Bab 129: Chapter 129: Bing Lao and the Weapon Alliance
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The lively inn hall was bustling with all sorts of people.
There were mercenaries celebrating their completed missions, plump merchants negotiating business deals, weary travelers resting from their journeys, and diligent waiters greeting customers...
However, amidst the crowd, a lone elderly man sitting quietly at a table caught Mo Yu's attention.
The old man sat drinking by himself, and although he appeared quite aged with a head full of white hair, his withered hands holding the cup resembled those of a blacksmith—strong and powerful.
Mo Yu stared at him in astonishment, sensing a familiar presence from the elder.
This man was a weapon refiner—a skilled one at that!
On the Dou Qi continent, weapon refining had long declined. Unlike the alchemist guilds that classified and honored their practitioners, no formal organization had ever been established for weapon refiners. Naturally, there were no distinctive robes or marks to signify their esteemed status.
Thus, even if a weapon refiner walked among crowds, it was unlikely anyone would recognize them—a sad truth indeed.
But Mo Yu, being an accomplished weapon refiner himself, could detect subtleties that others missed.
From the elder, he sensed an extraordinary aura—the unique temperament of someone deeply immersed in the craft for many years.
What surprised Mo Yu even more was the faint trace of artifact lightning emanating from the old man.
On the Dou Qi continent, most people were unfamiliar with artifact lightning but well-acquainted with pill lightning.
Pill lightning was a necessary test that occurred when high-tier pills were successfully refined. Pills starting at the seventh tier began to develop intelligence, becoming treasures that could rival nature's wonders. Because of this, the heavens would unleash tribulation lightning to prevent their formation—this was known as pill lightning.
The higher the pill's grade and wisdom, the more powerful the pill lightning.
Artifact lightning worked the same way. When a divine weapon or powerful artifact was crafted, it too would provoke the heavens, resulting in a lightning tribulation known as artifact lightning.
A weapon refiner capable of summoning artifact lightning was as rare and prestigious as an alchemist who could summon pill lightning!
In a world where weapon refining was so neglected, encountering a weapon refiner capable of producing artifact lightning—likely a seventh-tier or higher craftsman—within a small empire in the northwest was nothing short of astonishing to Mo Yu.
While Mo Yu observed the elder, the latter seemed to sense the boy's gaze. The old man's hand holding the wine cup paused, and he turned his gaze toward Mo Yu.
Their eyes met—youth and elder locked in silent scrutiny. A trace of surprise flickered across the elder's solemn face before being replaced with a mysterious glimmer in his cloudy eyes.
"Good sirs, how may I assist you?"
At that moment, a waiter approached, glancing briefly at the beautiful women behind Mo Yu with admiration and bowing respectfully.
"Prepare a table with your best dishes, and open four rooms for us to rest," Mo Yu said calmly.
The waiter nodded eagerly and relayed the request to the staff at the counter. He then began searching for seats in the crowded hall for Mo Yu's group.
However, as it was midday and business was booming, every table in the hall was occupied, leaving no empty seats.
The waiter's expression turned slightly awkward. Though the inn was popular, it was his first time encountering a fully packed hall since being hired just two weeks ago.
Just as the waiter fumbled for a solution, a calm, aged voice sounded from a nearby table.
"I'm just an old man dining alone. If you don't mind, feel free to join me."
The group's eyes shifted to the old man who had spoken.
The waiter, relieved by the suggestion, looked toward Mo Yu and asked tentatively, "What do you think, sir? If you'd rather not share a table, perhaps another one will free up soon..."
Before the waiter could finish, Mo Yu waved his hand dismissively. "No need. Since the gentleman has invited us, we'll take him up on the offer. Serve our food at this table."
Without further delay, Mo Yu seated himself to the left of the old man.
This elder, naturally, was the same person Mo Yu had noticed earlier.
Sensing no malice from the man, Mo Yu welcomed the opportunity to make his acquaintance.
Seeing Mo Yu's decision, Qing Lin obediently took a seat beside him.
Xue Mei and Lin Fei exchanged glances. Sharing a table wasn't an issue for them, so they seated themselves to the elder's right without complaint.
The waiter smiled. "Please wait a moment. Your food will be ready shortly."
After the waiter left, the old man poured fresh wine into several cups, offering them to the group with a warm smile.
"This is green plum wine, a specialty of Western Wasteland City. You must be from out of town—why not give it a try?"
The group wasn't surprised by his observation. Their attire was indeed out of place in this remote city.
Taking the offered cup, Mo Yu nodded politely, though suspicion lingered in his heart. The elder's friendliness seemed oddly deliberate.
And why would a seventh-tier blacksmith—a rare figure—be wandering in a small empire like the Mu Lan Empire instead of the more prosperous Central Plains?
"Thank you, sir, for the wine." Mo Yu drained his cup without hesitation, keeping his thoughts to himself and showing no signs of distrust.
The elder chuckled heartily, downing his own drink. His gaze wandered over the three women, lingering momentarily on Qing Lin's mysterious eyes, and he laughed.
"Young man, traveling with three beautiful women—you certainly enjoy life! In my younger days, I was never as bold as you."
Hearing the old man's teasing, the three women blushed slightly.
"Sir, you misunderstand," Mo Yu said with a chuckle. "Qing Lin is my maid, while Xue Mei and Lin Fei are just friends. My name is Mo Yu. May I ask how you should be addressed?"
Curious about the elder's identity, Mo Yu introduced himself, hoping to learn more about the mysterious old man who seemed out of place in this remote land.
"Mo Yu..." the elder murmured, repeating the name quietly before pouring himself another drink. He smiled faintly and said, "It's been a long time since anyone called me by name. You can just call me Bing Lao."
"Bing Lao?" Mo Yu muttered to himself, deep in thought.
This figure was undoubtedly someone he had never heard of. Yet, being a weapon refiner of the seventh tier or higher, his strength must be formidable—likely no weaker than that of an ordinary Dou Zong expert.
Mo Yu understood well that the vast Dou Qi continent hid many reclusive experts. Weapon refining might not be as revered as alchemy, but high-level weapon refiners remained rare and shrouded in mystery.
The influence of high-level weapon refiners is generally no weaker than that of alchemists of the same rank. In other words, this seemingly ordinary elder called Bing Lao could very well be a hidden expert.
"Mo Yu, you're a weapon refiner, right?"
As Mo Yu speculated about the old man's identity, the elder's voice suddenly echoed in his ear.
Hearing this, Mo Yu was startled, but he quickly nodded. "Bing Lao, your insight is truly sharp. Yes, I am indeed a weapon refiner."
Mo Yu wasn't particularly surprised that the elder had noticed his identity since it was normal for a high-level refiner to be able to discern such things. After all, weapon refiners could naturally sense one another.
"Haha, in the Dou Qi Continent, alchemists are exalted, while weapon refiners are not only overlooked but are also extremely rare—almost as rare as a phoenix feather. Only in the Mu Lan Empire are they slightly more common, though still rare. I didn't expect to meet such a young refiner like you just by stopping for a drink."
The elder sipped his wine, speaking with a tinge of nostalgia.
"Oh, Bing Lao, are you a refiner from the Mu Lan Empire?" Mo Yu asked, pretending to be surprised, even though he had already guessed the answer.
"I am indeed a weapon refiner, but I'm not from the Mu Lan Empire. I'm just passing through. As for my origins, perhaps you'll learn about them one day. But for now, it's better if you don't ask." A hint of sadness flickered in the elder's eyes.
Seeing the elder's expression, Mo Yu realized there might be some hidden story behind it, but he knew better than to pry.
"What rank refiner are you?" the old man asked casually.
Mo Yu was taken aback. As far as he knew, weapon refiners didn't have the same clear divisions of rank as alchemists did on the Dou Qi Continent.
Because of their rarity, weapons forged by refiners had no standardized classification system. As such, refiners didn't have a ranking framework like alchemists. The levels Mo Yu had assigned to the weapons he forged were merely his own creation, modeled after the nine grades of pills, based on his understanding of the continent.
Being asked what rank he was left him a bit confused.
Seated nearby, Xue Mei and Lin Fei exchanged puzzled glances. As alchemists, they took great pride in their status. On the Dou Qi Continent, families took immense pride if one of their members became an alchemist.
As for weapon refining, the two girls had only heard of it in passing and considered it a lesser art. Hearing that weapon refiners followed a ranking system similar to alchemists amused them somewhat.
However, despite their pride, the girls held deep respect for Mo Yu and refrained from making any snide remarks.
"Apologies, Bing Lao, but I don't know what rank I am," Mo Yu admitted with a shake of his head.
The elder looked surprised. "Your teacher never took you for an assessment?"
Mo Yu shook his head again, feeling a growing curiosity. From the elder's words, it seemed that weapon refiners had an organization of their own.
"Bing Lao, may I ask if there's an organization for weapon refiners, similar to the Alchemist Guild?" Mo Yu asked directly.
Nearby, Xue Mei and Lin Fei's curiosity piqued. They had never heard of such an organization.
"Haha, it seems your teacher was quite careless, not even telling you this," the elder chuckled, signaling the waiter to bring another pot of wine.
"My teacher only taught me the basics before leaving to travel the continent, so I'm not very familiar with the refiners' circles," Mo Yu explained.
The elder nodded, not doubting Mo Yu's words. Due to their scarcity, refining techniques were extremely rare. Unlike alchemy recipes, which could be purchased with money, forging techniques were often unobtainable, even with great wealth.
Many weapon refiners traveled the continent in search of ancient lost techniques or traded them with other refiners.
"I see. Then you probably don't know about the Weapon Alliance," the elder said slowly.
"The Weapon Alliance?"
Mo Yu raised an eyebrow. This organization seemed to be the equivalent of the Alchemist Guild for weapon refiners.
The name reminded him of the Pill Tower in Central Plains. Could the Weapon Alliance have been established by top-level weapon refiners, similar to how the Pill Tower was founded by alchemists?
The Pill Tower was an influential force on the Dou Qi Continent, located in the Sacred Pill City. It had existed for a long time, and it was also the authority that established the ranking system for alchemists.
"The Weapon Alliance was founded fifty years ago by some of the continent's top refiners. It took them ten years to develop a complete ranking system for weapon refiners, modeled after the alchemists. However, due to the small number of refiners, the Weapon Alliance has remained low-profile and hasn't established branches in every major city across every empire like the Alchemist Guild has.
"As far as I know, there are only a few branches in the western part of the continent—mainly in the Mu Lan Empire and another southern empire. This is because those regions have a slightly higher number of weapon refiners," the elder explained, taking another sip of wine.
Mo Yu nodded, surprise flashing in his eyes. He had never expected the existence of a weapon refiners' organization on the Dou Qi Continent.
He couldn't help but wonder if poison masters had a similar organization. In the Chu Yun Empire, poison masters were widespread, and there were many throughout the continent. It wouldn't be surprising if they had also formed an organization and developed their own ranking system.
Mo Yu shook his head, setting aside thoughts of poison masters and focusing back on the Weapon Alliance.
If the organization truly existed, Mo Yu was eager to join. He possessed several rare forging techniques, and only by interacting with other refiners could he unlock their full potential. If he could gain some influence within the Weapon Alliance, it would undoubtedly be even better…
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