Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 7: Black Wheat Mushroom

Under the cloak of a silent, deep night, Li Qing crossed over into the Extreme Night World once more.

A blood-red moon hung high in the sky, a seemingly eternal, unblinking eye. The air was as frigid as ever, a biting cold that demanded thick, cotton-padded clothes for anyone daring to venture out.

Inside his courtyard in Obsidian City, Li Qing set down the twenty-odd cutting knives he had forged. He then moved to the side and resumed his stance practice.

This session was different. He held the posture longer than ever before, coordinating his movements with the breathing techniques Master Gu had taught him. He persisted for nearly a full hour. Previously, holding the stance for too long would leave his legs numb and aching. This time, however, his blood surged through him, warm and unobstructed. A deep sense of comfort settled into his very bones.

“Hah!”

After a brief rest, he began again, cycling through the stance training in the courtyard. Even in the Extreme Night World, where time flowed three times faster, he refused to waste a single second.

The hours bled away. Before he knew it, nearly half a day in this accelerated world was gone.

Yet, he felt no fatigue. His spirit was sharp, and his waist and legs were brimming with a coiled strength. But even if his mind was willing, his body was making other demands.

His progress in the stance training was paying dividends, but it came with a price: a ravenous appetite.

Despite having eaten nearly two full dinners back at the military camp, a gnawing hunger clawed at him from the inside. He needed to refuel; every cell in his body screamed for sustenance.

“Sigh… I suppose it’ll have to be the Black Wheat Mushrooms,” Li Qing sighed, dreading the memory of their unique flavor.

He had a small stockpile of them at home, leftovers from past dealings with the Yan Family. He had forged farm tools for them on more than one occasion, and they always paid in Black Wheat Mushrooms.

The fungus had its merits: it was easy to store, filling, and cooked quickly. Its only flaw was its abysmal taste. The first time Li Qing had gotten his hands on them, he’d cooked a large pot out of sheer novelty. After one taste, he’d nearly vomited his own guts out.

It had the foul taste of moldy flour—a sour, astringent paste that coated the tongue and refused to be swallowed.

In the storeroom, his expression grim, Li Qing grabbed a pile of the leftover mushrooms and tossed them into a pot. They had been sitting here for almost a year, yet they looked as if they’d just been harvested. That, at least, was a point in their favor.

*Maybe I could bring some real grain here to trade for powerful martial arts manuals?* A bold thought sparked in his mind.

He extinguished it just as quickly.

*No. Too risky. The source of the food would be impossible to explain, and it would draw unwanted attention. Vultures. I’d need to be able to protect myself first.*

*At the very least, I need to cultivate Outer Force. As I am now, three or five strong men could easily overwhelm me. And any trade would have to be done in absolute secrecy, my identity completely hidden.*

*Before any of that, though, I should see if this world has any unique resources of its own.*

As the iron pot heated over the fire, Li Qing let his thoughts wander, organizing the chaos into a clear plan. Soon, he had set three goals for himself.

First, power. He had to become an Outer Force expert as soon as possible. Whether he wanted to escape the military camp or carve out a place for himself in this world, everything hinged on his own strength. No one negotiates with the weak. In a lawless world like this, the only way to avoid being devoured is to become stronger.

Second, opportunity. He needed to start investigating this world properly. He had to find out if there were any unique materials—things of little value here that might be priceless back in his own world. He’d been coming here for a while now, but he’d barely stepped off his own street. All he knew was that it was a cold, dark world that may have once had a sun. He was in a small city called Obsidian City, surrounded by fields of Black Wheat Mushrooms owned by the Yan Family, the city’s dominant power. Beyond that, he was completely ignorant. Reflecting on it now, his lack of curiosity felt dangerously foolish. If he didn’t understand his environment, an unforeseen disaster could easily snuff him out.

Third, freedom. He had to escape the border fortress before war broke out. The military camp was a cage, constraining his every move. Even entering the Extreme Night World felt like a furtive, risky act, preventing him from fully leveraging the advantages of both worlds.

As he laid out his plans, Li Qing was surprised by the clarity of his own thoughts. His mind felt sharper, honed.

*Hah, so this is another benefit of martial arts. A stronger body means more blood flow to the brain, making you think faster… Of course,* he muttered to himself, *it could also be that I’m just starving.*

He took the cooked Black Wheat Mushrooms off the fire. Preparing them was simple enough—just add water and heat. The scalding mush sent steam billowing into the frigid air. Once it had cooled slightly, Li Qing screwed up his face and forced himself to begin eating.

Sour. Astringent. Utterly vile.

Even on the verge of starvation, the food felt like filth in his mouth. He didn’t dare taste it. He shoveled the mush into his mouth, chewed just enough to get it down, and swallowed hard.

After forcing down the entire pot, the gnawing hunger finally subsided. But a thick, sour film lingered in his mouth, making him perpetually nauseous.

He gulped down several mouthfuls of water, then stood, ready to throw himself back into his training.

Just as he settled into his stance, a slow, hesitant knock sounded at the gate.

*Knock. Knock. Knock.*

“Master Li, are you home?”

The voice was aged. Li Qing recognized it instantly. It had to be the An family from across the street. They were once a family of four, but rumor had it the parents had died in an accident outside Obsidian City, leaving behind only an old man and a child.

Li Qing relaxed his posture and walked slowly to the gate, pulling it open.

Outside stood an old man with sparse, silver hair, so emaciated he was little more than skin stretched over a skeletal frame. It was the first time Li Qing had ever seen someone so thin. His eye sockets were deep, sunken pits, giving him the appearance of a living skeleton. Even Master Gu, in his final days, had looked healthier than this man. Li Qing half-expected the old man to crumble into a pile of dust at any moment.

Old Man An held up a deformed iron pot, his expression pleading. “Master Li, can you… can you help me fix this?”

Li Qing’s eyes dropped to the pot. It had been deliberately smashed. *Yan San’s handiwork, no doubt.*

He lifted his gaze. “I can.”

The old man fumbled with a small sack, his face etched with shame. “We don’t have much food left at home. I don’t know if this is enough…” He held out a small bag of Black Wheat Mushrooms.

Having just choked down a potful himself, Li Qing felt a wave of nausea. His eyebrow twitched. “Keep the mushrooms,” he said. “I have a few questions for you. Your answers will be payment enough.”

This Old Man An was clearly advanced in years. He must know far more about this world than Li Qing did. This was a perfect chance to gather some basic intelligence on Obsidian City and the Extreme Night World.

“How could I possibly…” Old Man An stammered, flustered. He assumed Li Qing was taking pity on him.

“Come inside,” Li Qing said, his voice calm and steady. “We can talk in here.”