The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 43 Discussion, Punishment, and Apology! (4k)

Hong Yuan recalled details he had seen in movies in his previous life, added a bit of his own imagination, and wrote with great speed.

He had no formal training in painting or sketching, yet his control over his own strength had reached an unparalleled level.

Where the brush touches the paper, it is like iron strokes and silver hooks, the strength penetrating the back of the paper without any blurring.

With a few strokes of the pen, a sketch of a 'deadly chokehold gun' quickly appeared on the paper.

"Please take a look, sir!"

Hong Yuan casually waved his hand, and the blueprints slowly flew into Ou Zhenyun's palm. The latter took them, frowned, and examined them carefully.

After a long pause, Ou Zhenyun exhaled and laughed:
"With the craftsmanship of Bailian Workshop, it is not difficult to forge this spear. However, the spear needs to be able to be disassembled into two parts, yet be able to be reconnected at any time, and not loosen or break during battle. There are still some fine details to consider."

Hung Hei-kwun's original "Deadly Throat Lock Gun" could actually be broken down into three parts, but Hung Yuen felt that two parts were more suitable.

The entire gun is seven feet two inches long, about two meters two inches. When disassembled, it becomes a short stick or gun about one meter long, which is also easy to carry.

"I wonder how long this will take?"

Hong Yuan asked.

If it takes too long, he might as well just buy it directly. Not to mention the ones near Black Iron Town, there are all kinds of weapons available.

"That depends on how high Young Master Hong's requirements are for this spear. Thirty refinements, fifty refinements, a hundred refinements... Forging weapons is like practicing martial arts, requiring a balance of strength and flexibility, being strong yet unbreakable, and flexible yet sturdy!"

Hong Yuan nodded, meaning it needed both hardness and toughness.

“Refining to the hundredth level is the best, but it is also the most time-consuming, taking at least three months. If it is refined to the thirtyth level, one month is enough.”

Ou Zhenyun laughed.

Hong Yuan thought for a moment, then pondered and said:
"Your town is famous for its 'cloud-patterned iron.' I've heard that this iron ore is both hard and tough. If we use it to forge weapons, would it save some time?"

"This……"

A flicker of hesitation crossed Ou Zhenyun's eyes, but after glancing at the white-robed youth opposite him again, he made up his mind and solemnly said:

“Cloud-patterned iron is no ordinary material. If it is forged, nine refinings and nine quenchings can surpass the hundred refinings of ordinary iron. However, this material is quite rare, and even in my Black Iron Town, there are not many in stock, so it is extremely valuable.”

In fact, it's not a question of whether it's expensive or not, but rather that it's a case of having a price but no market for it.

In Black Iron Town, the Ou and Xu families forge cloud-patterned iron weapons, which are often used to cultivate relationships with powerful and wealthy families, and rarely end up in the hands of ordinary people.

It will not be sold to ordinary people in the martial arts world.

But Ou Zhenyun saw a rare and valuable asset in the young man before him.

At such a young age, he possessed such astonishing strength that he could leave deep fingerprints on the steel blade with his bare fingers.

Ou Zhenyun didn't know if a master of the Subtle Realm could do it, but he knew several martial artists at the second level of the Transformation Realm who possessed both strength and flexibility, and he knew that they couldn't do it.

This young man is far from reaching his peak. Give him a few more years, ten years, and his martial arts skills will be incredibly advanced.

He might actually become a figure who establishes a new school of thought.

Winning over and investing in such an important figure in advance is also a way for Black Iron Town to survive.

Even if the other party doesn't have enough money, Ou Zhenyun will give it to them directly.

"How much will it cost? How long will it take?"

Hong Yuan asked directly.

"The material alone will cost around two hundred taels, but since Young Master Hong is in a hurry, I will have to ask my brother Xu to help out. With the addition of the other craftsmen and workers, it will cost at least eight or nine hundred taels. In this way, it can be cast within fifteen days."

Eight or nine hundred taels of silver, and a long spear!
Such a weapon, even if it cannot be called a divine weapon in the martial arts world, is still a treasure.

Hong Yuan frowned slightly.

Fearing the other party would misunderstand that he was trying to swindle money, Ou Zhenyun quickly said:
"I am not exaggerating at all. I dare to guarantee with the reputation of Hundred Refinements Workshop over the past decades that if it is Young Master Hong..."

Hong Yuan waved his hand and smiled, "Sir, you're overthinking it. I just think it's a bit too long."

As he spoke, he took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket, and without counting them, casually placed them on the counter. "These silver notes should be enough. If there are any extras, consider them as a reward for the craftsmen's hard work."

Ou Zhenyun's eyelids twitched. With his keen eye, he could tell at a glance that the stack of silver notes was worth at least two thousand taels. He couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.

Indeed, how could someone like that be short of money?
Hong Yuan spent a lot of money on his journey, but he also met many kind people. Therefore, the more than 5,000 taels of silver he initially received from the Huang family did not decrease, but instead increased.

"Please, Mr. Ou, forge this weapon for Mr. Hong as soon as possible!"

Hong Yuan cupped his hands in farewell and took his leave.

"Young Master Hong, why don't you come to my humble abode for a chat, so that I may do my part as your host?"

Ou Zhenyun hurriedly tried to persuade him to stay.

Hong Yuan waved his hand behind him, and his voice came:
"No, I'd like to wander around the city a bit more. If I have some free time later, I can come and bother you again."

As they were talking, they had already left the main hall of the Hundred Refinements Workshop, and just happened to brush past a fair-skinned young man, who still smelled of alcohol and perfume.

Inside the lobby, Ou Zhenyun didn't even look at the stack of silver notes. He waved to the middle-aged shopkeeper and simply ordered, "Deposit it!"

He then took the drawing and hurried away.

The handsome young man entered and, upon seeing Ou Zhenyun, quickly greeted him, "Uncle!"

Whether Ou Zhenyun didn't hear it or didn't care, the figure disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Why are you ignoring me?

The handsome young man muttered something to himself, then looked at the middle-aged shopkeeper who was collecting the silver notes, his eyes lighting up:
"Wow! What a grand gesture!"

He hurried a few steps and grinned at the middle-aged shopkeeper, saying, "Uncle, you've got a big business opportunity! Lend me a few bills to cover expenses."

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed the silver note.

With a 'smack', the middle-aged shopkeeper pulled out a ruler from somewhere and struck the young man's hand, causing him to cry out in pain and complain.

The middle-aged shopkeeper looked at him and sighed helplessly.

Although Black Iron Town was founded by a group of artisans of humble origins, over a hundred years later, with this vast fortune, the family has long since transformed into one of the most powerful clans.

Having grown accustomed to the extravagant lifestyle of the wealthy, many of their sons naturally couldn't endure the hardships of forging.

Among them, those with ambition might go into business, join the army, or participate in family affairs, but there are also quite a few idle and dissolute young men.

The handsome young man in front of me is from the Xu family. He spends his days eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring, and doesn't do anything worthwhile.

"Uncle, this must be worth a thousand or two thousand taels of silver, right? Who's so generous?" The young man with the fair face was hit with a ruler and called out a few times, but he still wouldn't let go of the middle-aged shopkeeper, asking all sorts of questions.

The middle-aged shopkeeper was so annoyed by his nagging that he could only say a few words briefly, without mentioning that Hong Yuan had made marks on the steel knife with his five fingers.

"Just forging a gun, he took out two thousand taels of silver. This... is a big customer!"

The handsome young man's eyes darted around, and he said with a grin, "Uncle, you're busy, I'll go find someone to drink with."

After saying that, he dashed out the door.

The middle-aged shopkeeper sighed and shook his head.

The discussion with Ou Zhenyun did not take long.

Hong Yuan walked along the main street of Black Iron Town, enjoying the gentle evening breeze. The sky was dimming, and lights were already lit everywhere.

Perhaps because of the large number of martial arts practitioners and merchants in the city, although it was getting late at night, the streets were less crowded than during the day, but still more lively and bustling.

There's even a night market street, which is extremely noisy and crowded!

Hong Yuan wasn't in a hurry to return to the restaurant, so he strolled around the night market street and unknowingly wandered into a place full of colorful flowers and willows.

Ok?
Hong Yuan looked into the building and saw a group of beautiful women laughing and frolicking inside, their perfume filling the air. Several girls even noticed Hong Yuan and waved at him. Something was wrong!
Hong Yuan sensed something was amiss. How could a dignified and upright gentleman like himself have wandered into such a place for no reason?

It must be the ghost of Fatty Huang causing trouble!
Damn it, I shouldn't have killed him so easily back then; it was too quick.

Even after death, he dares to transform into a vengeful spirit to bewitch me. He should be chopped into minced meat.

Hong Yuan glanced into the building and saw a group of ordinary women. He snorted coldly and strode away without looking back.

As he walked, Hong Yuan turned his head and saw a figure standing in front of a stall, seemingly talking to the vendor. It was the handsome young man with fair skin who had brushed past him in the Hundred Refinements Workshop.

Hong Yuan chuckled softly.

He had already discovered this person.

Not long after he left the Hundred Refinement Workshop, the man quietly caught up with him and followed him for a street.

At this moment, Hong Yuan quietly watched him. The handsome young man seemed a little awkward. He exchanged a few words with the vendor, turned around, took a few quick steps, and turned into an alley.

As soon as the man entered the alley, he quickly started jogging, and after a short while, he entered another street and hurried towards a patrol team.

It was nearly night. The guard, dressed in light armor and with steel swords at their waists, was divided into three groups of three or four men and patrolled back and forth on the street.

The handsome young man ran towards the guard who looked like a squad leader. Under the guard's surprised gaze, he pulled him aside and whispered, "Cousin, I have a lucrative business opportunity. Want to do it?"

The leader was a stern-looking young man with a calm expression: "Tell me about it."

The handsome young man, his face flushed with excitement, recounted what had happened at the Hundred Refinements Workshop. He failed to notice the increasingly cold look in the leader's eyes as he continued his frantic tale: "Cousin, that kid just casually pulled out two thousand taels! Wow! If we tie him up, don't you think we'll be rich?"

"Yes!"

"Cousin, you think so too? When should we make our move?" the handsome young man urged. "We need to hurry, or that kid will get away. I think he saw me when I was following him."

"Okay, let's get started now."

Upon hearing this, the handsome young man was overjoyed, but suddenly a large hand swung out and slapped him hard across the face, causing him to fall to the ground, dizzy and with one side of his face quickly swelling up.

He cried out in pain, seeing stars, and it took him a while to come to his senses: "Cousin, why did you hit me?"

Ignoring the astonished looks from passersby, the guard leader dragged the handsome young man to a corner and said viciously, "Hitting you is too lenient; I wish I could beat you to death!"

“I don’t care how much you spend on drinking, gambling, and whoring, because no matter how much you spend, it will all come back in the end.”

"But I never imagined you could be this stupid? Have you been lying on a woman's belly for so long that you've splattered your brains out?"

"Someone who can casually pull out two thousand taels... How long has it been since Hundred Refinement Workshop received a single customer? Even Uncle Shi personally came out to greet him, and you still dare to have wicked thoughts about such a person?"

The foreman was furious and kicked the handsome young man a few more times. Two guards came over and asked in a low voice, "Boss, what's going on here...?"

"Nothing? I'm teaching this idiot a lesson!" The leader took a breath, his gaze coldly fixed on the trembling, fair-faced young man, and said in a deep voice, "Drag this idiot to the river over there and let him sober up..."

The two guards acknowledged and were about to step forward when they suddenly heard a short, sharp whistle, followed by a crisp crack. The handsome young man on the ground let out a heart-wrenching scream as all his teeth were shattered by a flying stone that appeared out of nowhere, and blood splattered everywhere.

Chi Chi!

Two more gusts of wind ripped through the air, almost simultaneously with the sound of bones cracking.

While still struggling and screaming in pain, the handsome young man's right hand and right leg twisted violently. His right palm was almost pierced through, leaving it a bloody mess. His right kneecap was shattered, and blood and flesh splattered all over the leader's face.

With a clang, the two stones collided against the wall and fell to the ground.

On a distant rooftop, Hong Yuan's figure disappeared into the shadows, tossing a pebble in his hand. He watched as the guards' expressions changed drastically, and they drew their steel swords, looking around warily before slowly leaping off the roof.

"They've just ruined one unfilial son; surely they won't resort to the old trick of punishing the young, right? We should trust the survival wisdom of large families."

Hong Yuan strode toward the restaurant where he was staying.

With his keen senses, even if that handsome young man truly had an elder who couldn't stand it anymore and mobilized people to attack him, it would be detected from a great distance.

In fact, how could a group of migrant artisans grow into a powerful clan that completely dominates a town?

At least those in power aren't that many fools.

Before an incense stick could burn, someone knocked on the door of Hong Yuan's room.

A steady voice rang out: "Young Master Hong, I am Ou Zhenyun, and I have come with my old friend Xu Jingren to pay you a visit."

"The door is open, Mr. Ou, please come in."

Outside the room stood three people. Besides Ou Zhenyun, there was another man of about the same age, with a bronze complexion and a strong build. He was none other than Xu Jingren, the head of the Xu family!

Behind the two, a pretty young woman stood with her head bowed, holding an exquisite wooden box, her expression showing a hint of trepidation.

Ou Zhenyun and Xu Jingren exchanged a glance and both gave a wry smile.

Ou Zhenyun's attitude towards Hong Yuan, a young man, could be described as extremely attentive, precisely because he wanted to win him over and gain his favor.

When he returned to his residence, he invited Xu Jingren over and showed the steel knife to his old friend. Xu Jingren was shocked and, in turn, agreed with Ou Zhenyun's idea.

Unexpectedly, a disobedient son emerged from the clan. Fortunately, no major disaster was caused!
As for that prodigal son, the two of them didn't beat him to death, which was already out of consideration for the fact that he was practically crippled.

Although Hong Yuan did not show up, the two of them could guess that he was the one who did it. They did not pretend to be deaf or dumb and did not have any intention of pretending not to know. After a quick discussion, they came to apologize.

Pushing open the door, the two saw Hong Yuan standing by the window with his hands behind his back, admiring the night view of the town.

Xu Jingren bowed and said, "Young Master Hong, I am Xu Jingren. Some of my clan members have rebelled and disturbed you. I have come here specifically to apologize."

Hong Yuan turned around and smiled, "Mr. Xu, you flatter me."

They did not offer to help the other person up.

It is only because he possesses such skill that he is able to vent his anger today.

Xu Jingren gave a wry smile, took the wooden box from the beautiful girl behind him, and presented it with both hands: "This is my apology, please accept it, young master."

Hong Yuan didn't sense any danger, but he didn't reach for it; he just smiled and looked at the other person.

Xu Jingren had no choice but to open it himself, and found a large stack of silver notes inside.

Hong Yuan immediately recognized his share from the list, and the other party's apology was probably worth two or three thousand taels.

This apology is extremely generous!

"Mr. Ou, Mr. Xu, there's no such thing as taking back the money I've handed over. Go back now, and let's settle this matter here. I only hope that you two can forge the weapons for me as soon as possible!"

Hong Yuandao.

"Young Master Hong, please rest assured, forging weapons is our livelihood. Even if we work day and night, we will forge that 'Deadly Throat-Locking Spear' for you as soon as possible!"

Ou Zhenyun said in a deep voice.

"You're being too kind, sir. If either of you gets sick from overwork, it would be my fault," Hong Yuan said with a smile.

Seeing that Hong Yuan truly had no intention of accepting the gift and showed no anger on his face, Xu Jingren took a breath, pushed the beautiful young girl forward, and said with a smile, "Young Master Hong has an extraordinary magnanimity, which I admire. This is my niece, named Xu Qingjing, who is eighteen years old. During the time you were forging the weapon, there was no one to take care of you, so why don't you let her serve you?"

Before entering the room, Xu Qingjing was filled with trepidation. She had also seen the wretched state of the dissolute man, who was of her elder brother's generation.

Although they weren't close, seeing that miserable state conjured up an image of a fierce and ruthless person in his mind. The thought of the clan leader asking him to serve such a ruthless person filled him with fear.

As soon as she entered, she saw the boy opposite her, glanced at him, and immediately blushed, lowered her head, and dared not look again, her eyes glistening with tears.

Hong Yuan glanced at the girl and, seeing that she was indeed beautiful, smiled and said, "Such a beauty is not fit to serve others. I am merely a wandering swordsman and have never been accustomed to being served..."

Fine wine and beautiful women—Hong Yuan naturally enjoyed them too.

But he's not afraid of being suddenly attacked; he's afraid of being tricked or poisoned. Before his physical abilities reach a truly superhuman level, Hong Yuan wouldn't dare to be so reckless!

"Alright! You two, please go back. If you continue to be so polite, I'll get angry."

(End of this chapter)