Uncle Nine: You were supposed to drive corpses, so you summoned the Monkey King!

Lin Chen spoke:

"Weapons are meant to be used. No matter how good the materials are, they're just scrap metal if you don't use them."

"Master, try this sword and see if it feels comfortable to hold."

Four Eyes walked into the courtyard with his sword, gripped the hilt tightly with both hands, and swung the sword down at the woodpile in the middle of the courtyard.

"drink!"

The greatsword fell.

The solid wood stump was split in two, the cut clean, and the greatsword was embedded in the ground and soil.

Si Mu was stunned for a moment.

He looked at the wooden stake, then at the greatsword in his hand, and burst into laughter.

"Hahahahaha!"

"What a fine sword! An absolutely superb sword!"

"With this sword, if I ever encounter an armored corpse again, I'll definitely cleave it in two!"

Si Mu laughed loudly, and Master Ikkyu next door heard the noise and poked his head out from behind the fence.

Master Ikkyu was stunned when he saw the greatsword in Four Eyes' hand.

"Brother Four Eyes, your weapon is brimming with malevolent energy. Be careful it doesn't backfire on you."

Si Mu was feeling smug when he turned around and snapped back.

"You old bald monk, you're just jealous!"

"My apprentice personally reforged this precious sword for me; your envy is useless!"

"Go away, go back to your wooden fish, don't get in my way."

Master Ikkyu shook his head, smiled, and withdrew his head.

Jiale was rubbing his arm beside him.

"Master, my junior brother swung a sledgehammer all morning to forge this sword."

"My hands are almost broken from working the bellows."

Si Mu was in a good mood and didn't scold Jia Le.

"Alright, I know you've worked hard."

"Master will cook a chicken stew for you guys tonight to help you recover!" Si Mu carried the greatsword back to his room.

night.

After dinner, the temple quieted down.

Lin Chen returned to his guest room and sat cross-legged on the bed.

The process of forging iron during the day is a form of cultivation, combining physical strength and magical power to stabilize one's realm.

Midnight.

The Western-style clock chimed.

A system notification sounded.

[Ding! It's midnight. Begin today's cultivation settlement.]

[Today, the host has completed the reforging of the magical artifact, seamlessly integrating power and magic.]

[Attribute point reward: Strength +2, Constitution +1.]

[Triggering achievements related to weapon crafting.]

[Skill reward obtained: Maoshan Weapon Forging Technique (Beginner)]

Lin Chen opened his eyes.

A warm current flows through the body, muscles tighten, and bones harden.

Two points were added to the Strength attribute, increasing physical strength.

There's also a new skill: [Maoshan Weapon Forging Technique (Beginner)].

My mind gained more knowledge about material identification and quenching fusion.

In the past, blacksmithing relied on brute force and common sense from the "Maoshan Qimen Formation Techniques".

Now that we have the orthodox art of weapon crafting, we will be able to forge our own magical artifacts in the future.

"This is a good deal."

Lin Chen clenched his fist.

With this skill, you could open a magical artifact shop in the Nine Uncle Universe.

The next few days.

Life at the dojo was peaceful. Simu would carry the greatsword with him every day, even placing it next to his pillow when he slept.

Besides chopping wood and carrying water, Jiale spent his time peeking over the wall at Jingjing next door.

Lin Chen practiced the "Shangqing Great Cave True Scripture" every day to familiarize himself with weapon crafting techniques.

That morning.

Lin Chen practiced the Maoshan Seven Star Steps in the backyard, weaving between the wooden stakes.

Four Eyes walked over from the front hall, holding a yellow envelope in his hand, his face serious.

"Apprentice, stop practicing, you have work to do."

Lin Chen stopped walking.

"Master, what kind of work is it?"

Si Mu raised the envelope in his hand.

"An urgent letter just arrived from the post station at the foot of the mountain."

Si Mu placed the yellow envelope in his hand on the stone table, and Lin Chen put away his stance and stepped forward.

"Master, whose letter is this?"

They pointed at the letter and started cursing.

"Who else could it be! Your useless, utterly incompetent senior uncle!"

Lin Chen had heard of this name before.

Mama, Qianhe, Uncle Jiu and Simu are fellow disciples.

This person is mediocre in his skills, usually slovenly, likes to pick his nose, and is unreliable in his work.

"What's wrong with Master Mama?" Lin Chen asked.

Si Mu sat on the stone bench, grabbed the teapot, and took a big gulp of cold tea.

"That old bastard got a big job, transporting a corpse for the rich man in Li Family Town, but he lost the body halfway there!"

"Now the security team of Lijia Town has arrested him and his two apprentices and is detaining them in the government office."

"The letter said that if the bodies aren't found by noon tomorrow, the three of them should be shot on the spot!"

Si Mu slapped the wooden stake next to him with his backhand.

"That old bastard not only courted death, but he also sent an urgent message asking me to save him! He's completely disgraced Maoshan!"

Lin Chen stroked his chin.

In Lijia Town, a body was lost—and somehow, the plot made sense.

The body that escaped was Ren Tiantang, a distant relative of Ren Fa from Renjia Town.

This zombie was used for human experiments by foreigners before its death, and was injected with a bunch of random chemical solutions.

After turning into a zombie, it is immune to sunlight, Maoshan talismans, peach wood swords, and Bagua mirrors, making it a mutated physical monster.

Lin Chen clenched his fist.

Having just broken through to the mid-stage of the Taoist realm, his strength has greatly increased, and he has also comprehended the art of weapon crafting.

Just when I was worried about not having a punching bag to practice on, this mutated music zombie was a live target delivered right to my doorstep.

"Master, saving lives is urgent, when should we set off?" Lin Chen asked.

Si Mu stood up.

"When else? We have to leave now!"

"This old bastard is annoying, but we're still from the same sect. We can't just watch him get shot."

Si Much shouted at the top of his lungs in the backyard.

"Jiale! Get out here!"

Jiale ran over carrying a basin of water from washing vegetables.

"Master, what's wrong?"

Four eyes pointed at Jia Le and explained.

"Your junior brother and I need to go down the mountain to take care of some urgent business. You stay home and keep watch for me."

"Offer incense to the ancestral master every morning and evening, don't forget to change the glutinous rice array, and also, stop trying to curry favor with that little girl next door!"

When Jiale heard that he had to stay behind again, his face fell.

"Master, why do you always take my junior brother with you when there's work? I also want to go down the mountain and see the world."

Four Eyes raised his leg and kicked Jia Le in the butt.

"With your pathetic skills, are you going to go down the mountain and get yourself killed by zombies?"

"Just stay home and guard the house!"

Jiale rubbed his bottom and dared not talk back anymore.

Si Mu went back to his room to pack his things, and Lin Chen also went back to his room, changed into a short-sleeved inner shirt, and put on a Taoist robe over it.

He carefully placed the dozens of expert-level corpse-suppressing talismans and exorcism talismans he had drawn close to his body, and wrapped the lightning-struck wooden sword tightly with cloth strips on his back.

After thinking for a moment, he also took the bronze mirror and purple bamboo pen he had just bought.

The two met at the entrance of the temple after an incense stick had burned.

Si Mu carried a long strip of cloth wrapped around his back, inside which was the bronze heavy sword that Lin Chen had just helped him reforge.

This sword weighs fifty pounds.

Si Mu was used to carrying light peach wood swords and ordinary bronze swords, but now that he was carrying this thing, his back was bent a little.

"Master, this sword is quite heavy. Shall I carry it for you?" Lin Chen suggested.

Si Mu shook his head and tightened the straps of his suspenders with both hands.

"No need, no need, this is my treasure, I just need it to absorb some of the people's energy to nourish the sword."

Lin Chen didn't expose him, but Si Mu was reluctant to part with this rare new weapon.

The two hurried along the mountain road toward Lijia Town.

Lijia Town is more than half a day's journey from the temple, requiring crossing two barren mountains in between.

Lin Chen led the way.

He circulated the Shangqing Great Cave True Scripture, his magical power flowing through his meridians. His feet were firmly planted on the foundation of the Maoshan Seven Star Steps, making each step stable and fast.

Si Mu was having some trouble keeping up.

With the heavy sword pressing on his back, and having just returned from days of corpse-driving without proper rest, he broke out in a sweat after walking only a short distance.

"Apprentice, slow down."

Si Mu stopped under a big tree by the roadside, leaning against the trunk and catching his breath.

Lin Chen stopped and walked back.

"Master, we have to get to Lijia Town before dark, otherwise Uncle Ma will really get shot tomorrow."

They looked at each other and waved.

"That old geezer is tough; he won't die."

"I'll rest for a bit. This new sword is really powerful, but it's too physically demanding."

Si Mu unloaded the heavy sword and leaned it against the tree trunk.

Lin Chen handed over a water bottle, and Si Mu drank a few mouthfuls of water to recover.