Qi-Tempered Forging

About three months had passed since I started learning Qi-Tempered Forging. Since it was something simple, I had become able to make it with Qi-Tempered Forging. Once that happened, I started wanting a forge of my own.

So I decided to remodel a small cave near Old Immortal Cave into a forge. I bought the furnace and tools used for smithing in town, carried them into the cave, and named it the Old Immortal Workshop.

The Old Immortal Workshop had enough equipment and tools to function as a forge. After worrying over what I should make first, I decided on the shaft of the Serpent-Goat Broadsword. The shaft I was using now was made from sturdy wood, but it only had enough strength that it would be cut apart if it blocked an attack from a treasured sword.

So I thought of making a shaft out of black steel. Black steel used the word steel, but its properties were similar to titanium. It was both sturdy and light.

I hunted Blue-Feather Crows and gathered a large number of beaks. These beaks were made of black steel. I would make the black steel shaft this time so it could be split into two parts. I thought it would be convenient when traveling or when fighting in narrow places.

I placed charcoal in the furnace and lit the fire. I used the bellows to send in air and raise the temperature of the furnace, then put more than ten black steel beaks in together. When the black steel heated up and turned red, I took it out with fire tongs and fixed it on the anvil.

When I heard fire tongs, at first I imagined something like kitchen tongs, but they were completely different. Smithing fire tongs were closer to pincers or pliers.

I poured qi through those fire tongs and struck the black steel with a hammer. With Elder Min’s spiritual qi forging, it immediately began changing shape, but with Qi-Tempered Forging, it took time.

After striking it dozens of times with the hammer, the black steel that had been beaks began to blend together. Continuing that work for about two days turned it into a rod. Then I made another rod. After that, I cut screw holes that would become joints so the two rods could be connected.

It took eight days to make this shaft. I attached the blade of the Serpent-Goat Broadsword to the completed shaft. Since the shaft was divided into two parts, I was worried about its strength, but when I connected it and tried using it, it was fine.

“With this, both my hands will be free while I’m traveling.”

I planned to put it in a dedicated leather bag and carry it on my back while traveling. I had already ordered that leather bag too, so it should be finished soon.

“Kou, it looks like you’re working hard.”

It had been a long time since Shunlin came to Old Immortal Cave.

“It’s been a while since you came here, hasn’t it?”

“I was busy making immortal medicines as part of the division’s training.”

“So what have you become able to make?”

“Evil-Expelling Pill.”

I had heard that Evil-Expelling Pill was an immortal medicine that removed evil qi that had entered the body. It was probably a medicine that killed harmful bacteria. I had heard that it was also effective against colds.

“That’s amazing. Even if you quit being a Taoist practitioner, you could still make a living.”

Hearing that, Shunlin made a displeased face.

“I have no intention of quitting being a Taoist practitioner. I intend to obtain spiritual power and become an Immortal.”

Anyone who became a Taoist practitioner thought that at first. However, only two people at Gyorei Cave had truly become Immortals, so most Taoist practitioners would give up and meet death.

The first step toward becoming an Immortal was raising one’s qi level to the Fifteenth Tier and obtaining spiritual power. I had heard that at Gyorei Cave, those who reached the Fifteenth Tier trained in the Spiritual Blossom Ascension Art and obtained spiritual power.

“By the way, I heard an unpleasant rumor about Yulong and Senior Brother Daaren.”

“An unpleasant rumor?”

“There was a disciple who mocked Yulong, but that disciple was ambushed at night and badly injured.”

“Are you saying Yulong ambushed him?”

“The injured disciple apparently didn’t see his attackers’ faces, but he said they resembled Yulong and Daaren.”

“He didn’t see their faces?”

“It seems they were masked.”

“That disciple who mocked Yulong—do you know how he mocked him?”

“He apparently said that Yulong became Elder Shanshi’s direct disciple with his parents’ money.”

Since that was true, Yulong should have reflected on himself, but Yulong and the others were the kind of people against whom such sound arguments did not work.

“Did you come here to let me know that?”

“I wouldn’t come just for that. Senior Brother Daaren had been boasting that he finished off the ogre demon in the royal capital, but Senior Brother Kanru started saying that he merely stole the finishing blow on the ogre demon that he and Kou had weakened.”

“He said something unnecessary.”

When I said that, Shunlin tilted her head.

“Senior Brother Daaren was about to take credit for your achievement, you know.”

“But that earned Senior Brother Daaren’s resentment, didn’t it?”

“He apparently said Senior Brother Kanru and Kou were just lucky. He’ll make you understand that Senior Brother Daaren is superior in actual ability.”

“That makes no sense. He’s a high disciple, so of course Senior Brother Daaren’s ability is superior. Why does he need to make us understand that now?”

“You understood from the matter of the disciple who was ambushed, didn’t you? Sound arguments do not work on Yulong and Daaren.”

“But if he is going to start something, wouldn’t it be against Senior Brother Kanru?”

“That might be true. But you should be careful too, Kou.”

“Thank you. I’ll be careful.”

After Shunlin left Old Immortal Cave, I remained alone and thought about Yulong and the others. Yulong could probably be dealt with somehow, but Daaren’s ability was above mine.

Daaren was at the Fourteenth Tier of Qi and specialized in Dragon Qi Sword Art. I had seen Daaren’s Dragon Qi Sword Art before, and he was above Kanru. In other words, he was above me too. Incidentally, when comparing my ability to Kanru’s, there was almost no difference.

When I had been an outer disciple, Kanru had clearly been above me, but after I started receiving instruction from Elder Shanshi, the difference in our ability had almost disappeared.

“What would I do if I ended up fighting Daaren?”

Daaren was superior in strength, we were equal in the subtlety of martial technique, and I was probably superior in speed. The reason I was superior in speed was that, surprisingly, Daaren had not learned Lightness Skill.

“The problem is Dragon Wing.”