Cai Manor, the backyard…
“Clang, clang, clang…” The sounds of forging and hammering continuously echoed, the frequency seemingly more intense than before.
At this moment, dozens of blacksmiths had already finished their hot breakfast, and just like any other day, they were attempting to place Damascus steel into the furnace and forge steel using the old method.
In a small courtyard, in just over a month, more than two hundred fine steel war halberds and over a hundred sabers had been crafted.
It seemed as though every craftsman was giving their all, and the passion in their eyes burned brighter than ever.
“The weather has warmed up a bit these past few days, so the furnace temperature needs to be controlled…”
Cao Mu, as usual, arrived at the courtyard early. She first carefully inspected the four large furnaces, then meticulously reminded the blacksmiths of something…
However, today was different from the usual. Her brow was constantly furrowed, and she appeared deeply worried!
Most of the craftsmen here knew that Lord Cao would return tomorrow. He was specifically rushing back to attend the grand wedding of his daughter and the young master of the Xiahou family.
This young lady of the Cao Manor was about to be married. As the saying goes, a married woman follows her husband. It was likely that from this day onward, she would no longer be seen by the furnaces.
Not to mention… they had become accustomed to her presence, her records, and her reminders for so long.
Her sudden departure made them feel a sense of reluctance…
It was said that every morning, Cao Mu would be the first to arrive before everyone else. Besides placing some of the Cao Manor’s rare meats and pastries on the table, she would also explain the successful or failed instances of steel forging from the previous night in a simple and clear manner.
At first, they listened casually. But gradually, they discovered that if they avoided these risks during forging and leaned towards successful experiences, the chances of success would significantly increase.
And over the past month, the success rate of steel forging had indeed been soaring day by day!
From thirty percent, to forty percent, then fifty percent…
After a period of stagnation, once Cao Mu summarized new theories, and the craftsmen heard them… and then combined them with their practice, the success rate of steel forging directly jumped from sixty percent to seventy, and eighty percent!
And today…
Everyone was very nervous, because Cao Mu had already compiled the complete steps of the forging process, including over a hundred details and more than two hundred avoidable errors. She had even meticulously explained the five major time nodes in forging and several critical changes in temperature, almost like a nanny-level forging lesson.
Even during the forging process, she would provide meticulous reminders.
All the blacksmiths knew that Cao Mu wanted to achieve a one-hundred-percent success rate in forging Damascus steel before her wedding!
…
The morning mist that shrouded the early hours gradually turned into dew…
Everyone was giving their all. They weren’t doing it for any other reason than to create beautiful memories with the young lady of the Cao family at this moment, and to help her realize this dream!
The dream of one hundred percent success!
“Did everyone eat their fill? Come on, lift your spirits! Today, we are forging twelve pieces of Damascus steel in total, all of the finest quality. Everyone focus with all your might…”
Dian Wei shouted, not forgetting to cast a deep look at Cao Mu.
His words, though rough, carried a subtle meaning. In coarser terms, it meant: “Damn it, all of you listen carefully. Not a single one of you is allowed to fail today!”
It was terrifying…
More than twenty days ago, if the blacksmiths here could refine thirty pieces of steel from a hundred pieces of Damascus steel, they would have been immensely grateful. But today, they were challenging themselves to succeed with all of them!
And the gap between then and now, everyone knew very well, was the integration of Cao Mu’s summarized theories with their constant practice!
Similarly… they also knew.
If they couldn’t achieve this goal today, they likely wouldn’t have another chance starting tomorrow.
“To all you master craftsmen, let’s all put in extra effort today and strive to avoid any mistakes…” As Cao Mu finished speaking, the craftsmen dispersed, each attending to their own tasks.
And as Cao Mu spoke, her gaze inadvertently glanced towards the adjacent courtyard.
That was the oil workshop experimental base, which was now renowned throughout Yan Province, bringing in immense profits daily.
Responsible by “Zhuge Liang,” he, like Cao Mu, would spend from morning till night in the adjacent courtyard attempting to extract more oil from a unit of grain…
In essence, Zhuge Jun’s work was similar to Cao Mu’s; it required extensive practice, recording the oil yield of each batch, repeated summarization, and then experimenting with new methods. Strictly speaking, it was a similar path to the steel forging method!
“Hoo…” Cao Mu let out a slight breath, a hint of sadness in her eyes.
She also knew that once her father returned, he likely wouldn’t allow her to act so recklessly anymore…
“You kid, in the future… you also need to put in more effort!”
Murmuring softly…
Gradually, Cao Mu’s gaze shifted again. This time, she looked towards a courtyard in the middle of the pavilion, which was Lu Yu’s sleeping quarters.
She heard that Lu Yu had returned drunk yesterday, so he likely hadn’t woken up yet.
“This Lu Yu…” Mentioning this name, Cao Mu had many things to say. The reason she could persevere here was precisely because of Lu Yu’s past reprimand!
She still vividly remembered Lu Yu calling her “a half-empty bottle, sloshing around!”
He said she didn’t understand anything… said she was childish.
To have persevered until today, Cao Mu harbored a hidden defiance and unwillingness. She wanted to prove to Lu Yu that she was not “a half-empty bottle” at all. If she wanted to do something, she not only wanted to be full but to overflow!
Of course, Cao Mu was also grateful to Lu Yu. If it weren’t for his harsh scolding, how could Cao Mu have realized the profound knowledge contained within forging?
How could she have understood the hardships of the craftsmen… let alone every servant?
And how could she have restrained her young lady’s temper and mingled with the craftsmen, becoming close and intimate?
With many words ready to be spoken, Cao Mu could only utter three words… “Thank you, you!”
Though only three words, they were laden with deep meaning.
Dian Wei noticed Cao Mu and the direction of her gaze.
Dian Wei scratched his head and immediately handed over the furnace to another blacksmith, then stood up and walked to Cao Mu’s side. “Shall I invite Master Lu for you?”
Ah… Cao Mu was slightly startled. “Invite him? Why invite him?”
Although her tone was firm, the anticipation in her eyes revealed her inner thoughts.
“Oh…” Dian Wei said calmly. “Today might be the last time Miss Mu is here. Master Lu should come and see what Miss Mu has brought to our steel forging over the past month… Moreover, since today is the pursuit of complete success, we must call Master Lu to witness this incredible ‘miracle’!”
Having spent a lot of time with Cao Mu recently, Dian Wei felt that he had become much more cultured. He had even learned to guess people’s thoughts.
Words like “miracle,” he had no idea what they meant before.
But as the success rate of forged steel increased day by day, Dian Wei subconsciously understood the meaning of the word “miracle.” In fact, even if you gave him a stone now, he could write these two words on the ground.
“Alright… alright…” Cao Mu bit her lower lip. Since it was the last day, she might as well let Lu Yu see if she was still the “half-empty bottle, childish girl” she was a month ago!
…
Lu Yu, still sound asleep in his bed, was awakened by violent knocking early in the morning.
He touched his head, still a bit groggy. He had drunk quite a lot of the nine-brew wine yesterday and was dizzy… He even felt a sense of admiration for Xiahou Dun thinking about it, which felt like a bad deal!
“Who is it?” he casually asked.
“Your subordinate, Dian Wei!”
Ah… Lu Yu quickly got up. Dian Wei rarely came here, and he certainly wouldn’t choose to disturb someone’s sleep early in the morning. His presence here must be for a reason.
“Did something happen at the forging workshop?” Lu Yu asked urgently as he opened the door…
“Something did happen.” Dian Wei’s tone was very calm. “But it’s difficult to explain in a sentence or two. I hope Master Lu can go to the backyard to see for himself…”
Saying that, Lu Yu followed Dian Wei and they quickly hurried to the backyard furnace.
“Clang, clang, clang” The sound of hammering was still there…
“Swish, swish…” The wind and flames colliding also produced faint sounds.
And in the courtyard, as always, there were more than twenty craftsmen, and among these robust craftsmen, the strikingly conspicuous figure was the red-clothed girl—Cao Mu.
Lu Yu hadn’t paid attention to this area recently. Looking at Cao Mu, she had become tanned, as if from the sun.
The sun’s rays and the scorching heat from the furnaces had almost darkened her entire complexion…
However, her foundation was good, which did not affect her appearance at all.
It was just that her appearance, drenched in sweat, was no longer like the pampered young lady she once was, but more like a country girl!
Even though she was drenched in sweat, she still occasionally walked up to each furnace, sometimes bending down to peer into the flames, sometimes searching in the bamboo slips in her hands for something, and even more often, instructing the blacksmiths on certain matters.
To Lu Yu’s surprise, the blacksmiths all readily accepted her instructions, making minor changes during the forging process.
Speaking of which, Lu Yu had been focusing on the oil workshop during this recent period, and had largely overlooked the progress of steel forging…
Now, he didn’t know what the success rate was.
“Commander Dian? Did you call me here just to watch steel forging?”
In Lu Yu’s opinion, the novelty of the first forging had long since worn off. It was simply a matter of success rate; there was no need to specially pull him over to witness it!
To be honest, it was quite hot here, and Lu Yu felt like his pants were about to get wet.
“Master Lu, just watch…” Dian Wei pointed to a furnace.
Just then…
“It’s done, Miss Mu, quickly look, it’s done!” a craftsman exclaimed excitedly… Cao Mu slowly ran over, and the craftsman took out the forged steel from the furnace…
From a distance, Lu Yu could tell… the forging process of this craftsman was very skilled, even more proficient than Dian Wei used to be!
This… wasn’t it just refined? What’s so special about this?
Lu Yu turned back to look at Dian Wei, seemingly still full of questions about his purpose…
“Master Lu, please continue watching…”
After about half an hour…
“Miss Mu, this one is also done!” another craftsman shouted… They were used to it; every time there was a success, they would call Cao Mu over to take a look first, because… she would record the color, flames, and texture…
Cao Mu nodded, signaling that it could be quenched for solidification…
The craftsman then proceeded to the next step.
Hiss…
At this moment, Lu Yu had a rather peculiar thought: Could this Cao Mu have social anxiety disorder?
In just a month… she had gotten along with so many blacksmiths! Today… was Dian Wei asking him to watch Cao Mu show off?
As soon as this thought appeared…
“Miss Mu, this one was also successfully forged, exactly as you said, all steps precise to the millimeter, not a bit off!” The voice of another craftsman from a more distant furnace rang out…
Wait… Lu Yu was starting to understand the underlying meaning.
Three successful forgings? Was this a one-hundred-percent success rate…
Impossible, right?
Before Lu Yu could think further…
“Mine is also successful!” another craftsman spoke up, meaning that all four furnaces in the first batch of forging were successful?
Lu Yu was very surprised, extremely surprised…
One must know, this was ancient times! There were no precision-controlled furnaces here, nor any automated machinery. The entire forging process was done manually.
Moreover, Dian Wei had mentioned when he first succeeded in forging that although the forging process seemed simple, there were hundreds of variations… Each deviation could have a huge impact on the quality of the Damascus steel, thus leading to failure.
This meant that to truly follow a standardized, systematic guide and complete the forging step by step was almost impossible in this era!
However… Lu Yu’s gaze landed on Cao Mu, and then on the bamboo slips she was holding…
If his guess was correct, Cao Mu had managed to sort and summarize all these impossible steps, turning them into an effective guide!
This…
“Gulp” Lu Yu swallowed his saliva. Now, he finally understood why Dian Wei had called him here…
In this small pavilion, these twenty-odd craftsmen, and a girl… they were creating a miracle, and the one orchestrating and commanding everything with perfect composure was none other than the eldest daughter of the Cao family, whom he had severely reprimanded in the past—Cao Mu!
“Master Lu…” With four pieces of fine steel refined, Dian Wei wanted to say something more…
Lu Yu, however, waved his hand, signaling him not to speak. He understood everything, had understood it all…
However, the complete success of the first batch didn’t necessarily prove anything.
He intended to keep watching… to keep watching!
The entire morning, the forging proceeded very smoothly…
What surprised Lu Yu was not only that all eight pieces of fine steel were successfully forged, but also… the speed of forging!
That’s right, each furnace took little more than an hour to complete the fusion of wrought iron and pig iron and solidify into steel, and the forging time required for each furnace was almost identical…
This was simply the rate of an assembly line, systematic!
Lu Yu had originally intended to have someone deliver some food, but Dian Wei refused. The craftsmen here only ate two meals a day: one when they started work, and another when they finished in the evening.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu, who was originally feeling hungry, felt completely satiated. At this moment, he was willing to accompany these craftsmen, and Cao Mu, to continue witnessing miracles.
Of course, perhaps Cao Mu and these craftsmen didn’t realize how formidable a task they were undertaking!
Steel… steel guns, steel halberds, steel sabers…
In this era, this was almost a technological leap that crushed all others!
Just as iron tools had replaced bronze tools in the past, iron tools had crushed bronze tools. Similarly… steel-structured weapons could crush iron tools.
With refined steel like this, it was the foundation for forging an invincible army, as resilient as steel!
Thinking of this, Lu Yu himself felt a tremor for all the feudal lords.
One girl, dozens of blacksmiths, were truly about to make all the feudal lords tremble from the bottom of their hearts!
…
The entire day, the initially planned twelve pieces of fine steel were exceeded, and sixteen pieces of fine steel were forged today.
That wasn’t the main point…
The main point was that the success rate of forging was one hundred percent!
The facts laid before him plunged Lu Yu into a deep, indescribable, and prolonged shock.
This quantity was enough to forge more than forty fine steel war halberds and over a hundred fine steel sabers!
Even Lu Yu couldn’t help but give a thumbs up to Cao Mu and these blacksmiths. This couldn’t be described as awesome; it was like a dancing cow—awesome on the left, awesome on the right!
As dusk arrived, after a meal, it was time to finish work. All the blacksmiths did not leave. They walked up to Cao Mu one by one, talking to her about something…
But their eyes were filled with reluctance.
And Cao Mu’s eyes were already brimming with tears…
“Master Lu, Miss Mu will likely not be able to come tomorrow…” Dian Wei, standing beside Lu Yu, spoke with a rare choked voice…
It was then that Lu Yu realized that Cao Cao was due to return triumphantly tomorrow.
If he returned, how could he allow his daughter, who was about to get married, to come to Lu Yu’s manor every day? Let alone… to do the unladylike work of forging?
“Alas…” Dian Wei sighed deeply. “If not for Miss Mu’s daily records, her summaries every night, and telling us the areas to avoid the next day, the forging workshop could not have achieved today’s results…”
“This can be considered…” Speaking to this point… Dian Wei hesitated. In Lu Yu’s impression, this iron-boned, strong man had never spoken so haltingly before.
Finally, Dian Wei spoke… “This can be considered our final gift to Miss Mu from us blacksmiths…”
With that said, Dian Wei walked away from Lu Yu’s side. He walked towards Cao Mu and remained silent…
Or rather, he was afraid that once he spoke, he wouldn’t be able to stop his tears.
Dian Wei took out a dagger from his embrace. The blade of the dagger was hidden within its sheath, but Lu Yu recognized at a glance that this was the first piece of steel Dian Wei had forged, and the first dagger crafted from it!
This must have a special significance for Dian Wei!
At this moment, Dian Wei placed the dagger into Cao Mu’s hand and then turned and walked away quickly…
The ancient Evil Wolf never shed tears in front of others.
Looking at Dian Wei’s receding back, Cao Mu’s clenched teeth loosened. She carefully cradled the dagger and called out, “Master Dian, all this time, thank… thank you…”
At this moment, from Lu Yu’s perspective, he could see that Dian Wei was crying. Dian Wei, who shed blood and sweat but not tears, was truly crying.
And at this moment… Lu Yu felt that he, too, should say something to Cao Mu…
And then, do something!
…
…