Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 5: Guidance

Li Qing brought Master Gu his meal, a daily ritual. Even before reaching the tent, he heard a familiar, ragged coughing fit from within.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

He pushed aside the flap and entered. Master Gu was lying on his cot, and the stench of death clinging to him had grown stronger. A fresh constellation of age spots seemed to have bloomed across his sallow skin.

These were the signs of a man at death’s door.

Li Qing sighed inwardly. A tragic business, the end of a life. Especially one wracked by lung disease. The old man wouldn’t even have a peaceful passing.

“Master Gu, time to eat.” Li Qing set the food bowl down, a flicker of genuine sorrow in his eyes.

Whether for the craft he had taught him or the protection he’d offered in the army, Li Qing knew he owed the old man. Without Master Gu, life at this border would have been far harsher.

As if sensing his thoughts, Master Gu looked at him, his voice a dry rasp. “Er Niu, my time is short. There’s something I’d like to entrust to you.”

*So, he’s settling his final affairs,* Li Qing thought. He knelt by the bedside, meeting the old man’s gaze with a look of utmost sincerity. “Master Gu, please, ask anything. I can never repay you for teaching me your craft, but I swear I’ll do everything in my power to help.”

“Do you want to leave the borderlands?” Master Gu stared, his gaze sharp, as if trying to bore into Li Qing’s soul.

*What a stupid question,* Li Qing scoffed internally. *War is brewing. Who wouldn’t want to escape this powder keg?*

Of course, he couldn’t let any of that show. Even on his deathbed, the old man wasn’t someone to be trusted completely.

“Desertion?” Li Qing feigned a look of wide-eyed panic. “Master, that’s a capital offense!”

Combined with his simple, almost bovine features, the performance was utterly convincing.

“Cough, cough! I am from Qingzhou, from Chongning County,” Master Gu wheezed, catching his breath. “Years ago, blinded by rage, I offended the local magistrate. My punishment was exile to this army as a blacksmith.” He paused, another cough rattling his frail frame. “I still have family in Chongning. If you ever get the chance, I want you to return the *Gu Xuan Hammer Technique* to them. It’s our ancestral legacy. It can’t die with me.”

Li Qing was silent for a moment, then gave a solemn nod. “Master Gu, if I ever leave this army alive, I swear I will return the *Gu Xuan Hammer Technique* to the Gu family.”

“Good. With your word, I can rest easy. Cough, cough!” Master Gu hacked, then gestured weakly. “Now, while this old man still has some breath left, let me give you some pointers. By the looks of you, you spent half the night practicing.”

Having trained in the *Gu Xuan Hammer Technique* for decades, Master Gu could spot the tell-tale strain in Li Qing’s legs at a glance—the unmistakable posture of a beginner.

“Thank you, Master Gu!” Li Qing said, his voice full of gratitude.

“Less talk. Show me your stance,” Master Gu ordered, waving a dismissive hand.

Li Qing immediately complied, settling into the foundational stance described in the manual. Once his feet were set, he closed his eyes and began silently reciting the accompanying mental cultivation method.

Seeing his proficiency, Master Gu’s cloudy eyes lit up with a flicker of surprise. He’d only given the boy the manual last night. To have achieved such proficiency in a few short hours… he was indeed a natural.

Master Gu nodded to himself, offering a silent note of praise for Li Qing’s aptitude. Still, he tempered his enthusiasm. In his long life, he had seen true prodigies. The talent Li Qing showed was commendable, but it was a far cry from genius.

“Not bad,” Master Gu said, his voice thin but steady. “You can probably hold that for half an hour. But there’s a crucial element to this stance you’re missing: the breath.” He began his instruction. “Exhale and let the breath sink to your Dantian. Calm your mind, quiet your spirit, and feel it… truly feel it.”

With his eyes closed, Li Qing absorbed every word. Under the old master’s guidance, his practice became shockingly efficient. He quickly entered a state of deep focus. A pleasant warmth spread from his core, and he could feel his very blood humming with newfound vitality.

“Hoo!”

Thirty minutes later, Li Qing released a long, sharp breath. A sheen of sweat coated his simple, honest face.

“A pity,” Master Gu said, his expression one of genuine regret. “You started your training too late. If you had begun as a child, you might have truly achieved something on the martial path.”

The path of a warrior was best started young, before the bones had fully set. The human body had its limits. After forty, one’s blood and qi began to decline, the flesh started its slow decay, and progress became nearly impossible. Li Qing was already sixteen and just now learning the most basic stance. In Master Gu’s eyes, it was far, far too late. Talent alone could not bridge such a gap.

“Master Gu, I have no grand ambitions for the martial path,” Li Qing said, scratching the back of his head with a humble grin. “If this just gives me a bit more strength for the forge, I’ll be more than satisfied.”

Master Gu let out a dry chuckle. He struggled to sit up, his body trembling with the effort. “In this army, the centurions are nothing to worry about. But there is a chiliarch—a commander of a thousand—surnamed Yuan. If you ever have dealings with him, be exceptionally careful.”

He paused, catching his breath again. “And there is another, a female chiliarch surnamed Qian. Her origins are a mystery. You must never, ever offend her.”

Li Qing blinked his wide, innocent eyes and nodded his head like a chick pecking at grain. “I’m just a blacksmith, Master. I doubt I’ll ever cross paths with such important figures. You don’t have to worry.”

“Hahaha, good. Now, be off with you,” Master Gu said, waving him away. “Taking on a disciple at the end of my life… I suppose it’s a blessing.”

Once outside, Li Qing quickly washed the food bowl and hurried back to his own tent.

He stoked the furnace until the flames roared, then began melting down iron ingots to forge the sickles and tools for the Yan family. The conditions here were far superior to those in the Extreme Night World; melting and forging were much more efficient.

He had a new plan. The army camp for forging, the Extreme Night World for training. Since time in that world moved three times faster, he could dedicate himself to martial arts there. This way, he could exploit the unique advantages of each world.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

As the molten iron was ready, Li Qing began to hammer. To his delight, he found the heavy hammer felt lighter, more an extension of his arm than a tool. Each swing was more fluid, more powerful.

“It must be the *Gu Xuan Hammer Technique*,” he muttered, a grin spreading across his face. “My forging will be much faster now!”

Just the basic stance had produced such a tangible result. A cold fire of determination ignited within him. He would master the *Gu Xuan Hammer Technique*, no matter the cost.

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