Chapter 180: Chapter 180: The Yang Family’s Submission

Ironhoof Alley, Wang’s Blacksmith Shop.

"Honey! Xiaohu! Come out, quick! Su Yu is here!"

Upon seeing Su Yu, Mrs. Wang enthusiastically lifted the door curtain and led him to the rear courtyard.

"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"

In the rear courtyard, the forge fire blazed. Wang Tieyan, bare-chested, revealed a bronze-skinned torso with knotted muscles. He was swinging a great hammer, striking a piece of red-hot iron, sweat pouring off him like rain.

Hearing the shout, he handed the hammer to a nearby apprentice and came over with a booming laugh.

"Senior Brother Su!"

Even faster than him was a youth as sturdy as a young bull. Wang Hu thundered over, his face alight with excitement. "Long time no see! I heard you put on a grand display at the Yuan Lantern Festival, taking on two major martial arts schools in a row! The story’s spreading like wildfire outside! I tell them I’m your junior brother, and they’re all dead jealous of me!"

Su Yu looked at Wang Hu, clicking his tongue in amazement.

’This kid has changed quite a bit since I last saw him. He’s half a head taller than me now, his muscles have bulked up, and he’s lost that childish look on his face.’

Su Yu couldn’t help but clap him on the shoulder. "Good lad, you’ve gotten much sturdier. How’s your smithing coming along?"

"My smithing is getting really good, Senior Brother." Wang Hu scratched his head and chuckled. "I can even forge ordinary weapons now. You could say I’m halfway to being a master!"

"Don’t listen to him brag."

Wang Tieyan walked over, slapped his son on the back of the head, and chided with a laugh, "His skill is still a far cry from that! Don’t make a fool of yourself here. Go make some tea for your Senior Brother!"

The three went inside and sat down. After a few pleasantries, Su Yu got straight to the point.

"Uncle Wang, to be honest, I’ve come today to ask a great favor of you."

Su Yu’s expression turned serious. He unfastened the Mo Yuan Saber from his waist and placed it on the table. "My cultivation has advanced, and though this Mo Yuan Saber is heavy, it’s ultimately just a mortal weapon. It’s starting to have trouble keeping up with my strength. I’d like to ask you, Uncle Wang, to help me... reforge it!"

"Reforge it?"

Wang Tieyan’s brow furrowed slightly as he stroked the body of the Mo Yuan Saber. "This blade is already made from a hundred catties of black refined iron, thousand-folded with Snow Line Silver Threads. A normal reforging would offer limited improvement. Unless... you can find some higher-grade materials."

Su Yu took a deep breath, mulling it over once more. ’Master said Wang Tieyan is trustworthy, and from my own observations of him and Wang Hu, their character is indeed reliable.’ With that, he hesitated no longer.

"The materials... I have them."

He took another deep breath, pulled a porcelain vial from his robes, and gently uncorked it, pouring the contents onto the table.

"HUMMM..."

A mass of silver-black liquid, viscous as mercury, slowly flowed out.

Though only the size of a fist, it landed on the tabletop with a heavy THUD, as if it weren’t a liquid but a thousand-catty boulder! The surrounding air immediately grew heavier, and light refracted off its surface in a mesmerizing metallic sheen.

"This... This is..."

Wang Tieyan’s pupils shrank as he shot to his feet.

"Black Water Heavy Silver!"

"Xiaohu! Go stand guard at the door! Don’t let anyone in!"

Seeing his father’s shocked and solemn expression, Wang Hu didn’t dare to delay, quickly getting up to stand guard at the entrance.

"Nephew Su, do you realize this is a treasure material used for forging Profound Tier artifacts?"

"Of course. That’s why I’ve come to you, Uncle Wang, to see if the Mo Yuan can be upgraded into a Profound Tier artifact!"

Wang Tieyan sucked in a sharp breath. He reached out with his large, fan-like hand and carefully cradled the Black Water Heavy Silver, his eyes flashing with shock once more. "It really is Black Water Heavy Silver. To tell you the truth, Nephew, this old man has been smithing his whole life, and I’ve only ever seen it once when I was young, with my master! That time, my master used it to forge a Profound Tier treasure spear that became famous throughout Jian’an Prefecture!"

He looked up, his gaze burning as he stared at Su Yu. "Nephew, entrusting this to me is a sign of immense faith in me, in Uncle Wang! I will risk this old life of mine, but I will absolutely not let you down!"

"Give me three months! In three months, I, Uncle Wang, will return to you a Profound Tier Treasure Saber that can cleave gold and sunder jade, one that possesses a spirit of its own!"

"Good, then I thank you, Uncle Wang. As for the forging fee...?"

Wang Tieyan shook his head. "The opportunity to forge such a Treasure Saber is more than satisfying for me. Forget the forging fee. When the time comes, Nephew, just pay me for the other precious materials I’ll need to add."

’I’ll thank Uncle Wang properly when the Treasure Saber is actually forged,’ Su Yu thought.

He then pulled one thousand taels in silver notes from his robes and placed them on the table. "Uncle Wang, take this for now. Don’t be stingy with the materials. If it’s not enough, I’ll provide more later."

"Alright. Rest assured, Nephew!"

"Also, I’ll need to use the Mo Yuan for a few more days. I’ll send it over to you then!"

"Mm, no problem. That gives me time to make preparations."

After settling the matter of upgrading the Mo Yuan, Su Yu asked about Wang Hu’s situation. "Uncle Wang, why hasn’t my junior brother Wang Hu broken through to the Martial Artist realm yet?"

"Xiaohu’s Qi and Blood and his temperament are both sufficient now. I was planning to have him make one last attempt soon." Speaking of his son, a trace of worry appeared on Wang Tieyan’s face. If he failed to break through again this time, his son would never have another chance to become a Martial Artist.

Su Yu nodded and took out an unremarkable Jade Bottle. "Uncle Wang, give this pill to Wang Hu. Consider it an investment from me, his Senior Brother."

With that, Su Yu rose to leave, not giving him a chance to refuse.

Wang Tieyan quickly got up to see him off.

At the door, Su Yu patted Wang Hu on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Junior Brother, train hard and strive to break through to the Martial Artist realm!"

After watching Su Yu’s carriage disappear into the distance, Wang Tieyan returned to the inner room and opened the Jade Bottle.

A scorching medicinal fragrance assailed his nostrils. Inside, a single, crimson-red pill rested quietly, with faint, blood-colored veins seeming to flow across its surface.

"A Blood Boiling Pill!"

Wang Tieyan’s eyes widened in a daze, and then a warmth spread through his heart.

With this pill, his son’s chances of breaking through to the Martial Artist realm would increase by another thirty percent!

What a tremendous favor!

...

The Su Mansion.

The moment Su Yu stepped through the door, Li Da hurried over. "My Lord, Yang Chongren, the Patriarch of the Yang Family, has been waiting for you in the front hall for a long time."

"Mm, I know."

Su Yu’s expression was calm. He had been expecting Yang Chongren’s arrival. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

When he had Li Da tell the Yang Family to deliver the treasure medicine, he had already given them a hint.

With the Huyan Family having come to propose marriage, they had undoubtedly set their sights on the Yang Family. By intercepting the Huyan Family, Su Yu had effectively bound the Yang Family to his side. Now, he wanted to see Yang Chongren’s attitude.

In the front hall, the tea had gone cold.

Yang Chongren was fidgeting in his seat. The moment he saw Su Yu enter, he immediately stood up, clasped his fists, and gave a respectful bow, his waist bent very low.

"Greetings, Lord Su!"

"Have a seat, Uncle Yang." Su Yu waved his hand and sat in the host’s seat.

Only then did Yang Chongren sit down. "Lord Su, regarding the Huyan Family... I wonder, did they cause you any trouble today?"

Su Yu didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked, "Uncle Yang, what do you think of the Huyan Family?"

Yang Chongren gave a bitter smile, his face full of sorrow.

"They are a behemoth, wielding immense power! The Huyan Family is a great clan that migrated from the north hundreds of years ago, and their foundations are unfathomably deep. Over these past centuries, they’ve used marriage alliances, men marrying into the family, and other means to swallow up countless other families. To be targeted by them is like being coiled by a giant python, with nothing to await but a slow death."

As he said this, a flash of despair crossed Yang Chongren’s eyes.

He was a smart man. He knew that the so-called marriage alliance was just a fig leaf to cover up their annexation.

"Lord Su, when the Huyan Family’s steward came to see you today, I imagine he offered quite a high price?" Yang Chongren asked probingly.

"That’s right."

Su Yu tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said coolly, "A Xuan-grade Treasure Medicine, an additional ten percent of the profits, and a marriage alliance with the Huyan Family."

"Hiss..."

Yang Chongren sucked in a cold breath, his heart instantly sinking to rock bottom.

’Faced with such an offer, any rational Martial Artist would probably agree without a moment’s hesitation.’

’It’s over...’ Yang Chongren closed his eyes, his heart filled with despair.

However, in the next second, Su Yu’s voice sounded again: "I refused."

Yang Chongren’s eyes flew open, and he stared at Su Yu in disbelief.

"Lord Su... you..."

Su Yu’s gaze was calm and firm. "Uncle Yang, I told you. Zhen’Er is my woman."

At that moment, Yang Chongren felt his eyes grow hot as an indescribable feeling of gratitude and submission surged in his heart.

Zhen’Er and Ai’Er had told him before that Su Yu was a man of principle and that he shouldn’t view him with the heart of a merchant. He had scoffed at it then.

Now, however, he was immensely thankful that his own vision had been so shallow, not even a match for his two daughters’.

Yang Chongren took a deep breath, making a final decision in his heart.

’Since Su Yu has shown such righteousness, my Yang Family cannot be ungrateful! Besides, only by relying on Su Yu does the Yang Family have any chance of survival now.’

He took a contract from his robes, held it high above his head with both hands, and respectfully presented it.

"Lord Su! The Yang Family can never repay this monumental grace! This is a contract for ninety percent of the Yang Family’s assets. I implore you to accept it, my Lord! From this day forward, the Yang Family is willing to be your vanguard, to go through fire and water, and to never shrink from any duty!"

’Ninety percent?’

’Yang Chongren really is a decisive man.’ Su Yu had originally thought he would offer sixty or seventy percent of his business at most.

This was equivalent to handing over the entire family to Su Yu, leaving only enough for himself to eat.

This was no longer a partnership, but complete submission and allegiance!

But Su Yu didn’t accept it. Instead, he said, "Ninety percent is too much. Seventy is enough."

He pushed the contract back. "However, you must transfer the remaining thirty percent to Zhen’Er’s name. Furthermore, you will continue to manage all of the Yang Family’s business affairs. Go ahead and operate freely. If any obstacles arise, I will resolve them!"

"This..."

Hearing Su Yu’s words, Yang Chongren couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down his old face. ’Lord Su has a righteous heart! He has given the Yang Family a path to survival!’

And in the future, if the Yang Family continued to grow and prosper, that thirty percent of the business would be worth far more than everything they had before!

"Thank you, my Lord! Thank you, my Lord!"

Yang Chongren kowtowed heavily. This time, his submission came truly and willingly from the heart.

From now on, the Yang Family would no longer be a rootless duckweed, but Su Yu’s most loyal vassals!