Chapter 158

Chapter 158: Just a Little Understanding

“This young master Lu is a distinguished guest of our Wei Mansion. He’s quite interested in casting and wants to visit the best blacksmith shop in the county. I’ve brought him to you, Master Lin,”

said the chief steward.

“Hello, Master Lin,”

Lu Qing said with a slight bow.

Information about the old master was now displayed in his field of vision.

[Lin Tiechui: Owner of the Heart Casting Workshop, a skilled blacksmith with a forthright personality.]

[Cultivation: Acquired Bones and Muscles Realm, expert in hammering.]

The name was quite down-to-earth,

Lu Qing thought to himself.

“Very well, but you’re flattering me, Master Steward Wei. If Old Man Wang next door hears this, he’ll definitely challenge me to a duel.”

Master Steward Lin was clearly beaming, unable to suppress his joy, but he remained humble.

Master Steward Wei smiled faintly and said nothing more.

Old Craftsman Lin of the Heart Casting Workshop and Old Craftsman Wang, the master of the nearby Iron Weapon Studio, had always been at odds. This was common knowledge throughout the county, and he had no interest in participating.

“I wonder what Young Master Lu would like to see?”

Knowing that Lu Qing was a distinguished guest of the Wei Mansion, Old Craftsman Lin dared not neglect

him. Anyone who could earn the personal presence of Chief Steward Wei must be of considerable stature.

Although he hadn’t gone to the city gates yesterday, he had sensed the terrifying power erupting from within.

Later, he heard that a young man, with astonishing skill, had defeated a martial arts master who had achieved perfection in the Bones and Muscles Realm.

Judging from Chief Steward Wei’s demeanor, could this be the young man before him?

Thinking of this, Old Craftsman Lin’s demeanor became even more respectful.

“Actually, I’d like to rent your foundry’s furnace to forge a handy weapon for myself. Is that convenient, Old Craftsman Lin?”

Lu Qing asked directly.

“Young Master, you also understand the art of casting?”

Old Craftsman Lin was surprised.

Lu Qing’s demeanor betrayed nothing of a blacksmith, and his hands were smooth and calloused, hardly the kind of expert in the art of casting.

“I know a thing or two, but I’m not quite proficient yet. I need practice.”

Master Lin immediately understood that Lu Qing wasn’t a skilled caster, but rather a whim to forge a weapon for fun.

He’d encountered young men like him before, so it wasn’t entirely surprising.

“Of course. I wonder which furnace you’d like? I’ll clear it out.”

If it were anyone else, Master Lin would have been deeply displeased with such an unreasonable request.

But Lu Qing was a distinguished guest at the Wei Mansion, accompanied by Wei’s chief steward. He was likely a formidable warrior capable of defeating a martial arts master.

Faced with such a presence, he naturally yielded.

“Master Lin, help me choose one with a strong firepower,” Lu Qing said.

“Then let’s use furnace number one. It has the strongest wind and the highest temperature. Even volcanic steel can be refined. It should meet the requirements of young master.”

After a moment of hesitation, Master Lin said directly.

“Then follow Master Lin’s advice.”

Lu Qing also knew that volcanic steel, a kind of black steel with a very high melting point, was usually found near volcanoes.

If it could even refine that kind of black steel, then the firepower of furnace number one must be very strong.

It barely met his requirements.

Soon, Master Lin vacated furnace number one.

“Young Master Lu, please, what kind of weapon do you want to forge?”

“There’s no rush. I’ll practice with my hands first and familiarize myself with the process.”

Hearing this, Master Lin became even more certain that Lu Qing was truly here for fun.

How could he possibly forge a fine weapon if he wasn’t even familiar with the casting process?

“Master Lin, if you’re busy, you can go about your own business. You don’t need to accompany me,” Lu Qing said with a smile.

“That’s fine. The workshop hasn’t had any special orders lately, and I, an old man, have nothing better to do. I can observe your forging techniques.”

Master Lin couldn’t bear to leave Lu Qing alone. He wouldn’t be held responsible if he got hurt.

However, he still dismissed his subordinates and disciples who wanted to watch, so as not to disturb Lu Qing.

Lu Qing smiled, understanding Master Lin’s intentions.

He didn’t point it out, but stepped forward and selected a medium-sized hammer.

“Master Lin, may I use some of your materials?” Lu Qing asked.

“Of course,” Master Lin said immediately.

After all, the materials on the furnace were just ordinary iron bars; he wouldn’t mind if they broke.

Lu Qing glanced at the materials on the furnace and saw they were just ordinary pig iron bars, so he set to work without hesitation.

He held the hammer in his right hand and, with his left, plucked a red-hot iron bar from the charcoal furnace and placed it on the anvil.

He then activated his supernatural powers and entered a learning state. A hammering technique inherited from the Lihuo Sect flowed through his mind, and a flood of insights emerged.

Ding!

Lu Qing’s hammer struck the iron bar with a crisp sound.

Old Master Lin’s heart skipped a beat, then a look of understanding crossed his face.

Sure enough, this young master Lu wasn’t a master of blacksmithing.

While the hammer struck with power, his technique wasn’t. He applied his strength incorrectly, appearing quite unskilled.

It would be difficult to hammer out the impurities in the pig iron this way.

However, he didn’t say anything, simply watching quietly.

After a few hammerings, Lu Qing realized something was wrong and paused, pondering.

Seeing that he hadn’t moved for a while, Old Master Lin was just considering whether to offer any guidance when he saw Lu Qing raise his hammer again.

Ding!

Lu Qing brought down another hammer blow.

But this time, Master Lin couldn’t help but open his eyes slightly, a hint of surprise on his face.

This was because Lu Qing’s blow was completely unexpected.

As a veteran blacksmith with decades of experience in the art of forging, having personally crafted countless weapons and farm tools,

Master Lin’s forging skills had long since reached a supreme level.

When teaching his disciples, he could tell by ear when a disciple made a mistake, without even looking.

So, he immediately recognized that Lu Qing’s hammer strike was completely different from the previous, almost random, blows.

The force applied was perfectly applied, just enough to knock out any impurities from the iron bar. Even his disciples might not have been able to achieve such a strike.

“Is it luck?”

a thought flashed through Master Lin’s mind.

But he quickly realized he was wrong.

After Lu Qing’s first strike, he also felt the difference, knowing he had found the right direction, and a smile spread across his face.

Without pausing, he raised his hammer and struck again.

For the next few minutes, Lu Qing hammered the iron bar one after another, continuously folding and forging it.

Meanwhile, the old craftsman Lin’s eyes widened, until he was stunned.

(End of this chapter)