As evening approached and the sun dipped toward the horizon, San Shier finally returned.
He was not alone.
Behind him walked a man with a sturdy build and weathered face, his clothes stained with soot and ash. This was Li Da, the blacksmith San Shier had persuaded—some might say tricked—into coming.
Their journey from Chengcheng County had been long and brutal.
They had fled amid chaos, running more than thirty li across rugged terrain, climbing hills and crossing barren land scorched by drought. By the time Gao Family Village appeared in the distance, both men were utterly exhausted, their throats dry and limbs heavy with fatigue.
San Shier raised his arm and pointed ahead.
"We're here," he said, breathing hard. "Just up ahead."
Then he froze.
His eyes widened.
"Remarkable… it has only been a few days, yet there is already another divine wall. Truly… it is called transformation beyond recognition."
Li Da had grown increasingly uneasy during the journey. The farther they traveled, the more desolate the land became. Signs of human life vanished entirely, replaced by silence and decay.
But the moment he saw the towering wall surrounding Gao Family Village, his unease vanished.
In its place came astonishment.
The wall rose two zhang high, its brightly colored surface gleaming beneath the fading sunlight. It was imposing, magnificent—far beyond anything one would expect from a mere village.
This could only mean one thing.
The lord who lived here possessed immense power and wealth.
Even the act of painting such a massive structure in vibrant colors spoke of extravagant resources. A lord who spent so freely was usually generous as well.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Li Da asked,
"Where exactly have you brought me? There is such a grand city here?"
"Gao Family Village," San Shier replied calmly.
Li Da stopped walking.
"A village?"
He stared at San Shier in disbelief.
If San Shier had claimed this was Xi'an City, he might have believed him. But a village with walls two zhang high?
It made no sense.
After a moment, Li Da muttered thoughtfully,
"Then this must be some fortified manor belonging to a powerful family. Yet I have never heard of any prominent Gao clan in Chengcheng County."
San Shier shook his head.
"The lord here is Tianzun."
Li Da frowned.
A question mark seemed to form in his mind.
San Shier lowered his voice.
"Once we enter, speak less and observe more. Do not offend Tianzun. If you anger him and are cast out, I will not be able to help you. It is called walking upon thin ice."
Li Da nodded slowly.
He was no ignorant country bumpkin. Having grown up in the county seat, he understood the ways of powerful households. When entering unfamiliar territory, silence and observation were the safest course.
San Shier led the way.
The two men passed through the city gate and entered Gao Family Village.
At present, only one side of the gate had been completed. The other half remained unfinished, leaving the entrance slightly asymmetrical.
Li Da could not help but smile inwardly.
So this place was newly built.
No wonder they needed a blacksmith.
This was his chance to prove his worth.
But before he could dwell further on the thought, his attention was drawn elsewhere.
Inside the gatehouse, several villagers sat eating.
Each of them held a large earthen bowl filled to the brim with white rice, topped with cabbage and strips of chicken. Steam rose from the food, carrying a rich and irresistible aroma.
Li Da froze.
His eyes widened.
Even the laborers here ate such food?
He had once forged armor for the Inspector himself, yet even then, he had never been treated so well.
And there was something else.
These villagers did not look like starving peasants.
Their faces were full of color.
Their bodies were strong.
Their movements carried vitality.
After three years of drought, such people should not exist.
Li Da felt his mind grow restless with questions.
But he remembered San Shier's warning.
Ask less.
Observe more.
So he remained silent.
San Shier soon brought him before Gao Yiye.
He bowed respectfully.
"Miss Gao, in accordance with Tianzun's command, I have brought the blacksmith. It is called fulfilling one's mission without disgrace."
Before Gao Yiye could respond, Tianzun's voice descended.
"Good. He has done well. Praise him."
At that moment, Li Daoxuan sat in his room, eating a bowl of pickled cabbage and shredded pork noodles while watching the scene unfold inside the diorama box. He smiled faintly, clearly pleased.
Gao Yiye spoke.
"Tianzun praises you. You have done well."
San Shier beamed with joy.
"It is called a heart blooming with happiness."
Li Daoxuan then said,
"Yiye, have him introduce the blacksmith."
San Shier immediately complied.
"This is Li Da, the finest blacksmith in Chengcheng County. He has forged armor for several Inspectors, and many weapons used by the county garrison were made by his hands. It is called craftsmanship of the highest order."
Li Daoxuan chuckled inwardly.
They even shared the same surname.
Perhaps five hundred years ago, they had been family.
Li Da, meanwhile, felt both proud and puzzled.
He was grateful for San Shier's praise, but something else troubled him.
Why was San Shier showing such deference to a mere village girl?
She wore plain clothes, no different from any ordinary villager.
Yet he dared not question it.
Then Tianzun spoke.
"Li Da. Can you forge iron armor?"
Li Da straightened immediately.
This was his domain.
"This humble one entered the ordnance bureau as a child and has studied the forging of weapons and armor ever since," he said confidently. "There is nothing this humble one cannot forge."
Li Daoxuan smiled.
"Is that so? Then tell me—can you forge firearms?"
Li Da did not hesitate.
"Yes. This humble one can forge the Three-Eyed Arquebus."
Li Daoxuan nodded in satisfaction.
"Excellent. Then you can teach the villagers how to forge iron armor."
Li Da's heart skipped a beat.
Privately manufacturing armor was a crime of rebellion.
But then another thought followed.
If this lord dared do such things openly, it meant his power was extraordinary.
Only someone like this could free him from Artisan Registration.
Only someone like this could restore his freedom.
Li Da clenched his fists.
He had nothing to lose.
Li Daoxuan continued.
"In addition, I have an even more important task for you."
Li Da's confidence returned instantly.
He lifted his chin slightly.
There was no weapon or armor he could not forge.
No matter how complex, iron was still iron.
Given enough time, he could shape anything.
He spoke boldly.
"Miss, please inform Tianzun. There is nothing this humble one cannot create. Whatever Tianzun desires, this humble one will forge it."
He paused, then added with sincerity,
"I ask only that Tianzun grant me freedom from Artisan Registration. If I succeed, and my descendants may live as commoners, I will be forever grateful."
Li Daoxuan did not hesitate.
He picked up a sheet of A5 paper.
Then he placed it inside the diorama box, setting it down in the open space behind the city gate.
A new task had begun.