After the raid on the Tianmu Sect’s stronghold, Han likely wouldn’t have to deal with such matters again.

  Whatever reward he was due had already been given.

  The local officials in Qinghua County and the county magistrate's punishment decisions were not for Han to worry about.

  Once everything was wrapped up, Han and Bai Ruoyue met up with Lu Qingmo, who led them to a particular direction within the city.

  "That Wu Duguan probably didn’t target you on purpose," Lu Qingmo remarked on their way.

  "I got to know him during my time in the capital. Back then, he was still the deputy Duguan."

  "He’s a man of strict principles, deeply committed to maintaining order, and he despises people who disregard the law and act recklessly."

  "Because of this, he’s made quite a few enemies."

  "The Ghost and Spirit Division is closely connected with the Xuandu Sect, but the Dingwu Division is different. The Duguan appointments are made to avoid any conflicts, so the Xuandu Sect usually refrains from interfering."

  Han thought for a moment. It made sense now why Wu Duguan would say that Xuandu Sect disciples also needed to follow the rules.

  He was both principled and distant from Xuandu Sect’s direct control over the Dingwu Division.

  Logically, given that the Xuandu Sect was the national religion, even without its authority over the Dingwu Division, most warriors within the division would still fear it to some extent.

  But some people, it seemed, were as stubborn as an ox.

  "With such a personality, how did he get promoted to Duguan?" Bai Ruoyue asked, curiosity in her tone.

  "His father was the Duguan of the state’s Dingwu Division."

  Lu Qingmo casually mentioned, causing Han to fall silent.

  How naive I was.

  Even if he were a stubborn ox, he was still an ox with a powerful background.

  Soon, the trio arrived at their destination.

  Qianbing Workshop!

  "This is the best place for weapon smithing in the entire county," Lu Qingmo explained. "Your silver essence and Tianqing gold liquid will be refined here."

  A servant courteously led them to the guest room, offering tea.

  Before long, the heavy sound of footsteps approached. The door to the room opened, and the temperature in the space seemed to rise slightly.

  A white-haired man entered, his hair in disarray and his skin slightly flushed.

  "Master Yuan," Lu Qingmo greeted.

  "Lord Lu, your presence is truly an honor," Master Yuan responded, bowing respectfully.

  Behind him were two attendants holding a wooden box.

  "I have not failed my mission, and I have not wasted those precious materials. Lord Lu, please take a look and see if it meets your expectations."

  He handed over the wooden box, which Han quickly accepted, opening it under Lu Qingmo’s guidance.

  Inside the box was a sword, approximately three feet and seven inches long, glistening with a cold light. A straight golden line ran down the center of the blade.

  Just by looking at it, one could feel its sharpness.

  "Excellent sword!" Bai Ruoyue exclaimed.

  As Han picked up the sword, he saw that the other side had a silver line running through it.

  This was the result of using both gold liquid and silver essence.

  The interplay of gold and silver made the blade shine with a brilliance that spoke of its unbreakable nature.

  "Because of the fine materials used in forging, this sword is considered top-tier among weapons," Master Yuan explained. "In the future, if we find more suitable materials, it could reach even greater heights."

  "Thank you, Master Yuan," Han expressed his gratitude sincerely.

  "No need for such formalities. It’s just a transaction," Master Yuan waved dismissively.

  "You can give it a name. It will accompany you for a long time."

  A name...

  Han pondered for a moment.

  He intended to inlay the two gemstones he had obtained earlier—one representing ice and the other fire. Together, they would traverse the world.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Enchanted gemstones were fascinating; ice and fire could merge perfectly.

  Should he call it the Sword of Joy and Sorrow?

  No, that didn’t feel right.

  Han turned to Bai Ruoyue, deciding to give her the honor of naming the sword. After all, the weapon’s materials were his choice, the blacksmith was arranged by Mo Yi, and now Bai Ruoyue was here as well.

  This was their shared story, and he wanted to involve her more.

  It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he was bad at naming things.

  "Do you want me to name it?" Bai Ruoyue asked, slightly surprised but clearly excited. After a moment, she said, "Let’s call it Taibai!"

  "Uh, Master’s sword?" Han questioned.

  "His sword has another name. This one’s yours, Junior Brother."

  "Alright, then. Taibai it is."

  Han didn’t refuse. It was a fine name, and he wasn’t picky.

  The three of them didn’t linger at Qianbing Workshop and soon left.

  Afterward, Lu Qingmo returned alone to the Ghost and Spirit Division, as he had some matters to attend to.

  "Come on, Junior Brother. I’m taking you somewhere!" Bai Ruoyue said enthusiastically, leading Han through a maze of streets until they reached a bustling area.

  "What’s this place?" Han asked.

  "It’s where warriors and cultivators freely trade," Bai Ruoyue replied excitedly. "You can buy treasures here at lower prices than at any of the merchant guilds, and sometimes, even better items. But, of course, you might also get scammed."

  Han understood. This was a typical "Bazaar" from the extraordinary world.

  Though it was a prime example of such a place, it was also an inevitable result of the growing material needs of cultivators and the lagging production capabilities of society.

  Bazaar markets like this one helped meet the increasing material demands of practitioners and also served to handle the stolen goods from killings and robberies.

  "Senior Sister, aren’t you worried about getting scammed here?" Han asked.

  "Or do you have some special skill to distinguish treasures?"

  Bai Ruoyue shook her head. "I don’t have such skills, but you do!"

  "Last time you came to the county, didn’t you use your intuition to find a treasure at the Wansheng Merchant Guild?"

  "Maybe it’ll work here too!"

  "…Intuition doesn’t always work," Han replied, slightly frustrated.

  "We’re already here," Bai Ruoyue insisted.

  "Fine, fine, I’ll follow you."

  Han suspected Bai Ruoyue’s "heroine complex" had resurfaced.

  Unfortunately, after visiting every stall, no reaction from the treasure-seeking gem occurred.

  Even when some of the stall owners exaggerated their goods, claiming them to be one-of-a-kind, Bai Ruoyue was tempted, but the treasure gem remained silent.

  As expected, in places like this, apart from legitimate sellers, nine out of ten were scammers, and the other one was preparing to scam.

  No wonder Yuan Fang hadn’t brought Han here last time.

  "Junior Brother, are you sure you’re not missing something?" Bai Ruoyue asked, disappointed.

  "It’s not that I’m not good enough; it’s just that there aren’t any real treasures here. Senior Sister, you should avoid this place in the future."

  Han had figured out some of the mechanics of the treasure-seeking gem. It didn’t seem to react to openly displayed treasures.

  Bai Ruoyue sulked, clearly upset. The two of them then headed back to Wansheng Merchant Guild.

  She had come to the county for business, needing to purchase healing elixirs in preparation for their journey to the Black Mountain.

  While Han was helping Bai Ruoyue choose medicines, someone approached them and greeted Han.

  "Hey there, brother. What a coincidence, we meet again."

  Han recognized him immediately—he was Huang Mingnian, the man he had met previously at Wansheng Merchant Guild, who had a strained relationship with Yuan Fang.

  Han nodded, but he noticed that Huang Mingnian’s companion kept glancing at Bai Ruoyue.

  Bai Ruoyue noticed too and shot him a glare.

  Han’s anger flared up, blocking the man’s line of sight. The man frowned and seemed about to speak, but Huang Mingnian stopped him.

  "Apologies on behalf of my younger brother," Huang Mingnian said.

  "Brother, why apologize? I didn’t do anything," the man said arrogantly, looking down on everyone.

  "Even if I did something, you don’t need to apologize."

  "If your mouth isn’t needed, you could always get it melted at Qianbing Workshop," Han said coldly.

  "You…" The man was furious, but before he could respond, Huang Mingnian dragged him away with a dark expression.

  "Brother, I truly apologize. Next time we meet, I’ll make it up to you. I’ll make sure to discipline him properly."

  Han paid no attention to Huang Mingnian. He had no good feelings for either of them.

  "How do you know them?" Bai Ruoyue asked, eyes fixed on their retreating figures.

  "If it weren’t for the no-fighting rule here, I would’ve slapped him already."

  "They’re irrelevant," Han answered, dismissing them. "I met the older one, Huang Mingnian, last time I was in the county. The other guy... who knows what he is."

  "Huang, you say? Must be from the Huang family, my father mentioned them. A prominent family in the county."

  "Who cares about that? They’re just fools," Han muttered, irritated.

  Huang Mingnian seemed reasonable enough, but his younger brother... Han’s mood soured.

  It turned out both of them were from the same mud. Neither of them was worth dealing with.

  Han extended his spiritual power, following them from a safe distance, catching snippets of their conversation.

  "Brother, why stop me? Who does that wild brat think he is, defying me? I’m going to teach him a lesson today!"

  "Normally, I don’t care about how you behave, but can’t you rein in your temper at critical moments?"

  "They’re not simple people. They’re different from the women you’ve toyed with or the ones you’ve bullied before!"

  "In this Tianyue County, who in the Huang family should we fear?"

  "Idiot, you want to drive me crazy? If it weren’t for Mom saying you should follow me, I wouldn’t even bother!"

  "You wouldn’t care about me? Well, I..."

  As they walked further from the merchant guild, Han retracted his spiritual power, sneering coldly.

  What fools.

  Now it made sense—both of them were trouble.

  Han called over a member of Wansheng Merchant Guild.

  "Who were those two just now?"

  "They’re from the Huang family. Huang Mingnian and Huang Mingri," the merchant answered.

  Han remembered the latter name.

  Lord Zhou is petty and bears grudges.

  If they meet again elsewhere, things won’t be so easily settled.

  Bai Ruoyue needed some rare medicinal pills, so they went up to the second floor to make the purchase.

  When she was paying, Lin, the manager from the private section, suddenly appeared, offering a discount.

  "Young Master Zhou, we meet again," Lin smiled kindly at Han.

  "Manager Lin, you’re putting me in a difficult position," Han chuckled helplessly.

  "It’s all done according to the rules. Don’t worry, there’s no problem—just a small gesture," Lin waved.

  "Manager Lin, you’re truly considerate."

  After leaving the merchant guild, Bai Ruoyue was surprised.

  "Junior Brother, you’ve got quite a reputation here. The discount you got is even better than my father’s!"

  "It’s not my reputation. It’s Mo Yi’s. Last time I came with her, Manager Lin remembered me."

  "Does Master also get discounts here?"

  "Of course. Anyone with the status of my father or someone like a Duguan from the Ghost and Spirit Division would be treated the same."

  "A small discount won’t sway a powerful figure, but at least it prevents any hard feelings."

  Clearly, Wansheng Merchant Guild’s success wasn’t without reason.

  But the most significant reason was likely their connection to a formidable figure from the Mountain and River list.

  The world’s mightiest, every word and action wielding heaven’s authority.

  A true hero acts like this!