The Baiting Begins

At the Blacksmith Shop, Jiang Jiu held a Forging Hammer.

He was using Soul Power all the same, but now it felt completely different.

First, he used his old, rough method of gathering Soul Power, vaguely collecting it in his hand, and hammered fifty times as usual.

After taking a brief rest, he began trying the method of circulating Soul Power throughout his body.

Clang, clang, clang—

His blows were actually weaker than before.

Still, Jiang Jiu felt the method had potential.

For example, once he mastered Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, he could use his whole body's strength to strike. The resulting burst of power should be explosive.

The third method.

Soul Power flowed through the five major meridians in Jiang Jiu's body, gathering from either side of his arms into his palms and five fingers. From there, the surging Soul Power spread into the tiny surrounding channels.

Clang!

The exceptionally crisp sound rang through the Blacksmith Shop. Shi San, busy with his own work, couldn't help turning around to watch Jiang Jiu rhythmically hammering the Pig Iron with fierce, rapid strikes.

"How did you improve again?" Shi San had watched Jiang Jiu's blacksmithing fundamentals steadily grow stronger, bit by bit.

He just didn't understand why Jiang Jiu preferred puzzling over the basics of forging Pig Iron rather than learning how to craft ironware from him.

Could he really want to become a divine blacksmith?

At Jiang Jiu's side, the fiftieth blow landed. He let out a long breath and put down the Forging Hammer.

"Xiao Jiu, thanks for all your hard work." Xiao Wu came over with a handkerchief and a cup of water.

"Thanks."

Xiao Wu helped wipe away his sweat. Shi San didn't come over just yet.

As Jiang Jiu drank, he recalled and compared how it had felt to hammer the iron.

Using the same physical strength and Soul Power, the third method clearly produced the most force. Or, to put it another way, it took less Soul Power to produce the same amount of force.

Was that the benefit of the Soul Power circulation route?

Compared to an ordinary person, it was like improving the ability to recruit muscle fibers: with the same muscles, you could lift heavier things.

He just didn't know whether Soul Master families among the nobility all passed down techniques like this.

If so, then once he climbed to a higher level, his advantage would be gone again.

Even so, Xiao Wu's Soft Technique remained highly competitive.

"Little genius, you're almost as strong as me now, aren't you? We'll have to get you a bigger Forging Hammer." Seeing Jiang Jiu's breathing gradually settle, Shi San came over to tease him.

He had to admit, Jiang Jiu's breathing recovered remarkably fast, too.

"Uncle San, you're joking. I'm still nowhere near your level. But you're right about the Forging Hammer. I could use a bigger one." Jiang Jiu picked up the hammer again and gave it a swing.

His Soul Power Level hadn't changed much, yet his strength and his technique had both improved greatly.

Usually, it was an increase in Soul Power that naturally led to greater physical strength. Jiang Jiu's pattern of progress was rather unusual.

But as long as it didn't interfere with cultivating Soul Power, growing like this could only be a good thing. It showed he was building a solid foundation and discovering his own potential.

After chatting a little longer, Shi San went back to working on his own Pig Iron. As a middle-aged man, he didn't want to get in the way of the two youngsters.

"By the way, Uncle San, starting tomorrow, I might come in the afternoon. I mentioned it before."

"Sure. That's no big deal."

After finishing his shift, Jiang Jiu left the Blacksmith Shop with Xiao Wu.

They'd agreed to go shopping together that afternoon, so he couldn't very well break his promise.

"Xiao Jiu, I think the clothes you bought me last time are getting a little small."

"Then we can buy new ones today."

It felt like he'd only just said, "We'll buy new clothes when you've grown taller," and now his words had already come true.

Soul Rings were like built-in "growth hormones." Even though Xiao Wu had formed her own Soul Ring, she'd grown taller after getting her First Soul Ring.

But Xiao Wu hadn't brought up her clothes just to say she'd grown. She wanted Jiang Jiu to buy her new ones.

To that end, she'd even handed him her Gold Soul Coin.

"How about this one?"

"Very cute."

"And this one?"

"Very cute."

"What about this one?"

"..."

Unlike their last shopping trip, this time Xiao Wu was much bolder and eagerly tried on several different outfits.

After all, she had money in hand, so she didn't have to worry.

That just made things hard on Jiang Jiu.

"Hmm, I like them all." Xiao Wu couldn't make up her mind.

"Then let's buy them all." Jiang Jiu checked the prices. They were affordable.

Naturally, they weren't shopping at any expensive stores.

"I've got it!"

Xiao Wu returned the ones that came in larger sizes, then picked out two new outfits herself and placed them in Jiang Jiu's hands.

"You have to bring me back to buy new clothes again!" Xiao Wu made a new promise. Unexpectedly, she was choosing delayed gratification.

"Okay."

Jiang Jiu paid. Even though he was spending Xiao Wu's money, she happily accepted the gift. As far as she was concerned, it was enough that Xiao Jiu had "bought" it for her.

After a lazy afternoon, they returned to Dorm Seven, and Jiang Jiu immediately began cultivating his Soul Power.

Only now did he truly begin an entirely new method of Soul Power meditation.

Xiao Wu lay in bed, humming an unfamiliar tune, still lost in her happiness. She didn't even notice the other work-study students returning—or perhaps she simply didn't care.

Of course, it also helped that those students saw Jiang Jiu meditating and all kept quiet.

When Jiang Jiu was cultivating, Xiao Wu had personally made it clear that he didn't need to call out to her as their leader. He just had to stay quiet.

Tang San was the last to return to Dorm Seven. In the evenings, he went to Yu Xiaogang's place for extra instruction.

So Uncle Shi San was talking about them today?

That afternoon, Tang San had enjoyed the benefits Xiao Wu had won for the work-study students and didn't have to clean the garden. He'd taken the opportunity to look for a Blacksmith Shop in Nuoding City.

Joining one had been unexpectedly easy. Another child his age had already joined, so the Blacksmith Shop couldn't keep turning people away on account of their age.

Just hearing about the child's age hadn't been enough for Tang San to be sure, but once Shi San mentioned how incredibly handsome he was and that he had a little girl by his side, there could hardly be anyone else.

Jiang Jiu and Xiao Wu were the best-looking people Tang San had ever seen, in either of his lives.

Though he'd thought all this, Tang San's expression remained calm. Before long, he joined the others in meditation, and Dorm Seven fell silent once more.

The following afternoon.

Just as I thought.

Tang San saw Jiang Jiu hammering iron beside the furnace in the Blacksmith Shop, with Xiao Wu sitting quietly and obediently nearby. The scene was peaceful and harmonious. For some reason, Tang San felt sincerely envious.

He wanted to have a "friendship" like that, too.

"Tang San, you're here?" Shi San called out from inside the Blacksmith Shop.

"Uncle San."

"Come on, I'll introduce you to the boy your age I told you about yesterday."

"Uncle San, there's no need. We're actually roommates."

"Tang San?"

"Leader Xiao Wu." Tang San greeted Xiao Wu, but his attention was on the piece of iron Jiang Jiu was hammering.