89: Chapter 89 Special Blacksmithing Techniques

With a metallic clank, the dadao collided with the iron bar, sending out a spark. Wang Dachui's hand, which was gripping the blade, couldn't help but recoil under the force of the counter-shock.

"Good iron!" Wang Dachui couldn't help but exclaim just from hearing the sound of the collision.

He then leaned down, inspecting and feeling the iron bar, finding only a tiny nick. If he hadn't felt it with his hand, he might not have noticed it at all with his eyes alone.

Next, he brought the dadao before his eyes. His eyes widened involuntarily.

The brand-new dadao, which had just come out of the furnace, already had a small chip in the blade from that single strike!

One had to know that compared to other blades, the dadao might not be the sharpest, but its durability was unique; otherwise, it wouldn't be used for clearing mountains and farming.

A dadao fresh out of the furnace, theoretically, shouldn't chip so easily even if struck hard against a large bluestone. Yet, after striking this iron bar that Hu Gualing had produced, it ended up like this after just one blow. Did this not mean that the iron he produced was even harder than bluestone?

Wang Dachui didn't even have time to feel sorry for his dadao. He grabbed Hu Gualing by the shoulders and began to shake him, "How did you do it? Where did you learn this craft?"

Hu Gualing's physique was considered quite sturdy, but he still couldn't handle being shaken by Wang Dachui, which showed how excited Wang Dachui was at that moment.

"Stop shaking, stop shaking! Haven't you been watching from the side the whole time? I haven't been hiding anything from you."

Wang Dachui paused, thinking that it was indeed true. Whether it was applying the paste or hammering the iron bar, Hu Gualing had done it all openly in front of him.

But from which step did this iron bar begin to change?

Hu Gualing found Wang Dachui's dazed expression amusing. He thought to himself that this was only the first step; there was even more intense work to come! He wondered how Wang Dachui would react when he saw the co-fusion steel process later.

"By the way, since your dadao is chipped, it won't sell for a good price anyway. Why not sell it to me cheaply? I happen to need it for co-fusion steel."

"Co-fusion steel?" Wang Dachui repeated the term he had never heard before, his face full of confusion, "What is that?"

Hu Gualing didn't know how to explain it to Wang Dachui for the moment, so he said simply, "It's just processing this iron bar a bit more to improve its quality again. Just watch!"

"It can be processed further?" Wang Dachui exclaimed, looking incredulous.

Based on his own test just now, he had discovered that the hardness of this iron bar was already comparable to hundred-refined fine iron.

However, hundred-refined fine iron required hundreds of hammerings to remove the Impurities from the iron, a process whose hardships were hard to describe to outsiders.

That was why he was so shocked to see Hu Gualing apply some paste to the iron bar and then hammer it with a small hammer to produce an iron bar with a quality comparable to fine iron.

Now, judging by Hu Gualing's intent, it seemed this iron bar could be processed even further?

For a moment, he couldn't care less about the chipped dadao. He urged anxiously, "Use whatever you want from my shop, as long as you let me witness this co-fusion steel technique!"

"Alright!" Hu Gualing didn't stand on ceremony with Wang Dachui at all and agreed happily; only an idiot would pass up a bargain!

As for techniques like co-fusion steel, he didn't intend to keep them hidden.

Because Forging was truly exhausting; from calcining the Ore to crafting a finished product, it took at least three to five hours, and if co-fusion steel was added, it would take even longer.

And the daily game time was only six hours. Leaving so much game content unexplored to bury himself in Forging at the Blacksmith Shop was truly unwise.

It was only because it was the Early Stage of the game, and even leaving the Novice Village was quite difficult, that he had to craft equipment to improve his strength. Once he left the village in the future and had money and Materials, he could completely let Wang Dachui do the work for him.

Therefore, Hu Gualing openly demonstrated these techniques to Wang Dachui, treating it as cultivating an excellent equipment crafter for the future.

As for the operation of co-fusion steel, according to Teacher Zhang, one had to first prepare wrought iron as the base material, then melt the pig iron and pour it onto the wrought iron.

However, he was already a bit tired after messing around for so long and couldn't be bothered to smelt pig iron from scratch. It was better to use this dadao as a substitute; it was simple and convenient.

Throwing the dadao into the furnace, Hu Gualing thought for a moment, then took off that wrist guard which looked awesome but was actually useless, and threw it in as well.

Afterward, it was time to patiently add charcoal and work the bellows.

During the long wait, Hu Gualing felt a bit bored, so he asked how the gauntlets were crafted.

Wang Dachui needed something from Hu Gualing, so he didn't hold anything back and began to explain without hesitation.

Game Notification: Wang Dachui is teaching you knowledge about gauntlet Forging...

---

In the Xie Family Courtyard, Xiao Niao had somehow gotten hold of a piece of leather and was using a small knife to process it.

This craft was called Leatherworking, and there was a corresponding technique called Skinning; both were specialized crafts under the life skill of [Tailoring].

Xiao Niao wasn't doing this to earn money, but because he understood that in this game, practicing a craft would not only unlock corresponding skills but also increase corresponding basic attributes.

Like Tang Yao, who had been cutting grass for a long time, training her Stamina and Agility; if Hu Gualing was Forging, then the attributes he was increasing might be Strength and Stamina?

Although Hu Gualing hadn't said it, Xiao Niao guessed that since the skills learned in the game could be used in reality, the attribute values increased in the game should also be reflected in his body in the real world.

It just so happened that he often stayed up late and used his brain and hands intensely; despite being young, his body was already showing some problems, and he didn't know if he could improve his physical condition through this method.

Xiao Niao chatted with Head Manager Xie Dongdong while tanning the cowhide.

Head Manager Xie Dongdong asked about Hu Gualing, "Is Young Hero Hu really buying those things to craft equipment?"

The farm tools in the village were all custom-ordered from Wang Dachui, so she had seen the Blacksmith Shop. It had all kinds of Ore and tools inside, but she hadn't seen a single thing that Hu Gualing had purchased, so she asked out of curiosity.

Xiao Niao didn't understand either, but thinking of the confident look Hu Gualing had shown when borrowing money from Tang Yao, he didn't think too much about it, "Probably. He seems to have a special Forging technique and is counting on crafting good equipment to go explore outside the village."

"Explore outside the village?" Head Manager Xie Dongdong's eyes lit up, "Then Young Hero Xiao Niao, will you be going with Young Hero Hu?"

"This..." What a joke. This was a holographic game! Who knew what monsters and ghosts were out there? It wouldn't be good if he got scared.

And most importantly, there was 100% pain perception here. What if he got hurt?

Once the Trading House developed, he could get whatever secret manuals or equipment he wanted; there was really no need to risk his life at this time.

However, he still had to put on an act in front of Head Manager Xie Dongdong.

Xiao Niao said, "I do yearn for the outside world, but the most important thing right now is to manage the Trading House. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will definitely go out."

"I see," Head Manager Xie Dongdong nodded as if she had realized something. Just when Xiao Niao thought she would stop there, he heard her ask further, "Then if Young Hero Xiao Niao goes out in the future, can you do me a favor?"