Chapter 144: Blacksmith
"Alright," Lu Zhen responded expressionlessly, rising from his seat and entering his palace, completely ignoring the maid attempting to seduce him.
The maid stood stunned.
The maid observed Lu Zhen with a tinge of disappointment, a subtle sigh escaping her lips. "Eh, I heard he had become lustful, but it seems it might not be the case," she pondered, her mind swirling with thoughts, feeling a twinge of pity.
If she could seduce the young master, even if she might not qualify to become a concubine, she could gain resources to advance as a martial artist, significantly boosting her status and extending her lifespan. However, disappointed in her assessment of her own beauty, the maid left the place to attend to her duties, understanding that she wouldn't get to eat if she didn't work.
"I'm missing Lily already," Lu Zhen sighed. He wasn't interested in engaging with random women for no reason. He had ordered little Lily to train in seclusion after learning that she was about to become a martial trainee.
To be honest, Lu Zhen was a bit shocked by Lily's cultivation speed. She almost matched him, even with Lu Zhen's cheat she almost matched his speed, and he had never heard of someone reaching martial trainee status after such a short period of training.
Lu Zhen made his way to the guest room where he found a bearded giant man sitting in the seat.
The man immediately bowed upon seeing Lu Zhen.
"I greet the young master."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Elder Yu." Lu Zhen nodded as he handed him his chains, which were already scarred and torn in many places after the fight he had with the mage butler, whose name he didn't bother to remember.
"Young master…"
"You need to repair this and put some new material into it. Can you do that?" Lu Zhen said, cutting the man off.
"Yes, young master. Where is the material?" Elder Yu said as he bowed, curious about what Lu Zhen was doing with these chain weapons. After all, chains weren't a common weapon to use. However, he wasn't in a position to ask Lu Zhen, especially after Lu Zhen defeated a semi-third-stage martial artist, solidifying his position as the young master of the Lu family.
Lu Zhen clasped his hands, signalling two strong men to enter the room, carrying a large box.
Boom!
As they placed the box on the ground, a resounding boom echoed through the room, causing the very ground to shake.
"These are the main metals you will use to make me the chains." Lu Zhen calmly instructed.
As the box hit the ground, Lu Yu felt the room tremble. He cautiously approached the box, and upon opening it, he was met with the sight of a rough and rocky black rock.
"This is…"
"This is meteorite ore," Lu Zhen stated casually.
"Me... teor... ite." Lu Yu's eyes widened in disbelief, and his hands began to tremble. He didn't even dare touch the rock, remaining still with shocked eyes for a long moment.
Swallowing hard, he took a deep breath and shook his head. "Young master, unfortunately, I am not qualified enough to craft weapons from these materials. I am only a third-stage martial artist, and these materials are of second-grade. Only a second-stage martial realm blacksmith could work with them."
Lu Zhen frowned upon hearing the limitations posed by Lu Yu.
"Is there no other way, Elder Yu?" Lu Zhen inquired. The rarity of second-stage martial artists and the even scarcer second-stage martial realm blacksmiths posed a challenge, especially considering that the Lu family didn't seem to have one.
While they had six grand elders, none of them were blacksmiths, and as far as Lu Zhen knew, there were no second-stage martial artists in Phoenix City who specialised in blacksmithing.
Lu Yu wore a hesitating expression as he was about to speak but closed his mouth again.
"Elder Yu, I will remember your favour and compensate you generously with resources," Lu Zhen assured, observing Lu Yu's hesitation. He sneered inwardly, realising that the elder was seeking benefits. However, he was willing to provide those benefits as long as his task was completed.
"I don't dare, Young Master. However, even if I tell you the person, you might not be able to convince them to refine your weapon," Lu Yu paused, wearing a thoughtful expression. "On another note, since he greatly favours you, he might be willing to do it."
Lu Zhen looked puzzled at this revelation.
"And who might that be, Elder Yu?"
"The ancestor, of course. In his heyday, he was renowned as a great blacksmith rather than a martial artist. However, that didn't mean his combat strength was any less. In fact, he was renowned as the Hammer Ashura in his day," Lu Yu explained with a reminiscent look in his eyes. "I still remember the day when I was a child.
I saw the ancestor return from the battlefield, completely soaked in blood with his clothes ragged, carrying a mountain of corpses. All of them had their bodies caved in with clear signs of blunt force, and he had a hammer in one hand. Slowly, he made his way back to the Lu family estate."
Lu Yu paused, his eyes distant as he continued, "After he arrived, he had an eerie laugh that sent shivers down my spine. It was the first time I experienced true horror."
Lu Zhen observed Elder Yu, whose hands were shaking, and noticed the signs of distress on his face as his body was soaked with sweat emitting a foul smell.
"Elder Yu, are you alright?" Lu Zhen inquired, shaking his head with a sigh. "This guy is mentally weaker than I thought."
"Huh," Lu Yu snapped out of his reminiscent state, awkwardly scratching his head.