Zhou Shu lowered his hand, then seemed to place a weapon on the wooden box.
Everyone heard the sound of metal clanking, and a thought flashed across their minds.
Indeed, he has a weapon in his hand.
We just canât see it.
This is not Marquis Zhouâs problem but our own.
Only those with a pure mind can see the weapon that Marquis Zhou forged.
The ministers looked at each other and then turned away.
âMarquis Zhou is indeed worthy of being Great Xiaâs most talented Forging Master. This sword is truly magnificent.â
It was the minister of war who spoke. He was a thickset man with a full beard. At this moment, he was speaking in a manner that made the faces of many ministers twitch.
âLord Zhangâs words make sense.â The minister of revenue stroked his beard. âThis sword has an exquisite design. In my view, it will definitely rank in the top ten of the Yellow-grade Armament Manual.â
If Old Zhang can see it, how can I not?
âYeah, look at this sword. The body of the sword is three feet and three inches long. Even when placed in a box, it is full of oppressive sword qi. Itâs a good sword,â another official said.
âMarquis Zhou, impressive!â
All of the officials chimed in one after another, and when they didnât have anything else to say about the sword, they started to praise Zhou Shu.
Emperor Yuan Feng was stunned.
Is there something wrong with my eyes?
What are they talking about? Why canât I see Zhou Shuâs sword?
He looked at Great General Meng Bai in confusion. Other than him and Yin Wuyou, only Meng Bai didnât speak
Emperor Yuan Feng needed to find someone in the same boat. Iâm not the only one who canât see it, right?
Meng Baiâs brows twitched, and his face was doubtful.
Emperor Yuan Feng heaved a sigh of relief. Luckily, Iâm not the only one. The great general doesnât see it either.
He then turned to Yin Wuyou.
Yin Wuyou didnât respond to his gaze at all. Instead, she stared at Zhou Shu in a daze. He didnât know what she was thinking. Emperor Yuan Feng was displeased and turned his head away. His eyes widened as he looked at the wooden box in Zhou Shuâs hands. Iâm the emperor. Even if I canât see, I canât panic!
He pricked up his ears and listened to the discussion of the officials.
He had to note down their discussion so that he could evaluate the weapon later. At this moment, they saw Zhou Shu grab something from the wooden box.
Just like before, a drop of Heaven Refining Stone flew out from the furnace and landed in the air.
Another few star paths flashed and disappeared. âSo, Marquis Zhou forged a saber and a sword this time. Good sword, even better saber!â The minister of war clapped his hands.
âLook at this saber. It looks somewhat similar to the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Saber, but itâs even more formidable and domineering. One look, and you can tell that itâs murderous. Itâs definitely a killing weapon!â
âLord Zhangâs words make sense.â
The ministers discussed it again.
The minister of war wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. Am I right?
Thankfully, I manage to fool my way through.
If they know that I canât see the weapons forged by the You Marquis, what would they say about me?
Big Beard Zhang was ignorant and impure
This old man surnamed Zhang didnât even have a few tricks up his sleeves, yet he acted so elegant. Vulgarâ¦
The discussions of the ministers also fell into the ears of the Forging Masters on the platform.
Some of the Forging Masters were distracted for a moment and almost fixed the star wrongly.
At this moment, Shi Songtao had just finished his weapon. He put it down with great satisfaction. When he heard the discussions of the ministers, he subconsciously looked in Zhou Shuâs direction.
His heart skipped a beat. Am I seeing things? Why canât I see the saber and sword that everyone is talking about?
In Shi Songtaoâs eyes, it was as if Zhou Shu was acting. His hands were gripping the air as he gestured.
From the looks of it, he was indeed fixing the star on a weapon. But the problem was that he had neither a saber nor a sword in his hands.
Shi Songtao rubbed his eyes hard. He even lost control of his expression and fell into deep self-doubt.
At this moment, Shi Songtao was not alone.
Many of the Forging Masters who had completed their work were like Shi Songtao. They wondered if after days of being too excited to sleep because of the military parade, they had some problems with their eyes. In the end, almost everyone who had completed their forging turned their gazes to Zhou Shu.
Ding Dang!
Zhou Shu placed his hand on the wooden box, letting out a metallic clink.
It sounded like the morning bell, stunning everyone.
Indeed, Marquis Zhou has a weapon in his hand, but we canât see it.
Itâs not Marquis Zhou who has gone crazy. Itâs us who have a problem!
Zhou Shu reached into the wooden box again and seemingly picked up another weapon.
The ministers glanced at the minister of war, Big Beard Zhang.
Cold sweat appeared on the minister of warâs forehead. Under his armor, his back was already drenched in sweat. Damn it. Why are all of you looking at me? Didnât I, Old Zhang, prove that I can see? Why are you still looking at me? Do you all despise me just because I am uncultured?
If you have the ability, letâs go on stage and spar. I, Old Zhang, am not afraid of you guys!
His heart was in a mess, but he was extremely calm on the surface.
I, Old Zhang, have seen the world. Iâm not even afraid of thousands of soldiers and horses. Why would I be afraid of pathetic people like you? Marquis Zhou is good at forging sabers and has also forged a divine sword like the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword. Heâs already forged a saber and a sword, so what else can he forge?
Minister Zhang racked his brains. He had never used his brain cells like this in his entire life. âThisââ Minister Zhang looked as if he had seen through everything and slowly said, âBow, good!â
He was at a loss for words.
âLord Zhang is right.â
Upon hearing this, Minister Zhang secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Iâm right again! Marquis Zhouâs third weapon is indeed a bow!
âThis bowâ¦â Minister Zhang was uneducated and lacked adjectives, but there was no lack of scholars among the ministers.
The ministers expressed their appreciation.
âFrost as hard as the Qilin antlerâs glue, the moon is round in the windy night. The clouds dissipate as the emperorâs carriage passes, the sounding of chords could be heard as the geese descend from the sky.â
Speaking with enthusiasm, the minister of rites even wrote a poem in high spirits.
Emperor Yuan Feng did not say anything. He only nodded slightly.
His face was as calm as water, as steady as an old dog.
I canât see, but if I donât speak, you wonât know.
Shi Songtao scratched his head vigorously. His hair was messy, but he couldnât care less.
Whatâs going on?
Doesnât everyone just display a single weapon during the military parade?
Why did that Zhou fellow bring three?
Saber, sword, bow?
Thatâs not important. If itâs three, then so be it. Why canât I see it?
From their discussions, I can imagine how outstanding these three weapons were, but why canât I see them?
Why?
Why!
Shi Songtaoâs eyes were brimming with tears. He didnât care about the outcome of the bet with Zhou Shu.
He just wanted to know what was wrong with his eyes.
If I canât even see the weapon, can I still forge weapons in the future?
Can I still become the best Forging Master in the history of Great Xia?
Will I be able to become a Grand Craftsman before the age of thirty and bring up a marriage proposal to His Majesty?
I canât, not anymore.
If I canât even see his weapon, I will be blind in the future. What else is there to talk about?
God dammit!
âItâs done! Zhou Shu fused the last drop of the Heavenly Refining Stone into his weapon, and the corners of his mouth raised slightly.
Although the possibility of a problem wasnât high, it was still a relief to have successfully fixed the last star position.
I am indeed a genius. Zhou Shu was delighted.
He was just about to put the sword back into the box when he suddenly heard a discussion.
Previously, he had used his divine sense to pinpoint the location of the stars and didnât notice the commotion outside. Now that he heard the discussions of the ministers, he was also curious.
Bow? Did someone make a bow? Thatâs rare. Iâve never seen a ranked bow, Zhou Shu thought.
âCongratulations, Marquis.â
While Zhou Shu was thinking, he suddenly heard a loud voice.
He looked at the source of the voice and happened to see a rough, bearded face.
âLord, you are?â
âI am Zhang Fuzhi, the minister of war,â the bearded man said. âYour forging skills are truly admirable, Marquis. One saber, one sword, one bow, they are all at the peak of perfection.â
Zhou Shu: ââ¦â
He was confused. He could understand every word Zhang Fuzhi said, but why didnât he understand when the words were connected?
Saber, sword, bow? What is the meaning of this?
Are you talking about me?
I can understand the saber and sword, but what does this bow mean?
Iâve never forged a bow before.
âIn the past, I thought that Forging Masters were powerful enough. It was only when you appeared that I understood what a genius was, Marquis,â Zhang Fuzhiâs loud voice continued. âI, Old Zhang, rarely admire people. The great general is the first, and you are the second!â
All the ministers rolled their eyes. Big Beard Zhang is really shameless. âLord Zhang, you flatter me.â Zhou Shu was confused.
What does he mean?
I subdued the minister of war with just a few tricks?
In that case, Iâm excited.
I havenât even used one-tenth of my real skills yet. Lord Zhang, how about we have a chat??
Are the experts under the command of the Ministry of War lacking in ranked weapons?
If you canât afford to buy, you can rentâ¦
âMarquis Zhou, what is the name of this sword, saber, and bow that youâve crafted? Are they a set of weapons?â another minister asked.
Zhou Shu was puzzled.
Before he could speak, another person said, âDefinitely. According to the rules of the military parade, every Forging Master can only display one weapon. However, they are not restricted from displaying a set of weapons. A saber, sword, and bow can indeed form a set of weapons.â
âIf itâs a set, it naturally doesnât violate the rules,â a minister chimed in. âIâm very curious. If itâs a set, then is the weapon forged by the marquis yellow-grade or black-grade? Or is it earth-grade? âIf itâs an earth-grade weapon, then the marquis should be considered a High-level Forging Master. If thatâs the case, then the marquis should be the youngest High-level Forging Master in Great Xia. Heâs even younger than when Shi Songtao became a High-level Forging Master!â Shi Songtaoâs face darkened as he rolled his eyes at the minister. Why did you drag me in?
My path is already cut off. If you provoke me again, I will bring you along with me!
The minister noticed Shi Songtaoâs gaze and smiled apologetically. Damn, I forgot that Shi Songtao is thereâ¦
As the officials spoke one after another, Zhou Shu became more and more confused.
Who are they talking about?
It feels like it has nothing to do with me.
Set of weapons?
This is a good idea. However, thereâs no set in the Legendary Armament Canon.
He wanted to interrupt and ask, Who are you talking about?
Other than me, there are other Forging Masters who are also marquises?
But as the officials spoke one after another, Zhou Shu was unable to find an opportunity to interrupt.
After a long time, Emperor Yuan Feng coughed lightly, raised his hands, and gestured for everyone to be silent. âEveryone, quiet down.â
His voice was not loud, but everyone could hear him clearly.
This was the strength of a first-rank martial artist. As a false first rank, there was almost no chance for him to fight. One of the greatest benefits of being a first-rank martial artist was that he didnât need to shout in such a situationâ¦
âSince all the Forging Masters are done, letâs begin our evaluation,â Emperor Yuan Feng said. He glanced guiltily at Zhou Shu. âBring up your weapons.â
All the Forging Masters presented their weapons.
Zhou Shu also picked up the wooden box in front of him, wanting to bring it to the stage.
Suddenly, Emperor Yuan Feng said, âYou Marquis, why donât you introduce the weapon youâve forged?
âIt has been so many years, but this is the first time someone has forged a weapon set in the military parade.â
Emperor Yuan Feng slowly said, âIntroduce yourself first so that everyone can have an impression.â
âSure.â Zhou Shu didnât suspect anything else and agreed with a smile.
He took two steps forward and placed the wooden box on the table.
Pointing his finger, he said, âThe weapon I forged this time might be considered as a weapon set, but thereâs still a slight difference.â
Armament sets should be made up of different weapons. Strictly speaking, what he forged this time was not considered a set.
It was even a little far-fetched to think of it as a set.
Zhou Shu was just too lazy to take them apart, so he put them together.
In a sense, this should be considered three weapons.
âThe weapon I forged this time is called the Three Swords of Yin Tianzi. Actually, itâs made up of three swords. Speaking of which, itâs slightly different from the rules of the military parade. But itâs alright, Your Majesty. I donât want the reward for this parade.â
As soon as Zhou Shu finished speaking, the entire crowd instantly fell silent.
Three Swords of Yin Tianzi?
Three swords?
Everyoneâs gaze landed on Zhang Fuzhi, the minister of war.
Zhang Fuzhi panicked. What are you all looking at me for?
I was just making a wild guess. Didnât you all see it?
I was wrong, but none of you corrected me.
No, all of you agreed with me just now!
Alright, I, Old Zhang, understand now. It turns out that all of you are out and out scoundrels who you couldnât see either!
Zhang Fuzhi straightened his back with a sense of righteousness. Why? Everyone canât see it, so why are you blaming me? My mind is impure, but how good can you guys?be?