“The Short Dhuta? Isn't he a master artifact crafter from the Kingdom of Qingqiu? I heard that he offended the Lord of Qingqiu thirty years ago and was banished. To think that elder is actually in the Sea Market!
“Legend has it that the weapons he forges are incomparably sharp. Even Lady Dragon Girl's trident and the Great Black Yaksha's three-zhang fire sickle were made by him!
“In the past, when heavenly soldiers and generals descended to the mortal realm, some even sought him out to forge their weapons! I heard he often associates with rogue immortals, and even the Land Gods and City Gods have hosted banquets to invite him, but the Short Dhuta has an eccentric temper and never attended any of them.”
Hearing that this concerned Nan Zhi's serious business, Hai Ying quickly spoke up, “You must have quite a lot of face to actually know someone from the Kingdom of Qingqiu.”
It was common knowledge in the cultivation world that human cultivators were best at alchemy and formations, but when it came to artifact crafting and weapon forging, the Demon race was undoubtedly the most formidable.
Qingqiu was rich in rare iron, and its forging techniques were the best in the cultivation world. Only after them came the major artifact-crafting families under the great sects, such as the Mo, Ouye, Zhao, and Murong families, which were highly prestigious.
However, although the humans and the Demon race did not harbor mutual hatred, they were far from being close as one family.
Thus, demon artifact crafters were hard to find, let alone a master blacksmith hailing from the Kingdom of Qingqiu.
Nan Zhi narrowed her eyes.
She hadn't noticed it a few days ago, but looking closely today, she realized something.
The figure of the person before her suddenly overlapped with the silhouette in her memory.
—The one who had barged into Heaven Grade Room One to peek that day was none other than Tu Jiuxiao.
Well, well. A newly initiated disciple of the Wuwei Sect, attempting to spy on the whereabouts of the Sect Master's son.
A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator who also happened to know an exiled master artifact crafter from the Kingdom of Qingqiu.
You have quite a few secrets of your own, kid.
“Thank you for the guidance, Fellow Daoist Tu.”
Nan Zhi did not expose him. She simply raised her cup to toast him and said with a smile, “This has truly solved my urgent need.”
A blacksmith from Qingqiu was truly a massive favor.
“...”
Tu Jiuxiao pursed his lips and hesitated. Only after a long while did he whisper, “That day... thank you for saving my sword.”
Only then did Nan Zhi realize.
So the favor of saving his life had to rank behind the “favor of saving his sword”?
It was said that sword cultivators valued their swords more than their lives. Seeing it today, it indeed lived up to the reputation.
...
Although she had prepared herself mentally and knew that the Short Dhuta possessed a demon body, Nan Zhi was still startled the first moment she laid eyes on him.
It was a squat, plump giant toad with greenish skin, standing only half her height.
Because he was in his demon form, he was completely naked. A pair of crystal-clear, dark-green giant eyes sat atop his head. When he stared at someone without blinking, it carried a strangely eerie feeling.
“This junior, Ma Jiu, greets—”
Before Nan Zhi could finish, the giant toad opened its mouth and spat out the wet upper half of a human body.
It belonged to an incredibly beautiful, eerie demon youth who looked to be fifteen or sixteen at most. His pupils were of the same dark green, his nose was high-bridged, and his features were sharply defined. A mess of light-green long hair was draped loosely behind his head, which didn't look unkempt but rather added to his exotic, striking beauty.
“Ribbit!”
The demon youth's upper body was human, but his lower half seemed to be growing right inside the giant toad's mouth. At first glance, it looked as if he were wearing a pair of toad-skin pants, which was quite comical.
“Ribbit, ribbit! I know you. You're that human brat who returned alive from the Wuwang Sea. You saved Jiuxiao's sword. He owes you a favor, so I'll repay it on his behalf, ribbit.”
The Short Dhuta suddenly opened his mouth, his crimson lips stretching almost to his ears. He reached out a hand, but his fair, slender fingers were completely covered in wet toad mucus.
“Ribbit, what do you want to forge? Let me have a look, ribbit.”
—As a master blacksmith famous throughout the cultivation world, wasn't the Short Dhuta's appearance and age a bit too young?
But in the cultivation world, the last thing one could trust was appearance.
“They are all here, though one of the rare insects called the 'Green Beetle' is extremely difficult to find.”
Nan Zhi immediately presented the materials for refining the Green Beetle Needles and added:
“This junior has prepared Vajra Insects, Green-Eyed Bees, and Black-Headed Gold-Ringed Mosquitoes as substitutes. I wonder if they can be used?”
“Ribbit, ribbit, how could that possibly work?!”
The frog youth flew into a rage, slapping his palms together with loud smacks:
“Artifact crafting is like laying the foundation of a house. If the foundation isn't solid, how can you add bricks and tiles on top of it? But you are quite lucky. This frog happens to know where to find the Green Beetle.
“You must know that the Green Beetle is a most miraculous insect; the mother and child can never be separated. If you coat the needle case with the mother's blood and the needles with the child's blood before tempering them into an artifact, then even across thousands of mountains and rivers, the needles coated in the child's blood will return to the needle case.
“These needles are extremely insidious. There are one hundred and twenty-eight of them in total, making them perfect for sneak attacks and assassinations, ribbit, ribbit. This weapon is rather interesting, ribbit.”
Insidious?
Nan Zhi thanked him, her expression unchanging.
Please. She already used the Hundred Ghosts Thousand Cries Killing Formation. Why would she care if a sneak attack was insidious or not?
In a life-or-death situation, was she supposed to bow to her opponent, speak with earnest sincerity, deliver a righteous judgment, and only then begin to fight?
The Short Dhuta let out a few ribbits, and hundreds of tiny toads hopped over to his feet, bouncing around to escort Nan Zhi out.
“Then how many spirit stones should this junior prepare? Although Senior only agreed to meet me for the sake of Fellow Daoist Tu, I cannot be so shameless as to let Fellow Daoist Tu suffer a loss.”
Nan Zhi weighed her words and produced a storage bag:
“There are two thousand middle grade spirit stones inside. If it's not enough... this junior is currently short on funds and cannot produce more, but I wonder if I can make up the difference with rare ores—”
The green dragon's wealth was by no means small, but since Ma Jiu's persona was that of an ordinary rogue cultivator, she couldn't spend her money as she pleased.
“Ribbit! You are indeed different from other cultivators.”
The Short Dhuta had originally thought the person before him was just someone looking to take advantage, just like the group of “friends” Tu Jiuxiao used to associate with.
But seeing Nan Zhi's sincere words and polite manners, he couldn't help but think a bit more highly of her:
“The things this frog wants are not something a mere human cultivator like you can provide. Just come back in half a month to collect it.”
Nan Zhi assented and departed with light steps.
“Humans are fine in every way, except they love to boast.”
Only then did the Short Dhuta stretch and slowly shrink back into the giant toad's mouth, muttering to himself:
“This frog wants a ten-thousand-year Sun-Burning Stone, which you certainly can't afford.”
The storage bag on the table was picked up by a tiny frog in its mouth, which wiggled and pushed it aside.
...
Nan Zhi waited at the inn for half a month, and when she went back, she indeed received the refined Green Beetle Needles.
【Green Beetle Needles (Purple Quality): The Green Beetle is a miraculous insect whose mother and child are inseparable. Meticulously refined by the Short Dhuta of Qingqiu, these one hundred and twenty-eight poison-coated needles draw blood upon release and claim lives upon return.
(Attack Power increased by 3%, Critical Rate increased by 1%)】
The Short Dhuta did not meet with her, only sending a small frog to deliver the needle case. Nan Zhi was also tactful enough to quietly withdraw.
—Returning to the inn, she took out the Green Beetle Needles to examine them closely. Sure enough, inside the case lay a dense cluster of one hundred and twenty-eight spiritual needles gleaming with faint green light. The tips of the needles were pitch-black, and the tails were embedded with extremely exquisite poison sacs, which could be filled with all kinds of venom.
Every single needle was as thin as cow hair. She had no idea how the Short Dhuta had managed to forge such a delicate treasure.
Nan Zhi immediately used her essence blood to refine the treasure, then sought out coastal demon beasts to practice with. The proficiency of her technique, 《Green Beetle Needle Art》, increased significantly day by day.
These days, Hongluo had been focusing on her cultivation, and Wanniang had also begun to resume her old trade of yeast-making and brewing wine.
As for Ao Mingzhu, she did not disappoint Nan Zhi either.
Half a month before the Four Directions Assembly was to be held, the flying boats of various sects descended upon the Sea Market in an aggressive, menacing manner.
In the next second, the heavens resounded with draconic roars as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. A water-blue true dragon soared through the sea of clouds, its massive dragon head peeking out from between the clouds as its two whiskers swayed and danced in the wind.
The news that Ao Mingzhu was not dead instantly spread throughout the twelve nations of the four directions.
Some questioned the veracity of the news, but Ao Mingzhu had not been the Sea Market Master for hundreds of years for nothing.
First, she transformed into her true body and circled within the clouds for over three full days, revealing her true form.
With the dragon roars echoing over the Sea Market amidst rolling thunder and surging mist, the majestic appearance of the water-blue true dragon dispelled a great deal of doubt.
Upon returning to her palace, Ao Mingzhu immediately mobilized her forces. She gathered eight hundred shrimp soldiers and crab generals, along with one thousand yakshas and sea dragons, and headed straight for the Jiao People Kingdom. Not only did she exterminate nineteen Golden Core Sky Demons, but she also reclaimed half of the sea territory for the Jiao People Kingdom.
This move indeed won over the hearts of the people. For the twelve nations that had been suppressed by her for hundreds of years, the clamor for a “change of the Sea Market Master” seemed to vanish overnight.
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