Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the You Marquis residence, Zhou Shu leisurely woke up.
He held the Heavenly Mirror in his hand and injected a strand of spiritual essence into it.
‘The Heavenly Mirror that Shi Songtao had given him was really good. Although it was not as rich and colorful as the mobile phones in his previous life, it was still a good pastime to look at the armament manuals in his free time.
A light screen projected in the air.
With a thought, Zhou Shu flipped to the Yellow-grade Armament Manual.
Ranked first was still the Great Destroyer Sword.
No one would be able to change its ranking for the time being.
The Ranked Armament Manual was based on the weapons ‘ battle results. The Great Destroyer Sword had severed the arm of a first-rank martial artist.
How could other yellow-grade weapons achieve this?
Zhou Shu was also a little puzzled. He had clearly used the Great Destroyer Sword to kill Xiao Shunzhi, so why didn’t the Yellow-grade Armament Manual show it?
It wasn’t that it hadn’t been updated yet. He noticed the changes in the rankings of the weapons in the Yellow-grade Armament Manual.
It could only be said that Heavenly Mountain Villa was not omniscient. They didn’t know that he had killed Xiao Shunzhi.
This matter was actually a bit strange. Even if no one was present when he killed Xiao Shunzhi, Xiao Shunzhi’s corpse would definitely be discovered afterward.
But for some reason, Great Xia and Great Wei didn’t announce this matter.
Later on, Zhou Shu recalled the Blood Thirsty Rampant Saber. He didn’t know who had picked up this saber and whether it had fallen into the hands of the Divine Constable Bureau.
‘These matters were not the main point. Zhou Shu’s gaze moved downward. In fifth place, he saw the name of the Songtao Sword.
Shi Songtao was quite capable.
It had to be known that the Yellow-grade Armament Manual contained all the weapons forged by all the Forging Masters in the world. As a newcomer, it was already very difficult for Shi Songtao to rank fifth with the Songtao Sword.
The Great Destroyer Sword?
How could the Songtao Sword compare to it?
Zhou Shu continued to read. Only when he reached eleventh place did he see the name of the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword.
The Songtao Sword is ranked fifth, while the Seven Star Dragon Abyss is ranked eleventh? Zhou Shu was slightly unhappy.
He felt that the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword was very well made, but it only ranked eleventh. He was somewhat dissatisfied.
But then again, the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword didn’t have any achievements yet. It seemed like it wasn’t bad to rank eleventh in the Yellow-grade Armament Manual.
Any random weapon given in the Legendary Armament Canon would rank first. I spent half a day researching and only managed to forge a weapon ranked eleventh. The difference is still huge.
Ill try forging another one later. I don’t believe I can’t enter the top ten!
This was how rankings were. It made people very motivated.
Tagreed to forge a sword for Yin Wuyou on impulse. What sword should I forge for her?
Zhou Shu wanted to slap himself.
Why did I have to ask her if she wanted a sword?
Aren’t I just making more work for myself?
Who is Yin Wuyou?
She is the princess of Great Xia, the grand minister of the Forging Division!
If she isn’t satisfied with the ranked weapon I forge for her, wouldn’t that ruin my reputation?
He had been the strongest Forging Apprentice. Now that he had become a Forging Master, he couldn’t ruin his reputation. Every weapon had to be presentable.
Tl first forge two Eight-Sided Han Swords to warm myself up and find inspiration.
On the Legendary Armament Canon, there were still a few standard weapons that were still not maxed.
Ever since he created the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Saber, he no longer needed to fill up the slots to unlock new standard weapons.
But if he wanted the benefits from the Legendary Armament Canon, these standard weapons had to be maxed out.
Fortunately, for Zhou Shu, forging standard weapons was effortless. He could easily forge a couple to warm up.
Just as Zhou Shu finished forging an Eight-Sided Han Sword and was beginning to feel inspired, the steward suddenly whispered from outside, “Marquis, Her Highness has come…”
Zhou Shu had no choice but to stop what he was doing. He felt a little out of place. He was in the midst of forging when she interrupted him. It felt like
Zhou Shu gloomily stopped what he was doing. He wiped his face, put on his jacket, and walked forward.
Yin Wuyou’s injuries had yet to fully recover, and she still felt weak.
She was sitting on a chair when she saw Zhou Shu walk in, and her eyes turned into crescent moons.
“Grand Minister, why did you come here instead of recuperating?” Zhou Shu asked. “You’re not here to collect debts, are you? It’s not that easy to forge a ranked weapon. You have to be mentally prepared. It might take me a year or so to forge it.”
“It’s fine. I’m not in a hurry. I’ll wait for you.” Yin Wuyou smiled. “I came to tell you something else.”
“What is it? You haven’t even recovered from your injuries, yet you’ve already begun to handle the matters of the Forging Division? Does His Majesty have a conscience? Why is he exploiting people like this!”
“Yes, he doesn’t have a conscience.” Yin Wuyou wrinkled her nose, a mischievous glint flashing through her eyes.
Achoo—
In the palace, Emperor Yuan Feng sneezed. He rubbed his nose unhappily. Logically speaking, he was a first-rank martial artist, so it shouldn’t have been possible for him to catch a cold. Why did he keep feeling the wind recently? Was there a leak in the imperial study?
In the You Marquis’s residence, Yin Wuyou continued, “Didn’t you say before that you wanted the oth Workshop to have its own name?
“His Majesty has already agreed.
“Originally, when you forged the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Saber and developed the Eight-Sided Han Sword that was not weaker than the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Saber, His Majesty already agreed to let the oth Workshop have its own name.
“Therefore, this is not your reward for becoming a Forging Master.”
In fact, the emperor had already allowed the oth Workshop to have its own name, but Zhou Shu had yet to be officially informed.
According to Emperor Yuan Feng’s thoughts, since Zhou Shu had advanced to Forging Master, there would be fewer disputes if he announced this now.
But after Yin Wuyou found out, this wouldn’t do.
This was a separate matter. Since the matter of changing the name of the oth Workshop had been approved long ago, it couldn’t be considered a reward for Zhou Shu’s advancement.
He had to give him some other rewards!
“According to the rules of our Forging Division, apart from the salary, Forging Masters will get three grams of Heaven Refining Stone every month…” Yin Wuyou said.
“Three grams?” Zhou Shu could not help asking. “So little?”
Three grams of Heaven Refining Stone wasn’t even enough to forge a yellow-grade weapon!
One tael was equivalent to 30 grams. In other words, a Forging Master had to save up for a year to buy three grams of Heaven Refining Stone?
“I’s considered quite a lot.” Yin Wuyou explained solemnly. Although the Forging Division’s purchase of Heaven Refining Stone would be slightly lower than the market price, thirty grams of Heaven Refining Stone would still cost at least a few hundred taels of gold.
Three grams of Heaven Refining Stone could be sold for dozens of taels of gold on the black market.
Of course, the Forging Division purchased Heaven Refining Stones at a much lower price.
But even with this being the case, three grams of Heaven Refining Stone still cost a lot.
It had to be known that this was only an additional benefit for Forging Masters. Their salary wasn’t small either.
“Alright.” Zhou Shu felt that he had been led astray by the Mi siblings.
They were extremely generous, and even he was influenced by them. Last time, he had given the divine constables from the Divine Constable Bureau five hundred taels for tea. But Zhou Shu’s heart ached afterward.
He was not as rich as the Mi siblings. He still had to save money to marry a wife.
“Grand Minister, please continue,” Zhou Shu said.
“High-level Forging Masters can obtain about nine grams of Heaven Refining Stone a month. As for Grand Craftsmen, they can obtain thirty grams a month,” Yin Wuyou continued. “Although you’re just an ordinary Forging Master, you’re not ordinary.”
Yin Wuyou spoke a very roundabout sentence. Ordinary Forging Masters enjoyed the treatment of seventh-rank officials. If they had an official position, it would be another story. High-level Forging Masters enjoyed the treatment of fifth-rank officials, while Grand Craftsmen enjoyed the treatment of
third-rank officials.
What about Zhou Shu?
From the perspective of Forging Masters, he had only forged a yellow-grade weapon and was considered an ordinary Forging Master. In theory, he should enjoy the treatment of a seventh-rank official.
But at the same time, he was also the You Marquis, a second-rank official.
Even a Grand Craftsman was only treated as a third-rank official. How could a second-rank marquis like him be treated as an ordinary Forging Master?
“In the past, there has never been such a precedent in the Forging Division, so there was no way to follow the precedent. I argued with His Majesty, and he promised me that you would be able to obtain thirty grams of Heaven Refining Stone every month.
“know you’ve suffered, but it’s okay. I’ll make it up to you,” Yin Wuyou said gently.
Suffered?
No way!
A Grand Craftsman only got thirty grams a month. He was given the same treatment as a Grand Craftsman. What was there to be dissatisfied about?
Zhou Shu was content.
Thirty grams of Heaven Refining Stone, if used sparingly, could almost be used to forge an ordinary yellow-grade weapon.
‘When Yin Wuyou saw that Zhou Shu didn’t say anything, she thought he was unhappy. After all, he was a second-rank marquis, yet she was only giving him the same treatment as a third-rank Grand Craftsman.
“Heaven Refining Stone is a strategic material. The Imperial Court strictly controls it. Even the Forging Division doesn’t have much of it,” Yin Wuyou explained.
“But His Majesty promised to compensate you in other areas.
“Last time, I told you that our Great Xia’s founding ancestor was also a forger.”
Yin Wuyou continued, “Back then, he collected quite a number of secret forging techniques and stored them in the imperial library. But the imperial family doesn’t have any forgers now, and those secret techniques are also hidden. His Majesty promised me to let you see those secret techniques.”
“Really?” Zhou Shu’s eyes lit up.
Previously, the information Yin Wuyou had brought over from the imperial library was mainly about the introduction of forging knowledge and the experiences of Forging Masters. It didn’t involve any specific weapon forging techniques.
If he could learn more forging techniques, his forging level would definitely increase.
Zhou Shu now knew that even if he had the Legendary Armament Canon, he still had to cultivate his own forging skills and broaden his horizons. Only then would his path be wider and more stable.
“Of course,” Yin Wuyou said. “And—”
“There’s more?” Zhou Shu was surprised. Is the emperor so generous?
I didn’t do anything. I just advanced to Forging Master, and the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword I forged was exchanged for half a street of shops. Why am I given such a generous reward?
When other Forging Masters advance, I’ve never heard of them receiving so many rewards.
Is it because I’ma genius?
“Hmm.” Yin Wuyou nodded heavily. “Since the oth Workshop already has its own name, it’s a little inappropriate for it to squeeze in with the other workshops.”
Although the first 36 workshops of the Forging Division were also called workshops, in reality, they could no longer be considered workshops.
In fact, the first 36 workshops were similar to the research institutes in his previous life. They were not all in the capital but were scattered all over Great Xia.
‘What they did were all high-end jobs. Although they took on forging tasks as well, these were usually taken care of by their apprentices to practice.
‘The oth Workshop now had the right to its own name, so it was obviously not appropriate for it to be together with ordinary workshops anymore.
One had to know that other named workshops were built in beautiful places with beautiful scenery.
“Tm getting a piece of land from His Majesty for the oth Workshop. By the way, what do you plan to name it?” Yin Wuyou asked.
“Huaxia Pavilion…” Zhou Shu muttered in a daze. Getting a piece of land?
He had just gotten half a street of shops, and he was going to get a piece of land?
“Yes, Huaxia Pavilion! I asked His Majesty for a piece of land for the Huaxia Pavilion to use. Don’t worry. All the construction costs will be undertaken by the Imperial Court. You just have to follow your heart and build the workshop.”
“Grand Minister, may I ask if that piece of land is bigger than the current oth Workshop? If it’s about the same size as the oth Workshop, then there’s no need to trouble yourself. The oth Workshop is pretty good now,” Zhou Shu said.
Back then, he had spent a lot of time and effort constructing the oth Workshop. He didn’t expect that he would move in less than a year.
According to his original design, the construction of the oth Workshop had yet to be completed.
“Is it big?” Yin Wuyou widened her beautiful eyes. “There’s no way to compare.”
She waved her hand, and Haitang, who had come with her, understood. She took out a map and spread it on the table.
“T’ve brought the map. You have to understand the terrain before you can decide how to build the Huaxia Pavilion. There will be people from the Ministry of Works coming over to help you draw the blueprint. In short, you can build whatever you want. You don’t have to worry about money. The Imperial
Court will take care of everything.”
Yin Wuyou waved her hand, and her slender fingers landed on a spot on the map.
“This place is a little far from the capital. It’s thirty miles away, but it’s still quite peaceful. The Country Protector Army’s camp is not too far away. There’s no problem with its safety,” Yin Wuyou said as she circled the map.
“Is this the Huaxia Pavilion’s territory?” Zhou Shu’s breathing quickened.
“Yeah, if you think you don’t have enough space, you can use this site. It belongs to me.” Yin Wuyou casually drew another circle, bigger than the previous one.
Zhou Shu didn’t hear what she said at all. Zhou Shu didn’t care why there was still a place for her beside the Huaxia Pavilion. Now, he only saw the place that belonged to the Huaxia Pavilion.
Indeed, there was no way to compare the current oth Workshop.
It wasn’t just huge.. It was a mountain!
