Master Han Tiejiang was not pleased.
"Young Master Hanxing," he said with the careful patience of someone addressing a particularly slow child, "this humble one has been forging steel for forty-three years. These methods were passed down from my master, who learned them from his master. They have served the Iron Lotus Sect for five generations."
We stood in the forge's observation area—or rather, I sat on a stool while Liu Ruyan stood protectively behind me, and Wenxuan attempted to mediate between my theoretical knowledge and Master Han's traditional expertise. The old smith stood with his arms crossed, his weathered face set in polite but immovable resistance.
"Master Han, I mean no disrespect to tradition," I said, keeping my tone respectful. "I'm merely observing that the forge heat seems inconsistent. The left side runs hotter than the right. Surely that makes your work more difficult?"
"Every forge has its temperament, Young Master. A skilled smith learns to work with these variations. It's part of the craft."
"But what if the variation could be reduced? Not eliminated—I understand that's impossible—but reduced enough to give you more consistent results?"
Master Han's expression suggested he thought I was wasting his time, but his tone remained respectful. I was still the clan lord's son, after all, even if I was the useless one.
"And how would Young Master propose to achieve this? The forge has been built this way for decades."
I'd anticipated this resistance. People who'd spent their lives mastering a craft didn't welcome suggestions from seventeen-year-old invalids, no matter how logical those suggestions might be.
"Would Master Han permit me to show you? Not to change anything permanently, but as an experiment. If it doesn't work, we simply return everything to how it was."
He hesitated, glancing at Wenxuan, who nodded encouragingly. Finally, the old smith sighed.
"Very well, Young Master. But this one asks that you do not touch the forge itself. Your health is too delicate for such work."
"Of course. I'll explain what I'm thinking, and you can decide if it's worth trying."
I had Liu Ruyan help me stand—even this small movement still required effort—and we approached the forge proper. The heat hit me like a physical wall, and I felt my weak body immediately start to struggle. Liu Ruyan's hand tightened on my arm, ready to support me if I faltered.
"The bellows," I said, pointing to the large leather apparatus that one of the apprentices pumped to feed air to the fire. "They're positioned here, at an angle. The air flows into the forge in turbulent patterns—you can see it in how the flames flicker and surge unevenly."
Master Han frowned, but I saw him studying the fire with new attention. "The flames have always moved thus."
"Yes, because turbulent airflow creates inconsistent oxygen delivery. But if we repositioned the bellows—moved them to direct air more smoothly into the forge center—and added a simple clay channel to guide the airflow, we could create more laminar flow. Smoother, more consistent air movement."
"Laminar flow?" Master Han tested the unfamiliar term.
"Like water flowing down a smooth channel versus water tumbling over rocks. Same amount of water, but one flow is more controlled and predictable."
I could see him processing this, his craftsman's intuition warring with his skepticism. "And this would make the forge heat more evenly?"
"It should. The principle is straightforward—consistent airflow creates consistent combustion. But I could be wrong. That's why I suggest testing it."
Wenxuan stepped in, his scholar's training making him a natural translator between my technical language and Master Han's practical experience. "Master Han, what Young Master Hanxing proposes is essentially reducing the chaos in the fire. You've said yourself that sometimes the forge seems to have a mind of its own—roaring hot one moment, cooling the next. This might help stabilize it."
The old smith was quiet for a long moment, staring at his forge with the intensity of someone who'd spent a lifetime reading its moods. Finally, he nodded slowly.
"This one will consider it. The modification you describe could be done with clay and a few hours' work. If Young Master is wrong, we've lost only time. If he's right..." He trailed off, something like cautious hope flickering in his eyes.
"Thank you, Master Han. And there's one more thing."
His expression suggested he'd been expecting this. "Of course there is."
"The oxidation during heating. The scale that forms on the metal."
"The fire scale? That's simply part of working iron, Young Master. We remove it with the hammer."
"But you lose material that way. And the scale that remains embedded in the metal creates weak points." I gestured to one of the apprentices. "May I see a bar of stock iron?"
Master Han nodded permission, and the apprentice brought over an unworked bar. I ran my finger along its surface—or rather, made the gesture since I lacked the strength to actually feel anything useful.
"When you heat this in the forge, the surface oxidizes. The iron reacts with air to form iron oxide—rust, essentially. That scale flakes off or gets hammered in, weakening the final blade. But there are compounds that can protect the surface during heating."
"What compounds?"
"Borax, for one. The same substance used in cleaning. If you coat the metal lightly with borax before heating, it melts and forms a protective layer. Prevents oxidation, helps remove existing impurities, and results in cleaner metal."
Master Han's skepticism was clear. "Cleaning powder? In the forge?"
"It's not just for cleaning. Borax has many uses. In metalworking, it's called flux." I turned to Wenxuan. "Second Brother, didn't you study basic chemistry at the academy? Surely they covered mineral properties?"
Wenxuan caught on to what I was doing—giving the information academic legitimacy rather than claiming I'd somehow divined it through observation. "Ah, yes. Now that Young Master mentions it, there were texts discussing mineral applications. Borax was mentioned as having properties useful in various crafts, though the metalworking applications weren't emphasized."
It was a stretch, but plausible enough. Master Han looked between us, his resistance softening slightly in the face of our combined certainty.
"And where would we obtain this borax?"
"From any apothecary or general merchant. It's common and inexpensive."
"Very well. This one will test your suggestion." He paused, then added gruffly, "But Young Master should return to his chambers. This heat is not good for your constitution. You're already pale as a ghost."
He wasn't wrong. My head was spinning, and I could feel my legs trembling from the effort of standing. Liu Ruyan was practically holding me upright at this point.
"Thank you for listening, Master Han. I know these suggestions must seem strange coming from someone with no practical experience."
"Strange, yes. But not foolish." He met my eyes, and I saw a flash of genuine interest beneath the traditional caution. "This one has noticed Young Master's transformation these past weeks. Whatever fever broke in you seems to have awakened something. We shall see if it's wisdom or merely clever theory."
Liu Ruyan helped me back to my chambers, where I collapsed onto my bed with all the grace of a dropped sack of rice. My body had made progress, but standing in forge heat for even a short time had exhausted what little energy I had.
"少主 pushed too hard," Liu Ruyan chided gently as she pressed a cool cloth to my forehead. "Master Han would have listened without you standing for so long."
"Maybe. But showing weakness has strategic uses, and so does showing determination. I needed him to see both—that I'm fragile but committed."
"Still manipulating people, even when it costs you?"
"Especially when it costs me. Nothing convinces people of sincerity like visible sacrifice." I closed my eyes, feeling the room spin slightly. "Did Wenxuan stay at the forge?"
"Yes. He's helping Master Han sketch out the bellows modifications. He also sent a runner to the apothecary for borax and several other materials you suggested."
Good. Wenxuan's involvement was crucial—he provided the bridge between my knowledge and the clan's operations. And his enthusiasm was genuine now, fueled by the first real hope he'd had since being forced to leave the academy.
"How long until the modifications are complete?"
"Master Han estimated two days for the bellows work, if his apprentices focus on it. The borax can be tested immediately once it arrives."
Two days to make changes, one day to test and produce sample blades. That gave us exactly three days to meet Huiyue's deadline. No margin for error.
I opened my eyes to find Liu Ruyan studying my face with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"What is it?"
"This one is wondering," she said slowly, "how Young Master knows these things. The principles you explained to Master Han—they're not in any text in our library. Not explained that way."
I'd known this question would come eventually. Liu Ruyan was too intelligent not to notice the inconsistencies.
"What if I told you I don't entirely know how I know them? That since the fever broke, knowledge just... appears in my mind. Like remembering something I learned long ago, except I never learned it."
"Then this one would say Young Master is describing something beyond normal human experience. Spirit possession. Divine inspiration. Or..." She hesitated.
"Or?"
"Or something this humble one has no words for. But whatever it is, it seems to be helping rather than harming. So perhaps the source matters less than the result."
It was a pragmatic answer, very much in character for her. She'd chosen to support me regardless of whether she fully understood what was happening. That kind of trust was both humbling and terrifying.
"Liu Ruyan, what you're doing—helping me with all this—there could be consequences if it fails. My father might blame you for encouraging my interference. The family might—"
"This one made her choice two weeks ago," she interrupted firmly. "When Young Master first revealed his changed nature. Whatever comes, we face it together."
The simple declaration made my chest tight. In my old life, I'd had colleagues and acquaintances, but no one who would have made such a commitment. The depth of her loyalty was something I still didn't fully understand.
Before I could respond, hurried footsteps approached my chamber. Wenxuan burst in, his face flushed with excitement.
"Hanxing, you need to see this. Master Han tested the borax—just a simple experiment on a small piece. The difference is remarkable."
I tried to sit up and failed. Liu Ruyan immediately helped prop me against the pillows. "What happened?"
"He heated two pieces of iron side by side. One plain, one coated with borax as you suggested. The plain piece developed heavy scale within minutes. The treated piece stayed clean, and the borax formed this glassy coating that protected the surface. Master Han said in forty years he's never seen metal heat so cleanly."
Relief and excitement warred in my chest. One part of the theory had worked. Now we needed the other parts to come together.
"What about the bellows modification?"
"He's started the work himself. Sent his apprentices to gather clay from the riverbank. He's..." Wenxuan laughed, a sound of pure disbelief. "He's excited, Hanxing. Actually excited. He keeps muttering about wasted years and possibilities."
"Good. That's good." My mind was already racing ahead to the next steps. "Once the modifications are complete, we'll need to test the improved forge with actual blade production. Small batches first, to verify consistency."
"Master Han suggested the same thing. He wants you there when he does the first test forging, to observe the results."
"Tell him I'll be there, even if you have to carry me."
Wenxuan grinned. "He said you'd say that. He also said—and these were his exact words—'The young master may have the body of a scholar, but he has the spirit of a proper smith. Stubborn as pig iron and twice as difficult to work with.'"
"I'm choosing to take that as a compliment."
"It was meant as one, I think." Wenxuan's expression sobered slightly. "Huiyue came by the forge earlier. She watched Master Han's borax experiment without saying a word. Then she asked me how confident I was that this would work."
"What did you tell her?"
"The truth—that I don't know for certain, but that the theory is sound and the initial tests are promising. She just nodded and left. I couldn't read her expression."
That was concerning. Huiyue was the pragmatic one, the merchant who dealt in certainties and calculated risks. She'd given us three days, but if she decided we were wasting time, she might cut us off and proceed with her original plan of begging for advance payments.
"We need to deliver results," I said. "Not promises, not theories. Actual superior weapons she can show to merchants."
"Agreed. But Hanxing..." Wenxuan hesitated. "What you're doing—pushing yourself this hard despite your health—is it sustainable? Even if we solve this immediate crisis, there will be others. The clan's problems won't end with the Blood Serpent Gang."
"I know. But one crisis at a time, Second Brother. First we survive the next seven days. Then we can worry about the future."
He nodded reluctantly and left to return to the forge. Liu Ruyan remained, tidying my chamber with movements that suggested she was thinking through problems of her own.
"少主 should rest now," she said finally. "Tomorrow will be demanding."
She was right, but my mind was too active for sleep. I stared at the ceiling and thought about everything that needed to happen in the next three days. The forge modifications had to work. Master Han had to successfully produce superior blades. Huiyue had to be convinced enough to adjust her negotiations. And somehow, I had to avoid collapsing from exhaustion in the middle of it all.
'No pressure,' I thought again. But this time, the irony felt less bitter and more like determination.
The Memory Treasure Vault flickered at the edge of my vision.
'MEMORY TREASURE VAULT'
'DAILY SEARCHES REMAINING: 2/3'
'INTEGRATION STATUS: 75% COMPLETE'
'STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT: INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION SUCCESSFUL'
'PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS: INCREASING'
'NOTE: USER PHYSICAL CONDITION DECLINING. RECOMMEND ACTUAL REST.'
Even the system was telling me to sleep. But I allowed myself a few more minutes of planning, running through contingencies and backup plans. In my old life, I'd been the person who thought through every edge case, every potential failure mode. That habit was serving me well here.
Finally, exhaustion won. I closed my eyes and let unconsciousness take me, trusting that tomorrow would bring either progress or disaster, and that I'd find the strength to deal with whichever came.
In my dreams, I stood in a forge that burned with impossible colors, shaping metal with hands that were both weak and strong, while voices from two lifetimes whispered calculations and encouragement in languages that shouldn't exist in the same mind.
---
'MEMORY TREASURE VAULT'
'USER ENTERING SLEEP STATE'
'INTEGRATION PROCESSES CONTINUING'
'CURRENT STATUS: 76% COMPLETE'
'NEXT MILESTONE: 80% INTEGRATION (ESTIMATED: 24 HOURS)'
'DREAM STATE DETECTED: CONSCIOUSNESS CONSOLIDATION IN PROGRESS'
---