Only Slightly Familiar
"This Young Master Lu is Honored Guest of our Wei Residence. He is quite interested in casting and said he wanted to visit the best blacksmith shop in the County Town, so I brought him here to Craftsman Lin."
Grand Steward Wei explained.
"Greetings, Old Craftsman Lin."
Lu Qing gave a slight bow and greeted him.
At this moment, information about the old craftsman was displayed in his field of vision.
[Lin Tiechui: Owner of Casting Heart Workshop, a highly skilled old blacksmith with a forthright personality.]
[Cultivation Level: Acquired Tendons and Bones Realm, Major Accomplishment; Proficient in Hammer Techniques.]
That's a down -Earth Qi name.
Lu Qing thought to himself.
"No problem, no problem, but Grand Steward Wei, you're flattering me too much. If that Old Man Wang next door heard this, he'd definitely come after me."
Old Craftsman Lin was all smiles, unable to contain his joy, but he still spoke modestly.
Grand Steward Wei smiled slightly and said nothing more.
Old Craftsman Lin of Casting Heart Workshop and Craftsman Wang of Iron Weapon Workshop not far away, have always been at odds. This is common knowledge throughout the County Town, and he has no interest in getting involved.
"I wonder what Young Master Lu would like to see?"
Knowing that Lu Qing was Honored Guest of the Wei Residence, Old Craftsman Lin dared not neglect him.
Anyone who can be accompanied by Grand Steward Wei must be of extraordinary status.
Although he did not go to the city gate yesterday, he still felt the terrifying power emanating from within the city.
Afterwards, I heard that there was a young man who amazed everyone by defeating a Martial Dao Grandmaster who had reached the Tendons and Bones Realm and Inner Organs Perfection Realm.
Judging from Grand Steward Wei's attitude, could this be the young man before him? Thinking of this, Old Craftsman Lin's attitude became even more respectful.
"Actually, I mainly want to rent your workshop's forge so I can forge a weapon that suits me personally. I wonder if it would be convenient for you Old Craftsman Lin?"
Lu Qing went straight to the point.
"Young master, you also know the art of forging?"
Old Craftsman Lin was quite surprised.
Lu Qing's demeanor showed no trace of a blacksmith's air, and his hands were smooth and flat, without a single callus. He didn't look like someone skilled in forging at all.
"I have a basic understanding, but I'm not proficient yet and need more practice."
Old Craftsman Lin immediately understood that Lu Qing was not skilled in forging, but rather had just decided on a whim to make a weapon for fun.
He had encountered such young masters before, so it wasn't too surprising.
"Of course, young master. Which stove do you fancy? I'll make room for it right away."
If it were anyone else making such an unreasonable request, Old Craftsman Lin would definitely be very displeased.
However, Lu Qing, Honored Guest of the Wei Residence, was accompanied by Grand Steward Wei, and was more likely a powerful Martial Artist capable of defeating Martial Dao Grandmaster.
Faced with such an existence, everything is naturally negotiable.
"Old Craftsman Lin, please help me choose one. I need one with a strong firepower," Lu Qing said.
"Then let's use No. 1 Furnace. It has the strongest wind and the highest temperature. It can even smelt Fire Rock Steel. It should meet the young master's requirements."
After pondering for a moment, Old Craftsman Lin spoke directly.
"Then let's listen to Old Craftsman Lin."
Huoyan Gang Lu Qing also knew that a type of black steel with a very high melting point usually appeared near volcanoes.
If even that kind of black steel can be refined, then the firepower of this No. 1 Furnace is indeed very strong.
It barely meets his requirements.
Soon, Old Craftsman Lin cleared out No. 1 Furnace.
"Young Master Lu, please, what kind of weapon do you wish to wield?"
"No rush, let me practice first and familiarize myself with the process."
Hearing this, Old Craftsman Lin became even more certain that Lu Qing had indeed come to visit.
If you're not even familiar with the forging process, how can you possibly create a good weapon?
"Old Craftsman Lin, if you're busy, you can go about your own business first. You don't need to keep me company," Lu Qing said with a smile.
"It's alright. There haven't been any special orders in the workshop lately, and I'm just sitting here with nothing to do. I can observe the young master's forging techniques."
How could Old Craftsman Lin dare to let Lu Qing do all this alone? He couldn't bear the responsibility if Lu Qing got hurt.
However, he still dispersed his subordinates and disciples who wanted to watch, so as not to affect Lu Qing.
Lu Qing smiled, understanding Old Craftsman Lin was thinking.
He didn't expose it, and after looking around, he finally picked up a medium-sized hammer.
"Old Craftsman Lin, may I use some of your workshop's materials?" Lu Qing asked.
"But it's fine to use it," Old Craftsman Lin immediately replied.
Anyway, the materials on the furnace are just ordinary iron bars, so he wouldn't mind if they were broken.
Lu Qing glanced at the materials on the furnace and found that they were all ordinary cast iron bars, so he used them without worry.
He held a hammer in his right hand and used his left hand to take a red-hot iron bar from the charcoal furnace and place it on the anvil.
He then activated his Supernatural Ability and entered a learning state. A hammer technique from the Li Fire Sect Heritage flowed through his mind, and various insights surfaced in his heart.
Clang! Lu Qing slammed his hammer into the iron bar, producing a crisp sound.
Old Craftsman Lin's heart skipped a beat at first, then a look of understanding appeared on his face.
As expected, this Young Master Lu was not proficient in blacksmithing.
The blow was powerful, but the technique was lacking; the force was applied incorrectly, making it appear quite clumsy.
It is very difficult to hammer out the impurities in pig iron using this method.
However, he didn't say anything to remind him; he just watched quietly.
After hammering a few times, Lu Qing realized something was wrong. He stopped and quietly thought about it.
Seeing that he hadn't moved for a while, Old Craftsman Lin was wondering whether he should offer some pointers when he saw Lu Qing raise his hammer again.
Clang! Lu Qing brought his hammer down again.
But this time, Old Craftsman Lin couldn't help but slightly open his eyes, revealing a hint of surprise.
All because Lu Qing's hammer blow was completely unexpected to him.
As an old blacksmith who has been immersed in the forging process for decades, he has personally forged countless weapons and farm tools throughout his life.
Old Craftsman Lin's forging skills have long reached an extremely high level.
When instructing his disciples, he could tell which disciple had made a mistake simply by listening, without even looking.
So he could immediately tell that Lu Qing's hammer blow was completely different from the previous few blows that were almost random.
The force he used was just right and skillful, enough to knock out the impurities from the iron bar. Even his disciples might not be able to produce such a blow.
Was it luck?
A thought flashed through the mind of the Old Craftsman Lin.
But he soon realized he was wrong.
After striking the hammer, Lu Qing sensed the difference and realized he had found the right direction, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face.
Without stopping, he raised the hammer again and struck down once more.
For the next period of time, Lu Qing continued to hammer and forge the iron bar, folding and hammering it repeatedly.
During this process, the Old Craftsman Lin's eyes widened more and more, until he finally stared in disbelief.