Chapter 913: Golden Armor's Way

"Jin, are you... are you leaving?" the old blacksmith's voice trembled slightly.

Jin Jia, though a man of few words, was diligent and dedicated, respectful of his master, and had no bad habits. He was also an eager learner, and the tools he forged were highly praised by everyone in the neighborhood, earning him widespread trust.

Over the past few years, the old blacksmith had come to regard Jin Jia as his closest kin, treating his apprentice like a son. He not only considered passing the blacksmith shop on to him but also sought out suitable young women from good families for Jin Jia. His feelings for Jin Jia were a blend of mentorship and paternal affection.

"Jin... how can you leave? Your master is counting on you to inherit this blacksmith shop!"

Jin Jia slowly turned, looking at the old blacksmith, unsure how to respond.

"Master, I..."

The old blacksmith's lips moved, and seeing Jin Jia speechless, he sighed.

"Ah... I knew you must have an extraordinary background. I knew it. Ever since you learned to forge, you started making swords and even crafted some weapons that could be called divine artifacts. I've always thought that one day you would leave here... but, but..."

The old blacksmith stammered "but" several times, desperate to find words that would make Jin Jia stay.

"But if you leave, what about Cui Lan from South City?"

Outside the blacksmith shop, Zuo Wuji, who had been pretending to chat with Li Feng, immediately turned his head to look at Jin Jia with curiosity. Jin Jia himself stared blankly at the old blacksmith.

"Cui... Lan? Who is that?"

"It's a marriage proposal your master arranged for you. I was going to ask for your opinion in a few days. Ah, they're a good family, and the girl is sturdy. She should... she should be able to handle you..."

The old blacksmith's voice unconsciously faded. Outside, Zuo Wuji instinctively glanced at Jin Jia's bear-like physique and couldn't help but imagine what the "sturdy" girl the old blacksmith spoke of must look like.

"Master, I... I want to leave Kuinan. Please... take care of yourself."

Jin Jia spoke slowly and deliberately, his words firm and sincere. To most, his tone might have sounded calm, but to those who knew him well, it was imbued with deep emotion.

The old blacksmith tried to speak several times, but finally let out a long sigh. Given Jin Jia's astonishing strength, his apprentice was clearly no ordinary man. He knew it was impossible to keep him in this small blacksmith shop. He had been dreaming for a few years; it was time to wake up.

"Go pack and get ready. And don't forget to take your hammer. You've made a name for yourself these past two years, with many people seeking you to forge weapons. Most of the money you earned has gone into that hammer, so you can't leave it behind..."

As he spoke, the old blacksmith quickly went into the inner room of the shop and returned shortly, holding a thick money bag which he handed to Jin Jia.

"This is a small token from your master. Take it, you'll need it. Why don't you go inside and finish packing?"

Jin Jia glanced back at Zuo Wuji and Li Feng. Zuo Wuji quickly said:

"Don't worry, Brother Jin, we'll wait for you."

Jin Jia hummed in acknowledgment and then entered the inner room. Beyond it was a small courtyard, and further still were a few rooms, which served as the living quarters for the old blacksmith and Jin Jia.

As soon as Jin Jia left, the old blacksmith walked over to Zuo Wuji, scrutinizing him closely, then sweeping his gaze over Li Feng.

"Young Master Li is here too. Where are you going? Are you returning to Dazhen?"

"Old Master, I am a wanderer of the martial world, and I go where the martial world takes me. It's not necessarily Dazhen."

The old blacksmith was somewhat displeased with Zuo Wuji but decided against saying anything further.

"Your Kuinan dialect has become much smoother. I know your martial arts are excellent, and you're related to the legendary Martial Saint. Please look after Jin a little."

Zuo Wuji thought, "Does Mr. Ji's Guardian Divine General need *my* care?" But outwardly, he maintained a serious demeanor, nodding in agreement.

"Rest assured, Brother Jin will never be bullied. And you've also let him take his hammer. Perhaps in the future, people in the martial world will rely on Brother Jin to forge their weapons."

The old blacksmith glared at Zuo Wuji.

"I never said it was a blacksmith's hammer."

Zuo Wuji froze for a moment, then glanced back at Li Feng.

"Then..."

Zuo Wuji's words caught in his throat. He and Li Feng stared blankly at Jin Jia, who emerged from the inner room sideways, a massive black hammer clutched in each hand.

"The hammers I spoke of are these two."

The two great hammers appeared roughly round, but not perfectly smooth; they were angular yet not sharp. Both the heads and handles were pitch black, and it was unclear if they were made of iron. Jin Jia held one in front and one behind, each as large as a farmer's big bamboo basket for selling vegetables, or roughly the size of Zuo Wuji's torso when his arms were clasped around it. Of course, in Jin Jia's hands, these two enormous hammers, while still exaggerated, did not seem out of proportion. They simply inspired awe.

Even if they were hollow, no one would want to be struck by them.

"How heavy must these hammers be?" Li Feng, staring dumbfounded at the hammers in Jin Jia's hands, foolishly asked. The old blacksmith casually replied:

"I don't know for sure. Anyway, no one but Jin can lift one, and even three people couldn't budge them. They've never been weighed. Whenever Jin gets good material, he forges it directly into the two hammers, smashing it in until they glow with a fiery red light, as if they'd been burning in a furnace..."

The old blacksmith made a forging motion with his empty hands for Li Feng and Zuo Wuji to see. Upon seeing Jin Jia carrying the pair of hammers, the old blacksmith finally resigned himself to the situation.

Jin Jia, holding the great hammers, with a tiny bundle on his shoulder that seemed miniature compared to him and the hammers, walked slowly, step by step, to the entrance of the blacksmith shop.

"Master, I'm ready."

"You packed so quickly..."

Jin Jia nodded, already outside the blacksmith shop.

"Master, I... I'm leaving. Please... take care!"

"Ah! If you ever have time in the future, remember to come and visit your master!"

Jin Jia simply looked at the old blacksmith but did not respond. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he didn't know if he could make a definite promise. If he said it, he would have to do it, and being unsure if he could, he remained silent.

"Ah, just remember your master!"

"Hm!"

Jin Jia responded, then looked at Zuo Wuji and Li Feng. Zuo Wuji cupped his fist in a bow towards the old blacksmith, and Li Feng, on horseback, imitated the gesture.

"Farewell! Brother Jin, let's go."

Under the old blacksmith's reluctant gaze, Jin Jia and Zuo Wuji walked away down the street. Jin Jia's pair of large black hammers in his hands attracted the attention of pedestrians and vendors along the entire street. Various whispers and discussions faintly reached the ears of the old blacksmith, Zuo Wuji, and the others.

"Oh, isn't that Blacksmith Jin?" "Who says it isn't?"

"Those two hammers look terrifying..."

"Who says they don't..."

"If someone gets hit by one of those, they'll be turned into pulp, won't they?"

"Who says they won't!"

"Could they be hollow?" "Nonsense, they must be hollow, but even if they are, they'd still weigh a hundred catties or so. That's no joke!"

"This Blacksmith Jin really is strong..."

Long after they had left the blacksmith shop, Li Feng looked at Jin Jia walking beside him and pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Great Hero Zuo, shouldn't we get Brother Jin... I mean, General Jin, a good horse?"

Jin Jia turned to Li Feng, raising his right-hand hammer.

"No need. No horse could bear the weight."

Zuo Wuji had always been very curious about these two great hammers, and he knew they were definitely solid. Hearing the old blacksmith's description that they were forged from more than one type of metal, he couldn't help but ask:

"Brother Jin, do these two great hammers have a name? And how heavy are they roughly?"

Jin Jia was silent for a moment before replying:

"Mixed Metal Hammers. Each hammer weighs three thousand catties, and together they weigh over six thousand catties. If I don't change the hammer bodies and continue to mix in gold and iron, it will become increasingly difficult. I'll have to discuss it with Crane Child next time..."

The name was simple and brutal, indicating that the hammers were the result of Jin Jia forging and incorporating various metals into them. He hadn't understood much from Ji Yuan's "Mystical Transformation Sutra," but the little paper crane had read a lot. After their combined study, focusing on one aspect of forging proved sufficiently beneficial. As for the weight, it was astounding and didn't sound like their final state.

Zuo Wuji promptly fell silent, but a faint fighting spirit ignited within him. He longed to spar with Jin Jia, feeling that his martial arts had once again entered a phase of rapid improvement, with both his physique and skills soaring like never before. Perhaps, aside from powerful demons, finding a suitable sparring partner was now difficult for Zuo Wuji. Even his four masters might not be qualified; they could only spar on techniques and moves, but not truly unleash their full power.

Now that Jin Jia was with Zuo Wuji, he knew that an opportunity to spar with him would arise sooner or later. Perhaps they could even train together more, and he held deep anticipation for this.

Meanwhile, Li Feng swallowed hard, watching Jin Jia effortlessly carry the pair of huge black hammers, and no longer brought up the idea of getting Jin Jia a mount.

"Who is Crane Child?"

"Just Crane Child."

"Oh..."

Meanwhile, in a corner of the blacksmith shop's backyard, the old blacksmith stared blankly at two large, cracked stone pits, his heart feeling empty.

However, in contrast to the quiet sadness in Kuinan, on some other planes, the complete disappearance of Zhu Yan had already caused a huge uproar.