Qian Jin ignored Lei Guangming, turning instead toward the blacksmith's forge in the corner of the courtyard. The Torrential Battle Fort did employ its own smiths, but their forging skills were somewhat lacking. To acquire truly fine weaponry, one still needed to visit the Blacksmiths' Guild, though the equipment available here was exceptionally comprehensive.

Everyone was utterly captivated by Qian Jin's strange action, momentarily forgetting their earlier bickering, and watched curiously as he stood before the roaring fire, trying to guess what he intended to do.

"This kid..." Lei Guangming muttered, uncertainly, "He isn't trying to prove his worth by forging something, is he?"

Whoosh! Kerosene splashed onto the still-glowing embers, instantly igniting a towering blaze.

Qian Jin casually tossed the appropriate amount of coal into the furnace, followed by several pieces of raw iron. Without even looking, he snatched a forging hammer from the adjacent tool rack and gripped it in his hand.

Lei Guangming stared at the hammer in Qian Jin's hand for two seconds, then burst out laughing. The kid had certainly picked up the mannerisms well, but he was clearly a novice at smithing. Forging raw iron typically required one of the larger hammers; the one he held was for shaping.

"Pulling the bellows too fast, causing the flames to rage too fiercely—it will damage the metal quality," Lei Guangming shook his head repeatedly. "This guy is an absolute fool, thinking blacksmithing is just about swinging a hammer around?"

The bellows were worked vigorously, whipping up even hotter flames. The raw iron quickly glowed a deep red. Qian Jin picked up an iron rod and deftly hooked the incandescent lump out of the fire.

This time, the smiths standing behind Lei Guangming also chuckled. There were tongs right there, specifically for gripping scorching hot iron. If he didn't even know how to use those, the moment he brought the hammer down, that searing piece of metal could fly anywhere and burn anyone.

Qian Jin, with a swift left grab, secured another hammer, holding one in each hand. Lei Guangming’s eyes suddenly lit up. This posture... it was strangely similar to a rumor he'd heard years ago. That... that rumor was...

Lei Guangming squeezed his eyes shut forcefully, finally recalling something a blacksmith named Lucas from the city of Oakland had mentioned: there was a man who could take raw iron and hammer it into refined iron using two hammers, completely eschewing tongs. That man's name was... was Qian Jin!

Surely it couldn't be that much of a coincidence? As Lei Guangming stood stunned, the hammer in Qian Jin’s hand struck the glowing raw iron. The iron piece, which had just jumped up, was instantly hammered back into place by the second hammer before it could fly away.

The two hammers, in that moment, seemed transformed into the fiercest war hammers on a battlefield, striking out with sounds like the booming drums of war.

Everyone present was left stunned and wide-eyed by the sight before them. What was this? Wasn't this kid a warrior? How could he also know how to forge? And so skillfully?

Mu Gui Wuxin rubbed his eyes vigorously. He had only heard that Qian Jin was a Forgemaster; he never imagined the scene of his forging would be so breathtaking.

The forging proceeded like a magnificent performance. Lei Guangming stared intently at the small piece of iron that was slowly taking the shape of a weapon. What was this kid doing? Was he forging refined metal and shaping it directly into a weapon simultaneously? Was he insane? Didn't he know that doing so would lower the weapon's quality and drastically increase his own difficulty?

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of hammering finally ceased. Qian Jin wiped the sweat from his brow and tossed the weapon, now clearly shaped like an axe, at Lei Guangming’s feet.

Clang! The sharp axe bit into the dusty earth where Lei Guangming stood, reflecting a chilling glint. Lei Guangming bent down, gently stroking the war axe with his hand. His palm, usually steady when handling forging tools, trembled uncontrollably, his pupils contracting to pinpricks as he stared blankly at the weapon beneath his hand: "This... how is this possible?... A... a Second-Tier Combat Weapon!"

A Second-Tier Combat Weapon. Instantly, the gazes of everyone nearby snapped toward the weapon hastily forged.

A Second-Tier Combat Weapon... Lei Guangming sucked in a sharp breath, as if relaxing for a moment might cause him to suffocate from lack of air—it was actually a Second-Tier Combat Weapon!

While a Second-Tier Combat Weapon couldn't compare in value to that axe that was a Seventh-Tier Combat Weapon, the crucial question was: how did this Second-Tier Combat Weapon come into being?

In an extremely short span, Qian Jin had simply grabbed some random metal scraps, slammed them around with two hammers in a flurry of noise, and effortlessly hammered this thing out.

Lei Guangming was certain that if their positions were reversed, he couldn't achieve this level of result. Even as a Tenth-Tier Axe Forgemaster himself, he couldn't just casually hammer out a Combat Weapon, especially not using these low-grade, inferior metals.

The surrounding people watched Qian Jin in silence. Even those ignorant of forging understood that what Qian Jin had produced was something Lei Guangming, the Forgemaster, absolutely could not replicate!

Mu Gui Wuxin smiled faintly, glancing at Lei Guangming, then at the vice-presidents of his subordinates, and finally at the old man of the Lei family, Lei Zhen: "Threatening me this early in the morning, stopping me from getting my peaceful sleep? Very good! Lei family, our business was supposed to be concluded. Since you don't wish for closure, let's continue! Fabredy will be back in a few days, and then..."

"Uncle..." Qian Jin dropped the hammer he was holding and yawned, looking up at the sky. "I need to go to school, or I'll be late. You handle things here; just tell me the result afterward."

"No problem!" Mu Gui Wuxin bellowed across the courtyard, "Hey, you there... Torrential Ten Warriors! That's right, the ten of you, protect Qian Jin on his way to school! Escort him there and back! If any of you dare to touch a single hair on my treasure's head on the way, I will have you executed on the spot, executed! Did you hear me!"

The Torrential Ten Warriors, who had been lurking nearby watching secretly, immediately rushed out, blades and longswords in hand, shouting their fierce agreement. Whether Qian Jin consented or not, they escorted him and Biluo straight out of the Torrential Battle Fort.

Mu Gui Wuxin beamed, though it didn't improve his ugly face; to the Lei family members, it made him look even more repulsive. Mu Gui Wuxin himself didn't notice his own ugliness, shaking like a crab, almost walking sideways because he felt so utterly pleased with himself, not knowing how best to express his satisfaction.

Satisfaction! Mu Gui Wuxin had never felt this thrilled. He had worried that offending the Blacksmiths' Guild over Qian Jin would complicate future equipment acquisition. Unexpectedly, Qian Jin had casually messed around and produced a Combat Weapon!

What was there to fear from the Blacksmiths' Guild now!

"Heh heh..." Mu Gui Wuxin shoved his large, coarse face close to Lei Guangming's: "Do you want to walk out yourself, or should I throw you out?"

"You..."

"Oh, I know! You want me to throw you out." Mu Gui Wuxin seized Lei Guangming by the neck, lifting him as easily as one might pick up a chick, and tossed him clear outside the gates of the Torrential Battle Fort.

Satisfied! Mu Gui Wuxin watched the flung Lei Guangming; this was something he'd wanted to do for years. Finally having the chance to toss someone out! This kid Qian Jin was truly astonishing and admirable.

Lei Zhen rose with a darkened face and walked out of the Torrential Battle Fort. He glanced back at the weapon Qian Jin had forged on the ground. Mu Gui Wuxin looked like a bear, but he was meticulous in his cruelty. If the Torrential Ten Warriors hadn't been present, Lei Zhen would have risked losing some men to kill Qian Jin and deny the Torrential Battle Fort a powerful asset.

The Torrential Ten Warriors... Lei Zhen truly lacked the guts to slaughter all of them. Fabredy had reached the Saint realm! And it was rumored he had comprehended his own Soul Domain, making him a true Battle Saint now!

Killing the Torrential Ten Warriors would constitute a direct declaration of war against the Torrential Battle Fort. Afterward, the Lei family might be completely erased from the major powers of Everflow.

"Qian Jin... Qian Jin..." Lei Zhen spotted several soldiers in black combat uniforms walking by on the roadside, and his eyes suddenly brightened. Yes! There was still a way to eliminate Qian Jin!

Jun Wudao! The biggest head of the criminal underworld in Everflow City, Jun Wudao! He could offer a high price to Jun Wudao; this man would always complete a job once paid.

Qian Jin sat jostling in the carriage toward the Academy, feeling a strange, nascent nervousness. He had been enrolled in the Conquering War Academy for some time, but today was truly his first day of classes.

Exiting the carriage at the Academy gates, Qian Jin noticed the guard cadets standing watch. The moment they saw him, their expressions shifted abruptly, transforming them into soldiers awaiting inspection, while he felt like the inspecting Marshal or General.

It seemed the incident of killing someone outside the Academy yesterday... Qian Jin smiled. It had achieved a rather good effect. At least today, there were none of those strange, lingering stares he'd endured yesterday.

"Well, I'm off to class now..." Biluo whispered her farewell, turning and breaking into a quick trot in the opposite direction toward the Magic Department.

Qian Jin watched Biluo's figure recede, then turned to see two figures not entirely familiar, yet recognizable, up ahead on his path.

"Classmate Qian Jin, what a coincidence." The dull-witted Tiance approached with a leisurely gait, fanning himself elegantly. His long black hair, despite the still air, fluttered wildly, blown by the magical artifacts he wore, giving off an indescribable air of cool detachment.

Qian Jin smiled, nodded his greeting to Mu Ne Tiance, and took another look at the man ranked 100th on the Hundred Battles List—someone who appeared low-key but paid meticulous attention to his appearance, even in daily life, due to his hidden vanity: "Classmate Mu Ne, it truly is a coincidence."

"Classmate Qian Jin, I checked last night and discovered we are in the same class. Shall we go to class together?" Mu Ne Tiance snapped his fan shut and subtly stepped aside. "Please."

Qian Jin walked alongside Mu Ne Tiance, completely failing to notice that Mu Ne Tiance’s gesture of yielding the path—those polite, comfortable movements—now carried a subtle undertone of command. This feeling was hidden very deeply, so deeply that it was nearly imperceptible.

ps: That's the third update. Although this third installment is just a make-up chapter, it still counts as three! Please vote for monthly tickets!!!