Early the next morning, sunlight spilled through the gaps in the curtains onto the floor of the work-study Dormitory. Tang Wulin had just finished regulating his breathing while sitting cross-legged on his bed. Before he could even get down, the Dormitory's slightly weathered door flew open with a bang.
"Wulin! Big news!"
Yue Zhengyu's unmistakably hearty voice swept in like a gust of wind. He strode inside with the confident smile unique to the scions of great families, plopped onto the chair beside Tang Wulin's bed, and leaned forward with his hands braced on his knees, his eyes gleaming.
"I heard you helped make Wu Siduo's One-Word Battle Armor? Not bad!" Yue Zhengyu lowered his voice as though revealing an earth-shattering secret. "Word is, every metal blank for that One-Word Battle Armor came from your hands. You've certainly kept those forging skills under wraps!"
A faint smile curled Tang Wulin's lips. He had known all along that once Wu Siduo unveiled her Battle Armor, his identity as a Blacksmith would come to light sooner or later. A sharp-nosed scion like Yue Zhengyu would certainly never miss news like this.
"Just a few trifling tricks." After that modest remark, Tang Wulin changed tack, fixing his golden eyes on Yue Zhengyu. "What, you want some too?"
"Hehe, nobody knows me like you do, Wulin!" Yue Zhengyu made no attempt to hide it. He immediately pulled a piece of metal shimmering with starlight from his Storage Soul Tool. "Look, I've already prepared the Starfall Iron. Given how close we are, surely..."
Tang Wulin glanced at the Starfall Iron without reaching for it. Instead, he leisurely straightened his clothes, his calm voice carrying an unquestionable firmness. "Yue Zhengyu, you know how difficult it is to forge blanks for One-Word Battle Armor. It's not just