Celestial Official!

As dawn broke, snowflakes began to fall from the sky, and rows of ordinary courtyards, like trapped little beasts, lay dormant and asleep in the wind and snow.

As the sun sets and doors are closed, the rooster crows and doors are opened; in the distance, the melodious sound of bells seems to echo, signaling the start of another workday.

Like ants emerging from their nest, a swarm of ordinary people rushed along the mountain path, clutching their cotton robes, food in their mouths, and hurrying towards the engineering college.

This path leading to the engineering college is so narrow that you can see the end of it at a glance.

The vast majority of ordinary tasks, however, seem endless.

Inside the Forging Courtyard.

Before the snowflakes even touch the ground, they evaporate completely in the air, turning into wisps of white smoke that dissipate.

Yan Chen crouched in a corner of the sword furnace, the bursting flames licking the furnace wall, distorting and trembling the air.

He had a normal expression on his face as he carried iron materials from a bamboo basket behind him and placed them next to the furnace.

Unlike before, this time he did not sift out the gravel and sand from the ore, but instead sent it into the sword furnace to be forged together with the iron.

In an instant, a crackling sound, like beans weeping in a pot, rang out from the fire.

Yan Chen ignored this, his eyes, reflecting the firelight, were fixed on a piece of damp clay beside the furnace wall, observing its changes in shape and silently calculating the time in his mind.

Beside him, several rough blanks that had been forged were neatly stacked together.

About ten feet away from him, Li Xuanyi, her face flushed, faintly heard strange noises and subconsciously looked towards Yan Chen's direction.

Thinking that Junior Brother Yan had encountered some trouble, Li Xuanyi wiped his face and was about to ask when...

A burst of laughter and conversation suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate, distracting him.

At this moment, not only Li Xuanyi, but also many other mortal servants quietly turned their heads and looked towards the courtyard gate.

Then they saw the gate of the Forging Institute.

The usually imposing and dashing Supervisor Qu now wore a forced smile and was slightly bowing, seemingly talking to someone next to him.

As Supervisor Qu entered the Forging Institute, the appearance of the person beside him came into view of the mortal servants.

The newcomer had fair skin, black hair tied in a bun, and appeared to be around thirty years old. He wore a black and red Taoist robe, a jade belt around his waist, and cloud-patterned boots.

His appearance was quite noble, and not to mention the group of plain-looking servants present, even the eunuch Qu was subtly overshadowed.

"Deacon Wang, the environment in our Forging Academy is rather harsh, please bear with us!"

Qu Ying gestured apologetically with one hand.

"It's alright. I also climbed up step by step from a mortal. Now, revisiting this place brings a different feeling."

The Gold-Melting Valley steward named Wang Fu shook his head and said:

"Junior Brother Qu should understand what the Gold Melting Valley means. The higher-ups are pressing hard, and the pressure inside the valley is immense. As for the production of magical artifacts, as long as Senior Brother can return and report back, that's enough. Everything else is insignificant."

As he spoke, Wang Fu cast a meaningful glance at him.

But then, as if remembering something, he glanced towards the courtyard gate, his expression slightly helpless.

Then, outside the courtyard gate, a delicately carved little Taoist boy walked in with a dignified air, looking around at the courtyard and the group of mortal servants.

This scene surprised Qu Ying, who couldn't help but look at Wang Fu.

"Steward Wang, this is..."

Wang Fu smiled wryly and whispered to Qu Ying about the boy's background.

Upon hearing this, Qu Ying nodded in understanding.

So this is the Golden Boy, one of the so-called "Golden Boy and Jade Girl" who is following Master Zhu!

He then bowed respectfully and, as if coaxing a child, exchanged pleasantries with the young Taoist, which pleased the boy greatly, who nodded in agreement.

Only then did he straighten up and follow the pre-planned story and route.

They gently guided Wang Fu towards a certain location near the sword furnace.

In a corner of the sword furnace, Xu Hui, with no interest in tending the fire, was playing with the emerald green ore in his hand, eagerly awaiting its arrival.

A moment later, he saw the two men indeed coming toward him, so he immediately straightened his posture and adopted a diligent and focused look.

Wang Fu glanced at him, then his gaze fell on the azure ore being burned in the furnace in the other man's hand. He couldn't help but turn his head slightly and ask:

"This doesn't seem to be the ore needed to forge the rough draft of the 'Flaming Blade', does it? What are you doing?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Hui feigned obedience and fear, and replied in a low voice:

"Reporting to the steward, this is 'Guiyin ore' containing water and 'emerald copper iron'. I once went to the valley to listen to my senior brother preach and accidentally learned that 'water can overcome fire'. Therefore, I thought that perhaps this principle could be used to extinguish the violent fire and ensure the approximate yield of the rough material."

Upon hearing this, Wang Fu pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly and said:

"Using water to dissipate the heat of the furnace can prevent many types of iron, which are not of the highest quality, from cracking during forging. It is indeed a good method."

"However, this method has its advantages and disadvantages. Lowering the furnace temperature will inevitably prevent the iron materials that should have been heated at high temperatures from being fully forged, resulting in mediocre quality that does not reach the usual level."

"It can only be considered a mediocre solution."

Wang Fu shook his head inwardly, but then he thought of the current situation. The moderate approach he had taken then might not be a bad option now.

At least, I finally have a reason to explain myself.

Thinking of this, Wang Fu's expression gradually softened, and he smiled, asking:

"What is your name?"

Upon hearing this, Qu Ying's expression softened, and he thought to himself that the arrangements had indeed gone smoothly.

Xu Hui blushed and felt a surge of excitement, his mind wandering.

He imagined that after gaining fame and prestige, he would soon receive a decree from the Golden Melt Valley, ordering him to take up the position of manager at the Emerald Comb Pavilion!

As Xu Hui was about to open his mouth and give his name amidst his rapid breathing—

A clear, surprised cry from a child was like a stone thrown into a still lake, creating ripples.

"Aren't you that guy, your name is... Yan something again?"

While Wang Fu and the others were talking, Jin Tong was idly strolling around the Forging Hall, circling around the towering sword furnace, when he suddenly saw a familiar figure.

Isn't he the same down-on-his-luck youth who stood at the end of the snow-covered path, begging to join the Jade Sleeve Sect?

Upon seeing an "acquaintance" here, Jin Tong was overjoyed. Ignoring the questioning gazes directed at him, he strode towards Yan Chen.

"Huh? Why are everyone else's baskets full of clearly defined pieces of ore, while yours is all mud and dust? Tell me quickly, are you slacking off or trying to cheat?!"

As Jin Tong approached, he glanced at Yan Chen's iron material, which was completely different from the others. Remembering Senior Sister Zhu's instructions before he left, he couldn't help but frown and question her.

These words immediately attracted the attention of Wang Fu, who was standing nearby.

I looked over there with great curiosity.

Yan Chen seemed completely unaware of all this.

While continuing to burn iron without being affected, he explained to Jin Tong in a normal tone and in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft:

"Young Daoist, you've misunderstood your junior brother."

"The iron materials sent from the quarry all look exactly the same, and it is impossible to distinguish which ones are good and which ones are bad. Therefore, they cannot be forged in batches and can only be thrown into the furnace together."

"However, this will cause the iron to be heated unevenly due to its inherent properties, making it very easy to break and become unusable, greatly reducing the output of rough blanks."

"But my junior brother once discovered by chance that a suitable amount of earth-based ore could neutralize the ferocity of the furnace fire."

"Therefore, as long as the temperature is controlled properly, not only can inferior ore be forged into rough blanks, but the forging results of superior iron will also not be affected."

Ok?

Upon hearing this, Wang Fu's eyes, which had been lacking interest, suddenly lit up with a spark!

At the same time, he kept pondering the words he had just heard, since they came from the mouth of a mere mortal and their truthfulness was still uncertain.

As a steward of the Melting Gold Valley and a dignified Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator, Wang Fu was well aware of the saying "too much earth obscures fire, strong earth controls fire."

Compared to the conflicting and repulsive "water overcomes fire," the natural and cyclical "fire generates earth" seems to be more in line with Sister Zhu's wishes.

"That's right... The reason why minerals are of different quality lies in the purity of the metals they contain."

"As long as the heat is controlled well, no matter what the iron ore material is, the flame will be neutralized by the earth element and kept inside the iron for calcination."

"Therefore, good iron is not affected by this, while inferior iron can maintain its integrity and prevent breakage by using its superior earth properties to neutralize the furnace fire!"

Wang Fu looked at Yan Chen with a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

"This is an extremely valuable talent!"

……