22: Chapter 22 Blacksmithing

It felt heavy in his hand.

At least thirty catties.

Even heavier than that saber.

"Besides, I've been practicing martial arts lately, and the instructor said I need to build strength. Lifting stone locks is practice, and swinging a hammer for you is also practice. I can help you catch up on your work too, so it's killing two birds with one stone. Don't be so modest."

Seeing Chen Mo's determined attitude and the sledgehammer already in his hand, Uncle Zhang couldn't refuse any longer, though his eyes reddened with emotion.

"Then... alright. Mo, take it easy and rest if you get tired. This work looks simple, but it's actually the most exhausting."

"Let's begin."

Chen Mo took a stance, his feet gripping the ground and his waist and abdomen sinking low.

Uncle Zhang took a deep breath, gripped the iron billet with tongs, and tapped it lightly with a small hammer: "Clang!"

That was the signal.

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Mo's eyes. He raised the sledgehammer high and, using the power of his waist and back, swung it down with the momentum.

*Clang!*

Sparks flew in all directions.

This strike was solid and firm.

The iron billet visibly flattened by a section.

"Good strength!" Uncle Zhang's eyes lit up. He immediately flipped the iron billet with his small hammer and tapped again, "Clang!"

*Clang!*

"Clang!"

*Clang!*

At first, Chen Mo's movements were a bit stiff, and his aim wasn't quite there, occasionally hitting slightly off-center. But his body had been enhanced by Potential Points, giving him excellent coordination; within a few dozen strikes, he had found the knack for it.

Swinging a sledgehammer couldn't rely solely on brute force.

One had to borrow momentum.

The rebound force of the hammer falling, combined with the rotational force of the waist, formed a circle.

As long as the rhythm was right, the hammer seemed to have eyes of its own, falling one strike after another in an endless flow.

Sweat soon soaked through his clothes.

The furnace fire made his skin feel burning hot.

Yet Chen Mo felt incredibly invigorated.

With every impact, his arm muscles vibrated; that feeling of venting power was much more satisfying than swinging a wooden stick in the air.

Just as he swung for the hundredth time, a line of pale blue text suddenly popped up before his eyes.

[Technical behavior detected, recording...]

[Skill Acquired: Forging (Uninitiated 1%)]

Chen Mo grinned.

As expected.

This panel could not only record martial arts but also life skills.

As long as it was a skill, it could be grinded.

As long as it could be grinded, there was a progress bar.

With a progress bar, this dull Forging work instantly turned into an interesting game.

"Again!"

Chen Mo gave a low shout, swinging the sledgehammer in his hands even more enthusiastically.

Uncle Zhang had originally worried that Chen Mo's enthusiasm was just a flash in the pan and that he'd cry exhaustion after a few swings. He hadn't expected the boy to get more energetic as he worked; the sledgehammer swung like a windmill, hitting with extreme precision and even force.

How did this look like a novice?

He was practically more seasoned than apprentices who had been at it for three to five years!

Uncle Zhang marveled inwardly, and the pace of his own work unconsciously quickened.

The two coordinated perfectly; work that was originally supposed to take all night was more than half-finished in less than an hour.

"Take a break, take a break."

Uncle Zhang threw the last forged hoe into a water bucket, resulting in a 'hiss' as white steam rose. He wiped his sweat, picked up a large tea mug nearby, gulped down several mouthfuls of cold tea, and then handed it to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo didn't mind and took it, downing a large gulp.

The bitter tea went down his throat, washing away the smoky heat in his gullet.

He glanced at the panel.

[Forging (Uninitiated 15%)]

It was rising quite fast.

Though this thing couldn't directly kill people, it was of great benefit for controlling strength. Moreover, if he wanted to forge his own weapons in the future, this craft would definitely come in handy.

"Uncle Zhang."

Chen Mo put down the tea mug and asked as if casually, "I was at the yamen today and heard the instructor mention something called 'Black Iron,' saying that mixing it into a blade can make it cut through iron like butter. Do we have any here?"

Uncle Zhang was rolling tobacco leaves; hearing this, his hand paused, and he smiled bitterly. "Mo, you think too highly of your uncle. This is just a shop for making farm tools; I use the most common pig iron, or at best, wrought iron. Black Iron? That's a rare treasure."

He lit the cigarette, took a puff, and blew out a smoke ring.

"That stuff is deathly heavy; a piece the size of a fingernail weighs several catties. And its hardness is extremely high; an ordinary furnace fire can't melt it at all. You need a specialized Earth Fire Furnace or a furnace with special charcoal."

"That precious?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow. "Can it be bought on the market?"

"Definitely not in a legitimate shop."

Uncle Zhang lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "That stuff is a controlled material, usually monopolized by the military or major Families. However..."

He paused, looked around, and only then leaned closer to Chen Mo. "If you really want it, there are some places where you can try your luck."

"Where?"

"The black market."

Uncle Zhang uttered three words: "The Ghost Market. That place is a mixed bag where all sorts of things of unknown origin appear. When I was young, I went a few times with my master and saw someone selling that stuff with my own eyes. But that was in the past; I'm not sure what the market is like now."

Chen Mo's heart stirred.

It really was the black market.

Last time he went to the black market, it was mainly to sell the loot he'd scavenged from corpses; he had just passed through and hadn't looked closely at the stalls.

It seemed he had to go again tonight.

"Besides Black Iron, are there any other Materials that can increase a weapon's weight?" Chen Mo pressed.

"There are some," Uncle Zhang thought for a moment. "For example, 'Heavy Lead.' It's also heavy, but too soft; it can only be used for blunt weapons, not for sabers or swords. Then there's 'Purple Copper Essence.' This is good—it has plenty of toughness and feels heavy in the hand, but it's ridiculously expensive."

Uncle Zhang was an honest man; once he started talking, he poured out all the knowledge he had about Materials.

How iron should be forged, how to judge the heat, whether to use oil or water for quenching, what additives could prevent rust...

Chen Mo listened very intently.

Even though this knowledge wasn't directly displayed as skill experience on the panel, it was all recorded in his mind.

[Forging Experience +1]

[Forging Experience +1]

...

He helped Uncle Zhang for another hour until all the iron stock was forged before Chen Mo took his leave.

Before he left, Uncle Zhang insisted on stuffing a newly forged boning knife into his hand, saying it was a gift for self-defense.

The knife wasn't large, but it was sharpened to a keen edge, gleaming with a cold light.

Chen Mo didn't refuse and accepted it.

By the time he returned to his own courtyard, the sky was completely dark.

The moon was obscured by thick clouds, with only a few scattered stars hanging in the sky.

It was good weather for visiting the black market.

Chen Mo entered the house and pulled out a bundle from a hidden compartment under the bed.

Inside was a set of black night-traveling clothes—actually just a few old clothes he'd modified and dyed with soot. The black wasn't pure, having a somewhat dusty gray feel, but it was actually less conspicuous at night.

He took out a piece of black cloth and masked his face, leaving only his eyes exposed.

After a moment's thought, he tucked the boning knife Uncle Zhang gave him behind his waist and hid the dagger he'd taken from a corpse in his sleeve.

Finally, he felt the silver notes in his bosom.

That was what remained from selling the loot last time, plus a bit of salary he'd saved up recently, totaling about fifty taels.