Chương 51: The Warmth of Mortal Life — The Year-End Temple Fair

Name: Tiger's Roar Fiendblade Grade: Fourth-Rank Treasure Weapon Equipment Traits: Bone Talent Enhancement Saber Comprehension Enhancement Fiendish Aura (Fourth Rank): The weapon carries a murderous aura capable of intimidating an enemy's spirit. Strength of Two Tigers (Fourth Rank): Grants the wielder the power of two additional tigers. Unending Bleeding (Fourth Rank): Wounds inflicted by the blade become tainted by fiendish energy, preventing healing and causing continuous blood loss.

Every trait had advanced to the Fourth Rank. The original Strength of One Tiger had become Strength of Two Tigers. Combined with the extra tiger's strength Su Zhe had already gained from mastering the Fiend Tiger Saber Art, he now possessed the power of three tigers in total. The blade had also awakened a new trait: Unending Bleeding. This was Su Zhe's first Fourth-Rank Treasure Weapon—and one built purely for killing.

"With this blade, it won't take more than a few days to fully perfect the Fiend Tiger Saber Art and cultivate true Fiend Tiger Force." He spun the saber through a flourish and considered the matter silently. Among treasure weapons, there existed a distinction. Ordinary weapon patterns could evolve into Treasure Runes. To create them, a weaponsmith had to infuse internal energy into the weapon during forging, allowing mystical runes to form naturally within the metal.

Such weapons could greatly amplify specific supernatural effects and were considered genuine treasures. At present, aside from the Tiger's Roar Fiendblade, the item closest to becoming a Fourth-Rank Treasure Weapon was the ancestral forging hammer once wielded by the legendary Smith Ancestor. The hammer remained sealed. However, Su Zhe had discovered that continual nourishment with Treasure Blood was slowly breaking down the seal.

At its current pace, it would likely recover its Fourth-Rank status within a few days.

Equipped Treasures His five Aperture Slots were currently occupied by: Tiger's Roar Fiendblade Ancestral Forging Hammer Demon-Scale Inner Armor Phantom Shark Mask Flood Dragon Silk Cloth User: Su Zhe Cultivation: Early Third-Rank Internal Force Realm Innate Talent: Natural Talent: Peak Grade-A Equipped Talent: Mid-Tier "One in a Thousand" Techniques: Savage Bull Art — Perfected, cultivated one strand of Savage Bull Force Fiend Tiger Saber Art — Major Mastery Spirit Serpent Sword Art — Major Mastery Flood Dragon Method — Intermediate Mastery After equipping his five highest-quality treasures, Su Zhe's aptitude improved by yet another step.

During the past half month, he had acquired five Third-Rank Spirit Serpent Swords from the Blacksmiths' Guild. Thanks to them, he had raised the Spirit Serpent Sword Art to Major Mastery and awakened the trait Serpent Swallows Elephant. The phrase referred to a serpent's nature. Snakes were not known for overwhelming strength. Instead, they relied on agility, precision, and deadly ambushes to bring down creatures far larger than themselves.

Once they struck, their stamina remained steady and unbroken—enough, figuratively speaking, to swallow an elephant whole. The trait did not significantly increase Su Zhe's raw power. What it greatly enhanced was his endurance. He would no longer exhaust himself after a brief burst of combat. Meanwhile, after half a month of cultivation, the Flood Dragon Method had reached Intermediate Mastery. With today's training complete, Su Zhe rose to leave. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site.

Support the author by reading it there. Outside, the sound of drums and gongs echoed through the streets. The festive noise was lively and infectious. The warmth of ordinary life stirred something in him. After a moment's thought, he decided to put cultivation aside for the day. The Su Residence stood beside the Sun Residence. The location was excellent. Close enough to the bustling market district for convenience, yet secluded enough to remain peaceful. The Blacksmiths' Guild lay only one street away.

One side of the estate bordered a lake, while mountains sheltered two others. It was a rare place where tranquility and activity coexisted. Walking through the streets, Su Zhe breathed in the crisp winter air. Late autumn had already passed. The dew had begun freezing overnight, frost covered rooftops in the mornings, and winter's chill deepened by the day. Cold winds swept through the county town. Pedestrians hurried along the roads, occasionally exhaling white clouds of breath into their hands.

"Damn, it's freezing today!" One passerby grumbled while rubbing his fingers together. Su Zhe, however, felt nothing. He still wore the fine clothing Xiao Xunhuan had gifted him. Tall and straight-backed, handsome as carved jade, he carried himself with effortless confidence. His physique was powerful yet balanced, giving him both the vigor of a warrior and the refinement of a noble scholar. With his current martial cultivation, the cold scarcely affected him.

Crossing several streets, he soon arrived at the temple fair. The scene before him was overflowing with life. Crowds surged through the market. Vendors shouted advertisements. Customers haggled loudly. Laughter and conversation blended into a chaotic roar. Rows of stalls lined the streets. Silks fluttered in the wind. The aroma of grilled meats and sweets drifted through the air, enough to make anyone hungry. Street performers displayed acrobatics and tricks, drawing bursts of applause from gathered spectators.

Children darted between adults carrying sugar figurines, their faces glowing with excitement. Su Zhe stepped into the crowd. Looking left and right, he found himself enjoying the novelty.

"A few years ago, I was helping my uncle sell dried fish at fairs like this."

"Once winter arrived, fish became harder to catch. In Jiangnan, fishermen often lived even poorer lives than farmers."

"And now..." He shook his head.

"At least my family no longer has to worry about its next meal." The thought left him unexpectedly emotional. Although cultivation resources remained scarce, he had already given his aunt over a hundred taels of silver for household expenses. Even if they lived modestly, the money would easily last them a decade.

"How much for this?" Su Zhe stopped before a stall. The owner was a bearded man in his forties with bulging temples—a clear sign of martial training, though his cultivation hadn't yet reached the Second Rank. Behind him stood a small forge. The man was obviously a martial weaponsmith. Unfortunately, nearly ninety percent of Luling County's smithing business was monopolized by the Craftheart Hall. What remained was scraps. The bearded merchant immediately brightened when he saw Su Zhe's expensive-looking clothes.

In Su Zhe's hands was a flashy sword decorated with colorful gemstones. The scabbard was made of gold and studded with luminous pearls. Golden and silver threads formed elaborate cloud patterns along its surface. When drawn, the blade gleamed like autumn water and was as thin as a cicada's wing. Beautiful. But useless. The metal wasn't forged from durable black iron. It was little more than an ornament, incapable of surviving serious combat. Any experienced eye could see through it immediately.

The only reason Su Zhe picked it up was to test the abilities of the Creation Immortal Cauldron. Words appeared upon the cauldron's surface. Grade: Common Mortal Weapon (Trash Tier) The answer appeared instantly. Su Zhe nearly laughed.

"As expected. The Immortal Cauldron can appraise treasures."

"I'm rich again." The bearded merchant hurried over.

"Young master, this sword is called Autumn Water. A peerless blade!" He spoke with the confidence of a seasoned swindler.

"It was once said to possess the potential to become a treasure weapon. In fact, it supposedly belonged to Su Zhe—the greatest genius in Luling County!"

"Later, Young Master Su received a divine sword from Sword-Casting Manor, so this treasure eventually found its way into circulation."

"I went through tremendous effort to acquire it..." The merchant rubbed his hands together.

"How about this? One hundred taels of silver."

"I'll let you have it." Su Zhe stared. His sword? Since when? And more importantly— When had Sword-Casting Manor ever given him a divine sword? If such a thing existed, could someone kindly tell him where to collect it? He almost burst out laughing. The merchant looked honest enough. In reality, every word out of his mouth was complete nonsense. Setting the sword down, Su Zhe shook his head.

"Too expensive. Can't afford it." A first-rank ordinary weapon generally sold for around one hundred taels. Second-rank weapons fetched five or six hundred. Third-rank weapons were worth several thousand. Take the Young Phoenix Sword he had forged, for example. As a peak Third-Rank weapon, Sun Tiexin had sold it to Li Shanyun at cost—four taels of gold, roughly four thousand taels of silver. Had it appeared on the open market, it would have been worth at least ten thousand.

If Su Zhe secretly sold the weapons he forged inside the guild, he'd make a fortune overnight. Unfortunately, that was strictly forbidden. The guild retained first-purchase rights over all martial weapons forged within its workshops. Members could take private commissions during their free time, but guild work belonged to the guild. Rights came with obligations. As for this sword? He had only wanted to test the cauldron. He wasn't foolish enough to throw away a hundred taels.

At least if he tossed the silver into a lake, he'd hear a splash. Buying this sword would only guarantee future regret.

"Hey! Don't go!" The bearded merchant shouted after him.

"You can bargain! Name a price! Maybe I'll agree!" Watching Su Zhe walk away without even turning around nearly drove him mad. The young man looked exactly like a wealthy mark. Why wasn't he taking the bait?

"Hmph! Poor fool." A sneering voice suddenly sounded.

"A fancy outfit doesn't make you a gentleman. Can't even recognize a treasure when you see one."

"The sword of Young Master Su Zhe, the number one genius of Luling County? I'll buy it!" The speaker tossed down a pouch of silver.

"One hundred taels isn't expensive at all."

"Maybe owning it will let me absorb a trace of Young Master Su's dragon fortune and soar to greatness myself!" It was a fat, pampered young noble. He clutched the sword as though he had discovered a priceless relic. Before long, he was mocking Su Zhe's retreating figure. Su Zhe couldn't help smiling. If I revealed my identity right now, what kind of expression would this landlord's idiot son make? The thought amused him. Still, there was little point wasting time on fools. He continued wandering through the fair.

Not long afterward, he noticed an elderly farmer with white hair squatting beside the road, smoking a long-stemmed pipe. Spread out before him were sacks of grain, sweet potatoes, and various farm produce. Beside them lay several tools: woodcutting knives, sickles, hoes, and farming implements of every sort. The old man's weathered face was lined with deep wrinkles. Occasionally, he exhaled a ring of smoke into the cold air. Suddenly, Su Zhe's gaze locked onto a particular sickle.

It was about the length of an adult forearm. Rust covered its surface. Both blade and handle were pitch black, fashioned from some unknown material. Yet the moment he saw it, he sensed something unusual. Picking it up, he activated the Creation Immortal Cauldron. Buzz. The cauldron trembled. A surge of dazzling five-colored divine light erupted within his mind. Su Zhe's eyes widened.

"A reaction!"

"This is no ordinary object..."

"It's a genuine treasure!"