Weapon?
Jiang Shi frowned.
He really hadn't thought about this question before.
But the world is so dangerous, it indeed calls for forging a weapon.
Even though this is at the foot of Zhenwu Temple, it won't be peaceful either.
It's known that the original owner was a villager at the foot of Zhenwu Temple, yet wasn't the whole village massacred by demons?
"A weapon indeed needs to be forged, but what kind of weapon should I make?"
Jiang Shi touched his chin, pondering.
"I think it's best to make a saber; swordsmen are the most famous in this world!"
"No, making a sword is the best; swordsmen are stronger. 'Celestial Meteor' Wu Yuanshan, the famous Inner Sect disciple of Zhenwu Temple, uses a sword."
"That's right, a sword is good, make a sword!"
A group of ruffians chimed in.
Jiang Shi immediately showed a disdainful look.
What sword? What saber?
He has Innate Divine Power, where's the need to use such things?
Even if he were to use a saber, it would definitely be a Great Guan Saber!
Anything under a hundred pounds is not worth considering!
"Alright, stop yammering. Take me to the city early tomorrow morning, and we'll talk when we're there!"
Jiang Shi waved his hand.
He was preparing to think carefully about what weapon to use.
The group of ruffians all nodded.
They continued to eat,
After the meal, everyone dispersed.
In the afternoon, Jiang Shi looked at the panel, showing contemplation again.
This time the Reputation Value didn't continue to rise, it remains 20.
"Is it not shocking enough, or is it because Liu Si and the others were already shocked last time, and being shocked again won't provide any more Reputation Value?"
Jiang Shi frowned, puzzled, and finally shook his head lightly, practicing the Dragon and Snake Force again.
The night passed quickly.
Early the next morning.
Liu Si, Li San, Wang Wu, and others gathered again at Jiang Shi's door, waiting.
After Jiang Shi had breakfast, he checked his finances and found that the original owner had farmed for three years, living frugally, and had saved only five liang and one qian of silver.
It seemed like a lot, but in reality, he wasn't sure if it was enough to forge a decent weapon.
Jiang Shi sighed softly, put away the silver, and still walked out.
"Boss, are you ready?"
Liu Si smiled.
"Let's go!"
Jiang Shi said.
"Alright!"
The group of ruffians all nodded and set off.
···
Traveling from Zhenwu Temple's Outer Sect to the nearby Tieshi City is about sixty to seventy li.
Not too far, nor too near, but the journey is not peaceful at all.
Along the way, you can see desolate villages, cracked land, dead trees everywhere···
The bark and leaves of each giant tree have long been stripped clean.
You can also see some dark-colored bones lying by the roadside, emitting a strong stench, attracting countless flies, buzzing in disarray.
Jiang Shi held his breath, his face turning unprecedentedly serious.
Knowing the background of this world is one thing, actually seeing it is another.
Since crossing over, he had been staying in Zhenwu Temple's Outer Sect, never seeing the outside world. Only now, stepping outside, did he truly feel the desolation of this place.
Those rotting skeletons clearly belonged to humans!
"Boss, there are many bandits along the way who often rob merchants, but we shouldn't be afraid. We are wearing the Outer Sect disciple uniforms of Zhenwu Temple, ordinary bandits wouldn't dare to touch us, they actively avoid us from a distance."
Liu Si patted the clothes he was wearing and said.
"Is that so?"
Jiang Shi asked, looking ahead, "What are those large groups of people doing there?"
"They seem to be refugees fleeing to Tieshi City."
Liu Si looked into the distance and said.
A few hundred meters away, there was a chaotic crowd of about several hundred people, all in tattered clothes, with disheveled hair, and as thin as they could be.
Every face had a pale tint, cheeks sunken, walking weakly, seemingly malnourished for years.
Moreover, they were generally not tall.
Basically, they were only about 1.6 meters tall, their bodies swaying as if a gust of wind could knock them over.
"Do you often see refugees here?"
Jiang Shi asked.
"Yes."
"Then why don't they seek refuge with Zhenwu Temple?"
"Hah, Zhenwu Temple doesn't take just anyone. We are residents near Zhenwu Temple and have a connection with them, so they temporarily take us in, but these refugees are different. They have no relationship with Zhenwu Temple. If Zhenwu Temple were to take in all refugees, how could they sustain themselves?"
Liu Si said disdainfully.
"That's true."
Jiang Shi nodded.
They didn't travel with the group of refugees but took another route to Tieshi City.
Even taking a detour, what they saw along the way further broadened Jiang Shi's understanding.
The land was desolate, stretching endlessly.
Walking along, not even a weed could be seen.
Every so often, you would see dead bodies from starvation, groups of refugees stopping and starting, with desolate figures.
"If this world's dynasty doesn't fall, it really would be against heaven's law···"
Jiang Shi murmured to himself.
···
Tieshi City covers a vast area, the city gate built with massive green bricks, the entire city resembling a giant beast sprawling on the vast plain.
In stark contrast to the desolate wilderness.
Three large characters hung high above the city, exuding a sense of ancient times.
"Steamed buns!"
"Hot soup, freshly made hot soup!"
"Eggs, pure free-range eggs!"
···
Cries from the not-so-wide street repeated over and over.
On a street several meters wide, there were vendors, pedestrians, Jianghu people everywhere.
And a large number of beggars.
All sorts of mixed smells wafted toward people's nostrils.
"Liu Si, which workshop has the best forging skills?"
Jiang Shi asked.
"Brother Jiang, Tieshi City only has one iron workshop, which is Wu's Iron Workshop. Everything there is basically good, it's right at the intersection ahead."
Liu Si pointed ahead and introduced.
Jiang Shi nodded slightly, walking over.
Soon, the clanging sounds of iron being hammered could be heard.
The entire workshop covered an extremely large area, the inside scorching hot, with seven or eight craftsmen wearing leather aprons, standing in front of the forge, embedding one red-hot iron bar after another, clanging away nonstop.
You could see at a glance that there were lots of weapons and farming tools displayed inside.
"Gentlemen, are you here to forge weapons or farming tools?"
A man wiped the sweat from his brow and came over.
"This is our boss, of course, we're here to forge weapons!"
Liu Si said proudly.
"Then what kind of weapon does the gentleman want to forge?"
The man smiled, looking at Jiang Shi, "Our most famous items are weapons like swords and sabers. Each one is made of Hundred-Forged Steel, absolutely sturdy."
"Forget about swords and sabers. Do you have any other weapons, like a Copper Hammer, Copper Mace, or Copper Man."
Jiang Shi said.
The man's face froze for a moment, looking at Jiang Shi.
As if doubting what he heard.
This guy with such a frail body wants to make heavy weapons like these? Even among Martial Artists, not many like to use such weapons.
"We don't have them at the moment, but if the gentleman needs them, we can custom-make them. Is that acceptable?"
The man said.
"What's the price point?"
"For a Copper Hammer, it depends on the weight. Under sixty jin, a single one costs ten liang of silver, under one hundred and fifty jin, a single one costs twenty liang of silver. A Copper Mace is slightly cheaper, costing six liang of silver per piece, but as for Copper Man, if you want that, sorry, we've never made one before."
"Is that so?"
Jiang Shi frowned.
It seemed like a lot, but in reality, he had no idea if it was enough to make a decent weapon.
"I sighed under my breath and put away the silver, but still went outside."