Embersteel: Legend of the Warrior BlackSmith

Chapter 19: Village Elder Lin

Jiang Feng's head spun, his body felt as heavy as a mountain, and even opening his eyes seemed like a monumental task. After what felt like several hours of rest, his eyes finally fluttered open. He found himself back in the barn where he had first roasted the wild meat, but parts of the structure were clearly damaged, evidence of the battle that had recently taken place.

"My chest feels like it was run over by a stampede," Feng muttered, sitting upright. He looked down to see his chest wrapped in white bandages, his shirt having been carefully removed and replaced. He instinctively raised his hand, checking to see if the ring his father had given him was still there, it was, resting securely on his finger.

"Come to think of it, that was actually quite amazing," Feng thought as he recalled the battle, a surge of excitement lifting his spirits. Despite the chaos, he wouldn't mind engaging in another fight, as long as the village people weren't caught in the crossfire.

While Feng was lost in thought, the sound of footsteps broke his reverie. He turned to see Lin Rou approaching with an old man. Lin Rou smiled when he noticed Feng was awake and looking better. The old man, despite his age, was impressively muscular. His eyes gleamed like the moon in the dead of night, and his steps were steady and deliberate. His physique appeared even more robust than Feng's own.

"You seem to be feeling much better than yesterday," the old man said with a voice as steady as his gait. "This old man, Lin, must thank you for aiding our village. Without your help, things would have ended far worse." He crouched beside Feng, reaching out and placing a hand on his chest.

Feng felt a warm energy flow into his body, probing gently before receding. It was clear to him that the old man was checking his condition, and Feng could immediately tell that this elder was no ordinary villager. He attempted to query the Eternal Flame Codex, the golden tome residing in his mind, about the old man's cultivation level, but there was no response, something he found odd.

Brushing aside the strange silence from the Codex, Feng replied with a smile, "It was nothing. I only did what I had to, and Lin Rou was kind enough to let me stay the night."

"You're a peculiar one," the old man remarked, his voice laced with curiosity. "You're polite, and while you're quite strong for your age, it's your flames that intrigue me the most. Those flames are typically used for refining and forging, yet they burned those wild beasts with ease. Normal blacksmith flames don't behave like that." The old man smiled, a glint of recognition in his eyes that sent a chill down Feng's spine.

Feng's expression darkened as he watched the elder rise to his feet, the smile never leaving the old man's face. Instinctively, Feng went on guard. Just because he had helped the village and spent the night here didn't mean he was safe. He still didn't know who had been following him, who had shown up at the cave, or even what kind of place his father had led him to. Piece by piece, it felt like he was being thrown into an unfamiliar and dangerous situation.

"You have no reason to worry, child," the old man said calmly, waving his hand in a reassuring gesture. "I won't harm you. This village may not be much, but I have lived a long time and seen many things. I know a blacksmith's hands when I see them, and the aura of refinement in your flames, such things cannot escape these old eyes." His smile remained, as he waved Lin Rou over. It was only then that Feng noticed he was holding the long sword he had used during the battle.

"My father was a blacksmith," Feng admitted cautiously, not sensing any hostility but still keeping his guard up. "He taught me everything I know about forging."

The old man took the sword from Lin Rou and presented it to Feng, still smiling. "This sword is yours. You've earned it. You're welcome to stay in the village for as long as you like. If you're willing, I'd ask you to forge a set of armor for this old man, and in return, I can offer you cultivation resources from this forest. On top of that, I'll give you five low-level spirit stones. Think it over and let me know."

The elder handed the sword to Feng before turning to leave. Lin Rou gave a small nod and followed him out. Not long after, a young woman entered, carrying several slabs of beast meat large enough to feed many people. Along with the meat, she brought fruit, bread, and a bottle of water.

—
Feng tore into the meat like a starving wild animal, devouring it with reckless abandon. Every bite filled him with satisfaction as he relished the taste and the rich spiritual energy contained within the beast meat. His body welcomed the energy, absorbing it eagerly, knowing it needed all the strength it could muster. The fruit was sweet and invigorating, while the bread perfectly complemented the savory meat, adding a satisfying balance to his meal.

As he ate, he could feel his body naturally absorbing the energy from the food. But as his meal progressed, something strange began to happen. A sudden surge of spiritual energy flooded the air around him, and Feng noticed with a start that it was converging unnaturally toward him. The atmosphere grew dense, and the ground beneath him became damp as spiritual energy began to condense, turning into liquid form.

"What's happening?" he muttered, alarmed yet curious.

He raised his hand, staring at the ring on his finger. The spiritual energy seemed to be drawn into the ring, flowing toward it with a magnetic pull. The sheer amount of energy swirling around him was overwhelming, unlike anything he had ever encountered.

Then, in a moment of realization, Feng quickly took out the Dragon Vein Blood Bone Fruit from the ring. The fruit, once dormant, now pulsed in his palm like a beating heart. Strange, intricate patterns danced across its surface, glowing faintly as it greedily absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy like a bottomless black hole.

"Is this thing finally ready to be used?" Feng murmured, a mixture of excitement and awe rising within him. This fruit, shrouded in mystery, had been passed down by his father and stored for over three hundred years—its true purpose still unknown. Even his father, a master in many ways, couldn't unlock its secrets. And who knew how long it had lain in the spot where they had found it?

Now, the fruit was coming to life, responding to the overwhelming spiritual energy surging around it.

Feng's heart raced as he stood up, holding the fruit reverently. "Could this be the moment?" He wondered if the time had finally come to unlock the Dragon Vein Blood Bone Fruit's true potential, to discover what kind of power it held within, a power no one had understood for centuries.

The air hummed with tension as the fruit continued to pulse in his hand, its strange patterns glowing brighter with each passing moment, as if anticipating something monumental. A sense of destiny hung in the air, thick and unyielding.