After understanding the situation, Lin Xia quietly withdrew into the backyard, Larvitar cradled in his arms, slipping away through the shadows of the corridor.
There was no point in staying. With his current abilities, he couldn't change anything.
What mattered now was finding a solution—fast.
Forcing himself to calm down, Lin Xia gently set Larvitar on a stone stool padded with soft cushions. The little Pokémon seemed to sense his unease. Unusually, it didn't leap for the remaining Purple Lightning Iron Ore. Instead, it lifted its head and looked at him with worried crimson eyes.
Lin Xia walked to the stone table. His fingers tapped unconsciously against the cold surface, producing a dull rhythm as his thoughts raced.
The root of the problem was clear: Miles's greed, the rot within Spirit Hall's Gengjin City branch, and Teacher Lou Gao's long-standing enmity with him.
This wasn't a matter of strength.
The Blacksmith Association housed hundreds of people. Countless civilian blacksmiths relied on it to survive. If a large-scale clash erupted, the consequences would be catastrophic.
That was why his teacher hesitated.
Recalling the original course of events, Lin Xia gradually formed a plan—one that could protect the association and his teacher, temporarily silence Miles, and perhaps even… eliminate this festering cancer altogether in the future.
But he was still insignificant. Before anything could be finalized, he needed to speak with his teacher directly and confirm Lou Gao's true stance toward Spirit Hall.
Time passed in suffocating silence.
About half an hour later, heavy footsteps approached.
"Bang!"
The backyard door was shoved open.
Lou Gao strode in, his tall frame radiating barely suppressed fury. His face was ashen, thick brows knotted together, veins faintly bulging at his temples as his chest rose and fell sharply.
Without even glancing around, he grabbed the half-full cup of cold tea Lin Xia had left on the table and tipped it back, gulping it down as if it were ice water meant to quench the fire in his chest.
Tea dripped through his beard, unnoticed.
His eyes burned with humiliation and resentment.
He slammed the empty cup onto the stone table with a heavy thud.
"Bastards! They've gone too far!"
Lou Gao growled hoarsely, like a wounded lion restraining its roar.
Lin Xia immediately stood, picked up the teapot, and calmly refilled the cup with hot tea. His movements were steady and gentle.
Steam rose, softening the sharp edge of anger on Lou Gao's face.
Lin Xia slid the cup toward him, his voice careful, filled with concern and a trace of confusion.
"Teacher, please calm down. Those people just now… they were from Spirit Hall, weren't they? Why are they targeting the Blacksmith Association like this?"
Lou Gao's bloodshot eyes snapped to him. Surprise flickered across his face before giving way to helplessness—and faint reproach.
"Didn't I tell you to stay in the backyard? Not to come out? Those filthy things will only dirty your eyes."
Lin Xia smiled stubbornly, youthful and sincere.
"Teacher, I'm part of the Blacksmith Association. More than that, I'm your disciple. How could I feel at ease hiding in the back? I need to know what's going on."
His gaze was clear and unwavering.
Meeting those earnest eyes, the knot of anger in Lou Gao's chest finally loosened. The heat of the tea and Lin Xia's concern seemed to melt it away.
He let out a long, heavy sigh, as though releasing a thousand pounds of pressure.
Picking up the cup again, he didn't drink it immediately. Instead, he held it, letting the warmth seep into his hands. The fire in his eyes faded into deep exhaustion and helplessness.
"Yes… Spirit Hall," Lou Gao said quietly.
"But not the Spirit Hall you read about in books. At least not here in Gengjin City. In the hands of that scoundrel Miles, it's long since gone rotten—nothing more than jackals draped in divine robes, sucking people dry."
Seeing his teacher finally open up, Lin Xia asked gently, concern laced with doubt.
"Then… why are they always targeting the Blacksmith Association? We forge weapons and armor. We've even supplied Spirit Hall with excellent equipment. Shouldn't we be on good terms?"
Lou Gao fell silent. His gaze drifted into the distance, lost in bitter memories.
After a long pause, he spoke again, his voice heavy with recollection.
"It's a long story. In the beginning, things weren't good, but they weren't unbearable either. We kept to ourselves. The turning point was six years ago…"
His eyes sharpened.
"Back then, an old friend of mine—his family had forged for generations. Exceptional craftsmanship. Upright people."
"But later, they were implicated by the Clear Sky Sect and targeted in retaliation by Spirit Hall. Their family was nearly destroyed. They wrote to borrow money."
Lou Gao's fists clenched, knuckles whitening.
"I couldn't swallow that injustice. That was when I confronted Miles."
His voice grew rough.
"My temper flared. I grabbed my Vajra Chisel and charged straight at him. Right in front of all his subordinates, I pointed at his nose and cursed him out!"
"If not for another senior deacon stepping in at the last moment, I'd have smashed that hypocrite's fat face to pieces."
He let out a heavy sigh, tinged with self-mockery.
"The fight never truly broke out, but the grudge was set in stone. Miles is petty and vindictive. From that day on, he treated the Blacksmith Association like a thorn in his side."
Anger surged again in Lou Gao's eyes.
"After that, he realized just how much he could squeeze out of us. 'Safety inspection fees.' 'Spirit tool material reporting fees.' 'Fire prevention and anti-theft sponsorships.' Endless excuses."
"He forcibly took thirty percent of our profits. If I so much as complained, he threatened a full investigation under Spirit Hall's name. The association has hundreds of mouths to feed… and I—"
Humiliation and powerlessness filled his gaze.
"This time… it's my fault."
Lou Gao raked his hands through his disheveled hair.
"This afternoon, at the warehouse entrance, I was examining the Purple Lightning Iron Ore you gave me."
"The lightning energy within it was incredibly pure. I couldn't help myself. I looked at it longer than I should have, even stimulated it slightly with my spirit power to study its properties."
"That purple radiance… that unique fluctuation—it was far too conspicuous."
His face darkened as he ground his teeth.
"Either one of Miles's spies saw it, or someone passing by reported it. That's why he rushed over, eager to take his share."
Lou Gao's gaze fell on the remaining Purple Lightning Iron Ore, his expression complicated.
"To send that plague away and suppress the matter… I had no choice but to give him some of it."
When he finished speaking, it was as if all strength had drained from him. His posture slumped, weariness overtaking his frame.
Yet deep in his eyes, an unyielding flame still burned.