The short, chubby old man walked up to carefully size up Tang San, shaking his head continuously.
"Tai Tan, when did you get another grandson?"
"Look at these skinny arms and legs, they don't look like the descendant of you, a big gorilla."
This person is so rude!
Upon hearing this, Tang San couldn't help but clench his fists, but the social etiquette that Tang Yuehua had taught him came into play, reminding him that since he needed something from this person, he shouldn't lose his temper.
Thus, Tang San pretended not to care and said with a smile:
"This senior is joking. I am not Elder Tai Tan's descendant."
"Let me introduce myself, I am Tang San, the Sect Master of Tang Sect; Elder Tai Tan has agreed to join Tang Sect as one of its Elders."
Seeing this situation, Tai Tan also explained from behind Tang San:
"Fatso, this is the Sect Master of my Tang Sect, not my grandson."
"If my useless grandson were even half as good as the Sect Master, I would be satisfied."
After speaking, Tai Tan pointed at the short, chubby old man and introduced him to Tang San:
"Master, this is my old friend, the president of the Blacksmith Association, and one of the three great master blacksmiths of the world—Lou Gao."
"Sect Master? Tang Sect?"
Lou Gao was somewhat confused by these words.
He first glanced suspiciously at Tang San, then shifted his gaze to Tai Tan's head and voiced his doubts:
"Tai Tan, you old fool, have you gone senile?"
"How could you recognize a brat as young as this one as your Sect Master? Are you that sick, or have I suddenly gone deaf and blind?"
"Do you need me to slap you awake?"
"Fatso, stop talking nonsense!"
Lou Gao's slightly pitying look made Tai Tan's blood pressure rise sharply, and he immediately stepped forward, shaking Lou Gao violently while spitting all over his face.
"I'm perfectly clear-headed, not suffering from any disease!"
"The Sect Master is from the Tang Sect, and I'm one of the Elders. Do you understand now?"
Lou Gao, who was being shaken until dizzy, quickly said, "Alright, alright, stop shaking me and let me down."
After Tai Tan let Lou Gao down, Lou Gao wiped his face with his sleeve and muttered:
"Sect Master? So, you're that one's son. You old fool should have said so earlier."
"Otherwise, would I have said all that earlier?"
He then turned his head towards Tang San and asked:
"Tang kid, why didn't you stay in the main family of the Haotian Sect? Why set up a separate sect like this, Tang Sect? What are you doing?"
Having been ignored for a while by the two of them, Tang San revealed a polite and standard smile as he explained:
"Haotian Sect is Haotian Sect, and Tang Sect is Tang Sect."
"A man should strive to improve himself. I don't wish to live off the glory of my ancestors, but instead aim to create my achievements in this world."
"I happened upon a strange book and intend to use it as the foundation to establish a brand-new sect—Tang Sect."
"This strange book records various powerful weapons and their forging methods. These weapons are called hidden weapons."
"Unlike soul guides that require soul power to activate, hidden weapons can be used by ordinary people without soul power."
"For example, this Zhuge Crossbow in my hand. I'm not sure if you..."
Before Tang San could finish, Lou Gao swiftly snatched the Zhuge Crossbow from his hand with lightning speed.
"Such exquisite craftsmanship!" Lou Gao studied the item carefully.
In an instant, a series of afterimages flashed by. Without even using his Purple Extreme Demon Eyes in advance, Tang San couldn't follow Lou Gao's movements.
In no time, the Zhuge Crossbow was dismantled, with the pieces scattered across the forge.
"Impressive!" Tang San was astonished by Lou Gao's skill, thinking:
"This is the first time I've seen the Zhuge Crossbow, and yet Lou Gao dismantled it with a single glance."
"No wonder Tai Tan holds him in such high regard. With this skill, he truly deserves to become a disciple of the Tang Sect."
At this moment, Lou Gao lowered his head and started searching for something on the forge.
"What was that sound just now? It seems like some metal got damaged?"
Sure enough, after a short while, he found several broken parts.
"My technique is flawless, so the problem must be..."
Lou Gao turned his head and glared at Tang San with his big eyes, his tone becoming harsh:
"Tang kid, did you tamper with this thing?"
"Of course!" Tang San walked up with a dignified air, his face calm, and replied:
"The Zhuge Crossbow is the core legacy of the Tang Sect. To prevent outsiders from obtaining it and making copies, I naturally had to install a self-destruct mechanism."
"Without Tang Sect's unique dismantling method, no matter how delicate the technology, it will trigger this self-destruction mechanism."
"Just now, the senior got a glimpse of the crossbow's intricate structure, now allow me to tell you about its power."
"The Zhuge Crossbow contains forty-eight bolts, and with each activation of the mechanism, it can shoot sixteen at once."
"Its power is so great that even a four-ringed Soul Sect specializing in defense would need to use their third soul skill to withstand it."
"Within fifty meters, the Zhuge Crossbow is effective for killing, but its power significantly decreases beyond fifty meters, which is one of its few drawbacks."
While Tang San explained, Lou Gao listened intently, occasionally nodding while studying the parts on the forge.
With Lou Gao's expertise, he could immediately tell that Tang San's words were true, and his expression of delight grew more intense.
Seeing that Lou Gao's curiosity was fully piqued, Tang San spoke the final sentence with an air of mystery:
"And this Zhuge Crossbow is only of mid-tier quality among the Tang Sect's hidden weapons. There are even more powerful ones, ones that you, senior, cannot even imagine."
"What? There are even more powerful hidden weapons?" Lou Gao suddenly spun around, his worldview shifting once again.
"Bring them out for me to see, otherwise I won't believe you!"
"Senior, that's a bit rude." Tang San shook his head and said:
"Hidden weapons are the foundation of the Tang Sect. Allowing you to see the Zhuge Crossbow is already a rare exception, granted because of Elder Tai Tan's relationship."
"If you want to see more..."
However, Tang San's words were once again interrupted by Lou Gao.
"Alright, Tang kid, you don't need to say more. I'm joining the Tang Sect right now."
After saying that, Lou Gao shouted toward the door: "Si Long, get over here!"
In just a few breaths, Si Long rushed over and stood respectfully in front of Lou Gao, asking:
"Master, what is it you need from your disciple?"
Lou Gao waved his hand and placed it on Si Long's shoulder, saying:
"From now on, you'll be the president of the Blacksmith Association. I've grown tired of staying here, I'm going to travel the continent and enjoy life."
"When I'm gone, you four brothers must work together to manage the association."
"If any problems arise, go look for Tai Tan, that old fool. After all, he's the vice president of the Blacksmith Association."
"Where does Tai Tan live again?"
Lou Gao's speech suddenly faltered, and he turned to Tai Tan, scratching his head and asking:
"Old fool, where do you live now?"