35: Chapter 35 Hundred Refinement Workshop

The night was as dark as ink, and the water murmured.

Jiang Hanzhou's small boat docked once again at the familiar black market island.

The lights on the pier remained, with shadows flickering; various repressed conversations and bargaining sounds mingled in the damp river breeze.

He stepped onto the island with practiced ease, walking straight toward the corner where he remembered Shen Hongxiu setting up her stall.

However—the spot where that Female Stall Owner with the imposing dual blades always sat was now completely empty.

Only a few stepping stones lay scattered about, with dark green moss even growing between the crevices, clearly having been untended for some time.

Jiang Hanzhou's footsteps faltered slightly. His brows beneath the mask furrowed imperceptibly.

Shen Hongxiu was gone.

Given her personality, she would never easily leave this stronghold she had operated for many years unless absolutely necessary. Especially after she had just gained him as a potential ally and exposed the shocking secret of the White Dragon Gang's human trafficking...

"Did the White Dragon Gang discover her investigation? Or did she find something even more dangerous and had to temporarily avoid the limelight?"

Thoughts raced through Jiang Hanzhou's mind, but his face remained calm.

He stood in place for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the empty corner twice, before finally silently saying to himself: "I hope she is alright."

Immediately, he turned and merged into the bustling crowd of the black market.

Since Shen Hongxiu was not here, he would attend to his own business first.

The Martial Skill stalls in the black market were always scattered. Jiang Hanzhou spent about half an hour at several familiar second-hand book vendors and mobile stalls, using three hundred taels of silver notes to exchange for thirteen Yellow Rank Martial Skills he had not yet Cultivated.

Most were obscure fist and foot techniques, hidden weapons, or movement arts, ranging in grade from Low Grade to Medium Grade. The content was crude, and some were clearly incomplete fragments pieced together.

But for Jiang Hanzhou, this did not matter. What he wanted was the "Martial Arts Comprehension" contained within them, used to accumulate the "years" required for his fate to ascend.

Putting the stack of thin, varying-aged booklets into his embrace, Jiang Hanzhou turned to the other goal of this trip: weapons.

He circled the black market's weapon district twice. The items displayed on the stalls were mostly of ordinary quality, some even stained with dark blood, including blades, swords, axes, and hammers. Occasionally, there were a few with finer craftsmanship, but they were merely High Grade among ordinary iron, not even touching the edge of "Hundred Refinements."

Compared to his current Viscera Burning Realm cultivation, these weapons were practically children's toys, useless.

Jiang Hanzhou stopped in front of what looked like the largest weapon stall. The owner was a bare-chested, sturdy man with a fierce black Dragon tattooed on his chest, who was sharpening a thick-backed machete with an oilstone.

"Boss, do you have any short weapons of the Hundred Refinements level? Short swords or daggers will do." Jiang Hanzhou got straight to the point.

The man did not even look up, scoffing, "Hundred Refinements? Brother, look at what time of year it is. Anything in the black market that could be called Hundred Refinements was swept clean half a month ago."

Jiang Hanzhou's eyes narrowed slightly: "Swept clean? By whom?"

The man stopped sharpening, looked up at Jiang Hanzhou, glanced around vigilantly, and lowered his voice: "Who else could it be? The White Dragon Gang! I don't know what came over them recently, but they bought up every bit of refined iron, Hundred Refinements steel, and even some semi-finished blanks on the market! The price they offered wasn't low, but it's been tough for us who make a living by our craft."

He pointed to a shop diagonally opposite with a flag hanging that read "Black Iron Forging": "Look, even Old Hu's forging shop, which has been passed down for three generations, has its furnace fires burning day and night, all rushing to finish work for the White Dragon Gang! I heard they ordered nothing but standard long blades and naval hook spears, in terrifying quantities."

Jiang Hanzhou looked in the direction of his finger. The forging shop's doors were wide open, the furnace fire inside was blazing red, and the clanging sounds of metalwork were as dense as raindrops. Several people who looked like apprentices were sweating profusely, pulling bellows and moving red-hot iron blanks. Vaguely, one could see bundles of finished long blades stacked in the back courtyard, reflecting a cold glint under the furnace fire.

"White Dragon Gang..." Jiang Hanzhou sneered internally. Hoarding weapons, mass arming of gang members... Could they be planning something big?

As he was pondering, two stall owners who had just walked over were whispering, their words drifting into his ears with the wind: "...Have you heard? The White Dragon Gang is giving out porridge at Pier 3 again today, saying it's to show compassion for the suffering of refugees and to accumulate virtue."

"Heh, accumulating virtue? When did that bunch of people who eat people without spitting out the bones change their nature? I think it's a weasel paying respects to a chicken!"

"Shh! Keep it down! Do you want to die? But seriously, there are so many refugees lining up at that porridge stall, a sea of black, it looks quite creepy..."

Giving out porridge? A cold light flashed in Jiang Hanzhou's eyes. Shen Hongxiu's words instantly echoed in his mind: "They abduct and kidnap women, children, and young men from all over, even from other prefectures... through the waterway network of the Three Rivers Estuary, selling them everywhere... even overseas!"

A cat crying over a dead mouse. The porridge likely contained sleeping drugs to make it easier to ship people away by boat.

He suppressed the surging murderous intent in his heart, knowing this was not the time to act. He would wait until he had reunited with Shen Hongxiu.

Just as he was about to turn and leave to try his luck elsewhere, he suddenly heard a few men who looked like Jianghu travelers gathered on the other side, their voices filled with excitement: "Damn it, the White Dragon Gang took all the good iron; it's hard for me to even find a decent blade now!"

"But have you heard? A rare thing has recently appeared on the river in Linjiang Prefecture!" "What thing?" "Hundred Refinements Workshop! Ever heard of it? A forging force that specializes in traveling along major rivers!"

"It is said that the entire workshop consists of several specially made large boats connected together, with furnaces, anvils, masters, and apprentices all complete! Wherever they go, they do business!"

"Hundred Refinements Workshop? I seem to have heard a passing merchant caravan mention it, saying their forging skills are excellent, they can take jobs for Hundred Refinements and even Thousand Refinements weapons, and the price is thirty percent cheaper than the market!"

"Thirty percent cheaper? There's such a good thing? What are they after?" "It is said it's to let their chief Great Master, 'Old Hammer,' accumulate experience and strike the Realm of 'spirit weapon' master craftsman!"

"So they travel around, accepting all kinds of forging requests. No matter the type of weapon or how difficult the requirements are, as long as the material and labor costs are paid, they take the job, just to hone their skills!"

"spirit weapon master craftsman?! My god... If that's true, being able to hire them to forge a Hundred Refinements blade, wouldn't that be a huge bargain?" "More than a bargain! I heard they are currently docked at 'Old Stork Bay,' thirty miles downstream from Linjiang Prefecture, accepting pre-orders, but the queue is already lined up for half a month..."

Hundred Refinements Workshop? A mobile forging fleet? Aiming for the spirit weapon master craftsman Realm? Jiang Hanzhou's footsteps stopped completely, and a flash of joy crossed his eyes beneath the mask. This was an unexpected pleasant surprise.

Compared to trying his luck in the black market or going to the regular shops in Flying Fish City that were watched by major forces, this Hundred Refinements Workshop drifting on the river was undoubtedly a better choice. He could avoid the eyes and ears of others while obtaining a weapon truly suitable for himself at a relatively reasonable price.

He did not hesitate, firmly memorizing the key information mentioned in the conversation of those Jianghu travelers: "Old Stork Bay," "thirty miles downstream," and "queue for half a month."

Immediately, he turned around, no longer looking at those empty weapon stalls, nor at the forging shop working day and night for the White Dragon Gang, and no longer listening to those hypocritical rumors about "giving out porridge." Like a silent shadow, he cut through the bustling and filthy black market, walking straight toward where he had docked his boat.

He untied the mooring rope, and the wooden oar entered the water. The small boat changed direction, no longer returning to Canglang Water Dock, but instead sailing downstream toward Old Stork Bay, thirty miles away, silently drifting away.