28: Chapter 28 Folding Method of Refined Steel

After Jiang Hongli finished speaking, she ignored everyone's reaction and yawned. "Alright, Chen Mo, was it? Tomorrow at the Hour of Si, find me at the 'Yuelai Inn' in the south of the city. Don't be late; I have a terrible morning temper."

With that, she truly departed this time.

With a few leaps, the red figure completely vanished into the night.

A deathly silence filled the alleyway.

Then, that silence was shattered.

"Aiya! Little Chen! Congratulations!"

Squad Leader Old Zhang was the first to rush forward, throwing an arm around Chen Mo's neck with such force it seemed he might strangle him. "Eighty taels! You brat, you've struck it rich this time! Your elder brother here hasn't seen that much silver in cash in twenty years of service!"

"That's right, Brother Chen! Don't forget your brothers once you've made it big!"

"Brother Chen, look at my blade, the edge is all chipped... I haven't had the money to replace it..."

"Little Chen, it wouldn't be right if you didn't treat us to drinks tonight, would it?"

A crowd instantly surrounded Chen Mo, leaving no room to move.

They spoke words of congratulations with smiles on their faces, but those smiles looked ferocious no matter how one viewed them.

Especially Big Head, who usually bullied Chen Mo; his smile was uglier than crying right now as he slapped Chen Mo's shoulder repeatedly. "Not bad, kid, you were hiding your light under a bushel! Once you become the favorite of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau official, you must give your brothers a leg up!"

Every word seemed squeezed out from between his teeth.

That naked jealousy almost manifested into physical blades, threatening to poke Chen Mo into a sieve.

This was just how these people were.

When you are poor, they mock you; when you are slightly better off, they ostracize you; when you suddenly strike it rich, they can't wait to devour you.

Surrounded in the center, Chen Mo wore a stiff, fake smile, constantly cupping his hands in greeting. "Luck, it's all luck... I'll definitely treat you, definitely..."

But his heart was cold as ice.

It felt awful.

Truly awful.

This wasn't some stroke of dumb luck; this was a death warrant.

The eighty taels of silver were a hot potato, but the trouble named Jiang Hongli was even hotter.

Why did she want him as an assistant?

Simply because she saw through his movement technique?

Or did she have some other designs on the Ore in his bosom?

He had originally just wanted to develop quietly in secret and save some resources to train his blade skills. Now, he was being roasted directly over the fire.

Taking this money burned his hands, and doing this job could cost his life.

Looking at the group of red-eyed, drooling colleagues with their hypocritical smiles, Chen Mo only felt the deep sea sinking silver against his chest growing heavier, pressing down until he could hardly breathe.

Things seemed to have spiraled completely out of control.

...

This round of drinks gave Chen Mo a literal heartache.

It wasn't the burning of alcohol; it was the pain of losing money.

He hadn't even seen a shadow of the eighty taels reward yet; it still had to go through the yamen's procedures. If seventy taels remained after every level took their cut, he'd be lucky. Yet tonight's "celebration drinks" were paid for with cold, hard cash from his shriveled coin purse.

The "Drunken Immortal Abode" in the south of the city had an elegant name, but it was actually a run-down shop selling watered-down yellow wine and pig's head meat.

Old Zhang got drunk and slung an arm around Chen Mo's shoulder, calling him brother while spraying saliva all over his face. Big Head and his lot were like starving ghosts reincarnated, picking only the expensive dishes—braised beef, tripe in chili oil—until the plates were stacked higher than a person.

Chen Mo had a smile on his face but was cursing in his heart. He was doing the math; this one meal had wiped out half a month's salary.

What these people were eating wasn't meat; it was his blood.

He finally endured until the end, and the group staggered away. Chen Mo settled the bill and sighed as he looked at his empty coin purse.

This was reality. If you wanted to survive in this circle, there was some 'blood' you had to shed. If you didn't, you were an outsider. The next time you encountered danger, no one would pull you up; they might even give you a shove from behind.

...

On the other side, Tiger Li hadn't drunk much.

He walked home with his hands behind his back, humming an out-of-tune ditty. As the night wind blew, he sobered up significantly.

As a Head Catcher, he thought more deeply than those idiots.

That kid Chen Mo usually seemed dull, like you couldn't get a word out of him with three hits of a stick, but who would have thought he'd actually have some luck at a critical moment?

"Jiang Hongli..." Tiger Li savored the name, his teeth feeling a bit sour with envy.

That was the Personal Disciple of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's Director, a true chosen one. Whatever scraps fell from the fingers of such a person would be enough for bottom-tier Runners like them to live on for a lifetime.

Since Chen Mo had caught her eye, that was a connection.

Although the kid's martial arts foundation was a bit shaky, he had the advantage of being young, obedient, and... having a tough life.

Tiger Li stopped in his tracks and looked back at the pitch-black street.

Every year, the yamen had a few slots for "Body Tempering," which involved soaking in potent medicinal baths to forcibly enhance the physique. These slots were precious; he had originally planned to save one for his own nephew or sell it to the illegitimate son of some wealthy family in the city.

But now, he had changed his mind.

Dumping resources into Chen Mo was a venture capital investment. If Chen Mo could truly cling to Jiang Hongli's thigh, he, Tiger Li, would be able to stand tall in the Jingzhao Prefecture in the future.

"Fine then, I'll take the gamble."

Tiger Li spat out a tea stalk and made his decision.

...

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

Chen Mo got out of bed with dark circles under his eyes. He hadn't slept well last night, grieving over his money.

But he didn't go to the yamen to clock in; instead, he first detoured to a blacksmith shop in the west of the city.

"Uncle Zhang! You're up so early!"

As soon as Chen Mo entered, he habitually grabbed an apron from the corner and tied it on.

"Little Chen, you're here to use the furnace again?" Uncle Zhang glanced at him, his large hammer never stopping. "You aren't active in your official duties, but you're certainly diligent about smithing."

"Isn't it because I want to learn a craft? Just in case I get fired by the yamen one day, I won't starve to death." Chen Mo gave a chuckle and, making himself at home, grabbed the bellows and began to pull.

Whoosh, whoosh.

The furnace fire flared up high.

Chen Mo hadn't come here to learn a craft for self-defense, of course; he was here for that profound iron essence and deep sea sinking silver.

Those two treasures were just stones while hidden in the cellar; they had to be turned into a blade to be useful. But he didn't have his own furnace, nor did he have the skill.

"Uncle Zhang, I saw you use a folding method when you were Forging that butcher knife last time?" Chen Mo asked as if casually while pulling the bellows. "If that were used to forge a Transverse Blade, would the heat need to be adjusted?"

Uncle Zhang stopped his hammer. "A butcher knife needs sharpness, but a Transverse Blade needs toughness! The heat must be high, and you have to add plant ash for annealing... What does an outsider like you know? Watch closely!"

The old man was a craft fanatic; once he started talking about technique, he couldn't stop.

He picked up a glowing red iron ingot; the heavy hammer fell, and sparks flew everywhere.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

It was extremely rhythmic.

Chen Mo stared intently at Uncle Zhang's technique, his ears listening to the crisp sounds of impact, while his mind seemed to be running like a precision instrument.

[Observing Forging technique, Proficiency +1]

[Observing Forging technique, Proficiency +1]

...

[Congratulations, Forging skill has increased to Lv2 (Initial Glimpse)]

[Unlocked Diagram: Hundred-Refined Steel Folding Method]

There was a buzz in his head as a vast stream of information flooded in. Temperature control, hammer angles, quenching timing... concepts that were originally vague instantly became crystal clear.

The corners of Chen Mo's mouth curled up slightly.

It was done.