Chapter 93: I'm Just a Simple, Barely Qualified Tier-Three Blacksmith.
In front of Mu Yun and his group, every time Jiang Lin spoke of something "painful," he would pause and wipe away tears in secret, leaving them utterly speechless.
Were they being outplayed?
The legendary tale they had made up was already dramatic enough, yet this guy wasn't satisfied—he insisted on crafting a scene where Pei Su was "dead in body, alive in memory," his spirit living on beside him, and therefore… not truly gone?
Bro, listen to yourself. Does that even make sense? Who's going to believe this if you say it out loud?
Gu gu~
While Mu Yun and the others stood dumbfounded by Jiang Lin's performance, Ying Jiang—perched on a nearby tree branch—watched him closely. Mimicking his actions, it let out a few sorrowful coos and even wiped imaginary tears with its wings. If it could speak, it would probably start spinning an even more tragic and heroic legend.
Mu Yun and the others: "..."
Jiang Lin: "..."
They all turned to look at the inexplicably grieving Ying Jiang. Their eyes met, and a mutual awkwardness passed between them.
Ahem... Jiang Lin coughed lightly, silently telling Ying Jiang it was a bit much now—way too much.
Realizing everyone was staring, Ying Jiang snapped back to attention, straightened up like a proud eagle, puffed out its chest, and struck a majestic pose, gazing upward at the twilight sky from a perfect 45-degree angle, like a heroic figure demanding respect.
"Ahem. Let's get back to business." Jiang Lin coughed again and gestured for Mu Yun to continue.
Mu Yun took a deep breath, gave one last look at the highly intelligent Purple Cloud Mist Eagle, and turned back to Jiang Lin. No matter what, Jiang Lin had accepted their story—so things would be simpler now.
"First, we need to clarify something. We were never informed that Pei Su had any particularly high-level background in Jia Ma Holy City. The Blacksmith Guild was his highest affiliation. Surprised that someone would send a special team to investigate after just a year of silence?"
Jiang Lin nodded. "Yeah… it does seem like a bit much."
Mu Yun grunted in agreement. "Well, if you knew the total number of blacksmiths registered with the Guild barely exceeds a hundred, would it still feel like overkill?"
Jiang Lin: "..."
Good lord… he had nearly caused a 1% drop in the entire Guild's population all by himself.
"So that's why you came to find me?" Of course, Jiang Lin wasn't just asking about the investigation—but also about the over-the-top backstory they fabricated for him.
Mu Yun caught on immediately. As long as their stories matched, then with Jiang Lin's current level—possibly Tier Three—even if the Guild found out the truth, they'd probably just chuckle and say, "Well done."
Because upon close inspection, Pei Su picking a fight with a wild blacksmith in the borderlands and getting killed in return wasn't something they could cover up forever. At least in the version they told, Pei Su died a noble death and earned a good reputation—perhaps the best outcome for such a mess.
"The Guild places a lot of value on each of its members, given how few there are. You did nothing wrong, Master Jiang Lin. The worst-case scenario? You might have to pay a small 'blacksmithing penalty.'"
Mu Yun laid everything out, hoping to give Jiang Lin peace of mind. He wanted Jiang Lin to trust them—they had no intention of attacking a rising genius blacksmith.
Dead men have no value. Mu Yun had no reason to make an enemy out of someone like Jiang Lin.
Plus, the Guild wouldn't support such extreme actions either.
As the saying goes: different matters, different rules. The Guild would handle Jiang Lin's case, but if someone attacked a blacksmith, then the Guild would be handling them next.
"I understand… Based on what you've said, the Blacksmith Guild actually sounds more beneficial than harmful. Even if there's punishment, it wouldn't be serious." Jiang Lin finally felt he had a clearer picture of the Guild—and of his own position.
"Then… may I ask, Master Jiang Lin—are you already a Tier-Three Blacksmith?" Mu Yun, sensing Jiang Lin had lowered his guard, asked the question he had been dying to know.
From his perch, Jiang Lin stared silently down at them. Just as Mu Yun began to wonder if he'd made a mistake, he heard Jiang Lin's nonchalant reply:
"I can just barely craft Tier-Three Dou Devices… probably not enough to call myself a proper Tier-Three Blacksmith."
Mu Yun's eye twitched. Good grief—anyone else would be shouting to the heavens the moment they crafted something at that level, eager to be called a higher-tier smith.
But this guy? He downplays it like it's nothing, even though he clearly created a fully qualified Tier-Three Dou Device.
Today, I, Mu Yun, acknowledge you as the most humble blacksmith I've ever met!
"In truth, Master Jiang Lin's abilities already qualify you as Tier Three," Mu Yun said with a wry smile. "And since you are Tier Three, things become much easier. We'd advise you to register with the Guild as soon as possible. Once you're officially on the books, you'll avoid a lot of future trouble."
"Also, your pet—Ying Jiang—can be registered too. The Guild will issue it a magical beast ID. Don't worry, the empire has a complete system for managing bonded beasts. With a proper ID, it can travel freely across the country."
Among the Empire's Royal Guardians, there was even a Tier-Six magical beast. A regular Da Dou Shi might not know that, but Mu Yun, from one of the empire's three great clans, was well-informed.
"Master Jiang Lin… please don't think we're exaggerating. Wild blacksmiths and alchemists often face great danger. Between the two, wild blacksmiths are even more at risk. Some powerful families will even resort to house arrest. That's why the Guild investigates any disappearance—we've seen many cases like this in history."
(END CHAPTER)
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