The next morning, Hidden Vanguard City was bustling with activity again.172Please respect copyright.PENANA0jbGCINQri
Chui Yim and Siu Fu made their way to the heart of Hidden Vanguard City.172Please respect copyright.PENANAAU1SPpx5Ko
Hidden Vanguard City was a small-scale city, and it was always intended to be as such. It was not meant to be like the South’s Five, taking up twice the size of a normal city, nor was it meant to be as exaggerated as South Imperial City, where the four avenues – Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird – were each the size of a normal city.172Please respect copyright.PENANAdQNBDzNxoa
Thus, it was a relatively fast journey to the city center. Just like any other city, the city center was the heart of the city, playing an important role just like the Evergreen Palace to South Imperial City. It also symbolized status and power.172Please respect copyright.PENANAUvhZMZq1tZ
However, here at Hidden Vanguard City, it was not merely where the city lord resided. There was another palace built opposite the city lord’s residence – a jade palace.172Please respect copyright.PENANAx0EaOSWK3H
The palace looked like it was a piece of art made of ice jade, shimmering under the mild sunlight in deep winter. In Chui Yim’s eyes, it looked more like a tower.172Please respect copyright.PENANAbRGRFJPMeE
It was nine stories high, towering over the city lord’s residence, yet everyone was fine with it.172Please respect copyright.PENANAVmwwasZKHS
This was the Heaven Jade Tower, the residence of water-casting grandmaster Mok Ching Sau.
Rumor had it that it was made of ice jade, a material that absorbed chillness and stored it.172Please respect copyright.PENANALABruZxhEJ
In fact, water-casting didn’t mean that the weapon was made of water; the weapon was frozen into ice when it took shape. Therefore, some people thought that it should be called ice-casting rather than water-casting. But since the founder, Mok Ching Sau, named it water-casting, the public had to accept it as it was.172Please respect copyright.PENANAaikt7OZ8ZD
This method was also the exact opposite of fire-forging; the colder the area was, the more beneficial towards the weapon-making process. This explained why the Heaven Jade Tower was built with ice jade that could absorb chilliness – it kept the tower at a low temperature and increased the success rate of water-casting by ten percent.172Please respect copyright.PENANAvNnfo35HYE
It was undoubtedly a sacred area for water-casters.
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Chui Yim and Siu Fu stood outside of the tower, admiring it. “Indeed the Heaven Jade Tower. It’s said to be built single-handedly by Mok Ching Sau, who provides it as a space for other water-casters for free.”172Please respect copyright.PENANAJFnjmRqWyA
“Mok Ching Sau is indeed an irreplaceable figure in craftsmanship.” Chui Yim smiled in admiration.172Please respect copyright.PENANACQ7vjPVXSJ
“But Brother Chui, isn’t fire-forging your strength? Fire and water don’t go well together, though…” Siu Fu looked at him in curiosity.172Please respect copyright.PENANApywlABQhjT
“All paths in the world lead to the same destination. Be it water-casting or grass-refining, they are all forging at the end of the day.” Chui Yim shook his head. “In fact, fire-forging isn't the most suitable in the South, where cultivators generally cultivate milder styles. Water-casting and grass-refining, which are similarly mild, would be much more suitable.”172Please respect copyright.PENANAPaX0y7tmxp
As the duo chatted, they walked into the Heaven Jade Tower. They immediately felt a gush of cold wind, the unique trait of the Heaven Jade Tower.172Please respect copyright.PENANAVjc9gpwQ6Z
A servant came up with a smile. “Welcome to the Heaven Jade Tower, are you here to rent a water-casting room? We’re already fully booked…”172Please respect copyright.PENANAzo0XWPwAQJ
Chui Yim waved his hands and took out an invitation. “Grandmaster Mok invited me here.”172Please respect copyright.PENANANxA8QhkCRs
The invitation made the servant's face change, and he went up to him, whispering, “You're the seventh teacher?”172Please respect copyright.PENANAzBPkYBYqTF
The servant tried his best to keep his calm, but his face was flushing red as he stared at Chui Yim, making Siu Fu feel funny. So how popular is Brother Chui that this servant is looking at him with such admiration?172Please respect copyright.PENANAR6W39Bi4Ge
“I am. Is Grandmaster Mok free right now?” Chui Yim nodded.
The servant looked at his surroundings and whispered, “Grandmaster is in seclusion preparing the December Cast, but he has informed us to welcome the teachers just like you're Grandmaster himself.” With that, he turned to Siu Fu. “This must be the sixth teacher that founded the puppetry style, right?”172Please respect copyright.PENANAI27ELxbTVg
Siu Fu wanted to correct the servant with a smile, but Chui Yim stopped him. “Yeah, this is my brother. Can I have a room for forging that's suitable for fire-forging? Is there even a place for that here?”172Please respect copyright.PENANAEmRKiQD5Yq
“Please follow me, teachers.” The servant looked around before whispering again.
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As the servant led the both of them, he kept expressing his admiration to Chui Yim and even wanted him to sign his clothes.172Please respect copyright.PENANAjwxZqROdKv
He led them towards a staircase leading to the underground, which surprised the teenagers. The servant might’ve only been in the one-chambered state, but seeing how well he was able to explain the situation to the teens, he must have worked here for a substantial period of time.172Please respect copyright.PENANAXW27RbduBZ
“Since Grandmaster Mok mentioned that this tower welcomes all smiths, we have rooms for fire-forgers and grass-refiners called the ignition room and plantation room respectively.”172Please respect copyright.PENANAXPUErVXFjb
As the trio made their way towards the basement, the temperature increased, and it reminded Chui Yim of how he built a similar room in his past life that gave him access to a vein of earth fire. However, with his current cultivation, there wasn't any need for him to reach for earth fire again.172Please respect copyright.PENANABfuZuIQAgP
Not long later, the trio finally reached a room in the basement. The one-chambered servant was already sweating buckets at this point in time. He didn’t have a high cultivation, making it tough for him to bear the high temperature.172Please respect copyright.PENANAfJkpOOPzCI
He forced a smile at the teenagers. “Teachers, this is the highest grade ignition room in the tower, please make yourself at home. Just insert energliph into the walls covered with gliphs after you’re done. We will come for you and bring you to rest.”172Please respect copyright.PENANAW7HI2WdRR1
“Thanks for the trouble.” Chui Yim placed his hands together, leaving the servant all giddy.172Please respect copyright.PENANAeaGVxDOEwZ
The seventh teacher just thanked me… He left in a daze.
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“I never expected Brother Chui to be this popular.”172Please respect copyright.PENANAyqtcPnOAxP
“It's Brother Siu that's living under a rock; how can you not have heard of Cloud Palace?” Chui Yim laughed.172Please respect copyright.PENANAgkrlIrvjeX
“Cloud Palace is no stranger to me, I hear about them all the time.” Siu Fu flashed Chui Yim a thin smile. “I just didn’t expect Brother Chui to be part of them.”172Please respect copyright.PENANA7rnY2tQrSl
“Okay, let's get to work now.” Chui Yim waved his hands.172Please respect copyright.PENANAZXPnHVo4vl
The aura around Chui Yim changed drastically as he wore a serious expression. “So what weapon does Brother Siu want? I need to know your style, gliphs, and what weapons you're most used to using…” Chui Yim bombarded Siu Fu with many questions, which left him at a loss for words.172Please respect copyright.PENANAZDbtXAZxkH
Of course he was at a loss for words – he was the current sacred son of necrogliphism, cultivating the purest form of necrogliphism with the Deadly Palm gliph of the tribe tattooed on him, how could he go around telling that to others?172Please respect copyright.PENANAJ6wDSs99JL
Chui Yim's case of tattooing his gliphs with flame might’ve been shocking, but it wasn’t illegal or anything. If he were to be honest, Chui Yim would want his life the next second.
“Must I provide this information?” Siu Fu asked after a long pause.
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