The end of Gaowu: Becoming stronger from not practicing

In the backyard of the Divine Craftsman's Shop, Zhang Lingfeng sat on a stone bench, his fingers gently tapping the table.

He frowned slightly as he looked at the mere 13,000-plus "lying down" points remaining on the panel.

Although they successfully killed Shen Qiming, plunging the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion into panic, this was still far from helping Commander Ma completely eliminate the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion.

"The Divine Craftsmen Pavilion has a deep foundation. In addition to Shen Qiming and Shen Pengyun, there is also Elder Shen Yuan, as well as many core elders and level six blacksmiths."

Zhang Lingfeng knew this clearly.

"More importantly, the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion may have an even more powerful backer, and may even have intricate connections with the City Lord's Mansion and the Divine Inscription Master Guild."

Although his current strength is that of a high-level god and a peak level three divine inscription master, it is far from enough to completely eliminate the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion.

He needs more "lying flat" points, needs to advance to the God King realm, and even become a Level 4 Divine Inscription Master.

Only in this way will the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion truly be nothing to fear.

However, right now, the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion is watching the Divine Craftsmen's Shop's every move, so he cannot go out easily, otherwise his whereabouts may be exposed.

Moreover, he needs to keep a low profile now and avoid attracting too much attention.

"If that's the case, let's try a different approach."

A cold glint flashed in Zhang Lingfeng's eyes.

He thought of a way.

Use the way of the person to treat the person's body.

Put pressure on the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion in the name of Zhang Tianshi.

That night.

A divine message appeared silently in the secret chamber of Shen Yuan, the Grand Elder of the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion, like a ghost.

The message was written with divine runes, the handwriting sharp and carrying an unquestionable authority.

"You little rascals of the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion!"

You, the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion, have repeatedly tried to seize the Divine Craftsmen Shop's signboard, and even sent assassins to kill my disciple Zhang Lingfeng.

Previously, Shen Qiming's death was only a minor punishment.

You are hereby given three days to lead all members of the Divine Craftsman Pavilion to submit to the Divine Craftsman Shop, and to appoint Commander Ma as the new Pavilion Master, making the Divine Craftsman Pavilion a part of the Divine Craftsman Shop.

From then on, the Divine Craftsman Pavilion and the Divine Craftsman Shop were combined into one, inheriting the Ma family's orthodoxy.

If you dare to disobey, or outwardly comply but inwardly defy, I will take the life of one of your core members of the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion every so often.

Shen Pengyun, Elder Erdeng, Level 6 Blacksmith... are all on the list.

Don't say it is unpredictable!

Signed by Zhang Tianshi

This message exploded like a thunderclap within the Divine Craftsman's Pavilion.

"You bastard! This is outrageous!"

After reading the message, Shen Yuan was so angry that he trembled all over and smashed the jade table in front of him to pieces with one palm.

"Does Zhang Tianshi really think my Divine Craftsman Pavilion is made of clay?"
How dare they so blatantly threaten us to submit to the Divine Craftsman's Shop?

Do you want us to acknowledge Marshal Ma as our leader?
This is an utter disgrace!

However, after the anger came a deep fear.

The scene of Shen Qiming being silently killed in the heavily guarded Qiming Palace is still vivid in my mind.

The high-level divine power remaining at the scene still haunts them.

If Zhang Tianshi could kill Shen Qiming, he could kill any of them.

"Elder, what do we do now?"

An elder was deathly pale.

"Master Zhang is trying to force us to our deaths!"

"He's really capable of killing someone every now and then!"

Another elder's voice trembled.

"The young master is dead. Will Elder Pengyun be next, or perhaps we will be next?"

Despite his serious injuries, Shen Pengyun insisted on attending the meeting.

His face was ashen, his eyes filled with fear and rage: "This Zhang Tianshi is too ruthless! He's trying to wipe out our Shen family!"

The atmosphere in the entire high-level conference hall of the Divine Craftsman Pavilion was extremely oppressive.

Panic and despair were written all over everyone's face.

They are not afraid of direct confrontation, but they fear this terrifying presence lurking in the shadows, ready to take their lives at any moment.

"Go find the city lord! Go find the president of the Divine Inscription Masters Guild!"

Shen Yuan suddenly stood up, his voice hoarse.

"Baidi City is a place with rules! No matter how powerful Zhang Tianshi is, he cannot threaten a legally operating forge so recklessly!"

The city lord and the guild leader must uphold justice for us!

The next day, Shen Yuan and Shen Pengyun arrived at the Baidi City Lord's Mansion with generous gifts.

The main hall of the city lord's mansion was majestic and solemn. The city lord of Baidi City sat in the main seat. He was a middle-aged man with a profound aura and an imposing presence. His strength had reached the half-step God King realm.

"Lord City Lord, please uphold justice for our Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion!"

As soon as Shen Yuan entered the gate, he knelt down, tears streaming down his face, and presented the message from Zhang Tianshi.

"That Zhang Tianshi is lawless! First, he killed Shen Qiming, the young master of our Divine Craftsman Pavilion, and now he's issuing this threat, demanding that the entire Divine Craftsman Pavilion submit to the Divine Craftsman Shop and acknowledge Commander Ma as its master! Such behavior is utterly disregarding the rules of Baidi City! If we allow him to continue his rampage, Baidi City will never have peace!"

The city lord received the message, read it carefully, and frowned slightly.

He naturally knew about the feud between Zhang Tianshi and the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion, and he had also heard about Shen Qiming's murder.

The city lord was quite wary of this suddenly appearing level three divine rune master.

A level three divine inscription master is no weaker than him, and divine inscription masters' methods are unpredictable and difficult to defend against.

More importantly, the city lord's mansion had investigated and found that the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion had indeed suppressed the Divine Craftsmen's Shop on several occasions, and even sent people to assassinate Zhang Lingfeng.

Although these things were done discreetly, the city lord's mansion was not entirely unaware of them.

"Elder Shen, please rise."

The city lord spoke slowly, his voice calm.

“Master Zhang’s actions were indeed excessive, but this matter… is not something I can directly intervene in.”

"Lord City Lord!"

Shen Yuan was in a panic.

"The Divine Craftsman's Pavilion is a legally operating forge in Baidi City. Every year, it supplies the City Lord's Mansion with a large number of divine stones and divine weapons, making a huge contribution to the economy and defense of Baidi City! Now that it is under such a threat, how can the City Lord sit idly by?"

The city lord looked at Shen Yuan with a deep gaze: "Elder Shen, let me ask you, did the Divine Craftsman Pavilion threaten the Divine Craftsman Shop multiple times before, trying to seize its signboard? Did it even... send someone to assassinate Zhang Lingfeng, the blacksmith of the Divine Craftsman Shop?"

Shen Yuan's face stiffened, and he stammered, "This...that's all business competition, some friction is inevitable, and there's no conclusive evidence regarding the assassination attempt..."

"Business competition?"

The city lord shook his head.

"I have heard that the founder of the Divine Craftsman Shop and the founder of the Divine Craftsman Pavilion were originally fellow apprentices."

Over the years, the Divine Craftsman Pavilion has repeatedly suppressed the Divine Craftsman Shop by leveraging its power, even attempting to seize its signboard. This has likely gone beyond the scope of commercial competition.

He paused, then continued, "As for the assassination, Khun Sa was hired by your Divine Craftsmen Pavilion, wasn't he? Although you did it discreetly, I am not entirely unaware. Now, Zhang Tianshi is standing up for his disciple, and although his methods are drastic, there is a reason for it."

"Lord City Lord, what do you mean..." Shen Pengyun felt a sense of foreboding.

"What I mean is,"

The city lord's voice turned cold.

"This matter is a private feud between your Divine Craftsmen Pavilion and Zhang Tianshi, and you were in the wrong first."

If the City Lord's Mansion forcibly intervenes, it may trigger an even greater conflict. Zhang Tianshi is a Level 3 Divine Inscription Master, with great strength and decisive actions.

Although I am the city lord, I must also consider the overall situation of White Emperor City. I cannot allow the entire city to be dragged into a conflict with a mere third-level divine rune master because of the affairs of the Divine Craftsman Pavilion.

"But the City Lord..."

Shen Yuan wanted to argue further.

"No need to say more."

The city lord interrupted him.

"Go back! If Zhang Tianshi really goes on a killing spree and violates the bottom line of Baidi City, I will personally step in."

But now... you'd better watch yourselves.

Shen Yuan and Shen Pengyun were struck dumb and left the city lord's mansion in a daze.

They never expected that the city lord, who had always supported the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion, would choose to stand idly by at this crucial moment!

After leaving the City Lord's Mansion, Shen Yuan and Shen Pengyun rushed to the Divine Inscription Master Guild.

Inside the guild hall, Huang Youming, the guild leader of the Danzhou Baidi City Divine Inscription Master Guild, received them.

Chairman Huang was an elderly man with white hair, but his eyes were bright and his aura was profound. He was also a level three divine rune master.

"President Huang, please uphold justice for our Divine Craftsman Pavilion!"

Shen Yuan knelt down again, tearfully recounting Zhang Tianshi's threats and the city lord's refusal.

After listening, Huang Youming remained silent for a long time.

He naturally knew about the bet between Zhang Tianshi and Yun Zhongzi, as well as the grudges between Shenjiang Pavilion and Zhang Tianshi.

As the president of the Danzhou Guild in Baidi City, he should have protected the interests of the local forces.

However, the strength and methods displayed by Zhang Tianshi forced him to reconsider.

"Elder Shen, Elder Shen, please get up."

Huang Youming sighed.

"This matter...is also a difficult one for me."

"President Huang, the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion supplies the guild with a large amount of resources every year. Many of the divine weapons and artifacts used by the guild's divine rune masters are forged by the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion. You can't just stand by and watch us die!" Shen Pengyun said urgently.

Huang Youming looked at the two of them and slowly said, "Are you aware that the Divine Inscription Master Cultivation Conference is approaching? The people from Jingzhou and Shenzhou Guilds are already making moves, intending to suppress my Danzhou Guild at the conference?"

Shen Yuan and Shen Pengyun were taken aback, not understanding why Chairman Huang suddenly brought this up.

"Master Zhang is a level three divine inscription master, and his strength is formidable."

Huang Youming continued, "If he can bring glory to our Danzhou Guild at the conference and defeat the challengers from Jingzhou and Shenzhou Guilds, it will be a great thing for our Danzhou Guild."

He then changed the subject: "But if your Divine Craftsman Pavilion's affairs anger Master Zhang, causing him to turn to help the Jingzhou or Shenzhou Guilds, or even withdraw from the conference, then my Danzhou Guild will probably lose face at this conference."

Shen Yuan's expression changed drastically: "Chairman Huang means..."

"What I mean is..."

Huang Youming spoke calmly, but with an undeniable determination.

"The Divine Craftsman Pavilion and the Divine Craftsman Shop are of the same origin, both belonging to the same forging lineage. Why have you fought each other so fiercely over the years, resulting in mutual destruction?"
Although Zhang Tianshi's demands were forceful, they might not be a bad solution.

"To make the Divine Craftsman's Pavilion submit to the Divine Craftsman's Shop? To appoint Commander Ma as its head?"

Shen Yuan's voice trembled with anger.

"This...how is this possible? The Divine Craftsman Pavilion is the foundation of the Shen family for thousands of years. How can we just hand it over to someone else?"

Shen Pengyun was also filled with righteous indignation.

"Elder Shen, those who understand the times are the heroes."

Huang Youming advised, "You have already witnessed Zhang Tianshi's strength and methods. Since he dares to make such a threat, he must be confident that he can carry it out."

Rather than resisting to the bitter end, allowing the core members of the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion to be killed one by one, ultimately leading to its destruction, it's better to go with the flow and preserve the foundation of the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion and most of its members.

He paused, then added, "Moreover, I am also familiar with Commander Ma's forging skills and character. If he becomes the Pavilion Master, the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion may very well develop even better. Your Shen family may also be able to find its place in the new landscape. Everything should be done with the greater good in mind."

Shen Yuan and Shen Pengyun were completely desperate.

Even the president of the Divine Inscription Masters Guild advised them to accept Zhang Tianshi's request! He said it was for the greater good, but he clearly didn't want to offend Zhang Tianshi and was afraid of affecting the Danzhou Guild's performance at the conference!

Back at the Divine Craftsman Pavilion, Shen Yuan and Shen Pengyun informed the other high-ranking members of the city lord's and guild leader's attitude.

The entire Divine Craftsman's Pavilion fell into a deathly silence.

"Even the city lord and the guild leader don't care about us anymore..."

An elder slumped in a chair, his face ashen.

"Master Zhang... what exactly is his background? Why are even the city lord and the guild leader so wary of him?"

Another elder murmured.

Shen Pengyun smiled bitterly, "What other background could there be? Strength is the biggest background! A level three divine inscription master, decisive and ruthless in his actions. Neither the city lord nor the guild leader wants to provoke him easily. They are afraid of angering Master Zhang and causing even greater trouble."

"Then what do we do? Are we really going to submit to the Divine Craftsman's Shop and make Commander Ma our leader?"

Someone asked, unwilling to accept it.

"To not submit is to die."

Shen Yuan's voice was hoarse.

“Master Zhang said that he would kill one person every once in a while. He could even kill Qiming inside the Divine Craftsman Pavilion, so what difficulty would it be for him to kill us?”

Today it might be Pengyun, tomorrow it might be me, and the day after tomorrow it could be any one of you.

These words sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Yes, if Zhang Tianshi could kill Shen Qiming, he could kill any of them.

Faced with the threat of death, dignity and legacy seem so pale and powerless.

"But... even if we surrender, will Commander Ma accept us? Will Master Zhang let us go?" someone worried.

Shen Yuan remained silent for a long time before finally sighing, "Send someone to the Divine Craftsman's Shop... to talk to Commander Ma. Perhaps... this is the only way out."

At the same time, inside the Divine Craftsman's Shop, General Ma also received a message from Celestial Master Zhang threatening the Divine Craftsman's Pavilion.

"Master Zhang... he actually wants the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion to submit to us?"

General Ma's hands were trembling as he held the copy of the message.

"This...how is this possible?"

Ma Fei, Master Yang, Master Wang, Master Liu, and others were all stunned.

"Master Zhang is going to help us completely eliminate the Divine Craftsman Pavilion!"

Ma Fei exclaimed excitedly, "Father, if the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion really submits to us, then the Divine Craftsmen's Shop will truly become the largest forging workshop in White Emperor City!"

Master Yang excitedly added, "Yes, Master Ma! If we could have all of the Divine Craftsman Pavilion's resources, customers, and blacksmith team, then the Divine Craftsman Shop would surely soar to new heights!"

"How did the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion treat us before? They not only tried to take away our signboard, but also sent people to assassinate Master Zhang! Now that Celestial Master Zhang has stood up for us, it's time for us to retaliate!"

Master Liu chimed in, "Yes, Master Ma, this is a rare opportunity! With Master Zhang backing us up, the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion dares not disobey!"

General Ma looked at Zhang Lingfeng, who had remained silent, and asked, "Master Zhang, what do you think?" (End of Chapter)