novelraw Chapter 60
Chapter 60
When it came to forging Hundredfold Steel arrowheads, Su Wangchuan was the most experienced of all.
He knew exactly what Room Master Zhang was trying to achieve by proposing this contest.
On the one hand, Zhang simply did not believe that a mere blacksmith from Blackstone Village could possess much real skill.
On the other hand, he did not believe that a blacksmith from Blackstone Village would dare to mass-produce contraband items such as Armor-Piercing Arrows.
That was why he had chosen this comparison—one he believed to be Su Wangchuan’s and Lin Xun’s strongest field—fully intending to crush him in an overwhelming fashion and make him understand who the true king of the weapon room was.
What he did not know was this—
Su Wangchuan had forged more than eight hundred Hundredfold Steel arrowheads from start to finish. He could shape one perfectly even with his eyes closed.
Since this was a sparring match, Room Master Zhang did not assign any apprentices to assist. Every step had to be done personally.
That included drawing molten iron, casting, cooling, and hammering.
Under the watchful eyes of more than a dozen apprentices, the two men stepped up to their respective forging tables.This was Room Master Zhang’s territory. Naturally, he held an absolute home-field advantage.
He extended his right hand and made a courteous gesture toward Su Wangchuan. “Brother Wangchuan, it’s your first time here. You should start the furnace first. Once you’re familiar with the setup, I’ll begin.”
Right from the start, he displayed his dominance, deliberately trying to create pressure.
But Su Wangchuan did not buy into it at all.
“All right.”
Since you want to yield, then you will regret it.
Su Wangchuan picked up the smallest ladle and the Armor-Piercing Arrow molds. In rapid succession, he poured the molten iron, setting up eight molds in one breath. The sight made Room Master Zhang’s brows twitch violently.
“Whoa!!”
The apprentices watching nearby erupted in astonished cries.
“Eight!”
“He’s preparing eight at once?”
“That’s incredible!”
“Even though arrowheads are the smallest Hundredfold Steel weapons, they still need at least thirty to fifty hammer strikes before folding. With a hundred folds, that’s three to five thousand strikes per piece… Eight pieces means tens of thousands of strikes!”
“Tsk tsk…”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the room master start more than six furnaces at once.”
“That’s his usual routine. Today he’s going all out.”
“Just watch—he’ll definitely give it everything this time.”
Amid the apprentices’ excited chatter, Room Master Zhang’s original plan—to casually start six furnaces just to let Su Wangchuan witness the strength of Yulong Gang’s number-one blacksmith—collapsed instantly.
He had to follow.
Otherwise, he would lose the very first round.
“Damn it.”
“This is just a sparring match. Why gamble your life like this?”
“Forging eight arrowheads at the same time will take at least several hours. And the upper management already told me to hurry up and finish the Hundredfold Steel saber task…”
“This is troublesome.”
Room Master Zhang felt as though he had lifted a stone only to smash it onto his own foot.
But now that things had reached this point, retreat was impossible.
If the people below thought he had been outmatched, the news would spread through Yulong Gang in no time. How would he maintain his standing then?
Would he not be personally handing over the title of Yulong Gang’s number-one blacksmith?
There was no choice.
He could only go all out.
Quietly, he increased his own number of molds to eight.
“Bastard!”
“Just wait until you’re exhausted—let’s see how you end this!”
Even now, Room Master Zhang still did not believe that Su Wangchuan could forge eight Hundredfold Steel arrowheads in a single uninterrupted sequence.
But when he saw how Su Wangchuan handled the ladle—precisely controlling the amount of molten iron for each mold, perfectly uniform, not a fraction more or less—an ominous feeling rose in his chest.
That sense of control was formidable.
Could he really be a seasoned veteran?
A trace of gloom crept into Room Master Zhang’s eyes.
As Su Wangchuan raised his hammer, he began forging with effortless ease.
CLANG!
CLANG CLANG!
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
The rhythm sounded strange.
The strikes grew faster and faster, as if he were racing against time.
Even the apprentices watching from the side wore expressions of surprise and confusion.
They had all forged iron weapons before and knew that forging required evenly distributed strength and carefully controlled rhythm. Otherwise, exhaustion would quickly set in.
But Su Wangchuan’s force was completely different.
Once he started—
Sparks flew everywhere.
CLANG! CLANG!!
CLANG! CLANG!!
The rhythm shifted again.
Room Master Zhang could not help but shake his head and let out a light laugh.
That’s it?
He cannot even control his rhythm.
And he wants to forge eight Hundredfold Steel arrowheads at once?
Room Master Zhang made no attempt to hide the disdain and mockery in his eyes. With practiced movements, he clamped onto his slowly solidifying, red-hot iron block and began his own work.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
One-Breath Triple Strike.
Room Master Zhang immediately displayed his exceptional forging skill.
In Huishui County, there were fewer than three people who could match this technique. Only the old man in the county office who oversaw the military armory might surpass him.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
Room Master Zhang quickly settled into his own rhythm.
His movements were broad and commanding.
Afterimages trailed his hammer.
The sound was crisp and continuous.
But at that moment, the sounds from the opposite side suddenly rose in pitch, becoming deeper and heavier.
Sparks burst forth from beneath Su Wangchuan’s hammer in wave after wave, layered and structured, like iron flowers exploding, grand and imposing.
CLANG—HUM!!
CLANG—HUM!!
Room Master Zhang’s expression changed slightly.
What kind of sound was that?
What kind of rhythm?
He lifted his eyelids to take a look, and his grip on the hammer nearly slipped.
Su Wangchuan’s movements and speed had grown even faster. His strength was evenly divided into four strikes, rhythmically hammering down on the iron block…
Four distinct sounds merged together in perfect harmony.
If not for the telltale spray of sparks, Room Master Zhang might have thought the other man was simply flailing around.
As the thought crossed his mind, Su Wangchuan had already plunged the first raw iron block into water and moved on to forge the second glowing piece.
CLANG—HUM!!
CLANG—HUM!!
Su Wangchuan was becoming increasingly familiar with the hammer and forging table. His movements grew smoother and more effortless.
He had to admit that this forging table was far more stable and easier to use than the one in Blackstone Village. He felt as though he was performing even better.
One-Breath Quadruple Strike sent rings of sparks flying as he rapidly completed a forging cycle, then switched to the next piece.
HISS!
The iron block entered the water, then was immediately tossed back into the furnace for reheating.
The apprentices were dumbfounded.
“No wonder he started eight arrowheads at once. At this speed, anything less would just waste time waiting.”
“But…”
“With such continuous forging, won’t his arms go numb?”
“How many times has he struck already?”
“It feels like it wasn’t even thirty strikes.”
“Can the arrowhead quality be guaranteed?”
“Exactly.”
“What if he gets so exhausted he can’t even lift his arms later?”
“Even the room master sometimes needs to rest midway.”
“Tsk tsk…”
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
After the initial shock and panic, Room Master Zhang quickly calmed himself.
He knew he had run into a truly tough opponent.
But there was still a chance.
Forging this much Hundredfold Steel could not rely on brute strength alone. It required deep reserves of stamina.
Su Wangchuan looked like a pretty-faced youngster. His stamina foundation surely could not compare.
Room Master Zhang had cultivated three different techniques. He was a Quasi-Martial Artist, someone whose strength nearly rivaled that of a true martial artist.
There was still hope.
He forced himself to steady his mind and regain his rhythm.
Even so, he could not escape the influence of the One-Breath Quadruple Strike echoing from the other side. That heavier impact and stronger rhythm kept interfering with his own pace.
It was unbearable.
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