Suotuo City

Forty-two!

Forty-three!

The driver next to me was counting in a high-pitched voice.

The blacksmith's breathing was erratic, his shoulders heaving like a bellows, but the speed of his hammering didn't slow down at all.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The hammer blows came in a continuous line, and the last few blows were almost indistinguishable.

Sixty-four! Sixty-five!

"Sixty-six--"

With the final hammer blow, a long clang echoed through the shed, causing dust to flutter down from the beams.

The iron billet had been hammered into a thin sheet, laid out on the anvil, its edges curled with fine, wavy lines.

Tai Tan stood in the doorway, his eyes widening little by little.

Only then did the blacksmith notice the clan chief, and he put down his hammer, panting heavily.

"Chief."

Tai Tan walked in, stopped in front of the anvil, and reached out to pick up the piece of iron.

As I ran my fingertip across the surface, the hammer marks were layered upon each other, yet all the same depth. The entire sheet of iron was thin and uniform, with no spot where it had been hammered off-center, and no spot where dust had been trapped.

Who taught you that?

"It was passed down from the person in charge; it's said to be Young Master Lin Chen's method."

What did he say when he sent it?

"He said eight words," the master wiped his sweat, "One hammer blow after another, each blow using the opponent's force. He also said this hammering technique has eighty-one blows in total; the first thirty blows are just a prelude, and the real skill comes later."

Tai Tan placed the iron plate back on the anvil.

How many hammer blows can you land?

The craftsman blushed. "It fell apart after only sixty-six blows. The foreman said this hammering technique requires eighty-one blows. I... I'm far from good enough."

Tai Tan glanced at him. "Sixty-six hammer blows. For a piece of iron to be forged like this, it's not far off."

"Try it again, let me see."

The craftsman dared not delay and put another piece of iron billet into the furnace.

When the second hammer blow sounded, Tai Tan went around to the side of the anvil, crouched down, and looked up at the trajectory of the falling hammer.

After watching the hammer blows a dozen times, he stood up.

"Stop."

The hammering stopped abruptly.

The four people in the shed didn't dare to make a sound.

Tai Tan walked back and forth in the shed twice with his hands behind his back, finally stopping at the doorway with his back to the anvil.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Tai Nuo followed in, his throat a little dry.

Tai Tan didn't turn around. "I've seen this hammer technique before."

Tai Nuo's breath hitched. "Huh? Where?"

"More than a decade ago, before the Clear Sky Sect closed its gates," Tai Tan said in a low voice, "I happened to see an inner disciple of the Clear Sky Sect wielding a hammer. He was striking one blow after another, each blow building upon the last, until the final blow shattered a piece of black iron into iron mud."

He paused. "Back then, the people of the Clear Sky Sect called it— the Chaotic Cloak."

Tai Nuo gasped, his face turning pale.

"Then Lin Chen, he..."

"How many years has the Clear Sky Sect been in seclusion?" Tai Tan interrupted him. "Even I don't know where they moved their sect. If someone from the Clear Sky Sect were to come down the mountain, they wouldn't be teaching a stranger."

"Father, what is this hammering technique...?"

"It's possible he came up with it himself."

Tai Tan turned around and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"At thirteen or fourteen, he created his own hammer technique."

The shed was so quiet you could hear the crackling of the embers in the furnace.

Tai Nuo's Adam's apple bobbed, and after a long pause, he managed to choke out, "Dad, should we still practice this hammer technique?"

"Practice it," Tai Tan answered decisively. "Why wouldn't you practice something this good?"

He walked back to the table, picked up the matte Sleeve Arrow, and twirled it between his fingers.

"Proceed with this batch of Hidden Weapon as Lin Chen instructed in his letter: start the furnace, mass-produce them, and sell them. I don't care how much profit we make, but we must ensure that people are treated well and that the accounts are accurate."

"Yes!"

"And one more thing," Tai Tan slammed his Sleeve Arrow on the table, making a crisp sound, "This hammer technique, from today onwards, shall only be used in these few sheds. Once outside the valley, no one is to mention it."

Tai Nuo was taken aback. "Why?"

"The Chaotic Cloak is an inner Clear Sky Sect." Tai Tan stared at him. "If others learn it, it's called stealing. I've never heard of anyone on this continent who has stolen the Clear Sky Sect's secret technique and lived to see the end."

"Wait for Lin Chen to return." Tai Tan turned and walked towards the door, stopping at the doorway. He looked up at the dirt road outside the valley, dyed red by the setting sun. "You pass on a message for me."

What did you say?

"The hammer of Iron Hammer Valley wants to meet that drawing genius."

The Balak Kingdom, Suotuo City.

"Rest for half an hour."

Dugu Bo wrapped the reins around the carriage shaft, jumped off, and casually patted the horse's neck.

"The horses are fed, the people are well-fed, and we'll leave when the time comes. The journey south is becoming increasingly turbulent, so no one is allowed to cause me trouble in the city."

Dugu Yan peeked out from the carriage door. "It's only been half an hour! I haven't even explored Suotuo City yet!"

"Explore the city?" Dugu Bo stuck the whip into the carriage shaft. "By the time you're done exploring, it'll be dark. Alright, let's find a place to eat."

The streets of Suotuo City were much narrower than those of Heaven Dou City, with shops crammed together and shouts drifting from one end of the street to the other.

The four of them found a teahouse on the street, and there happened to be an empty seat by the window on the second floor. Dugu Bo ordered a pot of strong tea, two plates of pastries, and a few side dishes, and then asked the shopkeeper to take the horse to the backyard to feed it.

As soon as Xiao Wu sat down, she leaned over the windowsill, resting her chin on the window frame, taking in the entire street view.

"Brother Lin Chen, look at that sugar painting stall! That old man can paint a phoenix!"

"And that liquor store over there, how about we buy some later?"

"Cough cough, no." Lin Chen looked down in the direction she was pointing, his gaze sweeping across the street and landing on a shop across the street.

The shop had a narrow storefront, the wooden door frame was blackened by rainwater, the window paper was yellowed, and one corner was torn. A used wooden sign hung above the door, the nails were loose, and the sign was crooked to one side, with four characters: Chen Family Tailor.

There was only an old man and a young girl in the shop.

The old man, hunched over, threaded a needle by the sunlight streaming through the doorway. He moistened the thread with his lips, brought it close to the eye of the needle, and threaded it through in one go.

The girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a thick braid, squatted down to measure a bolt of blue cloth.

After a while, the girl brought out a bowl of water. "Grandpa, have some water."

"Leave it there, I'll finish this stitch." The old man didn't look up. "The cuffs need to be reduced by three-tenths; the customer will come to pick it up first thing tomorrow morning."

Lin Chen glanced at it only once before picking up the teacup.

Not long after, a commotion came from the other end of the street. Seven or eight people walked along the street with heavy footsteps. Passersby quickly moved aside, and even the vegetable vendors moved their baskets to the base of the wall.

The leader was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in fine clothes. He wore a brocade robe and had a jade pendant hanging from his waist. He walked with his shoulders swaying and his chin held higher than anyone else's.

He was followed by seven thugs, who occupied most of the street.

The group stopped at the entrance of the tailor shop.

The young man kicked the fabric rack by the door.

Splash--

Several bolts of cloth rolled down, reaching the center of the street, where they were stained with dirt.

"Old man!"

The old tailor dropped his needle and thread, and stood up, leaning on his cane. "Young Master Ma, what are you doing?"

"My dad said the lease on this shop has expired." The young man flicked his sleeves, looking like he couldn't be bothered to say more. "If you don't move out today, we'll demolish it tomorrow. If you know what's good for you, get out of here now, or you'll be stuck with all the savings you've accumulated over the decades."