novelraw Chapter 61
Chapter 61
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
Su Wangchuan maintained his own rhythm, completely immersed in the act of forging, to the point where both self and surroundings faded away.
With the Entry-Level Mastery 《Hundredfold Steel Forging Technique》 combined with the One-Breath Quadruple Strike forging method, he had already fully taken control of the tempo in the rear courtyard.
Compared to the scattered bursts of iron sparks blooming erratically around Room Master Zhang, the sparks on Su Wangchuan’s side were far more compact, their spray tightly contained. Whether in rhythm or visual harmony, it pressed Room Master Zhang so hard that he could barely breathe.
As time passed, sweat had already begun to bead on Room Master Zhang’s forehead.
But he could not admit defeat yet.
He was still forcing himself to endure.
He refused to believe that Su Wangchuan could complete eight finished pieces in one uninterrupted sequence.
Once the other party paused midway to rest, he would use the excuse that he was still carrying an active task to temporarily halt this sparring match. At worst, he would acknowledge the other’s superior craftsmanship and let him firmly establish his position.However, the moment Room Master Zhang’s thoughts wavered, the rhythm of his One-Breath Triple Strike was instantly disrupted. The sound shifted from a tight triple sequence into chaotic clanging.
CLANG!
CLANG CLANG!
Seeing the surrounding apprentices turn toward him in shock, he hurriedly steadied his mind, calmed his breath, and forced himself to refocus.
Su Wangchuan’s movements were swift.
The One-Breath Quadruple Strike granted him far greater speed and efficiency. Every iron billet on his side had already gone through several full rounds.
What no one noticed was that the intense atmosphere and noise here had already drawn the attention of several big figures within the Yulong Gang’s hall.
An elderly man with a stern face and graying temples arrived at the entrance. Seeing the tightly shut doors, he frowned slightly. With a stomp of his foot, he sprang upward by over twenty feet, vaulted onto the wall with lightness, and looked down from above, discovering the sparring taking place in the weapon room’s rear courtyard.
Room Master Zhang was drenched in sweat, swinging his hammer without restraint, his firepower fully unleashed.
Opposite him stood a young rising star, his back soaked through, movements skilled and swift, eyes unwaveringly focused.
After silently observing for a while, a contemplative look surfaced in the old man’s eyes. He then quietly descended outside the weapon room and departed.
Everyone’s attention was fixed on the two men sparring. This brief scene went completely unnoticed.
More than half an hour passed.
Room Master Zhang’s arms had begun to ache faintly.
But when he lifted his head, he saw that Su Wangchuan had somehow switched the arm with which he wielded the hammer.
The iron hammer swung in his left hand, with not the slightest pause or slowdown.
One-Breath Quadruple Strike!
Room Master Zhang stared in disbelief.
The left hand works too?!
Among the apprentices watching, some gradually noticed it as well.
“He’s swinging with his left hand.”
“What the hell?!”
“That’s insane.”
“I’ve heard of ambidextrous fighting, but never ambidextrous hammering!”
“That’s vicious.”
“He can keep the rhythm with his left hand too. That’s terrifying.”
“Room Master is in real trouble now.”
“Yeah…”
At this point, Room Master Zhang was completely dumbfounded, on the verge of tears.
He had originally planned to stop the sparring once the other party paused to rest. But seeing Su Wangchuan’s momentum now, it was clear that he was determined to hammer him straight into the ground.
“Damn it!”
Room Master Zhang’s fury surged, and without realizing it, his rhythm fell into complete disorder.
He hammered away in a mess for a while, panting heavily, before he had no choice but to stop and rest.
He drank water.
He wiped away sweat.
He regulated his breathing and recovered his state.
After some time passed, Room Master Zhang prepared to step back onto the forging table—only to see Su Wangchuan toss the first fully cooled and solidified Hundredfold Steel arrowhead into the wooden frame beside him.
CLANG.
All eyes instantly converged on it, shock written across every face.
“It’s finished?”
“Just like that… it’s done?”
“So fast?”
The apprentices were stunned, unable to believe it, as they hurried over to inspect the quality of the Hundredfold Steel arrowhead.
Although they had not learned the 《Hundredfold Steel Forging Technique》, they still possessed the trained eye to judge quality and determine whether a piece met standards.
As they crowded around to examine it, the second finished arrowhead emerged…
Then came the third.
Until all eight Hundredfold Steel arrowheads were fully completed.
There was no longer any need to fight for a look.
They glanced at one another.
Everyone nodded.
There was no need for words.
The quality of the Hundredfold Steel arrowheads was outstanding.
Weight, shape, and toughness—none of it fell short in the slightest.
Then they looked back at Room Master Zhang.
The crowd fell into a tacit silence, unsure how to speak.
Su Wangchuan set down his hammer and walked up to Room Master Zhang, whose face had turned ashen, and said, “When I was in Blackstone Village, the village was often attacked by wild boar herds. Because of that, what we forged the most were armor-piercing arrows. I can make these things with my eyes closed. This sparring match was really me taking advantage of that, so Room Master doesn’t need to take it to heart.”
His skills had been displayed, but he could not afford to damage the atmosphere of the weapon room. He had to give Room Master Zhang a way out.
“Even the master who taught me—Blacksmith Sun—is slower than me now when forging armor-piercing arrows. But in other areas, I still have much to learn from Room Master Zhang. I hope that when the time comes, you won’t hold back in guiding me.”
“That’s easy to say. Easy to say.”
Room Master Zhang’s expression clearly improved.
“Brother Wangchuan’s Hundredfold Steel arrowheads are truly extraordinary in craftsmanship.”
“In that case, from now on, the armor-piercing arrow work in our weapon room will be handed over to Brother Wangchuan.”
When skill fell short, sometimes one could only admit defeat.
Although armor-piercing arrows were consistently the second most consumed item in the weapon room—and carried enormous profits—having lost so thoroughly in front of so many apprentices, he truly could not bring himself to continue monopolizing the business.
“Alright.”
“Then I, Su Wangchuan, will not decline.”
Su Wangchuan cupped his fists and smiled.
Room Master Zhang’s face darkened again, then he summoned four apprentices and instructed them, “From now on, the armor-piercing arrow work will be handled by Brother Wangchuan. You four will be responsible for assisting him and lending a hand.”
“Yes!”
“We greet Master Wangchuan.”
The four were naturally willing to follow Su Wangchuan.
After all, there was nothing to learn under Room Master Zhang. Changing mentors might greatly improve their prospects.
“Brother Wangchuan, these four were picked from the docks. They’re relatively quick-witted fellows: Chen Ergou, Zhang San, Dali, and Tiedan.”
“…”
Hearing their names, Su Wangchuan felt a surge of indescribable misery, but he suppressed it and showed no emotion, merely nodding.
“Since you’re following me now, you’re all brothers. As long as I have food to eat, you won’t go hungry.”
“Thank you, Master.”
The four replied in unison.
Room Master Zhang continued, “Your room will be arranged in the west wing of the weapon room.”
“At present, our weapon room has seven tasks.”
“Among them, the Gang Leader’s and Hall Master’s tasks are specifically assigned to me, as are those from two elders. That leaves three tasks. One is to forge five thousand ordinary iron arrowheads, with a reward of five taels of silver. That has already been assigned to the lower apprentices. The second task is to forge five hundred armor-piercing arrows, with a reward of twenty-five taels of silver.”
“The final task actually comes from Qingfeng Escort Agency. They’ve asked us to forge ten Hundredfold Steel spears, with a reward of three taels of silver.”
“These last two tasks will be entrusted to you, Brother Wangchuan.”
“Alright!”
Su Wangchuan accepted the tasks.
This was his first assignment since joining the Yulong Gang.
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