Chapter 342: The Metal City
Though five years had passed, the bond between Dugu Yan and Feng Wutong remained as strong as ever. As for Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan, their previous acquaintance had been little more than an exchange of polite nods, but now, with Feng Wutong and Dai Yao's influence, the two had grown considerably closer.
During her time in Heaven Dou City, Dugu Yan had often heard about the young master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, praised by numerous powerful figures. Initially, she assumed Dai Yao's "harem" had acquired a fierce tigress, which made her a bit wary. However, now she saw that Ning Rongrong was more like a shy rabbit—her face flushed red at the slightest teasing, which amused Dugu Yan and made her all the more eager to tease her.
Watching Ning Rongrong blush, Dugu Yan chuckled.
"I thought that as the young master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Rongrong would have a strong, fierce personality. I didn't expect you'd be like this."
Ning Rongrong, just recovering from the flustered state Dugu Yan had put her in, was a bit put out by her remark. Glancing at Dugu Yan, she muttered,
"And I didn't expect that someone widely regarded as a 'venomous femme fatale' could be so bothersome when she's trying to mess with people."
Dugu Yan laughed it off, unfazed by the complaint. Since they'd left Longxing City, their time together had brought them closer, especially now that they both accepted each other as Dai Yao's partner. As a result, they had no real reason for conflict, which had fostered a genuine friendship between them.
Dugu Yan's emerald-green eyes shifted thoughtfully before she turned to Dai Yao and asked,
"By the way, you still haven't told us what you're here in Gengxin City for."
Dai Yao took out a bundle of blueprints from his soul guide and smiled.
"Take a look at these. What do you think?"
Each woman pulled out a sheet. Dugu Yan examined one for a moment before she furrowed her brows in confusion, while Ning Rongrong immediately showed a spark of excitement. She took a few more sheets to check, then raised her head, her face lighting up.
"Dai Yao, aren't these blueprints for Tang San's hidden weapons? How did you get them?"
After the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had purchased some of Tang San's hidden weapons, they had been trying to replicate them—especially the Zhuge Divine Crossbow. But for some reason, each time they dismantled the weapons, the mechanisms would automatically fail, preventing any duplication. This failure had become a point of frustration within her clan, so the moment she saw the blueprints, she recognized them at once.
Dai Yao chuckled.
"Let's just say Tang San was so awed by my strength that he decided to give them to me in exchange for his life."
Dugu Yan rolled her eyes at him, laughing.
"Oh, sure! Tang San probably wishes he could tear you apart, but he'd willingly hand you his hidden weapon blueprints?"
Seeing that Dai Yao was avoiding the full story, the women let the matter drop.
Dai Yao took in the increasingly strong metallic scent in the air and continued,
"Gengxin City, or the Metal City, is home to the Ironworking Association, the mecca of master blacksmiths. To produce these weapons, we need their expertise, especially for the three most advanced hidden weapons on these blueprints, which require top-level craftsmanship."
"So my purpose here is to convince the Ironworking Association to join Qinglian Sect. That way, we'll gain a reliable source of income by manufacturing and selling hidden weapons. Also, we can arm our disciples, especially those from the Min Clan. Once equipped with these weapons, their capabilities will skyrocket."
Dugu Yan looked concerned.
"Yao, will it be that easy to bring the Ironworking Association on board?"
Dai Yao smiled confidently.
"With these blueprints, they'll be convinced. And if they're not, I have a card up my sleeve that they simply can't refuse."
Though both women were curious about this "ace," Dai Yao refused to explain further, and they decided not to push the matter.
"Rongrong," he added, "once I've recruited the Ironworking Association, I'll make sure to share the hidden weapon techniques with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan so you'll no longer be at the mercy of Tang San's monopoly."
Ning Rongrong smiled faintly.
"No need, Dai Yao. Just because I'm your fiancée doesn't mean you need to hand over your technology freely. Let my father pay to buy the weapons. They have plenty of money, anyway, and maybe it'll keep him out of the auction houses for a change."
She wrinkled her nose at the thought, her tone slightly annoyed.
Dai Yao couldn't help but laugh. He imagined Ning Fengzhi would be quite perplexed if he heard his daughter's mercenary streak. Then, seeing the mineral stalls lining the streets outside, he remembered how Ning Rongrong had once found valuable ores in the original story.
"What do you say we go have a look around? This is Gengxin City, after all. Maybe we'll find some materials for the top-level hidden weapons."
While the odds of discovering the rare Cold Iron Essence or Deep Sea Silver mentioned in the original tale were slim, he thought it wouldn't hurt to try.
Dugu Yan clapped her hands with excitement.
"I'd love to explore the Metal City!" Even Ning Rongrong looked eager.
Dai Yao stopped the carriage, stepping down first to help each woman out. As they stepped onto the bustling street, he noticed that the previously noisy crowd grew quiet, captivated by the two women. Only Feng Wutong, draped in her black robe, escaped their stares.
Walking alongside three beauties, Dai Yao soon drew a noticeable number of stares from passersby. With a rueful smile, he suggested,
"Maybe it would be better if you two wore veils. If we go any farther like this, we'll probably end up blocking the whole street."
Dugu Yan shot him a sidelong look but didn't protest. She could feel the weight of everyone's gaze on them, especially hers and Ning Rongrong's, so she took out two green veils from her soul guide and handed one to Ning Rongrong.
After securing her own veil, Dugu Yan glanced at Feng Wutong.
"It seems Wutong had the foresight to hide her appearance," she observed with a hint of admiration.
Feng Wutong replied quietly,
"I just don't like being stared at."
The group strolled through the city for a while, pausing at various stalls. Ning Rongrong bought several seemingly worthless stones, drawing curious stares from the crowd, but Dai Yao was secretly pleased; the stones resembled the ones from the original story.
Since Dai Yao had no direct connection to the Ironworking Association and no introductions from someone like Tai Tan, he decided to wait before approaching Lou Gao, the association's leader. In the meantime, he led the group to the city's auction house.
Initially, an attendant tried to lead them into the general auction area. However, when Ning Rongrong showed her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan token, the attendant's demeanor changed, and he promptly guided them to the VIP section.
People from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan were always highly valued clients.
Finally settled, Ning Rongrong let out a sigh of relief.
"Ah, at last, we can relax."
Dai Yao sank into the sofa with a sigh of relief. Even with his powerful physique, trailing three women through the streets had left him utterly spent.
Dugu Yan cast him a sidelong glance, feigning irritation.
"Pathetic."
Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong, feeling sympathetic, moved behind him and gently massaged his shoulders.
"Rongrong, don't spoil him like that," Dugu Yan protested. "It's just a shopping trip. I guarded that pool for five years without a word of complaint."
Ning Rongrong simply smiled, letting Dugu Yan's comments pass. Hearing her grumble, Dai Yao felt a pang of guilt. He knew that those five years had left her waiting and lonely, and his time had been fully occupied by Bibi Dong's relentless training, leaving him no chance to see her. Looking at her with genuine remorse, he said,
"I'm sorry, Yan."
Dugu Yan's expression softened, but she spoke hurriedly, afraid he'd misunderstand.
"No, it's not like that. It's just…"
In truth, the past five years had nearly turned her into an embittered woman. Not once in all that time had he come to see her. And then, after they finally reunited, he left again almost immediately. Despite this, Ning Rongrong offered a warm, understanding smile.
"It's alright now. We're finally together, so let's not waste time on regrets. By the way, Dai Yao, how do you plan to recruit the Ironworking Association? Should we try using my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan connections?"
Dai Yao straightened and looked toward the center of the auction hall, explaining,
"No need. The reason we came here quietly was to stay under the radar. Soon enough, the right people from the Ironworking Association will come to us."
Instead of explaining further, Dai Yao simply gave a cryptic smile, choosing to keep certain details to himself. Just then, the auction began.
The lights dimmed, leaving a single spotlight on the stage as an older man in his fifties stepped onto it, delivering the opening speech. The man was named Sidi, the personal disciple of Lou Gao, the legendary master blacksmith.
"Rongrong," Dai Yao said, looking at her with a grin, "the bidding will depend on you. If any valuable metals come up, I need you to secure them."
Ning Rongrong raised her small fist, showing off a gleaming green jade bracelet, and smiled.
"Consider it done. With my wealth, I'll win every single one!"
A short while later, murmurs began to spread throughout the auction hall, all directed at the VIP room where Dai Yao's group was seated. By now, nearly half the rare metals and mineral lots had gone to them, to the point where they had already spent close to 600,000 gold spirit coins. The audacity of the purchase had made the entire room stop and wonder if these bidders were incredibly wealthy—or simply there to disrupt the auction.
In one of the other VIP rooms, a man named Miles slammed his fist onto the table, his face livid.
"How dare they bid against me!"
Turning to his attendants from Spirit Hall, he commanded,
"Go, find out who's in that VIP room. I disrupt the Ironworking Association's auctions, not the other way around!"
The Spirit Hall assistants looked nervous but nodded in obedience. Just then, a glint of mischief crossed Miles's eyes, and he decided to take things a step further.
As the Ironworking Association's staff brought out the next lot, Miles called out loudly,
"Wait a moment!"
Sidi's face stiffened with displeasure as he addressed Miles.
"Master Miles, we are in the middle of an auction. Please respect the proceedings."
Miles disregarded the warning, laughing mockingly as he pointed toward Dai Yao's VIP room.
"Master Sidi, the occupant of VIP Room Three has bought dozens of rare metals, spending nearly 600,000 gold coins. I suspect he doesn't actually have the funds and is only making wild bids to disrupt the auction!"
The hall erupted with murmurs of agreement. Many shared Miles's suspicions; after all, few families could boast such financial power. The chaotic atmosphere seemed to be tipping out of control, so Sidi quickly instructed his assistants to verify the funds.
"Please, everyone, calm down!" Sidi announced. "The Ironworking Association will ensure transparency in all transactions, so please let the auction continue."
Miles snickered to himself, pleased with the disruption.
"Oh, let's wait and see. No point continuing until they've confirmed he can actually pay."
Behind the scenes, Lou Gao, observing the chaos, sighed heavily.
"Miles is becoming too aggressive. Sidi doesn't dare stand up to him."
"Just give me the word, and I'll get rid of him," muttered Si Long, his eyes fixed angrily on Miles.
Lou Gao stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Let's be patient. I want to see just who this VIP bidder is. If they truly have such wealth, I may wish to meet them later."
"Yes, Master," Si Long replied deferentially.
At that moment, the assistant returned from VIP Room Three and whispered in Sidi's ear. Startled, Sidi's expression faltered.
"You're certain?" he asked.
The assistant nodded firmly, and Sidi took a deep breath before turning back to the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have confirmed that this distinguished guest has sufficient funds. However, they requested that we keep their identity confidential. I ask for your understanding."
The auction house's reputation held enough sway that most attendees were willing to accept this answer. However, Miles was less than pleased. Furious that his rival bidder was still a mystery, he stood up, shouting,
"Come on! I'll find out for myself who's in that room. Let's see if they dare to cross me!"
Storming out, Miles shoved aside a female attendant who tried to block him.
"Out of my way!" he snarled, his body radiating aggression.
The other attendants cowered, powerless to stop him as he arrived at VIP Room Three. Without a moment's hesitation, he kicked open the door with a loud crash.
The sound made Dai Yao and his three companions turn to look at him. For an instant, everything around him seemed to fade as Miles's gaze zeroed in on the three stunning women in the room. Glancing at Dai Yao, he felt a pang of intense jealousy. The possessiveness flared within him, and he forced himself to smile, twisting his expression into what he assumed was a welcoming look.
"Oh, so my three lovely attendants went missing this morning, and it turns out this man was hiding them here all along!" Miles sneered, his tone dripping with mockery. "Take him out of here. I have three beauties to reclaim."
Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
Hurry up! The promotion ends on March 2, 2026.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10