Chapter 38: A Chance Encounter and a Divine Calling

As he approached the blacksmith’s shop, the blacksmith was coincidentally there, selling weapons to a few adventurers. Spotting Zhang Luan from a distance, he immediately thrust the weapons into the adventurers’ hands and nodded subtly in Zhang Luan’s direction.

The adventurers were baffled by the blacksmith’s sudden change in demeanor, especially after he had been so unyielding about prices moments before. Nevertheless, they were happy to save money wherever possible; no one ever complained about having too much.

However, upon seeing Zhang Luan and Nan Fenghua, who was clinging to his side, the adventurers froze.

“Is… is that the Saintess? Then this must be… His Highness, the Saint Son?”

The young adventurer leading the group had never expected to encounter two such influential figures from the temple here. He swallowed hard, staring blankly as the pair walked towards him.

“Could you move aside?”

“Ah? Oh, yes, of course!”

He was incredibly nervous. To the young adventurers of Akamana, the Akamana Temple was an exalted entity. Yet, precisely because of its sanctity, opportunities to meet high-ranking temple members were exceedingly rare. If he failed to seize this chance, he wouldn’t know when he might see them again.

Seeing him clear the path, Zhang Luan led Nan Fenghua directly to the blacksmith. After a brief observation, he confirmed that the blacksmith showed no signs of his faith shattering, which put him at ease. He then spoke directly.

“My custom arrows?”

“They are ready, Your Highness. Please, come in.”

As the blacksmith pushed open the door, Zhang Luan had just begun to step inside when the young adventurer called out to him, his voice trembling.

“Th-that! Your Highnesses, the Saint Son and Saintess, please wait a moment!”

The blacksmith frowned, glaring at the bothersome young man. He had wasted over ten minutes haggling just to save a single gold coin, and the blacksmith had given him the weapons for free out of respect for the Saint Son’s arrival. How could this fellow be so ignorant, daring to disturb the Saint Son?

“Go, go! Don’t bother us here. Go back where you came from. I didn’t even charge you for these swords, what more do you want?”

Behind the young man, his companions cowered, wanting to flee as the blacksmith brandished his warhammer. They had only been adventurers for a day or two, capable of defeating nothing more than slimes. If that hammer truly struck them, it would undoubtedly result in multiple comminuted fractures.

“Let’s go, Senluo. If you want to be a Guardian, you can apply at the temple. Don’t bother the Saint Son and Saintess here.”

His companions urged him to leave. After all, truly offending these two could mean the abrupt end of their adventuring careers.

However, the young man named Senluo had no intention of leaving. He pushed away his companions’ hands and, with a nervous shout, declared,

“Your Highness, the Saint Son, please give me a moment!”

Watching the impertinent young man, the blacksmith grumbled and stepped forward, raising his great hammer as if to scare him.

“Ah, wait. What’s your name?”

Before the great hammer could descend, Zhang Luan flickered, appearing in front of the blacksmith’s massive body. He drew out [Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon] and, with an upward thrust, held it against the hammer.

The young man swallowed hard. He hadn’t even seen how Zhang Luan arrived, appearing so suddenly. A tiny flicker of understanding regarding Zhang Luan’s power ignited within him.

“M-my name is Hei Senluo. Um, Your Highness, please listen to me!”

“No need to say more. Report to the temple tomorrow. I will tell Yanate to take you in.”

Zhang Luan reached out and patted his shoulder, feigning an expression of high regard.

Senluo was utterly astonished by Zhang Luan’s words. He stood rooted to the spot, unmoving for a long time. By the time he finally reacted, Zhang Luan had already returned to the blacksmith’s doorway and stepped inside.

His companions gazed at him with envy. If only they had known that His Highness, the Saint Son, was so approachable, they too would have tried to seize the opportunity. Becoming a Guardian meant they wouldn’t have to risk their lives fighting slimes for meager earnings.

Once inside the blacksmith’s shop, Nan Fenghua looked at Zhang Luan with a hint of confusion.

“Brother Zhang Luan, do you know that person?”

Zhang Luan shook his head, smiling without a word. Of course, he knew him. This young man named Senluo was a prominent protagonist in the later stages of his previous life, known as the powerful Ancient Dual-Blade Wielder.

He had never expected to meet him here, especially in his nascent stages. Offering a helping hand now might prove useful in the future. As for whether it would alter his life and prevent him from becoming as strong as he was in his past life?

One could only say that the strong become stronger. Truly powerful individuals would not be weakened by minor changes, especially when the changes he offered were beneficial.

“Your Highness, you suddenly vanished for three days. I thought those custom arrows were no longer needed. I’ll go get them for you; please wait a moment.”

The blacksmith headed to the back of the shop, where finished items were typically stored. During the short wait, Nan Fenghua curiously observed everything around her; it was her first time in such a place.

“Brother Zhang Luan, can this blacksmith make custom items?”

“Yes, he can. Why? Do you want one too?”

Nan Fenghua shook her head.

“No, my godmother will give me my items. I was just curious. Godmother used to say that only exceptionally skilled artisans could craft custom items, and I thought Akamana City wouldn’t have such talent… I never expected there to be one here.”

“His profession is that of a Mountain Sealing Artisan. However, due to certain reasons, he previously lost the qualification to craft custom items, but now it has been restored, which is why he can make them. Oh, and here, take this book. Study it carefully when you get back.”

Zhang Luan retrieved the Divine Arts Codex from his system inventory. There was no need to be secretive, as the Otherworld had various spatial storage items, some advanced ones even capable of storing living creatures.

Upon seeing the Divine Arts Codex, Nan Fenghua’s face instantly fell.

“C-can I not learn it?”

“No, you can’t. Learning it will be good for you. Besides, didn’t you say you were a genius?”

Nan Fenghua’s face drooped. Hugging the thick Divine Arts Codex, she complained plaintively,

“But some of the divine arts in this book are so annoying! Imagine, there’s a divine art called ‘Cross Hands,’ and its effect is to conjure a whole bunch of huge sacred arms. Ugh! Just thinking about summoning a bunch of hands, how terrifying!”

Zhang Luan was somewhat speechless. Others yearned to learn the contents of this Divine Arts Codex, but this foolish girl found it terrifying?

Moreover, what she described wasn’t terrifying at all; it was purely an excuse concocted by this silly girl.

“Are you going to learn it or not?”

“Can I say no…?”

She secretly glanced at Zhang Luan, a hint of expectation in her eyes.

“You can, of course. But then, don’t talk to me anymore, alright? It’s a small matter, no big deal, right?”

Zhang Luan smiled at her, reaching out to lightly tap her head. If this silly girl still refused to learn, he planned to deliver a ‘love tap’ to make her understand his earnest intentions.

“I’ll learn it then! Brother Zhang Luan is so mean. Anyway, I’m a genius, hmph!”