89: What a coincidence!

Soon, Yagyu Han brought a few blade-wielders and retrieved the pig iron Chen Heng needed.

"Big Brother Chen, why do you suddenly need so much pig iron?"

After placing the pig iron on the cart prepared for Chen Heng, Yagyu Han couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked the question.

"To forge a set of steel armor to protect my fragile body."

Chen Heng touched the pig iron on the cart, turned his head, and said with a smile.

"?" Yagyu Han looked bewildered.

Your body is harder than refined steel, Old Wang Ba.

You can even directly confront an Anomaly; is this steel armor really necessary?

Of course, these were all thoughts Yagyu Han secretly harbored and didn't voice aloud.

"Alright, you all go about your business."

Chen Heng waved his hand, got into the cart, and left the mine.

"Brother Liu, does Big Brother Chen really need to forge a set of steel armor?"

After Chen Heng left, a blade-wielder couldn't help but ask.

"Exactly! I saw how Big Brother Chen cleaved that Five Pass Heretical Cult demon to death with one strike that night."

"His hard Qi cultivation is probably even more formidable than Hall Master Xu of the Black Tortoise Hall!"

Several blade-wielders echoed, all not understanding why Chen Heng was doing this.

"Who knows? Perhaps experts have their own ideas?"

Yagyu Han shook his head; he felt he understood his Big Brother Chen less and less... Lou Clan Blacksmith Shop.

Stopping the cart, Chen Heng looked at the familiar blacksmith shop before him.

The black fiend blade he Optimized before was bought from this blacksmith shop.

It was only after joining the White Tiger Hall that Chen Heng learned this blacksmith shop was actually an Azure Dragon Hall property.

No wonder they could offer such a high monthly salary.

The young attendant who had previously served Chen Heng saw the White Tiger Hall's cart and rushed over, covering the distance in a few quick steps.

The other attendants secretly regretted their lack of foresight, missing out on a big deal.

"Master Chen, what would you like to see?"

The attendant walked forward with a smile, but he froze when he saw Chen Heng's face.

"What, don't you remember me?" Chen Heng glanced at the attendant and asked.

"How could I forget Master Chen!" Although this person was just an attendant, he had a knack for dealing with people.

"You are now a prominent figure in Qiyang City; anyone who's been involved with a gang knows your great name!"

The attendant's eyes were full of admiration as he stood attentively beside Chen Heng.

"The great battle against the Wutong Sect and the Fude Orthodox Sect, the battle against the Anomaly on Goulan Street—I've heard about all these things!"

"Qiyang City is truly blessed to have Master Chen!"

"Smooth talker." Chen Heng shook his head and then asked the attendant to lead the way.

"Please follow me, we can go to the guest room on the second floor and talk slowly."

The management style of this blacksmith shop was quite peculiar; even the attendants had the opportunity to negotiate deals and earn commissions.

This method was so modern that Chen Heng couldn't help but admire the Azure Dragon Hall.

"May I ask what brings Master Chen here today?"

In the guest room on the second floor, the attendant served a cup of fragrant tea and placed it before Chen Heng.

"What's the price to forge a set of steel armor with my own materials?"

Chen Heng picked up the teacup and took a sip.

The aroma was rich, but not cloying.

It was slightly bitter on the tongue, but then left a sweet aftertaste.

This tea was not cheap.

"That depends on what kind of steel you want."

The attendant began to explain the different prices for various types of steel to Chen Heng.

Ten-refined steel was the lowest priced and cheapest steel, requiring only ten taels of silver for the craftsmanship.

The second tier was hundred-refined fine steel, moderately priced, and a common choice for many people's weapons, with a twenty-five tael silver craftsmanship fee.

However, using it for armor was a first.

Not for any other reason, but because the price was too high; ordinary martial artists simply couldn't afford it.

Don't let the twenty-five tael silver price fool you; that was just the craftsmanship fee.

If you included the iron materials, it would cost at least one or two hundred taels of silver.

Finally, there was thousand-refined steel, the highest priced and most refined steel.

The craftsmanship fee required sixty taels of silver, and a thousand catties of pig iron could only yield three hundred catties of steel.

"Three hundred catties..."

Chen Heng wasn't concerned about the sixty taels craftsmanship fee; he just wondered if three hundred catties of steel armor would be too light?

Forget it, if it's light, then it's light.

Shaking his head, Chen Heng chose thousand-refined steel to forge his armor.

"How long will it take to forge my steel armor?"

"Thousand-refined steel is time-consuming and labor-intensive; it will probably take a month or so to make the armor."

This was under the condition that the pig iron Chen Heng brought was of good quality.

If the pig iron had more Impurities, it could take two or three months.

"Have half of your shop's masters work on this for me."

"Forge this set of steel armor for me within seven days."

Chen Heng directly pulled out a three-hundred-tael silver note.

"This..." The attendant looked a bit troubled, his eyes fixed on the three-hundred-tael silver note on the table.

He wanted to take on this job but couldn't guarantee the efficiency.

Suddenly, a heavy footsteps sound entered Chen Heng's ears.

"Chen Heng, why are you here, you rascal?" A familiar voice came, and Xu Lieying pushed open the door and entered.

The attendant immediately stood up, bowing his head to the side.

"Alright, you can leave. You don't even know how to serve an Honored Guest."

"I'll let you off this once; if there's a next time, don't bother working here anymore!"

Xu Lieying waved his hand, signaling the attendant to leave, while he sat opposite Chen Heng.

The attendant bowed and quickly left the guest room; how could he have imagined that his own Hall Master Xu would show up?

This was truly a coincidence.

"Hall Master Xu, there's no need for that; that attendant is quite good."

Chen Heng actually found the attendant quite likable, so he spoke up for him.

"Sigh, I can't really punish him either." Xu Lieying picked up Chen Heng's tea and took a sip.

"Why do you suddenly want to forge a set of steel armor, you rascal?"

"Your hard Qi cultivation is even fiercer than Old Wang Ba's; steel armor shouldn't be of much use, right?"

Chen Heng didn't waste words and directly told Xu Lieying his ideas about the first and second stages.

"Pfft! Hahaha!"

Xu Lieying couldn't hold it in and spat out his tea.

"You're quite wicked, you rascal, to come up with such a devious plan."

"Ahem, I won't waste any more words with you. When you come here, don't even think about spending money; I'll take care of everything."

Clearing his throat, Xu Lieying's words were truly domineering.

"Forging a set of steel armor, right? Three days will be enough."

"I'll have the masters in the shop put aside their other work and forge your thousand-refined steel armor first."

"By the way, what kind of design do you want?"

"I can't really describe it; if I had paper and pen, I could draw it for you."

Chen Heng did have a set of armor in mind that he really wanted to try, he just didn't know if it existed in this world.

"Come, come! Bring the brush and ink!"

Xu Lieying clapped his hands, and two attendants immediately brought paper and a brush.

After drawing the armor he had in mind, Chen Heng picked it up, blew on it, and handed it to Xu Lieying.

"Eh?" Xu Lieying paused, put down the paper, and looked at Chen Heng.

"Isn't this an iron futu? General Xin of the Northern Garrison wears this set."

"Well, well, you've certainly given me a challenge."