Chapter 21: The Youlin Forgemaster!
At the Miteer Auction House, a relaxed Mr. Yao arrived with Jiang Lin, who carried a sword case on his back. After explaining their purpose, a middle-aged staff member brought in an elderly man dressed in green robes.
The staffer introduced them, "This is Master Guni, our auction house's Grade 2 alchemist."
Master Guni's Dou Qi level was that of a 3-Star Great Fighter—not particularly high—but being a Grade 2 alchemist made him incredibly valuable.
"Mr. Yao, Low-Tier Yellow Rank Dou Weapons like the one you mentioned are rare here. Though Master Guni is an alchemist, his eye for Dou Weapons is extremely sharp. If you're interested in selling, please allow him to evaluate its quality first," the man explained.
Forgemasters weren't some secret, forbidden profession—they just weren't as well-known as alchemists. The most elite, High Profound Rank forgemasters were on par with Grade 5 or 6 alchemists in status. The Miteer family had interacted with many forgemasters and even trained a few Low and Mid Yellow Rank ones internally. But forging's limits in this world stopped at High Profound Rank, so those with ambition usually chose alchemy.
(Forgemasters and alchemists both work with fire. The ideal Dou Qi affinity for forging is Metal-in-Fire, while alchemy prefers Wood-in-Fire.)
"Master Guni," Mr. Yao greeted politely. Then, from within his robe sleeve, he pulled out a small sheathed blade and handed it over.
"Low-Tier Yellow Rank Dou Weapon — Fire Pattern Blade. When infused with Dou Qi, it forms a flame edge along the blade."
Master Guni nodded slightly and took the blade. He examined it carefully.
The Fire Pattern Blade was jet-black, but its surface was etched with elegant flowing fire patterns—visually striking. A small red crystal sat near the hilt, and hidden in an inconspicuous spot was the "Youlin" insignia.
Whoosh!
With a flick of his hand, Master Guni summoned a thin layer of red Dou Qi. The blade instantly extended with a fiery arc, transforming into a full-length sword.
A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. "Excellent craftsmanship. The materials are precise, Dou Qi channels flow smoothly. If not for material limitations, this would easily reach Mid Yellow Rank. As for the flame edge, while it lacks physical impact and disperses upon contact, it could achieve a critical strike under the right conditions. This weapon is a rare gem among Low Yellow Rank Dou Weapons!"
Mr. Yao and the Miteer staff were surprised by such a glowing review for what looked like a mere toy.
Even as a decorative item, it was clearly a premium piece with high collectible value.
Then Master Guni noticed the "skyward puppy" seal near the hilt. He chuckled. "Only the most confident forgemasters leave their signature on their creations. In my life, I've seen a few weapons with marks—but never one so… uniquely charming."
Jiang Lin: "…"
Standing beside Mr. Yao, Jiang Lin's expression was complicated. Why did everyone who saw his Youlin emblem say it was… cute?
Mr. Yao quickly stepped in: "Master Guni, the forgemaster who made this calls it the Youlin, a clever and spirited little creature."
Master Guni nodded and sheathed the blade, then said, "Forgemaster Youlin? Understood. This weapon is top-tier for its class. Normally, Low Yellow Rank Dou Weapons range from 1,000 to 3,000 gold coins. Given the quality, use of a magic core as energy, and the excellent craftsmanship, I'm willing to offer 4,000 coins."
"If you truly have ten of this quality, we'd be willing to buy them all at 4,500 coins apiece."
"Of course, Mr. Yao is also free to auction them instead. The Miteer House takes only a 10% commission."
Given the weapons' low rank and high volume, even in auction they'd likely fetch only about 5,000. Master Guni's offer was already generous.
Mr. Yao's earlier appraisal had been influenced by Qingshan Town's backwater standards. Were it not for the industrial-style precision of Jiang Lin's forging—and his use of a magic core (a resource normally reserved for higher-tier weapons)—the price wouldn't exceed 2,000 to 3,000.
"Lin'er, would you like to watch the auction?" Mr. Yao asked after a moment's thought.
Jiang Lin understood immediately. "Teacher Youlin once said—if you spot good materials, buy them and bring them back. Mr. Yao, shall we take a look? This will be my first time at an auction."
Mr. Yao's question had been whether they should sell and leave. Jiang Lin's response was: maybe we can find something worth buying.
Naturally, Jiang Lin's answer caught Master Guni's attention. He was surprised to hear Jiang Lin refer to Youlin as "teacher." In his mind, Forgemaster Youlin had to be at least Mid Yellow Rank—and already on par with him in status.
"Then you're in luck. This afternoon's auction includes several rare items—perhaps some useful for forging," Guni said.
Mr. Yao nodded and, with care, removed the sword case from Jiang Lin's back and handed it to Master Guni.
Sensing something special, Master Guni's eyes gleamed. Holding back his excitement, he opened the case to reveal a well-balanced, elegant long sword. Its blade shimmered faintly with a purplish-red glow.
"This batch of ten Low Yellow Rank weapons can be sold directly—we don't need to auction them. But since we're already here, we should participate a little. Please appraise and auction this Mid Yellow Rank Dou Weapon—Ziyun Sword," Mr. Yao said.
Jiang Lin had already crafted modular High Yellow Rank mechanical greatswords, so forging a single-piece Mid Yellow Rank sword was difficult—but well within reach.
If Low Yellow Rank Dou Weapons were like beginner tools for Fighters, then Mid Yellow Rank ones were kitchen knives for Battle Masters.
A proper "kitchen knife" would let a Battle Master slice through opponents of the same level like dogs.
Battle Master, fully geared: "Who are you calling a dog?!"
Battle Master, shredded Dou Qi veil: "You cheated! You—#&%*!—!"
(END CHAPTER)
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