Refining Iron in a Furnace

Outside the Forging Institute.

The warm and cozy quarters where the guards lived.

A table lay across the window, with several books scattered about on it, and robes lying loose on the ground. A gilded incense burner with animal heads emitted wisps of smoke that snaked upwards like clouds hanging from the roof beams.

a long time……

The smoke from the string has died down, and the warm stove has gone dark.

At the same time, a weak female voice sounded from the couch.

"Senior Brother Qu, is that new mortal servant at the Forging Academy... truly from the Yan clan of Shangyang?"

"A night has passed, and Junior Sister Yan is still worried about this matter?"

"Have you heard any rumors lately that Senior Sister Zhu from Melting Gold Valley will send people to inspect the Three Academies? It was no easy feat for the two of us to be accepted into the Daoist lineage, so we must be careful."

After a moment of silence, the man became more serious and slowly said:

"I ordered someone to prepare the body for burial last night. It's probably already reduced to ashes and is no longer a problem for you or me."

"As for that Yan Chen... I've inquired about it. The Yan family of Shangyang does indeed have two illegitimate branches now, and I observed that his tone and demeanor were not abnormal, so we should be able to rest assured."

"If we take a step back, if Yan Chen really witnessed our actions, or even tried to substitute one thing for another, then he would actually be more eager than we are for this secret not to be exposed."

"You should know that our Jade Sleeve Daoist lineage places the greatest importance on one's origins. Ordinary people and those from unorthodox sects are regarded as 'mosquitoes and insects' by the cultivators of the Eight Veins and must be kept outside the lineage."

"Therefore, this matter should be kept quiet and not announced. Only in this way can both sides benefit, and everything will go smoothly!"

"Even so, my heart is still pounding with anxiety..."

The woman's voice was soft and mournful.

"Junior Sister Yan, please don't worry. If all else fails, we can wait until things calm down and then devise a plan to get rid of them!"

"By the way, take out the money hidden in the fragrant grove."

"Once we've saved enough money, we'll leave Nanzhuo and settle down in the Northern Wilderness. A hundred years from now, we'll establish our own clan, ensuring our descendants are no longer controlled by anyone!"

"Senior brother is indeed very thoughtful."

As they spoke, rustling sounds came from inside the gauze curtain, and the two figures once again fell into tenderness.

……

"11,022 taels of silver... These two are truly rolling in money!"

Outside the rows of ordinary servants' quarters, Yan Chen pressed himself against the wall, feigning a listless and drowsy state, but his gaze remained fixed on the lines of small golden characters in front of him.

Aside from that one incident involving "hiding money".

The [Immortal Official Jade Pendant] also lists several other causes and effects, and the actions and dialogues are presented in great detail.

However, compared to this "hiding money" incident, everything else seems bland and uninteresting, and not worth noting.

Yan Chen glanced at it briefly, then gently raised his hand to temporarily erase this information about cause and effect.

In an instant, the view in front of me became clear and bright.

"The process of cause and effect is called 'cause and effect'."

"The so-called 'insight into cause and effect' means to transform the other party's important movements over a certain period of time into segments of information and then convey them to me, which is equivalent to watching a text movie!"

"Cause and effect can be thick or thin, light or heavy."

"The length of time consumed in this process is certainly related to the difference in cultivation levels between the two parties, but more importantly, it is the time span of a cause and effect, and the extent of involvement involved."

"If I were to choose to understand the cause and effect of those two over the past ten days, the time it would take would probably be far more than eight hours."

The thought flashed through Yan Chen's mind, and he decided to give it a try.

His expression then turned slightly surprised.

"Is it impossible to perceive cause and effect again? Could it be because the cause and effect of these two people has not yet been fully realized?"

Yan Chen pondered for a moment before asking another question.

"Immortal Official, please inquire about the causal developments of the 'Shangyang Yan Clan' yesterday."

hum-

In an instant, Yan Chen felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer. His mind was dazed for a moment, and when he came to his senses, a line of small golden characters appeared before his eyes—

[Target of Insight: Yan Shi of Shangyang.]

[Time taken: January 5th.]

……

"I see. Although one cannot continuously understand the same cause and effect, it does not affect the understanding of other causes and effects."

Yan Chen looked at the time taken, "January 5th," and although he was slightly surprised, he was not unexpected.

The vast Qi Refining Clan has hundreds or even thousands of members, not to mention the advanced Qi Refining cultivators who are also in charge. The cause and effect are intertwined, complex and far-reaching.

It's definitely not something I can easily see through now.

He gently raised his hand and crossed it out.

The cold wind still howled, and Yan Chen gazed at the rugged mountain path leading to the Forging Academy, gradually suppressing the trembling in his heart and calming his mind.

"This money is ill-gotten, and it might not be so easy to obtain. Besides, as a mortal, it's not convenient for me to go down the mountain... Let's wait for the right opportunity!"

Walking along the mountain path for two or three hundred meters, you will see a large courtyard with a crowd of about a dozen people in front of the gate, both men and women, all wearing gray cotton robes. They are all like Yan Chen, newly recruited mortal servants of the Forging Institute.

Yan Chen had been delayed for a while, which is why he arrived a little late.

Before we had even settled down, we heard the bells ringing out one after another in the courtyard, their buzzing so loud it made our eardrums vibrate.

"Come on, everyone, cheer up! Time to get to work!"

Someone shouted in the courtyard, and the new servants outside the gate filed into the courtyard one after another.

Yan Chen followed at the very back. It wasn't until he entered the courtyard that he saw that the person who had spoken earlier was a dark-skinned, thin, middle-aged man.

In front of him was a table with dozens of bamboo sticks and an account book.

"Listen up, newcomers! I'll only say this once. If anyone makes a mistake and ends up as 'sacrificial offering' in the sword furnace, don't blame me for not warning you beforehand!"

Upon hearing this, the previously noisy crowd immediately fell silent.

The middle-aged man grinned and continued:

"Our Forging Academy is one of the three academies under the Molten Gold Valley. Our main responsibility is to forge the 'Flame Departure Magic Sword' for the cultivators. Forging a magic sword requires certain steps, which is the work that you mortal servants are responsible for."

"The Yanli Sword was forged by the three academies together. Our Forging Academy is responsible for taking the ore sent by the Quarrying Academy, putting it into the sword furnace to smelt, burn off impurities, and form crude iron."

"Then it is repeatedly forged to obtain a sword blank;

"The final step is to send the forged sword blank into the sword pool for quenching and tempering, and then file and shape it. Only after the inspection is completed can it be sent to the grinding and engraving institute."

"Now, you will all step forward one by one to draw lots. You will work wherever you draw a lot. After six hours, the supervising senior brother will come to inspect the results. As long as the quality of the output is flawless, you can collect your daily payment by presenting the bamboo slip!"

The dozen or so ordinary servants, some from refining clans and others recommended by Taoist scholars, all possessed a certain air of authority. They lined up to receive bamboo slips, and soon it was Yan Chen's turn.

"The sword furnace... is that where ore is smelted and crude iron is forged?"

Yan Chen stroked the inscription on the bamboo stick, as if sensing something in the darkness, and looked up at the distance not far away.

Then you see a huge chimney, standing there like a small mountain. The air within a radius of about ten feet around it is distorted by the heat, and waves of heat surge.

At that moment, several shirtless, sweating teenagers were squatting there, some fanning the flames, some moving iron materials, and some swinging hammers... Their faces were all red, their bodies covered in dirt, and they looked quite disheveled.

Watching this scene, Yan Chen felt a slight unease, as if something was amiss.

"Why does this give me the feeling of graduating from university and being assigned to a electronics factory to tighten screws?"

"You're a new mortal servant too, right?"

A tall, robust young man of about twenty years old stepped forward and struck up a conversation with Yan Chen.

"My name is Li Xuanyi. I've been at the Forging Academy for over a year now. Why don't you come with me for now? You can ask me anytime if you don't understand anything."

"Thank you very much."

Mentoring is a common practice in the engineering department. It helps improve progress and relieves personal stress. Many people around me are having similar conversations.

Yan Chen readily agreed, pleased to have someone guide him, and without any pretense, accepted the suggestion.

After a conversation, he learned about Senior Brother Li's background. He came from a wealthy merchant family outside the market town at the foot of the mountain. Although not from the same clan, he was a proper Taoist disciple, a true "pure and upright" seed of Taoism.

Following Li Xuanyi to the sword furnace, the scorching heat hit Yan Chen's face, making his cheeks burn as if on fire. A light touch brought a faint pain and itching sensation, as if countless ants were biting between his skin.

"You probably haven't started practicing any cultivation techniques yet, have you?"

Li Xuanyi squatted beside one of the stove openings, waving a large palm-leaf fan as he observed the changes in the fire, and asked without turning his head.

"not yet."

Yan Chen shook his head. He had experienced many changes yesterday and was already exhausted. He wished he could just lie down and sleep. He had no time or energy to study profound and mysterious techniques.

I truly have the will but not the power.

Li Xuanyi nodded upon hearing this, unsurprised, and said:

"As you can see, the environment and work at the Forging Institute are far beyond what ordinary people can adapt to. In less than half a month, there will be no chance of survival."

"Whether it's controlling the fire, moving iron materials, or forging sword blanks... all these tasks require cultivating the Bing Fire Dao technique and relying on the true qi within the body to endure the repeated hardships of being roasted at high temperatures in the sword furnace."

"You will move the iron materials for me today. Tomorrow, the supervisor will organize you new servants to go down the mountain to the market to purchase supplies."

"At that time, you can choose to buy some spiritual medicine pills, combine them with cultivation techniques, and consume fire-type true qi, which will make you feel better."

"If you wish to make progress, you can also go to the Gold Melting Valley, spend 800 Dharma coins, listen to your senior brother preach, and broaden your understanding."

"I went there yesterday and gained a lot, which was very helpful. It's just a pity that I was limited by my abilities and couldn't fully understand it."

"In short, as long as you can open your meridians and manifest your vital energy, and step into the path of Qi refining, you will have a foothold in the Forging Academy."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Li!"

Yan Chen bowed and thanked him, silently noting down the information in his mind.

"There's nothing to thank me for. All the ordinary servants in the Forging Academy have gone through this process, and so have I. The reason I'm giving you guidance is so that I can have an easier time in the future."

Li Xuanyi waved his hand casually, speaking his mind without any intention of hiding anything.

Yan Chen rolled up his sleeves, turned around and started moving iron materials. Looking at the busy and bustling new and old mortal servants in the forging courtyard, a subtle feeling suddenly arose in his heart.

"They toiled and sweated, willingly working like oxen and horses, only to end up with a pittance. After a month of hard work, they could barely cover the debt."

"Day after day, month after month, year after year... this kind of life can be seen to be over at a glance."

"At that time, all the sharpness will be gone, the edges will be smoothed out, and when you look back, you will find that you have become weak and frail, with gray hair, and have become a mediocre waste of time, having wasted half your life."

"If things are like this, what's the point of talking about cultivating the Tao? How can one become a useful person?"

"fine……"

Yan Chen took a deep breath, lowered his eyelids, and his eyes, which contained a golden light, vanished in an instant.

"Outside the fragrant grove is a shallow pond..."

"We'll head to the market tomorrow."