Chapter 54

Entering the foundry, Zhu Minglang saw the old master who, even in the dead of winter, wore only a soft leather vest. His skin was like cured meat, and his muscles like those of a bear. If he were to charge with a shield, a whole squad of soldiers would be knocked down.

"Master Zhao Long, good morning," Zhu Minglang greeted.

"Little Zhu, you're here so early again today. Sigh, you're a good apprentice, with heart and perseverance, unlike those lazy dogs I have to deal with. Who knows how many days they'll spend here before they can graduate." Zhao Long said, holding a needle and thread, mending a broken piece of armor.

To be honest, every time, Zhu Minglang felt that Master Zhao Long should go to the neighboring foundry to forge iron, hammers, and sharpen knives, which would better suit his image. It was hard to imagine how his rough, large hands could handle such tiny needles and thread, and yet his craftsmanship was particularly good.

"Master Zhao, I told you I have family skills, not just a small apprentice. I'll show you the armor I made a few days ago; it's quite impressive!" Zhu Minglang said.

"Ha ha ha, I believe you, of course I do. Your technique is different from others, but unfortunately, we can't learn it. If you could, you could teach us these step-by-step foundry workers... By the way, a few days ago, someone sent something heavy and very valuable, saying it was for you," Zhao Long said.

"Is that so? Then I have something to do, I won't chat with you anymore!"

"Alright, alright... Strange, where's my scissors? Another stupid apprentice didn't put the tools back. Sigh, well..." Zhao Long said, opening his mouth and using his good teeth to bite the thread, breaking the very resilient line.

Zhu Minglang smiled and shook his head.

The professional atmosphere that had just been established was completely dispelled by this act of biting the thread!

If someone sent something to the foundry, it was almost certain that it was the gift from Zheng Yu.

Blue-silver ore!

This ore was not uncommon, nor particularly rare. If one was determined to collect it, one could gather quite a bit. However, Zhu Minglang had learned that in the Ancestor Dragon City-State, blue-silver ore was not used as a material in their casting techniques.

Blue-silver was more often found in hairpins, earrings, and silk chains, purely for aesthetic decoration.

Zhu Minglang needed blue-silver because it had some attributes. If the energy it contained could be activated, it could be directly transformed onto a dragon pet.

Dragon armor!

With the materials and silver, and with his persistent practice over the past period, he could now officially forge this heavy dragon armor!

"Master Zhao, I need an independent casting room. I'll leave the money here," Zhu Minglang said to Zhao Long.

"What money? Go ahead, no one will disturb you," Zhao Long said.

"Thank you, Master Zhao."

Forging dragon armor was a secretive matter, and Zhu Minglang did not want others to know. It was clear that there were very few people in the Ancestor Dragon City-State who possessed this skill, and even fewer in other city-states.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Zhu Minglang decided to keep a low profile.

Immersing himself in the casting, time passed incredibly quickly. Often, after entering the independent casting room and refining a few key parts of the blue-silver, he would come out for a meal, and it would already be dark.

But research itself was a kind of pleasure.

Finding ingredients, taming dragon pets, and forging armor, he hadn't felt this fulfilled in a long time, feeling that every day was not enough.

Of course, no matter how busy he was, Zhu Minglang still remembered to visit the little dragon, his third spirit pact dragon, hoping it would recover soon.

...

Snow, pure and white, fell on the silver-gray Ancestor Dragon City-State. On the towering city walls and the tips of the towers, these sacred winter spirits first touched down.

The first snowflakes, like white butterflies, danced gently. Only diligent young men like Zhu Minglang could perfectly witness their graceful figures before dawn. By the time the sky was fully bright, the snow butterflies had melted in the bright sunlight, leaving the vast city in a sacred and solemn silver-white!

The process of forging the armor had been fully understood not long ago. Zhu Minglang stepped through the snow, entering the foundry at the same time as usual.

In every environment, there is always someone who is more diligent than oneself. He arrived earlier, and when one was still motivating oneself to work hard today, the other was already in a state of full concentration.

This person was Master Zhao Long.

Zhu Minglang had tried to arrive a few minutes earlier several times, hoping to see if Master Zhao Long slept there, but he had never solved the mystery of why Master Zhao Long was always the earliest.

"Master Zhao, good morning," Zhu Minglang greeted.

"Little Zhu... Ah, Little Zhu!" Suddenly, Master Zhao Long let out a strange cry, put down his work, and stared at Zhu Minglang.

"What's wrong?" Zhu Minglang was puzzled.

Hadn't he just missed a class yesterday?

Was it really as if they had been separated for years?

"Quick, quick, look at what's posted at the door. Is that person really you?" Master Zhao Long pulled Zhu Minglang to the street, speaking hurriedly.

Zhu Minglang moved and found that there was indeed a portrait posted at the door. The material of the paper was very similar to a wanted poster for a notorious bandit!

What was going on? Had he done something so heinous?

But the person in the portrait was exactly like him!

Was he really wanted?

What for?

"Yesterday, it was all over the town. They say this person is the homeless man who was once in the same cell as the Valkyrie. It's said that he was originally a silkworm farmer in Sang Town, poor and humble, born into a lowly family. Because he was lazy and gluttonous, he couldn't even raise silkworms, and without money, he became a beggar in Yong City. By chance, he entered the dungeon and had an indecent encounter with the Valkyrie, who was imprisoned deep in the dungeon," Zhao Long lowered his voice and said to Zhu Minglang.

"Huh?"

Zhu Minglang's face was a picture of despair.

He wanted to correct it but quickly realized that if he did, it would be an admission.

"You look so much like that homeless man. I suggest you wear a mask recently. It's winter, and many people catch colds. Wearing a mask is also good for your health," Zhao Long said seriously.

"It's not about the resemblance. Why would such a rumor suddenly spread?" Zhu Minglang asked.

"Who knows? It spread overnight, and your portrait is posted all over the city. People in nearby shops say you look very similar, let alone those in our own shop. The big and small craftsmen all think it's you!" Zhao Long said.

"Alright, I'll be in the casting room for a while," Zhu Minglang nodded.

He remembered that when he parted ways with Li Yunzi, she had warned him that her enemies might use him to make trouble.

It seemed they had already made their move.

Of course, it could also be Luo Xiao's revenge. As a traitor, he had been expelled and wanted, and could no longer move freely in the Ancestor Dragon City-State. He could only use such despicable means to torment him.

"You, without the life of others, bearing the sins of others. If it gets too bad, go to some old doctors and see if they can change your appearance," Zhao Long said with concern.

"..." Zhu Minglang didn't know how to respond.

Some things were bound to happen, and Zhu Minglang was mentally prepared.

Changing his appearance was impossible. It was time to clean up the atmosphere in the Ancestor Dragon City-State. He was tired of hearing that the Valkyrie's man was a homeless, lowly beggar!

He, Zhu Minglang, would shine in the Ancestor Dragon City-State!

With dignity and integrity.

This was his current response.

...

Sure enough, by night, his name had spread throughout the town.

When Zhu Minglang, somewhat tired, came out of the casting room, Master Zhao Long and several other apprentices were standing outside, staring at him with strange looks.

Master Zhao Long looked incredulous. He thought the portrait just looked like Zhu Minglang, but now that the name was out, it couldn't be wrong!

As for the young apprentices,

In fact, they had discussed the Valkyrie's story many times over drinks. The story of the high and mighty lady and the little beggar had countless versions in the folk, long dominating the best-selling banned books. Zhu Minglang had been described in countless ways, short, ugly, fat, and thin...

"Little Zhu, you're not really that... that homeless man in Yong City, are you?" the senior apprentice finally couldn't help but ask.

Zhu Minglang knew that explaining wouldn't make much difference.

The rumor spreaders were indeed despicable, saying he was lazy and gluttonous, unable to raise silkworms and becoming a beggar. He had been kidnapped!

Of course, Zhu Minglang also realized that since the rumor detailed his identity as a silkworm farmer in Sang Town, it must have been spread by Luo Xiao.

Luo Xiao didn't want him to live in peace in the Ancestor Dragon City-State. With such a despicable and envied identity, it was hard to survive without self-protection.

"Zhu Minglang, did you really sleep with the Valkyrie?" the apprentice Zhou Xin asked with a strange tone.