Chapter 1106: Chapter 1106: The Fall of the Union
Jiu Ge sneered and said, "I’m slandering you? Why don’t you ask your beloved disciple yourself?"
Rong Shuo froze, suddenly recalling that his disciple Lin Kun had indeed been acting strangely these past few days—distracted and absent-minded, as if he couldn’t hear when his name was called at times.
Jiu Ge’s words pricked at his anxiety, prompting him to instruct those around him, "Go, bring Lin Kun to me."
Before long, Lin Kun was brought before Rong Shuo.
At this moment, the Forgemaster Guild had already descended several dozen meters.
Rong Shuo, his heart filled with urgency, bowed slightly to Jiu Ge and said loudly, "Young Master Jiu Ge, there must be some misunderstanding here. Let us discuss this face-to-face and clear things up—we can’t let some cunning schemer sabotage relations between the Forgemaster Guild and the Changkong family."
Rong Shuo simply wouldn’t believe that members of the Forgemaster Guild had stolen anything from Jiu Ge’s friends. He thought someone must be inciting discord behind the scenes, which had enraged Jiu Ge and prompted him to attack the guild.
"Old man, ask your precious disciple properly if he stole something from others," Jiu Ge said coldly, not ceasing the output of his magic power, causing the descent of the Forgemaster Guild to continue unabated.
Rong Shuo realized Jiu Ge wasn’t simply speaking nonsense. After a brief hesitation, he turned to glare at Lin Kun and barked sternly, "Lin Kun, answer me properly—did you steal something from others?"
"I... I..." Lin Kun stammered for a long moment, ultimately too afraid of punishment, before stuttering softly, "No, Master."
"Are you certain?"
"I am certain."
In Rong Shuo’s eyes, Lin Kun was a particularly obedient and honest child. If he said he didn’t do it, then he didn’t do it.
Feeling somewhat reassured, Rong Shuo straightened his posture and declared to Jiu Ge, "Young Master Jiu Ge, you heard it yourself, didn’t you? My disciple did not steal your friend’s belongings. I suggest you investigate properly before causing trouble!"
Jiu Ge’s face darkened, and he enunciated each word with deliberate coldness, "Refusing to admit fault and masking the truth—since that’s the case, you cannot blame me for what happens next."
With that, Jiu Ge immediately increased the output of his magic power. A considerable portion of the wind sustaining the Forgemaster Guild’s descent was forcibly redirected, causing the guild to accelerate its downward plunge markedly.
Rong Shuo, overcome with fury, shouted across the divide, "Changkong Jiu Ge, don’t push things too far!"
With those words, he immediately unleashed his Wind Attribute Magic Power in an attempt to restore the wind forces that Jiu Ge had redirected earlier.
The guild members, seeing their guild leader take action, rallied behind him, collectively releasing their Wind Attribute Magic Power to assist in restoring the wind’s original direction.
Seeing this, Li Li promptly called out to a group of guards beside her. She led them forward to stand behind Jiu Ge and together they unleashed Wind Attribute Magic Power to aid him in altering the wind’s direction once more.
Only Qin Sisi remained seated in a sedan chair floating midair, unable to move or speak.
Spotting Lin Kun, Qin Sisi scrutinized his eyes for a moment and was certain—they matched those of the black-clad man who had poisoned her in the past. At that moment, her certainty reached one hundred percent.
The black-clad man who poisoned her could be none other than Lin Kun.
The Forgemaster Guild’s members numbered quite a few and possessed decent magical abilities, but the Changkong family’s intrinsic attribute was Wind Magic, making them far more adept in its application. Jiu Ge’s powerful magic prowess was not something to be underestimated either.
Even though Rong Shuo and his allies fought with all their might, they could not prevent the Forgemaster Guild’s descent.
Suspending a massive structure midair stably was relatively easy, but raising the structure to a certain altitude initially was exceedingly difficult.
When constructing Midair City years ago, the Changkong family had practically exhausted their entire clan’s resources. Now, Jiu Ge mercilessly dragged the Forgemaster Guild down.
Both sides were fighting with everything they had, but the guild members, whose expertise lay in Golden Magic and Fire Magic, ultimately fell short against the Changkong family in Wind Magic.
At last, with a deafening crash, the enormous Forgemaster Guild building slammed into the ground, kicking up billows of yellow dust.
The ground beneath Midair City trembled violently, causing its smaller structures to sway. Panic-stricken cries erupted across the city.
The powerful impact from the fall triggered backlash that sent Rong Shuo and his allies hurtling backward.
Positioned at the forefront, Rong Shuo bore the brunt of the backlash’s force. His body was thrown several hundred meters before landing heavily on the ground, where he spat a mouthful of fresh blood with a guttural sound.
Lin Kun was injured too, though Rong Shuo’s protective position had shielded him from more severe harm.
Seeing his master cough up blood, Lin Kun was overcome with guilt and remorse and rushed forward to hold Rong Shuo up, crying out, "Master, your disciple has wronged you!"
Lin Kun had no parents, and due to his extraordinary forging talent, Rong Shuo had taken him in and raised him as his closed-door disciple.
Rong Shuo held Lin Kun in high regard, but ever since Lin Kun achieved the rank of Second Level Forgemaster, he had struggled for a long time to make further progress, which deeply troubled him.
Although Rong Shuo never blamed him and continued to encourage further effort, Lin Kun could sense his master’s disappointment. Desperate to enhance his magic power and forging skills, he grew increasingly anxious.
The Forgemaster Guilds across various cities often exchanged knowledge. Rong Shuo had learned from Yan Xi, the guild leader in Scholar City, about the matter involving Qin Sisi. He knew that Teacher Wu Duo from Heavenly Magic God’s Castle had recently accepted an exceptionally gifted young female disciple who also held the Jiu Hua Divine Cauldron, her future potential limitless.
Rong Shuo had shared this news with Lin Kun as a form of motivation.
Lin Kun couldn’t help envying Qin Sisi without ever meeting her. What he didn’t expect was that this legendary Qin Sisi would one day appear before him.
When he confirmed that the young woman who had beaten the gate guard black and blue was indeed Qin Sisi, the envy in his heart transformed into jealousy.
She was younger than him—why was her magic power stronger? Why were her forging skills superior? Why did she possess the Jiu Hua Divine Cauldron?
If he could obtain the Jiu Hua Divine Cauldron, he might greatly enhance his forging abilities and quickly advance to become a Third Level Forgemaster—the emblem that once seemed within his grasp.
Driven by jealousy and selfish ambition, Lin Kun purchased some knockout drugs from the black market and quietly infiltrated a Third Level Forgemaster’s lodging at night. He blew the drug into Qin Sisi’s room.
Fearing discovery, he carried Qin Sisi away in silence after she was unconscious, taking her to a secluded location where he threatened her to hand over the Jiu Hua Divine Cauldron.
However, when Qin Sisi presented an array of medicinal pills and Magic Crystal Stones, Lin Kun was dazzled and distracted, giving her the chance to escape.
