Chapter 227 – Watching the Flames, Melting the Metal, Listening to Iron, The Quickening, Communion, and Hearing the Heavens - Part 2

The next day, Li Yuan climbed the mountain outside the city stronghold alongside that month’s batch of recommended smiths.

At the stream by the mountainside, a number of blacksmiths were already busy.

A quick glance told Li Yuan these smiths ranged from ninth to eighth, perhaps even seventh rank. He had a good idea why they were here.

From his experiences, he knew that when any skill transitioned from Expert to Master level, the fastest route to a breakthrough was often guidance from a true master.

Master Zhu was precisely that kind of expert.

All these blacksmiths had reached the threshold of Expert—the upper limit of ninth rank Weaponsmithing. To them, Master Zhu was someone who could guide them through their bottleneck.

They went up one by one to receive instruction, each in turn. Some left trembling with excitement, exclaiming “I’ve got it!” Others knelt before Master Zhu in gratitude, overwhelmed by their breakthroughs.

At last, it was Li Yuan’s turn.

Master Zhu didn’t frown. He simply said in a mild tone, “You’re here earlier than expected.”

Li Yuan smiled and bowed. “Greetings, Father-in-law.”

“Not here, I’m not,” Master Zhu replied curtly. He pointed to a spot in the distance. There lay a set of forge equipment—bellows, furnace, trough, tongs, anvil, hammer—and plenty of metal. “Go ahead,” he said.

Li Yuan didn’t waste words. He picked through the iron, selected a suitable hunk of raw stock, scooped up some fine borax, and set to heating and hammering.

Once he started, his entire focus narrowed to the forge. His hammer blows rose and fell with precise rhythm. Then shaping, quenching, and honing followed in swift, fluid steps.

In no time, he produced a fine, handle-less ninth rank blade.

Master Zhu didn’t bother examining it. He just gave Li Yuan a long, thoughtful look.

He said nothing, though several smiths around them seemed eager to whisper to each other. Before they could get too loud, Master Zhu cleared his throat, and the murmuring stopped immediately.

Li Yuan turned to the solemn-faced middle-aged man. “Your thoughts?”

Instead of replying, Master Zhu spoke in a calm, measured way, “Watch the flames fully permeate the metal, so that every fraction of it is heated evenly. A single degree too hot or too cold, and you’ll fail. That’s your missing step, truly observing the fire. That blade you forged...the heat never reached the very heart of the iron.”

“The heart of the iron?”

“Heat every inch down to its innermost core so that every hammer blow matters.”

Master Zhu reached over to a nearby rack, took another ninth rank blade, and handed it to Li Yuan. “Try clashing them.”

Li Yuan did as instructed, striking the two blades against each other.

Before long, the saber Li Yuan had forged cracked first. Though the other blade had several new chips, its core remained strong.

Rising to his feet, Master Zhu personally demonstrated a forging session, detailing various aspects of his skill. Then he told Li Yuan to remain on the mountain, just like everyone else, until he broke through. Only then should he head back down.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

That very night, Li Yuan achieved his breakthrough.

He finally saw a flicker of genuine surprise on his future father-in-law’s face, though Master Zhu suppressed it quickly. Without further comment, he simply said, “If you’ve grasped it, then you may leave.”

Li Yuan returned to the smithy at the foot of the mountain.

When Cui Santong saw him come back so soon, he didn’t dare ask outright if things had gone smoothly. He waited until some of the other smiths returned to share tales of Li Yuan’s accomplishments. Then Cui Santong and the rest of the shop looked at Li Yuan like he was some sort of prodigy.

Sure, being sixth rank offered certain advantages. But not this many. The only explanation was talent; Li Yuan was simply born for the forge.

Gradually, whenever Li Yuan hammered metal, many of the shop’s blacksmiths would gather to watch him silently.

Not everyone was fated to reach the Expert threshold. In practice, most smiths got to the Intermediate or Advanced level, then rushed to learn how to produce a broader range of weapons. The pieces they forged might be

good enough

, but not especially refined.

Although Li Yuan was only practicing at ninth rank, there was still much for them to learn from watching him.

A few days later, Cui Santong brought Li Yuan a new manual of eighth rank weaponsmithing. This was not something available on the open market; it was the Cui Clan’s exclusive text, compiled by Master Zhu himself.

Its delivery to Li Yuan signified their recognition.

Li Yuan didn’t immediately open the eighth rank manual. Instead, he continued honing his ninth rank Weaponsmithing.

Sometimes, he seemed almost deranged—staring at the flames and molten steel for half an hour or more at a stretch. Other times, he sat in a corner like a fool, gazing at the sky, equally lost in thought. On occasion, he would mutter to himself while walking or eating, repeating, “Observe the fire, down to the core—no more, no less—so you don’t end up failing,” and other similar phrases.

The blacksmiths who had hoped to learn a few tricks from him simply gave up. Whatever Li Yuan was doing had gone beyond mere skill; it was more like a single-minded obsession.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Late July, nearing the dog days of summer.

Even the most resilient workers in the smithy took a midday break, unable to endure the stifling heat. Out in the street, people occasionally threw buckets of water on the ground, only to watch it vanish in mere moments with a hiss.

Yet there in the smithy stood Li Yuan, still forging away. The glow from the furnace made his skin look almost red; rivulets of sweat rolled off him.

It had been over half a month since his visit to Master Zhu. He took a quick glance at his skill list.

Master Weaponsmithing - Rank 9 (99/160)

In just a bit more time, maybe a couple of weeks, he’d max out his ninth rank Weaponsmithing. He refused to rush. For each single point of effort gained, he allowed himself to allocate only ten more. He firmly believed that consistent, measured progress was the only way to stay steady. His all-consuming focus could then be chalked up to raw talent; and earnest dedication was the path to reaching the pinnacle.

That afternoon, near sundown, a tall young woman dressed in green silk arrived at the smithy.

She hopped down from a carriage, absentmindedly toying with her braided hair as she craned her neck to peer through the crowd. Only when the hammering subsided did she squeeze her way to the front, calling, “Make way, make way!”

When she caught sight of the muscular young smith with coppery skin, a faint flush rose in her cheeks. “Mister Li! Mister Li!” she called.

Li Yuan seemed lost in thought and didn’t respond.

This long-legged girl was Yao Jue. She waved her arms overhead. “Mister...! Li...! Yuan...!”

Only then did his gaze sharpen with awareness. He turned toward her.

Yao Jue beckoned. “I’m here to take you somewhere.”

“No,” Li Yuan replied with a shake of his head.

“...Huh?”

“I’m still in the middle of forging.”

Yao Jue hurried closer and lowered her voice. “My lady sent me.”

Hearing that, Li Yuan sighed inwardly. No doubt yet another

interview

tonight. But refusing would be out of the question. It figured... Someone who held the title of Yin Consort really did keep a busy schedule.

“Let me change my clothes,” he said quietly.

Moments later, Li Yuan boarded the carriage with Yao Jue, which took them to the Cui residence. Instead of the main residence, they ended up by a large lotus pond.

Word of his arrival quickly reached the head of the Cui Clan, Cui Heng, but he chose not to make an appearance. Apparently the time was not yet right.

From a distance, Li Yuan spotted that coldly elegant noblewoman sitting by the pond in the evening breeze. Obviously, she hadn’t dressed up for this occasion; she showed no particular sign of expecting him.

On a stone table before her, an incense burner curled with scented smoke that filled the air with a faint, chilly fragrance, lingering in her garments.

Li Yuan bowed. “Good evening, Miss Cui.”

This was different from meeting Yan Yu or Xue Ning; he was dealing with the woman he was supposed to marry, so there was a built-in formality between them. Polite distance was the only way to handle it, even if neither particularly wished to keep such distance.

“I hear you have a remarkable talent for forging,” Cui Huayin said politely, giving him a brief, civil glance. “Please continue working hard.”

Li Yuan replied, “I’ll master Master Zhu’s teachings soon enough and then bring you home as my bride.”

A faint crease appeared between her brows, and she turned her gaze aside with the barest hint of distaste. She clearly didn’t appreciate talk like that. With a subtle gesture, she signaled Yao Jue to change the subject; she had no desire to delve any deeper.

Yao Jue reached into a nearby basket, took out a bowl of sour plum soup, dropped in a few pieces of ice from a bucket, and set it before Li Yuan with a smile. “This should help cool you off.”

He downed a large mouthful.

Cui Huayin watched him put the bowl aside and spoke in a cool, level voice, “The lotus leaves stretch far and wide; the flowers are in full bloom. Are you in the mood for a poem, Mister Li?”

Immediately, Yao Jue went quiet, eyes going wide in anticipation.

They had picked this setting completely on a whim. Cui Huayin had warned Yao Jue repeatedly when sending her to retrieve Li Yuan. She couldn’t reveal the meeting place in advance, let alone that he’d be expected to compose a poem.

All of this was to ensure that Li Yuan would have to produce something spontaneously, no prior preparation. That alone would prove whether he truly possessed such talent.

He glanced at Cui Huayin, then at the swath of lotus leaves and blossoms in the pond. Silently, he breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, before coming to this world, he had spent quite some time studying poetry and memorizing numerous verses.

Now, he only needed to borrow one of them again.

He didn’t speak right away, appearing lost in thought. Cui Huayin didn’t rush him. Yao Jue, however, was visibly tense. If he disappointed her mistress tonight, who knew how long it would be before Cui Huayin emerged from that secluded manor again?

Come on, Li Yuan! You can do it!

she urged inwardly.

It didn’t take Li Yuan long. Gazing at the thick clusters of lotus in the pond, he recited—

“In most flowers, blossoms and leaves do not truly match—

The blooms go to gilded bowls; the leaves, mere dust beneath one’s feet.

But green lotus fronds and red buds unfold together,

Opening and closing in natural grace.

In this flower and these leaves, each always mirrors the other—

If the green fades and the red wanes, it’s enough to break one’s heart.”

He borrowed these lines, originally penned by Li Shangyi upon meeting his future wife. It was perfect for the occasion.