"Lin Xia is back! He brought incredible news!"
"An imperial decree! Thirty percent premium on all purchases! Exclusive rights to ten mines!"
"Our little junior brother repaired Star Luo's national treasure! The backbone of us craftsmen can finally stand tall!"
Several of Silong's loudest core disciples acted like human loudspeakers. Riding the Association's specially raised pack iron beasts, known for their exceptional endurance, they sped down the main roads, shouting the news in the most straightforward and passionate way possible.
The news was like a bucket of cold water poured into molten metal, instantly causing an uproar throughout the entire city of Gengxin!
At first came shock and disbelief, but it was quickly followed by a tidal wave of ecstasy that swept through everyone connected to metal, forging, and the Blacksmith Association.
"What?! A thirty percent premium on imperial purchases? Is that for real?!"
"Ten mines?! My heavens! Am I dreaming?"
"Lin Xia? He repaired Star Luo's national treasure? Good grief, no wonder Grandmaster Lou Gao treasures him so much!"
"Quick! Let's go to the Association and see!"
In the blacksmith shops, apprentices covered in soot threw down their hammers without even bothering to remove their aprons.
Beside the furnaces, elderly master smiths with white hair and beards trembled with excitement, putting down their quenching tongs and hurrying outside.
The owners of forging workshops had their eyes shining as well, sensing tremendous business opportunities. One after another, they locked their doors and rushed toward the headquarters.
As night descended, the central district of Gengxin City was as bright as day.
The enormous Furnace Plaza in front of the Blacksmith Association headquarters, a place usually used to display gigantic metal creations and hold major ceremonies was now packed with countless blacksmiths and their families who had come of their own accord.
A sea of people stretched as far as the eye could see.
Rough laughter, excited discussions, and children's cheerful voices merged into a boiling ocean of noise.
The air was filled with the smells of sweat, machine oil, and charcoal, along with the mouthwatering aroma of roasted meat drifting from the temporary barbecue pits.
The Association's warehouses had been completely opened.
Barrels of Molten Lava Liquor, which had been stored for years and only brought out during major celebrations, were carried out one after another.
All of the Association's chefs had been mobilized.
Whole slabs of rock sheep meat sizzled on enormous iron griddles, baskets of hard bread were piled into small mountains, and huge cauldrons simmered with richly scented meat stew.
There were no elegant table settings.
People either used their own iron bowls, newly forged iron plates that still bore hammer marks, or simply drank straight from the barrels with hearty abandon.
At the edge of the plaza, skilled blacksmiths voluntarily struck massive anvils.
The rhythmic clang, clang, clang of metal was more stirring to these iron-blooded men than any orchestra could ever be.
Some even tossed red-hot iron blocks into the specially made quenching pool in the center of the plaza.
Sizzle!
Towering clouds of steam rose several meters into the air, drawing waves of cheers and whistles.
The firelight illuminated every plain yet excited face.
It was a joy that came from the very depths of their hearts, completely unrestrained.
Zhu Zhuqing stood close beside Lin Xia, her little hand wrapped in his broad palm.
The scene before her dealt an unprecedented blow to her young heart.
At six years old, she was no stranger to grand occasions in the Zhu Family of Star Luo City.
Those noble banquets, filled with fine clothes and flowing wine, were full of refinement, luxury, and suffocating rules.
Everyone wore perfect masks.
Every smile had been carefully calculated, every word meticulously crafted.
Even the air seemed frozen by the cold rigidity of hierarchy.
To her, those banquets had been oppressive cages, a chilling preview of her future fate, and had never once brought her any warmth.
But this...
This was completely different!
There were no gorgeous gowns here, only oil-stained leather aprons and coarse clothing.
There were no delicate pastries, only large chunks of dripping roasted meat and hard but hearty bread.
There was no elegant music, only the deafening symphony of anvils and the rough laughter and shouting of men.
Everything seemed so crude, so chaotic...
Yet it contained a breathtaking vitality!
She saw an old blacksmith with a white beard raising an enormous iron mug, tears and wine flowing down his face together as he patted the back of a young apprentice and said in a choked voice,
"Good days are coming, lads! You've finally got a future!"
She saw muscular men with bare upper bodies cheering like children because they had managed to grab a sizzling piece of roasted meat.
She saw young couples holding their children and pointing toward Lin Xia, who was surrounded like the moon among the stars, their eyes filled with gratitude and hope.
What kind of smiles were those?
Zhu Zhuqing had never seen anything like them.
They were utterly sincere, coming from the deepest parts of the heart.
They were as fiery as the flames erupting from a furnace and as pure as refined steel after forging.
There was no scheming, no disguise.
Only endless longing for a better life and heartfelt gratitude and admiration for the person who had brought about this change.
This pure, fiery joy, with its metallic toughness, struck heavily against the walls around her long-closed heart.
A strange warmth quietly spread through her body from the hand she shared with Lin Xia.
Without realizing it, her always-tense little face relaxed.
The corners of her lips curved upward into a faint but genuine smile.
She no longer simply hid behind Lin Xia.
Instead, she peeked out curiously, watching this lively, bustling world and experiencing for the first time the warmth of collective celebration.
As the person actually managing the Association, Silong naturally couldn't indulge in the festivities alone.
He pulled Lin Xia away from the noisiest part of the plaza and brought him beneath the relatively quiet colonnade at the entrance of the headquarters.
He handed Lin Xia a large mug of frothing Molten Lava Liquor, then took a huge gulp himself.
Wiping the wine from the corner of his mouth, his burning gaze swept over Zhu Zhuqing, who was protected at Lin Xia's side.
Lowering his voice, he asked:
"Xia this little girl, she's not ordinary, is she?"
Silong's eyes were sharp. It was obvious that he had noticed the cool, detached temperament and refined clothing that set Zhu Zhuqing apart from ordinary children.
Lin Xia took a sip of the liquor. The spicy taste refreshed his mind. He lowered his head to look at Zhu Zhuqing, who was gazing up at him with curiosity and a hint of nervousness in her big eyes, then looked back at Silong and pondered for a moment.
"Senior Brother, her name is Zhu Zhuqing. Her background is indeed somewhat special."
Lin Xia carefully chose his words, keeping his voice very low.
"All I can say is that she comes from a rather troublesome situation in Star Luo City. Bringing her out was both helping her and potentially bringing us some, risks in the future. For now, the fewer people who know about it, the better. Here, she's just an ordinary little sister who follows me."
Lin Xia did not mention the words 'Hell Civet' or 'marriage alliance with the Star Luo Imperial Family,' two phrases that would cause a tremendous uproar.
However, the terms 'rather troublesome situation' and 'risks in the future' were already enough for an old hand like Silong to immediately understand the gravity of the matter.
The relaxed smile on his face faded somewhat, and his expression became solemn and serious. He nodded gravely.
"I understand."
Silong did not ask for any details. Instead, he stretched out his large fan-like hand and gently patted Zhu Zhuqing's little head with a protective gesture, as if conveying a silent promise.
"As long as you're in Gengxin City, as long as you're in the Blacksmith Association, no one can casually lay a hand on you or the people you protect."
"If the sky falls, we blacksmiths will hold it up!"
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