SFS Chapter 46 Method Currency
Chapter 46 Method Currency
Fan Zhou returned to the blacksmith's workshop with doubts.
The clanging continues unabated here.
Although it was lunch break, some people were practicing diligently.
Peng Yue is one of them.
He was forging an iron bar more than three feet long, his thick eyebrows furrowed, his expression focused.
While he was heating the iron bar, Fan Zhou asked:
"Brother Peng, does the workshop have any books on how to forge 100-strength steel?"
Peng Yue looked at him with surprise, then couldn't help but laugh:
"Are you thinking that there's a book that details the steps to forging high-quality steel, and you can just follow the instructions step by step to forge it?"
"That's right, that's right." Fan Zhou nodded repeatedly.
Peng Yue shook his head and said, "Refined steel is forged through repeated hammering, not something anyone can just guess at."
Fan Zhou was greatly disappointed and asked curiously, "Since there's no specific method, how can I learn to forge hundred-refined steel?"
"Although there is no specific method, the sword furnace has experience passed down through generations," Peng Yue explained.
"Every few days, senior workers from the workshop will come to give us lectures and teach us the key points of forging steel."
"After you've practiced a lot, you'll summarize your successes and failures, try again and again, and make improvements and innovations. Eventually, you'll find the method one day."
Fan Zhou sighed; it sounded like he was just taking a chance.
"However, although there is no specific method for forging high-quality steel, there are books on forging techniques."
Peng Yue pointed to the back of the workshop and said:
"There's a library in the backyard with many books on forging, including iron smelting, forging, and polishing. You can take a look."
Fan Zhou's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, Senior Brother. I'll go right away."
"Don't rush," Peng Yue called out to him, reminding him:
"I suggest you start by reading 'Treatise on Five Metals and Six Instruments' and 'Eleven Methods of Iron Forging.' These two books record the properties, proportions, and forging methods of various metals."
"it is good."
Fan Zhou nodded in agreement, then suddenly remembered something.
"Won't it cost money to read these books?"
"The books on the first floor are free, but I'll take all the cultivation techniques and spells on the second floor."
Peng Yue took the iron bar out of the furnace and began to forge it with focused concentration.
Fan Zhou bowed in thanks and hurried to the backyard.
The weapon forging workshop is divided into several areas, mainly consisting of three courtyards and four rooms.
The three courtyards consist of the front courtyard, the back courtyard, and Qin Zhiyuan's private courtyard.
The four rooms are the metallurgy room, the forging room, the sword casting room, and the sharpening room.
The front yard was where the apprentices stayed.
The backyard was inhabited by true sword-making craftsmen, such as Han Jiangyue.
As for the four rooms, they refer to the types of jobs.
From smelting iron to forging it into a material, then forging it into a sword, and finally polishing and sharpening it, these processes are all completed step by step.
Fan Zhou was in the forging room, which was very close to the backyard. He could get there by walking back after leaving the main gate.
He verified the identity of the disciple guarding the side gate, who also pointed out the direction of the library to him.
"Go straight ahead from this gate, and turn right when you see the bamboo grove."
"Thank you, senior brother."
He walked forward and soon saw a two-story building surrounded by bamboo groves, with the words "Bamboo Grove Study" written on the plaque.
Upon entering the building, the first thing you smell is the faint scent of ink.
Several apprentices sat at a table by the window, copying down the essence of the book. They occasionally looked deep in thought and whispered to the people next to them, asking for their understanding.
At the counter near the entrance, an elderly man with white hair was engrossed in reading a yellowed book.
Fan Zhou glanced at it; the book cover read "The Record of the Southern Wilderness Demoness".
"Truly, though old in age, their hearts remain young."
He inwardly grumbled, but outwardly remained polite as he approached the old man and bowed, saying:
"Having met with the steward, I would like to find the 'Treatise on the Five Metals and Six Instruments' and the 'Eleven Methods of Iron Forging,' but I do not know where they are kept?"
The old man was still staring at the book, but suddenly his long right eyebrow stood up, pointing like a finger at a bookshelf.
Thank you.
Fan Zhou walked to the bookshelf and searched for it, and soon found what he wanted.
He carried two scrolls of wooden slips to the wooden table by the window and began to read "On the Five Metals and Six Instruments".
The five metals are gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin; the six implements are bells and tripods, axes and hatchets, halberds and spears, swords and knives, weapons, and fire-making implements.
"The properties of metals vary in lightness, heaviness, hardness, and flexibility; each has its own strengths in toughness and sharpness. If one can take advantage of these strengths and compensate for the deficiencies of others, then all kinds of utensils can be made..."
The entire book was only a couple thousand words long, and Fan Zhou quickly read it through.
This book discusses the properties of metals and the metal proportions used in casting six types of objects.
He tried to communicate with the Heavenly Craftsmanship Furnace within his body, but there was no response.
"no?"
Fan Zhou wasn't too surprised, just a little puzzled.
Cultivation techniques and spells can be forged and upgraded, so why can't this weapon-refining technique?
Fan Zhou stared at the words on the wooden slip and read them carefully again.
This time, he noticed something different.
Although the Treatise on Five Metals and Six Instruments describes a lot of knowledge, it does not specify the detailed steps for forging objects.
Is it because the book is too general?
Fan Zhou suddenly remembered the sword manual that Huang Yi had left him, and the Heavenly Craft Furnace had not responded to it.
That sword manual also discusses sword energy, divine power, and variations in sword techniques, etc. Like this book, it has a direction but lacks a systematic approach.
So, this is where the problem lies?
Fan Zhou then thought of what Peng Yue had just said to him.
Although the sword furnace possesses the skills and experience to forge hundred-refinement steel, it lacks a detailed process that everyone can learn.
"In that case, the Heavenly Crafting Furnace is out of the question. I'll have to figure out the method for forging hundred-refined steel myself."
Although disappointed, Fan Zhou was not discouraged.
If others can forge 100-times-refined steel, then he certainly can too.
Fan Zhou cut off his chaotic thoughts and picked up another book, "Eleven Methods of Forging," to read attentively.
When the work bell rang, he put the book back in its place and returned to the forging room to continue forging.
As Peng Yue had said, in the evening, an elderly man with gray hair came to the workshop, supervising their work and pointing out precautions during the forging process.
The old man, hunched over, wandered around the workshop with his hands behind his back, and after a while, he came over to Fan Zhou's side.
He walked over to Peng Yue first, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's, staring intently at his movements.
Peng Yue kept his eyes glued to the forging of the steel in his hands, ignoring the old man's existence.
The old man hunched over and watched for a while, then gently reminded him:
"Your breath is too short. Forging must be done in one go. The longer you maintain your breath, the more stable the hammer will be, and the more controllable the changes in the steel will be."
Peng Yue nodded without saying anything.
The old man then strolled over to Fan Zhou, and seeing that he was a stranger, asked with a smile:
"New here?"
"Yes, senior," Fan Zhou replied.
The old man chuckled coldly twice, his voice instantly turning stern:
"You still have time to talk? It seems you're not serious at all."
Fan Zhou remained silent.
You were the one who asked me the question.
He simply covered his head and, like Peng Yue, focused intently on forging iron, remaining silent.
The old man shook his head again and snorted coldly:
"The senior player is right in front of you, and you don't even ask questions? Do you think you're that good?"
Good grief, it's awkward to speak or not to speak.
Fan Zhou hesitated for a moment, then sincerely asked:
"Senior, how can we prevent steel billets from cracking after folding?"
The old man said coldly, "Just keep quiet."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Fan Zhou: "..."
…………
As darkness fell, the firelight inside the workshop gradually dimmed.
After a long day of hard work, Fan Zhou cleaned his workstation.
Looking at the pile of scrap metal beside him, he sighed helplessly.
After a busy day, the best result was eight folding and forging sessions, only one improvement over the morning session.
Reaching the minimum requirement of 36 steelmaking processes seems like an insurmountable distance.
"Actually, you've already done very well," Peng Yue suddenly said.
He was still forging iron at this moment, showing no intention of leaving get off work.
Fan Zhou looked at him, puzzled. "What's so good about it?"
"You achieved the eighth level of the training on the very first day; that's already a better result than many others."
Peng Yue buried the steel billet in the furnace to heat it up, and took advantage of a brief break to quickly pour himself a bowl of water to drink.
Fan Zhou looked at him, his eyes shining:
"So, you're saying I have some talent for blacksmithing?"
Peng Yue exhaled a breath of stale air and nodded, saying, "At least when I first forged steel, I only managed to reach the fifth level of refining."
Fan Zhou suddenly felt less disappointed and couldn't help but ask:
"Senior Brother Peng, how long did it take you to reach the Seventy-Two Refinements stage?"
Peng Yue grinned. "It's been seven years."
Fan Zhou was taken aback; Peng Yue looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old.
Seven years ago, wasn't he only ten years old?
He could forge five layers of steel at the age of ten!
"Senior Brother Peng, you're the one with real talent, aren't you?"
Fan Zhou felt even more disappointed.
Peng Yue took out the steel billet and continued forging it, saying:
"It's different. My family owns a blacksmith shop. I started learning to sharpen knives and scissors when I was three, and I started making farm tools when I was six or seven. But this is truly your first time."
Fan Zhou stopped dwelling on this and, leaning against the anvil, asked:
"Senior Brother Peng, how long does it typically take to complete the thirty-six refinements?"
"It could take a year or two, or even decades," Peng Yue said.
"Is it that difficult?"
"Of course."
Peng Yue explained, "Don't underestimate the Thirty-Six Refinements just because it's the minimum requirement for the workshop. It's actually quite impressive, and it's very difficult for someone without talent to achieve it."
Fan Zhou asked curiously, "In our workshop, how much do you earn a month for the thirty-six-fold refining technique?"
Peng Yue laughed and said, "This technique isn't worth much in the Sword Furnace; it only costs thirty-six spirit sands a month."
Fan Zhou's eyes widened. "Thirty-six spirit sands aren't enough?"
This commander of a hundred men only earns twelve spirit sands a month.
The monthly allowance for this thirty-six-times-refined skill was actually twice that of his.
This is what a truly high-paying job looks like.
Peng Yue shook his head and said, "Thirty-six spirit sands may seem like a lot at first glance, but we need to buy spirit medicines every month to remove the toxins from our bodies and to maintain our strength and bones. A dozen or twenty spirit sands can easily be used up."
"That's true."
Fan Zhou also remembered this and asked:
"Senior Brother Peng, I also want to buy some medicinal herbs. Which kind should I buy?"
"Usually, I buy three kinds: Lingzhu Ointment, Qinglu Loquat Syrup, and Musk Tiger Bone Pill. If you have more money, you can also buy a kind of spiritual water for washing your eyes," Peng Yue said.
Fan Zhou kept it in mind and decided to buy the medicine tonight, as he was already feeling a burning sensation on his skin.
"Oh, right."
Then, remembering something, Peng Yue added:
"You can buy it at Baihualou in Dongshi. Mention my name and you'll get a 10% discount."
Fan Zhou was taken aback. "Why can you give me a discount?"
Peng Yue glanced at him quickly, puzzled, and asked:
"I told them I was an apprentice at the weapon forging workshop, and they gave me a discount."
So it's not enough to just talk about the disciples of the Sword Furnace?
Fan Zhou stroked his chin, then said with some excitement:
"I'm also an apprentice at the weapon forging workshop now, so they should give me a 10% discount, right?"
Peng Yue remained noncommittal, simply continuing to forge the steel billet.
Fan Zhou didn't linger and took his leave.
When he got home, he thought he would take a bath before going to Baihualou to buy medicine, but he was worried that they wouldn't believe he was a disciple of the weapon-forging workshop, so he simply went there with his face covered in soot.
Fan Zhou arrived at the entrance of Baihua Tower.
Just then, Qingju was greeting guests at the door. Upon seeing him, her eyes lit up, and she immediately ran over and said softly:
"Guest, our Baihua Pavilion has a variety of remedies for burns and scalds, as well as cough suppressants and expectorants. Would you like some?"
Fan Zhou, his face dark with anger, said, "I'm a disciple of the Sword Forging Workshop. Could you give me a discount?"
Qingju blinked and whispered, "Everyone who comes here claims to be a disciple of the Sword Furnace."
Fan Zhou was greatly surprised. Why was it still not working?
"You don't say that to everyone you meet, do you?"
"How did you know?" Qingju was startled, looking at him with a mixture of surprise and suspicion.
Upon closer inspection, she immediately recognized him and smiled:
"Oh, it's you! Why didn't you wash your face before coming over? I didn't even recognize you."
Fan Zhou snorted and said irritably, "I just want to see if you guys really don't offer discounts."
He was embarrassed to admit that he maintained this lifestyle just to get a 10% discount.
Qingju glanced quickly at the people on the street, then reached out and led Fan Zhou into the building before explaining in a low voice:
"It's not that we can't offer discounts, but we have to report to the shopkeeper first, since we're just a small business."
Fan Zhou crossed his arms dismissively and turned to walk away.
"Eh eh eh~!"
Qingju quickly stopped him, saying urgently, "I haven't finished speaking yet."
"Sister Zhiruo instructed that if you come again, she will give you a 10% discount."
Fan Zhou asked curiously, "Why did she offer me a discount?"
"How would I know?" Qingju shook her head.
"It's just that Sister Zhiruo said you are a 'rare commodity' and that we could try doing business with you long-term."
Fan Zhou raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Sister Zhiruo has a keen eye for people, unlike you little girl who has no discernment at all."
Qingju snorted defiantly and asked:
"After all this talk, are you going to buy the pills or not?"
Fan Zhou took out a shiny spirit stone and flicked it with his finger, and it landed in Qingju's arms.
"A box of Lingzhu ointment, a bottle of Qinglu loquat syrup, five musk tiger bone pills, plus a bottle of eye drops."
Qingju looked at the spirit stone in her hand, her big eyes shining, and she bowed gracefully, saying:
"Please wait a moment, esteemed guest, I will be right there."
Fan Zhou grabbed her and said seriously:
"Exchange this spirit stone for 105 grains of spirit sand, understand?"
Qingju looked at the black fingerprint on her snow-white sleeve, and immediately lost her respectful demeanor, pouting as she said:
"I know."