Huo Yuhao came back to his senses and steadied himself. He did not show the timidity of a child; instead, he stepped forward unhurriedly and stopped at a distance slightly away from the furnace fire.
"Hello, Uncle." He first greeted them politely, his voice clear. "I'm not here to forge anything. I wanted to ask if your blacksmith shop is hiring apprentices? Or... do you need temporary workers to help out?"
As soon as he spoke, not only was the strong man who had just questioned him stunned, but the blacksmith next to him, who had been busy gripping the iron bloom and controlling the heat, also stopped working. Both men simultaneously looked at the boy in front of them, who only reached their waist and looked at most 6 or 7 years old.
Hiring an apprentice? Helping out? The two exchanged glances, seeing the same astonishment and amusement in each other's eyes. A child this small probably couldn't even lift an iron hammer, right? What could he possibly do here? Cause trouble, more likely!
"Little friend," the strong man who had spoken earlier grinned, "How old are you? Do you know what forging is? This isn't a game; it's hot, exhausting, and dangerous."
Huo Yuhao had anticipated this reaction. He didn't lose heart, but said earnestly, "Uncle, can I try? I just want to earn some money to help support my family."
His clothes were already ragged, and combined with his serious, yet still childish face, it made the two blacksmiths feel a slight pang, thinking perhaps... his family truly was struggling?
The strong man didn't immediately refuse. After thinking for a moment, he pointed to the large bellows in the corner and said, "Do you see those bellows? When forging, the heat level is the most crucial. If you really want to try, go pull those bellows 10 times and make the furnace fire flare up so I can see. Remember, it must be steady, even, and not chaotic."
These bellows weren't easy to pull; even an adult struggled with them. By saying this, he intended for Huo Yuhao to back away from the difficulty. Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He knew his chance had arrived. Without saying anything more, he just nodded.
"Alright!"
He walked up to the giant bellows, which were almost taller than he was, took a deep breath, and gripped the handle with both hands. The rough wooden handle felt heavy. He didn't immediately pull with brute force. Instead, he lowered his waist into a Horse Stance, planted his feet firmly on the ground, straightened his spine, and slightly tensed his arm muscles. At the same time, he quietly activated a trace of spirit power to better coordinate his whole body's strength and enhance stability.
"Hah!"
With a low shout, Huo Yuhao exerted force with both arms, pulling the bellows handle back steadily and evenly!
"Whoosh!" The flames inside the furnace suddenly shot up higher as the air was injected, making the firelight brighter and fiercer!
1 time, 2 times, 3 times... Huo Yuhao's movements were not fast, but every pull was extremely stable and the force was even. The bellows made a rhythmic and powerful sound, and the furnace fire burned steadily and vigorously, with the temperature noticeably rising. Both blacksmiths were now wide-eyed, not having expected Huo Yuhao to actually be able to pull it. After finishing 10 pulls, Huo Yuhao's face was not flushed, and he wasn't out of breath.
He released the handle, stood straight, and said with bright eyes, "Uncle, I finished pulling."
The strong man looked at the steady, vigorous flames in the furnace, and then at the boy in front of him, whose breathing was calm. "Alright! Kid, you're interesting! You have quite a bit of strength, and you're very steady!" He patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder. "How about this, you can stay and try it out. Come every morning. Your main job will be pulling the bellows, tidying up tools, cleaning, and watching how we work. We'll provide you with lunch, and every month... I'll give you 5 silver coins as pocket money. How does that sound? If you do well, I'll teach you some real skills later!"
This compensation was already considered decent for a handyman in West Arrival City. It was clear that the master had a kind heart, willing to take in a child as young as 6, even if it was just for odd jobs, providing a meal and some pocket money. But most of it was clearly out of kindness and pity; he probably didn't genuinely expect him to be of any substantive help.
However, Huo Yuhao came here not just for the 5 silver coins of pocket money and a lunch every month. He was here to earn money. Pulling bellows and cleaning, while a start, was too slow and the returns were too low. He needed to prove his worth, to prove that he wasn't just a "little kid" who needed looking after.
Therefore, Huo Yuhao moved.
His gaze swept over and landed on a slightly smaller iron hammer resting on the nearby tool rack. Under the puzzled gaze of the two masters, Huo Yuhao walked straight over and stretched out his small hands to grip the wooden handle of the iron hammer, which seemed somewhat oversized for him. It felt heavy in his hands. The hammerhead was made of solid wrought iron and weighed quite a bit. He gripped the handle with both hands, his core instantly exerted force, his calf muscles tensed, his heels gripped the ground, and his entire body was like a taut bowstring.
"Hah!"
A clear yet powerful low shout burst from his throat! Under the astonished and disbelieving gaze of the two blacksmith masters, the little boy, whose height only reached their waist, steadily lifted the iron hammer over his head! Immediately after, before they could recover from their shock, Huo Yuhao focused his gaze, locking onto the iron bloom that was still glowing dark red and hot on the anvil. His arms drove his waist, and the strength of his entire body, like a twisted rope, was transmitted thunderously down the hammer handle!
Bang!!!
A solid, tremendous sound suddenly exploded inside the blacksmith shop! Sparks shot out like a downpour from the point of impact between the hammer and the anvil, illuminating Huo Yuhao's focused and calm little face! The iron bloom on the anvil visibly dented and deformed under this single iron hammer blow!
After the first strike, Huo Yuhao didn't pause at all. His movements were smooth and continuous, like flowing water. Using the rebound force from the first blow, he twisted his waist and swung the iron hammer again!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
1 time, 2 times, 3 times! Rhythmic hammering sounds continuously rang out in the small blacksmith shop, like war drums! Every hammer fall was accompanied by splashing sparks and the clear deformation of the iron bloom! The two masters were completely dumbfounded, their mouths wide enough to fit an egg, their eyes nearly popping out!
This... How is this possible?! A 6 year old child?! Wielding an adult's iron hammer?! And... this force?! This stability?! This rhythm of continuous hammering?! They were blacksmiths themselves, and they understood the intricacies of this best! Those few strikes—whether it was the force of the blow, the precision of the landing point, or the coordination and stability of his body while exerting force—although the movements looked somewhat unfamiliar, they were already no weaker than those of a veteran blacksmith who had worked for many years!
In fact, Huo Yuhao had used a trick. Under Han Tianyi's tutelage, although he was young, his physique had long surpassed that of an ordinary adult. Moreover, his Spirit was the Spirit Eye! That observation earlier was not for nothing; he merely replicated the movements the two masters had performed previously!
After hammering continuously 7 or 8 times, Huo Yuhao slowly withdrew his strength, gently tapping down with the final strike to steady the iron bloom. Then, gripping the handle with both hands, he gently placed the iron hammer back where it belonged, his movements still steady. Only after completing all this did he turn around to face the two blacksmith masters, who were still petrified.
"Uncles, I believe I am qualified for the job of a blacksmith!"
He was here to earn money. How much could he earn just pulling bellows and helping out? The two strong men suddenly snapped back to reality. They exchanged glances, seeing the same shock and disbelief in each other's eyes. After a long moment, the strong man who had spoken before finally squeezed out a few words from his throat.
"You... you are a Spirit Master?!"
In his opinion, this was virtually the only reasonable explanation. If he didn't possess spirit power to temper his body and enhance his strength, how could a child as young as 6 possibly do what he just did! Huo Yuhao met his gaze and nodded slightly.
"Hiss!"
Upon confirmation, the strong man couldn't help but gasp, and the look in his eyes towards Huo Yuhao completely changed. So young... and already a Spirit Master?! What kind of talent is this?! A child like this has limitless potential for the future! Befriending a Spirit Master with such extraordinary talent was definitely a deal that couldn't lose!
As his thoughts raced, the shock on the strong man's face quickly subsided, replaced by a more enthusiastic, even somewhat solemn smile. Then he introduced himself. "My name is Wu Ming, and this is my younger brother Wu Xing. We still don't know what your name is, little brother."
"My name is Huo Yuhao!"
Wu Ming thought for a moment and said, "How about this! Little Brother Huo, if you are willing to work here, your basic monthly wage will be 10 gold coins!"
10 gold coins—that was dozens of times more than the previous 5 silver coins! In a small place like West Arrival City, this was definitely a considerable income.
"Of course!" Master Wu quickly added, his tone warm. "This is just the base salary! Our blacksmith shop mainly calculates based on the work completed. In the future, for any qualified ironware you forge that gets sold, I will give you an extra commission! The more you work, the more you earn! What do you think?"
Huo Yuhao nodded cheerfully: "Thank you, Uncle Wu! This is a great offer! I am very satisfied!"
"Good! Good! Then it's settled!" Master Wu's smile broadened when he saw Huo Yuhao agree. "Well... Little Brother Huo, will you start work tomorrow morning? We open at 7:00 in the morning."
"Okay, Uncle Wu! I will definitely be on time at 7:00 tomorrow!" Huo Yuhao agreed readily.
With the matter settled, a weight lifted from Huo Yuhao's heart. Having found a well-paying job, his mother wouldn't have to worry about making a living anymore and could recuperate in peace. He was eager to share this good news with his mother, to make her happy and completely set her mind at ease.
Huo Yuhao bid farewell to the two men. "Well, Uncle Wu, Uncle Li, I'll head back now! See you tomorrow!"
Wu Ming quickly replied, "Ah, alright! Be careful on your way!"
Huo Yuhao turned around, feeling relaxed and joyful, and started jogging towards the small courtyard where he and his mother rented accommodation.
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