Chapter Thirty-Three: The Descendant of Ouye

“Master, do you need so much iron ore to forge weapons?” Shi Ah, standing nearby, could not help but ask.

Liu Yao nodded and replied, “Indeed. We now have the raw materials and the method for smelting; all that’s lacking is a master blacksmith.”

Shi Ah laughed, “Master, back when I studied martial arts with my teacher in Youzhou, he once took me to visit a blacksmith, his good friend. Both my teacher’s and my own weapons were forged by him. His craftsmanship is beyond question, though he is utterly obsessed with his art and rarely concerns himself with worldly affairs.”

“Oh? Do you know where he lives?” Liu Yao’s heart leapt with joy.

Shi Ah answered slowly, “Certainly. He lives in a small village outside Ji County, though few know of it.”

“Then let us hurry there,” Liu Yao said anxiously.

“Well…” Shi Ah hesitated, “That old blacksmith has a very peculiar temper. Despite his close friendship with my teacher, I doubt I could persuade him to help.”

“No matter. I have my own means,” Liu Yao said confidently, then seized Shi Ah and strode out from the governor’s mansion. Liu Yao’s confidence stemmed from his method of steel-making. Even the most ordinary steel could rival iron weapons forged dozens of times. For one so devoted to smithing, the significance of such a technique was self-evident.

With Shi Ah leading the way, Liu Yao soon arrived at the small village where the blacksmith resided. The village was tiny, with only five households in total. The old blacksmith lived in a small wooden hut, surrounded by heaps of iron scraps and wood shavings. From within came the constant clang of hammering.

“Shi Ah, you should announce our arrival first,” Liu Yao said, mindful of proper etiquette.

“Yes, Master.” Shi Ah walked up to the hut and called out loudly, “Disciple of Wang Yue, Shi Ah, comes to pay respects to Elder Ou Feng.”

Only the sound of hammering answered him. Shi Ah called again, but still received no response. Liu Yao stopped him, “It’s fine, let’s wait a bit.”

Soon, the hammering ceased, and a hoarse voice came from the hut, “Ah, Wang Yue’s disciple, is it? Come in then!”

With the master’s permission, Liu Yao and Shi Ah entered the hut. It was small, but packed to the brim: a full furnace and forge, with weapons arrayed all around, their brilliant reflections attesting to their quality. Before the forge stood a tall, white-haired man, testing the balance of a sword, apparently freshly finished.

Liu Yao did not interrupt Ou Feng, instead watching quietly. Ou Feng examined and tested the blade, then shook his head and sighed, “Ah, still not perfect. Just a bit more and I could reach the level of a hundredfold forge, but this refined iron is still lacking. Such a pity.” With that, he tossed the sword aside as if it were scrap, paying it no further heed.

Now noticing Liu Yao and Shi Ah, Ou Feng said, “You… you must be Shi Ah, Wang Yue’s apprentice. I recall seeing you as a child. How is that old fellow? Still chasing after official posts everywhere?”

“Elder, my teacher is very well, and has joined the ranks of the Youzhou governor,” Shi Ah replied respectfully.

“Oh, so his dream has come true. I must congratulate him,” Ou Feng grinned, then turned to Liu Yao, “And who might this be?” He eyed Liu Yao’s luxurious silk attire with curiosity.

Liu Yao introduced himself, “I am Liu Yao, governor of Youzhou, here to pay my respects to Elder Ou Feng.”

“Oh, so the great governor has come in person. Forgive this humble villager for failing to welcome you properly,” Ou Feng responded perfunctorily, clearly unimpressed.

Liu Yao took no offense, knowing that talented people often had eccentricities. “Elder Ou Feng, I have come to invite you to join my service in Youzhou, and forge divine weapons for us.”

Ou Feng refused without hesitation, “Forgive me, sir. I am used to a free life and have no wish to meddle in outside affairs. My only desire is to craft fine weapons.”

Liu Yao smiled slyly, “I noticed you were forging a sword earlier; it seemed a treasure to me. Why discard it?”

“Hmph, what do you know? It may appear a treasure, but its materials limit its potential. It cannot reach the height of a true divine blade. Such rubbish is far beneath my ancestors’ standards,” Ou Feng replied testily.

Liu Yao was startled and asked, “Elder, your surname is Ou—are you descended from the famed master swordsmith Ou Yezi?”

“Indeed,” Ou Feng said, lifting his head with pride, though his face soon clouded over with sorrow. “Alas, I have lived forty years in vain, never reaching my ancestor’s heights.”

Seeing the moment was ripe, Liu Yao drew out a blueprint for primitive steel-making from his sleeve. “Elder, please take a look.”

Ou Feng took the blueprint with curiosity and began to study it. Soon, his heart raced uncontrollably. “This, this is…” He could not utter a complete sentence for some time.

“This material I call steel. It is made from iron ore, smelted at high temperatures into a unique substance. Even the most basic steel rivals refined iron forged dozens of times. With repeated forging, divine weapons would no longer be unattainable. Elder, what do you think of this blueprint?” Liu Yao smiled.

Ou Feng was clearly torn. On one hand was freedom, on the other, the chance to reach or even surpass his ancestor Ou Yezi. The two desires battled within him, but in the end, his dream triumphed. He gritted his teeth and said, “If you will allow me to forge divine weapons from this material and fulfill my lifelong wish, I am willing to join your service.”

“Excellent, excellent! No problem at all. I have tens of thousands of catties of iron ore and thousands of refined iron—more than enough for your use,” Liu Yao replied, beaming.

Without hesitation, Ou Feng knelt and saluted, “Ou Feng, your humble servant, greets Master.”

“Please rise, Master Ou. From now on, you need not bow before me,” Liu Yao said joyfully. With everything in place, the divine weapons for his followers would soon be born.

Liu Yao did not hesitate to sketch the legendary weapons from his previous life—like Zhang Fei’s Snake Spear, Huang Zhong’s Dragon Sparrow Saber, Zhao Yun’s Majestic Dragon Lance—and handed them to Ou Feng. Ou Feng’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets at these designs, and his admiration and loyalty to Liu Yao deepened further.

With Ou Feng recruited, Liu Yao and his party returned to Youzhou to begin forging divine weapons. The region, in the northwest, boasted many open-air coal mines. With coal, the high temperatures needed for steelmaking were assured.

Liu Yao left all further arrangements to Ou Feng, assigning several dozen skilled blacksmiths to assist him. Their assistance was not without motives, for they hoped to learn some of his secrets. Ou Feng only focused on forging the highest-quality weapons, while the less skilled smiths were tasked with making ordinary arms for Liu Yao’s soldiers.

Ou Feng did not mind, confident in his ancestral craft. It would not be easily stolen; otherwise, there would not be only one Ou Yezi in the world. Still, even a little knowledge would be more than sufficient for their needs.