Chapter 461: Instruction

The great hall was filled with shelves, though most were empty.

A middle-aged man stood listlessly behind the counter, yawning; seeing the three enter, he made no greeting.

"Trouble you, steward, for two smithing hammers," Jiang Yan said as he stepped forward. "Just ordinary ones will do."

Speaking, he turned to look at Xu Yang: "To cultivate the Qian Duan Jue, ordinary smithing hammers are sufficient. When you begin truly forging weapons, then ask a skilled smith to custom-make a hammer suited to your hand."

Xu Yang nodded: "Many thanks for Senior Brother Jiang's guidance."

That steward bent down and scooped from the floor; two smithing hammers appeared on the counter. "One hundred taels each, two hundred taels total."

So greedy. Such a broken hammer, yet it costs one hundred taels.

Xu Yang and Jiang Fan each paid, and the steward said: "How many pieces of Xuan Iron?"

"Five pieces!"

Jiang Yan looked at Xu Yang and said: "Junior Brother Xu, when first cultivating the Qian Duan Jue and the Iron-Refining Hand, it is best to use Xuan Iron. For a day's practice, roughly two to three pieces of Xuan Iron will suffice; buy according to your own judgment."

He was unsure of Xu Yang's financial means, so he could only inform him of the situation and let Xu Yang weigh it.

Though smithing is not as money-draining as alchemy, the speed at which it burns money in the early stages is hardly less than alchemy.

Each piece of Xuan Iron weighs ten jin; even with the Ziyang Sect's subsidy, one piece still costs one hundred taels. That means to cultivate the Qian Duan Jue and the Iron-Refining Hand, two to three hundred taels of silver must be burned daily.

Of course, Xuan Iron remains Xuan Iron; even if used for practice and turned into scrap, for ordinary people Xuan Iron is still a better iron material than high-grade refined steel. Reselling it back here can recover some money.

"In fact, if your talent is good, cultivating the Qian Duan Jue will not only not cost money, but can earn money."

Jiang Yan continued explaining: "If you use the Qian Duan Jue to enhance the properties of Xuan Iron, the Duanbingge will purchase it at a high price. However, since you have just begun cultivation, do not expect to earn money for now; focus on improving the Qian Duan Jue."

Jiang Fan could not help but speak up: "Brother Yan, what exactly is talent for smithing? Does it have nothing to do with comprehension?"

Jiang Yan shook his head: "It has little to do with comprehension. There is a saying that it is related to Gang Qi. Using the same technique to temper the raw material, some can improve the material's properties with a single round of hammering, while others turn the material into scrap. If there is any difference between them, it is only the difference in Gang Qi."

Listening to this, Xu Yang felt that the path of smithing might rely even more on talent than alchemy.

Gang Qi is the product of everyone's essence, qi, and spirit united; in theory, it should be the same thing, but according to Yan De Shuo Fa, its effect in smithing is fundamentally different.

"However, I have a panel, so I should be able to ignore such matters."

After buying three pieces of Xuan Iron, he and Jiang Fan entered the Duanbingge.

There were not many people here, perhaps seven or eight, all bent over hammering with a clatter.

Xu Yang saw Xiong Kun of the Li Hu Peak, who had also been admitted; this fellow, bare-chested, was also here tempering the Qian Duan Jue.

"Brother Jiang!"

A man walked over and clasped his fists toward Jiang Yan.

This man was none other than the fellow Xu Yang had met earlier at the Yuanzi Sect gate.

Jiang Yan smiled and clasped his fists: "Brother Luo!"

Brother Luo frowned and said: "Brother Jiang, wasn't it agreed to teach only one? Why have you brought two?"

As he spoke, his gaze swept over Xu Yang and Jiang Fan, revealing displeasure.

Jiang Yan shook his head: "Brother Luo misunderstands. Junior Brother Xu merely came along with us by chance. Agreed on one person means one person."

Xu Yang then understood that this man seemed to be someone Jiang Yan had found to guide Jiang Fan in the Qian Duan Jue.

He also knew his place; after clasping his fists to Jiang Fan and Jiang Yan, he approached a furnace fire and placed one of the Xuan Iron pieces inside to heat.

Over there, Jiang Fan and the other two seemed to have reached an agreement with that man surnamed Luo; the three found a furnace fire beside Xu Yang and also placed a piece of Xuan Iron inside to begin heating.

Then, that man surnamed Luo walked toward Xu Yang: "Junior Brother Xu, I am Luo Xin. Since you are newly cultivating the Qian Duan Jue, do you need guidance from a senior brother?"

Xu Yang did not think this man was warm-hearted; coming over on his own, he probably wanted to earn some benefit fee from him.

"Senior Brother Luo must charge a fee, right? Junior Brother is short on funds and cannot pay the guidance fee," Xu Yang said with a smile.

Luo Xin shook his head: "Do not rush to refuse. My fee is not high; one hundred taels of silver per day is enough. If you have no silver, contribution points will do; ten contribution points per day is sufficient."