Chapter 117

Chapter 117

At the mention of iron tools, Feng Yan couldn't help but show a look of satisfaction. All their hard work paid off—with so many people working in shifts day and night, researching and tinkering—they had finally managed to produce something tangible.

They had already learned to coat the kiln walls with refractory clay to build high-temperature-resistant furnaces. However, they discovered that the extreme heat required for smelting iron still caused the kiln walls to crack.

An Tu: "Chief, this..."

"It's fine, let's try again," Feng Yan said.

They had no choice but to conduct multiple experiments again to find the right refractory clay mixture. Their perseverance paid off, and after several days, they finally succeeded in creating a smelting furnace capable of withstanding high temperatures.

This step also solved the problem of making high-temperature-resistant crucibles.

Feng Yan remembered his child's advice: even the first piece of crude iron they smelted should not be carelessly discarded.

Feng Yan: "Zhe Yang, we won't throw this piece of iron away. Take it and give it a try."

"Alright," Zhe Yang did as Feng Yan said and began forging this highly impure lump of iron.

Zhe Yang didn't think little of this material at all, because everyone gathered around him, watching his every move closely. Just a lump of crude iron had all the beastmen filled with anticipation.

Zhe Yang held a precious drawing in his hands, depicting various shapes of iron tools. The Junior Priest Lord had personally given it to him.

Many of the shapes on it were not too different from the familiar stone tools they knew, with only slight modifications.

Yet, Zhe Yang still slept with this drawing every night, even dreaming of forging iron tools. The numerous shapes and crafting methods for iron tools were already deeply ingrained in his mind. So, on a whim, he decided to use this scrap iron lump to make an iron hammer.

*Clang—*

Perhaps because Zhe Yang exerted too much force, during the forging process, he accidentally chipped the stone tool in his hand.

Zhe Yang stared dumbfounded at the stone hammer in his hand. For the first time, he realized that stone tools weren't that durable after all!

Xue Tuan had warned them about this before—their tools weren't actually that durable.

So, Feng Yan and An Tu were prepared. They directly handed Zhe Yang a new stone hammer: "It's fine, use this one instead."

Zhe Yang took the stone hammer and continued forging quietly. Drenched in sweat, he didn't even bother to wipe it off. The bulging muscles in his arms didn't relax for a moment.

Various wooden handles were already laid out on a nearby table, ready to be attached once the hammerhead was done.

That night, they produced the Mountain Water Tribe's first iron tool—a crude iron hammer. Even so, when the beastmen went to sleep, they couldn't help but grin like fools to themselves.

After that, Zhe Yang used this ordinary iron hammer to forge the next, higher-quality iron hammer. And with each tool they replaced, they were able to make the next iron tool with greater efficiency and better quality.

Day after day passed, and the beastmen of the Mountain Water Tribe started to get iron anvils, iron tongs, iron axes, iron shovels...

The beastman who'd asked about the iron tools was still waiting for instructions.

Feng Yan then said: "Take the iron ore we brought back to An Tu for arrangement. As for the finished iron tools, remember to give the farm tools to Chen Yue. Tools for the elders should be delivered to the workshop. And some for kitchen use, give them to Yuan Luo..."

The quantity they produced in this batch wasn't large, but to ensure each group could have the iron tools they longed for, Feng Yan and the others were very fair, making a few tools for each group to try out first.

"Chief! I'm here!" Hearing his name, Yuan Luo immediately spoke up. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he tried hard to control his volume, "Could... could we bring them over to take a look now?"

Seeing the expectant looks in the beastmen's eyes, Feng Yan readily agreed: "Then bring them over."

The first item brought over was a solid iron knife, its blade perfectly set into a wooden handle. In Yuan Luo's kitchen, this would be its purpose.

The beastmen spontaneously brought over a table, a cutting board, and ingredients. Yuan Luo carefully took the kitchen knife handed to him by a beastman; it felt heavy in his hand.

Yuan Luo placed a cut of beast meat on the cutting board with his left hand, pressing it down, and began slicing. From his recent experience in the kitchen, he quickly noticed the difference between this kitchen knife and others.

Bone knives were the lightest, requiring the highest skill from the user. They might be convenient for scraping skin or removing tendons, but they were prone to cracking if one wasn't careful. The newly made stone knives were the sharpest, but they chipped very easily after some use.

At first, Yuan Luo felt this iron knife in his hand was a bit heavy, seemingly not as handy as other knives. But the more he used it, the more he discovered its advantages.

It sliced through tendons and membranes very smoothly. When chopping bones, the knife showed no abnormalities. Applying a bit more force didn't risk chipping it like a stone knife. Yuan Luo grew more enthusiastic the more he chopped.

Since there were only so many iron tools available, after seeing Yuan Luo use one, the beastmen had their eyes on the others: the iron wok, iron spatula, and the peeling knife. The peeling knife was particularly novel, and the beastmen took turns trying it.

"It really is quite useful..." Yuan Luo muttered to himself. He focused on cutting the meat, and as he chopped, he decided to go ahead and prep all the meat for the day.

Only Xue Tuan, after watching for a while, said: "Uncle Yuan Luo, if the edge rolls over in the future, just hammer it back straight. You can keep fixing it and using it over and over."

"So that's how it is! Then this knife can last a long time!" Yuan Luo liked this kind of knife! Their old knives always wore out quickly, and they had to trouble the beastmen to make new ones. If this iron knife had better durability, it would save a lot of trouble.

The reason Xue Tuan said this was because the pure iron knives the tribe made now were also commonly called "soft iron knives."

These iron knives were pure in texture with extremely low carbon content. While they had good toughness and durability and wouldn't break easily, their drawback was that they were relatively prone to having their edges roll over, not achieving the sharpness and hardness of kitchen knives from Xue Tuan's previous life.

But Xue Tuan believed that once the tribe's first generation of blacksmiths accumulated enough experience, they would surely discover the method for making truly good kitchen knives.

Because that method was also discovered accidentally in the beginning. When repeatedly heating and forging the initial soft iron knife in charcoal fire, one might find that parts of the knife's surface became exceptionally hard. This was the so-called "carburization" process.

The carbon from the charcoal, under high temperature, penetrated the surface of the soft iron, forming a high-carbon steel layer. With this high-carbon steel layer, the kitchen knife could be sharpened to a fine edge and would no longer roll over easily. The pure iron in the core still gave the knife excellent toughness. This was also the key reason why kitchen knives from his previous life were even better.

Further advancements included "sandwich steel technique." However, it wasn't realistic to expect to become an expert overnight. Xue Tuan always preferred to let the beastmen slowly find the right direction through practice themselves. He would only offer slight guidance when it was truly necessary to speed up progress.

Through prolonged smelting and forging, the beastmen would discover that different tools required different properties. Eventually, they would understand: use steel where hardness is needed, and iron where toughness is needed. That would be correct.

However, the tribe still needed some pure iron tools, like chisels, hoes, nails, etc. So, the agricultural and workshop groups should be quite satisfied with these new iron tools.

After reminding Uncle Yuan Luo, Xue Tuan intended to return to the little black lion and Bing Qiu. While weaving through the crowd, he noticed that his father had, at some point, leaned against the cave wall and unknowingly fallen asleep.

Being able to fall asleep in such a lively cave showed how exhausted his father, who had been traveling back non-stop, truly was.

Xue Tuan changed direction, wanting to ask his dad to make something delicious for his father and the others. Then he saw Bing Qiu holding an iron wok, about to use it. He quickly said: "Brother, it hasn't been seasoned yet. Don't rush to use it."

Bing Qiu, excitedly holding the iron wok, stopped in his tracks. He obediently turned back and asked Xue Tuan for advice: "Season it? Can't a wok be used directly?"

Xue Tuan: "Of course not! This is our tribe's first iron wok!" The final step in an iron wok's creation is actually seasoning!

The iron wok made by the beastmen wasn't as smooth inside as modern ones. Upon closer touch, one could feel many uneven spots. These would be the key areas to focus on during future cleaning.

Iron woks themselves were prone to rust. If not properly maintained, a newly made iron wok could develop red rust after just a few days.

"Let's take it over and scrub it clean first," Xue Tuan directed. Then he ran off to find Rong Shan, chattering about what "stir-fried crispy intestines in an iron wok" was all about, so his dad and Uncle Yuan Luo could start preparing.

Everyone moved outside the cave. The sky outside still looked the same, except the sun was changing every day. Its brilliantly red outer rim was getting closer and closer to the center.

The beastmen deliberately avoided paying too much attention to the sun's changes, as if by not observing or caring, nothing would happen.

Washing and scrubbing were familiar tasks for the beastmen, and Bing Qiu was naturally skilled at it. After scrubbing the iron wok clean, Bing Qiu followed Xue Tuan's instructions and placed the wok over a fire to heat.

Once all the moisture inside the wok had evaporated, he quickly wiped every corner of the interior with beast fat. This would form a "protective film" on the wok, making it both non-stick and rust-resistant.

"Is that all?" Bing Qiu asked.

"Let it simmer on low for a bit longer." After saying this, Xue Tuan grabbed the little black lion and had him start timing. "Just count to six hundred seconds." He was confident handing the counting job to the little black lion.

The little black lion was focused and counted accurately. For things that took ten or twenty minutes like this, Xue Tuan would ask the little black lion for help whenever needed.

"No problem," the little black lion readily agreed. He never got bored helping Xue Tuan.

Xue Tuan ruffled the soft fur on top of the little black lion's head, musing how well-behaved he was.

Rong Shan was washing the Tusked Boar intestines—pig intestines—repeatedly with clean water. He had to wash them until the water ran clear.

When Beastmen were in their Beast Form, they weren't so particular, but after transforming into human form, perhaps because their sense of taste and smell were equally keen, and their tastes were getting pickier, Beastmen had a hard time accepting Tusked Boar intestines that had any odor.

Rong Shan said, "Yuan Luo, help me prepare some scallions, ginger, and garlic first." These three were essential.

Yuan Luo said, "Sure thing, that's simple. I'll get it done right away."

Rong Shan then went to use the peeler brought back by Feng Yan and the others to peel the lotus roots.

"Yuan Luo, look at this, it's really useful." Holding the peeler, Rong Shan swiftly peeled a lotus root in a few quick strokes and was ready to start the next one right away.

From now on, when peeling ingredients, they wouldn't have to carefully slice with a knife anymore, worrying that shaving off even a tiny bit would be wasting food. This peeler worked quickly and well, so Beastmen who cooked often were sure to love it.

"Wow..." Yuan Luo exclaimed in admiration. His mind was already racing through several ingredients that needed peeling. "We really should make a few more of these peelers." It would greatly improve their food preparation efficiency.

After peeling the lotus roots, Rong Shan handed them to Yuan Luo to slice. Since the iron wok was large, they prepared a lot. Rong Shan continued by putting the freshly washed Tusked Boar intestines into boiling water, parboiling them briefly over high heat, and then immediately scooping them out into cold water.

This was also a method taught by Xue Tuan. After the cold water shock, they would turn out chewier.

After doing this, the Tusked Boar intestines could be cut into small sections about two knuckles long and placed in a ventilated area to dry. According to his boy, the drier the surface, the crispier they would become when cooked.

Meanwhile, the "wok seasoning ritual" over by Xue Tuan and the others was almost complete.

Xue Tuan said, "...Finally, after you're done cooking each day, just repeat this process. Gradually, you won't need to do it as often."

"Remember to season every new iron wok in the tribe from now on."

The Beastmen all nodded to show they understood, remembering the Junior Priest Lord's words.

At this moment, Rong Shan and Yuan Luo happened to arrive, carrying all the ingredients they had prepared.

"Dad, you're here." Xue Tuan trotted over to Rong Shan's side, standing on tiptoe to look at what they had prepared.

"Mhm, then I'll get started." Rong Shan patted his boy's head and glanced at the iron wok they had just been working on. Compared to when it was first brought out, the wok seemed to have transformed, its interior now "shiny with oil."

He'd heard that only iron woks needed this treatment; it was indeed quite magical.

After the weather turned hot, beast fat was no longer solid. The Beastmen had transferred it to pottery oil jars.

Rong Shan took the oil jar and poured an appropriate amount of beast fat into the iron wok. After switching to new cookware, it seemed they had to get familiar with the oil temperature again.

Ginger and garlic went into the wok first as usual, then Rong Shan quickly added the lotus root slices and began stir-frying.

Xue Tuan said, "Dad, don't stir-fry the lotus root slices for too long." To maintain their crispness, just half-cooked was enough.

"Okay, I know," Rong Shan replied.

He first set the stir-fried lotus root slices aside on a plate. Then, it was time to stir-fry the Tusked Boar intestines, also constantly turning them to ensure even heating on all sides. Once the surface turned a light golden brown, it was about right; the heat shouldn't be too high.

Now, the lotus root slices could be added back in and stir-fried together with the intestine sections.

The aroma grew richer, and the grease smoke increased a bit. Beastmen standing close had to quickly step back.

The Beastmen watching Rong Shan stir-fry noticed the iron wok really heated up very fast. When they used it themselves later, they'd probably need some time to get used to it.

Next came the "highlight" of this dish. Xue Tuan saw his dad pick up two tiny jars from the side. Inside was the soy sauce made by A Mu and the others using "divine koji"!

Normally, soy sauce fermentation wouldn't be this fast. But ever since the addition of "divine koji," the Brown-eared Leopard Beastmen were confident regarding anything requiring fermentation. For them, anything was possible.

"Is this the soy sauce that Chief A Li and A Mu mentioned?" some Beastmen recognized this new seasoning making its debut.

This small amount of soy sauce was actually the usable result the Brown-eared Leopard Beastmen managed to produce after several failed batches.

Rong Shan added the precious soy sauce and then skillfully grabbed the other seasonings.

The first iron wok, paired with the first successful batch of soy sauce, had the Beastmen's expectations sky-high.

The final step was quick stir-frying to reduce the sauce, then sprinkling with chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds before immediately plating. However, Rong Shan only plated half. For the other half, he planned to make a spicy version.

If the Beastmen still remembered the tribe's first use of a pottery stir-fry wok, then the stir-frying effect of this iron wok was a real eye-opener for everyone again.

When this "Iron Wok Stir-fried Crispy Intestines" was served, everyone's mouth watered.

As the tribe made more and more dishes, everyone gradually understood what the Junior Priest Lord meant by "a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste"—it was right before their eyes.

And this first dish produced by the tribe's first iron wok did not disappoint. This time, the intestine sections had a crispy skin but retained their soft, springy interior. The crisp lotus root slices complemented them perfectly. Using a newly learned word from the Beastmen: it was incredible!

As usual, Xue Tuan fixed a plate of the spicy crispy intestines for the little black lion first, then sat down himself to enjoy the meal. Xue Tuan was marveling at Rong Shan's cooking skills when he looked up and saw Feng Yan, who had woken up.

"Dad, come try this quickly!" Xue Tuan hurriedly brought over a portion of iron wok stir-fried crispy intestines covered with a pottery plate, presenting it like a treasure for his father to eat.

"You're awake? You were sleeping so soundly we didn't call you." Rong Shan added a chair next to him for Feng Yan to sit down.

Feng Yan said, "I just wanted to close my eyes and rest for a bit, didn't expect to fall asleep. What delicious food did you make?"

"Made with the iron wok you brought back. The taste is really good," Rong Shan said with a smile. Although that iron wok was large and heavy, using it to stir-fry felt wonderfully efficient.

Rong Shan boldly predicted that Beastmen would probably gradually come to love using iron woks for cooking.

Feng Yan stuffed a piece of crispy intestine into his mouth and answered between bites, "Good that it's useful." This was the very moment he and the Beastmen stationed at the Pink Bear Tribe had worked hard for.

Listening to the Beastmen's praise for the various iron tools, Feng Yan felt his tiredness begin to fade.

"It's a pity there's only one large iron wok right now..." a Beastman remarked. Currently, being able to eat food stir-fried in this iron wok was a matter of luck.

After listening to all this, Feng Yan turned to the Beastmen and said, "This time we brought back quite a bit of wrought iron. If everyone likes iron woks so much, go tell An Tu. Have him make a few more first."

The Beastmen immediately erupted in a small wave of cheers.

"Great! Thank you, chief!"

"That's wonderful! I'll go tell An Tu in a bit!"

Now everyone was satisfied. They'd only have to wait a few more days; they would eventually get to eat food made in an iron wok!

The Beastmen had devoured the "appetizing feast" like a whirlwind. Seizing the moment, Yuan Luo and the others started on today's dinner. Once again, following Xue Tuan's enthusiastic suggestion, Yuan Luo prepared to try making an "iron wok stew" for the Beastmen.

Because the Junior Priest Lord had assured them that success would surely leave all the beastmen dazed by the amazing smell.

The beastmen who had just returned from the Pink Bear Tribe had a long, tough journey and should have rested much earlier. However, back at the tribe at last, everyone was so excited they momentarily forgot their exhaustion.

It wasn’t until after dinner that they began to feel completely worn out. When they just couldn’t stay awake any longer, they bid farewell to their companions and returned to their caves, soon falling into a deep sleep.

Yet, unaware of how long they had slept, they were suddenly jolted awake by a chorus of wolf howls. Before they could even ask what was happening, they heard the voices of the Howler Monkey Beastmen:

“Attention, attention.”

“A natural disaster has appeared! A natural disaster has appeared!”

The beastmen snapped awake, all rushing barefoot out of their caves.

Outside, they saw the sun on the horizon had completely transformed into a deep, fiery red. The ring of searing flames around it seemed to set their own eyes on fire.

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Author’s Note: Thank you, dear readers, for all your support. Mwah!