Want to Learn? I'll Teach You

Very soon, the masters of the Sword Casting Workshop were all alarmed and hurried over one after another.

After learning the full sequence of events, those masters could not help shaking their heads and laughing, treating the matter as nothing more than a farce.

No one took it seriously.

A youth—even if he understood some sword-casting techniques, could he really smash the Sword Casting Workshop's signboard?

Someone went to advise Wang Tianyang, saying, "Old Wang, calm down. Young people don't know any better, so why take it so seriously? With your status, if you fuss over such things, it would be rather lacking in bearing."

Wang Tianyang snapped angrily, "Bearing, my ass. This old man has eaten, drunk, whored, and gambled from childhood to now, doing whatever he pleased by nature. Am I the sort of person who talks about bearing? All of you, stand there and watch!"

He came to the furnace, picked up the fire tongs, and as he added charcoal to stoke the flames, he shouted, "That Su whatever, hurry up and come smash the place. Open our eyes a little!"

The gathered swordsmiths could only smile wryly. They all knew Wang Tianyang had exactly this kind of stubborn, rotten temper.

"Young man, since you're Young Master Huang's friend, if you want to forge a sword, I can help you. Why get into a spat with Old Wang?"

Someone kindly reminded Su Yi, "Hurry and apologize to Old Wang. Let this matter end here."

Su Yi said casually, "I came here this time precisely to forge a sword. I don't have the time to get angry with someone irrelevant."

As he spoke, he arrived before the furnace.

There was a huge copper table here, covered with a dazzling array of weapon-forging tools.

"Put those sword-casting materials here."

Su Yi looked at the attendants and instructed them.

Witnessing this scene, the Weapon Forging Masters frowned, quite displeased. How could this young man be so ignorant?

However, out of consideration for Huang Qianjun, they did not hurl abuse at him. Otherwise, they would have driven Su Yi out long ago.

One Weapon Forging Master looked at Huang Qianjun and complained, "Young Master Huang, who is this friend of yours? He's so young, yet his temper is far from small!"

Huang Qianjun was already feeling vexed inside. Hearing this, he said irritably, "Where did all this nonsense come from? Whether my Brother Su can do it or not, won't you know once you watch?"

Those masters did not dare talk back, but the way they looked at Su Yi had grown increasingly dissatisfied.

"Since Young Master Huang has said as much, then let us broaden our horizons and see this young friend's elegance!"

One person snorted coldly.

The others also held the attitude of watching a spectacle, intending to watch Su Yi make a fool of himself.

As the attendants placed the various sword-casting materials in order one by one, Su Yi also began to move.

It was only forging an ordinary long sword. It could not trouble him at all.

First, he tossed six or seven kinds of materials into the furnace one by one, then instructed Wang Tianyang:

"Increase the firepower. When I say stop, stop."

Everyone was stunned for a moment. This kid really was not polite—he was actually ordering Old Wang around like this!

Wang Tianyang's cheek twitched hard. He forcefully suppressed the boiling rage in his heart and kept adding charcoal and some materials that helped raise the heat.

A full quarter of an hour later.

Su Yi casually scattered a handful of Crimson Sun Copper Powder into the furnace, then reminded him again, "Continue increasing the firepower."

Wang Tianyang kept his head down, not saying a word, and did as he was told.

He was holding back a breath of anger in his heart, planning to vent it thoroughly on Su Yi's head when Su Yi made a mistake in forging the sword later.

In the time that followed, Su Yi would throw in a sword-casting material from time to time and instruct Wang Tianyang to control the heat. It truly seemed as if he were treating the latter as a fire-stoker.

Scene after scene of this left the other Weapon Forging Masters feeling very uncomfortable. They felt Su Yi had no respect for his elders and was arrogant to the extreme.

Huang Qianjun, however, felt a surge of anticipation.

He could see that when Su Yi forged the sword, he was calm and composed, clearly brimming with confidence!

The worst result is nothing more than Brother Su's forged sword being inferior to one personally made by Old Wang. But as long as he succeeds, he won't lose face here. That's enough.

Thinking this, Huang Qianjun became increasingly relaxed.

"Increase the firepower a bit more."

"Not enough. Continue."

"Higher."

...For the time that followed, only the sound of Su Yi instructing Wang Tianyang to stoke the fire rang out continuously.

Wang Tianyang's expression grew uglier and uglier. Harsh breaths huffed from his nose, and he was so angry that white smoke seemed to rise from his nearly bald skull, which ached faintly.

Huang Qianjun and the swordsmiths all wore different expressions.

Only after half an hour had passed did the furnace's waves of fire churn, the heat currents filling the entire room seeming to boil, making everyone feel as if they had been placed in a land of molten volcanic fire.

Everyone was drenched in sweat, their collars soaked through.

On the bald forehead of Wang Tianyang, who was closest, sweat flowed like a river, continuously streaming down. His dark cheeks were bright red.

Even a master swordsmith like him could barely endure it anymore.

It was at this moment that Su Yi took out the Purple Veined Red Gold ring and tossed it into the furnace.

Boom!

Tongues of flame swept out, bursting with dazzling light.

Visible to the naked eye, the ring melted bit by bit, turning into strands of crystalline pale-purple liquid.

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Yi poured the prepared five catties of Mystic Ice Purified Water into the furnace.

The instant the icy water came into contact with the boiling furnace, a cloud of steam burst out with a hiss, filling the entire room in the blink of an eye.

Everyone's vision blurred, and they all instinctively retreated far away, afraid of being touched by that scalding-hot steam.

Only after quite a while did Wang Tianyang's furious voice ring out from within the mist:

"In the Sword Forging Art of quenching and forging, who the hell pours Mystic Ice Purified Water straight into the furnace! This is the first time in my life I've seen such a dogshit, nonsense method of Sword Forging!"

There was disdain, anger, and questioning in his voice.

Those Weapon Forging Masters were also utterly speechless.

They had forged swords for years, yet they had never seen anyone do it like Su Yi. This was completely fucking around blindly!

Very soon, the heat waves and steam inside the room gradually receded.

Everyone's vision became clear again.

They saw that Wang Tianyang's eyebrows and beard looked as if they had been burned off, and his already sparse hair was completely gone. His whole head was bare and shiny, like a braised egg burned red-hot.

He was beside himself with rage, gnashing his teeth.

Looking at Su Yi again, however, his expression was calm and focused. He held a pair of iron tongs, clamping a rough sword billet as he examined it closely before his eyes.

The sword billet was pitch-black all over, with a faint trace of purple luster. Apart from that, there was nothing especially remarkable about it.

"This sword billet actually looks rather decent..."

One Weapon Forging Master said in surprise.

Another said, "It's only a sword billet. We still have to see whether it can endure the hammering. I don't believe a crude billet like this can be forged into any decent sword."

"For a sword, both its quality and its edge are indispensable. Since this young friend came here to smash the place, he ought to be able to refine a fine sword!"

Someone chuckled, deliberately fanning the flames.

"These people clearly want to watch him make a fool of himself!"

Huang Qianjun sneered inwardly. He said nothing. In the end, who would be laughing at whom was still unknown.

They saw Su Yi place the sword billet on the thick iron platform, grip a huge hammer in his right hand, and bring it smashing down.

Clang!

Sparks flew in all directions, the ringing impact echoing without end.

Everyone's eardrums buzzed, and they could not help but reveal strange expressions. This kid was quite strong. A hundred-jin hammer, in his hand, was as light as a feather, wielded as easily as though it were an extension of his arm.

At this moment, Wang Tianyang's gaze was also fixed tightly on Su Yi's movements, waiting for Su Yi to embarrass himself...

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sounds of hammering rose and fell, echoing throughout the room. Showers of sparks bloomed beneath the huge hammer like fireworks, exceptionally beautiful.

Gradually, everyone sensed that something was off.

"What kind of technique is this? Just listening to the sound, there's actually a unique rhythm to it, as if it were breathing. And look at that sword billet—it's also brightening and dimming under the hammer blows, answering from afar."

Before long, one Weapon Forging Master could not help but speak.

The others' expressions also became somewhat startled and uncertain. They, too, had clearly sensed this phenomenon.

Amid the flying sparks, every hammer blow carried a mysterious, indescribable rhythm. And under the continuous pounding, the originally rough and crude sword billet was quietly shrinking, compacting, transforming...

"Could this kid really have mastered some unique secret sword-forging technique?"

The same thought surfaced in the minds of all these Weapon Forging Masters at once, and their expressions became far more grave and serious.

Originally, they had been angered by Su Yi's arrogance and had already prepared their words, intending to properly teach Su Yi a lesson after his sword forging failed, so that he would know what it meant that every profession had its specialty, and what price one had to pay for overestimating oneself.

But now...

No one dared think that way anymore.

As Old Men who had spent years forging swords, how could they fail to see that Su Yi's sword-forging technique was obviously anything but ordinary?

"Look, look!"

Huang Qianjun was already so excited inside that he was shouting. "I knew it! The moment Brother Su makes a move, he can subdue these Old Guys who have their eyes on top of their heads."

Those people from Apricot Yellow Medical Hall were the lesson from the overturned cart ahead!

Huang Qianjun could not help but turn his gaze toward Wang Tianyang.

His emotions were clearly surging fiercely!

"Haha, hahahaha, even this perverse old whoremonger Old Wang is stunned?"

Huang Qianjun felt utterly delighted inside, and almost laughed out loud.

In all these years, he had never seen Wang Tianyang lose his composure like this!

This Old Guy was so unruly that he did not even put his own father, Huang Yunchong, in his eyes, but now, he was very likely about to be subdued by Brother Su again!

After a long while—

Clang!

A wisp of clear, melodious sword song rang out in the room.

In everyone's ears, it was just like a cool, celestial sound; their whole bodies shivered, and they all woke from their tangled thoughts.

Even Huang Qianjun's mind and gaze were drawn over.

They saw—

A black longsword, two feet seven inches long, three fingers wide, and clear and pure throughout, was held in Su Yi's hand.

Though this sword was black, it possessed an ethereal, translucent texture, like the vast, boundless night. Both edges of the blade were sharpened, its cutting edge hidden and unrevealed.

As Su Yi turned his wrist, the sword's ink-black surface would occasionally flash with a faint, rippling purple sheen, adding a touch of illusion.

It was brimming with spirituality.

"This..."

The group of Weapon Forging Masters were all moved, revealing looks of infatuated, blazing fervor. What a fine sword with spirituality born of nature!

Facing this sword, their proud hearts had already been quietly subdued.

"This sword is absolutely not something ordinary can compare to!"

Huang Qianjun's heart pounded violently. When his eyes looked at the sword, he felt as if they had been stabbed with pain; how could he not know how extraordinary it was?

Buzz!

At this moment, Su Yi lightly tapped it with his index finger, and the sword immediately bloomed with a streak of purple radiance. Its humming was like low, deep thunder, rolling through the room.

Seeing this, Su Yi finally nodded, revealing a trace of satisfaction.

Although this sword was not a Spirit Artifact, after Purple Veined Red Gold had been incorporated into it, the blade now possessed a trace of spirituality. This made the sword far surpass a sword in the ordinary sense, placing it between a mortal item and a Spirit Artifact!

"You... what Sword Forging method did you use?"

At this moment, Wang Tianyang, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke. His eyes were dazed; he looked somewhat dispirited, as if he had been shocked beyond measure.

Su Yi glanced at the Sword Forging master. "Want to learn? I'll teach you."

Wang Tianyang's entire body shook, and his eyes widened as if he found it hard to believe.

Afterward, his expression changed violently again and again.

Until finally—

Under everyone's shocked gazes, this Sword Forging master famous throughout Guangling City actually revealed an expression of extreme shame.

He bowed deeply, lowered his head, and gave a salute.

"Young Master's methods seize the work of heaven itself. This Wang is convinced!"

"Young Master's breadth of heart is bright wind and clear moon. This Wang is likewise convinced!"

His words rang out with weight, and the entire room was silent.