Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior-Chapter 59 - 57: Generous Benefits, Martial Dao Money-Burning Cave
Blacksmith?
Others’ reactions made Su Mu understand that this Blacksmith seemed to have a high status, certainly not an ordinary blacksmith.
The lowest position in the Forging Workshop is an apprentice, and a regular blacksmith is simply a blacksmith, while there are only a handful who can be called ’Blacksmiths’.
This is also why Wu Lie recruited apprentices and blacksmiths this time, rather than directly recruiting Blacksmiths.
Every Blacksmith is a pillar of the Forging Workshop, each one carefully selected and trained from dozens or even hundreds of blacksmiths. Except for Su Mu, the youngest Blacksmith in the workshop is already thirty-seven. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
"I am willing!"
This was exactly what Su Mu wanted, who would refuse a higher treatment? The young man nodded in agreement.
"Good, from today onwards, you are a member of my Forging Workshop, and also the ninth Blacksmith here. Our Forging Workshop does not have many complex rules, and everyone is treated equally in terms of benefits."
"A Blacksmith earns five taels of silver monthly, with additional rewards of two taels for forging a Thirty-Refined Weapon, five taels for Fifty-Refined, fifteen taels for Hundred-Refined Elite Soldiers. Moreover, as a Blacksmith, you are required to forge at least one Hundred-Refined Elite Soldier every month."
Wu Lie explained the conditions and rules regarding Blacksmiths.
Su Mu’s eyes brightened upon hearing this.
Indeed, Blacksmiths in Cyan Cloud City have extraordinary benefits. Even ten blacksmiths from Qingshui Town cannot match one Blacksmith in the Forging Workshop.
A fixed salary of five taels per month, and at least one Hundred-Refined Elite Soldier each month yields another fifteen taels. Even taking into account the few months since his last forging, Su Mu could finish a Hundred-Refined Elite Soldier in fifteen days during the assessment. Overall, producing two per month is manageable and not difficult.
Adding it up, it’s thirty-five taels per month, and further earnings depend on Su Mu himself.
However, Su Mu was puzzled—was there really such a demand for Hundred-Refined Elite Soldiers?
After a brief thought, he realized it was not his concern. Since Wu Lie had set such rules, there clearly was no worry about the sales of Hundred-Refined Elite Soldiers.
Chen Yuntian announced Su Mu passed the assessment, Wu Lie personally offered him the position, and Su Mu accepted. The matter was settled.
Wu Lie then inquired about some trivial matters.
"Su Mu, there are many empty rooms in the workshop, and a few individual small courtyards too. Would you like to move here?"
Even Chen Yuntian was a bit envious upon hearing this; he hadn’t received such good treatment when he first became a Blacksmith.
But thinking about it, it’s understandable. Su Mu has such talent and will surely become the top in the workshop someday. Such treatment is not surprising; it would be odd if Wu Lie didn’t value him.
"Martial Master, I have rented a small courtyard in the city, I’m used to living there and wouldn’t move."
"Alright."
After chatting a bit, Wu Lie looked at the youth in front of him, knowing it’s unlikely he was the ’Su Mu,’ but still wanted to confirm.
"Su Mu, follow me."
The two walked out of the forging room to a secluded shady spot. Wu Lie suddenly spoke.
"Speaking of which, my Junior Brother Li from Qingshui Town recommended an apprentice last year with the same name, Su Mu."
As Wu Lie calmly finished speaking, intending to observe Su Mu’s reaction, the young man spoke up.
"Martial Master, this matter has nothing to do with Uncle Li. It was me who delayed, the mistake is mine—that apprentice is me." Su Mu sincerely apologized, actually quite surprised.
Uncle Li had never mentioned who exactly his senior brother was at the Forging Workshop, but now that the Martial Master had spoken, Su Mu immediately understood that Uncle Li’s senior brother was none other than the workshop master Wu Lie!
The young man took out a letter from his lapel.
Wu Lie, the Seventh-Grade Martial Artist, was moved, stunned for a moment. When he came to, he asked incredulously.
"Are you really Su Mu?"
"Yes, I am."
Upon receiving affirmation, Wu Lie reached out to take the letter from the young man, and seeing it’s in the handwriting of his Junior Brother Li, couldn’t bother to read the contents now.
"Good, truly remarkable, indeed Junior Brother Li has eyes like a torch!"
Wu Lie patted Su Mu’s shoulder a few times, eyes filled with amazement.
"Xiaomu, since you’ve been admitted based on your abilities and even become a Blacksmith, the recommendation letter doesn’t need further mention. I won’t pay you any special attention in future; everything is earned by your own strength."
"My Junior Brother is usually very reserved and rarely praises people, but in the letter, he was full of praise for you. It seems he really didn’t misjudge!"
Su Mu nodded, "Martial Master, I understand."
"Still calling me Martial Master, when here is nobody, if you don’t mind, you may call me Uncle Wu."
"Uncle Wu!"
Upon hearing the youth call him ’Uncle Wu’, Wu Lie, who previously vowed no special treatment, immediately put his arm around Su Mu’s shoulder.
"Forging is a laborious task. Xiao Mu, you must be hungry. Come, Uncle Wu will take you to eat something."
Su Mu felt a chill from the casual embrace strength, but hearing Uncle Wu’s words made him chuckle.
"These five forging rooms were established by an initial Workshop Master for Entry Level Blacksmiths. Currently, two rooms are vacant; I hope you can move into one in a few years."
"Come, this is the storeroom, and here is..."
The Martial Master led Su Mu around the Forging Workshop, finally reaching a quiet courtyard, "Xiaocui, prepare some food, where is Xiaoqiao?"
Wearing a light green dress, the maid replied softly, "Master, Miss went out early this morning."
"That girl, always loves roaming outside." Wu Lie scolded, but his tone was full of affection, "Xiaomu, don’t laugh, that’s my little girl, one year younger than you. I also have an unaccomplished son, Wu Ning, five or six years older than you."
"Xiaocui, quickly call that rascal Wu Ning back!"
"Master, when I applied that day, it was Big Brother Wu Ning who led me."
"Oh, is that so..." Wu Lie beckoned Xiaocui back, "Xiaocui, don’t bother fetching that rascal."
After the meal, Su Mu stood up to leave; having passed the assessment today, tomorrow would be the official starting day.
After leaving the Forging Workshop, Su Mu exhaled lightly.
"Set a small goal first, forge three Hundred-Refined Elite Soldiers each month, earn more silver coins... Detoxification, Bone-Forger Ointment are Money-Burning Cave, need to cultivate more martial arts, improve comprehension, strengthen Power, see if I can breakthrough Fourth Refining Force."
The youth set a goal for himself in his heart, feeling motivated.
Three Hundred-Refined Elite Soldiers a month, exactly fifty taels looks amazing, but thinking carefully, it’s still a bit insufficient.
With the first Bone Forging, Su Mu spent seven boxes of Bone-Forger Ointment from Hundred Elixir Tower, each costing eighty taels, totaling five hundred sixty taels, and this was with Su Mu’s vigorous Power not wasting much ointment.
If it were an average person, the ointment consumption for a single Bone Forging would probably double, that would be fourteen boxes, over a thousand silver taels, one Bone Forging of a thousand silver taels, and subsequent Bone Forgings are even more costly.
Suddenly, Su Mu understood why Zhao Xuan, the top in Qingshui Town, looked so poor—all the silver spent on the Martial Dao.
Most of the accumulated ointment was likely Zhao Xuan’s attempt for a Second Bone Forging, but ultimately became Su Mu’s clothes.
"At least things are settled now, with a money-making career established."
"Think about other ways to make money later."
The youth was optimistic, not overly worried.
As they say, the car will find a way around the mountain.
On Cyan Cloud Avenue, outside a rundown Government Office that had been dilapidated for years, at the end of last year, there was a Government Office notice posted about ’Demon Slayer Bureau Restarting Assassin Recruitment’, but few paid attention. Now, that yellowed notice swayed in the breeze.
"Stop gawking and move on, the Rebel Army is fierce, licking blood from the knife’s edge is not for ordinary people."
Passersby whispered and hurried away.
...
