Casting immortality in the furnace

Chapter 47 Small Meeting Efforts

Time flies, and midsummer arrives quickly.

The weather is hot these days, and only the nights offer some coolness, so many people like to go out for a walk in the evening and enjoy the evening breeze.

Unfortunately, poisonous insects are rampant at this time of year, stinging people everywhere, which is very annoying.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Baihualou launched a medicine pouch that could not only mask the smell of sweat but also protect against poisonous insects.

Fan Zhou also bought one a while ago, mainly because the buzzing of mosquitoes in his ear bothered him and affected his ability to concentrate.

He lit an oil lamp, sat down at the table, and, holding a brush, began writing his work summary for the day.

Write down all the problems that arise each day and the ideas that come to mind on paper. Then, make adjustments when you're working the next day, and write down the results again.

He has been doing this for more than half a month.

"Today's record is twelve steel refinings, which is a small breakthrough. Perhaps it's because of my extra focus that my touch was exceptionally good..."

After finishing his summary for the day, Fan Zhou took out the forging key points he had copied from the library and tried to summarize some reliable experience.

"Now that I'm skilled at blacksmithing, I should try forging some things to better understand the properties of iron."

He wrote down this goal, organized the key points, and wrote a short article similar to a thesis.

Tomorrow at noon, Peng Yue will take him to a small meeting to exchange some forging experience.

Having done all this, Fan Zhou took out a box from under the bed, put the daily summary inside, and took out a musk tiger bone pill. He then returned to the table and poured himself a bowl of yellow wine.

He placed his palm over the rim of the bowl, stimulating the heat within his body, and the wine quickly began to simmer, as if placed on a charcoal stove.

Fan Zhou tossed the pill in, and with a flick of his finger, the pill dissolved in the wine, releasing a strong medicinal aroma.

Fan Zhou took off his clothes, revealing many bruises on his arms, all injuries from blacksmithing.

He dipped his hands in the medicinal wine, stimulated his internal energy, and massaged various parts of his body, especially his arms, shoulders, and back, which were the main areas where he exerted force, making him grimace in pain.

Once his blood and essence were fully activated, Fan Zhou swallowed a piece of century-old He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum), sat on the bed, and began practicing the Changchun Gong (Eternal Spring Exercise) to nourish his energy. He practiced for a full hour before collapsing onto the bed.

Feeling the vital energy constantly growing within his body, he slowly let out a long sigh.

"Luckily, we have plenty of pills now, otherwise I would have been exhausted."

Thinking about the pile of work he had to do tomorrow, Fan Zhou used his internal energy to extinguish the lamp with a palm strike, assumed a sleeping posture, and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, after he finished practicing his sword, he first applied a layer of Lingzhu ointment to his skin, then drank a sip of Qinglu loquat syrup to protect his lungs before heading to the forging workshop.

With temperatures rising, the forging room has become a living hell.

Fortunately, a wind-gathering array was set up a few days ago, which can blow cold winds and draw out heat, so that people are not roasted alive.

Fan Zhou arrived at his workstation, started a fire to forge iron, and began another busy day.

During the lunch break, Peng Yue greeted him:

"let's go."

"Okay," Fan Zhou replied.

The two left the workshop and headed towards the back mountain.

The mountain is covered with lush vegetation and vigorous pines and cypresses, exuding a beautiful and ethereal charm.

"There is a spring on this mountain, which contains a spiritual water called [Clear Bone Cold], which is a good material for quenching swords."

Peng Yue led the way, while also explaining some sword-making knowledge to Fan Zhou.

"The bone-clearing cold water can remove impurities and filth, and has the effect of cleansing the marrow and changing the blood, and purifying the spirit. It is a very good spiritual water for both refining weapons and making pills."

Fan Zhou slapped his thigh upon hearing this, "Senior Brother Peng, why didn't you say so earlier? We should have brought two water bottles!"

"What are you thinking about?"

Peng Yue chuckled, "This spiritual water is a Qi Refining level spiritual item, and it has already been protected by an array set up by Boss Qin. How could we possibly let you fetch two jugs?"

Fan Zhou had no choice but to give up upon hearing this, but then he found it strange:

"Since there is Qi-refining spiritual water on this mountain, the surrounding villages should have dug up the springs long ago. How come it has remained until now?"

Peng Yue thought for a moment and said, "I heard that this mountain was originally occupied by a tiger demon, and no one dares to come over for dozens of miles around."

"Perhaps they simply don't know."

The two chatted casually and unknowingly arrived at a waterfall.

The water crashed down from a height of several dozen feet, splashing white foam and bringing a cool breeze.

On the riverbank, a simple wooden hut had been built, and two men were sitting on a rock, chatting around a tea stove.

Upon seeing Fan Zhou and his companion arrive, one of the unshaven young men called out:

"Junior Brother Peng, come here quickly."

Peng Yue stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Senior Brother Chen, Senior Brother Luo."

Senior Brother Chen nodded slightly, then looked at Fan Zhou behind him and asked:

"And who is this young man?"

"This is the new junior brother Fan Zhou. Boss Qin asked me to mentor him."

Peng Yue then introduced Fan Zhou:

"This is Senior Brother Chen Sheng. He forged 100-refined steel last year and is now working as an assistant under Senior Brother Han."

Fan Zhou quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother Chen."

Chen Sheng laughed heartily, "Don't be so polite like Peng Yue, just call me Brother Chen."

Peng Yue then introduced another young man to Fan Zhou:

"This is Senior Brother Luo Yu. He is now a master of the Eighty Refinements."

Luo Yu was tall and slender, with a fair complexion and no beard, possessing a handsome appearance. Upon hearing this, he immediately frowned and corrected him:

"It's already at the eighty-first level."

Peng Yue shook his head and smiled, "Alright, Senior Brother Luo, who has undergone eighty-one refinements."

Fan Zhou also bowed and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother Luo."

Luo Yu hummed in response.

Chen Sheng invited the two to sit down and poured them tea.

Peng Yue chatted with them about some recent interesting events and news, while Fan Zhou listened quietly, holding his teacup.

After a few casual words, the group got down to business, exchanging ideas on the key points and essentials of forging refined steel and sharing their experiences.

Chen Sheng, being the most skilled forger here, was the one who gave guidance, while Peng Yue and Luo Yu asked questions.

Although Fan Zhou couldn't get a word in edgewise, he still benefited greatly from the conversation between the three, and many of his previous troubling questions found direction.

"My current knowledge is still too superficial; I need to read more, study more, and practice more."

Fan Zhou memorized all the key points they discussed, intending to verify them later.

Luo Yu took a sip of tea, glancing at Fan Zhou who remained silent, enjoying the freebies, and felt secretly annoyed.

He painstakingly summarized his forging experience over seven or eight years; how could he give it away for free?

"Peng Yue, since you brought this Junior Brother Fan to this meeting, he must have his own unique insights into forging hundred-refined steel, right?"

Luo Yu asked casually, "I wonder how many liters of steel Junior Brother Fan can forge now?"

Peng Yue frowned slightly. "Junior Brother Fan has only been in the forging workshop for half a month. He can only forge 12-strength steel at the moment. His skills are not very advanced yet."

"Twelve steelmaking processes?"

Luo Yu put down his teacup and snorted:

"If that's the case, then he should learn the basics properly. What good will it do you to bring him here?"

His implication was that Fan Zhou didn't even know the basics, so joining their small meeting would be pointless; he would only be stealing their experience.

Peng Yue frowned, about to speak, when Chen Sheng smoothed things over:

"Regardless of the level of knowledge, it's always good to learn more and do more research."

"Junior Brother Fan was able to forge twelve steels in half a month, which shows that he is also a person who studies diligently."

Seeing that Chen Sheng had spoken, Luo Yu dared not refute him, so he turned his attention to Fan Zhou.

"I'm quite curious, Junior Brother Fan, have you figured out anything?"

Fan Zhou knew he disliked him, but he wasn't intimidated by his presence. He calmly took out the summary he had written the night before and said:

"I dare not say that I have figured out any principles, but I have some thoughts that I would like to ask my three senior brothers for guidance."

He opened the paper and began to read it aloud from the beginning:

"Regarding the temperature changes of steel billets, the workshop has divided them into four categories: dark red, orange-red, bright yellow, and bright white. I think it can be further divided into ten colors: dark red, light red, deep red, etc. Before light red, the temperature rises relatively slowly. After deep red, the temperature rises extremely quickly. Orange-red will quickly turn into bright yellow, which is also the best time for forging..."

Fan Zhou went on and on about the temperature changes of the steel billet, dividing the process into multiple steps, from initial shaping to full-force forging and folding.

Luo Yu was stunned, never expecting that he had actually done so much research.

Fan Zhou looked at him and calmly asked:

"What is Senior Brother Luo's opinion on this?"

Luo Yu's face flushed red, her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, and finally, in a fit of anger and embarrassment, she said:

"Those are nothing but fancy tricks. The key to forging Hundred-Refined Steel lies in persistent effort and the blood and sweat poured into it day after day!"

Chen Sheng, however, was visibly shaken. "Junior Brother Fan, may I have a look?"

Fan Zhou, of course, didn't care and handed over his summary.

Chen Shengzai looked at it carefully. He was experienced and had thought things through more thoroughly.

"If every step of forging steel could be broken down in detail, all the mistakes could be summarized, and the key points could be clearly listed, it would definitely help people avoid going down the wrong path and save a lot of time."

He sighed with regret, "Unfortunately, although our teachers have taught with all their heart, they are inevitably proud and unwilling to learn from others' strengths, preferring to speak only their own opinions."

Fan Zhou looked at Chen Sheng with some surprise, which was exactly what was giving him a headache.

Those senior figures all claimed to be right and looked down on the methods of others, which ultimately only made their disciples more and more confused.

Chen Sheng returned the paper to Fan Zhou, saying sincerely:

"Junior Brother Fan, you are so young yet you have put in such painstaking effort. I am truly ashamed of myself. Please come and discuss with me more often in the future."

Fan Zhou quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Senior Brother Chen is too modest. I am still learning the basics and will need to learn more from you in the future."

"No problem, no problem," Chen Sheng said with a smile.

Peng Yue, feeling a surge of pride, asked Luo Yu:

"Senior Brother Luo, do you have any research findings you could share? We can't just listen to Senior Brother Chen talk all the time, can we?"

Luo Yu's expression kept changing, but in the end, he still shamelessly talked about some basic things without revealing his true gains.

Peng Yue snorted dismissively.

Chen Sheng shook his head inwardly.

Fan Zhou didn't care; he figured he'd learn as much as he could.