chapter 9 Fallen dog ===

The Xu family had five weapon workshops scattered throughout Canglan City, producing a large quantity of weapons every day.
In recent days, many things had happened. The Xu family's master blacksmith was poached by the Tian family, and the inexperienced new craftsmen caused constant issues with the weapons. Retraining would take a long time.
The weapons brought back from the main hall yesterday were all defective.
Heading towards the nearest weapon forge, it would take about the time of an incense stick to reach there.
Suddenly, his ears twitched, and a cold smile played on his lips. "Seems like someone ignorant is following me. I'd like to see who has been tailing me."
Avoiding the main road, he turned into a narrow alley. On both sides were tall courtyard walls, and a foul smell wafted from the depths. Many passersby would use this place.
Halting his steps, he heard a swooshing sound behind him—six figures, all clad in black with masks covering everything except their eyes, wielding sharp weapons. Their eyes emitted murderous intent, filling the entire alley.
"You've been following me for so long, hiding your identity. Is this how you plan to continue?"
Facing the six figures, dressed in black with masked faces, revealing only a pair of eyes, wielding gleaming weapons, an overwhelming murderous intent emanated from their eyes, filling the entire narrow alley.
A man who was about to enter for relief stumbled upon this scene, terrified out of his wits. Without even pulling up his pants, he fled in panic.
"Worthless scum, today is the day you meet your doom. Why don't you obediently kneel down and beg for mercy?"
A deep voice emanated from the man in the middle, slowly approaching, forming a small encirclement to prevent Verdantius Liu from escaping.
All six individuals possessed formidable strength, with one among them being at the Fifth Stage of acquired realm, while the remaining five were uniformly at the Sixth Stage of acquired realm.
"Dorothy Zhou, I spared your life at Pill Treasure cockloft. I didn't expect you to be so persistent. You're digging your own grave,"
Suddenly, the gaze of Verdantius Liu froze on the face of the man to his right, startling him to take a step backward. How could his identity have been exposed?
"You useless thing. You slapped me at Pill Treasure cockloft, causing me to lose my position. Today is your day of reckoning."
Dorothy Zhou had hired five assassins who had been waiting outside the Xu family's gate, and finally, he found an opportunity.
Without the support of Pill Treasure cockloft, Dorothy Zhou would face tough times ahead. He had developed a gambling habit in recent years and owed a pile of debts. As the minor head of Pill Treasure cockloft, those creditors dared not touch him. But without Pill Treasure cockloft backing him, it wouldn't take long for those creditors to come knocking, and he would lose everything, including the mistresses he kept.
"Just you trash want to kill me."
A wicked smile appeared on his face. Even if someone at the half-step innate realm wanted to kill him, it would be impossible, let alone these Acquired realm cultivators.
"Don't waste time with him. Kill him quickly!"
The five assassins, accustomed to killing, didn't waste any words. They knew that bad people died from talking too much. This principle was clear to them.
A long knife cleaved through the air, and the knife qi directly threatened Dorothy Zhou's face, making the air extremely agitated. Numerous whirlwinds burst open in the air—a simple combined attack formation, corresponding to the five elements.
Dorothy Zhou didn't make a move, stepping aside. Eyes glowing with madness, he retreated to the side.
"A bunch of weaklings!"
Verdantius Liu suddenly vanished from his original position, unleashing the Seven-Star Steps. Like fleeting shadows, he disappeared from sight, and all five attackers found their strikes landing on empty air.
Who could have predicted that Verdantius Liu would exhibit such exquisite footwork, akin to a ghost, eluding all attempts to capture any trace of his movements? Abruptly, he reappeared outside the encirclement, his palm transformed into a sharp blade as he ruthlessly slashed down.
"Crack!"
The man in black in front of him fell backward, his neck cleanly severed by Dorothy Zhou's palm.
With a tap of his right foot, he avoided the descending blade, like a dragonfly touching the water. Each movement seemed natural, making it difficult for anyone to anticipate his next move.
For every moment spent facing each other, one person was lost. The remaining four assassins' expressions changed drastically, and they increased the strength of their attacks.
"Your knife skills are too weak. Let me show you what real knife skills look like."
Performing a somersault in the air, the long knife on the ground fell into his palm. While still in mid-air, he drew a beautiful arc on the ground, and the merciless blade tore through the air.
"Hiss!"
Without warning, the knife qi splashed around, and the four assassins charging forward suddenly froze in place.
"So fast!"
The mask on the head assassin fell off, his eyes filled with horror. He had never seen someone so terrifying.
Drops of blood trickled down the necks of the four individuals, who seemed to be lingering on the edge of death. Ignoring them, a step-by-step approach towards Dorothy Zhou commenced.
Terrified, Dorothy Zhou took steps backward. The tall walls behind him left him with no room for retreat.
"You... Aren't you supposed to be a useless person? How can you be so powerful?"
Dorothy Zhou panicked. According to external rumors, the Xu family's son-in-law was a supposed waste incapable of cultivating. The astounding strike just now left him with no chance to react, and he met a tragic end at the hands of death.
"Do you want to know?"
Verdantius Liu suddenly approached with a seemingly harmless, smiling face. The two almost had their faces close together, and unconsciously, Dorothy Zhou nodded. He wanted to know how this seemingly useless person had become so powerful all of a sudden.
"Why should I tell you?"
His eyes turned cold, and the long knife in his hand suddenly thrust into Dorothy Zhou's abdomen, causing blood to spray out.
Dorothy Zhou died, feeling utterly wronged. The seemingly harmless smile a moment ago had made him feel at ease. Just when he thought he might survive, the long knife pierced his body.
The blade stuck into the wall, and Dorothy Zhou's body hesitated to fall until the next person who came in for relief emitted a sharp scream, alarming many passersby. Only then did they realize that someone had died here.
Verdantius Liu showed no mercy to those intending to kill him.
The large characters "Xu Family Weapon Workshop" appeared in front of Verdantius Liu. The sales area occupied over a thousand square meters. Usually, at this time, the Weapon Workshop would have a considerable customer flow. Today, however, was strange; there were few customers, making the entire sales hall appear eerily empty.
Affected by the defective products, the Xu family's position in the weapon industry plummeted significantly.
The Xu family made a living by selling weapons. Losing this industry would be a severe blow to the Xu family.
Entering the hall, many weapons were displayed on both sides of the walls—long knives, long swords, and even some obscure weapons such as judge's pens, concealed darts, and even smoking pipes. The Xu family could forge them all.
"Young Master, why have you come?"
With few customers around, several young servants were half-asleep on the counter. A young man suddenly approached, warmly greeting him. There was no trace of disdain in his eyes.
This was quite unusual for Verdantius Liu. Usually, the servants of the Xu family treated him like garbage, showing nothing but disdain.
"I want to forge a long knife. Are there any available forges?"
Glancing at the long knives hanging on the wall, none matched his preferred style. He favored a swift knife—thin, with a weight suitable for him. Streamlined design was crucial.
"In the past few days, there hasn't been much business. The master blacksmiths are resting. Over a dozen forges are currently available. Young Master, if you want any weapon, you can pick one here."
The young man was named Sylvester Hu, an apprentice in the art of forging. His father had served the Xu family for many years, displaying unwavering loyalty. Learning about Verdantius Liu's background through conversation, Verdantius Liu's impression of him improved. He seemed like a potential talent.
Shaking his head, he scanned the long knives on the wall. They were all sharp, mostly heavy, leaning towards a power-oriented design. There were two goose feather knives, but they were too light.
"Sylvester Hu, just get back to sleep. Why are you wasting your breath talking to a waste like him?"
The drowsy servants and the shopkeeper, Boscanus Dong, who had opened his sleepy eyes, continued their conversation. Boscanus Dong had been working for the Xu family for over a decade, and he knew everything about Verdantius Liu.
"Laugh..."
Several young servants around him burst into laughter, their eyes filled with mockery.
Verdantius Liu remained expressionless, unaffected by the sarcastic comments around him.
"Young Master, please don't mind them. They're just a bit bitter."
Sylvester Hu felt a bit embarrassed. Regardless of the situation, they received the Xu family's salary. Treating the son-in-law of the Xu family in such a way was somewhat inappropriate. Sylvester Hu and his father were taken in by the Xu family when they first arrived in Canglan City, and they harbored a deep sense of gratitude.
Nodding, Verdantius Liu's impression of Sylvester Hu continued to improve. He seemed to be a promising individual.
"Come with me inside. I want to forge a weapon myself. You can assist me."
Verdantius Liu walked towards the forge room, and Sylvester Hu could only follow behind. Mocking sounds echoed from behind. In the past, Silvianus Xu forcibly thrust him in to learn the art of forging.
Outcome!
Nearly blew up the forge room, and since then, never set foot in there again.
"Manager Dong, should we stop him? If he causes trouble, we'll all be implicated."
Several attendants gathered and whispered.
Boscanus Dong even said, "Let him make a scene. It won't last long anyway."
After Boscanus Dong finished speaking, he continued to doze off. With no business, the Xu family could, at most, hold on for a month, and all the weapon shops would close down
"Young Master, what kind of weapon do you want to forge, or should I handle it?"
After igniting the furnace with a special black ore burning at an exceptionally high temperature, capable of easily melting tough iron, Sylvester Hu took the lead. Although he was still an apprentice, he could forge ordinary weapons. However, they tended to be a bit rough.
"Sylvester Hu, would you like to become a generation's master blacksmith?"
Picking out several pieces of excellent meteorite iron, Verdantius Liu placed them on the table. Suddenly, he asked Sylvester Hu, who had a promising aptitude.