The night in Holy Soul Village was tranquil, moonlight spilling through the window into the Blacksmith Shop.
With three siblings in the house now, there were not quite enough beds, so Tang Yin slept in Tang Hao's bed.
Naturally, he had given it a thorough cleaning first.
Lying in bed, Tang Yin considered his plans for the future.
With our circumstances now, there's no need to take up the village's work-study student quota.
Hmm, I'd better buy a house in Nuoding City and build a small forge. That would make it easier to hone my skills, and Little San Niang and I could reproduce the Tang Sect's hidden weapons one by one.
The Zhuge Repeating Crossbow, Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus, Peacock Plume, Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles... we'd better reproduce these hidden weapons ahead of time. Before the two of us have fully grown into our strength, they can serve as our trump cards.
Tang Yin opened his eyes and gazed through the window at the full moon hanging high in the heavens, his thoughts drifting.
Unfortunately, I don't know much about the construction of firearms. I wonder whether Little San Niang will be able to make them someday with only the scraps of information I can offer.
Bang, bang, bang. A knock sounded at the door.
Tang Yin gathered his thoughts and sat up.
"Little San Niang? Come in."
Tang San Niang pushed open the door, dressed in a loose robe.
She yawned.
"Brother, Xiao Wu keeps tossing and turning in her sleep. I can't sleep."
Tang Yin looked momentarily startled.
"Then... sleep here for now. In a couple of days, I'll go look for a house in Nuoding City."
"Aren't we going to wait for Dad to come back and ask him?"
Tang San Niang slipped beneath the covers with practiced ease, curiosity written all over her face.
Dad's bed seemed a little too spacious. She really wasn't used to it.
Tang San Niang blinked and nestled into her brother's arms, finding a familiar spot.
Her soft, deep-blue hair spread out like silk. The corners of her lips lifted slightly, and she narrowed her eyes like a kitten.
The familiar scent filling her nose put her at ease.
"The old man never has any ideas. Your brother still has to run this household."
Tang Yin chuckled.
"If worse comes to worst, we can hire the old man to help us out."
"For instance, we could open a shop and have him sell the pieces I make for practice."
They might only be practice pieces, but Tang Yin used a miraculous forging technique-the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.
It could forge ordinary iron into refined iron, raising its quality by an entire grade.
If he priced those pieces in the affordable range, he would crush the competition from a whole different dimension.
Hearing this, Tang San Niang couldn't help smiling with her lips pressed together.
"Brother, you really know how to do business. Dad is a Titled Douluo, not some ordinary old man. How can you make him a little shopkeeper?"
"Even if he were a Peerless Douluo, he'd still be an ordinary old man. What great things could he possibly accomplish with that brain of his?"
"All right, enough chatting. Go to sleep. We still have to get up early tomorrow to gather qi."
"Mm~"
Tang San Niang gave an adorable little hum through her nose.
Three days later, the girl as passionate as fire came to visit as promised.
Huo Wu surveyed the cramped, humble little house, which had been cleaned until it was quite neat and tidy.
There was not a trace of disdain in her eyes. Instead, a hint of admiration shone through.
"For Tang Yin to raise you two little sisters so well is truly admirable."
"Where is he?"
Huo Wu looked around.
Xiao Wu did not offer much explanation.
After all, she too admired and loved this brother very much.
"Brother and San Niang are working in the forge. Sit here for a while."
At this, the flames at the tips of the girl's eyebrows flickered.
"Forging? May I go take a look?"
Huo Wu asked openly and naturally, without any of a guest's reserve.
Xiao Wu stared blankly.
"But my brother isn't wearing any clothes."
"That's all right. I don't mind."
Xiao Wu: 0_ o...?
Huo Wu turned and headed toward the forge.
Her fiery-red hair swayed and gleamed like dancing flames.
Xiao Wu's CPU was practically burning out.
What do you mean, you don't mind? Who asked whether you minded?!
That's my brother! If you look at him, I'm the one losing out, okay?!
Just then, Huo Wu pushed open the forge door, and a wave of heat struck her face.
The scorching air made Huo Wu's features relax. It felt wonderfully comfortable.
Bare from the waist up, Tang Yin was lowering a shaped iron piece into a special quenching liquid.
Steam rose amid the sizzling.
Tang Yin looked up and smiled.
"Sister Huo Wu, it looks like your trip went very smoothly."
"Thanks to your kind words, everything went smoothly."
"Finish what you're doing first. I'll wait here for a while."
Huo Wu's bright eyes roamed over Tang Yin's body.
Her gaze was utterly brazen, without the slightest attempt to hide it.
Tang Yin had a lean, well-proportioned frame. His skin was not the bronze of an ordinary blacksmith, but glowed like white jade. Every muscle was just right, neither bulky nor lacking in explosive power.
Fine beads of sweat covered his skin, shimmering faintly in the firelight.
Suddenly, Huo Wu said, "I take back what I said a few days ago."
Xiao Wu, whose face was full of annoyance, felt her little head take another heavy blow at those words.
You chatted for so long a few days ago-who knows what you said? Why is this woman acting so strangely this time?
Xiao Wu looked utterly bewildered, realizing she could not follow Huo Wu's train of thought at all.
Huo Wu lightly bit her red lip and winked at Xiao Wu, saying playfully, "Your brother looks delicious~"
Xiao Wu's pretty face instantly flushed red.
Red with overheating!
Meanwhile, Tang Yin's attention was fully immersed in his work.
Once the forged iron piece had been quenched, there was still one more step-tempering!
He needed to raise its temperature back to around 300 degrees and let it cool naturally, reducing its brittleness and increasing its toughness.
Only then would the entire process be complete.
Tang San Niang worked the bellows beside him. Her moon-white robe was already soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to her delicate figure.
"San Niang, that's enough now. Go wipe yourself down first."
Tang Yin gave her the instruction.
After all, they would be entertaining a guest shortly. She could hardly do that drenched in sweat.
Girls were different from boys, who could work bare from the waist up.
Tang San Niang nodded obediently.
Reaching the doorway, she saw Xiao Wu pinned down by one of Huo Wu's hands, flailing her limbs in helpless fury.
Big Wu bullying Little Wu. Interesting.
"Little San Niang, you're as adorable as ever."
Huo Wu's eyes curved into crescents, her tone light.
"Welcome to our home, Sister Huo Wu."
Tang San Niang gave a reserved, closed-lipped smile. She was not talkative by nature, except with her brother.
Then she returned to her room to wipe the sweat from her body and change her clothes.
She changed into the lotus-root-pink gauze dress her brother had just bought in Nuoding City the day before yesterday. She liked it very much-she liked anything her brother gave her.
There had been more than dresses: a mirror, little accessories, rouge, and other things for girls.
Their lives had been difficult before, and she had never had time to dress herself up.
Her usual cultivation practice and work helping her brother made it inconvenient, too.
But today was different.
They had a guest...
Tang San Niang had no experience living in an ordinary household.
But she had picked up some knowledge of social customs through what she had seen and heard.
The man and lady of the house received guests together to show their regard. That was proper etiquette.
Dad and Mom were not here.
Then she and her brother ought to take on that responsibility!
Tang San Niang lightly pressed her lips against the rouge, leaving them moist and lustrous, then slowly rose and walked out of the room.
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