NOVEL WEB Chapter 38: A Sudden Realization
In Dorm 304 of Building No. 3, on the bed nestled in the corner by the window on the right, Ling Yi opened his eyes, waking from a deep sleep. §Lying in bed, he glanced around, and under the glow of the moon and stars outside, faint blue shadows caught his eyes.
After over ten days of effort, the more than a hundred high-quality "Blue Silver Grass" seeds he brought from home had been cultivated into a flourishing array of more than a hundred thriving plants.
Currently, these "Blue Silver Grass" plants formed a small, artful enclosure around Ling Yi's bed, like a low wall with the top row nearly as tall as the bed itself. Naturally, Ling Yi left openings at the foot and head of the bed for easy access.
Ling Yi rose gently, dressed silently to avoid disturbing the other eight slumbering students in the dormitory.
After six consecutive days of academic courses since term started, today the academy finally granted a rare day of rest. Yet while this meant downtime for others, for Ling Yi, it signaled the time to learn forging skills at a blacksmith's shop in the eastern city.
After washing up at the water station beside the third floor's central staircase, Ling Yi stepped out of Building No. 3, leaving through the gates of the Green Leaf Junior Spirit Master Academy.
As he strolled several miles away from the academy on Chaoyang Street, into another street still in the eastern city, the eastern skyline was already tinged with the red glow of the morning sun.
At the Silver Spirit Blacksmith's Shop.
Shopkeeper Wang Meng was the fifth disciple of Master Jin the Blacksmith, with a martial soul of the "Iron Rake." He was a level nineteen soul master with one ring and a high-level blacksmith.
Although Master Jin took Ling Yi under his wing a few days ago, he didn’t have enough energy to teach Ling Yi. After all, he was just a soul master of the soul sage level, already seventy-two years old. His physical condition was better than average for someone his age, but he hadn’t undergone any qualitative change.
Moreover, the rules of "Jin Geng" couldn’t be broken. Ling Yi was only seven years old, and even if his talent in forging was exceptionally high, demonstrating skills beyond a mid-level blacksmith on the day he joined, he was still just a mid-level blacksmith, not a high-level one.
Without being a high-level blacksmith, he hadn’t reached the standard to become a personal disciple of Master Jin.
Similarly, not being a high-level blacksmith, he was more than adequately guided by Wang Meng, the fifth senior brother, who was a high-level blacksmith immersed in his craft for many years and just a step away from becoming a master blacksmith.
Normally, in everyone's perception, Ling Yi, at the age of seven, wouldn't be able to exhaust Wang Meng's knowledge even over five years.
Maybe, before Ling Yi advanced to a high-level blacksmith, Wang Meng, in a sudden moment of enlightenment, could break through to a master blacksmith level, which was not impossible.
Wang Meng, who had honed his skills to the extreme and been at a standstill for nearly a decade, still firmly believed in this!
When Ling Yi arrived at the "Yin Xin Blacksmith Shop," the large doors were already wide open. Inside was dark, with faintly discernible flickers of dim red light glowing and fading, and a wave of faint heat wafting outward.
Just as Ling Yi was looking around, a figure emerged from the dark shop.
Fifth senior brother Wang Meng appeared—a robust and tall man with truly mundane features. His height and arm length were notable, with his right arm, used frequently for wielding the forging hammer, thicker than his left, presenting a slightly odd appearance.
Despite his unassuming appearance and a physique that might easily frighten children at a glance, Ling Yi's brief encounter with him left a positive impression, as the man's personality seemed quite pleasant.
"Xiao Yi, you're here. Have you eaten?" Wang Meng looked at Ling Yi standing at the door, his ordinary face breaking into a kind smile that naturally invited warmth.
In response, Ling Yi immediately returned the gesture with a similarly sunny smile, a bit shyly replying, "I... I haven't yet..."
Wang Meng's smile didn't falter. He waved his hand, "Perfect timing, your sisters-in-law have baked bread and made porridge. Join us for a bit of food.
Once we're done eating, we can start forging—"
His words were few but straightforward, with no hidden complexities, and in Ling Yi's eyes, he was a person to trust.
Of course, having the support of Old Master Jin to open his own blacksmith shop in the east of the city was not only a testament to his excellent craftsmanship but also to the master's endorsement.
Such a shop, including a courtyard for forging and living, spanning over five hundred square meters, was no small investment.
In his prime, Wang Meng possessed high-level blacksmithing skills that attracted many noble investors eager to fund his shop or invite him to their family as a forging specialist, but these couldn't match the freedom of owning his own business.
Ling Yi didn't decline the offer. After only a moment's hesitance, he somewhat embarrassedly nodded in agreement.
After sharing a filling breakfast with his Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother's two wives, and six children, Ling Yi found himself at the forge, surrounded by the envious eyes of Wang Lei and Wang Ben, alongside Wang Xin, Wang Sen, Wang Yan, and Wang Yao, each taking their place before a forging station.
By now, after burning for a while, the charcoal in each furnace was starting to release its heat abundantly.
Currently twenty years old, Wang Xin, smiled at Ling Yi, revealing his teeth, before picking up the tools on the table and immersing himself in work with his three younger brothers, who were two, four, and seven years younger than him, respectively.
Of the four, only Wang Yao inherited the "Scissors" soul from Wang Meng's first wife. The rest awakened to the "Iron Rake" soul.
Unfortunately, none of the brothers inherited Wang Meng's talent; during the soul awakening ceremony, no innate soul power was detected.
It remains uncertain whether Wang Lei and Wang Ben, these two little fellows, will inherit their father's "Iron Rake" soul or their mother's "Pearl" soul in the future.
However, thanks to Wang Meng and his second wife's soul power, especially since Wang Meng broke through the tenth level to become a one-ring Soul Master when they were together, there is a considerable chance these two brothers might awaken with innate soul power at the end-of-year or the following year's soul awakening ceremony.
Therefore, the two younger ones envy their four older brothers who are learning blacksmithing from their father, while the four older ones are envious of the younger ones for having a higher chance of becoming soul masters.
In front of the largest forging platform at the Silver Xin Blacksmith Shop, Wang Meng looked down at Ling Yi, his earlier smile fading and replaced with a more serious demeanor, his voice becoming solemn:
"Xiao Yi, when you demonstrated your blacksmithing skills at the master's place that day, I only caught the latter part, but I could still tell that you've reached near the level of a senior blacksmith in terms of skill mastery and attention to detail. However, your age and physical strength limit you—”
“However!”
Wang Meng's words of praise had just been uttered when a twist fell upon his words.
"With a furrowed brow, he said in a deep voice, 'Ling Yi, your forging process is riddled with bad habits!'
"
'Bad habits?' Ling Yi pondered, a look of contemplation flickering in his eyes.
"Exactly! Bad habits." Wang Meng nodded, continuing, "According to discussions between me, Master, and the other senior and junior apprentices, these habits have two roots."
Ling Yi, somewhat having anticipated this, met Wang Meng's imposing gaze and quietly awaited his next words.
Observing Ling Yi's composure despite his young age, Wang Meng couldn't hide a hint of admiration crossing his face, prompting a slight quickening in his speech: "The first issue is with the person who taught you the basics of forging, Jiang Kai. In his daily forging, he naturally incorporated many personal habits. Trapped at the level of an intermediate blacksmith for years, these are imperfections he unwittingly accumulated..."
Hearing this, Ling Yi wasn't surprised. Until now, his only experience in learning forging was with Master Jiang. Any bad habits he'd picked up would understandably stem from this process.
Moreover, Ling Yi's formidable mental acuity and keen senses allowed him to meticulously observe Master Jiang's every move, translating Jiang's techniques into something suitable for his own stature, physique, and arm length.
So, Ling Yi's method of mimicking and replicating learning styles also presented a significant issue!
Indeed, Wang Meng's subsequent words confirmed this point.
"The second point," Wang Meng's expression turned complex—part envious, part amused, and partly delighted, "is your learning capacity is too strong. You absorb everything—right or wrong, good or bad—and still manage to master it..."
(End of Chapter)
