NOVEL WEB Chapter 56: Life in the Camp
In the northern region of the Kingdom of Shui Mu, northeast of the 'Cold Wind City', lay the bustling Cold Wind Camp.
Within the forge area of the military camp, heat waves surged upwards, dispelling the relentless chill sweeping in from the north. The intense warmth prompted many brawny men to strip to the waist as they vigorously wielded their forging hammers.
Standing at a forging station, Ling Yi wore a short-sleeved jacket, his chest and arms exposed, gleaming with specks of sweat that made his white, jade-like skin stand out, creating a stark contrast with the rugged men around him.
Despite his youthful age and appearance reminiscent of a well-bred young master, the numerous craftsmen gathered at the forge, regardless of their expertise as blacksmiths, dared not underestimate this young boy.
With his feet firmly planted on the ground, Ling Yi twisted his body as his calves powered the motion, swinging a forging hammer larger than an average head in a sharp, precise arc through the air, bringing it down forcefully onto a piece of dark-red alloy blade embryo lying on the anvil.
Following a successful strike, the large hammer rebounded upwards with force. Ling Yi swiftly stepped onto the foot pedal connected to the bellows, causing his body to spin back as the hammer continued its trajectory. It swung again, completing another arc in the air and crashing down on the now even more intensely glowing alloy blade embryo with increased strength.
"Clang! Clang! Clang-clang-clang—!!!"
"Whirr—whirr—whirr-whirr-whirr—!"
Amidst the thunderous, storm-like sequence of pounding sounds, the forging hammer swung through the air, leaving behind a fierce whistle, reminding everyone present of the immense power carried with each swing.
Yet beneath this intensity lay a clear rhythm, producing a melodious clanging that was pleasing to the ear, paired with Ling Yi's movements that resembled a dance, exuding a masculine charm.
Around ten meters away, several burly men who were not engaged in forging stood with their arms crossed, hands on hips, or hands behind their backs, their eyes fixed intently on Ling Yi, observing every spin of the hammer and every move of his body.
Unable to contain himself, someone finally spoke, unable to hide their admiration, "I've seen others perform the 'Chaotic Wind Hammer Technique', but no one has made it as breathtaking as Brother Ling here..."
"That's right!" Another agreed, adding, "Even when Master Jin showcased the technique alongside Master Fu and Master Li Qiang at the royal court years ago, the fluidity he achieved was nothing like what Brother Ling manages here…"
"Clang—!!"
The conversation among those several meters away did not disrupt Ling Yi's forging process. Another powerful clash rang out as Ling Yi spun on the spot twice, dissipating the residual force from the hammerhead.
As the ringing of metal faded from his ears, Ling Yi exhaled and, without pause, raised the forging hammer once more, striking the now slightly smaller, glowing alloy blade blank.
“What a pity~”
Watching the scene unfold, one of the rugged men nearby clicked his tongue and shook his head, lamenting, “Brother Ling only mastered thirty-six moves of the 'Chaotic Wind Hammer Technique' from Master Jin. Otherwise, he wouldn't need to repeat the moves so frequently. The pauses, though brief, are still gaps which affect the final quality of the work.”
“Oh, come on~” another man retorted, rolling his eyes with a hint of exasperation. “Even Master Jin only learned the thirty-six moves at 'Gengxin City'. He couldn't teach Brother Ling more even if he wanted to.”
“Besides~” the man paused, his gaze filled with admiration as it fell on Ling Yi, who was about to complete another round of the thirty-six hammer strikes. Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a solemn tone, “Even with just the thirty-six moves, Brother Ling's forging skills far surpass ours!
In the entire army, apart from the Shi family brothers who can forge weapons with seven hundred strikes, who else among us can forge a five hundred-strike sword or three spearheads in less than half a day?
For a five hundred-strike weapon, which of us doesn't spend more than a day just refining materials?”
At this rhetorical question, the group fell silent, with only the continuous knocking sounds from the forging area remaining in their ears. Amidst the uneven clanging, there was a steady, rhythmic sound, reminiscent of the tinkling of clear springs.
Meanwhile, they continued to channel their internal spiritual power, soothing the sore, hot, and slightly trembling muscles in their calves, waists, backs, arms, wrists, palms, and other parts of the body.
At that moment, several figures approached, their voices arriving before they did. "Brother Ling, your 'Chaotic Gale Hammer Technique' is becoming more refined by the day. You've surpassed the level of a thousand forges! Becoming a master blacksmith is just around the corner!"
"You're too kind, Brother Xue~," Ling Yi responded with a humble smile, looking towards the newcomers. "I'm still far from there. Whether it's the force or the alloy ratios of different metals, I'm still lacking finesse…"
"Ah—"
Ling Yi sighed, shaking his head as he continued, "If becoming a master blacksmith were that easy, the vast 'Shuimu Principality' would have already seen a fourth master, wouldn't it?"
"Indeed—!"
Hearing Ling Yi's words, the newcomers nodded instinctively, each showing a similar sentiment of resignation. Brother Xue, who had first spoken, sighed as well, "Ah—! Brother Ling, at least you know the direction of your efforts. As for us… Ah—!"
"Our forging has reached a bottleneck. We don't even know how to progress~," another beside him continued. "The intricacies of force conversion, whether it's Master Fu or you, Brother Ling, have been thoroughly explained to us, yet our minds just can't grasp it…"
The others nodded in agreement, expressing similar feelings.
Sometimes, one must come to terms with the fact that the gap in talent between individuals can be so vast that it leads to despair.
In the same endeavor, some can casually reach the pinnacle of their current stage, while others, no matter how hard they try, cannot attain what is clearly within arm's reach.
Take them, for example: being able to become senior blacksmiths, they can boast decent talent. In terms of strength, they range from spirit masters at the level of eighteen or nineteen rings to grand spirit masters with two rings, and the Shi family brothers are even the most skilled in the military camp, recognized as powerful battle spirit phenomena!
Yet when it comes to blacksmithing, their technique in wielding the forging hammer always falls slightly short.
And it's this slight shortfall that creates a chasm between them and the master blacksmiths, as wide as an insurmountable gulf!
The phrase "missing by a hair, off by a thousand miles" fits perfectly here.
"Brothers," Ling Yi chuckled warmly as he addressed the discouraged crowd, "remember that no amount of talent will lead you to the mountaintop if you refuse to strive.
I believe that diligence can make up for clumsiness. Ninety-nine percent sweat and one percent inspiration will undoubtedly bring us success!"
Under Ling Yi's rousing words of motivation, several robust men looked enlightened, their eyes on Ling Yi filled with increasing admiration.
Ling Yi's pep talk wasn't finished yet: "Although a flash of insight hasn't occurred yet, I believe, at some moment in the future, it will undoubtedly appear!
What we need to do is ensure that, when that moment arrives, we have the strength and foundation to seize it—!!!"
(End of Chapter)
