The forge was crude and run-down. More than a dozen disciples of the Strength Clan, bare-chested, swung their hammers. When they saw the Crown Prince and Imperial Concubine arrive, they all stopped, their faces full of astonishment.
"Bring me a piece of black iron and star-pattern steel, and fuse them in a three-to-seven ratio."
Ye Yunxi walked up to the forge, her voice calm.
Tai Nuo ordered his disciples to prepare the materials, still half-doubting her. Seeing Ye Yunxi standing in the oil-stained forge in her gorgeous red dress, he couldn't help thinking she looked completely out of place.
As far as he knew, a noblewoman could never show up somewhere like this. And yet today, one had—not just any noblewoman, but the future empress!
Ye Yunxi raised a hand and sent a faint stream of Soul Power into the forge. The fire below surged in an instant, its temperature precisely reaching 3,200 degrees.
She picked up the iron tongs, gripped the mixed ore, and tossed it into the furnace. Her movements were so practiced, you'd never think this was her first time.
"When you hammer it, keep your force even. Every strike must carry Soul Power into the metal."
Ye Yunxi took the heavy hammer a disciple handed her. Her arm looked slender, but when she swung the hammer down, it was as steady as a mountain.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The hammer blows rang out in a clear rhythm. Soul Power flowed along the handle and into the metal, while visible streaks of light moved across the ore's surface, stripping away its impurities layer by layer.
The force behind her movements—and the sight of Yunxi, with her slender frame, swinging a hammer heavier than her own body—left many of the disciples around her dumbfounded.
By then, Tai Tan and Tai Nuo were staring wide-eyed at the metal.
They could clearly feel that Ye Yunxi's hammering technique looked simple, yet it followed the very principles of forging. The way she wielded Soul Power was even more exquisite.
She was guiding the metal molecules to rearrange with pinpoint precision. This was exactly the key they had spent years trying to grasp, yet never managed to master!
Qian Renxue stood to one side, just as shocked.
She had always thought Ye Yunxi was only good with her words. She never imagined she truly knew how to forge—and with such an advanced technique, at that. She was nothing like a pampered Imperial Concubine.
Half an incense stick later, Ye Yunxi lowered the hammer and used the tongs to lift a silver-glimmering ingot.
Its surface was smooth as jade, utterly free of impurities. The fine grain of its cross-section gave off an impression of both strength and flexibility.
"This... this is..."
Tai Nuo hurried forward and reached out to touch the ingot. His expression turned grave at once.
"Flexibility! It's thirty percent greater than our finest finished work!"
Tai Tan stepped forward as well and took the ingot, examining it closely. A dazzling light burst from his cloudy eyes, and his hands trembled faintly.
"Impossible! This can't be! You really did it!"
He had seen countless master smiths, yet never had anyone forged an ingot of such quality with such a refined technique in so little time!
Ye Yunxi set down the hammer and dusted her hands. A few flecks of iron clung to her red dress, but she remained perfectly composed.
"Do you believe I know how to forge now?"
Tai Tan jerked his head up. The look he gave Ye Yunxi had completely changed: the disdain in his eyes had become reverence.
"Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine, has kept her talents hidden! This old man is impressed!"
Tai Nuo, too, looked thoroughly convinced.
"Your Highness's forging is far beyond anything our Strength Clan can do!"
Qian Renxue came back to her senses and looked at Ye Yunxi's back, her heart a tangle of emotions.
This little enchantress always managed to surprise her.
Ye Yunxi raised an eyebrow and smiled. "There's no need for formalities, Clan Leader. I told you, we've come to cooperate. The Heaven Dou Imperial Family can provide all the resources you need, and your forging skills can shine on the battlefield."
Holding the ingot, Tai Tan fell silent for a moment, then suddenly bowed.
"On behalf of the Strength Clan, I am willing to cooperate with the Heaven Dou Imperial Family!"
"Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine, is nothing like the frail woman the rumors make you out to be."
"Rise. I'm just an ordinary girl, nothing compared to those powerful Soul Masters. You can discuss the details of this cooperation with the Crown Prince."
Ye Yunxi didn't want to spend ages discussing the terms with these old fellows. It was better to leave that to Qian Renxue.
"I'll do as Your Highness wishes," Tai Tan said respectfully.
This cooperation would indeed be better than their current situation.
"Crown Prince, please come with me."
Then Tai Tan, Tai Nuo, and Qian Renxue went to a side hall to negotiate the terms of their cooperation.
Ye Yunxi headed to a tree and continued waiting.
As she waited,
quite a few disciples peeked at the Imperial Concubine from afar. She looked like a celestial maiden in a painting, yet was also alluring and captivating.
Ye Yunxi merely gave them a charming smile, and their cheeks flushed. They didn't dare keep sneaking glances.
"Honestly, they're just a bunch of green boys."
Ye Yunxi smiled. Just as she was about to think of something fun to do, a shocked voice suddenly came from the entrance.
"Is... is that the Imperial Concubine?"
Following the voice, Ye Yunxi lifted her eyes and saw two youthful-looking boys.
"Isn't that little Tang San?"
Ye Yunxi spotted Tang San and Tai Tan's grandson, Tailong, across from her. She smiled, then winked at Tang San.
"Y-Your Highness, please don't tease me."
There was no way Tang San could resist Ye Yunxi's flirtation. He stammered as he spoke.
Fortunately, Xiao Wu wasn't with him, or he would have been in trouble again.
"Tang San, you really know the Imperial Concubine? I thought all those rumors were made up."
Tailong was surprised. He had thought the rumors that the Imperial Concubine favored Tang San and admired him were false. Seeing it for himself, he realized they couldn't be more true.
While they were still staring, Ye Yunxi lightly tapped her toes and was already standing in front of them.
"Aren't you two supposed to be getting ready for the competition? What brings you here?"
Tang San didn't dare look Ye Yunxi in the eye. He glanced to one side as he explained.
"The competition isn't until tomorrow. I mainly came today to pay a visit to Clan Leader Tai Tan."
As soon as he finished speaking, the side hall doors swung open.
Tai Tan walked out with a hearty laugh.
"Crown Prince, you're certainly straightforward. We'll do it just as you suggested. From now on, we'll provide supplies to the soldiers on the front lines in full."
"Then here's to a pleasant cooperation." Qian Renxue smiled along with him.
She hadn't expected Tailong to agree so readily.
"Grandpa, I brought Tang San."
Tailong waved and called out to Tai Tan.
All three turned toward the voice. When Qian Renxue saw Ye Yunxi exchanging flirtatious glances with Tang San, she suddenly felt as if she'd grown a lush green lawn on her head.
No, really? It had only been a moment, and she was already chatting up another man?
Qian Renxue was annoyed, but kept her expression perfectly calm.
"Then, Clan Leader Tai Tan, we'll leave it there for now. We'll let you know about the next steps soon."
Tai Tan nodded.
Then Qian Renxue marched over, fuming.
She reached out, grabbed Ye Yunxi by the wrist, and led her away from the Strength Clan.
"Hey, what are you doing? Slow down!"
"Little Tang San, good luck in the competition! I'll be watching you the whole time."
As Ye Yunxi left, Tang San felt strangely empty inside.
Only when they reached the horses did Qian Renxue let go. She glared at the heartless Ye Yunxi, indignant.
"While I'm negotiating a deal, what are you doing?"
"None of your business."
"I'm your husband. Why wouldn't it be my business?"