NOVEL WEB Chapter 39: In the Blacksmith’s Shop
Humans grow step by step, slowly evolving until they become the brightest in the natural world.
Ling Yi's issue wasn't particularly severe; it mainly stemmed from Master Jiang's lack of skill, causing a flawed foundation.
For an ordinary apprentice, correcting bad habits might require significant effort because muscle memory plays a substantial role in forging.
According to some theories from Ling Yi's past life, it takes twenty-one days to form a habit, ninety days to solidify it, but breaking a bad habit could take even longer.
However, for Ling Yi, he only needed one try.
Yes, not a month, not a week, or even a day—just one try!
When Fifth Senior Brother Wang Meng demonstrated each of the most standard forging movements, refined over centuries by blacksmiths from the Metal City 'Gengxin City' of the Douluo Continent, passed down from generation to generation through the Blacksmith Association, Ling Yi first awkwardly mimicked them once. Then...
Afterward, every movement he made with that small forging hammer became perfectly standard!
This scene was akin to someone in the soul master world instantly mastering the 'Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu' through the Sharengan like Kakashi, learning the 'Dragon Claw Technique' immediately with the Nine Yang Divine Skill and Heaven and Earth Great Shift like Zhang Wuji, or like Goku instantly picking up the Kamehameha with just one glance...
Wang Meng was stunned by Ling Yi’s learning speed. After taking a deep breath, he continued:
"Xiao Yi, what I just demonstrated to you are the standard movements I've recently revisited under our master," began Wang Meng, his voice steady with authority. "However, since everyone differs in height, build, and arm length, you must adapt these techniques to suit your own comfort.
Jiang Kai, who taught you the basics of forging, learned it this way too. Each of us senior brothers has our own methods, but straying from the core principles without understanding them can be counterproductive."
"Many of the master's students know how to forge," he continued, "but they lack the systematic knowledge to pass on those skills effectively to their apprentices."
"Even among the twelve of us," Wang Meng reflected, "it's only after becoming advanced blacksmiths and hitting a plateau in our skills that the teacher had us learn how to teach. By instructing others, we revisit our old knowledge and gain fresh insights."
Ling Yi listened as Wang Meng shared the profound heritage of the Metallurgy Capital, 'Gengxin City,' and the rich traditions of the Blacksmith Association Headquarters. This discussion sparked new understanding and appreciation of the blacksmithing profession in him.
Initially, Ling Yi viewed the role of a blacksmith merely as a means to an end.
What difference did it make if one became a divine craftsman?
In the original timeline, Lou Gao, one of the 'Three Divine Craftsmen' and President of the Blacksmith Association, struggled to assert his influence despite being a Soul Saint.
What about the other two divine craftsmen?
One was the patriarch of the Power Clan, Soul Douluo Titan; the other was Tang Hao, the prodigious heir to the 'Clear Sky Douluo' lineage.
These considerations led Ling Yi to reevaluate the role and status of a blacksmith in the wider world.
“Between these two, who is the world-renowned 'Divine Craftsman'?”
The title of Divine Craftsman is merely an embellishment, one of the many honorifics these two possess.
Through Wang Meng's introduction, Ling Yi suddenly discovers that the heritage of blacksmithing...to be precise, the blacksmithing skills from Metal City 'Gengxin City', are surprisingly profound. Their rich legacy warrants admiration, rivaling even the most structured and hierarchical martial arts sects.
“Clang—!”
A deep, muffled sound echoes. Wang Meng, wielding his personal oversized forging hammer, strikes a large black iron ingot, explaining,
“Xiao Yi, this is your next exercise. You need to hammer this down to one third its current size…”
“One third, is it?” Ling Yi nods at Wang Meng, indicating his understanding.
“Phew—”
At a certain moment, Ling Yi clamps the red-hot iron ingot onto the anvil, raises his small forging hammer, and begins hammering.
“Clang—! Clang—!” “Clang—! Clang—!” “Clang—! Clang—!”...
In the spacious blacksmith's workshop, the symphony of metal striking metal rings out one after another, resonating towards the street outside.
At dawn, the streets began to bustle with people. Some were curious about the rhythmic clanging sounds, while others continued on, unfazed, reflecting the diverse tapestry of life.
After more than half an hour, with a final clang resonating in the air, Ling Yi, drenched in sweat, weakly set down the forging hammer, his breathing gradually slowing.
After all, he's just a seven-year-old boy. Even with soul power nurturing his body, the mere third-level soul power is insufficient to maintain his overall stamina.
Forging isn't just about using the strength of the arms. Under the attentive guidance of Master Jiang and Fifth Senior Brother Wang Meng, Ling Yi learned to channel his strength from the soles of his feet, leveraging his calves, through his waist, back muscles, and arms, releasing it via the forging hammer.
Meanwhile, he also had to withstand the counterforce from striking the metal ingots, which demanded extreme physical exertion.
After half an hour of continuous hammering, it wasn't just Ling Yi who became exhausted; even the thirteen-year-old Wang Yao struggled to carry on.
Exchanging a smile, the two boys glanced at Wang Xin and his two brothers still hard at work. Wang Yao led Ling Yi to a corner area for a break, shakily pouring them both a cup of warm, lightly salted water.
“Sir, for these fifty long swords you need crafted, I recommend visiting the Gao family blacksmith shop at the end of the street…”
At that moment, Wang Meng's voice reached their ears, catching the attention of Ling Yi and Wang Yao.
Hearing Wang Meng's words, a somewhat portly middle-aged man near the workshop's entrance knitted his brows with a hint of displeasure. “Master Wang, I trust your craftsmanship, which is why I came here to place this order. How could you redirect a walk-in client's business elsewhere—!”
“Sir~” Wang Meng replied with a touch of helplessness, calmly explaining, “I'm not pushing you away; it's just that our shop's orders are booked until next month. You just mentioned these long swords are urgent, needing delivery by the end of the month…”
“I can pay more!” The portly middle-aged man waved his hand dismissively, interrupting.
Seeing this, Wang Meng sighed with a deeper sense of helplessness on his face, "Sir, this isn't about money. It's simply unnecessary."
The portly middle-aged man stammered, "I..."
Before he could name a new offer, Wang Meng quickly continued, "Sir, the fifty-forged blades you requested are more than doable with the craftsmanship of Master Gao from the Gao Ironworks!
Master Gao learned his craft under my mentor. Seven or eight years ago, he became an intermediate blacksmith. Last time I talked with him, he was just a step away from becoming an advanced blacksmith..."
"A step away is still a gap!" The middle-aged man grumbled dissatisfied.
Wang Meng chuckled, pointing to his three sons hammering away despite sweating buckets. "Sir, to be honest, even if our shop took your order, those fifty-forged weapons would be crafted by my sons."
"Them?" The middle-aged man frowned.
"Yes!" Wang Meng nodded, pride gleaming in his eyes. "Except for the youngest, who’s still honing his skills, my eldest and second sons are already intermediate blacksmiths. Any order under eighty-forgings is usually handed over to them to handle."
Watching the middle-aged man leave, heading towards the end of the street, Wang Meng turned back to look at Ling Yi and his fourth son, Wang Yao, resting in the corner. As he walked over, his voice reached them first, "Xiao Yi, Ah Yao, during the forging earlier, did you feel any awkwardness in your movements?"
(End of Chapter)
