Travelers

Su Hao returned to the Tea Mountain Outpost once again.

This time, he came back to say goodbye to his father, Wu Yuntian.

He didn't know how long he would be gone, what would happen, or if there would be a chance to meet again in the future.

Wu Yuntian seemed to sense Su Hao's slightly melancholic mood and said nothing.

The father and son sat quietly in the courtyard, each thinking their own thoughts, but in reality, thinking of nothing.

To Su Hao, Wu Yuntian was undoubtedly a qualified father, but he himself was not a qualified son.

Wu Yuntian had successfully advanced to a grandmaster. In Su Hao's perception, Wu Yuntian's blood energy was stronger than any grandmaster he had ever seen. The reason was that Wu Yuntian had imprinted the formation plate given by Su Hao, adjusting it to nearly perfect alignment with eight nodes, and had initially mastered the blood energy enhancement wave, allowing him to convert a large amount of blood energy.

Su Hao knew that the simplified beast runes had truly succeeded.

He used the 'writing replication' rune to copy a book titled "The Martial Artist's Path" and "The Complete Explanation of Runes," and handed them to Wu Yuntian saying, "Father, these two books are the results of my research over the years. You can read them if you find them useful; they can enhance your strength somewhat. If you think they are useless, just bury them."

Wu Yuntian accepted the books, flipped through them briefly, and became increasingly astonished as he read. Finally, he closed the books with slightly trembling hands and saw the signature on the back of the book - Guoke (Passerby).

Wu Yuntian suddenly seemed to understand something and remained silent.

After a long time, Wu Yuntian, with a slightly hoarse voice, said, "Xiangwu, whatever you want to do, go ahead!"

Su Hao nodded.

Wu Yuntian added, "I will keep these two books safe. If there is a chance in the future, I will become a teacher."

Su Hao understood Wu Yuntian's meaning.

If he failed, Wu Yuntian would find a place to silently pass on these two books.

...

Su Hao carried his luggage and silently walked out of the Tea Mountain Outpost, then looked back at the place where he had grown up.

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and soon disappeared into the mountains and forests.

After reaching an uninhabited place, he lowered his specially made mask. From now on, he would not show his face in public, and his name would be Guoke (Passerby).

Such a handsome face would no longer be known to people; what a pity!

A month later, in a small town called Guyang Town, a weapon shop quietly opened in a prosperous area.

The shop was large, and the owner had big ambitions. It sold only armor and long swords, but this weapon shop was different from others. Inside, there were many swords and much armor.

The key point was not this, but that these swords and armor were casually piled together like two heaps of garbage!

Who sells things like this? Not even trash is sold this way.

Every other shop arranges their swords and armor neatly, polished to a bright shine, fearing that a speck of dust would prevent them from selling at a high price.

Many people considered themselves knowledgeable but had never seen such business practices, predicting that it would definitely close down in less than two months.

Moreover, those who had seen the shop owner said that the short and small weapon shop owner always wrapped himself up tightly, showing only a pair of eyes, probably because he was ugly.

This weapon shop was opened by Su Hao. He had used money and force to secure a suitable storefront, then used beast runes to exchange for a large amount of gold yuan, which he then exchanged entirely for long swords and armor.

He also developed a special rune to inscribe on the long swords and armor. It took him nearly three days of nonstop work to complete all the long swords and armor.

Each long sword was inscribed with two runes: 'Hardness' and 'Penetration.' Each piece of armor was inscribed with two runes: 'Hardness' and 'Barrier.'

First, he made low-end products. Once they spread, he would produce high-end products.

On the first day of opening,

a bald elite warrior, accompanied by two partners, boldly walked into Su Hao's weapon shop. The bald elite warrior pointed at the casually piled long swords with a puzzled look and asked, "Boss, are you selling these swords?"

Su Hao, dressed in shining armor with both long and short swords at his waist, clearly not ordinary, wore a helmet with sharp edges and a faceplate that completely covered his face, leaving only his sharp eyes exposed.

Su Hao had inscribed a 'Cool' rune in his armor, providing a constant flow of cool air for ultimate comfort.

In addition, his armor included runes like 'Hardness,' 'Deflection,' 'Barrier,' 'Bright Light,' 'Vibration,' 'Light Absorption,' and 'Color Change,' making it top-tier in terms of functionality!

His long sword was inscribed with four runes, as more would destabilize the structure: 'Hardness,' 'Sharpness,' 'Penetration,' and 'Rotation.'

The short sword had 'Hardness,' 'Sharpness,' 'Penetration,' and 'Corrosion.'

Both swords were top-tier.

Legendary quality.

Seeing customers, Su Hao enthusiastically introduced, "Yes, today is the grand opening. All weapons and armor are 20% off, while supplies last, one per customer."

Pointing at the pile of long swords, he said, "These long swords are unique in the world, with hardness and penetration properties that can easily pierce the tough scales of fierce beasts. Their power is beyond imagination. Come, take a look at these treasures, first come, first served. Buy them!"

The bald warrior and his companions exchanged glances, seeing the word "scam" in each other's eyes.

The bald warrior, already on the verge of leaving, asked casually, "How much for a long sword?"

"Only twenty silver yuan! After discount, just sixteen silver yuan!" Su Hao quoted cheerfully.

A good quality long sword usually cost eight silver yuan. Su Hao's price of twenty silver yuan was exorbitant. However, he believed his pricing was justified by the quality, as the rune-inscribed long sword was worth the price.

"So expensive!" The bald man jumped up, ready to leave with his companions!

Su Hao moved quickly, blocking their path and shouted, "Hold on! Did I say you could leave?"

"Grandmaster!" The bald man and his companions were shocked.

Inside, they lamented, "It's over, we're facing a grandmaster's forced sale. Shouldn't have come in, it's all because of this damned curiosity!"

Su Hao pointed to the seemingly junk pile of long swords and said harshly, "Go and test it!"

Under Su Hao's coercion, the three silently complied.

Facing an unreasonable grandmaster, they had to obey or risk suffering.

Su Hao handed each of them a long sword and taught them how to use it: "See the slot on the hilt? Channel your blood energy into it."

"Slowly, don't rush, keep a rhythm!"

"Try again!"

Soon, the bald man successfully activated the rune effect on the long sword.

The sword first dimmed, losing its luster, indicating the 'Hardness' activation, followed by a faint grey glow on the blade, indicating 'Penetration.'

Su Hao pointed to a thick metal plate beside them and said, "Try stabbing it."

The bald man, no longer anxious about Su Hao's coercion, was now full of curiosity, a new experience for him.

Following Su Hao's instructions, he stabbed the steel plate.

"Zzz!"

The long sword easily pierced the thick metal plate.

The bald man gasped, incredulous at the long sword in his hand, as if looking at a rare beauty.

His companion, skeptical, nudged him and whispered, "Old Rabbit, is there something wrong with this plate?"

Su Hao, without a word, pulled out the bald man's own sword, handed it to him, and signaled him to try with his own sword.

The bald man took his sword and stabbed the steel plate.

"Clang!"

A clear sound, leaving a deep mark but not penetrating the plate.

"Hiss-"

The three gasped, exchanging incredulous looks.

The bald man's companions, seeing this, first tested their own swords on the steel plate, leaving deep marks, then channeled blood energy into the swords Su Hao handed them. Soon, they activated the runes and stabbed the plate.

"Zzz!"

"Zzz!"

The swords easily pierced the plate.

They had no choice but to believe.

The bald man activated the runes again and stabbed the plate.

Again, it easily pierced.

The bald man immediately reached for his money bag, "Boss, I'll take this sword!"

"I'll take one too!" His companions also pulled out money.

The bald man added, "I want to buy five more!"

Su Hao said, "One per customer."

The bald man, troubled, asked, "Is that a rule?"

Su Hao: "Hm?"

"Alright then!"

Su Hao took the money, handed them the swords, and gave them a booklet: "This is the maintenance guide for the long sword. Make sure to read it, or no returns if damaged."

At that moment, onlookers outside couldn't hold back and rushed in, saying, "Boss, I want a sword too! But I want to test it myself. If it's as good as you say, I'll pay."

"Me too, me too!"

"What about armor? How much for armor?"

"Old Rabbit, did you bring enough money? Buy a set of armor!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Then hurry back and get some money. I fear it might be sold out soon."

"Yes, yes! Quick, go back and tell the captain to come buy too!"

Su Hao's weapon shop started to bustle with activity.

The crowd of people clamoring to buy his weapons and armor grew larger. Su Hao, maintaining his composed demeanor, managed the influx of customers with efficiency and charm.

...

Several months later, news of the unique weapons and armor from Su Hao's shop had spread far and wide. Martial artists from neighboring towns and even distant cities flocked to Guyang Town, eager to purchase these legendary items. Su Hao's reputation grew, and so did his business.

One day, a distinguished-looking man in elegant martial attire entered the shop. His presence commanded respect, and the crowd instinctively made way for him. Su Hao noticed him immediately and walked over.

"Greetings, grandmaster," Su Hao said with a slight bow, recognizing the man's aura.

The man nodded. "I've heard of your remarkable weapons and armor. I am Xiangwu, a martial artist seeking the best equipment for my journey."

Su Hao's eyes sparkled with recognition. "Welcome, Xiangwu. You have come to the right place. Please, allow me to show you our finest products."

Xiangwu followed Su Hao to a special section of the shop where the premium weapons and armor were displayed. Each piece was meticulously crafted, with intricate runes etched into their surfaces.

"This sword," Su Hao said, picking up a long sword with a gleaming blade, "is inscribed with the runes 'Hardness,' 'Sharpness,' 'Penetration,' and 'Rotation.' It is one of our finest creations."

Xiangwu took the sword, feeling its weight and balance. He channeled his blood energy into the hilt, activating the runes. The blade shimmered with a powerful aura.

"Incredible," Xiangwu murmured, testing the sword's strength on a nearby steel plate. The blade effortlessly cut through the metal.

Su Hao smiled. "Our armor is equally impressive. This set is inscribed with 'Hardness,' 'Deflection,' 'Barrier,' and 'Vibration.' It offers unparalleled protection and comfort."

Xiangwu inspected the armor, appreciating the craftsmanship and the subtle runes that enhanced its properties. He nodded in approval. "I will take this set, and the sword."

Su Hao's heart swelled with pride as he completed the transaction. "May these items serve you well on your journey, grandmaster Xiangwu."

Xiangwu nodded. "They will. And I will spread the word about your remarkable shop."

As Xiangwu left, Su Hao felt a deep sense of accomplishment. His creations were making a difference in the lives of martial artists, helping them achieve their goals and protect themselves in the dangerous world they lived in.

The success of his shop brought him wealth and recognition, but more importantly, it brought him a sense of fulfillment. Su Hao had found his place in the world, using his unique skills and knowledge to make a lasting impact.

He continued to innovate, creating new runes and refining his techniques. The weapon shop in Guyang Town became a legend, known throughout the land as the place to find the finest weapons and armor.

And Su Hao, now known as Guoke, the master craftsman, continued to forge his legacy, one rune at a time.