Chapter Fourteen: The Iron Black Warhammer

Yuan Tianci closed the letter, his face beaming with delight. His eyes fixed intently on Du Gu Ling, making Du Gu Ling feel both nervous and uneasy, with a faint sense of dread.

"The letter says you were recommended by the Hidden Divinity Pavilion to become an apprentice here and make a living. Is that true?" Yuan Tianci asked.

Du Gu Ling nodded. "A young lady named Lin Mengyao sent me. I’m now homeless, and she told me to come here and seek employment from you."

After hearing Du Gu Ling’s confirmation, Yuan Tianci lifted his head and shouted excitedly toward the sky, "Heaven truly has eyes! It seems our Iron Ox Forge will once again reclaim its former glory!"

Du Gu Ling watched his animated display and, puzzled by his words, couldn’t help but ask, "What do you mean by that?"

"Young man, that’s a good question," replied a kindly old man who emerged as the crowd parted. Leaning on a cane, he approached slowly. When his gaze fell upon the hammer in Du Gu Ling’s hands, he stroked his beard and smiled benevolently.

"Come with me. The rest of you, get back to your work. Tianci, you come as well," the old man instructed. He turned and led Du Gu Ling through several twists and turns to a reception room behind the shop.

"Young man, have a seat. This is one of our drawing rooms; since you’ve come in, you’re one of the family now, so there’s no need for formality," the old man said kindly.

As they walked, Du Gu Ling realized that the forge was not only grand and imposing on the outside but also lavish on the inside, almost like a palace. He looked around the reception room, which was indeed magnificent—over a hundred square meters with calligraphy, paintings, and antiques displayed everywhere.

The walls were lined with all kinds of weapons. Even Du Gu Ling, a country boy, could tell at a glance that these weapons were extraordinary. He found himself a seat, still clutching the hammer tightly.

"My name is Yuan Longba, the old master of this shop. I imagine you’re wondering why so many people surrounded you just now," Yuan Longba said, settling into a chair and looking at Du Gu Ling.

Du Gu Ling nodded.

"Before I explain, let me tell you a story," Yuan Longba said, pausing as his gaze drifted from Du Gu Ling’s face to the window, and he gradually sank into reminiscence.

"This happened several centuries ago. At that time, a young man named Yuan Niu came to Cold Moon City to make his way in the world. He was immensely strong, said to have the strength of a hundred oxen, his body knotted with muscle. People called him ‘Iron Ox.’ You might have guessed—he was my great-great-great-great-grandfather, the founder of this very forge."

"Yuan Niu shattered the notion that mortals could not forge magical treasures. Not only did he create earth-grade treasures, but he also forged a heaven-grade artifact with his mortal hands, which astonished all of Cold Moon City and the cultivation sects in the Hundred Beasts Mountains. It was a sensation," Yuan Longba’s tone rose with excitement, as if he were recounting his own exploits.

At this point, Du Gu Ling asked, "Sir, what are magical treasures? And what are earth-grade and heaven-grade artifacts?"

"Hmm?" Yuan Longba looked puzzled. "You mean you don’t know these things?"

Du Gu Ling replied sheepishly, "I come from a small village in the Hundred Beasts Mountains—Du Gu Village. Our lives were peaceful, but just yesterday, a strange beast attacked our village. In the end… I was the only survivor." At this, his eyes filled with tears.

"I see," Yuan Longba comforted him and continued, "Let me explain. Magical treasures are weapons wielded by immortals. They come in all forms and varieties—you’ll learn more in time. These treasures are ranked, and the higher the grade, the more powerful the artifact."

"The most powerful I know are called ‘magical implements.’ Beneath them are heaven-grade, earth-grade, and mortal-grade treasures, each further divided into lower, middle, and upper tiers."

"What? There are really immortals in this world? Are they truly all-powerful and able to grant anyone’s wish?" Du Gu Ling asked, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Yes, immortals do exist, and they are indeed capable of great feats—moving mountains, filling seas, calling forth thunder and lightning. But they cannot grant your wishes, for they were once human themselves," Yuan Longba replied.

"Oh, I see," Du Gu Ling said, momentarily believing that immortals might grant wishes. His deepest wish was to revive everyone from Du Gu Village. "But if they’re so powerful, can they bring the dead back to life?"

"What?" Yuan Longba regarded Du Gu Ling for a long moment, then sighed. "Perhaps it’s possible. When cultivators ascend to the Supreme Immortal level, they can reshape mountains and create new lands. Maybe at even higher levels, they truly can raise the dead and restore flesh to bone."

Upon hearing this, Du Gu Ling’s heart leapt. He clenched his fists and silently made a resolve—to become an immortal cultivator and bring every villager back to life.

"Enough digression; let’s return to the matter at hand," Yuan Longba said, stroking his beard. "Do you know why my ancestor Yuan Niu, as a mere mortal, was able to forge treasures fit for immortals and win the respect of even the immortals themselves?"

Du Gu Ling shook his head.

"It’s the black iron giant hammer in your hand. That hammer is itself a magical treasure on par with a magical implement," Yuan Longba said, enunciating each word for emphasis.

"Black iron giant hammer?" Du Gu Ling repeated. He had never expected that this pitch-black, rather heavy, otherwise unremarkable hammer would be a magical implement.

"Exactly. My ancestor’s ability to forge even heaven-grade treasures was all thanks to that black iron giant hammer," said Yuan Longba, taking a moment to catch his breath—age had made him easily fatigued. "As for where it came from, the records don’t say. All we know is that when our ancestor arrived in Cold Moon City, he already had it. With that hammer, he built the Iron Ox Forge from nothing."

"But after our ancestor passed away, the black iron giant hammer was hung in the main hall as our shop’s prized heirloom. You must understand the wisdom of not flaunting wealth—most treasures should be hidden away, their whereabouts kept secret, for fear of theft."

"Yet this hammer has hung in the hall for centuries, untouched. No one has ever moved it, much less taken it. We have never worried about it being stolen, because no one could lift it—no one but you," Yuan Longba said, looking deeply into Du Gu Ling’s eyes.