Longevity by Grinding Skills-Chapter 49: A Compromise

He suddenly lifted his shirt, revealing a bronze-colored lower back where a hideous scar had severed the muscles of his waist.

Xu Yunfan’s pupils constricted. No wonder Elder Lv hadn’t used his back for power when swinging his hammer. Instead, he used a technique that relied on thrusting with his shoulder blades.

"Back then, half the mountain at Divine Weapon Ridge collapsed... Which of the thirteen major powers in Qingzhou didn’t go scrounging through the ruins for a piece of the pie? This injury is from back then."

After speaking, Lv Yi seemed to feel he’d said too much. He coughed twice, drank a cup of wine, and continued slowly.

"Otherwise, why would I have ended up retiring in Beiye City... Forget it. Let’s not talk about that. You just asked, and this old man got carried away and ran his mouth a bit."

Putting his shirt back on, Elder Lv flicked his wine cup with a finger and said.

"When it comes to Bone Strengthening Skills, throughout the entire Great Zhou, the Hu Sha Sect’s White Tiger Geng Metal Marrow Tempering Technique is second to none. Then there’s the Daoist Sect’s Dragon Tiger Sect and their Golden Sinews and Jade Bones Twelve Techniques, which is considered an unparalleled divine skill for Bone Tempering and Marrow Cleansing.

The Buddhist Sect’s Arhat Dragon Subduing Skill, when cultivated to its peak, can transform one’s bones into something like gold and jade."

Xu Yunfan’s hand paused as he was pouring the wine.

The stream of wine formed an amber bridge in the air, reflecting the keen glint dancing in Blacksmith Lv’s eyes.

He changed the subject.

"But let’s not talk about those distant places. If we’re just talking about the Qingzhou region..."

A low chuckle, like muffled thunder, rumbled from the old man’s throat. His face was flushed with drink.

"Twenty years ago, when the Qingzhou Army was suppressing a rebellion, three hundred Heavy Armor Mo Blade Warriors surrounded and tried to kill a Great Success Martial Master of Bone Cultivation. That man used the Great Zhou Military Department’s Breaking Army Seven Kills Fist and managed to snap dozens of Refined Steel Mo Sabers just by clamping them between his back and shoulder blades. That gives you an idea of how formidable that Bone Forging Skill is."

A strange smile appeared on his face. He slammed his wine cup down on the table, making the braised beef on the plate jump three inches.

"The Great Zhou Military Department’s Breaking Army Seven Kills Fist is open to all comers, but to learn it, you must first enlist. And you have to survive three years in the blood and mire of Qingzhou before you’re even qualified to be taught."

He suddenly reached out and grabbed Xu Yunfan’s wrist. Xu Yunfan remained impassive, but his muscles, as firm as cast bronze and forged iron, didn’t budge an inch. The knotted muscles in his arm trembled slightly, actually vibrating Lv Yi’s iron-pincer-like fingers so much that he couldn’t keep his grip.

"Good kid! Great Mastery of Skin Cultivation, and a First-Level Martial Artist!"

’He clearly remembered that back at Divine Weapon Ridge, disciples of the same generation had to endure at least ten years of hammering by the melting furnaces to achieve such a copper-like skin. And that was with the aid of Divine Weapon Ridge’s unique Secret Medicine to avoid damaging their foundation.’

’He had no idea how Xu Yunfan had managed it.’

Only then did Lv Yi realize with surprise that Xu Yunfan had actually cultivated the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer to Great Success, his skin now as tough as ox-hide and difficult for any blade to pierce.

He felt a hint of gratification. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"This Hammer Technique is considered difficult to master even at Divine Weapon Ridge. For you to achieve Great Mastery of Skin Cultivation with it is truly not easy... If you get the chance, you should go to Divine Weapon Ridge. There’s a Quenching Pool on the back mountain. The founding Ancestral Master once..."

He stopped abruptly, his face filled with desolation as he shook his head.

"Forget it. Nothing is certain about that anymore. It’s best not to mention it."

Yunfan noticed the veins bulging on the back of Lv Yi’s neck—a tell-tale sign of a Martial Artist forcefully suppressing their emotions.

The old blacksmith didn’t continue, instead grabbing the wine jug and taking three large gulps.

"The ancestors of the Wu Family Castle spent three generations raising fierce tigers for King Longxi. They managed to cultivate a White Tiger Beast and from it, they derived the White Tiger Gold-Jade Skill. It’s especially good for Bone Training, quite impressive even when looking at the entire Great Zhou.

The most spectacular display was three years ago, during the marital contest the Wu Family Castle held to find a husband for the lord’s daughter. Seventeen experts of the Bone Forging Realm had their kneecaps shattered by her using the White Tiger Gold-Jade Skill."

"Unfortunately, the Wu Family Castle is extremely exclusive. That Bone Forging Skill cannot be learned by anyone outside the direct lineage. A pity, a real pity!"

Blacksmith Lv stirred the wine in his cup with a chopstick as he continued his leisurely account.

"Besides them, the Iron River Gang on the Canglan River is another one. Their ’Overlapping Waves Bone Forging Skill’ involves stance training in a rushing current while tied to a three-hundred-pound iron anchor. The river water is bone-chillingly cold, which activates the Blood Qi and makes it seep into the bones. If you train it correctly, your bones become as hard as iron."

"Then there’s the Hundred Refinements Manor in the southern mines. Their Cold Iron Tempering Technique treats people like iron billets, hammering them into shape. Every ten days, you have to soak in a bath of Cold Iron solution for six hours. If you can take it, you succeed. If you can’t, you die."

"As for the most noticeable one, that would be the Dragon Gate Escort Agency’s ’Camel Dragon Force’ right here in the city. It focuses on making the spine like a great dragon, connecting all the limbs and bones. A Martial Master who has reached Great Mastery of Bone Cultivation with this technique will have a spine more than three times thicker than an ordinary person. If you see people in the city with necks thicker than their heads, they’re most likely from the Dragon Gate Escort Agency."

In his speech, Lv Yi demonstrated an intimate knowledge of the martial arts of Qingzhou’s various sects, speaking of them as if counting his own family treasures.

He sighed. "Unfortunately, these sects are extremely insular. It will be very difficult for you to join one and obtain a Bone Strengthening Skill."

Xu Yunfan felt a sense of resignation. Although he had fully expected this, hearing Lv Yi say it aloud still left him feeling a bit dejected.

Seeing Xu Yunfan hanging his head in sullen silence, Lv Yi chuckled and changed the subject again.

"There’s a Ghost Market thirty li west of the city. It opens at Midnight on the night of the full moon each month. That handful of Profound Iron Sand I have? I got it from there. Last winter..."

He let out a drunken hiccup, but a sharp glint flashed through his cloudy eyes. That was no drunken haze; his eyes were filled with pure envy.

"I personally saw someone selling a partial copy of the *Profound Turtle Carrying Mountain Technique*. It caused a massive uproar in the entire Black Market. A dozen or so top-tier experts appeared out of nowhere and nearly tore the whole place apart.

They only just finished rebuilding it a few months ago. You can go take a look on the night of the full moon."

As he spoke, he pulled an Iron Token from his robes and tossed it in front of Xu Yunfan.

"The entrance is a stone bridge, guarded by a crippled old Daoist. Just show him this Token. Remember to keep yourself concealed. It’s one thing inside the Black Market, but once you’re outside, anything can happen."

Xu Yunfan picked it up for a look. The Iron Token was worn smooth and shiny. In the center of the Token, a single word was inscribed.

’Mist’

"Thank you!"

They drank until the moon was high in the sky. When Elder Lv had had his fill, Xu Yunfan helped support him back to the blacksmith shop.

Moonlight spilled down, casting a faint silvery glow over the snow-covered Beiye City.

Suddenly, Xu Yunfan stopped in his tracks. He turned his head to look at a dark corner under the eaves of a roof. Someone was huddled there, covered in a thick layer of snow, completely still.

Beiye City was located in the Northern Territory of the Great Zhou. The winters were brutally cold and the snow fell thick. Without enough firewood or a warm place to take shelter, people could only freeze to death like this.

Moreover, many people had frozen to death in the city. This was just the tip of the iceberg.

Recently, the number of refugees in Beiye City seemed to be gradually decreasing.

"These are all refugees from the neighboring state of Wuzhou. When the current Empress began her Ascension, the Incense and Candle Sect started a rebellion in Wuzhou. The flames of war have been spreading ever since. The Wuzhou State City, Eternal Firm, is in critical danger. If not for the heavy winter snows sealing the mountain passes, Wuzhou would have already completely broken away from the Great Zhou’s control. Now, the Profound Armor Army from the Central State has been dispatched. After spring comes next year, they will crush the rebellion and restore order."

A somewhat detached voice spoke, and Xu Yunfan turned toward the sound.

He saw a man with a slender build, wrapped in a mink fur coat, who had the air of a scholar. The man was watching the scene, his face filled with righteous indignation.

Xu Yunfan glanced at him but said nothing more before turning to leave.