Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior-Chapter 58 - 56: Hundred-Refined Elite Soldiers, Official Blacksmith!
The young girl noticed that her father’s reaction was somewhat unusual upon hearing the name ’Su Mu’.
"Father, do you know this person?"
Indeed, Wu Lie had heard of and seen this name before, but had never truly met the man in person. The one mentioned in the letter of recommendation from Li Tie the junior was also named Su Mu, but that letter was a recommendation for the young man to become an apprentice.
Yet now, this ’Su Mu’ was receiving such attention from Master Chen—a sign that passing the official blacksmith examination should not be difficult.
In the trade of forging, there is no cunning to rely on, nor are there any shortcuts to be found.
The letter of recommendation had not even been issued half a year ago. Even the three Master Chens, or Wu Lie himself, could not have improved their craft so terrifyingly in mere months.
Besides, when the three masters first forged a fifty-refined weapon, the youngest among them was already twenty-five or twenty-six, and the lad in the letter of recommendation was only fifteen this year, was he not?
"Most likely just someone with the same name... but perhaps it’s best to go and see for myself."
With his thoughts racing, Wu Lie planned to see this Su Mu, when someone hurried in from outside the courtyard.
"Workshop Master, someone from the government office is here."
"Very well, take me to them."
By day, he forged iron billets; by night, he tempered his body. Su Mu felt as if he had returned to those days in Qingshui Town—though things had changed and could not return. Still, the youth only sighed faintly, not given over to sorrow.
His life’s journey had only just begun. A man must look ahead!
As for the matter of the recommendation letter, Su Mu knew well what Uncle Li had done for him, felt deep gratitude, and kept it close to his heart. Only, what transpired afterwards caused this matter to be delayed.
Now, the agreed-upon time had long passed; to arrive at the Forging Workshop bearing that letter would be nothing less than bringing shame upon Uncle Li.
At the end of last year, when Su Mu saw the public notice for recruitment at the Forging Workshop, he made up his mind. He would not rely on connections through the letter, but would use his own strength to enter.
Some day, he would personally apologize to Uncle Li’s senior face to face.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Before the forging platform, an iron hammer danced, as if a fierce tiger in motion. But after a while, its form shifted again, now resembling a mountain-cleaving heavy hammer; then wind and rain alternated, leaving the apprentice Xiaozheng, who was controlling the fire, rapt with longing.
All at once, many apprentices controlling the fire for other examinees shot Xiaozheng envious glances.
Seventy refinings.
Eighty refinings.
Ninety refinings!
Su Mu did not yet stop—the strength and power infused into the hammer grew ever bolder, and the billet on the forging platform seemed a reflection of Su Mu’s two years of martial training.
"It’s done... the Hundred-Refined Refined Iron is complete!"
As the tenth day came, gazing at the iron block before him—its impurities purged by countless strikes, its texture heavy and delicate, a faint red glow flowing through it—Su Mu wiped the sweat from his brow, a smile appearing on his face.
In that moment, inspiration flashed through Su Mu’s mind; his instant-insight comprehension came into play. Though the spiritual light was fleeting, it still gave Su Mu a yet deeper understanding of his already perfected forging art.
"Being perfect at forging is not the end."
Originally, at the Qingshui Town smithy, Su Mu could only forge thirty-refined blade soldiers. Yet now, with the complete tools and superior materials of the Forging Workshop, Su Mu had broken through former limits, forging a block of hundred-refined refined iron in a single leap.
Hundred-refined blade soldiers are almost the peak of ordinary weapons; to go further is to reach Grade-Entering Weapons.
And Grade-Entering Weapons are also called treasure artifacts—beyond hundred-refined lies the realm of treasures!
"Uncle Zhou once said that forging the iron billet is the most crucial stage in the process... Next, I must forge it into a blade soldier!"
After ten days of hammering, Su Mu had wholly regained his former state, even feeling better than ever; his forging techniques flashed swiftly through his mind.
His eyes were calm, without a shred of hesitation. To forge the iron billet into a saber, he took up the hammer and shaped the blade, refined it, carved the blood groove, quenched, ground, polished, added clay and burned the edge, tempered—every step at his fingertips, effortless and assured.
At the side, Xiaozheng was already dumbfounded, as though the young man before him was born for forging.
Drip, drip!
The water droplets hit the ground, sounding as pearls falling on jade plates.
Five days passed in a flash—Su Mu seized a long saber from the bucket with iron tongs.
The blade was like a river at sunrise, shining with a reddish glow. As the beads of water rolled off, a cold gleam burst forth; even from several meters away, Xiaozheng’s skin tingled as if pricked by needles, a chilling sensation between his shoulders.
"It’s done, it’s done!"
After a moment’s shock, apprentice Xiaozheng was beside himself with joy, as if he himself had forged the saber, even more excited and elated than Su Mu.
"Good lad, heroes emerge from youth! I truly misjudged you; this is a hundred-refined elite soldier!"
Just as the blade was finished, a long-waiting figure strode into the forging room, voicing unabashed praise.
Turning toward the sound, Su Mu saw Master Chen, and at his side, a burly man as massive as a small mountain.
This man stood eight feet tall, with dark skin and piercing eyes—it was the very man Su Mu had seen at the Forging Workshop gates, whose presence had seemed menacing even across the street.
"He’s strong... Surely, this is a seventh-grade muscle-enhancing martial artist, beyond bone forging."
"Qingyun City truly hides dragons and crouches tigers—not at all comparable to Qingshui Town."
Su Mu had now reached bone forging, yet the aura from this man still weighed upon him, forcing Su Mu to guess that the man was a seventh-grade martial artist.
"Master Chen Yuntian... and the Martial Master?"
Seeing who had arrived, Xiaozheng couldn’t help but cry out. As a mere apprentice, he usually found it nearly impossible to approach Chen Yuntian, let alone have the Martial Master come in person.
Martial Master?
Su Mu mused inwardly, now clear that this was the current Workshop Master of the Forging Workshop.
"This junior greets Martial Master and Master Chen."
"Save the pleasantries. Lad, may I have a look at your blade?"
"Please, examine it."
The big blacksmith was hot-tempered; Chen Yuntian, too, was not bothered by minor etiquette, and instantly took the saber from Su Mu for a close inspection.
His calloused hands stroked the blade again and again—the more he looked, the more astonished he became, and the less certain; today, he had intended to take Su Mu as his apprentice.
He kept Su Mu’s existence secret so the other two would not snatch the disciple, yet now he realized—even he, Chen Yuntian, had little left to teach this youth.
The lad looked at most sixteen or seventeen, but with such monstrous forging talent, within two years he might reach Chen Yuntian’s own realm. How could he claim to be his teacher?
To take a disciple by force would invite nothing but ridicule.
"Master Chen, may I also have a look?" Wu Lie, encountering Master Chen today, remembered the matter of Su Mu and had come here specifically to confirm the recommendation letter’s business.
Apparently, this Su Mu was not that Su Mu.
But today, this youth had given him an immense surprise.
Wu Lie took the saber and flicked his wrist; the blade washed forth a crimson gleam, its cold light arresting.
"A fine blade!"
The Martial Master offered sincere admiration, while Chen Yuntian only sighed and dropped all mention of accepting a disciple, then said on the spot:
"Master, I say Su Mu’s entry exam is passed. With his talent, in a few years at least... he will reach Chen Yuntian’s realm."
Master Chen Yuntian had personally declared the boy could reach his own level!
At those words, the forging room fell dead silent—the eyes fixed upon the youth were filled with shock, envy, and disbelief.
Upon hearing this, the Martial Master glanced at Chen Yuntian, immediately aware the old master had suffered a blow. Not only him—if the other two masters of the workshop had come together today, they would have faced the same fate.
At once, Wu Lie understood that Master Chen had abandoned his hope of taking a disciple.
Suppressing his own astonishment, he put on a smile and looked at the youth.
"You are called Su Mu, yes? Master Chen is not wrong—your talent is exceptional. At so young an age, to forge a hundred-refined elite soldier; given time, you might well forge grade-entering treasure artifacts..."
"The Forging Workshop has always valued ability above all. I wish to appoint you as one of our blacksmiths—do you accept?"
Not a mere blacksmith, but a blacksmith master?
Those words hung in the air.
Chen Yuntian nodded in quiet agreement, yet the vast forging room was utterly silent.
