17: Forging a Sword

Lu Ming naturally didn't hear the discussions of the people.

The group of five arrived in front of the Demon Suppression Division's main gate, when a grey-clothed servant, who had been squatting to the side, suddenly stood up and quickly walked towards them.

"Young Master, the Master instructed me to bring you some pocket money, saying that you should use it for your daily needs," the grey-clothed servant said.

Lu Ming glanced at the grey-clothed servant, not expecting his cheap father to be so thoughtful, knowing he had no money and sending someone to deliver it.

He took the cloth bag; it felt heavy when he picked it up.

Lu Ming untied the rope and looked inside; besides a whole silver ingot, there were also various sizes of Small change (broken silver), totaling about a hundred taels at a glance.

This also made Lu Ming a bit emotional; from the original body's memories, he knew that the value of silver in this era was very high, with three taels of silver being enough for a family of four's monthly food and expenses.

This so-called pocket money was equivalent to two or three years of expenses for an ordinary family.

"I understand, you may leave," Lu Ming said indifferently.

With money in hand, he immediately took out one tael of broken silver and handed it to Luo Zhong, with no intention of asking for change.

"This..." Luo Zhong hesitated; at his position, his monthly salary was only five taels of silver, and the previous expenses were just for a flatbread, which he hadn't even intended for Lu Ming to repay.

"Captain Luo, just keep it. Besides, I have another matter I need to trouble you with. Do you know of any places in Lianbo City that forge weapons?" Lu Ming asked.

Luo Zhong's own expenses were not small, and hearing that the other party still had something to ask, his internal resistance lessened a bit.

Putting away the broken silver, he pondered for a moment before giving his answer.

"I know a shop in Bo City called the Forging Workshop. There are several Masters there with good skills, and one of them I'm quite familiar with. If Young Master Lu needs a weapon, perhaps you could go there."

"Then I'll trouble Captain Luo to take me there tomorrow," Lu Ming nodded, confirming the matter.

He had the idea of forging a weapon after his fight with the tiger demon.

Before his Breakthrough to the Initial Realm, the long saber in his hand might have been suitable, but after the Breakthrough, the saber felt much lighter in his hand.

Moreover, the blade was damaged in the previous encounter with the tiger demon, so forging a good weapon was an urgent matter.

Returning to his temporary residence in the Demon Suppression Division, after dinner, Lu Ming went back to his room early.

This was his second day in this world, and after calming down, even Lu Ming himself felt a sense of wonder.

He hadn't expected to live another life, and to arrive in a world where Martial Arts flourished and demons ran rampant.

"With the attribute panel, as long as I acquire Cultivation Techniques, slay demons, and gain Lifespan, I can continuously grow stronger. One day, I will surely reach the peak."

There was nothing to do at night, so Lu Ming, having no nocturnal activities, went to bed early to rest for the next day.

The next morning, shortly after Lu Ming got up, Luo Zhong came looking for him.

The Demon Suppression Division's management was relatively lenient, which gave them a great deal of freedom. As long as they could arrive promptly when needed, there were generally no major issues.

The two arrived at the street where the Forging Workshop was located. Because Luo Zhong knew someone there, after entering and explaining their purpose, they were led into the backyard.

The sounds of hammering and forging rang out, and early in the morning, many apprentices could be seen swinging hammers and striking iron.

At a glance, the Forging Workshop had at least twenty apprentices, all looking quite robust.

However, this was not surprising; after all, blacksmiths were highly sought after no matter where they were, and learning this craft required a great deal of effort.

"Old Luo, what makes you think of me today?" A rough voice came from nearby, and a middle-aged man with a full beard quickly walked over.

The burly middle-aged man was at least 1.9 meters tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with very solid-looking muscles.

"I'm here today to introduce you to some business. This Young Master Lu wants to forge a handy weapon," Luo Zhong said with a smile, greeting him.

Gao Huaizhong heard Luo Zhong's introduction and looked at Lu Ming, who was also wearing Demon Suppression Division attire, with some confusion.

Although he had changed into official uniform, Gao Huaizhong recognized the slender young man, knowing he was the son of Lu Daoyuan, a famous wealthy merchant in Lianbo City.

However, as far as he knew, the other party was a notorious playboy in Lianbo City, who had caused countless troubles in the past. Why would he suddenly join the Demon Suppression Division and ask him to forge a weapon?

Adhering to the principle of treating guests with respect, and also giving Face to Luo Zhong, he asked, "May I ask what kind of weapon Young Master Lu wishes to forge?"

"A battle saber, similar in style to this one, but preferably twice as heavy," Lu Ming stated his requirements.

As he spoke, he drew his long saber and tossed it to the other party.

Gao Huaizhong caught it with ease, swung it a few times in the air, and then weighed it. His confusion grew even more.

In his opinion, this long saber was already quite good, sufficient for an ordinary Martial Artist.

And the other party's request to forge one that was even heavier—was he showing off or making fun of him?

"Young Master Lu, I can forge this weapon, but if the weight is increased, I'm afraid you'll struggle to swing it even a few times," Gao Huaizhong, being a hot-tempered person, spoke bluntly.

"Old Gao!" Luo Zhong was a bit nervous, fearing that the other party would displease Lu Ming.

However, Lu Ming was not angered by the other party's contempt. He glanced at the weapon rack nearby.

Selecting a finely cast iron guandao, he lightly patted its hilt, and the guandao suddenly flew out, easily caught by Lu Ming, who then swung it several times like a spinning windmill.

The blade danced, stirring up a gust of wind, and this display drew cheers from the onlookers.

"Is this enough?" Lu Ming said calmly, without a flushed Face or shortness of breath.

Gao Huaizhong was a bit stunned; this didn't match the playboy he had heard about. Wasn't it said that the other party was even lax in his family's Cultivation Techniques? That guandao weighed seventy or eighty catties; it was not something an ordinary person could wield.

Gao Huaizhong composed himself, took a deep breath, and said, "Enough, enough. I overstepped just now. I hope Young Master Lu doesn't take offense."

"I don't mind. Let's talk about forging the saber. I want the best Materials your shop has."

Gao Huaizhong knew this was a big business. After a quick mental calculation, he quoted a price.

"It will cost about three hundred taels. We happen to have a piece of Profound Gold Iron in the shop; this stuff is not easy to come by."

This price made even Luo Zhong gape. It truly was 'poor scholars, rich Martial Artists'; this single weapon was worth who knows how many years of his income.

"This is the deposit!" Lu Ming said without hesitation.

He then took out the heavy silver ingot from the cloth bag; this single ingot was worth fifty taels.

At this moment, the advantage of Transmigration into a wealthy family was revealed. According to Lu Ming's past memories, his predecessor used to indulge in debauchery, with monthly expenses often exceeding two or three hundred taels.