares to fight for it, I will kill them!"

I will kill them! I will kill them! In the vast, empty hall, Qian Jin's chillingly dominant and utterly arrogant, naked threat echoed.

The merchants looked at Qian Jin as if they had seen a ghost, utterly astonished. Never! No one had ever been so overbearing! To dare threaten the entirety of the Chamber's merchants with just one person! So what if he was a Demon-Slaying Warrior? They could pool their money together and hire powerful assassins to eliminate him directly!

"Hoo... hoo..." Feng Tesaixi gasped, his heavy breaths ragged. His old face flushed crimson with fear mixed with mounting anger. The cane in his hand trembled as he pointed at Qian Jin, "You... you... we did not offend you, yet you dare to threaten us..."

"Did not offend?" Qian Jin smiled, snatching the official document from someone's hand, "You all must be perfectly clear on what happened at the Luo family these past few days, right? Even if you weren't physically present there the entire time, did you not exert pressure on the Luo family? Which one of you sitting here dares to stand up, placing a hand on your chest, and tell me so?"

"Qian Jin! I did not accept any favors promised by Li Juntu! I did not help Li Juntu pressure the Luo family! I did not take advantage of these days to encroach upon the Luo family's business channels!"

"Did you? Did even one of you?" Qian Jin swept his gaze across the room repeatedly. The continuous fighting these days had only intensified his murderous aura, and since everything he said was fact, it forced everyone to lower their heads; not a single person dared to meet his gaze.

"People can make mistakes," Qian Jin slowly turned his eyes, forcing his gaze upon them once more, "But they must not do evil! Esteemed sirs, this time Qingqing must be the President! I ask for nothing else, only one thing: to make you remember this incident. In the future, show respect to the Luo family, and to Qingqing!"

"I have finished speaking," Qian Jin retreated behind Luo Qingqing and whispered, "Madam President, perhaps we should first deal with the matter concerning the Auckland Academy of Magic and Warriors?"

Hearing Qian Jin's voice in her ear emboldened Luo Qingqing. Under everyone's watch, she walked up to the few individuals who were arguing with Rodrigues, "The Academy of Magic and Warriors is the cornerstone of our True Strategy Dynasty remaining free from Demon Race infringement. We should adhere to the original price signed back then; there is no need to charge that extra ten percent."

"Madam President..." Feng Tesaixi slammed his cane forcefully onto the floor. The thud, thud sound echoed in the room, "This business regarding the Academy of Magic and Warriors..."

Luo Qingqing raised her head, tossing her long, flowing cyan hair, "Mr. Feng, since you address me as Madam President, then I possess the authority to decide this. I believe I am not mistaken on that point, correct?"

"This..." Feng Tesaixi froze in place. He had originally thought that as long as the discussion involved the Chamber's commercial affairs, Qian Jin, who was not part of the Chamber, would have no standing to interfere. He hadn't expected that this girl, who never gave orders when she was Vice President and seemed fragile and incapable, could become so tough when asserting herself?

"I am the President, so the matter is settled," Luo Qingqing glared back at Feng Tesaixi, "Is there anything else? If not, I am tired. Tomorrow, return every bit of profit you seized from our Luo family. As for the interests belonging to Li Juntu’s family, you can divide them amongst yourselves. Our Luo family takes fifty percent, and the rest you divide."

Fifty percent? The Chamber members exchanged glances. Listening to this, it seemed they were planning to take all of Li Juntu's assets. This meant... Li Juntu truly was...

Luo Qingqing walked out of the hall and boarded the carriage. She gently patted her chest, looking at Qian Jin with an expression of lingering fear, "Was my performance acceptable just now?"

"Excellent," Qian Jin gave her a thumbs-up, praising her, "A successful businesswoman."

Luo Qingqing stuck out her tongue playfully, "Next up are the Kai family and the Faquel family. They are in the wrong this time, and their elite forces are wiped out. I can send people to negotiate with them; we should be able to force them to yield a significant portion of their business channels and profits."

Qian Jin flourished the horsewhip and bit his tongue. This little girl, usually so gentle, possessed a core nature somewhat similar to Fatty Luo. The moment business was mentioned, her mind began to race incredibly fast. He truly couldn't compare to this brother and sister duo in that regard.

"I really don't understand business matters. If you think this approach is viable, then let's proceed," Qian Jin cracked the whip, "However, I'm being serious. The patriarchs of both the Kai and Faquel families are gone. They likely understand we were the ones who killed them. Will they fight us to the death? If that's the case... perhaps..."

"It shouldn't happen," Luo Qingqing swayed a feather quill she had pulled from somewhere, "The Faquel and Kai families do not consist of only one faction of clansmen; they are constantly vying for the position of family head amongst themselves. They are probably hoping the current patriarchs die soon so they get a chance to seize power. Furthermore..."

Qian Jin nodded repeatedly as he listened. It seemed he had underestimated this girl earlier. He hadn't expected her to know so much about the internal affairs of the Kai and Faquel families. And whenever these business matters came up, the girl who usually spoke timidly disappeared. He just wondered if she could truly awe those people in the Chamber. They had been momentarily stunned, but who knew if they were already plotting countermeasures?

"What should we do?" Feng Tesaixi looked at the other members of the Chamber in the hall.

Rodrigues had already left with his men. Only the silent, mutually staring Chamber members remained in the hall. Qian Jin’s visit had clearly come to deliver one piece of information: Li Juntu had been killed because of this incident. Looking at this, the members of the Kai and Faquel families who went with him were probably also...

What kind of force did the Kai and Faquel families deploy this time? The Chamber members knew perfectly well. If they disregarded the City Lord's status and identity, and focused solely on martial prowess, even the City Lord himself could not contend with them!

Qian Jin came here today with Luo Qingqing, holding Li Juntu's abdication document... How immense was his strength? To be able to safely escort a young girl out of an area guarded by such power?

"Forget it... If she's the President, she's the President then."

"Yeah... If she's the President, she's the President. Who holds the position isn't that much different, is it?"

"You guys..." Feng Tesaixi glared resentfully at the others. If Li Juntu had died naturally, the next President should have been him.

"Mr. Feng, let it go. Compared to the benefits offered by the Kai and Faquel families, the benefits offered by the Luo family's young girl are far greater."

"That's right, Mr. Feng. You might not care about benefits, but you must consider people's lives. The Kai and Faquel families are not as ruthless or insane as Qian Jin. I estimate those people at the Luo family..."

Feng Tesaixi shivered. Compared to profit, life was more important. Interests with the Kai and Faquel families could be negotiated, but Qian Jin wasn't a businessman at all; from his core outward, he was a warrior!

Warriors of the True Strategy Dynasty never knew the meaning of negotiation when facing the Demon Race. This rigid attitude was deeply ingrained in everyone's perception. The moment the word 'warrior' was mentioned, people first thought of unwavering toughness, of never compromising or negotiating.

"Alas... Forget it, I fear this Qian Jin," Feng Tesaixi sighed up at the sky, "If she wants to be President, let her be. Let's all sign the joint letter quickly and send it to the Grand Chamber so this matter can be concluded."

Qian Jin returned to the Luo family residence. Before he even dismounted the carriage, he was intercepted by Fabredis.

"Jiaying, keep an eye on things here for me. I'm taking these few lads home first." Fabredis shoved Qian Jin into the carriage compartment that had recently carried corpses, called out to Fen Tu Kuang Ge and the other two, and personally took the reins, whipping the horses rapidly away from the Luo family entrance.

The carriage took a less-trafficked route. Thanks to Fabredis's superb horsemanship, they didn't startle or frighten anyone, arriving safely at the City Guardian's courtyard.

"Come, come," Fabredis, unable to suppress his inner excitement, dragged Qian Jin all the way to the long table in the main hall before stopping. With a flip of his wrist, a red stone appeared—one that looked more like a gemstone than metal.

Dou Jie! Qian Jin's eyes lit up. As expected! An expert like Uncle Fabredis possessed a Dou Jie (Battle Realm)! He just wondered how large the Uncle's Dou Jie was? His Master had mentioned that the Dou Jie grew larger as strength increased. He hadn't properly examined how much larger his own had grown after entering the Realm of Demon Subjugation Battle.

"Red Thunder Blood Steel," Qian Jin nodded, "A fine item. I have only encountered introductions to it in books. Legend says it forms only when lightning strikes the rare magma-resistant Red Fire Star Iron within volcanic magma, creating a special high-grade metal. This metal is so pure it requires virtually no forging by a smith."

"A million gold coins might buy a piece the size of a fist?"

Duan Feng Bu'er clicked his tongue listening to Qian Jin list the details like an expert, "A million gold coins for a fist-sized piece? This piece of metal is at least two and a half fists in size? One piece of material? Two and a half million gold coins?"

"Two million nine hundred seventy thousand," Fabredis smiled, "And that's after I negotiated a discount and rounded down the decimals."

Looking at the Red Thunder Blood Steel, Qian Jin finally understood why Uncle Black always emphasized in his forging notes that a smith must obtain expensive metals by any means necessary.

A piece of Red Thunder Blood Steel valued at nearly three million gold coins! The material cost for a complete set of equipment might exceed ten million gold coins—enough to instantly bankrupt a very wealthy family, forcing the entire lineage into begging just to earn back the cost of the materials.

"Starry Sky Heavenly Fire Iron," Fabredis presented a fist-sized piece of metal, entirely crimson, yet appearing as if flames were still burning within it, "Market value sixty-seven million two hundred thousand gold coins. It’s a case of having the price but no one selling. I found this by chance during an exploration of ruins."

"Rumor has it that meteorites falling from the sky, upon reaching extreme heat, plunge into magma or high-temperature furnaces, absorbing the friction-generated Heavenly Fire and Earth Fire into this special metal, creating a rare alloy," Qian Jin placed the Starry Sky Heavenly Fire Iron in his hand, examining it from side to side. He had only read about it in Uncle Black's books before, never imagining he would get to touch this magical metal personally.

"Eye of the Desert."

A yellow, fist-sized piece of metal that looked exactly like a giant grain of golden sand. Even just resting on the table, one could feel the intense heat radiating from this yellow metal, as if it had brought the dry heat of the desert right into the room.

"Eye of the Desert..." Qian Jin tapped the metal with two fingers, "It would be great if it were the Heart of the Desert."

"Heart of the Desert?" Fabredis managed a weak smile, "If that thing were truly found, we could probably forge a Saint Artifact, not just a Soul Weapon, right?"

Qian Jin fiddled with the Eye of the Desert, making the metal spin continuously on the tabletop, "Yes, the Heart of the Desert is indeed material for forging a Saint Artifact. I know that much. The Heart of the Desert, Ice Earth Cold Flame Iron, Sun Steel, Earth Furnace Iron—these four metals, combined with the magic core of the High-Grade Magic Beast Thunder King, can forge a Saint Artifact. It could be a blade, or a bow, or a sword or a shield—any piece of equipment elevated to Saint Artifact status."

"Damn, you know what materials are needed for a Saint Artifact?" Duan Feng Bu'er smoked his lit cigarette, "Man, the longer I spend with you, comrade, the more self-conscious I become."

Qian Jin smiled without answering. If he hadn't mistakenly grabbed the wrong book from Uncle Black's bookshelf that time, he wouldn't have known these materials could make a Saint Artifact. But even knowing that, what use was it? Every single one of those materials was so rare they were nearly extinct. Furthermore, even if one encountered one of them, the accompanying guardian beasts nearby would be enough to give anyone a headache that made them want to smash their heads against a wall.

[Every rare treasure in the world has a guardian exotic beast! The rarer the treasure, the stronger the killing power of its guardian beast! Therefore, to become a great blacksmith, you must first be strong enough.]

Qian Jin recalled the notes in Uncle Black's records and felt even greater admiration for the old blacksmith's capabilities. The notes clearly detailed the specific abilities, attack methods, and even weaknesses of every guardian beast. Looking at them, one would feel as if the person who recorded them had personally slain those monsters.

The geographical environments where these treasures gestated were also described in detail. If he ever had the chance to visit the Great Desolation Sea in the south of the True Strategy Dynasty, perhaps he could truly use his understanding of the terrain to find the rumored Golden Ancient Desolation Ruins.

The Great Desolation Sea! Qian Jin rubbed his head, dismissing the dangerous thought. Whether in the True Strategy Dynasty, the Demon Race territory, or the Barbarian lands, there were many strange and dangerous regions. These areas were either naturally formed perilous zones, inhabited by powerful, ferocious super-monsters, or they were perilous even for Bloodline Warriors.

Even fully awakened Bloodline Warriors had no chance of entering the deepest layers of those regions. To counter the opposing side's ultimate awakened Bloodline experts, both the Demon Race and the True Strategy Dynasty could only deploy their own ultimate Bloodline experts to the front lines of the Human-Demon Battlefield to contain them.

The Great Desolation Sea! Qian family notes recorded that an Elf King Bloodline Warrior who had achieved five awakenings once ventured into the Great Desolation Sea to explore, seeking the legendary Golden Ancient Desolation Ruins that supposedly held secret treasures, but he never emerged.

Fire Eye Ten Thousand Mountains, Great Desolation Sea, Sunset Mountain Range, East Sea Shadow Trace... The True Strategy Dynasty had no less than a dozen well-known dangerous and precious locations, aside from unknown ruins.

Although these places were filled with danger, they never lacked explorers. Many retired warriors, after transitioning into adventurers or mercenaries, would frequently risk their lives by sneaking into these areas. The occasional discovery of a treasure only served to constantly attract people to explore adventurously.

Bang! The collision sound between the Hundred-Foot Deep Sea Flame-Patterned Steel and the tabletop interrupted Qian Jin's recollection of the dangerous lands of the True Strategy Dynasty.

"Over eight million gold coins, priced but no market," Fabredis quickly said as he saw Qian Jin’s mouth open, "Don't talk to me about Thousand-Foot Deep Sea Flame-Patterned Steel or Ten Thousand-Foot Deep Sea Flame-Patterned Steel. I can't dive that deep. Eight hundred fathoms is my limit! As for Ocean Heart Fire Iron, don't even mention it. No one knows where it is."

Qian Jin smiled silently, gently stroking the Hundred-Foot Deep Sea Flame-Patterned Steel. Resting on the floor, it emitted only a faint warmth and a slight red glow, but if submerged in seawater, this metal would automatically ignite. The deeper it went into the ocean, the larger the flame it would burn, yet the seawater could never extinguish it. Legend had it that its flame used water as fuel, just as ground flames use firewood as fuel.