Although Sang Hui didn’t have high expectations, he still looked forward to iron smelting. 

“Smelting iron is labor-intensive. Should I pick some strong beastmen to help?” he asked. 

Wen Ze replied, “Choose mostly beastmen, but also include some skilled half-beastmen. Make sure they’re discreet, diligent, and reliable.” 

“Got it. I’ll head to the tribe now and gather some people.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Alright. We just got back, so we need to settle things at home first. Once we’re done, Zhuo Mu and I will head to the pottery kiln.” 

Sang Hui asked, “Need my help?” 

Wen Ze chuckled. “No need. It’s just small tasks.” 

Sang Hui nodded, waved goodbye, and left. 

Wen Ze quickly got to work on organizing things at home. 

They had brought back a good number of supplies from the Feathered Fierce Tribe—potatoes, grains, olives, and seafood. 

Only a few seafood items remained. Since they didn’t keep well out of deep water, Wen Ze called Zhuo Mu over. 

“You’re good with sea beasts. Can you secure them with beast tendons and hemp rope, then toss them into the pond? They should last a few days, and we can eat them when we have time.” 

Zhuo Mu nodded. “Alright.” 

Yin He also woke up, his short black hair a mess. He yawned and asked, “Brother, what should I do?” 

“Spread the grains out in the open space to dry. After a few days in the sun, we can thresh and hull it.” 

Yin He nodded eagerly. “Got it! I’ll do it now!” 

Meanwhile, Wen Ze carried the olives and potatoes into the cave. 

Zhuo Mu’s beast form was large, and the cave was dug out to be quite spacious. But Wen Ze had gathered so many things that even that wasn’t enough—there were nearly two hundred pottery pieces alone. 

The first level, where he and Yin He lived, was completely packed. They had to sidestep carefully just to move around. After squeezing the olives into place, he realized there was no room left for the potatoes. 

Stepping outside, he spotted Zhuo Mu returning from the pond and called out, “Zhuo Mu, do you have space on the second level?” 

“Yes, why?” 

“There’s no room left for the potatoes. Can we store them on your place?” 

“Sure.” 

Zhuo Mu effortlessly lifted a large basket of potatoes, slinging it over both shoulders as he steadily carried it inside. 

To maximize storage, they had used particularly large baskets, which reached Wen Ze’s waist when placed on the ground. 

Even carrying one was a struggle for Wen Ze, but for Zhuo Mu, it was effortless. In no time, he had jumped down to the second level. 

Wen Ze thought to himself, He’s so strong… He could probably carry me around the tribe twice without even breaking a sweat. 

The image popped into his mind, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“What’s funny?” Zhuo Mu’s sharp hearing caught his laugh, and his voice drifted up from below.  

Wen Ze cleared his throat. “Nothing! I’m heading to the fields!” 

“Go ahead.” 

Wen Ze turned and quickly walked toward the fields. 

The Yangyang Grass they had planted earlier was thriving, looking ready for another harvest. 

Nearby, the yellow fruit had sprouted green seedlings, though he wasn’t sure if they’d ripen before the weather turned cold. 

The tomato vines were doing the best, climbing high up the trellises he had set. Below, small green tomatoes had already begun to take shape. 

Stepping forward, Wen Ze carefully pinched off the topmost parts of each plant, curbing their upward growth so the fruits below could develop better. 

The tribe’s fields weren’t far from his own, and the Yangyang grass he had exchanged from the Rainbow Sun Tribe was also growing well. 

Seeing that both plots were relatively free of weeds, he guessed that the tribe members had helped with the weeding while tending their own fields. That realization filled him with gratitude. 

When he returned to the cave entrance, he saw that Zhuo Mu had already prepared breakfast. 

Zhuo Mu’s cooking wasn’t as refined as Wen Ze’s, and the dishes were simple, but they were enough to satisfy their hunger. 

Wen Ze didn’t mind at all. Instead, he smiled and said, “This is great! A ready-made meal! I was busy in the field for a while, and now I’m hungry.” 

Zhuo Mu smiled faintly. “I figured you were working since you hadn’t come back yet, so I made the food. It’s all pretty simple, definitely not as tasty as yours.” 

Wen Ze took a deep sniff and praised, “Smells great! I’m sure it tastes good too. Most importantly, you saved me a lot of trouble. Zhuo Mu, you’re such a thoughtful man!” 

He grinned brightly and gave Zhuo Mu a thumbs-up. 

A faint blush crept up Zhuo Mu’s ears as he looked away slightly. 

“Come eat. After we finish, I’ll take you to the pottery kiln.” 

“Mm-hmm!” 

Yin He, not wanting to be left out, proudly declared that he had milked the cow and boiled the milk himself. 

Wen Ze also praised him, “You’re getting better and better at this!” 

Yin He held the bowl, grinning happily. 

Since today would be spent working on iron smelting, Wen Ze didn’t bring Yin He along. Instead, he found something else for him to do. 

“Yin He, we need to head out now. Later, scoop a few extra ladles of green beans into the pottery basin, sprinkle some water on them, and leave them in a cool spot to sprout, alright?” Before leaving, Wen Ze reminded him. 

Yin He nodded repeatedly and promised, “Got it!” 

Wen Ze waved to him, then got onto the back of the white giant python, which carried him toward the pottery kiln. 

Before long, they arrived at the open space outside the kiln. 

Looking around, they were all familiar faces. 

Several beastmen, in their beast forms, were carrying heavy loads of black charcoal. 

The half-beastmen with less strength were using baskets to transport the charcoal on their backs. 

Bai Ling was the first to wave at them. “Wen Ze, you’re here!” 

“Mm.” Wen Ze got off the giant python, walked over quickly, and asked, “Is everyone here?” 

Sang Hui replied, “Yes. If we need more people, I can call for others when they return from gathering or hunting.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “This should be enough.” 

Lately, the tribe had been able to exchange plenty of supplies with other tribes through weaving, dyeing, and pottery making. 

Even if they didn’t go out to gather or hunt, they had more than enough food. 

However, Wen Ze wasn’t going to let iron smelting disrupt their plans. 

As the saying goes, you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. 

Gathering and hunting were the foundation of survival, so they couldn’t afford to neglect them. 

Through experience over time, Wen Ze had gotten used to being a leader. 

He lifted his gaze and addressed everyone, “Since we’re all here, let’s get started.” 

Wu Ye asked, “Are we filling the kiln with charcoal?” 

Wen Ze shook his head. “We need to modify the kiln first. Before, we placed firewood and charcoal in a horizontal tunnel for pottery firing, but that won’t work for smelting.” 

After speaking, a sudden thought flashed through Wen Ze’s mind. 

Unfortunately, it was too fast, and since he was thinking about iron smelting, he missed it. 

Sang Hui curiously asked, “So, how do we modify this?” 

Wen Ze pointed to the nearby Bao Fang Mountain. “This mountain is slightly elevated, so we’ll carve out a vertical furnace chamber from the lower part. Then, we’ll load charcoal inside and let the fire burn from the bottom up to smelt the iron inside.” 

His explanation was clear, and everyone nodded in understanding. After discussing briefly, they got to work. 

The beastmen, in their beast forms, served as the main workforce for modifying the kiln. Before long, they had carved out a large hole in the mountain. 

Meanwhile, the half-beastmen transported the excavated stones and soil while reinforcing the newly dug furnace walls. 

Beastmen had great strength, which made them work fast, but their precision was lacking. 

As Wen Ze worked, he also kept an eye on the process. “Be careful not to collapse the upper part. We still need this kiln for pottery firing.” 

Fortunately, with Zhuo Mu leading them, they eventually carved out a satisfactory furnace chamber. 

After reinforcing it properly, Wen Ze instructed people to fill the inside with charcoal and ignite it. 

As the fire blazed, they selected a few large pieces from the black iron blocks Wen Ze had exchanged for and tossed them into the flames. 

Lacking tools for handling the metal, Wen Ze had people find heat-resistant hardwood, which he then shaved into long wooden sticks using his claws. 

He stood at the front while the others guarded behind him. 

The firelight inside the vertical cave cast a warm glow on everyone’s faces and bodies. 

Before long, they were all drenched in sweat. 

After burning for a while, Wen Ze signaled the beastmen to step forward and use the hardwood sticks to retrieve the black iron blocks. 

Each time they picked up a piece, the wooden stick would be ruined by the heat, but fortunately, they had prepared plenty. 

Bai Xia sharply noticed something, “Did the black iron block melt? It’s a lot smaller than before!” 

Wen Ze stepped forward to examine it, then frowned and said, “It’s not the black iron melting, but some of its impurities burning away.” 

He didn’t know exactly what those impurities were, but they weren’t anything they needed. 

When it came to metal smelting, he was no expert. He only knew that high temperatures could soften or even melt metal. 

And the fewer impurities, the higher the quality of the metal. 

The freshly retrieved black iron block was scorching hot. Wen Ze tested it with a stone and noticed that the surface had softened slightly and even changed color. 

Though it quickly turned black again as it cooled, this progress still made Wen Ze’s eyes light up. 

He had no idea what the melting point of iron was, but he was certain it was higher than that of aluminum or copper. 

After all, according to Chinese history, copper tools had appeared before iron tools. 

Since he hadn’t seen any copper tools in this world so far, that meant the smelting temperatures here weren’t even high enough for copper. 

Jumping straight to iron smelting was definitely a challenge. 

Wen Ze had never expected them to completely melt black iron blocks using just charcoal. 

Instead, he was considering something else: Since charcoal, when used for pottery, could react with elements in the clay to produce different colors— 

Would burning black iron blocks also trigger some kind of reaction? 

The current change in the black iron blocks confirmed his theory. 

Metal smelting might actually be possible! 

The others, unaware of Wen Ze’s thoughts, whispered among themselves. 

“Maybe we didn’t burn it long enough?” 

“I think it’s not hot enough.” 

“Let’s hear what Wen Ze says.” 

Wen Ze snapped back to reality and looked up. “The temperature is indeed not high enough.” 

He often used words no one had heard before, like “temperature,” which hadn’t existed in their vocabulary. 

Fortunately, everyone was smart and could figure out his meaning from the context. 

Zhuo Mu asked, “So we need to find a way to increase the temperature?” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Exactly. Zhuo Mu, take some people and chop more wood for us. Uncle Sang Hui, you come with me to make bellows.” 

Though they didn’t know what a “bellows” was, they immediately got to work. 

In simple terms, a bellows is a device used to blow air. After shaping the parts, it can be put together like interlocking pieces. 

The bellows Wen Ze and his group made were simple and rough, but they worked just fine. 

They made three in one go, then used them from different directions to blow air onto the charcoal in the furnace. 

As the strong wind blew, the charcoal inside burned intensely, and it produced a series of crackling sounds. 

Those standing near the furnace squinted against the rolling heat waves. 

“Wow, it’s so much hotter than before!” 

“Hiss, my clothes are going to burn up! No way, I’m shifting to my beast form to work!” 

“My human form can’t handle this either!” 

Some stripped off their clothes, while others transformed, but no one stopped working. 

The intense heat caused the air nearby to shift violently, distorting the scenery before their eyes. 

Standing a bit further back, Wen Ze narrowed his eyes as he looked into the furnace. 

The iron blocks had changed from black to a glowing red! 

Sensing that it was about ready, he gave the order to remove the iron block. 

Though the iron hadn’t melted, the moment it was placed on the prepared stone slab, it sizzled loudly, and its surface visibly softened! 

More impurities had been burned away—some had even melted into a liquid! 

Wen Ze’s gaze sharpened as he ordered in a firm voice, “Quick! Just like I explained, take turns hammering it with stones!” 

Several strong beastmen stepped forward, raising their stones and smashing them down onto the softened iron block. 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

Everyone watched in awe as the iron block change shape! 

“Aaah! We can actually hammer it into shape!” 

“Beast God! We did it!” 

“If this keeps up, we can remove the impurities and forge the iron into whatever shapes we want!” 

“This is amazing!” 

Sang Hui was utterly stunned. 

It actually worked?  

The black iron blocks that even the Black Silver Tribe couldn’t refine, that the two traveling merchants had carried around for a year without finding any buyers, that everyone had deemed useless—had actually been refined by them?? 

He stared at Wen Ze in shock and admiration, unable to find words to express his feelings. 

Just how many more surprises would this brilliant young half-beastman bring to the tribe? 

After the initial shock, Sang Hui couldn’t help but burst into laughter. 

Hahaha! Good thing he hadn’t stopped Wen Ze from exchanging for the iron blocks! 

Beast God above, following Wen Ze was definitely the right choice! 

Wen Ze, completely immersed in his excitement, had his tanned and handsome face flushed red from the heat. 

He watched as the stones used to smash the black iron block shattered one by one and silently counted in his heart. 

Unfortunately, in just a short while, the iron block returned to its hard state, and its color darkened again. 

Wen Ze didn’t understand the principle behind it, but he knew that they were racing against time. 

Feeling motivated, he said, “It’s fine. Throw the iron block back into the fire and keep burning it. Keep hammering!” 

Wu Ye was thrilled. “With so much charcoal, we can heat up more iron blocks at once!” 

Bai Xia chimed in, “That’s right! Let’s not waste it! Wen Ze, what’s the first thing we’re making with the metal?” 

Everyone, caught up in their work and full of energy, all turned to Wen Ze. 

With a slight smile on his lips, he said, “We should start by making two iron hammers, shouldn’t we? Using stones to hammer is too slow and takes too much effort.” 

Everyone eagerly agreed. “Exactly! If we had iron hammers, breaking down the iron blocks would be much easier!” 

“Let’s give it our all and try to make the hammers by today!” 

“Alright!” 

The atmosphere, filled with determination and teamwork, deeply affected Wen Ze. 

Fully immersed in their work, they lost track of time and forgot about exhaustion. 

Since the labor was physically demanding, Wen Ze chose a few half-beastmen at noon to roast some meat so everyone could replenish their strength. 

By the afternoon, Ji Sha returned to the tribe and brought in some reinforcements to replace the morning’s main workforce. 

Since these individuals were already key members of the tribe, Wen Ze led them to burn more charcoal. 

Feeling a little guilty, he said, “I really appreciate everyone’s hard work. Once we get through these few days, we should be able to rest a bit during the Autumn Harvest Festival.” 

Everyone quickly waved it off. “This is nothing!” 

“We all want to witness the moment we create iron tools with our own hands. At such a crucial time, even if you told us to rest, we wouldn’t go!” 

“That’s right! No matter what needs to be done, just say the word!” 

Wen Ze felt a surge of emotion and nodded firmly. “Alright. As long as we work together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish!” 

The group raised their arms with determination. “Well said!” 

Meanwhile— 

The brothers Chen Meng and Xi Lie had long since flown past the Feather Fierce Tribe’s territory, visiting two tribes and spreading the word for Wen Ze. 

Both tribes were highly anticipating the Autumn Harvest Festival and even promised to pass the news along to nearby tribes. 

When leaving the South Mountain Tribe, Sang Hui had given them some beast meat, which they were now roasting. 

Actually, beastmen of their tribe preferred to travel alone. The only reason they were together was to look after each other along the way. 

As Chen Meng flipped the roasting meat, he couldn’t help but think of Wen Ze and asked Xi Lie, “Do you think they’ve already started smelting the iron?” 

Xi Lie replied, “Probably? Wen Ze seems like the type to act immediately once he’s made up his mind.” 

Chen Meng sighed with sympathy. “Iron is so difficult to smelt. If Wen Ze fails, he’ll surely be disappointed.” 

Xi Lie nodded. “Yeah. That half-beastman is great in every way, but he’s too naive. Sigh… I just hope he won’t take it too hard.” 

“We already tried to talk him out of it. At this point, all we can do is help spread the word so he can earn more at the Autumn Harvest Festival. And remember, when we see him then, we should not mock him. We should comfort him as much as possible so he can move on from the failure quickly.” 

Xi Lie nodded seriously. “I know, brother.” 

*** 

The newly built “furnace” in Bao Fang Mountain burned continuously for two days and nights. 

Aside from necessary breaks and sleep, Wen Ze never left. Meals were brought to him, and he didn’t care what they were—as long as they were cooked and filled his stomach, he would just wolf them down. 

As an adult half-beastman, he consumed at least twenty pounds of food per day. 

Completely absorbed in his work, he finished each meal in less than ten minutes. 

The enthusiasm among the group was contagious—charcoal burning, bellows pumping, and hammering were all done in shifts. 

By the end of the first full day, they had forged two iron hammerheads. 

Wen Ze then asked the tribe’s most skilled craftsmen to securely attach the hammerheads to wooden handles. 

On the second day, the two iron hammers proved their worth. 

Striking red-hot iron with full force shattered stone in just a few hits. The kiln’s open space was soon covered in broken rocks. 

If they weren’t careful, flying debris could injure someone. 

With iron hammers, this problem was solved. The beastmen stripped off their upper garments, exposing their muscular chests, and swung the hammers with full strength. 

It was no exaggeration—sparks flew each time the hammer struck the iron. 

These two hammers significantly improved their efficiency. 

After discussing with everyone about the iron tools to be made the next day, Wen Ze decided to craft a few chopping knives. 

He explained, “I have a black-silver knife, but it’s too soft. It works for cutting grass, vines, and small branches, but even chopping large bones dulls the blade. If we can get iron knives, I want to chop wood when I want and hack bones when I feel like it!” 

He was really craving some chopped spareribs! 

Since he had exchanged for the black iron blocks and successfully smelted it, everyone looked up to him with admiration. 

“Alright, let’s forge chopping knives! We all want them anyway!” 

Without hesitation, they got to work. 

Inside the furnace, several pieces of iron glowed red-hot. 

Wen Ze assigned people to extract them one by one. 

The beastmen responsible for hammering were divided into three teams, taking turns. 

Even so, by the time they had forged four black-iron knives, they were completely drained. 

Wen Ze, who had been too busy to bathe for two days, was covered in charcoal dust from head to toe, his face dark with soot. 

With the heat and the constant talking, his throat had become hoarse. 

Considering the upcoming autumn harvest festival, as well as everyone’s physical exertion and the charcoal consumption, Wen Ze waved his hand and said in a hoarse voice, “Alright, let’s stop for now. We’ll deal with the rest after the autumn harvest festival.” 

As soon as he said this, both beastmen and half-beastmen let out a sigh of relief, either collapsing onto the ground or lying down outright. 

“Phew… Finally, we can rest.” 

“Doesn’t this feel different from before? It’s exhausting, but I feel really happy inside.” 

“Yes! Before, our entire tribe only had two metal tools combined, but now we’ve more than doubled that!” 

“Hahaha! Just thinking about having our own iron knives makes me excited!” 

“Wen Ze, when will you sharpen the blades?” 

Leaning against a tree, Wen Ze replied, “It’s already past midnight. Let’s get a good night’s sleep first. I’ll sharpen them tomorrow.” 

“Sounds good!” 

Although no one asked, Wen Ze still added, “Smelting is a major event for our whole tribe. The first batch of two iron hammers and four knives —I’ll keep one knife for myself, and the rest will be distributed by the tribe.” 

Many people scrambled up from the ground. Their soot-covered faces blended into the night, but their eyes gleamed with excitement. 

“What? Does that mean we also have a chance to get a metal knife?” 

Wen Ze smiled. “Yes.” 

“Ahhh! How will they be distributed? I’ve dreamed of having an iron knife!” 

“Will there be a competition? Or will we exchange supplies for it?” 

Wen Ze said, “No need to rush. We’ll discuss how to distribute them. There are still plenty of black iron blocks left to forge. Even if you don’t get one this time, there will be more chances in the future.” 

Zhuo Mu nodded. “Besides, we can always make a trip to the Black Silver Tribe to exchange for more black iron blocks.” 

Sang Hui agreed. “Let’s also search our own land carefully. Who knows? We might even find an iron mine.” 

In any case, the newly forged iron tools had stirred up the entire tribe. 

After resting for a while, as they walked back to the tribe, the discussions remained heated. 

Wen Ze figured that tonight, they would all dream of the “sweet” iron tools, haha. 

He was covered in dirt, so after parting ways with the others, he wanted to go clean himself up. 

Looking up, he noticed that Zhuo Mu wasn’t heading toward the river. 

Puzzled, Wen Ze asked, “Where are we going?” 

Zhuo Mu replied, “I’m taking you to the hot spring mountain. You’ve been exhausted these past two days. Take a good soak, and tomorrow I won’t wake you up. Sleep in as long as you want.” 

Wen Ze’s eyes lit up with surprise. “How did you know I wanted to soak in a hot spring?” 

The giant python flicked its tongue but didn’t say anything. Yet under the bright moonlight, Wen Ze noticed the tip of his tail swaying vigorously, making him smile even more. 

The more time he spent with this man, the more he realized how thoughtful he was in the smallest details. 

What should he do? He was finding it harder and harder to part with him. 

The next day, Wen Ze slept soundly until nearly noon. When he finally got up, he washed up, ate, and prepared to head to the altar square. 

They had agreed to sharpen the blades there. 

But just as he stepped out of the cave, he sniffed the air and paused. 

---

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