Early the next morning, Qin Tiexin ate the breakfast provided by the inn - a bowl of porridge so thin that people could be seen, and two cereal steamed buns. After finishing it in three mouthfuls, he felt as if he had not eaten anything, so he took out two more copper coins and asked the shopkeeper to buy two more steamed buns.
Carrying the steamed bun in his pocket, he headed to the Metal and Stone Pavilion according to the route he had written down yesterday.
The shop has just opened, and the shop assistant is cleaning it. The front of the shop looks more majestic than last night, and the three gilt characters "Metal and Stone Pavilion" on the black wooden signboard shine in the morning light. Through the open door, you can see the spacious hall inside, with shelves on all four walls, displaying various weapons, armor pieces, and some strange ores.
Qin Tiexin stood at the door and waited for the waiter to finish sweeping the floor before stepping in.
The hall was filled with a faint smell of metal and grease. There was a high counter in the back, and behind it sat a fat shopkeeper in a dark blue silk shirt, working on his abacus. Next to him stood two young apprentices, one was wiping a long sword on the shelf, and the other was oiling a knife.
"What are you looking for, sir?" the apprentice who was cleaning the sword raised his head and asked, his tone was quite polite, but his eyes swept over Qin Tiexin's shabby clothes.
"Looking for work." Qin Tiexin said.
The apprentice was stunned and put down the cloth in his hand. "Looking for a job?"
"Yes. I can blacksmith and repair weapons."
The apprentice looked at him for a few times and smiled, with a bit of arrogance in his smile, "Brother, ours is Metal and Stone Pavilion, not an ordinary blacksmith shop. The things we make and repair are all the things used by immortal masters. You must have spiritual power to activate the furnace fire and know how to carve Spirit Rune. Can you?"
"I don't know spiritual power." Qin Tiexin told the truth, "But I know iron."
"That won't work." The apprentice shook his head, "The shopkeeper has told me that we only recruit monk apprentices, at least quasi-monks who can sense Spiritual Qi. Please come back."
Qin Tiexin stood still.
Just then, someone hurried in from outside the door.
He was a man in his early thirties, wearing a gray cloth shorts, an old leather bag hanging on his waist, and an anxious look on his face. As soon as he entered the door, he went straight to the counter. "Shopkeeper! Is Master Chen back?"
The fat shopkeeper raised his head, saw it was him, and smiled bitterly, "Immortal Master Wang, Master Chen went to visit friends, and it will take at least half a month to come back. There's no point in being anxious about that."
The monk surnamed Wang put the object in his arms on the counter with a clang - it was a long object wrapped in coarse cloth. He untied the cloth and revealed a sword.
The sword is three feet long, with a long and narrow blade, glowing with a light blue-gray color. The hilt is badly worn, and the guard is engraved with cloud patterns. There is a half-foot-long crack on the sword at the moment, extending diagonally from the spine to the edge. The light blue shimmer that should have been flowing is now intermittent and dim as if it is about to go out.
"I can't wait for half a month!" Cultivator Wang's voice was anxious, "I'm going to the mountains to collect herbs at the beginning of next month. Without this Breezy Wind Sword to protect me, I would be dead if I met Ironback Bear! Shopkeeper, if you think of a way, who else in town can repair Semi-Law Artifact?"
The fat shopkeeper picked up the sword, looked at the light carefully, and frowned. "The crack is too deep and has already damaged the Spirit Rune base material. In our town, no one except Master Chen dares to take this job. Even if there is, the price will be twenty Spirit Crystal and upwards."
"Twenty pills?!" Cultivator Wang turned pale, "My total possessions are only fifteen pills..."
"There is nothing we can do." The fat shopkeeper pushed the sword back, "Either wait for Master Chen to come back, or... just sell this sword as scrap metal, and you can still exchange it for two or three Spirit Crystal."
Cultivator Wang held the sword and rubbed the crack with his fingers, his eyes desperate.
Qin Tiexin has been standing by and watching.
Just as Cultivator Wang put the sword on the counter, he subconsciously concentrated. The world in front of him was slightly blurred, and the Breezy Wind Sword changed in his "eyes" - the sword blade showed a translucent structure, with seven or eight thin light blue light filaments inside, distributed like leaf veins. The light filaments were basically intact, but the blue-gray metal material carrying them had completely collapsed at the cracks, and the crystal lattice structure was broken into a mess.
Spirit Rune is not broken, the "sheath" is broken.
This idea came to his mind. Just like what the master taught before: a good sword must have a good sheath. If the sheath is cracked, the sword will rust no matter how sharp it is.
"I can fix it."
The sound is not high, but it is extremely clear in the quiet hall.
Cultivator Wang and the fat shopkeeper turned to look at him at the same time. The two apprentices also stopped what they were doing and looked over in surprise.
"You?" Cultivator Wang looked Qin Tiexin up and down, "Are you a weapon refiner?"
"No." Qin Tiexin said, "I am a blacksmith."
The fat shopkeeper smiled, the kind of smile that felt ridiculous, "This... guest, this is Semi-Law Artifact, with Spirit Rune engraved inside. How can an ordinary blacksmith repair it? If it is broken, once Spirit Rune is scattered, this sword will really become scrap metal."
"Spirit Rune is not broken." Qin Tiexin pointed at the cracks in the sword body, "Azure-Veined Iron's crystal lattice is broken, and it cannot hold Spirit Rune. Repair the iron, and Spirit Rune can pass through by itself."
Cultivator Wang's eyes lit up. "Can you really tell it's Azure-Veined Iron?" - The material of this sword is something ordinary people can't tell.
Qin Tiexin did not answer, but continued, "It can be repaired today. The cost is five pills Spirit Crystal."
The hall fell silent.
Five pills of Spirit Crystal are only a quarter of the asking price of Master Chen.
The fat shopkeeper shook his head. "Sir, please don't talk nonsense. If it's repaired, you can't afford to pay for it."
Cultivator Wang stared at Qin Tiexin, his eyes struggling. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay! You can fix it! But there's a bad word ahead - if the repair is broken, you have to pay me fifteen Spirit Crystal!"
"Okay." Qin Tiexin nodded, "But you need a quiet room, a basin of water, and a set of tools for blacksmithing - ordinary ones will do."
Although he did not have fifteen Spirit Crystal, he knew that this was a rare opportunity and he had to take the risk. But with Illustrated Catalog of Ten Thousand Artifacts here, he could grasp it at least 80%.
What else did the fat shopkeeper want to say, but Cultivator Wang had already made up his mind. "Shopkeeper, I'll lend you the place to use. OK, I'll give you a Spirit Crystal for venue money. If not..." He looked at Qin Tiexin, "You kid, don't even think about running away."
The fat shopkeeper sighed and waved to the apprentice who was cleaning his sword, "Take him to the workshop number C at the back. There are all the tools inside, and you can get the water by yourself from the well."
The size C workshop is not big, with a brick charcoal furnace against the wall. Metal and Stone Pavilion not only does business for monks, but also for mortals. So in addition to the spiritual furnace fire and Spirit Rune carvings mentioned by the waiter just now, ordinary forging tools such as anvils, hammers, pliers, etc. are also available. The windows are closed, and the room is a little stuffy.
Qin Tiexin closed the door and placed Breezy Wind Sword next to the anvil. He first fetched a basin of well water and placed it on the ground. Then he squatted down and started the stove.
The charcoal was ordinary charcoal. After the fire started, the orange Flame licked the hearth. Qin Tiexin picked up the sword with iron tongs, hung it over the fire, and slowly turned it to heat it. He stared at the crack in the sword body, his pupils slightly contracted - [Appraisal] was running at full strength, and the lattice structure of the metal on both sides of the crack was clearly displayed in his consciousness.
At the same time, he closed his eyes and his consciousness sank into the Void Realm.
In the gray mist palace, the flow rate of time is ten times that of the outside world. A virtual shadow of Breezy Wind Sword is suspended in the air, and the internal Spirit Rune and material structure are clearly visible. Qin Tiexin starts Deduction.
Direct forging? No. Azure-Veined Iron is brittle, and hard beating will make the cracks expand. It is called Azure-Veined Iron, but it is actually a kind of ordinary iron, but it is much harder than ordinary refined iron. In Great Xuan At the time of, only Formation-Breaking Camp equipment was allowed to be added a little bit. Unexpectedly, the entire sword here was forged from Azure-Veined Iron. It is indeed Semi-Law Artifact.
Whole body remelting and recasting? Not even possible. Spirit Rune cannot withstand high temperatures.
Only... "weaving".
He controlled the phantom, peeling off the broken crystal lattice on both sides of the crack bit by bit, and then re-joined it like weaving. This requires extremely precise temperature control, just the right vibration force, and instant quenching and shaping.
One pass, failed. The lattice docking was misaligned and Spirit Rune was distorted.
Two times, failed. Quenching was too early and the material was brittle.
Three times, four times, five times...
As time passed in the Void Realm, Qin Tiexin took the trouble to adjust every detail: the heating temperature curve, the frequency and intensity of oscillation, and the timing and angle of quenching.
Until the thirty-seventh time.
The crystal lattice on both sides of the crack is perfectly connected, the Spirit Rune light filament passes through smoothly, and the light is stable.
Qin Tiexin Open your eyes.
In reality, only a quarter of an hour had passed. The fire was raging, the sword was heated to dark red, and the cracks were slightly open.
He put down the iron pliers and selected the smallest hand hammer from the tool rack - it weighed less than a kilogram and the hammer head was only the size of a thumb. Then he took a deep breath and entered a state of extreme concentration.
Hold the pliers in your right hand to steady the sword. Raise and lower the hammer in your left hand.
It's not a smash, it's a "shock".
The hammer head gently hits the sword spine at a very high frequency, and the force is transmitted through the metal to both sides of the crack. Each hit accurately lands on the key node of the crystal lattice, like playing a silent tune.
"Ding, ding, ding..."
Fine knocking sounds were heard in succession. Qin Tiexin was sweating on his forehead, but his eyes were as steady as an anvil.
The tapping lasted for about a stick of incense. The temperature of the sword began to drop. He dipped his finger into a drop of water from the nearby basin, looked at the exact location, and flicked it on the end of the crack.
"Chi--"
A tiny drop of white steam rose up. Then there was another drop, which hit the middle of the crack. Another drop, and the crack started.
Three times of point quenching, each time the position and water volume are frighteningly accurate.
After doing this, he dipped the sword into the basin.
"Tsk-"
White steam is evaporating. When the steam dissipates, Qin Tiexin take out the sword and wipe it dry with a cloth.
The half-foot-long crack on the sword's blade disappeared.
It's not a cover-up, it's a real bridge. There is only a very light, hair-like mark left on the blue-grey metal surface, which cannot be noticed unless you look carefully. And inside the sword body, the seven or eight light blue light filaments light up again, flowing smoothly, and the light is warm and stable.
Qin Tiexin took a long breath, and then felt that the clothes on his back were soaked. He put down his sword, leaned against the wall for a while, and then opened the door.
In the hall, Cultivator Wang was pacing back and forth. The fat shopkeeper was sitting behind the counter drinking tea. The two apprentices glanced at the back door from time to time. When Qin Tiexin came out, several people stood up at the same time.
"Has it been repaired?" Cultivator Wang asked urgently.
Qin Tiexin Hand over the sword.
Cultivator Wang took it and stroked the sword body with trembling fingers. When he touched the fine mark, he held his breath and slowly injected a trace of spiritual power into the sword.
"Buzz--"
Breezy Wind Sword made a clear sound, and the sword body lit up with a soft light blue light. The blue light flowed like water, without any stagnation.
"It's done... it's really done!" Cultivator Wang's eyes widened, and more spiritual power was injected into it. The sword's light became stronger, and there was a faint breeze surrounding the sword - this is the origin of the name "Breezy Wind Sword".
The fat shopkeeper also came over, picked up the sword and looked at it carefully. The more he looked at it, the more frightened he became. The cracks had really disappeared, Spirit Rune was intact as before, this craftsmanship... He couldn't help but look up at Qin Tiexin: "This... master, may I ask what is Gao's name?"
"The surname is Qin." Qin Tiexin said.
Cultivator Wang was so happy that he didn't know what to do. He took out a small cloth bag from his leather bag, poured out six Spirit Crystal pills and stuffed them into Qin Tiexin: "Master Qin! These are the five pills that were agreed upon. Add one more pill, and I will thank you! You saved my life!"
Qin Tiexin took Spirit Crystal and said without refusing, "It's too much."
"No more, no more!" Cultivator Wang carefully wrapped the sword and held it in his arms. Then he thought of something and took out a piece of broken silver from his arms, "I'll give this to you too. Buy some delicious food! Master Qin, I'll ask you to fix things in the future!"
After saying that, Feng Fenghuo left.
The fat shopkeeper looked at the Spirit Crystal in Qin Tiexin's hand with complicated eyes. He has been running Metal and Stone Pavilion for more than ten years and has seen many weapon refiners, but like this Repair does not use spiritual power and only relies on ordinary craftsmanship. Semi-Law Artifact, this is the first time I see it. Although the Spirit Rune is not broken and only the sword body is Repair, it is rare to have such a discerning eye.
"Master Qin," he said in a much more polite tone, "I was very negligent just now. With your skills... I wonder if you would like to have your name with us? If there is any work for Repair in the future, I can refer it to you, and we will only take a 10% referral fee."
Qin Tiexin thought for a while and nodded, "Okay."
"Okay, okay!" The fat shopkeeper smiled broadly, "Where do you live? If there is a job, I will ask someone to hire it."
"Temporarily staying at Yuelai Inn."
The fat shopkeeper took note of it, exchanged a few pleasantries, and personally sent Qin Tiexin out.
The two apprentices looked on dumbfounded. When they left, the one who was cleaning the sword whispered, "Shopkeeper, is he really not a monk?"
"No." The fat shopkeeper shook his head, "But the craftsmanship... is better than that of many half-hearted weapon refiners. Don't tell anyone about this, just think that we Metal and Stone Pavilion have another 'anonymous' master Repair."
"Yes..."
Qin Tiexin was walking on the way back to the inn, carrying six Spirit Crystal and a piece of broken silver in his arms.
The warm touch of Spirit Crystal came through the fabric. He thought of the blue light that Breezy Wind Sword lit up and the breeze when Cultivator Wang injected spiritual power - was that the effect of Spirit Rune?
Just as I was thinking about it, my consciousness shook slightly.
Illustrated Catalog of Ten Thousand Artifacts unfolded automatically, and on the dark golden pages, the characters that originally stayed on the "Mortal Instruments Chapter" slowly faded away, and new handwriting appeared:
[Main mission started: All Laws Return to Artifacts]
[Task description: The way of utensils is based on iron and aura is the soul. Use [Appraisal] eyes to pry into all Law Artifact mysteries, collect Spirit Rune's wonderful principles, and identify the spiritual materials of heaven and earth.]
[Phase Goal 1: First Glimpse of Spiritual Runes] Includes ten different basic Spirit Rune structures. Each one is included, unlocking the basic analysis and imitation practice Void Realm corresponding to Spirit Rune. Progress: Basic Sharpness Spirit Rune (1/10)--from [Law Artifact·Breezy Wind Sword].
[Phase Goal 2: Hundred Appraisals of Spiritual Materials] Identify and collect thirty different basic refining spiritual materials. For each five collected, part of [Illustrated Guide to Spiritual Materials] will be unlocked, including the characteristics, origin, refining points, and principles of mutual support and mutual restraint of the spiritual materials. Progress: (0/30)
[Phase goal three: First Law Artifact Completed] Refining a low-level Law Artifact by yourself (10% to 30% spiritual material content, containing at least one complete Spirit Rune). If you succeed, you will get the exclusive title [Artifact Refining Apprentice], and permanently unlock the passive ability [Spiritual Material Sensing]--have the ability to weakly sense first-level spiritual materials. Progress: Incomplete
[Inclusion method: Use [Appraisal] to observe the Law Artifact entity in depth, or study relevant classics and maps. The spiritual materials need to be touched or refined by hand.]
[Tip: The road is long and the fire is never extinguished.]
Qin Tiexin stood on the street, slightly lost in thought.
The breeze blew through the street, bringing with it the aroma of the food stalls in the distance. He touched the warm Spirit Crystal in his arms, and remembered Edgeless's clear "hungry" feeling.
It's time to find some "food" for it.
He took steps and walked towards the inn. His steps were much more solid than when he came.