Indestructible Primordial Spirit

  But Lu Buwei didn't show any expression, and with a humble appearance, he ate the rare delicacy...

  At the moment Wang Lishou looked over, Wang Li Hong smiled slyly: "I knew you must have brought Buqi out, and since Buqi is out, he must be following you to learn some skills, right? Or else go to my wood yard? So when they asked, I just said that...... By the way, didn't you just say you ate several kinds of fine beast meat?"

  "Hey... let's not talk about that for now!" Wang Lishou waved his hand and stood up, looking around: "Everyone listen up, don't abandon him, from now on he'll just stay in our shop, temporarily I won't arrange any tasks for him. Whoever has too much work to handle can let him do some. Anyway, he learns things quickly, and can handle some rough tasks, right, Nangong?"

  Lu Buwei continued eating, seemingly unaffected by the surrounding gossip, but he still listened to Wang Lisou's words, nodding his head and responding casually before continuing to eat.

  "Well, since you're working in the shop, you're naturally a member of our Li Shou's shop. You'll have food and lodging just like everyone else, and you'll receive wages too." After some thought, Wang Li Shou spoke up: "Nangong, from tomorrow on, you'll be living with Nian Sheng. I'll give you eight taels of silver as your monthly wage."

  Wang Leshou's words caused a huge stir, and Wang Niansheng was the first to express his doubts: "Master, eight knives are already the wages of an ordinary master, how can a mere Zeshu slave get so much? And also live with me? Isn't the top floor room where I live the one you gave me as a reward for my outstanding performance? Is this fair to me and everyone else?"

  Many disciples originally had some reservations about Lu Buqi's strong local flavor, and when they thought that he came to live in the best house and received such a high salary, they all showed expressions of discontent, and some even dared to speak out.

  "Yes, Li Shou, what you're doing is a bit too much!" Wang Lihong was also very shocked. He had about 180 people under him and naturally knew a thing or two about how to control them from below. He was willing to believe that Lu Boyu could become a very useful talent, but there was no need to be so overly generous with him either.

  He let out a cold snort, and in an instant, a stern aura made everyone fall silent. Wang Lishou's tiger eyes gleamed: "When did my decision need to be solicited from all of you?"

  He paused, glanced around at the crowd, and finally fixed his gaze on Wang Niansheng: "Niansheng, you haven't even completed your apprenticeship yet, but I've already given you the wages for nine knives. Do you think no one else has any objections? In this shop, whoever has ability will be paid a higher wage by me!"

  Wang Niansheng responded in a low, stern voice: "I don't accept it. I get paid nine knives' worth of wages because I'm the best at crafting among all the apprentices - everyone can see that. He's just a newcomer, and still a lowly Ze slave without even a surname, what right does he have?"

  "You're not convinced? You little punk, what do you want to do then?" Wang Lishou smiled secretly: "You think I'm old and my eyes are blurry, can't see people clearly or what?"

  "Apprentice dare not!" Wang Niansheng looked at Lu Buqi, who was still eating with relish: "I just think he's not worthy of Master's high opinion! Master has said that ironwork is a man's profession, without strength you can't do it, without courage you don't dare to do it, and those who can't bear hardship can't do it either. If Master really thinks he's worth the wages, then I'll represent all the fellow apprentices to test his skills."

  "Master, Nian Sheng is right, he has some strength, let him try a few stakes!" A slightly older man with a sturdy appearance said beside him: "If he really has the skills, then everyone will have no objection."

  Wang Lishou smiled and said, "This is indeed like my disciple. Don't keep saying that someone is not good enough, and don't use someone's identity to make a point. Whether it's a mule or a horse, take it out for a walk and see how it performs. You can test its strength and endurance, what do you think?"

  Wang Niansheng's nostrils flared: "Master actually said to let him do chores, which means he didn't learn any technical skills before. If we compare ironwork with him, that would be bullying him. Why not just compete with him in operating the bellows and stoking the furnace instead?"

  Pulling the bellows, making the furnace fire, this is a very basic task in an ironwork shop. Many apprentices start from here, first to increase their physical strength, and at the same time to temper their courage and endurance. Although it's simple, it also tests an apprentice's physical foundation. If they can't even pull the bellows well, they might as well go home and drink milk.

  Wang Leshou nodded in approval and said, "Alright, since you chose this exam topic, I won't punish you for questioning me. But what if you lose to Bu Qi?"

  "This is impossible!" Wang Niansheng responded with an exaggerated expression: "I've been following my master since I was 14, and now it's been 12 or 13 years. I've also cultivated the Bear King's Great Strength Technique to the ninth level. If I still can't beat a 13-year-old kid, then I'll never be a blacksmith in this lifetime..."

  At this moment, a crisp "slap" sound was heard, and Wang Lishou gave Wang Niansheng a severe slap in the face. As Wang Niansheng looked at Wang Lishou with a bewildered expression, Wang Lishou shouted angrily: "What do you take being an ironworker for? Who told me to make it a lifelong career? Now, because of a small bet, you want to give it up?"

  The entire blacksmith shop was filled with the sound of Wang Lishou's thunderous voice, like a bear roaring. Lu Buqi also turned his head to look, he had not expected that in Wang Lishou's eyes, being a blacksmith was such a sacred profession.

  At this moment, everyone suddenly realized that Wang Niansheng's slap was not unjust. In fact, each of Wang Lishou's apprentices had sworn an oath when they first entered the school, and naturally could not take it as a joke.

  Gritting his teeth, Wang Niansheng swallowed the bloody saliva and knelt down with a thud: "Master, I'm sorry!"

  "This time I'll let it pass, but if there's a next time, I'll destroy you!" Wang Lishou glared at Wang Niansheng: "I know you're frustrated, and you think you can't possibly lose, that's why you said that. But let me tell you, in this world, nothing is absolute... If you lose, do you want me to personally ruin a disciple I like?"

  Favorite apprentice, such words, undoubtedly made Wang Niansheng's heart tremble violently, with tears welling up in his eyes: "Master, I will never speak recklessly again, just watch me, Niansheng will not disappoint you!"

  "Get up!" Wang Lishou hummed softly: "If you lose, take two months' wages, please don't refuse to eat a good meal, as an apology, how about it?"

  For two months' wages, eighteen knives can eat a meal, this is indeed a big deal. Wang Niansheng nodded and said, "Just listen to Master!"

  "Master, what if Wang Niansheng wins?" asked Wang Gangqiang, who had previously helped speak for Wang Niansheng, unable to help but ask.

  Wang Lishou was slightly stunned, he hadn't even considered this issue: "That means I've misjudged him. In that case, I'll drive Nangong out today and send him to Li Hong's place to be a carpenter!"

  Wang Lihong patted Lu Boyu, who had stopped eating, on the back and sneered: "This is really good, Boyu, why don't you just admit defeat and come to my side? I guarantee there won't be such 'enthusiastic' hospitality!"

  At the moment when Wang Lishou's face changed slightly, Lu Buqi shook his head slightly: "It's just this, it's pretty good!"

  "Haha... get out of here, Lihong, still trying to poach my wall now! Wang Lishou was overjoyed: "Come on, come and see the treasure of my town!"

  At this time, Lu Buqi really had the opportunity to take a good look at Wang Lishou. Lu Buqi was not completely unfamiliar with ironwork, in his previous life, the old man who taught him Wu Xing Fist had a friend who was an ironsmith and had his own ironsmith shop. In Lu Buqi's impression, ironsmith shops were usually very small places, the whole shop only had one furnace, and the furnace was not big, which could save coal.

  In Wang Lishou's shop, not to mention other houses such as warehouses, kitchens and living quarters, there were several drying rooms alone. The largest room had two large, long, twin drying ovens, with dozens of iron stoves on either side that could accommodate thirty or forty people working at the same time, which was what Wang Lishou called the treasure of the shop.

  It's only when there's a huge workload and rush jobs that these two large furnaces are turned on, with eight people assigned to pull the bellows every day, taking turns.

  Next to the oven, two extra-large bellows shone with a sleek black light, and the handles wrapped in sturdy hemp rope were oily and shiny, showing that they were still used frequently.

  "Sitting here... or squatting, pulling out, pushing in..." The man called Gang Qiang by Wang Lishou suddenly played the role of a temporary master, slightly pointing out the basic movements that were not abandoned: "Each time must be in place, the force must be sufficient, and the wind can only be strong enough."

  Lu Bu nodded and sat down. He felt it for a moment and found that this bellows was not something ordinary people could pull, with arms without four or five hundred pounds of strength, no need to try.

  Although it's said that intense exercise after eating is not suitable, Lu Bu didn't really care; after all, for him, several hundred kilograms of strength was no longer considered too intense a workout.

  "Isn't that right? Looks like there's a lot of strength!" Wang Niansheng, who was also watching Lu Buqi trying it out, said: "But don't go soft on me later, or else you won't get to enjoy such delicious mantou."