"One hundred gold soul coins per jin?"
(T/N: 1 jin = 500g = 1.10lb)
Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow.
Though both were rare metals, Black Iron—also known as refined iron—cost only ten gold soul coins per jin, while Heavy Silver was ten times more expensive.
Moreover, Heavy Silver had an extremely high density, several times that of gold and about ten times that of ordinary iron.
The volume of one jin of ordinary iron was roughly a four-centimeter cube, but for Heavy Silver, it would be about the size of a little finger.
"Give me eight hundred jin! And also, a few beast tendons from ten-thousand-year soul beasts, each at least one and a half meters long."
After some mental calculations, Chu Chengzhou decided to buy eight hundred jin of Heavy Silver ingots.
Assuming a ten percent impurity rate, after forging and purification, eight hundred jin of Heavy Silver would leave seven hundred twenty jin.
Six hundred jin would be used to craft two Heavy Silver hammers, three hundred jin each, perfectly suited for his "brute force miracle" forging technique. The remaining material would be used to forge a Heavy Silver bow.
At one hundred gold soul coins per jin, eight hundred jin of Heavy Silver cost eighty thousand gold soul coins.
That amount could cover the living expenses of an average family of three for several months, yet it was only enough to buy raw materials for a bow and two hammers. This showed just how expensive this rare metal was.
Of course, Chu Chengzhou knew that Heavy Silver was actually quite cheap in this era.
In the future, during the flourishing age of soul-guided technology, the price of Heavy Silver and other rare metals would undoubtedly soar even higher.
As for the ten-thousand-year soul beast tendons, they were naturally purchased to serve as bowstrings for the Heavy Silver bow.
These tendons were not only tough but also highly elastic, inexpensive, and relatively easy to obtain since Suotuo City wasn't far from the Star Forest.
Some valuable soul beast materials were readily available in the city's major merchant guilds.
After leaving the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild, Chu Chengzhou visited the largest blacksmith shop in the city and a well-known construction company.
Two hours later, Chu Chengzhou returned to Shrek Academy with a few craftsmen in tow.
"Based on the blueprint I selected earlier, how long will it take to finish the house?"
After the craftsmen conducted an on-site inspection, Chu Chengzhou asked.
"Young Master Chu, building a wooden house isn't too difficult. The two-story wooden structure you requested, including interior decoration, should be completed within a month."
A middle-aged craftsman leading the group replied.
"Alright, starting tomorrow, we'll set a thirty-day deadline. For every day the project is completed ahead of schedule, I'll add ten extra gold soul coins to the contract.
However, let me make one thing clear—if there are any quality issues with the house, don't blame me for being harsh."
After some thought, Chu Chengzhou offered a sweet incentive while issuing a stern warning.
"Young Master Chu, rest assured! Our Integrity Construction Company has the best reputation in Suotuo City. We never cut corners!"
The middle-aged craftsman's face brightened, and he immediately patted his chest in assurance.
Chu Chengzhou didn't need to worry about the house—it was all in the hands of the construction team. He would simply inspect it after completion.
Besides, he had only paid a deposit. If the work was subpar, he wouldn't pay the balance. Moreover, the Integrity Construction Company wouldn't dare deceive a soul master like him.
Later, Chu Chengzhou set up a crude rain shelter not far from the dormitory and took out some large tools from his storage necklace.
When he had visited the blacksmith shop earlier, he had bought a second-hand set of small forging tools. Now that the Heavy Silver was in hand, it was time to forge new hammers and a bow.
However, even crafting two hammers and a bow wasn't a simple task.
It wasn't due to poor craftsmanship but rather the low technological level—or lack thereof—of the forging equipment.
For instance, the primary challenge was how to quickly heat the Heavy Silver, which had an extremely high melting point, to a suitable forging temperature.
Suddenly, Chu Chengzhou remembered something important.
Ma Hongjun was a fire-attribute soul master. His chicken fire—no, phoenix fire—was supposedly very hot?
"Fatty, I need your help!"
Chu Chengzhou said with a smile to Ma Hongjun.
". . . Young Master Chu, whatever you need, I'll definitely help!"
Seeing Chu Chengzhou's smiling face, Ma Hongjun swallowed nervously, then quickly patted his chest in assurance.
Ma Hongjun didn't know what Chu Chengzhou wanted help with, but he assumed it probably wasn't anything good. Reluctantly, he had no choice but to comply.
After all, remembering Chu Chengzhou's fists and the lingering swelling on his face, Ma Hongjun couldn't afford to refuse. What if Chu Chengzhou intentionally found fault with him?
"Good! Fatty, don't worry—I'm a very kind person. I won't deliberately bully my classmates."
Chu Chengzhou patted Ma Hongjun's shoulder reassuringly.
Ma Hongjun didn't believe a single word of this. Not deliberately bullying?
Why did you say 'deliberately'?Doesn't that mean you're saying you will bully your classmates, just not deliberately?
Soon after, Chu Chengzhou led Ma Hongjun, who was filled with resentment, to the blacksmithing shed.
"Young Master Chu, are you going to forge?"
Looking at the modest-sized forging table and the furnace, Ma Hongjun was stunned and looked at Chu Chengzhou in astonishment.
Among the world's three toughest professions—rowing boats, forging metal, and grinding tofu—why would a proper soul master abandon their path to become a blacksmith?
"Yes, perhaps you didn't know—I'm the world's greatest blacksmith!"
Puffing out his chest, Chu Chengzhou proudly declared.
He might not surpass Tang Hao in swinging a hammer to hit people, but when it came to swinging a hammer to forge metal, his thousand-refinement forging skill absolutely surpassed Tang Hao's.
Hearing this, Ma Hongjun rolled his eyes. World's greatest blacksmith? Self-proclaimed, right? And what use is this anyway? You're still just a blacksmith!
Suddenly, Ma Hongjun paused. If Chu Chengzhou was forging metal, why did he call him over? He didn't know how to swing a hammer... unless...
"Looks like you've figured it out? Good eye! Fatty, help me light the fire!"
Chu Chengzhou pulled out eight hundred-pound blocks of Heavy Silver from his storage necklace and placed them into the furnace, gesturing to Ma Hongjun.
Instantly, Ma Hongjun's face turned awkward. A proud soul master like him, reduced to burning firewood?
Well, considering Chu Chengzhou's fists, he'd reluctantly do it. After all, silver melted easily, right?
Clearly, Ma Hongjun mistook the eight blocks of Heavy Silver for ordinary silver ingots.
"Phoenix, possess! First Soul Skill, Phoenix Fire Line!"
With a shout, Ma Hongjun summoned his Evil Phoenix martial soul, his first soul ring glowing brightly. A scorching line of fire shot from his mouth into the furnace.
A few seconds later, the Phoenix Fire Line dissipated. Peering into the furnace, Chu Chengzhou saw that though the Heavy Silver had turned slightly red, it was far from reaching the optimal forging temperature.
"Fatty, your fire isn't hot enough. Step it up and keep burning until they're red-hot!"
Chu Chengzhou frowned.
It seemed Ma Hongjun's evil flames burned bright, but his stamina was severely lacking!
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