With a thought, Lin Xia took out a scroll from his storage soul tool.
The scroll was mounted with precious star-patterned silk, and both ends were inlaid with the Star Gold emblems symbolizing the Star Luo Imperial Family, exuding an aura of royal dignity and solemnity.
The scroll unfurled, revealing an official document written in golden ink and stamped with a massive imperial jade seal in vermilion.
Without saying anything, Lin Xia directly handed the scroll to Silong, who was standing closest to him.
"Take a look, Senior Brother. From now on, the Blacksmith Association's good days are truly coming!"
Silong accepted the heavy, extraordinarily noble-looking scroll with a puzzled expression.
The other senior brothers immediately crowded around, stretching their necks to look.
Taking a deep breath, Silong opened the scroll and quickly scanned the elegant wording and formal official language under the bright light of the soul tool lamps in the hall.
At first, his eyes showed confusion and incomprehension, as though he were trying to determine the true meaning of this royal document.
Gradually, the muscles on his face tightened, and his breathing became heavy.
Then, his eyes suddenly widened as if he had seen something utterly unbelievable.
The hand holding the scroll, the same hand that could easily swing a thousand-jin hammer and remain as steady as a mountain, began trembling violently out of control!
The paper rustled softly in his grip.
"…Th-This… What's written here?!"
Silong's voice trembled with disbelief and hoarseness. He abruptly raised his head to look at Lin Xia, his eyes filled with extreme shock and a hint of fear that it might all be an illusion.
"Five years… Imperial procurement thirty percent above market price?! For all weapons, armor, and civilian goods?! And… and the Red Copper Mine in Xishan Commandery, the Fine Iron Mine in Blackrock Valley, a total of ten mines?! Mining rights exclusive operating rights all assigned to the Blacksmith Association?!"
Silong practically roared the words out.
Each word struck the suddenly silent hall like a heavy hammer, leaving the other senior brothers completely dumbfounded.
Siyu snatched the scroll away and nearly pressed his eyeballs against the paper.
"B-Boss, you didn't read that wrong, did you?! Thirty percent above market price? For every category? Exclusive rights to ten mines? Th-This damn it, there can actually be such a good thing in this world?!"
He was so excited that he even blurted out a crude hometown expression.
Sidi also squeezed in to look, repeatedly checking the imperial seal and the official format, his voice drifting in disbelief.
"It's real, the format, the seal they can't be faked, b-but how is this possible? Since when has the Star Luo Imperial Family been this generous?!"
At the entrance of the Blacksmith Association's main hall, it was as if time itself had frozen.
These men, who dominated the forging platforms and could face boiling molten iron without changing expression, all stood there as though under a petrification spell.
They stared fixedly at the scroll before abruptly looking up at Lin Xia, their eyes filled with the same shock one might feel upon seeing a god descend from heaven.
Silong's hand trembled even more fiercely.
He clutched the scroll tightly, as though he were holding the future of the entire Association.
His throat worked several times before he finally managed to speak in a hoarse voice, carrying the last trace of disbelief and hope for confirmation.
"Xia tell me quickly! Is this document real?! The Emperor of Star Luo Dai Tianxing he signed it?!"
Seeing his senior brothers so emotional that they had completely lost their composure, a strong sense of accomplishment and pride surged in Lin Xia's heart.
He straightened his back.
A brilliant smile appeared on his face, carrying a touch of youthful pride without losing its steadiness.
His clear and powerful voice echoed throughout the hall.
"Of course it's real, Senior Brother! Absolutely genuine! Personally signed by Dai Tianxing and stamped with the Imperial Seal!"
He paused and, meeting the increasingly fervent gazes of his senior brothers, revealed the answer with resounding certainty.
"Because I repaired the national treasure of the Star Luo Empire, the Star Radiance Crown! This is the reward he personally promised me!"
"The Star Radiance Crown? A national treasure?! You repaired it?!"
Silong's cry of astonishment rose another octave, his eyes nearly popping out.
Although he didn't know exactly what the Star Radiance Crown was, he understood perfectly the weight carried by the words 'national treasure.'
It was a priceless treasure connected to the fate of an entire nation!
"That's right!"
Lin Xia nodded, his tone carrying a trace of justified pride.
"I fulfilled my mission."
"Hahahahaha! Good! Good! Good!"
Silong finally snapped out of his extreme shock. Boundless joy erupted like a volcano, and he shouted "Good!" three times in succession, his booming voice causing the entire hall to buzz.
He suddenly spread his arms and pulled Lin Xia into a fierce embrace, using so much force that it nearly crushed Lin Xia's bones!
"Good lad! You've really done it! I knew it! You're a damn genius! No! You're the lucky star of our Blacksmith Association!"
Silong's voice was loud and filled with incomparable excitement and pride. His eyes had even turned slightly red.
Siyu and Sidi also came to their senses, and overwhelming joy instantly flooded them.
"My heavens! Repairing a national treasure?! Xia, your trip to Star Luo City has truly shaken the heavens!"
"We've struck it rich! Our Association has really struck it rich this time! We'll never have to look at those noble lords and Soul Master sects for approval again! We have mines now! We have massive imperial orders!"
The two were so excited that they could barely speak coherently.
They rushed over as well, joining Silong in surrounding Lin Xia, vigorously patting his shoulders and back. Their booming laughter and cheers nearly lifted the roof off the Blacksmith Association.
Zhu Zhuqing was startled by the sudden burst of enthusiasm and instinctively took a step back.
But as she looked at Lin Xia, who was surrounded by his senior brothers and wearing a happy smile, and then at the unrestrained excitement, admiration, and joy in the eyes of those rough-looking men, she seemed to understand something.
A smile slowly appeared on her little face as well.
She tightly held the small iron sparrow in her hand and quietly watched this scene filled with strength and warmth.
She knew that by following Brother Lin Xia, she had truly come to a different kind of place.
After a long while, Silong finally managed to calm himself slightly from his ecstasy.
He released Lin Xia but still clutched the priceless scroll tightly, as though afraid it might fly away.
He swept his gaze across the equally excited brothers around him before looking back at Lin Xia and shouting heroically:
"What are you all standing around for?! Ring the bell! Summon all the directors and elders! Tonight, the Association is holding a grand feast! Open our finest wine cellar! We'll celebrate our little junior brother Lin Xia's triumphant return and the incredible fortune and future he has won for the Blacksmith Association!!"
"That's right! Ring the bell! Open the feast! We won't leave until we're drunk!"
Cheers once again echoed throughout the hall.
The tremendous joy was like boiling molten iron, instantly igniting the entire headquarters of the Blacksmith Association.
And Lin Xia, carrying the dust of his long journey and a little girl he had unexpectedly brought back, had delivered to this organization he deeply loved, this organization that embodied the pride and backbone of craftsmen, a ray of hope powerful enough to change its destiny.
The night of Gengxin City was destined to become dazzling and turbulent because of this fortune that had fallen from the heavens.
Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!
The loud and resonant peal of a bell, seemingly containing the very essence of metal itself, rang out from the top of the Blacksmith Association's iconic clock tower, which was forged entirely from refined steel.
The sound pierced through the evening mist and steam of Gengxin City, echoing clearly across every street and above every workshop roaring with furnaces.
This was not an alarm bell.
It was the highest-level summons and celebratory signal of the Blacksmith Association!
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