The masters of the seven forging workshops were threatened and at a loss. They had no choice but to send scouts to carry the information back to the Central Plains to seek protection.
They knew a bit about Xu Xian’s character. Rumors said the boy was eccentric and unbound by conventional morality.
He had once accepted a mission to find himself.
At such a young age, he even dared to con his own Sect Master.
He was bold and utterly shameless.
He was truly capable of anything; if provoked, he might actually kill them.
From the second day, Liu Qinghui ordered the Merchant Hall staff to go to the entrances of the Seven Great Forging Workshops every day at dawn to spread rumors, demand fulfillment of orders, and collect debts.
This provided the city with plenty of unsolicited gossip.
The reputation of the Seven Great Forging Workshops was dragged through the mud.
Moreover, news reached Demon-Slaying City that the Three Sects, Three Schools, and one Chamber of Commerce were dumping fifth-grade ferocious beast corpses in the Central Plains.
This forced the price of fifth-grade ferocious beasts in Demon-Slaying City to continue its downward spiral.
With spring arriving, the number of demon hunters in Demon-Slaying City increased, leading to higher beast yields. This caused a ripple effect, and the prices of fourth, third, second, and first-grade beast corpses plummeted repeatedly.
Indirectly, this led to a slump in the entire beast trade of Demon-Slaying City, leaving it in a dismal state.
An economic crisis swept through Demon-Slaying City.
No one was spared, and the blame was naturally pinned on the Seven Great Forging Workshops.
Before they arrived, Demon-Slaying City was thriving.
After they arrived, the city fell into a depression.
The Three Sects, Three Schools, and one Chamber of Commerce were cursed privately by everyone, forced to bear brunt after brunt of the blame.
Their reputation was atrocious.
"Business is getting harder and harder. No one's even buying fourth-grade ferocious beasts for 400 spirit stones anymore. What kind of mess is this? How are we supposed to live?"
"It's all the fault of those seven forging workshops. A bunch of idiots. Everything was fine before they came. They're just here to screw us over."
"Exactly. If I ever do business with the Three Sects, Three Schools, and one Chamber of Commerce again, I'm a dog."
"I really want to set their merchant ships on fire and burn them all to vent my anger..."
Rumors are as fierce as tigers. They spread from Demon-Slaying City to the Central Plains and finally reached the ears of the high-level officials of the Three Sects, Three Schools, and one Chamber of Commerce.
They were all absolutely furious!
"A bunch of useless trash!"
"How did the sect raise such things?"
"Tell him if he doesn't handle this well, don't even think about coming back."
"This is infuriating..."
Whether they were sixth-rank or seventh-rank forgers, they were naturally considered vital talent resources for any sect.
If something happened, the sects would normally protect them.
But it depended on who they had provoked.
The Wendao Sword Sect?
The Little Grand-Uncle?
Xu Xian?
And in Demon-Slaying City, of all places. That changed everything.
Back then, even when a sovereign of a nation was slain and the sages of the Three Sects were bullied, they still didn't dare to utter a sound.
Much less for a few forgers.
Although they were indeed the ones who had planned everything in secret, and many in power had tacitly approved, things were different now.
Two seventh-rank forgers, twelve sixth-rank forgers, and the combined wealth of seven establishments had traveled far to Demon-Slaying City.
In just over two months, they had been pushed to this state by a junior. Their money was gone, and their face was lost.
How could those in power not have their own thoughts on the matter?
Whether it was the sects or the chambers of commerce, different voices naturally emerged within, leading to inevitable disputes.
After all, not every sect was like the Wendao Sword Sect—not only at its peak but also united from top to bottom.
To waste thought and energy, or even break ties with the Wendao Sword Sect for this? Any fool knew how to choose.
If possible, they even wished this matter had nothing to do with them. The money was gone, so be it.
It wasn't enough to hurt their foundation. But the lost face wouldn't be so easy to recover.
The prestige they had painstakingly built over the years had collapsed in an instant.
Demon-Slaying City was full of curses.
The Central Plains was also filled with various voices.
They were truly overwhelmed.
So, the result was predictable. The replies the Seven Great Forging Workshops received, regardless of the content—whether kind words or harsh rebukes—boiled down to one sentence: Clean up your own mess.
As for how to clean it, the sects wouldn't interfere.
That was all.
When the forgers received this news, for a moment, it felt as if their world had collapsed.
They admitted they had their own selfish motives for coming to Demon-Slaying City, but ultimately, they had come on behalf of their sects.
Setting aside the hardship, exhaustion, and cold, they had worked for months without gaining any benefits. Not only had they lost their capital, but they had also been betrayed by their own sects in the end.
Their hearts were chilled to the bone!
To say they felt no resentment would be a lie.
But the most pressing headache now was how to deal with the current situation.
Resist?
The other side had two sword cultivators at the peak of the seventh stage standing guard. How could they fight?
Especially since one of them was from the Sword Suppression Hall and practiced the Sword of Slaughter.
Combined, they weren't even enough to fill the gaps between the opponent's teeth.
Run away?
On one side was the Great Desolation; on the other was the ten thousand miles of the Wendao Sword Sect's Northern Borders.
There was no way forward or back. Moreover, while the monk might run, the temple couldn't. The big figures behind them cared about face, and they cared about their own face as well.
Especially Li Xun and Zhou Yashan.
They were famous.
If they really ran away in disgrace, their lives would be over. They would never be able to hold their heads up again.
They might even become the laughingstock of the entire forging industry.
After thinking it over, the only option left was to compromise.
But compromise... they were truly unwilling.
In the same predicament, they instinctively came together again and sought out Li Xun to discuss a strategy.
They intended to find a way to break the deadlock.
The atmosphere of the entire meeting remained heavy. These once-arrogant and high-spirited forge masters now seemed to have had their edges worn smooth by life overnight.
Each one was listless and weary, doing nothing but sighing and groaning.
The meeting lacked the usual arguments, the endless sarcasm, and, of course, the mutual flattery.
"Master Li, please make a decision. I'm truly at my wit's end."
"Me too. I definitely can't deliver the goods within a month. Forget the goods, I can't even sell the fifth-grade ferocious beasts I have. I don't even have the capital to buy raw materials for those three hundred-plus orders. What do I do?"
"Sigh, several of my workers have already left. I'm being abandoned by everyone."
Li Xun remained silent, his eyes closed the entire time.
Zhou Yashan couldn't sit still either and urged, "Old Li, stop being silent. Among us, you're the most well-read and have the best head on your shoulders. Say something."
Li Xun let out a long breath of turbid air. His eyes, dull and weary, slowly swept over everyone. He said in a heavy voice, "As things stand, we can only hope that Xu Xian will show mercy and grant us a way to live."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed. Someone asked tentatively, "Does Master Li mean you want me to go and beg Xu Xian?"
Li Xun shook his head, the corners of his mouth drooping in bitterness. "Not you. All of us together."
"This..."
Everyone's faces grew even more unsightly. They looked at one another in silence.
Li Xun stood up, not forgetting to straighten his robes, and said weakly, "If you are unwilling to go, then don't. I won't force you."
With that, he walked with his hands behind his back, passing through the hall and heading outside under everyone's strange gazes.
"Those who are willing, follow me."
Looking at Li Xun's lonely back, the others sighed repeatedly, one after another choosing to compromise.
"Let's go!"
"I'll go too..."
As things stood, this was the only way. There was truly no other choice.
It was noon that day. The snow in Demon-Slaying City had long since melted. The sun was bright, and the sky was clear, but there was still a lingering chill in the air...
Led by Li Xun, the group arrived outside Demon-Slaying City's Number One Forging Workshop.
At that moment, Xu Xian was striking iron.
Yao Xiaoxiao sensed something was wrong and ran out. She looked warily at the group, who appeared as wretched as stray dogs, and questioned them:
"What are you doing here?"
Li Xun remained a refined gentleman. He clasped his hands in a polite greeting and said calmly, "Please inform Master Xu, miss. Li Xun, along with the masters of the six other forging workshops, requests an audience with Master Xu..."
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