Chapter 83: The Name, Inexpressibly Wonderful (Part Two)

Cao Ji?

Who is Cao Ji?

In the city of Xudu, no one quite knew when a name previously unheard of began to circulate: Cao Ji.

"...Come to think of it, I was fortunate enough to have seen this Cao Ji. The man is eight feet tall, with a waist circumference of ten, truly a hero, and remarkably handsome."

In a tavern in the Western District, a young man with a dark complexion was boasting loudly.

"What kind of background does this person have?"

"You wouldn’t believe it if I told you. This Cao Ji is said to be a descendant of Ou Yezi, the master swordsmith of the Warring States period. His skill in forging blades is extraordinary."

"I scoff!" a patron exclaimed. "One named Ou, the other Cao—how could that be?"

"You just don’t know much and refuse to admit it. How many years has it been since the Warring States? Who knows what happened in between? Maybe the name changed to Cao."

"Stop spouting nonsense."

The man who had been challenged sneered and strode away, sleeves flaring.

No sooner had he left than someone else took his seat. "Tell us more, can Cao Ji really forge a treasured sword?"

"Of course. When Master Cao was building the furnace, my father helped out. Afterward, he told me that the iron furnace Master Cao constructed was unlike any ordinary one. There were many strange and unusual tools there. My father said that under that furnace shelter, there was a row of wooden barrels sealed tightly, emitting a faint, wondrous fragrance. He said those barrels contained Master Cao’s secret techniques."

"Is that true?"

"If you don’t believe me, go ask around. It wasn’t just my father helping with the furnace construction."

"But I heard that Master Cao is not even a descendant of Ou Yezi," another patron chimed in, eager to stir the pot.

"Not a descendant of Ou Yezi? Then who is he?" the dark-skinned man’s triangular eyes flashed fiercely.

The newcomer, undaunted, sneered, "I heard from someone that Master Cao is the Hidden Ink Master... otherwise, how could he create so many marvels?"

In a quiet corner of the tavern, two men were silently drinking.

One young man almost choked on his wine at this remark, spitting it out.

The man sitting opposite him, in his early thirties, was drenched in wine but wore a strangely suppressed smile.

"Fengxiao, let’s go."

The young man coughed repeatedly, laughing, "Just as well, I was thinking the same."

They tossed down some coins and rose, leaving the tavern.

"These days, the name Cao Ji is really making waves."

The older man smiled, shaking his head. "Looks like a master has come to Junming’s side."

"Oh? Wenruo, you noticed it too?"

"If I didn’t, I might as well have wasted my time studying the classics. But I sense that Junming’s actions aren’t really about preparing for future martial displays; it seems more like he’s trying to build Cao Ji’s reputation... Junming probably didn’t come up with this idea alone—there must be someone else advising him. How about we pay him a visit together and meet this mastermind?"

The young man readily agreed, "Since Junming’s return, we haven’t visited him yet. I’d also like to find him and drink heartily."

As they spoke, they headed toward the Tiger Guard Mansion.

"Wenruo, who do you think can claim the title of the top guard between E’lai and Huchi?"

"I used to favor Huchi, but now... if E’lai truly has a capable ally, Huchi might not stand a chance."

"But what about Wenju and the others..."

"Wenju’s meddling will surely bring disaster sooner or later. Our lord has strictly ordered that no family aids anyone else, yet he still incites the clans to prevent Dian Wei from recruiting for the Tiger Guard. But he didn’t realize that Junming never intended to recruit in Xudu; he’s pulling elite warriors from various troops. Wenju’s efforts will only backfire."

The young man nodded earnestly.

---

Twenty miles north of Xudu's northern gate lies a mountain called Longshan.

The Ying River winds around it, forming a vast river bend. Years of sediment from upstream have turned this bend into nearly a thousand hectares of fertile farmland. Three hundred hectares of this land were granted by Cao Cao to Dian Wei. However, Dian Wei only enjoyed the harvests; the actual management was handled by Zao Zhi, the officer appointed by Cao Cao.

In the first year of the Jian’an era, Zao Zhi proposed a policy of civilian farming to increase imperial revenue. This decree was formally enacted in the second year of Jian’an, and Dian Wei’s three hundred hectares were incorporated into this system. It was clear that Cao Cao disapproved of the great clans’ land acquisitions, so he nationalized the land. Even if the aristocrats wished to expand their holdings, they had to weigh the risk of incurring Cao Cao’s wrath.

Dian Wei, however, was indifferent.

How much income did the three hundred hectares generate? He didn’t know.

By his nature, as long as it was enough to live on, that was sufficient.

His true estate was the fortress beneath Longshan.

Standing six zhang high and five zhang wide, this fortress was like a small military stronghold. In times of war, villagers around Longshan could seek refuge there. In other words, while Dian Wei owned this fortress capable of sheltering a thousand people, he also bore the responsibility for the surrounding area’s security.

At midday, the furnace shelter within the fortress was alive with activity.

The 'Hidden Ink Master' Cao Ji was directing his workers.

"Xiahou, keep pumping the bellows, the furnace isn’t hot enough yet, not enough..."

Xiahou Lan had long shed his refined demeanor, shirtless and gripping the lever tightly, relentlessly working the bellows to stoke the iron furnace.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The bellows roared, and flames leapt high inside the furnace, sharply raising the temperature in the shelter.

Everyone was drenched in sweat, shirtless.

"Xiahou, take a break, let me have a turn."

Zhou Cang, muscles dark and taut as forged iron, glistened with sweat. His long hair hung loose as he stepped forward, motioning for Xiahou to step aside, who was already panting from exertion.

"Peng'er, switch hammers!"

Cao Ji plucked a blade blank from the furnace with tongs and took a heavy hammer from Cao Peng.

He spun the hammer rhythmically, muscles rippling with each movement. With a clang, the hammer struck, sparks flying.

The sharp, metallic ring echoed like raindrops on banana leaves.

For nearly the length of a tea session, Cao Ji hammered a piece of pig iron into the blade blank before returning it to the furnace.

"Peng'er, how many blanks have you forged?"

Next to the furnace was a smaller forge dedicated to shaping blade blanks.

Cao Peng, also shirtless, placed a glowing blank on the anvil, wielding a roughly thirteen-kilogram hammer with a steady rhythm. As the son of a blacksmith, he knew the craft well. Forging the blanks was not difficult if one mastered the heat and the hammer’s tempo. But the simple task demanded great stamina and strength.

This was evident in the different weights of the hammers wielded by Cao Peng, Wang Mai, and Deng Fan.

Deng Fan’s hammer weighed over forty kilograms; Wang Mai’s thirty-eight; Cao Peng’s was only thirteen.

Though the weights varied, it did not affect the quality of the blanks.

Forging depended on force. If the force was sufficient, the blank would be good. Even the heaviest hammer was useless if the force was poorly managed.

In this regard, though his hammer was lighter, Cao Peng’s control surpassed Deng Fan and Wang Mai.

His bare torso was slick with sweat, black hair tied atop his head, sweat beads trailing down his cheeks.

Unknowingly, Cao Peng’s body had changed greatly since his rebirth. Still somewhat slight, but much stronger than before. Once nearly skin and bones, now the contours of muscle subtly showed.

Cao Peng’s breathing was unusual, resembling the so-called reverse abdominal breathing of later eras.

Unlike natural breathing, which focuses on inhalation, reverse abdominal breathing emphasizes exhalation. More importantly, it combines the exhalation with the circulation of internal energy. By regulating exhalation, one can control and harness the internal flow of energy—a technique commonly used in martial arts.

This internal energy is the life force within.

Energy is invisible and inaudible, neither seen nor heard.

During breathing exercises, this energy remains imperceptible, but the body’s inner senses can detect its movement.

In traditional Chinese medicine, it is known as "internal qi."

Simply put, it can be called potential.

The purpose of reverse abdominal breathing is to further activate the body’s potential.

Rather than merely forging blade blanks, Cao Peng used the forging process to awaken his latent energy and strengthen his body.

Silently counting his hammer strikes, he reached one hundred and eight before pausing, seizing the blade blank and tossing it back into the furnace.

He then strolled slowly through the courtyard to calm his qi and recover his strength before returning to the forge.

After about two hours of daily training, Cao Peng could clearly feel his organs and blood becoming stronger. Naturally, besides daily practice, sufficient food and nutrition were essential to replenish his energy, but that was no problem for him.

"Peng'er, that’s enough for now. You three go rest; continue forging tomorrow."

Seeing the work nearly done, Cao Ji waved them off.

The following quenching and further forging Cao Ji could handle alone. Yet their current efforts were still basic work—true blade forging required a perfect temper.

Cao Peng dropped his hammer and called to Wang Mai and Deng Fan as they prepared to wash up.

Just then, Deng Juye hurried in. "Afu, someone’s looking for you—says it’s Master Dian Zhonglang’s son."

Master Dian Zhonglang’s son?

Cao Peng didn’t react immediately.

Master Dian Zhonglang’s son—that is, Dian Man, Dian Wei’s son?

He’s back?

But why would he come looking for me... and what could it be about?