Blacksmithing requires not only skill but also patience.
Hong Yuan, bare-chested, swung the large hammer mightily over the anvil.
After the heavy hammer came the light taps.
Each strike and tap, each muffled and clear sound, brought a rhythm to the work.
Zhu Wushang squatted in front of the bellows, pushing forcefully.
WHOOSH. He fanned the flames higher and higher.
The glowing coals flickered under the gusts, as if they were about to liquefy.
A large wooden barrel stood by the anvil, filled with cold water. After several strikes, the glowing metal needed to be cooled in the water with tongs, a process known in the trade as quenching.
Crafting an ironware piece is far from easy. It could take at least a day or as much as half a year.
But with the help of the peculiar energy of True Essence, it often took only a day or up to half a week.
CLANG, TAP. CLANG, TAP.
The hard-to-mold red copper iron was deftly shaped by Hong Yuan, its edges now defined.
