Qingshui Town, the Blacksmith Shop

"It's getting late. I have to hurry to the blacksmith shop in town..."

Su Mu went back inside, put on his bamboo hat and rain cape, and gritted his teeth against the itching all over his body as he hurried out of Dongbian Village toward Qingshui Town.

Qingshui Town was the center of the surrounding villages, ten li from the village. The official road outside town connected to Qingyun County, so plenty of merchants passed through, making the town quite prosperous.

A large street in the east of town was called Scholar Street. According to legend, a successful candidate in the imperial examinations had once lived there, and later went on to hold a high official post in the Great Yan Dynasty.

Shop number thirteen on Scholar Street was the Li Family Blacksmith Shop. Its blacksmiths were skilled, and their reputation carried across the surrounding villages. Business was brisk every day. This was also where Su Mu was learning his trade.

Su Mu hurried as fast as he could, but the rain delayed him. When he saw the tall figure standing at the shop entrance, a poplar-wood ruler in hand, his heart couldn't help but seize up.

Zhou Shan was one of the shop's full-fledged blacksmiths and the master of Su Mu and several other apprentices. But Su Mu still wasn't qualified to learn the craft of forging. He only did odd jobs around the shop.

"You're fifteen minutes late. Hand."

Su Mu held out his hand. The next moment, the ruler cut through the air and cracked against his palm.

The poison in his body flared up in the damp weather, and the pain from the ruler made his heart throb. Cold sweat broke out across his forehead.

Zhou Shan noticed and furrowed his brow, his raised ruler suspended in midair.

"Since this is your first offense, I'll let you off with one strike. Remember to get to the shop earlier next time."

"Yes, Master Zhou."

Su Mu answered, then hurried inside. Only after he was safely in the shop did he let out a long breath. This damp weather was torture. He took off his bamboo hat and rain cape, then joined the other two apprentices in sweeping the shop, hauling coal, iron ore, and doing other odd jobs.

Su Mu was the youngest apprentice. The other two were around fourteen or fifteen, and even the one who had been there the shortest had worked at the shop for over two years.

"Su Mu, why were you late today?"

A chubby, round-faced boy named Li Xiaohu asked in confusion. Li Xiaohu was the young master of the Li Family Blacksmith Shop and the son of its owner, Li Tie.

"I got up a little late today."

"Oh."

Li Xiaohu replied, then smiled and reached inside his clothes, taking out two yellow buns wrapped in oil paper. "Here, this is your share. They're still warm."

"Thanks, Brother Li."

Su Mu thanked him and gratefully accepted the buns. Nearby, the apprentice Sun Li watched and snorted.

It was noon.

A brawny man with his upper body bare beckoned to the three of them. He was Li Xiaohu's father, Li Tie, the owner of the Li Family Blacksmith Shop.

"The busy farming season is almost here, and the shop has suddenly gotten a lot more orders. For the time being, you three will help the masters in the shop. You'll start this afternoon."

"Xiaohu, you're with me."

"Oh." Li Xiaohu sounded a little reluctant.

"As for you two, keep working with Master Zhou. Just do whatever he tells you."

Su Mu couldn't help getting excited at this. "Thank you, Uncle Li. I'll work hard to learn forging."

"Thank you, Uncle Li."

Sun Li thanked him too, but as soon as Li Tie left, his expression darkened. A trace of resentment flashed in his eyes as he looked at Su Mu.

He'd been an apprentice at the blacksmith shop for over two years before getting a chance to help with the work. This kid had only been here for three months. What made him so special?

Apprentices at the blacksmith shop received no wages; they were only given food.

But in these troubled times, having a meal to count on every day was already a blessing. That was why many poor families did everything they could to send their children off as apprentices in all kinds of shops.

And it wasn't just the meals. Whether one apprenticed as a carpenter, cook, tailor, or blacksmith, starting as an apprentice and enduring for a few years could lead to a chance to learn a trade and earn a living. Taking five or ten years was perfectly normal.

In short, it was rare for someone like Su Mu to begin learning the trade just three months after joining the shop.

But Su Mu alone knew that he had probably been allowed to start learning after only three months because of those people. After all, they were the ones who had arranged for him to apprentice at the shop.

Even knowing that his place at the shop had been arranged for him, Su Mu had accepted it willingly. He had to plan for his future. If he could become a full-fledged blacksmith, he would earn a handsome monthly income.

The masters at the shop earned two taels of silver each month, with extra bonuses when orders were plentiful.

Over the past three months, Su Mu had thought it through. There were only two ways to escape the fate of being a pawn controlled by others.

One was the imperial examinations: pass them, become an official, and rely on the imperial court's power to change his fate.

Scholars held a high status in this world. The fact that the street where the blacksmith shop stood had been renamed Scholar Street was proof enough. It was said that after becoming an official, one would even be blessed with the unfathomable Dynastic Fortune.

Ordinary people could hardly harm an official blessed with Dynastic Fortune.

But that path wasn't realistic for Su Mu as things stood. Books were precious in this world, beyond the means of a poor boy like him. Besides, he didn't have much time to study.

In his previous life, he had been a science and engineering student. He had memorized some poems but had never studied the Four Books and Five Classics. And this world wasn't any dynasty from the history books of his previous life; the examinations might not even include poetry.

How could a half-baked student like him compete with children from wealthy families who had been taught by famous tutors since childhood, or with scholars who had studied hard for over a decade?

Besides, if he tried to take the imperial examinations, those people would surely find out. They probably wouldn't let him sit for them—and might even come after him directly.

If the examinations were out, the only option left was to grow stronger through martial arts.

As mentioned, this world wasn't like any historical dynasty from his previous life. True martial arts existed here. It was said that powerful Ranked Martial Artists could rout an entire army single-handedly, split mountains, and crack stones.

This was the path that held the most hope for Su Mu. His attribute panel could prove immensely useful: all he had to do was steadily improve his comprehension and become stronger step by step.

One day, Su Mu would have a chance to escape his identity as a pawn and rid himself of the poison in his body.

He didn't want someone to hold a knife to his head and force him into rebellion one day.

"But whichever path I take, I'll need money. Even the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice. A single coin can trip up a hero!"

Su Mu knew exactly what he needed to do. Right now, he had to make money—preferably as much as possible.

The apprentices' lunch at the shop was two sweet potatoes. After scarfing them down, Su Mu and Sun Li went to the smithy in the back courtyard.

Clang, clang, clang!

The deafening clang of metal on metal rang without pause. The moment Su Mu stepped inside, it felt as if he'd walked into a giant furnace. The temperature shot up by more than ten degrees.

"Master Zhou."

The two respectfully approached a forge and greeted Zhou Shan.

At the anvil, Zhou Shan was sweating profusely. His arm muscles bulged as he raised an iron hammer and brought it crashing down. The clang made both of them take an involuntary step back.

"Just in time. Sun Li, you go first. Take the hammer over there and strike wherever I strike."

"Whether you're forging blades and swords or farming tools, they all have to go through forging, planing and filing, quenching, and polishing. Forging is the most important step."

"A piece of steel for a blade or sword needs to be hammered tens of thousands of times and folded and forged dozens of times to remove impurities and make it strong enough. Otherwise, it's defective, low-quality junk."

"Put your back into it! Harder!" Zhou Shan shouted as he swung his hammer.

"Yes!"

Sun Li answered and swung with all his might.

As they forged, Zhou Shan watched Sun Li's every move. He noticed that the boy kept glancing elsewhere. He always felt there was something unreliable about him.

After a while, Zhou Shan barked, "Switch!"

Su Mu took the Forging Hammer. Zhou Shan put the steel in the furnace until it glowed red, then took it out again. Without a word, he struck a spot with his own hammer.

Su Mu gritted his teeth and struggled to swing the hammer.

Clang!

Sparks flew.

"Did you skip lunch? Put some strength into it! Forging is a blacksmith's basic skill." Zhou Shan scolded him. Beside them, Sun Li's lips curled into a faint smile.

"Yes, Master Zhou!"

Su Mu clenched his teeth and kept swinging. His eyes stayed fixed on the spots Zhou Shan struck, and every swing was utterly focused.

Clang, clang, clang!

Sweat soaked through his clothes, and beads as big as peas rolled into his eyes, stinging with salt. But Su Mu kept his eyes fixed on the anvil.

"This kid might be promising... He's focused when he works, but his body's too weak. A good blacksmith needs stamina. What a pity."

Zhou Shan formed his judgment of Su Mu. His two apprentices each had their strengths and weaknesses, but overall, he favored Su Mu more.

Watching Su Mu throw himself into the work, Zhou Shan's expression softened a little. "All right, go rest for a while. Switch!"

Hearing Zhou Shan speak gently to Su Mu, Sun Li silently clenched his fists.

By the end of the day.

"That's a nice kind of ache!"

Su Mu's arms burned with pain, and several blisters on his palms had burst. At that moment, his arms felt as though they no longer belonged to him.

His body was utterly exhausted, but his spirits were high.

[Forging (Beginner 1%)]

"Comprehension really does improve at an astonishing rate!"

After just one day, the Forging skill had appeared on his attribute panel. It was only at the beginner level, but if he kept at it, he would steadily improve. In time, that would increase both his lifespan and comprehension.

"I can't neglect the Five Animal Frolics, either."

After dinner, Su Mu returned to the village from town. He was now not only an apprentice at the town's blacksmith shop but also a resident of Dongbian Village. There was a small earthen house with a courtyard at the western edge of the village.

Hissing as he gritted his teeth against the pain, Su Mu began practicing the Five Animal Frolics. Tiger Frolic, Deer Play, Bear Play... He moved from one form to the next. After completing a full set, he suddenly let out a soft cry of surprise.

"Do my arms feel a little less sore?"

He was delighted to discover that the Five Animal Frolics could even ease his muscle soreness a little.

"Truly a body-strengthening exercise created by Divine Physician Hua Tuo!"

Grrr...

His stomach let out an uncooperative rumble.

So hungry. He really wanted meat.

Though he had only just eaten dinner, Su Mu found himself hungry again. He searched around the house and finally found a few oddly shaped sweet potatoes in a dusty corner.

He built a fire and roasted a few sweet potatoes. After eating them, Su Mu let out a long breath. He hadn't gotten to eat meat, but he was still satisfied.

"Forging takes a lot of strength, so I'll need to eat more from now on. The food at the shop won't be enough... I can take that little path back to the village and dig up some wild greens along the way."

The next day, Zhou Shan watched Su Mu's hammering and felt a little puzzled. Sun Li was undoubtedly stronger, but over the past two days, Su Mu had actually performed better.

"He's probably just gritting his teeth and pushing through. The kid can take hardship."

Zhou Shan looked at Su Mu and gave a small nod, thinking even more highly of him. Sun Li, standing behind them, noticed the whole thing.

After that came day after day of hammering and practicing the Five Animal Frolics. Though the routine was dull, Su Mu enjoyed it. After each bout of aching, he could feel himself improving a little, and the feeling put him at ease.

When a person threw themselves wholeheartedly into something, time flew by.

Three months later.

Clang!

At a forge, Su Mu swung his hammer and paused for a moment. Suddenly, he felt a warm current well up inside him. His eyes lit up, and he guessed that his Forging skill had probably advanced.