Distant Mountain Battle Song

Chapter 220 People's Pursuits Are Different
North of the Great Wall, the mornings usually begin with the piercing neigh of a chestnut horse.

After the chestnut horse neighed, the livestock in the village left the stables on their own and went to graze in the open fields. Although the village also raised many chickens weighing over a hundred pounds each, they dared not cluck randomly, because doing so would displease the chestnut horse.

If the chestnut horse is unhappy, the rest of the animals in the village will not be happy either. Even some of the flat-billed birds that have just been hatched by the women will be kicked into the pond by the chestnut horse one by one.

The chestnut horse was very unhappy today, mainly because it crashed open the window of Yun Ce's bedroom and poked its big head in to say good morning to Yun Ce, only to be kicked in the eye by a snow-white, dainty foot. The scent was probably that of E Ji.

It couldn't do anything to Eji. It had torn Eji's skirt before and was slapped several times by Yun Ce. After that, it knew it couldn't tear Eji's skirt anymore. But it couldn't open the window either.

After kicking away the chestnut horse, Eji lazily nestled in Yun Ce's arms and said, "A handsome nobleman is not as good as my country lad in simple clothes."

Yun Ce slapped her bare bottom and said, "Don't pretend you're innocent after getting the benefit. You didn't stop for a moment last night."

Eji buried her head in Yun Ce's arms and chuckled, "It's mainly because my husband's appearance changed last night, which gave me the feeling of having an affair. Then, I imagined my husband's aggrieved look after he found out, oh dear, he even held a knife to kill me... Hahaha, I'd let you kill me, but you wouldn't, and you even interrogated me about who that man was... Hahaha."

Yun Ce was furious at E Ji's smug look. Just as he was about to regroup and teach her a lesson again, he heard the mournful cry of the Dog Skin King outside the window.

Without a doubt, this was the chestnut horse bullying the little puppy who had also been kicked out to spend the night. When Yun Ce opened the window, he found the little puppy being trampled under the chestnut horse's feet. Although its mouth was open like a cave, it could not reach the chestnut horse because the chestnut horse was stepping on its head from behind. It could only howl helplessly.

Dog King Naosheng has never been a good person. He is inherently rebellious. Every two or three months, the dog has to thoroughly examine Naosheng's mind and discover new potential dangers each time.

Recently, the puppy is no longer Eji's favorite pet. Instead, a plump baby eagle that sits on the shelf sunbathing with several chickens weighing over a hundred pounds is Eji's true love.

According to Eji, the dog skin was utterly useless; even with it, she couldn't beat Zhang Min. It was a complete waste. The fledgling eagle was much better. Her husband said that when this eagle grew up, it could carry her to the heavens.

Yun Ce jumped out of the window, rescued the puppy from under the hooves of the chestnut horse, casually tossed it onto the roof, and then stared at the round, plump eagle squatting with the chickens for a long time.

He felt that he could no longer entrust the eagle to Eji for raising. Given the eagle's current rate of obesity, it would be impossible for it to fly after it grew up; instead, it would be perfect for cooking.

The rising sun shone on Yun Ce's bare upper body, painting his skin with a beeswax-like hue. He wielded a red-tasseled lance so skillfully that only a blur remained, the lance itself no longer visible. Powered by his inner energy, the lance seemed capable of breaking through air barriers, producing neither a loud whooshing sound nor a violent sonic boom. It appeared silent and ordinary, yet it was far more dangerous than his previous wide-ranging and powerful moves.

"If you want to look, then look openly and honestly. There's no need to sneak around. After I get pregnant, you'll have to serve my husband. I can't let that bitch Zhang Min get away with it."

Angie covered her mouth and said, "I didn't peek."

Eji said disdainfully, "If you weren't peeking, why are you drooling? Let me tell you, I picked you up and took you in. I've never made you suffer or tormented you since you came with me. You should be grateful."

Anji nodded repeatedly and said, "I've only had two years of good life with the lady."

Eji continued, "That slut Zhang Min always claims to be a fully mature woman, and even says that with a body like hers, she will get pregnant as soon as she touches a man."

That's all nonsense. Hasn't she been with a man as strong and muscular as her husband enough? And her belly hasn't gotten any bigger yet. I suspect she's just having an affair and doesn't want to get pregnant.

Our family has everything now, but we are too small. With my husband's abilities, we should have dozens of children calling him "Father".

You didn't see what your husband looked like at the children's playground. Such an ugly child, but just because he got first place in the exam, your poor husband could still bring himself to kiss him.

It's clear that my husband likes children.

As he spoke, he patted Anji's bottom and said, "You're not allowed to deliberately make yourself so thin just for dancing. With a body that weighs less than 100 pounds, how will you be able to conceive a healthy child in the future?"

"My husband's parents died early, and we have no elders to tell us these things, so I, as the mistress of the house, have to speak up. We must strive to be strong and not let that slut Zhang Min take all the benefits."

Yun Ce, who was practicing martial arts, was unaware that E Ji was currently disciplining An Ji and preparing to launch a fierce battle within the inner quarters.

When he faced the rising sun, sheathed his spear, exhaled as if an arrow, and returned to peace, Eji and Anji came to greet him. One took the spear, and the other kindly wiped away the sweat that hadn't even appeared.

Yun Ce had no sweat to wipe away, while Huo Liao's sweat was endless. The raging flames seemed to be melting the furnace. Bare-chested, Huo Liao constantly stirred the molten iron with an iron hook while intently watching its changes. When the flames above the molten iron turned bluish-green and the iron gradually became viscous, Huo Liao carefully removed the slag with an iron spoon.

With a wave of his hand, two shirtless teenagers flipped the frying pan and quickly poured the molten steel into a mold, preparing for the next round of frying.

Dressed in simple clothes, Feng An personally carried two buckets of water out of the cave and came to this relatively open smelting area. He put down the buckets, scooped out a large spoonful of soup and handed it to Huo Liao, saying, "Have some red bean soup and take a rest."

After saying that, he waved to the other teenagers, signaling them to help themselves. He then sat down next to Huo Liao, who was drinking red bean soup, popped a bean into his mouth, and chewed it as he spoke.

"You need to make a decision soon. The longer Huo Minggong lives, the more disadvantageous it will be for you to control the Fire Clan. Recently, we have gathered many Fire Clan members, but as long as Huo Minggong lives, you have no hope of inheriting the Fire Clan."

Huo Liao silently sipped his red bean soup until he finished the whole spoonful, then said to Feng An, "The hammerhead for the water-powered forging machine hasn't been finished yet."

Feng An said impatiently, "The blueprints for that thing are in your hands, and you know how to manufacture it. What does it matter if it's a little later? Right now, the most important thing is the inheritance of your Fire Clan. As long as you agree, I will beg the Lord to personally kill Huo Minggong for you and clear all obstacles for you to inherit the Fire Clan."

Huo Liao, offering an irrelevant answer, continued, "I have only just mastered the art of steel frying, and it will take time before I can produce it on a large scale. Although the steel billets I have produced are already quite good, I still suggest that it is better to fry steel into wrought iron."

Then, through carburizing and carbonization processes, we can manufacture steels with varying hardnesses. The advantage of this method is that the resulting steel has a consistent quality, making it suitable for large-scale production.

Feng Anfa said anxiously, "I've given you the Yun family's steel secret formula. You can do whatever you want with it. What I'm talking about now is the position of Fire Clan Chief, not some bullshit steel speculation or steelmaking."

Upon hearing this, Huo Liao flew into a rage, grabbed Feng An by the collar, and roared, "Steelmaking and steelmaking are extraordinary skills, how can you insult them? Feng An, listen to me carefully!"

At this moment, I don't care at all about the damn position of Fire Clan Chief. I only care about how to get everyone familiar with the 'steel-frying technique' so that we can fry more steel as quickly as possible.

"As long as we have enough steel, I can build Jin Suo Guan into a true all-steel fortress. That's what I want."

Feng An was equally furious. He grabbed Huo Liao's sweaty arm and said, "Where is he? Where is he? Look how exhausted you've been lately. You probably slept for less than two hours last night."

If this continues, I'm worried that you'll be finished before you even understand and master the Yun family's iron smelting and steelmaking techniques.

Ah Liao, listen to me. You are the only son in your family. Your parents in heaven certainly don't want you to die in iron smelting and steelmaking. They would rather you get married, start a family, and continue the family line.

Once you master the Fire Clan, more people will come to help you, which will make things easier for you. At least you won't have to personally work in the steel furnace, and you can focus on researching the crafts you like.

"Now, even the head of the family is waiting for your decision. As long as you agree to this, Huo Minggong's head will soon be in your hands. You've heard, haven't you? Our lord now possesses the courage of ten thousand men. Under Xiangcheng, in two battles, he killed three thousand in battle. What martial prowess! Killing Huo Minggong is a piece of cake."

After a moment of contemplation, Huo Liao said painfully, "Do we really need the Fire Clan's treasury?"

Feng An opened his mouth in surprise and said helplessly, "Aren't the armor and weapons in the Fire Clan's treasury better than those that the chestnut horse escorted over earlier?"

Huo Liao shook his head and said, "Because the process is the same, even if it's good, the difference is very limited."

Feng An laughed and said, "If that's the case, where did all the armor and weapons that were escorted here by the chestnut horse go?"

Huo Liao frowned and said, "I threw them all into the steel furnace."

Feng An laughed loudly: "Do you think that if you were to make armor and weapons now, the quality would be comparable to the Fire Clan's treasury?"

Huo Liao said with a bitter face, "You know, the processes are different..."

　Chapter One: Needless to say, today is another day spent with my brothers and sisters.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)