With the village’s small population, any trivial matter would spread throughout the entire community within an hour.
Lai Yi soon learned that the “Mysterious Man” was named Tiemuqi, a blacksmith.
His house was easy to find—a simple, unadorned stone cottage by the river, somewhat low and plain.
The rhythmic clanging of metal told Lai Yi he had found the right place.
“Who is it? What do you want?”
A straw curtain blocked most of Lai Yi’s view, leaving only the voice audible.
“I have two wolf fangs I’d like you to process.”
The hammering stopped, followed by rustling sounds. Then, a calloused hand pushed aside the straw curtain, and Tiemuqi stepped out.
He wore coarse linen clothes, his face framed by a thick beard. His skin was dark, and though he was short in stature, he was robust.
Lai Yi’s current body stood around 175 cm tall, while Tiemuqi was a head shorter.
“Where are they?”
Without even looking at Lai Yi, Tiemuqi took the items handed to him.
He weighed the wolf fangs, running his fingers over them while inspecting and muttering to himself.
“Seventh-tier, quality is a bit poor, but still usable.”
“What do you want them made into?”
He asked.
“Curved blades, perhaps?”
“Fine.”
Tiemuqi still avoided looking at Lai Yi, clearly more captivated by the materials.
“Six silver coins in total—five for labor, one for materials. Pay two in advance as a deposit.”
“Can elemental stones be inlaid on the dagger?”
“You have elemental stones?”
Lai Yi’s question finally caught Tiemuqi’s attention.
He looked up at Lai Yi, their eyes meeting briefly before he immediately averted his gaze, refusing to look at Lai Yi’s face.
Lai Yi began to understand why Lam and the others referred to Tiemuqi as the “Mysterious Man.”
This guy was clearly a social recluse, afraid of interacting with people.
“No, just curious.”
Tiemuqi seemed somewhat disappointed but still offered an explanation.
“Yes, magic beast bones are special materials. Using alchemy techniques to establish a connection with elemental stones can unleash part of their magical power.”
“Enchanting?”
“You could say that, though it’s not entirely accurate.”
“Can you do it here?”
“Mhm.”
Tiemuqi’s reply took Lai Yi by surprise.
“Anything else?”
Tiemuqi asked.
“Can you customize items here?”
Lai Yi’s question made Tiemuqi pause.
“What kind of items?”
Lai Yi pulled out several folded pieces of parchment from his pocket, unfolding them to reveal charcoal sketches of a modern steamer pot and an iron wok.
These were the results of days of research—he missed the soft, fragrant steamed buns.
Having these tools would undoubtedly make cooking much more convenient.
“This,” Tiemuqi held the iron wok diagram, “we have something similar over there. With some modifications, it’ll work.”
Following Tiemuqi’s gesture, Lai Yi spotted an iron wok in the corner of the room, differing slightly in size and craftsmanship.
“And this—can you explain it to me?”
Tiemuqi picked up the steamer pot diagram, clearly intrigued.
Uncertain if aluminum existed in this era, Lai Yi briefly described the metal’s properties.
After a moment’s thought, Tiemuqi identified a similar metal, one even cheaper.
However, most people avoided it due to its lack of durability, preferring cast-iron pots instead.
Lai Yi explained the structure and principle of the steamer again, and Tiemuqi nodded frequently after hearing it, treating Lai Yi even more amiably.
Finally, Lai Yi ordered one iron pot, two steamers, and four additional steamer trays.
He paid a one silver coin deposit, agreeing to pick them up in ten days.
“Brother!”
Neil ran home cheerfully.
After returning to class, Neil finally became a bit more cheerful.
“Brother, little niece Luna told me that Uncle Hagrid wants us to have dinner at his place tonight.”
“Got it.”
Neil put down his things and followed Lai Yi to carry stones, as Lai Yi planned to raise the wall higher.
As dinner time approached, Lai Yi brought a small basin of skin jelly and some berries, going with Neil to Haggard’s house.
The Gulu Beast hide brought back from the market had been scrubbed repeatedly by Lai Yi. Following the memory of how to make skin jelly, he added some minced lean meat to create a Magic Continent version of skin jelly.
Because he added plenty of various seasonings, it tasted quite good.
The Haggard family was all present, and dinner hadn’t started yet when they arrived.
Lai Yi handed the skin jelly to Linda and taught her how to eat it.
When the transparent skin jelly was served on the table, it aroused everyone’s curiosity.
It wasn’t until Haggard tentatively took a bite that everyone else dared to try it. Soon, it was completely finished.
After dinner, Linda brewed a large pot of honey water for everyone to drink.
Linda asked Lai Yi what the skin jelly was made from, and when he told her, it surprised everyone again.
Everyone accepted it well, even wanting Linda to learn how to make some, only Kelly looked somewhat strange.
After saying hello, Lam took the two younger family members and Neil out to play.
Haggard brought his eldest Brian, second son Lis, and Lai Yi alone to the living room.
“Lai Yi, the clan elders have organized a hunting team. The day after tomorrow, you’ll go with the eldest and second son. They’ll look after you.”
“Don’t worry, Dad, we’ll take good care of Lai Yi.”
The one speaking was Lis, who was skilled at hunting in the village and had a more outgoing personality.
Brian also nodded in agreement.
When Lai Yi worked with Brian before, he noticed that Brian was the type to be diligent and hardworking but spoke less.
“This hunt is mainly to survey the situation in the nearby mountains, and we’ll incidentally hunt some low-level magic beasts.”
Haggard continued.
“There are quite a few people going, so it’s relatively safe. You can go along to gain some experience.”
“Mm, I’ll obediently follow my two cousins.”
“Lis, help Lai Yi prepare what he needs for going into the mountains these next two days.”
“Okay.”
Haggard gave a few more instructions before letting the three of them leave.
Brian went to cut grass to feed the cows.
Lis taught Lai Yi a few simple self-defense moves, agreeing to continue practicing tomorrow before letting him go.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was the day to enter the mountains. Lai Yi’s group of twelve people set off with the village’s only three mule carts.
The mules here had a very long name, which Lai Yi directly ignored.
To Lai Yi’s surprise, Tiemuqi actually came along too. He carried a deflated leather bag and carried two sharp giant axes on his back.
Lai Yi nodded and greeted him.
Their village didn’t have a specific name; outsiders were accustomed to calling it “the small mountain village.”
A small river ran through the small mountain village, next to a dense forest. Following the forest further would lead to two tall mountains, with a cliff on the other side of the mountains.
Crossing these mountains and walking a bit further would bring them to the territory of the Eaton Great Forest.
It can be said that these two mountains protected the small mountain village and the entire Rosen Town, blocking most of the attacks from the Magical Beasts of the Eaton Forest.
The mules moved swiftly and were well-adapted to walking on mountain paths.
They set off at dawn, traveling without pause, and reached the foot of the mountain by the time the sun was high in the sky.
They pitched several tents at the foot of the mountain, and the twelve of them had their first meal.
After a brief rest, eight people from other villages arrived one after another.
Leaving four people and a cart of supplies behind, Lai Yi followed the remaining fifteen people into the mountains.
Through Lis’s explanation, Lai Yi learned that this hunting trip also had a patrol mission.
Last year, a Magical Beast had crossed the cliffs and attacked a village. The mayor of Rosen Town reported it to the lord of Eaton City, who eventually dispatched knights and mages to resolve the situation.
Victor and his wife had died under the claws of that Magical Beast.
Therefore, every few months, the villages now organize joint patrols.
The mountain paths were difficult to traverse. At first, they followed the previously cleared paths without much trouble.
Gradually, overgrown branches blocked the way, and everyone took turns using machetes to clear the path.
The forest was deep and dark, and night fell quickly in the mountains. The group remained vigilant and pressed on urgently, finally reaching the first rest point as darkness fell.
It was a 30-square-meter wooden cabin, built many years ago by the villagers. It was mainly used as a resting place for villagers and passing bounty hunters.
The cabin was quite old and had begun to decay.
Everyone methodically lit a bonfire outside the cabin and set up traps.
“Lai Yi, pass me the cup.”
Lai Yi handed the cup to Brian, who scooped him a cup of hot water.
Lis had already gone to patrol the nearby area. Lai Yi and five others stayed behind to prepare dinner.
Two pots were placed over the fire. Lai Yi helped with making the soup, while the others used tools brought from the foot of the mountain to repair and maintain the cabin.
“First time here? I haven’t seen you before.”
The outsider who was making the soup asked Lai Yi.
“Yes.”
“What’s your relation to Brian and Lis? They’ve been looking after you the whole way.”
“They’re my cousins.”
The outsider paused for a moment, then asked tentatively.
“Are you young Mr. Victor?”
“Yes.”
By the light of the fire, he carefully studied Lai Yi’s face and murmured to himself.
“You do look very much like him.”
“I heard you were badly injured.”
“I’ve recovered.”
Lai Yi pointed to the scar on his forehead, and the outsider glanced at it.
“May the Lord God bless you.”
“May the Lord God bless you.”
The sound of a snapping branch echoed, and the two fell silent. Everyone stopped what they were doing, leaving only the crackling of the burning branches.
A moment later, voices could be heard.
“It’s us.”
Lis’s group, who had been patrolling the left side of the cabin, returned with two already-processed Longtooth Beasts. Several people swiftly set up the Longtooth Beasts over the fire to roast.
The other two groups also returned before the Longtooth Beasts were fully cooked, bringing fresh water and processed game.
After dinner, the sixteen people split into four groups to keep watch, ensuring the bonfire stayed lit, while the rest rested inside the cabin.
Lai Yi and Lis were in the last watch group, also responsible for preparing the next day’s breakfast.
The night passed peacefully. Lai Yi used the red prairie birds hunted the previous night and the mushrooms they had brought to make two pots of soup.
The chirping of birds grew increasingly noisy as the sun rose. Two crescent moons hung distantly in the sky, growing faintly transparent.
The scattered starlight had vanished, leaving only a faint blue hue clinging stubbornly beside the crescent moon as dawn arrived.
People gradually woke up and went in small groups to relieve themselves. Lai Yi followed Lis and the others to do the same.
After breakfast, the sky was fully bright. They extinguished the bonfire with soil, and the sixteen-member team reassembled.
Lis, Lai Yi, and four others remained in the wooden cabin on standby.
Brian, Tiemuqi, and eight others continued up the mountain for a brief patrol.
They agreed to reunite at the wooden cabin in two days.
Lis took Lai Yi to scout the surrounding area while hunting along the way.
He taught Lai Yi how to identify animal tracks and calls, and how to set traps.
Deep in the secluded forest, every outing yielded results.
Lai Yi attempted to combine wood-type magic with archery but failed several times.
Fortunately, it remained highly effective for perception—he found numerous berries and even two century-old mountain ginseng plants.
Brian’s group returned at noon on the third day.
They brought back two sixth-tier Magical Beasts and one seventh-tier Magical Beast.
Their bodies bore wounds, faces etched with exhaustion.
After debriefing with them, Lis arranged for their rest. Lai Yi prepared meat soup for them—his cooking skills had already won over the other standby members.
After lunch, they organized their various gains from recent days. The sixteen descended the mountain while hunting as much as possible along the way.
“How are conditions on the mountain?”
Lai Yi quietly asked Brian.
“Nothing major. Some vegetation is severely damaged, likely from Magical Beast conflicts.”
Lai Yi felt relieved.
“Lai Yi, if there were problems, we wouldn’t be hunting while descending the mountain.”
Buer interjected.
He was from a neighboring village whom Lai Yi had met these past few days, around the same age and somewhat extroverted.
“Better safe than sorry, right?”
“Lai Yi, stop saying things I don’t understand.”
Lai Yi shrugged.
Their descent slowed due to carrying prey, reaching the base camp after the remaining personnel had finished dinner and retired.
Upon arrival, four of them promptly boiled water and pitched tents.
The night passed uneventfully, everyone sleeping soundly while awaiting daybreak to return to the village.