"How about that! Big enough, right? I'm not bragging, but in the entire Chang'an city, my blacksmith shop is one of the best." I followed Yuchi Baolin to their blacksmith shop early in the morning.
This was a very large blacksmith shop. There were three storefronts in the front alone. Once inside, the backyard was even larger, resembling a traditional courtyard house. It was filled with ore and charcoal, leaving no room to even step. Following the corridors on both sides into the back, a wave of heat immediately hit me.
Behind them were houses built of brick and stone, and several furnaces were burning with flames as craftsmen were busy at work.
"Duke of E, don't you have to attend court?" Qin Mu asked, somewhat surprised, upon seeing Yuchi Gong's imposing figure.
“I’m not one of those civil officials, why would I go to court every day!” Yuchi Gong rolled his eyes and said.
"Take it!" Before Qin Mu could speak, Yuchi Gong threw a dark object at him.
"What!" Qin Mu hurriedly caught the thing that Yuchi Gong threw at him, glanced at it, and almost cursed.
It turned out that what Yuchi Gong threw was a hammer. Although it wasn't big, it still weighed more than ten kilograms. The key was that he was completely unprepared. If it had hit him, although he wouldn't have been crippled, he would definitely have been injured.
"Not bad! Not too weak! Just too slow to react." Yuchi Gong pouted.
"Not convinced?" Seemingly sensing Qin Mu's displeasure, Yuchi Gong glared and then suddenly turned around, smashing a hammer much larger than the one Qin Mu was holding at Yuchi Baolin.
As if he had expected this, Yuchi Baolin remained calm and reached out to grab the hammer perfectly.
"Alright, let me tell you about this forging and body-training method first. Don't be fooled by the fact that blacksmithing is just hammering and banging and seems like nothing special, but the requirements are quite high."
Forging requires not only strength but also keen eyesight. The hammering process demands stability, precision, and perfect hand-eye coordination. The techniques for applying force are also highly refined. "You all have some basic training, right?" Yuchi Gong explained.
"Yes!" Qin Mu listened attentively and nodded.
“Whether it’s practicing fists and feet or weapons, whether it’s sparring or individual practice, nothing compares to blacksmithing. Do you know why?” Yuchi Gong asked.
"I don't know." Qin Mu shook his head honestly.
"Haha! Because only iron can withstand blows. If it were wood, how could it withstand the full force of a martial artist's hammer blows?" Yuchi Gong laughed loudly.
"Watch closely!" Yuchi Gong said, taking a red-hot iron block from the furnace, placing it on an iron felt, then grabbing a hammer about 1.5 meters long and almost as big as a human head, and swinging it down with one hand.
"Clang! Clang!" In Yuchi Gong's hands, a large iron hammer was struck at varying speeds, just like a small hammer.
Before long, the thick block of iron was transformed into the shape of a knife. Although it was still very rough, its general shape was already visible.
"Did you see anything?" Putting down the hammer, Yuchi Gong asked without blushing or panting.
"Uncle Yuchi, when you were tapping just now, there were fast and slow, light and heavy taps, and the points of impact were precise. You probably meant to tell me that during forging, one can train their control over the force," Qin Mu replied after a moment of silence.
“Good, steady and accurate, that’s the requirement. The training is about controlling the force, as well as having good eyesight, so that every hammer blow lands where it’s needed. For me, whether it’s a big hammer or a small hammer, the effect is the same, but for you, of course, you should start with the small hammer. First learn how to generate force, and then practice control.” Yuchi Gong nodded and said.
As he spoke, Yuchi Gong picked up the hammer again and explained: "First, the stance is important. The distance between you and your opponent should not be too close. Then, exert force by slightly separating your legs, keeping them parallel to your shoulders, and firmly placing your feet on the ground. You should feel like a nail, firmly rooted to the earth."
Use your calves, thighs, waist, then your arms and wrists, all simultaneously. Imagine yourself as a hammer, and your weapon as the hammerhead, striking the target.
Yuchi Gong explained how to exert force, then swung his arm and slammed the iron hammer in his hand onto the iron block.
With a loud "bang!", a piercing sound rang out, making people's ears hurt and causing them to frown and want to cover their ears.
Qin Mu could see clearly that Yuchi Gong's strike had thinned the center of the blade-shaped iron block that had just been struck by much. That was the power of that hammer blow.
"When you can generate as much power as you want and hit wherever you want with this kind of force, then you won't need to train anymore." Satisfied with Qin Mu's discomfort, Yuchi Gong grinned.
Shaking his head vigorously to ease the pain in his ears, Qin Mu then cupped his hands and said, "I understand, nephew."
"Good that you understand. Baolin will teach you next. If you don't understand, just ask him." Yuchi Gong waved his hand and said.
"OK."
"Remember to brew the wine quickly, or I'll keep coming to your house to freeload." Reaching the door, Yuchi Gong frowned, turned back, and gave the order. Without waiting for Qin Mu's reaction, he turned and left.
"Don't mind him, that's just my dad's personality." Yu Chi Baoqing appeared out of nowhere, stood next to Qin Mu, and said with a hint of melancholy.
"You got beaten up?" Qin Mu asked after glancing at him.
"Nonsense! I fell down after drinking your wine." Yuchi Baoqing touched the injury on his cheek, his lips twitching, and said somewhat unsure of himself.
"Your father is quite ruthless, isn't he?" Qin Mu couldn't help but sigh as he glanced at Yuchi Baoqing's limping leg.
"Yes! There's nothing we can do about it. My mother beat my father quite badly," Yuchi Baoqing said wistfully.
Try to reason with him!
"Stop joking around, my father is a reasonable person?" Yuchi Baolin asked Qin Mu.
"Okay, I was just saying it offhand." Qin Mu spread his hands and thought about Yuchi Gong's burly figure and his personality of hitting people with a hammer without saying a word, and couldn't help but look at the two brothers with some sympathy.
"It's alright, don't be afraid, brother. As long as my dad isn't beaten at home, he usually won't hit us," Yuchi Baolin said, patting Qin Mu on the shoulder.
"Which eye of yours saw me looking worried or scared?" Qin Mu couldn't help but look at Yuchi Baolin, thinking to himself, "With that look in his eyes, no wonder he got beaten up."
"Don't be fooled by his seemingly fine face; he almost vomited blood last night," Yuchi Baoqing teased from the side.
"How about we skip training today?" Qin Mu asked.
"It's alright, I won't do anything, I'll just tell you," Yuchi Baolin said, shaking his head.
"Okay." Qin Mu thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. Then Yuchi Baolin had him stand in front of the iron felt and explained to him how to exert force.
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