Chapter 46: "Master of Tempering"
Chapter 46: "Master of Tempering"
The gates of the Forge Castle opened, and Lin Zeyu stepped out, returning to the arch beneath the Century Bridge.
He quickly turned back, only to see a solid wall.
He reached out, his palm touching the cold, hard concrete wall.
If he hadn't experienced it himself, he would never have believed that a person could pass through such a wall.
Just as he was marveling at this, several bodyguards ran over from a distance, shouting as they ran, "We found him! He's under the bridge!"
The middle-aged man hadn't gone far when he heard the commotion and hurried over, asking, "Zeyu, are you alright?"
"Uncle, I'm fine," Lin Zeyu replied.
Lin Zeyu acknowledged and then took out his phone to make a call. He briefly recounted his experience at the Forge Castle and asked for the Essence of Sky Eye to be delivered.
It didn't take long for the Essence of Sky Eye to arrive.
This time, Lin Zeyu asked all the bodyguards to leave, and he went alone to wait in front of the arch wall: "I've brought the Essence of Sky Eye. May I enter now?"
After a short wait, a voice came from behind him: "Follow me."
Lin Zeyu was taken aback and quickly turned around. The tempering master, cloaked and wearing a cat-faced mask, had appeared behind him once again.
This time, the master approached a different wall than before.
Witnessing this, Lin Zeyu was even more astonished.
Apparently, the entrance wasn't fixed.
Passing through the arch wall, Lin Zeyu entered the Forge Castle once more and took a seat in the reception hall.
He took out a palm-sized box, placed it on the table, and opened it to reveal a transparent crystal inside.
Lu Heng picked up the crystal and examined its attributes, confirming it was indeed the Essence of Sky Eye.
After taking the essence, Lu Heng stood up and headed towards the castle's forging room, saying, "Follow me."
They arrived outside the forging room.
"Wait here for a moment. I need to make some preparations first," Lu Heng said, leaving Lin Zeyu at the entrance.
Lin Zeyu stood in place, looking left and right, feeling that the castle exuded an air of mystery.
As he waited, a short man approached, greeting him, "Are you the guest here for tempering?"
Lin Zeyu quickly nodded and replied, "Yes, and you are?"
"You can call me Gulu," Gulu casually responded.
Hearing the name, Lin Zeyu thought it sounded like a servant.
He thought to himself, 'This short man must be the servant of the tempering master I met earlier, but I should still be respectful. After all, even a seventh-rank official wouldn't dare be impolite before a prime minister.'
After the greeting, Lin Zeyu began to probe, "May I ask, is your tempering master at the Forge Castle very skilled?"
Gulu, hearing the question, became animated, "Of course! The master of the Forge Castle is the most skilled tempering master in the world, and one of the few remaining. Yes, one of the few remaining. How do you like my newly learned idiom?"
Lin Zeyu's attention was entirely focused on the words "most skilled tempering master," thinking that anyone called a "master" must be incredibly impressive.
As he looked towards the forging room again, his eyes gleamed.
After seeing the visitor, Gulu put his hands behind his back and strolled away, embodying the demeanor of a master who concealed his true abilities.
Once Lu Heng had prepared the necessary tools for tempering, he emerged and said, "It's ready. Come in."
"Yes, Master," Lin Zeyu said, bowing respectfully.
Lu Heng was slightly surprised by the title but didn't offer any explanation. He led Lin Zeyu into the forging room and to the tempering furnace, where he began the tempering process for the Sky Serpent Revolver.
The process of tempering firearms differs from that of tempering cold weapons.
Lu Heng had some experience in this area and skillfully controlled the tempering furnace.
Heating, melting, fusion, and cooling—the entire tempering process flowed smoothly.
[Successfully tempered the Silver Python Revolver, increasing its rank by +1]
[Tempering task completed, Apprentice Tempering Master's job experience +10]
[Silver Python Revolver +1]
[Attributes: Attack Power 165]
After the first tempering, Lu Heng didn't hesitate and immediately proceeded with the second tempering.
The tempering process went smoothly.
[Successfully tempered the Silver Python Revolver, increasing its rank by +2]
[Tempering task completed, Apprentice Tempering Master's job experience +10]
[Silver Python Revolver +2]
[Attributes: Attack Power 175]
Having completed the two temperings, Lu Heng placed the revolver on a tray and gestured for Lin Zeyu to examine it.
Lin Zeyu carefully picked up the Silver Python, checked its attributes, and his eyes lit up. The attack power had increased from 155 to 175.
Don't underestimate this 20-point increase in attack power; each point required a hundred times the resources when pushing the limits.
Initially, Lin Zeyu had been concerned about the tempering process, especially since the Master had mentioned that success wasn't guaranteed.
But he recalled Lu Heng's earlier words, "Currently, my tempering success rate is one hundred percent."
In his heart, Lin Zeyu marveled, 'Indeed, he is a Master Tempered.'
After Lin Zeyu had examined the attributes, Lu Heng said, "With the two temperings completed, if there are no issues, then consider our deal concluded."
Lin Zeyu eagerly nodded, "Of course, thank you, Master."
As the tempering process concluded, Lin Zeyu wanted to linger in the Forge Castle, hoping to gather more information about the castle and even inquire about the Abyss.
However, Lu Heng had no time for idle chat and promptly escorted him out of the castle.
As they reached the castle's entrance, Lin Zeyu turned back and asked, "Master, how can I enter the Forge Castle in the future? Is the entrance always at the Ninth Arch of Century Bridge?"
Lu Heng slightly raised his eyelids and replied, "The entrance only appears when the Forge Castle opens its doors."
"Alright, understood. I'll come back with the materials next time," Lin Zeyu said, and he was promptly escorted out of the castle.
Returning to the bottom of the bridge, Lin Zeyu, like before, turned back to where the entrance had been, but it was gone.
...
That evening, the Coastal Lin Clan held a crucial family assembly.
Lin Zeyu briefly recounted his experience at the Forge Castle, concluding, "I've established a good relationship with the Master of the Forge Castle, which means we now have access to weapon tempering.
"We should make use of this channel. I suggest the family expand the acquisition of tempering materials.
"Tempering significantly enhances weapon attributes, and the prices of tempering materials will soon skyrocket.
"Moreover, I learned something even more crucial from the Master Tempered—once tempering reaches level 3, we can perform soul infusion, which has a chance to grant enchantment effects.
"So, in the future, no matter the cost, we must secure high-level soul infusion materials."
The Lin Clan Head listened attentively and nodded in agreement. "Very well, Zeyu. Maintain a good relationship with the Master Tempered. Fulfill any request he makes."
(End of Chapter)
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