In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

Page 227

Therefore, adding even one miraculous herb is a difficult choice.

In the deal with Qin Huang, Zhang Xiaoshan could give up one-third of the meteorite copper, leaving at least half of it.

And it was half of the meteorite copper that he had hidden away.

From the very beginning, it was a mistake for him to expose the treasure; his purpose was merely to resolve the bloodshed and turmoil in the martial arts world.

As it turns out, his saintly heart was utterly ridiculous.

There is no morality in the martial world, and greed knows no reason.

Keeping a low profile is the key!

"Young master, Steward Yang just came over and asked you to come over."

"I understand!"

Zhang Xiaoshan nodded, knowing that recent events might have alarmed his father.

Zhang Xiaoshan showed no panic or concern about this.

After all, a group of people posed almost no threat to him.

Moreover, Zhang Xiaoshan was always very careful, and the three bronze-armored warriors never left his 100-zhang range.

As for the safety of the women, they have nothing to fear from the weak attacking them, and the strong have no need to provoke Zhang Xiaoshan so much; this is a fight to the death.

Moreover, a saying is circulating in the martial arts world:

Women are like clothes!

Using a woman to threaten a powerful man, especially a philandering young man, is the most ridiculous thing imaginable.

Especially someone like Zhang Xiaoshan, a young man who, despite his kindness, remained extremely calm.

The following night, Zhang Xiaoshan left the Zhang family home and bid farewell to Hengdao and Zhuge Zhengwo at the gate.

Undoubtedly, Zhang Xiaoshan's return this time was not just because Zhang Yuan asked him questions, but also because the Song Dynasty court wanted to use Zhang Yuan to put pressure on him.

The incident was naturally triggered by Zhang Xiaoshan's meeting with the Yin-Yang School and Liu Sha in Ghost Street.

And what is being sought?

Zhang Xiaoshan confessed everything without hesitation.

The fact that meteorite copper is a key ingredient in the elixir of immortality was not concealed, and this was not something the Yin-Yang School told him. Furthermore, they did not even have a first round of negotiations, so this cannot be considered a violation of business ethics.

Moreover, based on the price of purchasing bronze armor in Miao territory, Zhang Xiaoshan's words startled even Zhuge Zhengwo.

However, this was not something he could be certain of, especially since the secrets involved this time were too great.

"Son!"

It's Ghost Street again, and this time it's unusually grand.

However, Zhang Xiaoshan did not come to see the Yin-Yang School or the Mohist School this time, but rather Lady Dongming.

When Zhang Xiaoshan invited Madam Dongming to become one of the three families on Ghost Street, besides the benefits of weapons, there were naturally other deals involved—deals that Madam Dongming couldn't possibly refuse.

Tang Straight Sword!

Moreover, it was not a Tang Dynasty straight sword made using the lamination method, but rather a more time-consuming and labor-intensive steel-wrapping method, the samurai sword forging method of Yagyu Hyōshū.

"I've met the young master!"

"lady!"

Inside the secret room, the incomparably beautiful Lady Dongming wore an elegant light blue dress. Her graceful and unapproachable demeanor could not be described by mere elegance.

Among the several girls standing to one side was a stunningly beautiful girl who bore a striking resemblance to Madam Dongming. Beneath her elegant and graceful green dress, she possessed a tall and slender figure, already over seven feet tall, and appeared to be only fourteen or fifteen years old.

At this moment, the girl's bright, clear eyes, like autumn water, were curiously observing the young man in front of her. He was only a few years older than her, yet he was already the overlord of a top-tier power.

"Madam, you must have already finished forging the items."

*Smack! Smack...*

With a light tap of her jade palm, four elderly men wielding swords brought out four wooden boxes containing rows of Tang Dynasty straight swords.

"A total of four hundred and thirty-seven weapons. Please forgive me, young master!"

"Madam is joking. Zhang asked Master Mei of Ghost Street and Madam Dongming to forge the thousand ingots of Wootz steel on his behalf."

Even though Ghost Street's forging skills were considered top-tier in Kyushu, they still only managed to produce 383 swords! And that was based on the previous forging experience; otherwise, the failure rate would have been even higher.

Hearing that Ghost Street was more than fifty strokes worse than them, everyone couldn't help but feel overjoyed.

This is a direct reflection of the difference in strength.

Are the masters on Ghost Street less skilled? No, it's just that the forces associated with Lady Dongming are stronger.

choke!

Having drawn his long sword, Zhang Xiaoshan naturally couldn't decide the outcome based solely on numbers.

Quality is undoubtedly more important.

However, Madam Dongming was very confident about this, but soon she saw disappointment in Zhang Xiaoshan.

Yes, it was disappointment!

For a moment, Lady Dongming's heart sank to its lowest point.

These are no ordinary weapons; they are top-tier weapons forged by the Zhang family at their behest. Quantity isn't everything; quality is what truly matters.

"Madam, please come with me!"

Holding a long sword, Zhang Xiaoshan led the group directly to another secret room, which also contained a large number of weapons.

"Madam is welcome to make her own comparison."

Lady Dongming casually drew a long sword from the side.

The Tang straight swords were similar in style, with almost identical craftsmanship and materials. If it weren't for Zhang Xiaoshan's keen observation skills, the difference wouldn't be obvious.

With a single move, the Soul-Chasing Blade, an incomparably fierce sword technique, everyone saw Lady Dongming unleash a dazzling display of blade light.

The chilling aura of the blades suddenly clashed.

Clang! Clang...

Both Tang straight swords broke at the same time, appearing to be exactly the same.

But as a top expert, how could Lady Dongming not know the subtle differences in strength under similar circumstances?

Lost!

They may seem similar in quality, but what about thousands of clashes between two equally mediocre masters?

So the first thing to break would inevitably be their forging tools, even if it's just a tiny difference.

"It should be a problem with the uniformity of force distribution."

"Uncle Gui, tomorrow you should take your wife to Master Mei's workshop. This isn't your wife's fault, but rather a case of 'to do something well, you must first have the right tools.'"

"Yes, son!"

Upon hearing Zhang Xiaoshan's arrangement, Madam Dongming immediately realized that the workshops on Ghost Street held secrets unknown to them.

Chapter 284 The Quicksand Scheme: Zhang Xiaoshan's Warning

Clang! Clang! Clang...

The heavy, resounding hammer blows, the metallic clang, were exceptionally crisp.

At this moment, Ghost Yama brought Lady Dongming and the young girl Shan Wanjing to the workshop, where they saw that there was not just one person with a hammer, but also hammering and banging.

Instead, one person controls the red-hot refined iron, while another operates a large iron hammer similar to a hydraulic press. Under the shouts of the workers, they continuously hammer the refined iron below, forging it thousands of times in a short period of time, saving time and effort, and producing high-quality iron.

Because each piece of high-quality steel is subjected to uniform stress.

This is Master Mei's workshop, which the Zhang family invested in and built three years ago.

However, the Zhang family is not a shareholder; it's just a matter of goodwill.

"Is this some kind of mechanical art?"

"That's right. Although there are very few traps inside the Heavenly Mystery Tower, the area around Ghost Street is actually full of traps."

This is also why many people are wary of Ghost Street.

The reason why the young master did not set up defenses in the Heavenly Mystery Tower was that the mechanisms could always be destroyed from the inside, and cutting off the power would paralyze the Heavenly Mystery Tower.

The power source for this mechanical device comes from the Qiantang River. As long as the Qiantang River flows day and night, its power will be inexhaustible.

But knowing the underlying principles also meant that the other party could sabotage key parts of the operation at any time, paralyzing the workshop.

"Understood!"

Madam Dongming nodded, understanding Zhang Xiaoshan's concerns.

A sword is always double-edged.

As the core of Ghost Street, Tianji Tower must not have any problems.

Without the use of mechanisms, the risk of sabotage by others is eliminated at the source.

As far as she knew, the Zhang family's mechanical arts were quite advanced, at least in terms of the ingenuity of investigating things and gaining knowledge, the Zhang family could rival the Mo Clan.

As for surpassing the Mohist school, well...

After all, that's how they make a living.

I've heard that the Mo Sect also possesses the four powerful mechanical beasts inherited from the previous Zhou Dynasty.

"The issue of force that you mentioned, young master, should mean that the force of these mechanical hammers is uniform and consistent every time, without the slightest deviation."

"Not a single deviation? You're being too absolute."

"Hehe, Madam's suspicions are not without reason."

But the young master said that this is a hydraulic hammer, and its power does not come from external mechanisms, but from the water pressure chambers on each hammer.

The pressure inside the ballast chamber is constant, so the force of each strike is consistent and does not change with the speed of the outside water flow.

"Is it?"

Lady Dongming naturally knew the benefits of even force distribution.

However, human skill levels vary, and as time goes by, the differences in craftsmanship will become increasingly pronounced.

Such mechanical techniques are different; they not only save effort but also ensure a constant power, which is of great benefit to the forging of weapons.

This is especially relevant for craftsmen who are proficient at a certain level but below the master level.

However, once you reach the master level, even force distribution becomes a hindrance.

Because truly peerless weapons are never mass-produced.

At this moment, Ghost Yama took out a scroll of densely packed drawings from his sleeve and said with a faint smile:

"This was left to the lady by the young master. Although it was handmade three years ago, it is the prototype of this water conservancy mechanism."

"Please thank Young Master Zhang on my behalf!"

Lady Dongming did not refuse, because she knew the importance of this item to Ryukyu Island.

It is a top-tier artifact that can improve the quality and speed of weapon forging, which is of great benefit to them.

The Zhang family can befriend Master Mei, and naturally they can also befriend the Ryukyu Islands.

Three days later, Lady Dongming left Lin'an Prefecture with 40,000 taels of gold and half a piece of meteorite copper.

Zhang Xiaoshan's real purpose in causing trouble was to intimidate Ryukyu Island and the Dongming faction.

He could detect even the slightest difference between the two swords, let alone the bronze armor he was extremely familiar with.

The meteorite copper he finally gave to Lady Dongming was for forging copper armor.

And they were wearing two sets of black armor.

With a combination of carrot and stick, the Dongming faction, unless they were fools, wouldn't dare to play any tricks on him in secret. This is also why Zhang Xiaoshan started trouble in the first place.

The copper armor forged by the blacksmith in the open was, of course, a cover-up.

The combined amount of meteorite copper from three suits of bronze armor is less than that of a single suit of black armor.