Chapter Nine: The Blacksmith's Apprentice

As for the reason, it was naturally because his murderous intent was far too intense; beasts with keen intuition had long since fled.

Lifting the blood-stained cloth bag with one hand, Su Ling ended his hunt for the day and set off for the small town market. Although it was past noon, the market remained somewhat bustling. Selecting a stall at random, he laid out the prime cuts of meat on clean burlap and began his sale.

However, today’s business seemed a bit different. The townspeople passing by cast lingering, subtle glances toward him. Some gazes held malice, while others flickered with surprise, as if they had witnessed something that was usually impossible to spot.

Su Ling immediately sensed this atmosphere, but he felt helpless. After all, news of his attainment of the third realm of body refinement had already spread throughout the town. If he were merely an ordinary third-realm practitioner, he would likely not have drawn such attention, but one could not ignore the fact that he had transformed from a commoner into a martial artist in less than three months.

It was precisely this reason that piqued the curiosity of the townsfolk. Those with malicious intent were already calculating how to dig out his secrets for profit. Under this chain reaction, even the Four Surnames and Ten Clans had taken a slight interest in him, though certainly not out of goodwill—this was, after all, a world where the strong preyed upon the weak.

Su Ling felt a headache coming on. While he did not fear trouble, that did not mean he enjoyed being targeted. If this continued, it would sooner or later evolve into a larger problem. The major powers within the town might not be interested in his opportunities, but that did not mean other factions felt the same. Moreover, a group of outsiders searching for opportunities entered the town every so often. His secrets were like sweet bait cast into the sea, waiting for sharks to bite. Furthermore, his life-bound porcelain was also likely to be targeted by these outsiders.

Su Ling sorted through the information in his mind and quickly arrived at a reasonably feasible plan: apprenticeship.

As for the first choice for a master...

About half an hour passed. Perhaps due to his newfound notoriety—greatly influenced by his fist-fighting a member of the Lu family and kicking Song Jixin—not a single piece of meat from his stall had been sold. Realizing the business was dismal and that continuing to sell was not a wise choice, Su Ling packed up his stall and hurried home with the untouched bag.

"First, I must rule out the Mountain Cliff Academy." He knew all too well that he was not cut out for academic study. Furthermore, he could not endure the rigid rules of the Confucianists; in his previous life, he had been a delinquent who was one step away from perms, tattoos, and smoking, despite being a "good student"...

As for the remaining options, though they were not few, the only one that truly suited his taste was the Ruan Family Blacksmith Shop on Riding Dragon Lane.

***

As for the gift for his master...

Su Ling weighed the meat in his hand, his brow relaxing as a charming arc tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I heard the reincarnation of the Fire God is a gluttonous, blunder-prone soul..."

Although he was not confident that he would succeed in his apprenticeship, there was no harm in trying; he was quite bored lately. Every day, aside from sleeping until dawn, eating lunch, exercising to adapt to his growing strength, and hunting to make ends meet, he had far too much idle time on his hands.

If he succeeded in becoming an apprentice, he would have a formidable backer. Anyone else wanting to target him would have to think twice, and the subsequent troubles would naturally be of no concern. After all, the reputation of a Saint of the Military School was earned through real, bloody combat. Besides, he could even trouble his master regarding the matter of his life-bound porcelain.

Su Ling cut off his own reverie and hurried toward Riding Dragon Lane, soon arriving at the Ruan Family Blacksmith Shop located on the hillside.

In front of the shop, Su Ling adjusted his appearance. He stopped maintaining his usual cold expression and, wearing a slightly stiff smile, walked slowly toward the shop. He was here to seek an apprenticeship, not to be looked down upon, so he had to maintain humility and a smile—a bloody lesson learned from his previous life.

From a distance, he could clearly feel waves of intense heat radiating through the air, accompanied by the pungent smell of charcoal and raw iron.

*Clang! Clang!*

A rhythmic sound of hammering echoed from the open shop. It was not deafening, yet impossible to ignore. Even the surrounding vegetation was affected; the branches swayed despite the lack of wind. He also discovered that the source of the sound was not Ruan Qiong, the Saint of the Military School, but his three disciples.

Seeing this, Su Ling developed a sense of admiration for Ruan Qiong; his ability to teach disciples was truly unique—he could be called the fantasy version of Master Kaido.

Before long, his arrival drew the attention of the apprentices immersed in their work.

"May I ask, what is it?" A tall, bare-chested youth with well-defined muscles and dark skin set down his hammer and asked with some confusion upon seeing Su Ling.

"Is Master Ruan here?"

The apprentice was taken aback, cast a surprised glance at Su Ling, and after a moment of hesitation, asked, "You... you're here to seek an apprenticeship, aren't you?"

Although it was a question, the tone was certain. The apprentice was sure because Su Ling's appearance was quite telling. Not to mention anything else, his coarse linen clothing made it clear that his family was not wealthy, and the large bag in his hand—this appearance felt very much like when he himself had first come to seek an apprenticeship. However, the difference was that he had been extremely nervous, while Su Ling before him was neither servile nor overbearing, his attitude humble.

"...Yes." Su Ling did not hide his purpose; it was not something that needed to be kept secret.

"I see." The apprentice’s expression turned indifferent. "Master Ruan is no longer taking apprentices. Please return home."

Over the years, he had seen many destitute people like Su Ling come seeking an apprenticeship. Although he did not know his master's specific criteria, he understood one thing: Master Ruan had already announced that he would not be taking any more apprentices in the near future. He had also rarely visited the shop lately, seemingly preoccupied with observing his newly accepted disciple.

"Is that so?" Su Ling did not show disappointment; his expression remained calm, which surprised the apprentice slightly.

"Then, may I ask, will Master Ruan be coming here today?"

"...I'm not sure."

Seeing the apprentice shake his head, Su Ling did not feel discouraged. He found a spot of shade, leaned against a large tree, and began to wait, bored.

"You..." The apprentice started to speak but stopped. Seemingly thinking of something, he sighed and ignored Su Ling, turning back to his hammering.

Su Ling did not mind. The apprentice’s look of pity—was he pitying him for trying to become an apprentice? As for why Su Ling insisted on staying, it was simply because he had nothing to do back home; this was ancient times, and entertainment was severely lacking. Therefore, Su Ling wanted to see if the Saint of the Military School would show up at the shop.