The days that followed continued to carry the weight of silent tension. The streets of Green River Town, once bustling with the carefree chatter of merchants and customers, had quieted, as if the very earth itself held its breath. The marketplace, though still open, felt like a place of whispers rather than business. Eyes darted suspiciously, and voices carried only in hushed tones. The oppressive atmosphere hung over the town like a thick fog, and even the birds seemed less eager to sing.
Xi Chen had grown accustomed to the quiet. His life as a blacksmith, with its rhythmic clanging of hammer on iron, had always been a constant. But now, the clangs rang out with a heavier sense of purpose. Each strike of the hammer was not just for shaping metal—it was a preparation. Every evening, after the day's work was done, Xi Chen retreated to his private training grounds. The dim light of the forge was his sanctuary, and there, he continued his training with relentless determination.
He had passed through the Bone Refinement Realm, but his work was far from over. His focus had now shifted entirely to the Scarlet Bone Blooming Method. Progress, slow as it was, had been marked by subtle shifts in his body. His bones had become sturdier, more resilient, but the true potential of the technique had yet to be unlocked.
The method required perfect control—control over every movement, every breath. It was like molding clay, shaping his body into something that could withstand more than just physical forces. His bones were becoming more than they once were. They were turning into weapons. Weapons that would one day let him stand against the storm that was brewing.
He had already reached the late stages of Bone Refinement, but the path ahead was long and treacherous. The Bone Refinement Realm was not something that could be completed quickly. It required steady perseverance, the cultivation of patience. Only by meticulously refining each bone, slowly and carefully, could one break through to the next level. The next stage, the Blood Refinement Realm, was within his sights. But he would not reach it until he had perfected the Scarlet Bone Blooming Method.
His work at the forge had always been methodical, but now it took on new meaning. Every swing of his hammer, every strike against the iron, was a reminder of the power he was cultivating inside himself. He could feel the fire of the forge stoking the fire in his heart. But despite his progress, the world around him was growing more unstable by the day.
The Meng, Lin, and Li clans continued to build their strength. The Meng clan, though still holding sway over formations and scholarship, had begun to consolidate their resources. Their library, once open to the public, was now a guarded fortress. It was clear they were preparing for something, though whether it was an internal conflict or an external one, no one could say for sure.
The Lin clan, always the pragmatists, had begun to fortify their borders. They had sent emissaries to the provincial capital, and rumors suggested that they were stockpiling more than just grain and medicine. Weapons, too, were in the mix. It seemed that they were preparing for war—though what kind of war, no one knew.
But it was the Li clan that worried Xi Chen the most. Patriarch Li Chongba, a Grade 10 Acquired Qi cultivator, had not kept his power hidden. His presence was now a constant pressure on the town, and his enforcers moved through the streets with growing boldness. The merchants spoke in whispers of the Li clan's demands for protection money. The town's leadership, especially the council, was divided. Some feared the Li clan, others were waiting for an opportunity to strike back. But for now, there was no open conflict—at least, not yet.
Xi Chen's forge continued to ring with the steady sound of work, but his mind was elsewhere. He was preparing for something far more significant than any tool he could craft. It was his family that concerned him. They had no idea what was coming. He had kept his cultivation a secret, a secret that would remain hidden until the day he could no longer keep it under wraps.
Xi Bing and Xi Xuan had grown accustomed to his long hours at the forge. They knew their elder brother was a man of few words and even fewer distractions. But tonight, they had come to him with something more than just their usual questions about the forge.
"Big Brother," Xi Bing asked, his youthful face serious, "do you think something bad will happen to the town?"
Xi Chen paused in his work, his hammer frozen in mid-air. He hadn't expected such a question from his younger brother. He set the hammer down and turned to face them.
"Why do you ask?"
Xi Xuan, ever the curious one, tilted his head. "The town feels different. There's tension in the air. People are looking over their shoulders. I don't like it."
Xi Chen smiled softly, the corners of his mouth twitching up. "It's nothing for you two to worry about. You're still young."
"But you're worried, aren't you?" Xi Bing pressed.
Xi Chen's expression hardened slightly. He had kept them in the dark, but they were not blind. They could see the changes, feel the tension in the air. They had grown up under his protective wing, but even he couldn't shield them from what was coming.
"I'm always worried about you two," Xi Chen replied, his voice steady. "But you don't need to worry about the town. If anything happens, we'll be ready."
"Ready for what?" Xi Xuan asked, his innocent gaze searching Xi Chen's face.
"Ready for whatever comes," Xi Chen said, his tone unshaken. "It's better to be prepared than to be caught off guard."
Xi Bing seemed satisfied with the answer, though Xi Xuan still had a furrowed brow. They left him to his work, though Xi Xuan lingered for a moment longer, staring at his brother.
Xi Chen returned to his hammering, but the weight of his responsibility grew heavier with every passing moment. He had always known the town would face trials. The Li clan's rising power was undeniable. He could feel it in his bones. But the Meng and Lin clans weren't innocent either. The town was caught between three factions, each vying for power. It would take more than just the blacksmith's hammer to survive what was coming.
That night, as he finished his work and prepared to retire to his small quarters behind the forge, Old Gui appeared once more, standing in the doorway like a shadow.
"Boy," Old Gui rasped, "the storm's coming faster now. You better be ready."
Xi Chen didn't need Old Gui's reminder. He had known for a while now. The silence before the storm was deafening. But he also knew that when the time came, he would not be caught unprepared.
"I'll be ready," Xi Chen said softly. "And my family will be, too."
Old Gui smiled grimly, his dark eyes gleaming beneath his cloth. "You'd better hope it doesn't come sooner than you think."
And with that, the old man left, leaving Xi Chen alone with his thoughts. The weight of the coming storm settled over him like a heavy cloak. He knew that the battle for Green River Town was inevitable. And when it came, he would have to be ready—not just as a blacksmith, but as something much more.
The flame of the forge burned brightly that night. And as the heat of the metal rose, so too did the power within Xi Chen. When the storm finally broke, he would not be caught unprepared.