Chapter 558 (1/2)

Green Bronze!

The blood was extracted, and the bronze casting was about to begin.

They did not know how long the blood supply in the bamboo tube could last, nor were they sure that the blood quality would stay fresh, so they had to make preparations as fast as possible.

In the casting room, irrelevant people were forced to stay out, and even if they wanted to look, they could only wait outside. Besides the two chiefs and the other three leaders, all the other minor leaders could only walk in circles outside waiting for them to finish. They couldn’t see anything even if they stretched their necks.

They used the slave owners’ method of mud casting where they poured molten alloys into the cavity of the mould.

Most of the moulds used were made of mud. However, it was different this time. Everyone had to be more cautious throughout the entire process.

This was an attempt to use the blood of a green-faced fanged beast and it was an important turning point. If they succeed, the weapons used by the tribe would become more powerful, and stone tools would gradually be replaced. After all, if the new bronze was hard and sharp enough, and could break rocks as Gongjia Heng said, then many people would prefer bronze weapons over stone ones.

The moulds made of mud had been dried for a long time and went through a process where they were repeatedly hammered. They had been put to a temperature test, and the bronze weapons previously made also proved their usefulness. These moulds were not too wet and had no signs of air seeping through. It was suitable for casting bronze weapons.

This time, the mud used for casting went through an even more stringent process which included sieving, rinsing, washing and other processes.

The process of ore smelting was still the same as before. Thick, black gas rose first, then yellow-white gas, blue-white gas, and finally when only green gas was left, the copper alloy would be completely melted. Then could they begin the casting. But this time was different. Before the casting, the blood of the green-faced fanged beast would be added.

The words that Shao Xuan saw carved on the mountain walls of Gongjia Valley instructed clearly when to add the beast blood but it didn’t explain in detail, so Shao Xuan could only depend on his own intuition.

He pulled out the needle on the ”syringe”, and the green blood flowed out of the bamboo tube where the needle was connected, making a snorting noise.

“You’re… you’re just going to drip it inside?” The craftsman next to him stuttered nervously.

How else?

It was impossible now for Shao Xuan to ask someone from the Gongjia family for advice. They could only try pouring it in.

Shao Xuan erected the bamboo tube, allowing the animal blood in the tube to drip from the small hole of the connecting needle into the molten copper alloy liquid.

Tension, anxiety, and stiffness took over their bodies. No one dared to move or make the slightest noise. They were afraid they might disturb the process.

The blood dripping into the copper alloy liquid made a sizzling sound but suddenly came to an abrupt halt. It did not evaporate as Shao Xuan and the others thought, but like a blooming beauty, it spread out in the alloy liquid.

As the blood gradually dripped, a green flame suddenly ignited from the alloy liquid. The flame did not burn high. It burned on the surface of the alloy and reached not over a pinky finger’s length.

The fire in the stove burned as before, and the alloy was still melting.

The blood in the bamboo tube dripped faster, and the surface of the alloy liquid was covered with a green flame. Simultaneously, the alloy liquid was coming to a boil, but yet no bubbles appeared. There was only a consistently burning green flame.

The colour of the alloy liquid was changing, becoming darker and no longer golden. The colour became more uniform as the alloy liquid flowed and settled.

As soon as the beast blood ran out and no blood dripped into the alloy liquid, the green flame would gradually disappear. That would be the time to pour the alloy into the mould.

Outside the forge, minor leaders like Mai, Tuo, and Xiang Chen who knew about the secret of the weapon were all waiting outside. Initially, they wanted to listen to what was happening inside to satisfy their curiosity, but up till now, there was nothing inside they wanted to know about.

The two leaders were too calm. Even a cry of exclamation would be better than staying quiet like this.

After a long time.

A forging sound came from the room.