Chapter 101 - Iron Making
“Chief! Chief! There are people outside!” A warrior from the Blackwater Tribe rushed in, shouting loudly.
Mao Pu, who was daydreaming, was startled. “What, who’s coming in?!”
The warrior who ran in had a look of joy on his face. “Chief, it’s not just someone coming in, it’s the Tai Yu tribe who sent someone!”
Mao Pu couldn’t believe his ears. “Who did you say?!”
The warrior slapped his thigh. “It’s the Tai Yu Tribe! Oh, Chief, you better come out quickly!”
Mao Pu hurriedly got up and ran outside in a fluster.
Shan Pu leaned against the wooden fence lazily with his heels resting on the fence.
As soon as Mao Pu came out, he saw him and greeted him with great joy, shouting, “Shan Pu, brother, you’re here!”
Shan Pu put his feet down and stood up straight. “Chief Mao Pu.”
The Blackwater Tribe had already become a subsidiary tribe of the Tai Yu Tribe, and after so much had happened, Shan Pu still quite liked Mao Pu.
Mao Pu rubbed his hands anxiously. “Brother Shan Pu, what brings you here?”
Could his wish really be coming true? But last time, Brother Lu Yu seemed not to want them to move near the Tai Yu Tribe.
Shan Pu got straight to the point. “Our Deputy Chief wants to ask you if you’re willing to move near our tribe?”
Mao Pu widened his eyes, swallowed, and without hesitation said, “Of course, of course! I’ve wanted to move near your tribe for a while now! I also…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Shan Pu interrupted him.
Shan Pu said, “Wait a moment, Chief Mao Pu, the Deputy Chief also has something else to tell you.”
Mao Pu hesitated and asked cautiously, “What else?”
Could there be some strict conditions? Should he agree to them or not? Mao Pu was conflicted.
Shan Pu explained, “Here’s the thing…”
Shan Pu recounted what Lu Yu had instructed.
Mao Pu breathed a sigh of relief after listening. He had thought it was something serious, but it turned out to be this. This was a good thing. It was just digging stones, much safer than going out hunting.
Shan Pu continued, “Rest assured, as long as you complete the assigned tasks, we will provide you with food. If you do extra work, you will receive even more food.”
Mao Pu couldn’t believe it. “You’ll also provide food allocation?!”
Mao Pu nodded reservedly. “Yes!”
Their hunting efficiency was high now, and the Witchs could preserve the uneaten meat. Plus, the valley area had produced a lot of rice, so there was no need to worry about food.
Mao Pu said firmly, “Let’s move now!”
He didn’t need to discuss with the tribe; anyone would agree to such conditions!
Shan Pu didn’t rush to leave; he watched Mao Pu busy directing everyone to pack up their things.
Mao Pu was quite efficient, and by noon, after Shan Pu arrived, they had finished packing and set off together.
Mao Pu brought the best resources from the tribe, including a piece of white fox fur, along with other items, ready to be present it to Lu Yu.
As the day turned dark, they finally approached the Tai Yu Tribe.
“What’s that?!” A warrior from the Blackwater Tribe pointed at the towering stone wall not far away, incredibly shocked.
Shan Pu proudly lifted his chin. “That’s the wall of our city! By the way, we’re no longer called the Tai Yu Tribe, we’re now called Tai Yu City!”
Shan Pu really liked this name, Tai Yu City; it sounded majestic!
The people of the Blackwater Tribe were all shocked. The previously noisy crowd fell silent.
As they got closer step by step and looked up at the towering and magnificent city wall, they even breathed lightly, feeling a strong sense of oppression.
Suddenly, the heavy wooden gate slowly opened.
The people of the Blackwater Tribe jumped back in fear.
Lu Yu led the people out.
“Chief Mao Pu, you’ve finally arrived!” Lu Yu opened his arms to welcome him.
Mao Pu wiped his hands on his animal skin skirt and awkwardly embraced Lu Yu.
The two exchanged pleasantries.
Lu Yu looked apologetic. “Mao Pu, I may not be able to let you move into the city temporarily, but rest assured, it’s really just temporary. If you’re in danger, you can come in to seek refuge…”
Lu Yu still wanted to take care of the people of the valley. He hoped that both sides could get along harmoniously and friendly, rather than forcing it because of his status. If that happened, conflicts would inevitably erupt sooner or later.
Mao Pu waved his hand. “I understand, I understand. I believe those brothers will accept us soon.”
Lu Yu added, “Oh, by the way, there’s a cave nearby where we used to live before. There are no dangerous wild animals nearby. Would that be okay for you?”
Mao Pu nodded. “Of course!”
Lu Yu led the people of the Blackwater Tribe to the cave. Before that, he told Mao Pu that they could leave unused items in the city. Mao Pu agreed happily, not worried at all that Lu Yu would keep his belongings for himself.
Once settled, Lu Yu had hot roasted meat brought to them to rest well for the night before discussing other matters the next day.
The next day, Lu Yu took Mao Pu to see the small mountain where iron ore was produced. “As long as we’re careful not to directly hit the iron ore, as it’s very hard and could shatter our shovels. Just loosen the soil and rocks around the iron ore and then pry it out.”
Mao Pu expressed his understanding.
Picking up a small piece of iron ore that had fallen on the ground, Mao Pu voiced the same question as Shan Pu, “This iron ore is so hard, how can it be made into weapons?”
Lu Yu didn’t elaborate much, smiling, “You’ll know later.”
After discussing the transportation and placement of iron ore, as well as the daily food supply for the Blackwater Tribe, and seeing no issues, Lu Yu left.
After Lu Yu left, Mao Pu conveyed his words to the others and then put on a serious face, saying, “Everyone saw how big and powerful Tai Yu City is. If you want to live there, you need to work hard!” ‘Work’ was a word Mao Pu had just learned from Lu Yu, and he immediately used it.
The morale of the Blackwater Tribe was already high, and after Mao Pu’s encouragement, everyone felt full of energy, eager to dig out hundreds of those hard stones!
For a while, whether inside the small cave or around the mountain, there were continuous sounds of digging and clanging.
Now, regarding the mining, it was assigned to the people of the Blackwater Tribe, while the construction of the iron smelting furnace was handed over to the people of the valley. Actually, making an iron smelting furnace, if simplified, was indeed very simple.
The key was to find a natural ventilation hole. If there was no natural wind, one could only use manpower to fan the flames, which would require a lot of effort.
Fortunately, Lu Yu was very lucky.
This was a valley, not lacking in mountain winds. However, it was blocked by stone walls around, so the iron smelting furnace had to be built outside.
Upon receiving the task, Wu Ba and his men quickly got to work.
The weapon makers were also busy. Forging weapons from the smelted iron ore required wood, and they were busy asking each member of the hunting team for their requirements and tailor-making weapons for them.
There were still many weapons left in the treasure chest opened by Lu Yu, but most of them were not suitable in size for the tall Matai people, nor could anyone handle them as skillfully as Shan Pu did with a small dagger.
In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
All the work was proceeding smoothly. After two failures, a sturdy mud furnace that wouldn’t crack under intense heat was finally built. The mined iron ore was put into the furnace with charcoal for smelting. To melt the iron ore into molten iron required a temperature of at least 1000°C, which the naturally ventilated furnace couldn’t achieve. Thus, the iron ore was only heated to become “iron ore blocks” with a softer texture, which would then be forged.
The iron smelting furnace burned for a day and a night before finally producing the first blocks of iron ore.
Whether it was the people of the valley, the Matai people, or the Blackwater Tribe, everyone raised their hands high, applauding and cheering for this hard-earned achievement.
Looking at Er Dai, whose hands were clapping with particular sincerity and whose palms were red, Lu Yu smiled and asked, “Er Dai, what kind of weapon do you want?”
Er Dai’s clapping hands paused, and he foolishly asked, “Me?”
Lu Yu nodded. “Yes, you. Now that you have the conditions, of course, everyone should have a self-defense weapon, and if you want to learn, I can arrange it for you during your dream.”
After that day, Er Dai never thought of anything else. He truly felt guilty, but fortunately, Lu Yu comforted him, saying that he understood enough and told him not to worry. Moreover, there was also the company of Brother Le Shui… Well, it seemed like there wasn’t much companionship either…
Originally, Er Dai was prepared to return to the valley, but Lu Yu said his situation was still unstable and hoped he would stay here, so Er Dai had to agree. Later, for some reason, he never moved, and he had been living in Le Shui’s house all along. However, both of them had their own things to do every day, so they were only roommates at night.
Feeling awkward, Er Dai didn’t know how to repay Le Shui, so he conscientiously cleaned the house every day. He didn’t dare to move anything else, just picked some flowers and placed a few ripe fruit to add some color to the house.
Speaking of which, Brother Le Shui seemed not to like red fruits. He seemed to frown last night… Er Dai thought, feeling conflicted.
“Er Dai?” Lu Yu reached out and shook Er Dai, who was lost in thought.
Er Dai blinked, suddenly remembering that Lu Yu was talking to him, and panicked, “Brother Lu, I’m sorry, I, I…”
How would Lu Yu bother about this? He smiled, “Alright, I understand. Go ask Le Shui’s opinion about this. He knows more than I do.”
Er Dai naturally listened to Lu Yu’s advice.
That night, he couldn’t wait to ask Le Shui about it. When he asked, he secretly placed two green fruits on the table.
Le Shui, who was drinking water with his head tilted back, glanced at the two round fruits on the table with half-closed eyes, put down the bamboo jug, and said lightly, “You don’t need to forge a weapon.”
Er Dai was stunned for a moment, scratched his head, and pretended to smile foolishly, “Actually, I also think there’s no need. It would be a waste for me to have one.”
Le Shui didn’t look at him, turned around, and left.
Er Dai put away his smile, sitting alone on the stool. After a while, something suddenly passed over his head and fell into his arms.
“For you.” A man’s voice sounded, seeming to carry a hint of warmth.